Falcon Families,
As we head into the Thanksgiving holiday, we want to pause and express our appreciation for our Westbriar community. Each day, we see students working hard, staff going above and beyond, and families partnering with us to support learning and growth. Thank you for all the ways you show up for our school—whether it’s helping with homework at home, volunteering, attending events, or sending us a kind email.
Please note that there will not be a Westbriar Weekly newsletter next week in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. We will resume our regular newsletter schedule the following week.
We hope this upcoming break offers your family time to rest, recharge, and enjoy being together. We are grateful to learn and grow alongside your children and look forward to finishing 2025 strong when we return.
With gratitude,
The Westbriar Administrative Team
Sallie Burch, Principal • Katie Blomquist, Assistant Principal • Erin Lear, Assistant Principal
Thursday, November 20th
Thanksgiving Luncheon for Students in PAC, Kindergarten, 1st Grade, and 3rd Grade
Friday, November 21st
BOOK FAIR ENDS
Tuesday, November 25th
FEED THE FALCON PRIZE - Pajama Day
WES' Winter Warmth Drive Ends
November 26th through November 28th THANKSGIVING BREAK
*Students return to school on Monday, December 1st
Wednesday, December 3rd
6:30 PM: Family Life Education Parent Preview Meeting (via ZOOM)
7:00 PM: PTA Meeting (via ZOOM)
Wednesday, December 10th
1:05 PM: Early Release Dismissal
Monday, December 15th
3:00 PM: Coffee & Conversations (via ZOOM)
December 22nd through January 2nd WINTER BREAK
*Students return to school on Monday, January 5th
This fall, our office team spent many hours preparing and mailing paper copies of the Elementary Progress Report (report card) to families. While we are always happy to make sure you receive this important information, the process requires a significant amount of staff time and resources that could otherwise be devoted to directly supporting students, classrooms, and families.
To help streamline this process, we are asking all families who are able to sign up to receive their child’s Elementary Progress Report online through ParentVUE.
Why switch to online report cards?
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You receive the report card more quickly
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Information is secure in your ParentVUE account
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It reduces the amount of paper and mailing costs
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It frees our office staff to focus more time on supporting students and teachers
What we are asking you to do
Please log in to your ParentVUE account and select the option to receive your child’s Elementary Progress Report electronically. Once you opt in, future report cards will be available to you online rather than mailed home.
If you need help accessing ParentVUE or updating your preferences, please contact our main office and we will gladly assist you. Thank you for partnering with us to use our school resources wisely while staying closely connected to your child’s progress.
*See the photos below for a step-by-step look at how to sign up to receive paperless.
You are invited to preview the Family Life Education media and lessons and to talk with school staff about the program. The meeting will be held virtually on Wednesday, December 3rd, at 6:30 PM, directly before the PTA meeting. All program materials and media will be available for your review at this time.
Please use this link to join the session: https://myfcpsk12.zoom.us/j/96646723041
Family Life Education (FLE) promotes parental involvement, fosters positive self-concepts, and provides coping mechanisms for dealing with peer pressure and the stresses related to the students' developmental stages and abilities. Students in grades K-6 participate in FLE. The early elementary program emphasizes the importance of families, distinction between good and bad touch, sources of help, and the importance of friendships. Human Growth and Development (HGD) is first introduced in grade four. Students learn about changes that occur during puberty and prenatal development. An understanding of sexually transmitted infections is introduced in grade 5. For more information about the FCPS Family Life Education program, please see the detailed grade-level program descriptions. Lessons, slide presentations, and media may be viewed in Parent View in Schoology. Instruction occurs at various times during the school year. Please contact your child’s teacher for specific dates of FLE instruction.
Parents/guardians who do not wish to have their child participate in FLE instruction may choose to opt their child out of any or all of the lessons. Opt-out forms for students are available in the Parent Digital Consent (PDC). If you already completed an opt-out form at the beginning of the school year, you do not need to complete another one. Should you opt your child out and then later decide you want your child included in FLE instruction, you must notify the school in writing before instruction begins. An alternative non-FLE health instructional program is provided for children who do not take part in FLE instruction, and every effort is made to foster understanding and respect for family choices and to avoid peer pressure for or against participation in the program.
We look forward to working as your partner in providing information that will help your child make healthy choices now and in the future.
As the Family Liaison at Westbriar Elementary School for the past six years, I am honored to support our wonderfully diverse community of students, parents, and staff. Westbriar welcomes new families throughout the year, including many who join us from countries all around the world. Because of this, a central part of my work is helping families transition smoothly—whether they are new to Fairfax County, new to the United States, or simply new to our school.
Over the years, I have dedicated myself to strengthening communication between home and school, ensuring families can access important FCPS resources, and helping them navigate academic, social, and cultural questions. I collaborate closely with teachers, staff, and families to foster a warm, inclusive, and culturally responsive environment where every child feels supported, and every family feels connected. Whether it’s assisting with school communication, connecting families with community services, or guiding multilingual and international families as they adjust to life at Westbriar. I am here to ensure that all families feel welcomed, informed, and empowered in their children’s education.
You can contact Ms. Lee via email: aklee1@fcps.edu
FCPS is asking all families to complete a Federal Impact Aid Survey. The form is available in SIS ParentVUE under Online Packets, which is in the upper right corner of the screen after logging in. Please complete the survey as soon as possible.
Our school will provide paper forms to families who have not completed the survey in ParentVUE. For more information, please visit the Federal Impact Aid Survey page or watch this video about why Impact Aid matters.
Register for ParentVUE
Learn how to activate your SIS ParentVUE account, so you can easily submit your survey and have access to other helpful information about your child’s education at FCPS.
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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