|
English | Español | አማርኛ | 中文 | 한국어 | Tiếng Việt | العربية | فارسی | اردو
 Volume 1, Issue 21
Leadership Ledger
Westlawn Families,
This week we celebrated the end of the second grading period…already!! The beginning of 2025 has had a slightly interrupted start, but the weather seems to be improving, snow is melting, and we are hopeful for a smooth transition into February.
Please pay close attention to upcoming dates and events as we inch closer to spring. Tonight our rising 6th grade families have an opportunity to learn more about the middle school experience at Luther Jackson’s Curriculum Night, and tomorrow the Falls Church High School’s Athletic Department is sponsoring Youth Basketball Night at the Girls Varsity game! The more we expose our children to life in secondary school the better prepared they will be when it’s time to transition!
At Westlawn we value our school community and strive to enhance the academic and social experience for both students and families. Please reach out and let us know how we can best support your family. Let’s get the third quarter started!
Sincerely,
Christoph Hill, Stephanie Carpenter, and Erin Theiss
Proud Principals
 We love it when former students return to Westlawn to complete service hours! Westlawn teachers work with former students in meaningful ways, such as having them act as additional voices to help current students think through projects in art.
Food and Growing Students
Our food sharing program has become a big hit in the cafeteria! We have noticed that requests for additional food have increased, which makes sense because students continue to grow and develop! We encourage you to talk with your child about their food needs at lunch. It might be time to pack an extra snack, or encourage them to take greater helpings of fruits and vegetables when they go through the cafeteria line. If your family needs help acquiring more food at home, please reach out to one of our family liaisons.
FCPS News
Are you curious about what’s happening more broadly in FCPS? This week’s In Case You Missed It (ICYMI) FCPS roundup covers:
- SOL Score Reports
- Upcoming Budget Presentation
- Science Fair Judges Needed
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.
January 30: Luther Jackson Middle School Curriculum Night
Rising seventh grade students and their families are encouraged to visit Luther Jackson MS to learn about different classes, programs, and opportunities for students in middle school. More information can be found on the Luther Jackson MS website.
January 31: FCHS Youth Basketball Night
Elementary and middle school students get in free to watch the girls’ basketball team at FCHS! The game starts at 7:00.
February 4: Family Literacy Program First Meeting
English classes for adults will be offered at Westlawn again this spring, from 6-8 PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Adults can sign up by contacting Ms. Reyes via email, TalkingPoints, or calling 703-241-5100.
February 5: World Read Aloud Day
Wear clothing with words on it to celebrate World Read Aloud Day! Guest readers will be visiting classrooms throughout the school!
February 7: FCHS Youth Basketball Night
Elementary and middle school students get in free to watch the boys’ basketball team at FCHS! The game starts at 7:30.
February 8: Reading Opens the World
Get free books at Reading Opens the World, from 10 am - 2 pm at the Lorton Community Center. View the Facebook invitation.
February 10: 3-Hour Early Release (Staff Development)
February 10 is a 3-hour early release day for students. The remaining 3-hour early release days for Westlawn are March 10, April 21, and May 12.
 February 10-14: Kindness Week
Kindness Week takes place from February 10-14 and features a different clothing theme for students and staff each day.
-
Monday: Pajamas
-
Tuesday: Dress the same way as someone else, or dress like a teacher
-
Wednesday: Workout clothes or jerseys
-
Thursday: Sunglasses, neon, or rainbow colors
-
Friday: Red, pink, or hearts
February 17: No School (Presidents’ Day)
February 20: Family Adventure Night
Save the date! Family Adventure Night will take place on February 20 from 5:00-6:30! More information will be coming soon!
To see more schoolwide and community events, remember to check out our website calendar! You can also subscribe to our calendar to make it even more convenient.
Reminder: Join the Fundraising Committee
As more FCPS schools are designated as Title I schools, the amount of money that each receives from the Title I grant is reduced. In the past, a significant amount has been set aside for upper grades field trips to places such as Jamestown, Gettysburg, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. We are forming an exploratory committee to identify other sources of funding so that we can continue to keep field trip costs affordable for families. Please consider joining the committee! If you are unable to commit to joining, you are also welcome to email your fundraising idea to Principal Hill.
Join a Community Conversation
Join us on Wednesday at 11 AM on Zoom to hear the important news from the school from Principal Hill! Community Conversations happen weekly barring school holidays or weather closures. If you miss a Community Conversation, you can catch up with slides and recordings on our website.
Social-emotional learning (SEL) is an important part of helping children develop the skills they need to succeed in school and life. This year, we are using Second Step, a research-based SEL program designed to teach students essential skills like empathy, emotional regulation, and problem-solving. Each focus for the week will share recommendations for conversations and activities families can do at home to promote SEL outside of school.
Kindergarten
In this week’s lesson, your child will learn that kindness is a way to show people that they care and that doing kind acts can make both the giver and the receiver feel good. They’ll share personal examples and discuss how they felt when they gave or received kind acts. Try This at Home: Help your child think of a kind act they can do for someone and support them in carrying it out. With your child, discuss how they think the receiver of the kind act felt. Ask your child how they felt doing a kind act for someone.
1st Grade
In this week’s lesson, your child will learn and practice two ways they can be kind to others: asking, “Are you okay?” and offering to keep someone company. Try This at Home: Help your child think of a family member or close friend who could use some company. Encourage them to ask the person, “Would you like some company?”
2nd Grade
In this week’s lesson, your child will describe a time they had empathy for someone and how it affected their thoughts and actions. Try This at Home: Ask your child to tell you about a time they had empathy for someone.
3rd Grade
In this week’s lesson, your child will learn how acting on empathy can make friendships stronger. Try This at Home: Ask your child to name one of their friends and explain what makes them a good friend.
4th Grade
In this week’s lesson, your child will learn that asking questions, listening, and observing can help you learn more about someone’s point of view when you don’t understand it. Try This at Home: Tell your child about a time when learning more about a different point of view helped you have empathy. Encourage your child to think of future situations where it might be helpful to learn more about a different point of view in order to get along and show they care.
5th Grade
In this lesson, your child will use empathy to identify problems in their school community and think about how these problems might affect other people. This is an important first step toward making positive change in the community. Try This at Home: Ask your child what problems they see in your neighborhood that affect other people. Point out how empathy helped them notice those problems.
If you have questions about these prompts or ideas, or social-emotional learning in general, please email Westlawn’s SEL Coach, Ms. Andrews. We can work together to create a positive and safe school environment!
|
