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The Feather Report

Volume 2, Issue 24

Kindergarten students celebrated the 101st Day of School on Wednesday by writing down the things they had learned since their journey at Westlawn began in August!

Leadership Ledger

Westlawn Families,

Wednesday marked our 101st day of school, and our kindergarteners were all smiles as they celebrated in the most joyful ways! From creative writing activities to hands-on counting fun, and of course their festive paper crowns, it was a day filled with learning, laughter, and a whole lot of pride. It’s amazing to think about how much growth has happened in just 101 days—our youngest learners continue to impress us with their curiosity and confidence!

With no school on Monday and Tuesday and a three-hour early release on Wednesday, this certainly felt like a quick week for our students and staff. Even in a shortened schedule, our classrooms were filled with meaningful learning and positive energy. We’re looking forward to returning to a normal routine next week and are hopeful for some cooperative weather to keep everyone safe and on time. Thank you for your flexibility and partnership as we navigate these winter adjustments together.

I also want to share warm wishes of Ramadan Mubarak to those in our community who are observing. We have appreciated the opportunity to host fasting students in the library during lunch, providing a quiet and welcoming space for them. Westlawn is such a special place because of the many cultures, traditions, and experiences our families bring, and I am grateful every day for the richness that creates.

Thank you for being such an important part of our Westlawn family. Here’s to a full week ahead and continued learning together!

In partnership,

Christoph Hill, Stephanie Carpenter, and Erin Theiss

Proud Principals

News

Summer Camp Time

It’s time to register for summer camps! We will keep track of all summer camp-related information in one place on our website. Recently added:

• Elementary Institute for the Arts (E-IFTA)
• Tech Adventure Camp (TAC)
• Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS)

We will keep re-running this News item, and will replace the listed camps with any new camps that we add to the announcement on our site over the course of the week.

Reading-Themed Fun Clothing Wednesdays

March is Reading Month at Westlawn in honor of Read Across America Day on March 2. We’ll be celebrating the joy of reading all month long with special literacy activities and a series of reading-themed Fun Clothing Wednesdays. Join us as we show our school spirit and our love of books!

March 4, 2026 – Black, White & Read All Over 🖤🤍

Celebrate reading with a classic Read Across America theme! Wear black and white clothing as we kick off a month of reading fun.

March 11, 2026 – Pajama Day: Read & Relax (Bring a Book Buddy!) 😴📚

Get cozy for reading time! Wear pajamas or comfy clothes and bring a small stuffed animal or figurine to be your “book buddy” while you read. (Please keep items small and simple.)

March 18, 2026 – Graphic Tee Day: Graphic Novels in Action 👕📖

Celebrate the power of graphic novels and visual storytelling! Wear graphic T-shirts featuring characters, words, or images—especially those inspired by comics, graphic novels, superheroes, or illustrated stories.

March 25, 2026 – Hat Day: Hats Off to Reading 🎩📚

Top off our reading celebration! Wear any school-appropriate hat or headband as we give a big “hats off” to readers everywhere.

Our Name in Lights

TalkingPoints published the longform version of our collaborative article on their website! Check it out to read the entire journey from start to finish, and check out the amazing photos that show our families, students, and staff!

New Visitor Management System

We are excited to announce that our school is now using the new Raptor Visitor Management System (VMS). This upgrade is part of our school’s and FCPS’ ongoing commitment to enhancing school safety and streamlining the process for visitors at our school. The VMS ensures that no visitor is on the sex offender registry. 

For most visitors, the user experience will be the same when you check-in at the front office.

But now there is also an app, which can make check-in’s even faster at school. Visitors who choose to download the RaptorSafe App and create a Raptor Passport can pre-verify their information before they get to school. The app will give you a QR code you can use when you check-in at school. 

If you have questions or need assistance with the new system, please contact our front office. Thank you for your partnership in keeping our schools safe!

Reminder: Save the [SOL] Dates!

We have the SOL dates ready for you! We appreciate the things that families do to ensure that doctor appointments, vacations, and other planned absences do not happen during these dates.

• March 24: 5th Grade Writing
• April 28: 5th Grade Reading
• May 5: 5th Grade Science and 3rd, 4th, and 6th Grade Reading
• May 12: 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Grade Math (including Algebra 1)
• May 18-29: Preparation for retakes
• June 1-3: SOL Retakes

Additionally, please ensure that you have provided electronic permission for your child to take an SOL retake. Students who earn a close-to-moving-up score are eligible to retake the SOL after reviewing with their teacher. In elementary school, we are required to get parent permission to make this opportunity available for each student. If you want your child to review and retake an SOL test if their score falls into the eligible range, please grant permission online through the Parent Consent Portal. Log in with your ParentVUE credentials. If you need access to ParentVUE, contact Ms. Caballero at 703-241-5100.

Reminder: February Fun Clothing Wednesdays – Kindness Month

Westlawn Elementary is celebrating Kindness Month with Fun Clothing Wednesdays in February!

• February 25 – Wear Neon or Rainbow Colors (Words and Actions Matter): At home, talk about how words and actions can make a difference and try writing or saying a thank-you note to brighten someone’s day.

Participation at home is optional but encouraged. Small acts of kindness make a big difference!

FCPS News

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

• Celebrating Our Students
• Summer Camp and Learning
• New High School Name

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

Dates and Events

February 21: VT STEM Discovery Fair - Registration is now open for your child to participate in the STEM Discovery Fair at the Virginia Tech campus in Alexandria. All K-12 students and families are invited to go to learning sessions, visit with VT partners, and have a delicious lunch! The fair takes place on February 21 from 10 AM - 2 PM, and families should register now to guarantee their spot! Editors note: it appears registration has now closed. I observed families registering on-site last year, so if you did not register yet, you probably can tomorrow!

February 25: Fun Clothing Wednesday: rainbow or neon colors

February 25: FCPS’ Second Annual Black History Month Celebration is Rooted in Resilience: Echoes of Excellence and will take place at 6 p.m. at Woodson High School.

February 27: PTA Bingo Night from 6:00-7:30 PM at Westlawn

March 4: Fun Clothing Wednesday: black and white clothes

March 4: Middle School Transition Fair for Students with Disabilities at Luther Jackson MS from 6:30-8:00 PM. Register now to attend.

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. Click on the little calendar icon in the top right corner of the calendar page of our website to add all current and future events to your cell phone calendar.

Engage with Westlawn

PTA Bingo Night Volunteers

The PTA could use some volunteers for Bingo Night on February 27! Sign up now.

Join a Community Conversation

Join us on Wednesdays at 11 AM on Zoom to hear the important news from the school from Principal Hill! If you miss a Community Conversation, you can catch up with slides and recordings on our website.

Volunteering in FCPS in 2025-2026 requires you to fill out an online application, and then select the school(s) where you want to be. Learn more and apply today!

Mind Matters

AAP Beyond Westlawn

At some point all of our students move out of Westlawn and our bubble of love. But what happens to the Advanced Academic Program in middle school and high school? AAP services as we know them here at Westlawn continue through 6th grade. It is a continuum of access where all students have opportunities to try rigorous AAP curriculum, some need more time in one or more subjects, and some students in grades 3-6 need full-time access to the AAP curriculum. 

At Luther Jackson Middle School, students still access full-time AAP services if they’ve been found eligible with FCPS, but also they can self-select honors level courses which offer the same rigor as an AAP class. Many of our current sixth graders will be accessing those honors courses next year in one or more subjects regardless of their current AAP service. We definitely encourage students to try an honors level course in a subject of interest!

At Falls Church High School, students have full control of their classes and can choose honors, or Advanced Placement (AP), or Dual Enrollment (DE). They can also opt to go to another high school if they want to attend International Baccalaureate (IB) classes. And they can apply to Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) if they need a highly rigorous STEM focused high school.

Advanced Academic Programs Overview:

K-12: Young Scholars Model

Elementary: 

• Access to Rigor (K-6)
• Subject Specific AAP (K-6)
• Part-Time AAP (3-6)
• Full Time AAP (3-8)

Middle School:

• Full-Time AAP (3-8)
• Honors Courses (7-12)
• IB Middle Years Program (some schools, 6-10)

High School:

• Honor Courses
• Advanced Placement (AP) (some schools)
• International Baccalaureate (IB) (some schools)
• Dual Enrollment Courses (DE)
• Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology

Tech Talk

Did you read that viral article about AI that is going around? The author, Matt Shumer, has since come out and explained that it wasn’t meant to scare people. Instead, it was meant to encourage people to embrace AI tools in the workplace.

When I read it, my initial reaction to it was not as a professional--it was as a parent. If you read it, I’m willing to bet the same thing happened to you. Awful, right? Without more context, it’s terrifying to think that our children still have so many years of compulsory schooling to go, only to graduate and compete for an ever-scarcer number of jobs that AI is obliterating.

However, when I visit Westlawn classrooms and spaces each day, I see something that tells me that our children are going to be OK, regardless of the ways in which artificial intelligence changes the world. What do I see? Curiosity. It is absolutely everywhere at Westlawn--in classrooms, hallways, the playground, and even the cafeteria! Westlawn students are brimming with a desire to learn how to be better communicators, stronger readers, and more accurate mathematicians.

What else gives me hope? Gratitude and a spirit of sharing! These were both on full display last week when many classes celebrated Valentine’s Day on Friday, of course, and I also see students practicing them regularly. In a world where AI is becoming increasingly ubiquitous, the ability for people to connect with other people becomes even more important.

But, don’t take my word for it! Seeing is believing:

Kindergarten students checked out books from the library, and then browsed their new books, sharing the really cool parts with friends sitting nearby.

First grade students joyfully celebrated exchanging Valentine’s Day cards and treats with each other. No matter what was dropped into each bag--from a simple card to an elaborate toy--students grinned broadly and said “thank you!” to the giver.

Second grade students experimented to discover the fastest way to melt ice cubes using things like space heaters, cups of water, their own breath, and body heat. The joy of discovery was extraordinary!

Third grade students practiced sharing and hosting by distributing treats such as cupcakes at lunch. It is not uncommon for a third grade teacher to stay in the cafeteria with students for a few minutes, helping to manage class sets of cupcakes, pizza, or brownies.

Fourth grade students practiced holding conversations with structured pair sharing routines. Students learned how to listen to a partner before providing their own feedback.

Fifth grade students worked in teams to expand their vocabularies by taking one plain adjective, like “nice,” and brainstorming nine more specific adjectives that could be used to make a better description. If student teams couldn’t find nine new ones, they could poll the class. And if everyone was stumped, they could consult a thesaurus.

And, as every year, one special sixth grader was chosen to be Zero the Hero on 100th Day, helping spread the love of math (and stickers) to students in the primary grades!

Is there a technology topic you want us to tackle in a future issue? Email your questions to Ms. Dushok (school based technology specialist) and Mr. Dinkins (technology support specialist).

Soaring Staff Spotlight

This week the Soaring Staff Spotlight is on Pamela Cortez! Ms. Cortez is the school social worker at Westlawn. Let’s learn more about Ms. Cortez! What is your favorite children’s book? I really like The Monster at the End of This Book by Jon Stone. What was your favorite subject in school? P.E. What is one talent or skill that you have that most people don’t know about? I am a twin mom! 😀 If you weren’t in education, what other job would you want? Social media influencer Who inspired you when you were growing up? Track athletes  What is your favorite hobby? I enjoy working out or shopping What is one thing that always makes your day better? My babies 🙂 Is there someone you hope to see featured in an upcoming Soaring Staff Spotlight? Tell us by text to 571-355-2321.

Connect with Westlawn

• Contact the main office: 703-241-5100
• Submit an absence: 703-241-5151 | email the absence box | using ParentVUE
• Contact Ms. Caballero (student information assistant): email Ms. Caballero | 703-241-5100 | TalkingPoints: Silvia Caballero
• Contact Ms. Reyes (family liaison): email Ms. Reyes | 703-241-5125 | TalkingPoints: Hilda Reyes
• Contact Ms. Cortez (social worker): email Ms. Cortez | 703-241-5190 | TalkingPoints: Pamela Cortez

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