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Dear Falcon Families,
Happy October! It’s hard to believe we are already moving into the second full month of school. September was full of energy, growth, and community as our Falcons settled into routines, built friendships, and embraced new learning. Thank you for your partnership in making the start of our school year such a success.
As we step into October, our focus continues to be on creating a welcoming, supportive environment where every child can SOAR. You’ll see this reflected in the engaging classroom activities, kindness initiatives, and community events happening throughout the month. We are also keeping a close eye on student attendance, as being present and engaged every day plays a critical role in your child’s success. (You can read more about this in this week’s article.)
This month brings many exciting opportunities for our Falcons—spirit days, community celebrations, and of course, lots of joyful learning. I encourage you to stay connected by checking The Westbriar Weekly each week and marking your calendars for upcoming events.
Thank you for all you do to support Westbriar and your children. Together, we are building a school community where kindness, curiosity, and achievement shine every day.
With gratitude,
Sallie R. Burch, Ed.D.
Principal
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Wednesday, October 1 - Vision and Hearing Screenings for Kindergarten Students
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Thursday, October 2 - NO SCHOOL (Holiday)
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Friday, October 3 - Vision and Hearing Screenings for 3rd Grade Students
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Tuesday, October 7 to Thursday, October 9 - Walk & Bike to School Days
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Wednesday, October 8 - PTA Meeting at 7:00 PM (Virtual)
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Friday, October 10 - Fall Photograph Day
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Monday, October 13 - NO SCHOOL (FCPS Professional Development Day)
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Friday, October 17 – Field Day (K–3: 9:30–11:45 AM | 4–6: 1:30–3:15 PM)
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Monday, October 20 – NO SCHOOL (Holiday)
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Friday, October 24 - PTA Halloween BINGO at 6:00 PM at Westbriar Elementary
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Wednesday, October 29 - Early Release Wednesday (Dismissal at 1:05 PM)
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Friday, October 31 – End-of-1st-Quarter & Early Dismissal (Dismissal at 2:05 PM)
Birthdays are such a special milestone, and we love to recognize our Falcons as they celebrate their big day! We also want to remind families that edible birthday treats (cupcakes, donuts, cookies, etc.) are not permitted at Westbriar.
This guideline helps us keep all of our students safe from food allergies, maintain a healthy school environment, and ensure that celebrations do not disrupt valuable learning time.
Instead, we encourage families to explore fun, non-food ways to celebrate! Students can share birthday pencils, stickers, bookmarks, bubbles, or even donate a favorite book to the classroom library in their honor. Wearing a birthday crown or special outfit is another simple way to make the day feel festive.
Thank you for helping us celebrate every Falcon while supporting our safe, healthy, and inclusive learning environment.
At Westbriar, we believe that strong partnerships between home and school help our Falcons SOAR. This fall, classroom teachers are expected to meet/communicate with all families prior to the release of the first 9-week grade report.
Important Dates
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Grade reports will be available to parents/guardians in ParentVUE on Monday, November 10th.
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Conferences should take place throughout October and early November, before this date.
How Conferences Will Work
We have built time into Staff Workdays to allow teachers to hold these important conversations. Families may choose to meet in-person or virtually, depending on what works best.
What to Do Next
Please be sure to coordinate directly with your child’s teacher to schedule your conference. This is a valuable opportunity to:
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Review your child’s progress so far this school year.
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Discuss strengths and areas of growth.
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Share insights from home and set goals together.
We look forward to these conversations as a way to strengthen the connection between school and home, ensuring that every student feels supported and celebrated.
Westbriar is excited to announce the start of our Food Sharing Program on Monday, October 6th, as part of the FCPS Get2Green initiative. This program is designed to reduce food waste while also ensuring that all of our Falcons have access to extra nourishment during the school day.
How It Works
Students who receive cafeteria lunch will be able to donate eligible items to the food sharing cart. Items that can be shared at this time include:
Any student in the cafeteria may raise their hand, get permission, and select something from the cart. The program is open to all students, ensuring that no one feels singled-out for using it.
Our staff hopes to expand the program in the future by adding a refrigerator so that students can also share foods requiring refrigeration, such as milk or yogurt.
Learning About the Program
Classroom teachers have introduced the program during Morning Meetings, helping students understand both the “how” and the “why” behind it. Students have learned that this program helps us:
Safety First
Families are encouraged to talk with their children about whether they may use the Food Sharing Program. If your child has food allergies or dietary restrictions, please remind them what foods are safe or unsafe to eat. While the cart will include allergy signage, Westbriar staff are unable to monitor the individual allergies of all students. We appreciate your partnership in keeping our Falcons safe.
This is an exciting opportunity to build community, care for each other, and practice environmental responsibility. Thank you for supporting our new Food Sharing Program!
Each year, approximately 600,000 military families relocate. Whether they’re transitioning out of the military, transitioning in, or moving to new duty stations, these moves are a significant part of military life.
For military families with school-aged children, these frequent relocations can be especially challenging. On average, military kids change schools 6-9 times before graduating, disrupting their education and social connections.
And according to the Blue Star Families 2024 Military Family Lifestyle Survey, while more than 70% of military families live off base in civilian communities, only 39% report feeling a true sense of belonging in their local communities.
In response to these challenges, we’re excited to participate in Blue Star Welcome Week, a nationwide effort to foster connection and belonging for military families, from September 27th to October 5th.
With most military transitions happening during the summer, we want to take this special week to come together as a community and give a great big Westbriar welcome to these families. We are excited to join this nationwide effort to make military families’ transitions smoother and more positive, offering opportunities for connection and support.
Is your family connected to the military? We’d love to connect with you. Please complete this brief survey to be included in events and opportunities for our military-connected families. Thank you!
Did you know that student attendance plays a direct role in school accreditation with the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE)? This means that how often our students are present and engaged in school impacts not just their individual learning, but also how our school is recognized at the state level.
What is “Chronic Absenteeism”?
According to both the VDOE and Fairfax County Public Schools, a student is considered chronically absent if they miss 10% or more of the school year for any reason—whether excused or unexcused. Over the course of a 180-day school year, that equals 18 or more days absent.
Where Westbriar Stands
Currently, Westbriar has a chronic absenteeism rate of 10.2%, which means 82 of our students are considered chronically absent. Within the Marshall Pyramid, Westbriar is the fourth highest elementary school for absenteeism. While this is a challenge, it is also an opportunity for us to work together to ensure our students are in school and thriving.
Why It Matters
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Regular attendance is one of the strongest predictors of academic achievement.
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Absences—even when excused—add up quickly and impact learning momentum.
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Chronic absenteeism can affect our school’s overall accreditation status with the VDOE.
How We Can Help Reduce Absenteeism
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Prioritize attendance: Try to schedule appointments and trips outside of the school day or during breaks.
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Communicate: Reach out to your child’s teacher or our front office team if your family is facing challenges that make regular attendance difficult—we’re here to support you.
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Build routines: Consistent bedtimes, morning routines, and preparation the night before help students arrive on time and ready to learn.
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Monitor absences: Keep track of how many days your child has missed. Sometimes families don’t realize how quickly those days add up.
Together, we can reduce our chronic absenteeism rate and make sure every Westbriar Falcon has the opportunity to learn, grow, and soar.
Westbriar will conduct vision and hearing screenings for students on the following dates:
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Wednesday, October 1st – All Kindergarten students
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Friday, October 3rd – All 3rd Grade students
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Both Days – Students new to FCPS
The purpose of these screenings is to identify students who may need further evaluation due to difficulty seeing the screening chart or hearing the screening tones. If your child wears glasses, please make sure they bring them to school on their screening day.
Parents will receive a letter if screening results indicate that additional evaluation is needed. We strongly encourage prompt follow-up with your health care provider, as vision and hearing difficulties can interfere with a child’s learning and overall success in the classroom.
📅 Date: Friday, October 10, 2025
📸 Pictures Available: Approximately two weeks after photo day
🛒 Pre-order Online: www.strawbridge.net CODE: FM484694
📧 Questions about Ordering? All children will have individual photos taken.
Mark your calendars—Westbriar’s Field Day is Friday, October 17! Students will enjoy an exciting day of outdoor fun, teamwork, and school spirit.
The day will be split into two sessions:
Classes will rotate through a variety of activity stations, spending about seven minutes at each. Many of the games and challenges are ones students have already practiced in their P.E. classes, making the day both familiar and fun-filled. Teachers will travel with their classes to help with transitions and support student engagement throughout the event.
At Westbriar, we believe laughter is one of the best ways to build community. Starting in October, Dr. Burch will be sharing student-submitted jokes on the morning and afternoon announcements! Students are invited to submit their funniest, school-appropriate jokes for a chance to bring smiles to our whole Falcon family.
Students can submit jokes using the Joke Google Form - Westbriar Joke of the Day. We can’t wait to see what our clever comedians come up with—get ready to laugh, Falcons!
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:
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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