- 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.
Daylight saving time begins Sunday, March 9, at 2 AM. Don’t forget to move your clocks ahead one hour!
As a result of the time change, many students will be walking to school or bus stops in the dark. Help your child stay safe by having them wear reflective clothing and bright or light colors, or add reflective items to their backpacks or clothes. Also, encourage your child to be especially alert for cars that are turning or backing up and not to run into the street or cross between parked cars.
Did you know that chronic absenteeism is a key factor in school accreditation? In Virginia, a school's accreditation status is partly determined by student attendance. Chronic absenteeism is defined as a student missing 10% or more of the school year—whether excused or unexcused.
When students are frequently absent, they miss valuable instructional time, making it harder to stay on track academically. Additionally, high absenteeism rates can impact our school's overall performance and standing.
✅ How You Can Help:
- Schedule vacations and appointments outside of school hours whenever possible.
- Encourage consistent school attendance and communicate with us if challenges arise.
- Work with the school to address any attendance concerns.
We appreciate your partnership in ensuring all students are present, engaged, and set up for success! If you have any questions or need support with attendance, please reach out. Together, we can make every day count!
The FCPS CARES Program allows parents, staff, and community members to recognize FCPS employees who go above and beyond to help others and show they care about their students, colleagues, and the community. We invite you to submit a story below to acknowledge the great work of an FCPS employee or group of employees who should receive FCPS CARES recognition. A notification email, with the submission text included, will be sent to the recipient(s) and copied to the recipient's supervisor(s). All submissions are posted to our FCPS CARES webpage and shared via other FCPS news outlets. *You report through StaffConnect, the HR portal, and yes, it calls each submission “an incident.” I promise this is still a good thing! For more information visit https://www.fcps.edu/about-fcps/employees/recognition-programs/fcps-cares
Throughout the year, as we celebrate and recognize various cultural holidays and observances, families are encouraged to contact Mrs. Blomquist, kjblomquist@fcps.edu, regarding accommodations, including but not limited to those around lunch, prayer/meditation and silent reflections spaces and times, and instruction. Currently, our meditation and silent reflection room will be available from 1:15-1:45 PM. Adult supervision will be provided during this time and staff will not interact unless there is a safety concern. Written parent permission is required for instructional times (anything outside of lunch or recess), email Mrs. Blomquist, kjblomquist@fcps.edu or your child’s classroom teacher. If there are requests for prayer outside of the timeframe provided, email Mrs. Blomquist, kjblomquist@fcps.edu so we can ensure accommodations, space, and adequate supervision are available. During physical education, students can ask to take a break to access the meditation and silent reflection room.
We're excited to share information about The Bandage Program, a nonprofit organization run by high school students from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. They offer free interactive science and health lessons for elementary and middle school students.Students will have the opportunity to explore science topics ranging from cardiology to astronomy in a flexible, engaging format. The program is completely free and designed to accommodate different learning paces.
Program Details
-
What: Free, interactive science and health lessons in two tracks:
- Medicine Course
- STEM Course
-
Who: Open to students in grades K-8 (three age groups: K-2, 3-5, & 6-8)
-
When: Spring Session runs March 24th - May 23rd
-
Format: Asynchronous lessons via Google Classroom with:
- Hands-on projects
- Experiment videos
- Optional 1-on-1 tutoring
- Occasional in-person events
Weekly Time Commitment
- Grades K-2: 30-45 minutes per week
- Grades 3-5: 45-60 minutes per week
- Grades 6-8: 60-90 minutes per week
How to Sign Up
For more information about The Bandage Program, visit their website at thebandageprogram.weebly.com or follow them on Instagram @thebandageprogram.
The Early Release Mondays planned throughout the school year for elementary schools are essential to allow educators time for planning and professional development. Students will be dismissed three hours early seven times throughout the school year and are encouraged to return home via their normal route. However, we understand there may be a childcare hardship because of the early release Mondays for many of our families. To resolve these concerns, student supervision will be available for families who need it.
The following dates are planned for Early Release Mondays throughout the school year:
Additional information can be found on the FCPS Early Release Mondays webpage. If you have immediate questions, please email ESPlanning@fcps.edu.
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
*Friday, March 21st: Yearbook Pictures (Class and Groups)
Friday, March 28th: End-of-3rd Quarter
Thursday, April 3rd from 6:00-8:30 PM: Science Fair
*CORRECTION
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics and others:
-
- A Strong Academic Foundation
- 70th Annual Regional Science Fair
- New Breakfast Options
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.
|
