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Dear Families,
We are excited to welcome you to our upcoming Open House, a special time for you to visit your child’s classroom, meet our dedicated staff, and learn more about the amazing year ahead!
During Open House, we encourage you to:
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Visit your child’s classroom and meet their teacher(s).
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Visit and meet the other grade level teacher(s).
- Access the teacher's Amazon Wish List to support their classroom supply needs.
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Check out other areas of the school, including the cafeteria, library, STEAM room, specials classrooms, and PTA table.
- Review how your child will enter and exit the building and practice that route.
- Is your child a walker? Find a location to meet them after dismissal (i.e. the tent, a tree, the butterfly bench, etc.)
- Bring in any purchased school supplies. PTA supplies will be delivered directly to your child's classroom.
This is a drop-in event, so feel free to come anytime during the scheduled window. While this is not a time for individual conferences, it’s a great opportunity to start building that home-school connection that is so vital to student success.
Parking Reminder:
Please be mindful that parking will be limited. We encourage families to carpool if possible and be respectful of our neighbors by not blocking driveways or using restricted areas.
We can’t wait to see you and look forward to a fantastic evening together!
Parent Handbook
To help you stay informed and connected, we’ve updated our Parent Handbook, which includes important information about school policies, procedures, schedules, and more.
Please take a few moments to review the handbook so you’re familiar with what to expect and how we can best work together to support your child’s success.
School Hours
🍽️ Breakfast & Lunch
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Breakfast is available daily starting at 8:45 AM
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View menus
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MySchoolBucks accounts can be used for meal payments
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If packing lunch, please remember we have nut-sensitive classrooms
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Free/reduced meal applications are available online
📞 Attendance
💊 Health & Medications
As we prepare for the start of the school year, we’d like to remind families that all student medications must be dropped off at school by a parent or guardian.
Students are not permitted to bring medication to school themselves, with the exception of high school students, who may carry over-the-counter medications with the appropriate authorization form.
✅ When dropping off medication, please ensure:
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All prescription medications must be in the original pharmacy-labeled container.
⤷ No more than 100 pills, tablets, or capsules may be included.
⤷ The label must clearly state your child’s name, medication name, dosage, and timing.
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Nonprescription medications must be in their original, unopened packaging, with the name of the medication clearly visible.
⤷ Limit of 100 pills, tablets, or capsules.
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A completed and signed authorization form must accompany each medication.
This may include:
🕘 Medication Drop-Off Dates:
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Thursday, August 14 | 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM
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Friday, August 15 | 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Please contact our Health Room if you have any questions or need assistance completing forms.
School Arrival Information
Doors open at 8:45 AM with adult supervision beginning at 8:40 AM. Students should not arrive to school earlier than 8:40 AM.
Please review these procedures on arriving to school and which door your child(ren) will enter.
Early Release Wednesdays
Please note the dates and times listed below for your calendars.
West Springfield Students will release students at 12:30 p.m. Please consider making doctor and other appointments on these afternoons when possible.
- September 10
- October 29
- November 12
- December 10
- February 18
- March 18
- April 22
- May 13
FCPS has created this webpage to provide detailed information about the early release Wednesdays.
Cell Phone Policy
FCPS has a new cell phone policy prohibiting cell phone use of any kind during the school day. Phones, phone accessories, and all smart devices (other items connected to the phone such as headphones) must be off and stored in personal items such as a backpack. Watches that serve a dual purpose (e.g., smart watch) may be worn; however, phone features (e.g.,texting, internet, calls, etc.) must be off.
Any student who is found to be in violation for possession or use of the cell phone policy will be referred to the office in accordance with the Student’s Rights and Responsibilities. If a student needs to contact home for any reason, they must do so from the office.
For all of us as parents, this will be a change and impact the way we communicate with our children. Please know that if you need to get in touch with your child during the day you should email their teacher(s) and cc’ Mrs. Cook (hdcook@fcps.edu) in the main office as you will not be able to contact them directly through their phone. If the reason for reaching out to them needs immediate assistance, please call the main office at 703-912-4400.
More information regarding this new policy can be found in the parent handbook.
Become a WatchDOGS!
Have you heard about our WatchDOGS program? It stands for Dads of Great Students and its mission is to increase male presence in our school to promote good behavior through constant motivation and noticing of good acts and/or deeds.
- Do you want to make a difference in your child's life and make lasting memories at their elementary school?
- Are you a dad, stepdad, grandpa or uncle looking for new ways to become involved in our school community?
- The amount of commitment is completely up to you and can vary throughout the year.
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If you would like to join the program or learn more, please reach out to our Top Dogs Joshua Jessup and Ben Wolak at watchdogswses@gmail.com.
We Need You - Become a Substitute!
We are experiencing a shortage of substitute teachers. When staff members are out, it can be challenging to maintain the consistency and support our students deserve.
If you, or someone you know, have a flexible schedule, enjoy working with children, and want to make a meaningful impact right here in our school community, please consider becoming a substitute teacher.
Learn more here and email Holly Cook once you have applied.
🍴 Apply Now for Free and Reduced-Price Meals!
Students who qualify for free and reduced-price meals can receive breakfast and lunch at no cost during the school year.
A new application must be submitted each school year, and completing the form may also make your child eligible for additional benefits beyond meals.
▶️ Apply today
Important:
Students approved last year will continue to receive meals for the first 30 days of school or until a new application is processed, whichever comes first. To avoid any interruption in benefits, we encourage families to reapply as soon as possible.
Back to School Immunizations
Make sure your child has all of their required immunizations before the first day of school and they are provided to the school. Check their immunization records to see what they might be missing. Review school-required immunizations to verify that your child is up to date. You can:
- Request immunization records online through the Virginia Immunization Information System (a free service).
- Get records from other states’ systems if your child was immunized outside of Virginia.
- Request records from your health care provider.
Back to School Dates
 Back to School Night
Please secure a babysitter and plan accordingly for our Back to School Night on Thursday, September 18
Save the Date
Monday, August 11 - PTA Rising Kindergarten Playdate @ 4:00 p.m. on the Playground
Thursday, August 14 - Open House
- 2:00 - 2:30 p.m. New Family Welcome
- 3:30 - 3:30 p.m. Open House/Meet your Teacher
Monday, August 18 - First day of School! Doors Open 8:45 am
Wednesday, September 10 - Three Hour Early Release at 1:30 pm
Wednesday, September 17 - Fall Picture Day
Thursday, September 18 - Back to School Night (adult only)
- 5:30 - 6:15 Kindergarten and First Grade
- 6:00 - 7:00 Specialist Meet and Greet
- 6:15 - 7:00 Second, Third Grade and Fourth Grade
- 7:00 - 7:45 Fifth and Sixth Grade
❓Questions?
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