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Dear Westbriar Families,
As we step into March, we welcome the promise of spring and the exciting learning opportunities that come with it! This month is filled with meaningful learning, community engagement, and celebrations of student success.
March is also a time of growth, both academically and socially. Our students continue to work hard, and we appreciate the support you provide at home to reinforce their learning. Please keep an eye out for upcoming events, including Cultural Heritage Night, and be sure to check the weekly updates to stay informed.
Thank you for being such an integral part of our Westbriar community. Your involvement, encouragement, and partnership make all the difference in the success of our students.
Wishing you a wonderful March!
Best,
Dr. Sallie Burch
Principal, Westbriar Elementary
- Parents can log in and view Quarter 2 Progress Reports on SIS ParentVue. Remember to download the app to your phone if you haven't already.
- Order your 2024 - 2025 Yearbook.
- All visitors must bring and scan a government-issued photo ID each time they visit school. Arrive early to events to ensure time for parking and check in.
- Check out the breakfast and lunch menu.
- Have your child log into Clever from Westbriar Student Links to access Lexia and ST Math from home to maintain academic progress.
The Westbriar tardy bell rings daily at 9:20 AM. All students should be in school by 9:20 daily.
- You don’t need a Kiss & Ride number in the morning! Simply drop off your student(s) in the designated Kiss & Ride lane—no number required.
- U-turns are illegal and dangerous. Avoid making U-turns in the middle of the street near the school to keep everyone safe.
- Parking and walking through the parking lot or bus loop is unsafe. Please use crosswalks and designated drop-off areas to protect your child and others from accidents.
- No parking in the front lot or bus loop during peak times.
- Morning: 8:50 – 9:20 AM
- Afternoon: 3:15 – 4:20 PM
- Arrive at Kiss & Ride after 8:55 AM. Arriving early blocks families from dropping off for SACC (School-Age Child Care).
Thank you for helping us keep Westbriar safe and efficient during arrival and dismissal! 🚦
Westbriar PTA is excited to announce our culminating community event of the year – a vibrant celebration of the diverse cultures and countries represented at our school! This cultural extravaganza is always a highlight of the year and is well-attended by our school community. To ensure its success and to showcase our multicultural spirit, we need your help.
There are many volunteer opportunities available, and we encourage everyone to consider signing up. Whether you're helping set up, managing activities, or assisting with the various booths, your support is essential.
Students who wish to earn service hours are also encouraged to volunteer. Please note that students must sign up for a specific volunteer slot in order to receive credit for their hours.
Click below to sign up and be a part of this exciting event!
Cultural Heritage Night
At Westbriar Elementary, we prioritize the health and safety of all students and staff. To help prevent the spread of illnesses and ensure your child can recover fully, here are some guidelines on when to keep your child at home:
- Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye)
- Symptoms: Pink eye with thick yellow/green discharge.
- Keep at Home: If there is yellow/green discharge, your child must be evaluated by a healthcare provider. If diagnosed with bacterial conjunctivitis, they must stay home while symptomatic or until 24 hours of antibiotic treatment has been completed.
- Coughing
- Symptoms: Severe, uncontrolled, rapid coughing, wheezing, or difficulty breathing.
- Keep at Home: Contact a healthcare provider. If symptoms are related to asthma, follow your child’s Asthma Action Plan. Once symptoms are controlled, they may return to school.
- Diarrhea
- Symptoms: Frequent, loose, or watery stools.
- Keep at Home: Until diarrhea improves, accidents stop, and bowel movements are no more than two above normal in 24 hours.
- See a Provider: If there is blood in the stool or your child has a fever, keep them home until they are fever-free for 24 hours without medication.
- Fever
- Symptoms: Fever of 100.4°F or higher with other symptoms such as rash, sore throat, vomiting, or behavior changes.
- Keep at Home: Until fever is below 100.4°F for 24 hours without medication.
- See a Provider: If fever lasts more than 2-3 days or reaches 102.0°F or higher.
- Rash with Fever
- Symptoms: Rash accompanied by a fever or a rash that spreads quickly, isn’t healing, or has open wounds.
- Keep at Home: Until evaluated by a healthcare provider.
- Strep Throat
- Symptoms: Sore throat, fever, stomachache, and red, swollen tonsils.
- Keep at Home: For at least 12 hours after starting antibiotics. Your child may return to school when they are fever-free, have taken antibiotics for 12 hours, and symptoms are improving.
- Vomiting
- Symptoms: Vomiting two or more times in 24 hours, with or without diarrhea or fever.
- Keep at Home: Until vomiting has stopped overnight and your child can keep food and liquids down the next morning.
We appreciate your cooperation in keeping Westbriar a healthy and safe learning environment for everyone. If you have any questions about these guidelines, please contact the school office. 💙
Attending kindergarten provides children with an opportunity to learn and practice the essential social, emotional, problem-solving, and self-regulation skills they will use throughout their lives. Fairfax County public schools typically conduct kindergarten registration events, including orientation, between January and April. Eligible children can also be registered throughout the summer, but registering your child early helps us prepare and ensure we have the teachers and resources needed on the first day of school.
Families should prepare for registration by gathering documents and completing forms on the FCPS kindergarten registration webpage. FCPS offers support and resources for all families to help with registration and the transition to kindergarten. For support in other languages, visit the kindergarten registration webpage.
✨ A strong start is Goal 1 of the 2023-30 Strategic Plan.
The Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener will be administered to students in grades 3-12 in March. Students use the SEL Screener twice a year to share their perspectives on how well their school and community help them develop the skills they need to succeed. The screener works by asking questions or presenting statements that students can think about and respond to. This gives students a way to share how well their school community makes them feel valued, included, and supported.
After each screening, results are available in the Documents tab of SIS ParentVUE and mailed to families who do not have a ParentVUE account. For more information, including SEL Screener questions and opt-out information, please visit the Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener webpage.
Thanks to a new program from the Virginia Department of Education, students who are fasting during the school day between February 28 and March 28 can now take school meal kits home at the end of the day.
Families will need to fill out a weekly Fasting Meals Request Form for their child or children to receive school meal kits. A separate form must be filled out for each week and each student. Visit the FNS webpage for more information, including weekly request forms and deadlines.
Future Planning for Elementary and Middle School Students in Special Education
For families, caregivers, and educators of students receiving special education services.
March 12, 20256:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Luther Jackson Middle School 3020 Gallows Road Falls Church, Virginia 22042
Join Career and Transition Services (CTS) to learn about planning for life in and after high school!
It’s never too early or too late to start preparing for your future. We want to help you start planning for a successful transition from school to life as a young adult. Ensuring postsecondary success of our students with disabilities is dependent on what is known as transition planning. Please join CTS and other support service personnel for an evening focused on planning for the future.
You will have the opportunity to meet and ask questions of representatives from CTS programs and services for students with disabilities, as well as learn about short and long-term postsecondary supports, employment, postsecondary education considerations, Supported Decision Making, and student self-determination as an evidence-based predictor of post school success.
This event also includes two speakers who will discuss IEP transition planning, special education services, and postsecondary options for younger students as they navigate FCPS and plan for their future. A questions/answer session will follow.
Click here to register: http://bit.ly/3Cjke4b
The FCPS Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Proposed Budget invests in academic growth and excellence for each and every student, which is one of the priorities of the FCPS Strategic Plan.
Since the 2023-24 school year, FCPS has seen a 9.5% increase in eighth graders taking Algebra I or more advanced math and a 6.8% increase in fifth graders in advanced math.
Studies show that students who complete algebra in middle school have more opportunities to take advanced math and science courses in high school. This can open up new academic paths for students! Watch a video that shows why eighth grade algebra matters.
Learn more about the FCPS FY 2026 Proposed Budget.
As required by the Code of Virginia, parents or legal guardians need to provide proof of immunizations for their child to attend public school. All students entering seventh grade are required to receive one dose of each of the following immunizations:
- Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis booster (Tdap) given at age 7 or older.
- Meningococcal vaccine (MenACWY) given at age 10 or older.
- A complete series of 2 doses of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.
- After reviewing educational materials approved by the Board of Health, the parent or guardian, at the parents/guardians sole discretion, may elect for the child not to receive the HPV vaccine.
Parents/guardians are encouraged to plan ahead by scheduling an appointment with their child’s health care provider now to avoid the rush this summer. If your child does not have a health care provider, please visit the FCPS Immunizations Resource page to find out where to get an immunization.
Please review the Virginia Department of Health Information Packet for more information on rising 7th grade immunization requirements.
Don't miss out on the upcoming Science Fair! All participants must register online at the Westbriar PTA website: http://westbriarpta.org/sciencefair. If you're unable to register online, please email the Science Fair chairperson (contact information below). The registration deadline is March 28, 2023. Be sure to sign up and showcase your scientific discoveries!
 
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics and others:
- Middle School Start Times
- New Lunch Items
- Talking to Teens About Tough Topics
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.
Wednesday, March 5th at 7:00 PM: PTA Meeting (Virtual)
Tuesday, March 11th from 4:00 to 8:00 PM: Dining for Dollars at Chick-fil-A (Tyson’s West)
Friday, March 14th from 5:30-8:00 PM: Cultural Heritage Night Celebration
Monday, March 17th: EARLY RELEASE MONDAY
Tuesday, March 18th from 7:00-7:30 PM: 6th Grade Chorus Concert
Wednesday, March 19th from 7:00-7:30 PM: 5th Grade Chorus Concert
Thursday, March 20th: Yearbook Pictures (Class and Groups)
Friday, March 28th: End-of-3rd Quarter
Join us tonight, Friday, February 28, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. in the Marshall HS cafeteria for an exciting evening of science and fun! The event will feature a variety of engaging activities, including student science fair projects, an IB STEM information table, and hands-on scientific demonstrations. It promises to be a night of discovery and enjoyment for both elementary and middle school students.
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