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 Volume 1, Issue 26
Leadership Ledger
Westlawn Families,
Thank you for celebrating Read Across Westlawn Week this with our school community! Each day has had a different theme, including pajamas, clothing with words, and color themes. And this Saturday evening at the George Mason Center for the Arts, Westlawn student artwork will be displayed in the lobby beginning at 6:30 PM, prior to a performance by the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra! We hope you reserved your ticket to attend the performance free of charge!
Monday, March 10 is our next Early Release Monday. Please be sure to have made appropriate arrangements to receive your child(ren). A reminder will be sent out on Monday to all families. We ask that families do not change their dismissal preference at this point in the year.
Thank you for being an active part of the Westlawn community!
Sincerely,
Christoph Hill, Stephanie Carpenter, and Erin Theiss
Proud Principals
 Have you gotten cozy in your pajamas with a good book this week? It’s Read Across Westlawn Week and we have been celebrating every day! Read on to see how you can participate, too!
Celebrate Read Across Westlawn Week with Staff!
We are a community of readers, both staff and families alike! We are asking for grown-up book recommendations from staff and families so we can create a Westlawn recommendations list. The list will be shared the week of March 24 so that families and staff can acquire titles that sound good to make sure their spring break is fully booked. Recommend one (or more!) grown-up books today!
Families of Students in Grades 3-6: We Need Your Consent for Retests!
If you have a child in grade 3-6, they may be eligible for an SOL retake depending on the score of their first exam. Students who qualify will receive remediation by Westlawn staff before the retake, and we also need to collect permission for the retake from a parent or guardian. Families are encouraged to decide whether they want their child to retake the SOL or not, and provide their answer via the online portal.
Instructions about using the portal and SOL dates can be found on our website. Families who need support to create a SIS ParentVUE account may schedule an appointment with a parent liaison by calling the office at 703-241-5100.
Information about Eating Disorders for Families
According to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA 2023), Eating disorders are serious but treatable mental and physical illnesses that can affect people of all genders, ages, races, religions, ethnicities, sexual orientations, body shapes, and weights.
In the United States, 28.8 million Americans will suffer from an eating disorder at some point in their lives. There is no single cause of an eating disorder. Rather, it is a complex combination of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors that converge and set off an individual’s predisposed genetic vulnerability. Learn more about eating disorders.
🚀 Prepare for a Summer of Learning and Fun
Registration will be available soon for summer camps offered by Fairfax County Public Schools for all students. Career and Technical Education (CTE) camps and Institute for the Arts (IFTA) camps will be held in July at Lake Braddock Secondary School from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bus transportation will be available from select FCPS middle and high schools. Registration begins for these programs on Monday, March 10, and ends Friday, June 6.
Tech Adventure Camp (TAC) is a week-long exploratory camp designed to allow current K-5 students to explore activities in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math), culinary arts, health, trades, and business and marketing areas. Watch this video about CTE camps.
E-IFTA is a weekly arts camp for students in grades 2-5 who love to sing, dance, act, perform, make, and create. Students take part in four daily classes related to dance, music, theater, and visual art. They work with FCPS fine arts teachers who create fun and engaging classes.
For more information, see the Summer Learning page.
Reminder: Student Fasting Meal Kits for February 28 - March 28
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.
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:
- Summer Camps and Learning Opportunities
- Supporting Academic Growth
- Preparing for Tough Conversations With Your Child
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.
 March 3-7: Read Across Westlawn Week
We are celebrating reading through fun clothing themes each day! Take a screenshot of these themes or keep your eyes tuned to our Instagram or Facebook stories for reminders each day.
March 8: Arts Integration with the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra
We have partnered with the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra so our students can explore how the fine arts and the orchestra are intertwined. Student artwork meeting the theme of the performance will be displayed at the George Mason Center for the Arts starting at 6:30 PM on March 8, and families are invited to browse the artwork and stay for the show, which starts at 8 PM. We hope you reserved your ticket by March 5!
March 10: 3-Hour Early Release
March 10 is a three-hour early release for professional learning. Students will be dismissed at 12:30 PM.
March 10: Substance Abuse Prevention Presentation for Parents and Guardians
Attend a Zoom substance abuse prevention presentation facilitated by FCPS’ own Substance Abuse Prevention Specialists (SAPS). The SAPS are the same people who present to students in schools, so attending this presentation is a wonderful way to hear the information that has been delivered to your children, and to put yourself in a better position to be an advocate. The presentation will be on Zoom at 5:30 PM.
March 11: March PTA Meeting
The March PTA meeting will be on Zoom at 6:30 PM. We hope to see you there!
March 12: Restaurant Night at &pizza
Our March Restaurant Night will be at &pizza in Seven Corners from 11 AM - 9 PM. Use the code WLPTA if ordering online or at the in-store kiosk, or show the cashier this flier if ordering in person. The more people who participate in the fundraiser, the higher the percentage we receive back, so this is an especially excellent reason to text your child’s friend’s adult to make a plan to meet for pizza!
March 12: Career and Transition Fair
Families of students who receive special education services are invited to this fair, where the goal is to explore the pathways available to these students in high school and beyond. The fair takes place in person at Luther Jackson MS from 6:30-8:30 PM.
March 20: SOL Testing
Students in Grade 5 will be participating in the Integrated Reading and Writing SOL on March 20. Please help your child succeed by making sure they get plenty of rest and a good breakfast!
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: Become a PTA Board Member
We are anticipating vacancies at secretary and treasurer positions, and we are casting a wide net to see who might be ready to take on these incredible roles! Could it be you? Learn about what each role does and share your interest.
Reminder: Volleyballs Requested
Mr. Maloney and Ms. Reed are hoping to bolster our collection of volleyballs with some new additions. As we get closer to the annual staff/student volleyball game, more students request them to use at recess, and we are running low! Size 5 (“the regular size”) are what is needed, and we are happy to take new or gently-used equipment. Volleyballs can be sent to the main office for Mr. Maloney to pick up.
Reminder: Help Restock the Makerspace Cart
Our makerspace cart is in need of some additional (popular) building materials and other items. If you have any of the following to donate, please send it to the main office for Mrs. Maxwell:
- Bubble wrap
- Small boxes (small shoe sized)
- Flat sheets of cardboard
- Paper towel tubes
- Disposable cups (all sizes)
- Matchbox type cars
- Empty and clean 2-liter plastic bottles
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.
Teacher Highlight: Vanessa Boyd, 4th grade full-time AAP teacher
Ms. Rezcallah is a member of our third grade team! Born and raised in Ohio, she started her teaching career then later went on to teach overseas. Ms. Rez recently got married and is now Mrs. Boyd! Her love of extreme outdoor sports such as paragliding, sky diving & hiking has taken her on global adventures! Some favorite parts of the AAP curriculum are Socratic Seminar, Scamper, and mind mapping! She loves using the M-cubed Think Deeply activities and working on the writing process in detail! Her passion and love remains in teaching children and empowering them to reach their highest potential through building strong foundations and lasting impact.
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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 how to state a problem without blame or name calling. They’ll practice identifying problems in given scenarios, listen to their teacher state the problem, and then repeat the statement. Try This at Home: Children may be tempted to blame others when they’re upset about something. Encourage your child to avoid blame by describing what happened without focusing on who is at fault.
1st Grade
In this week’s lesson, your child will learn how to state a problem in a respectful way, without blame or name calling. They’ll practice identifying problems and then state the problem respectfully. Try This at Home: Children may be tempted to blame others when they’re upset about something. Encourage your child to avoid blame by describing what happened without focusing on who is at fault.
2nd Grade
In this week’s lesson, your child will learn how to state a problem without using blame words. Try This at Home: Ask your child for an example of blame words. Have them explain how they’d say a problem without using blame words.
3rd Grade
In this week’s lesson, your child will learn a new process for solving problems called STEP. Try This at Home: Ask your child if they can recall what each letter in STEP stands for. (S: Say the problem, T: Think of solutions, E: Explore the outcomes, P: Pick a solution.
4th Grade
In this week’s lesson, your child will learn two ways to become a better problem-solver: speaking up for what they need and feeling calm before trying to solve the problem. Try This at Home: Talk with your child about times when they might have an interpersonal problem (a disagreement between two or more people) with a friend. Encourage them to use these moments as opportunities to practice feeling calm and speaking up for what they want or need.
5th Grade
In this lesson, your child will learn how to begin to solve an interpersonal problem. This includes finding a way to feel calm, saying the problem respectfully, and deciding whether an adult’s help is needed. Try This at Home: Ask your child what kind of interpersonal problems they can solve on their own, and when they might need an adult’s help.
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!
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