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Westgate Families,
I hope this finds you having a fantastic March week. I wanted to send a huge thank you to our PTA for organizing such a successful BINGO night last Friday. As a reminder, we need parent support to make these types of events happen. In order to continue to provide these exciting opportunities for our community, we need your help! Please consider reaching out to the PTA about leading or co-leading one of our many events for next school year.
Also, if you know or have a rising kindergarten student please make sure you make an appointment to register them for next school year. By registering your child early, it helps Westgate receive the appropriate staffing for our students. Please see the details below regarding registration, and our upcoming orientation on April 1.
As always, I appreciate your support of all things Westgate, and wish you and your family a wonderful rest of your week and weekend ahead.
All my best,
Hallie Demetriades
Principal
WestFest 2025 - Save the Date!
Save the date for WestFest 2025—a vibrant celebration of our incredible and diverse community! Join us on Thursday, May 8th, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at Westgate for an evening of fun, connection, and festivities. Stay tuned for details on food donations, activities, and volunteer opportunities—we can’t wait to celebrate with you!
Yearbooks on Sale Now!
Don't miss out on this year's memories! Please see below on how you can purchase a 2024-25 Westgate yearbook. All orders are due by April 18.
Kindergarten Registration & Orientation
Do you have, or know of a rising kindergartener scheduled to come to Westgate next year? All students that turn five by September 30, 2025 are eligible to attend Kindergarten this fall. Please spread the word that registration is underway as we are excited to meet our newest Wolves. Please consider registering asap since our staffing reflects the number of registered students. Registration information for kindergarten and new students can be found on our website here.
Also, we will hold our annual Kindergarten Orientation for parents and students on Tuesday, April 1 at 9:00 a.m. This will provide an overview of our kindergarten program and gives an opportunity for both parents and students to meet teachers, families, and other staff. We hope to see many of our new wolves and their families at Westgate that day! You may also contact our main office at 703-610-5700 or tmgreen@fcps.edu if you have additional questions.
Family Folk Song Project
March is Music in Our School’s month. To help celebrate this exciting month, as well as the amazing diversity we have here at Westgate, all students are encouraged to participate in the Family Folk Song Project. This is a project that is geared towards sharing music from the many different cultures, families, and languages we have here in our Westgate community. Please see the attached flyer here to learn more about this great opportunity. For any questions, please reach out to Mrs. Schubert at vjschubert@fcps.edu or Ms. Jennelle at cjennelle1@fcps.edu.
🌯 Chipotle Fundraiser for Westgate Elementary PTA 🌯
25% of event sales will be donated to the PTA!
Date & Time: Tuesday, April 22nd 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Location: 8461 Leesburg Pike Ste A Vienna, VA 22182
Prefer to order online? No problem! Just use the code YMP6ELR when placing your order for pickup, and a portion of the proceeds will still benefit our cause.
Join Our Volunteers at Westgate
We hope you had a wonderful winter break and are reaching out as we need your support. The PTA has upcoming events such as BINGO, Volleyball and others that we can only make happen with the support of volunteers. We are looking for individuals to chair these events in partnership with a board member who has run these events in the past. Chairing these events are a great way to get involved and to be sure they can continue to happen at Westgate and the kids love seeing their parents help at school. If interested in getting involved or learning more, please reach out to president@westgatewolvespta.com
Literacy Resources for Families
FCPS has created a literacy resource page for families as we have embarked on a new Benchmark curriculum. Families may access these resources here. Please reach out to your child's classroom teacher if you have specific literacy questions.
PTA Membership
All are welcome at our PTA meetings. Joining the Westgate PTA and donating $15 per family amplifies your voice in our school community, gives you the opportunity to vote on PTA-led events and initiatives, and comes with a free, stylish Westgate magnet to drive around OUR neighborhood with. Your membership also helps the PTA create a more dynamic year of programming and advocacy.
To be a part of this thriving community, we invite you to join the PTA. Dues are $15 per family and you can sign up HERE!
Arrival/Dismissal Safety Reminders for Westgate
Please remember to be mindful of our important safety procedures during arrival and dismissal.
- There are NO left hand turns allowed in, or out of, Kiss & Ride during arrival or dismissal.
- There are NO illegal u-turns allowed in front of the school on Magarity Road. Please enter kiss and ride from the correct side (towards rt. 7) and follow the traffic pattern, as we've witnessed both student and staff safety being compromised too often.
- Please ONLY cross your child at the dedicated cross walk (with police officer). Crossing you children at any other location is not safe.
- There is NO parking on either side of Magarity Rd. right in front of the school. Please do not park in these areas.
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Cars are not permitted in the bus loop between 8:20 - 9:00 a.m. and between 3:00 - 3:40 p.m.
Our number one priority at Westgate remains student safety. Thank you for adhering to these very important safety reminders. Please note that the Fairfax County Police Department will be closely monitoring this situation.
⏰ Limited Early Release Mondays - Westgate Dismisses at 12:30 p.m.
The remaining early release dates for Westgate are:
Activating Your SIS ParentVUE Account
The SIS (Student Information System) ParentVUE Account is an online tool parents can use to access information about their child’s attendance, report cards, discipline incidents, health information, and more. In ParentVUE, you can also view student progress reports/report cards and SOL scores.
Your secure SIS ParentVUE Account offers you the ability to use one username/password to login to both the SIS ParentVUE Account and Schoology.
Using the SIS ParentVUE account, parents will also be able to view school information, including teacher e-mail addresses, the FCPS calendar, and emergency contact information. Visit the FCPS website and use the search function and keywords “SIS Parent Overview” for more information.
Many of you have already activated your SIS ParentVUE account with the activation key. If you are unable to login to your account, you may need to reset your password on the SIS Parent Account login page (https://sisparent.fcps.edu):
- Select the “Forgot Password” button.
- Your username is the primary email address you have on file with us in our Student Information System.
- More information is available here.
Newly enrolled families should have received an activation key for your account. If you have not yet activated your account, please reach out to Tracy Green at tmgreen@fcps.edu.
Please take action now to ensure your account is active!
School Meals & Free and Reduced Price Meal Applications
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Breakfast and Lunch
Breakfast will cost $1.75. Lunch will cost $3.25, and milk $0.60. Money can be added to your child’s accounts using www.myschoolbucks.com. You can also write a check to Westgate Food Services and deliver it to our Food Services Manager at Open House. During the school year, you can find the menu for breakfast and lunch here .
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Free and Reduced-Price Status
Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals will continue to receive these benefits through the end of September. A new application must be filled out each new school year and forms are available online now: https://www.fcps.edu/resources/student-safety-and-wellness/food-and-nutrition-programs/free-and-reduced-price-meals.
Applications are accepted at any time, but we encourage you to apply or renew your application before the end of September. Call (703) 610-5700 if you need help. This must be completed for eligible students to receive free meals.
Parent Digital Consent System
New this year, families will use the Parent Digital Consent System to complete some forms that have used paper in the past. You will log in using your ParentVUE Account credentials, There, you will be able complete the Digital Resources Consent form for the school year, which is required for all students. You will also be able to find more information about opt-out forms and complete those forms for your student.
Multilingual Parent Information Line
☎️ Parent Information Phone Line Available in Eight Languages
Parents/caregivers who speak Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Urdu, or Vietnamese may call a telephone information line for general information about FCPS. View the list of phone numbers.
Spanish: ☎️ Línea Telefónica de Información para Padres Disponible en Ocho IdiomasPadres/cuidadores que hablan Amárico, Árabe, Chino, Farsi, Coreano, Español, Urdu o Vietnamita pueden llamar a una línea telefónica de información para obtener información general sobre FCPS. También pueden obtener apoyo para comunicarse con la escuela de su hijo. Vea la lista de números de teléfono.
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