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 Volume 1, Issue 35
Leadership Ledger
Westlawn Families,
We are proud of all our students for their hard work during SOL testing! While most testing has finished, some students will continue with makeups and retakes over the next few weeks. As we head into the final month of school, we want to remind families that each day still brings important and exciting learning. Please continue to send your child to school on time every day. Also, a quick reminder from the library—this Friday is the last day for book checkouts. All library books should be returned by the end of the school year. Thank you for your support in helping us finish the year strong!
Sincerely,
Christoph Hill, Stephanie Carpenter, Erin Theiss
Proud Principals
 What’s better than enjoying the great outdoors? Not much! Check out our Mind Matters column in today’s newsletter to learn about the importance of letting your child learn how to overcome their boredom this summer--perhaps by playing outside! And check out Family Sports Night Under the Stars next week to learn about jackrabbit, the game that students are playing in this photo!
Phase 2 Community Boundary Review Meetings
Families, staff, and community members will soon be able to explore and visualize potential boundary scenarios using a customized Boundary Explorer Tool. The tool will be accessible from the FCPS website. You are also invited to participate in another series of community meetings in order to review and reflect on the initial draft scenarios before the start of summer break.
Each meeting will be hybrid, meaning that you may attend in person or via Zoom. Childcare for in-person participants and language interpretation/translation for all participants will be available as needed. Registration links will be shared soon. Another round of community meetings will be held in the fall.
Visit FCPS’ Comprehensive Boundary Review page for more information.
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Reminder: Summer Camps Still Have Openings!
Are you still looking for ways to keep your child learning and growing this summer? We got you! We have a pop-up page for summer camps on our website, and many camps still have openings! This year we are also excited to feature a STEAM camp by our very own Ms. Burke, Mrs. Maxwell, and Ms. Winters.
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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:
- FCPS Budget Update
- Summer Internships for Students
- Summer Learning Activities and Ideas
Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.
May 17: Dangers of Vaping Presentation
Girl Scout Troop 2387 is working toward their Silver Award and will present about the dangers of vaping at the George Mason Library on Little River Turnpike from 1-2 PM. The presentation is geared toward students in grades 3-6 and their families.
May 17: Techstravaganza
Thomas Jefferson High School’s Techstravaganza is a FREE hands-on STEM fair that attracts thousands of attendees from the DMV area every year. Over 300 TJ student and teacher volunteers engage students in STEM activities, which include lava lamps, banana DNA extraction, robotics, rocketry demonstrations, programming workshops, and other STEM exhibits. Reserve your tickets now. The event is at TJHS from 10 AM-4 PM.
May 21: Fun Clothing Wednesday
This week’s Fun Clothing Wednesday theme is clothing from your culture to celebrate World Day of Cultural Diversity! We encourage all staff and students to participate.
 May 22: Family Sports Night Under the Stars
Join us for Family Sports Night Under the Stars from 4:30-6:00 PM on May 22! There will be soccer, lawn games, and Popsicles! Rain date is May 29.
May 28: Fun Clothing Wednesday
This week’s Fun Clothing Wednesday theme is flip flops to celebrate National Flip Flop Day! We encourage all staff and students to participate, and to bring sneakers for recess and PE for safety reasons. Also, after the school day is over, head to Tropical Smoothie Cafe until 7 pm for a free 12 oz. Sunrise Sunset smoothie to celebrate National Flip Flop Day!
June 3 and June 5: Field Days
June 3 is Field Day for students in K-3, and June 5 is Field Day for students in 4-6. Students should wear sneakers and clothing that is suitable for a high level of physical activity. Students are encouraged to bring hats and water bottles. If you want your child to wear sunscreen, please apply it before sending your child to school. Westlawn staff are not able to apply sunscreen to your child.
June 4: Band and Strings Spring Concert
The community is invited to the evening performance of our Band and Strings Spring Concert at 6:30 PM in the Westlawn gymnasium.
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.
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.
The Importance of Being Bored
As we near the end of the school year, students might have a little more free time available very soon! With the prevalence of screens, children in this generation are used to constant stimulation and instant gratification. As parents we want to be sure our kids are kept busy and engaged all the time; however, this might be a disservice to them. Studies show that students lack the patience and attention spans they used to have. Not only that, but the ability to solve problems creatively can be affected as well.
When we allow our children to be bored--not fill every moment with something to do--they may certainly complain at first! But given time you should find them creating games, art, or sports; reaching out to others and creating new social connections; learning methods to help self-regulate emotions; building important independence; or asking for help to cook, build, or discover something new.
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