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 Volume 1, Issue 28
Leadership Ledger
Westlawn Families,
We have a lot to be excited about as we March toward April (get it?!) and the end of the third quarter. Fifth graders are taking their first Standards of Learning assessment today, our sixth graders are busy preparing for the big volleyball game, and our instrumental and choral ensembles are making the final push for PIRATES! The Musical in early April. Not to mention STEAM Academy is starting up again soon! It’s a wonderful time to be part of the Westlawn community.
On Tuesday our fourth and fifth graders traveled to the George Mason Center for the Arts to participate in Link Up, now a Westlawn tradition. Students brought their recorders and played along to songs learned in music class with Fairfax Symphony Orchestra! At Westlawn we pride ourselves in providing students with myriad opportunities to both appreciate and explore the arts in various forms - this was a perfect example. The students had a blast, and the teachers did too. We thank Mrs. Cutler, Mrs. Layton, Mr. Stuebner, Ms. Terrell, and all our fourth and fifth grade teachers for their unwavering support.
Sincerely,
Christoph Hill, Stephanie Carpenter, and Erin Theiss
Proud Principals
 Caption: The onset of spring has brought back field trips across many grade levels! This week our fourth and fifth grade students visited the George Mason Center for the Arts to hear (and participate with) the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra. Stay tuned to our social media channels to see photos of our students on their on- and off-campus adventures!
Reminder: School Bus Safety
Last week, Dr. Reid sent a letter to families about a new program involving cameras on school buses that will ultimately begin to cite people who drive past the bus when the stop sign is extended. Learn more information about enforcement dates, fines, and future plans.
Reminder: Soft Plastics Collection
Remember that Mrs. Maxwell is collecting clean, soft plastics (like Ziploc baggies) to turn into a bench. Donations can be turned into the main office. We need to collect 1,000 pounds of plastics for the bench, so every bit counts!
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:
- 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.
March 26: Fun Clothing Wednesday: Clothing with Numbers
Help us celebrate World Maths Day by wearing clothing with numbers!
March 28: Laps for Learning
Laps for Learning is our annual fundraiser where students run laps around our field and raise money for Westlawn. This year Laps for Learning will take place on March 28, and we need volunteers!
March 31-April 1: No School
There is no school on Monday, March 31 or Tuesday, April 1.
April 3: Kindergarten Orientation
Orientation for new kindergarten students and their families happens from 9-10 am in our cafeteria. If you know a family who is new to Westlawn, please forward this email to them so they can subscribe to The Feather Report today! New families can officially register by calling us at 702-241-5100 and setting an appointment with Ms. Caballero.
April 4: Bingo Night
Save the date! More information is forthcoming.
April 7: Spring Picture Day
Save the date! More information is forthcoming.
April 8: PTA Meeting
The April PTA meeting will be on Zoom starting at 6:30 PM. Hope to see you there!
April 9: Restaurant Night
The April Restaurant Night is at Chipotle in Falls Church at 358 W. Broad Street! Use code DP2XF7B when placing an order online for pickup, or show this flier when dining in person. Make it dinner and a show by following it with PIRATES!
April 9: PIRATES: The Musical!
Our spring musical debuts tonight for one night only! Make sure you are at Westlawn at 6:30 PM to be mesmerized, impressed, and delighted!
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.
PTA Opportunities
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.
Spring STEAM Academy
Did your student sign up for our free STEAM Academy this spring? We are offering a record 10 different clubs with over 200 students from grades 2-6 participating in them! STEAM Academy is only possible because we are the lucky recipients of a grant from Northrop Grumman. With this money we are able to get supplies for clubs and pay our excellent staff members! If you came to Glow Night, you might have met some of our Northrop Grumman partners at their table!
We are also lucky that Virginia Tech, a top-tier university, participates in every cohort by teaching the Drones Club! AND, we have two sets of Falls Church High School students teaching clubs this spring, many of whom are super-star Westlawn alum! Our students love to come back and volunteer; we create a culture of giving back at our school.
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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 that apologizing is one way to begin to solve problems. They’ll practice using the phrases, “I’m sorry. Are you okay? How can I help?” as a way to help solve problems. Try This at Home: Ask your child to teach you the three parts of the apology they learned. Encourage them to apologize when the opportunity arises at home.
1st Grade
In this week’s lesson, your child will learn the importance of asking for what they want or need in order to solve a problem. They’ll practice making polite requests with the phrases, “Can I, please . . . ?” and “Could you, please . . .?” Try This at Home: Ask your child to sing the problem-solving song they learned this week. Have your child teach you the tune and sing it together. Here are the lyrics:
Can I, can I, can I? Could I, could I, could?
When I have a problem, these words help me feel good.
Can I, can I, can I? Could I, could I, could?
I can ask for what I want to help me feel good.
I know what I want right now, I want to play with you.
Can I please, could I please, play that game too?
Can you, can you, can you? Could you, could you, could?
When I have a problem, these words help me feel good.
Can you, can you, can you? Could you, could you, could?
I can ask for what I need to help me feel good.
I know what I need right now, I’m feeling really sad.
Could you please talk with me about that fight we had?
Can I, can I, can I? Could I, could I, could?
I can ask for what I want to help me feel good.
Can you, can you, can you? Could you, could you, could?
I can ask for what I need to help me feel good.
When I have a problem, these words help me feel good.
2nd Grade
In this week’s lesson, your child will learn that some solutions are better than others for a problem. Try This at Home: Ask your child if playing rock, paper, scissors would be a good solution if they spilled water on someone’s paper. Why or why not?
3rd Grade
In this week’s lesson, your child will learn to analyze possible solutions to a problem by considering whether each solution gives each person what they want. Try This at Home: Ask your child to explain how they would decide whether a solution works for each person involved in a problem.
4th Grade
In this week’s lesson, your child will learn how to weigh the pros and cons of possible solutions to an interpersonal problem by thinking about the points of view of everyone involved. Try This at Home: Talk with your child about a time when they successfully solved an interpersonal problem. What solutions did they consider, and what were the pros and cons of each solution? Describe a time when you found it helpful to think of each person’s point of view when predicting whether a solution to an interpersonal problem might work.
5th Grade
In this lesson, your child will evaluate solutions to an interpersonal problem by thinking about the problem from each person’s point of view. Try This at Home: Tell your child about a simple interpersonal problem that you’ve experienced and describe each person’s point of view about the problem. Ask them to help you think of solutions and predict the possible outcomes of each solution.
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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