The Westbriar Weekly

Fairfax County Public Schools sent this bulletin at 12/03/2025 05:00 PM EST

Notes from the Nest 🪶

Falcon Families,

As we head into the last 2½ weeks before Winter Break, we appreciate your partnership in helping us finish the calendar year strong. One of the most important ways families can support student success is by prioritizing daily, on-time attendance. Each day of instruction matters as teachers wrap up units, assess progress, and set students up for a positive start in the new year.

A reminder that students will not have school from December 22–January 2. School will resume on Monday, January 5. We encourage families to schedule travel and appointments around these dates so students can be present for teaching and learning right up to the break and ready to return on time in January.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to PTA’s Feed the Falcon Fundraiser. Your generosity directly supports our students through enrichment opportunities, instructional resources, and schoolwide initiatives that make Westbriar such a special place to learn and grow.

Finally, we invite you to join us for our next Coffee & Conversations on Monday, December 15. During this session, we will share our School Improvement Plan (SIP) goals and review our current student data, including how we are monitoring progress and supporting all learners. We hope you can attend and engage in this important conversation about our collective work on behalf of Westbriar students.

With gratitude,
The Westbriar Administrative Team
Sallie Burch, Principal • Katie Blomquist, Assistant Principal • Erin Lear, Assistant Principal

📅 Upcoming December Dates 📅

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

Window for Full-Time AAP Referrals Closes on December 15

Parents and guardians of students in Grades 2-7 who would like their student to be considered for full-time Advanced Academic Programs (AAP) services must submit the AAP Full-Time Referral Form to Lori Luster, AART (LALuster@fcps.edu) or Sallie Burch, Principal (srburch1@fcps) no later than December 15, 2025.

Each year, families can submit a referral for full-time AAP services any time from the first day of school through December 15. No late referrals for full-time AAP services will be accepted.

Once a referral is received, our school will compile information related to the student. Then, a committee of six trained professionals from across the county will review materials to determine eligibility for full-time AAP services.

Next Steps for Parents

Eligibility decisions are communicated by early April. Parents may request a copy of their child’s materials after February 20, 2026, by emailing Lori Luster, AART (LALuster@fcps.edu).

At the elementary level, referrals for subject-specific and part-time AAP are screened by the school. If you miss the full-time referral deadline, your student can still be screened for subject-specific or part-time AAP services for the remainder of the year.

At the middle school level, honors courses are open to all students. For more information, please visit the Advanced Academic Programs webpage.

Full-Time Referral Form (PDF)

💻 Action Required! Update Your Permission for Google Tools

Google recently made changes to how educational applications are managed and accessed on the Chrome Browser and Chromebooks. Many applications are moving from the Chrome Web Store to the Google Play Store.

To ensure your student(s) can continue accessing all approved instructional tools, FCPS has updated its digital consent platform to include both the Chrome Web Store and the Google Play Store.

Please review and provide your consent for these two new options through our easy-to-use Parent Digital Consent system:

  • Additional Google Services – Chrome Web Store

  • Additional Google Services – Google Play Store

Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting safe and effective digital learning experiences for all students.

For questions or support, please visit FCPS’ Family Technology Resources page or open a ticket with our Technical Support desk.

Monitoring Support for Your Child in ParentVUE

All FCPS schools use an approach called Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) to make sure every student gets the help they need to learn.

MTSS helps school teams deliver high-quality instruction for all students and provide extra time, support, and interventions as needed. Families are partners in this process. We will share information about your child’s individual learning, needs, and progress.

You may view your child's intervention plans and progress in SIS ParentVUE. Expect progress to be updated quarterly, with report card due dates.

Social and Emotional Learning Screener: Parent Reports

Students in grades 3-12 took the SEL Screener last month, providing information on skills like achieving goals, understanding and managing emotions, establishing and maintaining relationships, and making responsible decisions. The screener also asks students how well their school community makes them feel valued, included, and supported.

Individual student SEL Screener results will be available to families in the Documents section of SIS ParentVUE the week of November 17. For families who do not have an active ParentVUE account, results will be shared by our school.

For support in understanding your individual student’s results or for ideas on how to support them at home, please review the Family Guide or reach out to school staff.

📓 Help Us Write Westbriar’s Next Chapter: Fiscal Year 2027 Budget

There’s a story behind the success of every FCPS student — a story about what’s possible with the appropriate funding for world-class teachers, rigorous academics, and future-ready learning experiences. At FCPS, student success starts with a strong budget!

FCPS is currently developing the Fiscal Year 2027 Budget, which is for the 2026-27 school year. In January, Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid will present a proposed budget to the School Board.

During this process, we’ll be sharing FCPS’ budget story with you. The different chapters will explain the impact of chronic underfunding, why strong funding benefits all of Fairfax County, what’s at stake when Westbriar and other FCPS schools don’t get the support we need, and more. We invite you to follow along and learn how you can help write our next chapter!

❄️ Prepare for Winter Weather

Winter weather will be here before you know it! Watch this video to see how weather closing decisions are made at FCPS.

FCPS’ website is generally the first place to find out about emergency weather closings. Other communication channels will be used as quickly as possible, including email, text, social media, the new FCPS mobile app, and news stations. Learn more about how schedule changes are communicated.

Be sure to plan for the winter season. Update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE, bookmark the FCPS website, and arrange emergency child care if needed.

⛄ Keep Your Child Warm During Outdoor Activities

We will monitor the weather for low temperatures, wind chill advisories and warnings, and weather advisories that may prevent children from being outside. Make sure your child is dressed appropriately with a warm coat and other cold-weather clothing, so they can comfortably enjoy their time outdoors. View the National Weather Service’s tips on staying safe during cold weather.

If you need assistance getting cold-weather clothing for your family, please call Fairfax County Coordinated Services Planning (CSP) at 703-222-0880. Their multilingual staff can assist with any challenges you are facing, including food, shelter, employment, financial assistance, and health.

Volunteer FCPS Helps Community Members Connect With Schools

The new volunteer management system, Volunteer FCPS, allows individuals to search and register for volunteer opportunities at our school or across the school district.

Volunteer FCPS is how FCPS provides a safe, consistent, and welcoming environment at all of our schools. Anyone interested in volunteering with FCPS must:

  • Create a profile in Volunteer FCPS.

  • Register for opportunities through Volunteer FCPS.

  • Sign in and out of schools using the visitor kiosk on EVERY visit – no exceptions.

Recent Updates to Volunteer Opportunity Levels
Due to the overwhelming response, FCPS is temporarily pausing fingerprint requirements for most Level 3 volunteers. Those who have already been fingerprinted will be processed to be eligible for all Level 3 opportunities.

​Field trip chaperone opportunities will now be classified as Level 2 (not requiring a comprehensive background check that includes fingerprinting).

To ensure continuous safety, all new volunteers are required to sign a Volunteer Certification Statement. This statement is a legal confirmation that you have no history of violent felonies, physical or sexual crimes against children, or crimes of moral turpitude (dishonesty, fraud, things that are immoral by society’s standards).

Visit the Volunteer FCPS website to complete a volunteer orientation. View Frequently Asked Questions to learn more about the volunteer levels.

FCPS News

In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:

  • FCPS Budget

  • Prepare for Winter Weather

  • Community Meal Nights

Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.

PTA CORNER

We have a lot of exciting PTA news to share as we head into December!

 

🌟 December PTA Meeting – Tonight!

When: Tonight, Wednesday, December 3rd at 7:00 PM
Where: Via Zoom – CLICK HERE to join (passcode: wespta)

Please join us to hear important updates, learn about upcoming events, and find out how you can support our students and staff this winter.

 

🐾 Feed the Falcon Fundraiser – Almost Finished!

Thank you to everyone who has already donated to our Feed the Falcon Fundraiser—your generosity directly supports our students, staff, and school community.

  • Because of your support, Dr. Burch will become the Axolotl this Friday!

  • All grade levels have also earned 10 extra minutes of recess! 🎉

There is still 1 day left to donate if you’d like to participate before the fundraiser closes.
👉 CLICK HERE to make a donation.

 

🔬 VA Science Olympiad – Division A (Grades 3–5)

We are excited to offer students in grades 3–5 the opportunity to participate in the Virginia Science Olympiad – Division A.

  • Registration Deadline: No later than December 12th

  • Who: Students in Grades 3–5

  • How to Register: CLICK HERE

This is a wonderful chance for students to explore science, problem-solving, and teamwork in a fun, competitive setting.

 

🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️ Spring 5K/Fun Run – Volunteers Needed!

The PTA is planning a 5K/Fun Run for this spring and we need your help to make it a success!

We’re looking for volunteers to assist with:

  • Event planning and logistics

  • Race day set-up and clean-up

  • Check-in/registration and course support

If you are interested in helping, please email: wesptaprez@gmail.com

 

❄️ Winter Enrichment – Registration Now Open!

Our Winter Enrichment session is now open for registration!

Families can explore a variety of after-school classes designed to extend learning and offer fun, engaging opportunities for students.

  • To view available classes and register, please CLICK HERE.

 

Thank you for your continued support of the Westbriar PTA and for all you do to help our Falcons SOAR!