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On Monday, March 24, you will receive an email with a link to the FCPS Principal Evaluation Parent/Guardian Feedback Form. This questionnaire is part of the Performance Evaluation Program and provides an opportunity for you to share anonymous feedback on key aspects of our school, including:
• Instructional leadership
• School climate
• Management (human resources and organizational)
• Communication and community relations
• Culturally responsive and equitable leadership
• Professionalism
The questionnaire will be open March 24–April 4 and will be collected online. When you receive an email from FCPSSurvey@fcps.edu, please take a few minutes to complete it. Your feedback is important and helps shape the future of our school. Thank you for your time and participation!
Congratulations to Westbriar’s top three spellers who showcased their incredible spelling skills in this year’s Westbriar Spelling Bee!
🥇 Winner: Ashwin S. 🥈 Runners-Up (Tied): Ajay A. & Shashwath P.
All three students are fifth-graders at Westbriar and demonstrated outstanding poise, focus, and dedication throughout the competition. The spelling bee was a thrilling event, filled with challenging words and impressive performances from all participants.
We are so proud of Ashwin, Ajay, and Shashwath for their hard work and achievement! 🎉 Keep up the great work, and congratulations on this fantastic accomplishment! 🐝📖👏
Congratulations to Westbriar’s Odyssey of the Mind teams for their incredible performances at last weekend’s competition!
✨ Mechamania – Our Division 1 team (Adrija B., Sophy C., Riya C., Sloane D., Audrey K., Via L., and Gigi N.) wowed the audience with their creative performance about a mad scientist who enters a talent show with her mechanimal, a three-tailed fox! The team performed beautifully and demonstrated grace under pressure—fantastic job!
🌊 The Dolphinauts – Our Division 2 team (Violet D., Ally H., Ishti J., Astrid L., Adiya N., Zere N., and Avery S.) crafted an imaginative skit about a lost dolphin who helps two astronauts stranded in the ocean. With the help of a newscaster, the dolphin reunites with its eccentric owner. Their performance—filled with singing and dancing—earned them first place in their problem category!
🥇With their first-place finish, The Dolphinauts are now headed to the State Competition at the end of April! Good Luck at States! Congratulations to both teams for their creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving skills—Westbriar is proud of you! 💙👏
March is Youth Art Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the importance of visual arts in education and the talented young artists in our community. Westbriar Elementary was proud to be represented at the Marshall Pyramid Art Show on Thursday night, where many of our students had their incredible artwork on display!
A huge thank you to our amazing art teachers, Mrs. Dunlap and Mrs. Cusato, for fostering creativity and guiding our students in their artistic journeys. Their dedication and passion for the arts shine through in the beautiful pieces our students create.
To all of our talented Westbriar artists who participated—congratulations! Your hard work, creativity, and imagination were on full display, and we are so proud of you. 🎨✨
Youth Art Month is a wonderful reminder of how art inspires, empowers, and connects us all. Be sure to take time this month to appreciate the creativity around you and encourage our young artists to keep creating! 🖌️🎭🎶
Get ready for an exciting week of music as Westbriar’s talented chorus students take the stage for their upcoming performances! Under the dedicated leadership of Mrs. Auman and Mrs. Chernov, our 5th and 6th-grade chorus students have been working hard to prepare for their concerts, and we can’t wait to hear them sing!
📅 Upcoming Chorus Performances:
🎵 6th Grade Chorus Concert – Tuesday, March 18th | 7:00-7:30 PM
🎵 5th Grade Chorus Concert – Wednesday, March 19th | 7:00-7:30 PM
Both concerts will be filled with beautiful harmonies, engaging performances, and plenty of Westbriar spirit. Families and friends are encouraged to come and support our young vocalists as they showcase their hard work and passion for music!
A huge thank you to Mrs. Auman and Mrs. Chernov for their dedication to our music program and for inspiring our students to shine. We look forward to seeing everyone there! 🎤✨
As FCPS finalizes plans for summer learning, we want to share an important update regarding available programs. Due to funding limitations, some centrally-operated opportunities, such as Bridge to Kindergarten and Young Scholars, will not be offered this summer. However, select programs will still be available for eligible students.
📚 SOAR Program – Available for Title 1 Schools ONLY
While Westbriar students are not eligible for the SOAR program, families from Title 1 schools can access this opportunity at designated regional sites, with free participation and transportation provided.
Beyond SOAR and Explorers, FCPS will continue to offer:
✔ Extended School Year (ESY) Services
✔ Fine Arts & Career & Technical Education Camps
We appreciate your understanding. Thank you for your continued support in ensuring student success! 💙
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.
Westbriar is a community that cares, and we have a need for essential items. If you are able to contribute, we would greatly appreciate your support.
Needed Items:
🔹 Laundry Detergent/Pods
🔹 Body Wash and Hygiene Products
🔹 Girls' Clothing (especially Size 5 and 6)
🔹 Boys' Clothing (especially Sizes 4T and 6)
Donations can be passed along to Beth Jackson, WES’ Social Worker. Thank you for your kindness and generosity in helping our school community. 💙
FCPS Budget — Our Students Deserve the Best
More than $240 million of FCPS’ Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Advertised Budget is dedicated to increasing compensation for our teachers and staff to stay competitive and reduce turnover. Currently, FCPS ranks fifth out of eight neighboring districts in regards to starting salary for teachers with a master’s degree.
Our families expect — and our students deserve — the best teachers.
Next Steps in the Budget Process
The next steps in the FCPS FY 2026 Budget process include the School Board presenting the budget to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, April 22, and then the Board of Supervisors will conduct public hearings Tuesday, April 22, through Thursday, April 24. Community members can submit testimony or sign up to speak.
Visit the county government website to view the Fairfax County FY 2026 Advertised Budget. The community is also invited to complete an online survey to provide feedback on the county’s FY 2026 Advertised Budget.
Learn more about the FCPS FY 2026 Budget process.
Reminder to Sign Up Weekly for Student Fasting Meal Kits
Students who are fasting during the school day between now and March 28 can take school meal kits home at the end of the day. Families must fill out a separate request form for each week and for each student in order to receive school meal kits. To receive meal kits for the week of March 24, please fill out this form by March 17.
Please remind your child to pick up their meals each day at our school’s designated location. Visit the Food and Nutrition Services webpage for more information, including weekly request forms and deadlines.
Cameras have been installed on the stop arms of 50 FCPS school buses. These cameras will be used to identify drivers who pass stopped school buses while children are entering and exiting the bus (called a “stop arm violation”).
Warnings for drivers will begin on Wednesday, April 9. After a 30-day warning period, citations will begin to be issued on Monday, May 12.
According to Virginia law, drivers must stop for stopped school buses with flashing red lights on and their stop signs extended. Motorists should stop when approaching from any direction (unless there is a barrier or median separating their lane from where the bus is stopped). They should remain stopped until everyone is clear and the bus is moving.
We appreciate our law enforcement partners for working with us to improve road safety and reduce accidents. Read more information about the stop arm cameras and all of the ways that we work with our county partners to keep students safe on their way to and from school.
Want to learn more about the ongoing Comprehensive School Boundary Review process? Watch this video for explanations of terms such as attendance zones, attendance islands, split feeders, and other factors that affect school boundaries. The video will also be available in other languages soon.
Visit FCPS’ Comprehensive Boundary Review webpage for more information and sign up for our School Boundary Review newsletter.
🎤 Save the Date: Community Conversations with Superintendent Dr. Reid
Your voice matters, and Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid wants to hear from you! Share your thoughts and ask questions regarding FCPS on Wednesday, April 23, Freedom Hill Elementary School from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Childcare and interpretation services will be provided. Events are open to all. Find out about other opportunities to connect with Dr. Reid.
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics and others:
- Second Annual Food Show
- Cameras on School Bus Stop Arms
- Comprehensive Boundary Review Process Explained
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.
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