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The Feather Report

Volume 2, Issue 26

Photo of the Week: At long last, kindergarten students began to bring home their sculptures this week! Working with clay is one of the longest projects that kindergarten students do in art during the course of the year. There are numerous steps, from molding the sculpture to glazing it, with several firings in the kiln along the way. It’s always a proud day when students can bring home their colorful creations to share with their families!

Leadership Ledger

Westlawn Families,

As we head into a stretch filled with exciting opportunities and important planning for the months ahead, I’m reminded of how much there is to look forward to in our Westlawn community! This week’s newsletter is packed with “looking ahead” moments—from academic pathways to summer experiences—each one reflecting the care and intention we put into supporting our students’ growth.

We’ve shared the criteria for students interested in taking Algebra 1 Honors in 7th grade, and I encourage families to review that information closely. These decisions are important milestones, and we are committed to partnering with you every step of the way. You’ll also find information about summer camps and spring break activities—great ways to keep our Eagles engaged, curious, and connected beyond the school day. And while June may feel far away, now is the perfect time to order your yearbook! Each year, these books become treasured keepsakes filled with memories of friendships, milestones, and joyful learning.

We were also honored to welcome our school board representative, Dr. Ricardy Anderson, for a visit this week. It’s always a point of pride to showcase the incredible students and staff who make Westlawn so special! Finally, be sure to check out this week’s Tech Talk column, where we celebrate the voices of our staff as they share how they keep track of their reading. It’s a wonderful reminder that our educators are lifelong learners, too. As we celebrate reading this month, we also hope to see you at our newest family event, Light Up the Night with Literacy, on Wednesday next week after school.

Thank you for continuing to be such engaged, supportive partners. Together, we make Westlawn a place where every child—and every voice—matters!

In partnership,

Christoph Hill, Stephanie Carpenter, and Erin Theiss

Proud Principals

News

Spring into STEM with Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech is launching a set of FREE workshops for students during spring break! Register now before they fill up! Here are the details:

📍 Location: 14840 Conference Center Dr, Suite 150, Chantilly, VA 20151⌚ Time: 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM📧 Questions? Contact marcela.goree@vt-arc.org for more information.We can’t wait to see you there!

🟠 Tuesday, March 31st

Edison Robots (3rd – 5th Grade)

Students will bring Edison robots to life using barcode programming and EdScratch software. They’ll build coding and problem-solving skills through fun, hands-on challenges! Register now!

🟢 Wednesday, April 1st

Edison Robots (4th – 6th Grade)

Students will explore EdScratch coding and programming to bring Edison robots to life. They’ll strengthen their coding and problem-solving skills in a fun, interactive way! Register now!

🔵 Thursday, April 2nd

Coding & Programming (6th – 8th Grade)

Students will dive into coding and programming using drones and Edison Robots. Through hands-on challenges, they’ll build real-world tech skills while bringing their creations to life! Register now!

Spirit Wear has Started to Come In!

We are starting to see the first set of spirit wear from the new online store being worn by students around Westlawn! One neat idea we saw: one sixth grade student had a sweatshirt with her years at Westlawn listed on the back, a customization you can do right in the shop. Check out the spirit wear store and place your order!

Algebra 1 Honors for Rising 7th Graders

FCPS recently released guidance describing the students who will qualify for Algebra 1 Honors in seventh grade. From the Honors, Grades 7-8 web page: Students may enroll in Algebra 1 Honors in 7th grade if they have completed Math 6 Advanced and one of the following:

• Pass Advanced (500+) on the Spring 2026 Grade 7 Math SOL Test

• Pass Proficient (400-499) on the Spring 2026 Grade 7 Math SOL Test and Pass Proficient (400-499) on the Spring 2025 Grade 6 Math SOL Test

• Pass Proficient (400-499) on the Spring 2026 Grade 7 Math SOL Test and Pass Advanced (500+) on the Spring 2025 Grade 5 Math SOL Test

Please note that students have not yet taken the Spring 2026 math SOL tests and will not do so until May, with scores available shortly after the test, which is scheduled for May 12. Students who have Ms. Stephenson for math will be taking the Math 7 SOL Test, and their score from that test and possibly their Spring 2025 test will determine their eligibility for Algebra 1 Honors next year.

If your child is a sixth grade student and does not have Ms. Stephenson for math, then they will be taking the Math 6 SOL Test. These students are not eligible for Algebra 1 Honors next year, but are still on track to take Algebra 1 in 8th grade.

Families with questions about their child’s math placement in Luther Jackson MS are encouraged to contact Ms. Jacoby.

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:

• Summer STEAM Academy

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.

Reminder: Order Your Yearbook Now

Yearbook orders are now open! You can order the yearbook online at https://ybpay.lifetouch.com/ and enter school code 15398626. Orders are due by May 1. The yearbooks will be delivered and distributed in June.

Reminder: SOL Questions and Answers

Do you have questions about the SOL? We have answers! You can learn about SOL logistics, score reporting, retakes, and more! If you have any questions that are not answered by the article, please send them to Ms. Dushok so she can track down the answer.

Reminder: 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 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.

Rooted in Resilience, Echoes of Excellence: FCPS’ Second Annual Black History Month Celebration

The spirit of heritage and the promise of the future filled the air at Carter G. Woodson High School as FCPS held its second annual Black History Month Celebration with the theme, Rooted in Resilience: Echoes of Excellence. This year’s event was especially significant as it coincided with the 100th anniversary of the movement that became Black History Month.

Students from across the division took center stage as the true "echoes" of this excellence. The program featured student-led Moments of Pride that connected local and national history to contemporary achievements. A spirited keynote speech was delivered by Vernon Walton, senior pastor at the First Baptist Church of Vienna. Another highlight of the night was the FCPS Black Excellence video tribute.

Read more about the Black history event.

FCPS News

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

• School Board Adopts Budget
• New Date for Special Education Conference
• Celebrating Our Schools

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

March 9: A Toast To Teachers

March 11: Fun Clothing Wednesday: pajamas and stuffies

March 11: Light up with Night with Literacy from 4:30 - 6:00 PM. Volunteer at Literacy Night.

March 14: Reading Opens the World Literacy Fair from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM at the Lorton Community Center (9520 Richmond Highway). Families can get up to 10 free books per child!

March 18: Early-Release Wednesday; students will be dismissed at 12:30 PM.

March 18: Fun Clothing Wednesday: graphic tees

March 18: Westlawn Restaurant Night at Shake Shack in Mosaic from 10:30 AM - 10:30 PM. Tell the cashier about the fundraiser or use the code DONATE in the app or in-store kiosk for Westlawn to get 25% of the proceeds from your order!

March 20: No School in recognition of Eid al-Fitr

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

Volunteer or Donate to A Toast to Teachers

The PTA is sponsoring A Toast to Teachers (toast bar for Westlawn staff) and could use your help! Please consider donating bread or toppings, loaning your toaster, or staffing the event on March 9. Sign up now for your preferred volunteer spot!

Reminder: Volunteer at Literacy Night

The PTA could use some help to make Light Up the Night with Literacy a huge success! Sign up now to volunteer at a station of your choice!

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

Smart Thinking in Everyday Moments

Did you know some of the best learning moments can happen during everyday activities like grocery shopping, cooking dinner, or riding in the car?

When you’re at the grocery store, try asking:

• “How do you know which item is the better deal?” (math)
• “Why do you think the milk is kept in the back?” (marketing)

While cooking:

• “Why do you think the dough rises?” (science)
• “What steps should we do first?” (logic)

In the car:

• “How many different shapes can you find on buildings?” (math, art)
• “How could we solve that problem differently?” (social)

While reading together:

• “What do you predict will happen next in the story?” (literacy)
• “Where do you think this takes place?” (literacy)

These simple conversations build vocabulary, problem-solving skills, reasoning, and creativity. When children explain their thinking, their brains grow stronger connections. Best of all, it doesn’t take extra time — just a few thoughtful questions.

Dr. Anderson Visited Westlawn

This past week we had a visit from our school board representative, Dr. Ricardy Anderson! Students in the full-time AAP classrooms have been learning about advocacy and activism over the past few years when they vertically meet. This year they spent time adding to their background knowledge about government structures—both local and national. Additionally, they were able to learn about teen activist Barabara Johns who was recently honored with a new statue at the Capitol.

Teachers helped students engage in a letter-writing campaign to Dr. Anderson where they shared how they learned how actions can influence change in their communities. As a result of that campaign Dr. Anderson came to speak to students about her passion for education and her job as a school board member. She also set up a Town Hall for the students and they asked her questions about everything from her hobbies to the effects that the federal Department of Education changes have had on her role. Also, thanks to the students and their teachers, Dr. Anderson helped find funding for a trip to the Capitol and she will be joining them on that trip!

Thank you, Dr. Anderson, for helping to make social studies and language arts come to life for our Eagles! You can also see more photos that we shared on social media earlier this week.

Tech Talk

Reading for Grownups

As educators we know that students who have access to books at home tend to be better readers, and we know that behavior modeled by the adults in the house tends to be replicated by the children in the house. In other words: having your children see you reading, while having access to books of their own, is a great way to make sure you raise a good reader!

Of course, if you are not already a big reader, it can be a bit daunting to start. We asked our staff to share their favorite ways that they keep track of their reading--both using technology and otherwise--to give you some inspiration! (Because let’s face it--if you have a small child, keeping track of your reading is something that you totally cannot just remember in your brain!) Whether you are already a library power-user or you aspire to add more reading to your day, we are sure you’ll find a great idea!

Ms. Carpenter: “I keep a stack on my nightstand, each time I finish a book, another one gets added. 😊 Old school tracking!”

Ms. Dushok: “I use The StoryGraph to keep track of my reading and I really like the ability to compare my reading year over year to see my own growth in terms of pages and books completed each year. I originally picked The Storygraph because I loved the graphics it generated at year-end to share on social media, and browsing friends’ graphics is one way that I discover books to add to my wish list. After I became a user, I also discovered that The Storygraph is an independent, Black woman-owned company, and it made me feel even better about my tracking app choice.”

Ms. Flegal: “I use The StoryGraph and Libby to track my reading. I like The StoryGraph because of the tracking, editing, and recommendation features. The StoryGraph has better timeline editing than Goodreads (it’s easy to change the date you started or finished reading, change editions/versions, etc.), you can easily submit new books if it doesn’t already have them, etc. It also has fun reading challenges like read across Africa, read from all the countries in the Americas (inspired by Bad Bunny’s God bless America list), every genre imaginable, etc. You can also set book/pages/minutes goals for the year and check your progress easily. I still use Goodreads as a backup.

'I also use Libby. Almost all the books I read from the library (I save THOUSANDS of dollars a year by using the library), and all of my ebooks are through Libby. It doesn’t store your book history (most public libraries don’t for privacy purposes), but it’s easy to track my current checkouts, holds, requests, and waitlists.”

Ms. Heyer: “Since I get most of my books from the public library, I track my books read in the Libby app (ebooks) or through my FCPL account.”

Ms. Jacoby: “I use Goodreads and I like meeting my reading goal each year, which is the number of books I want to read. I also like seeing what my friends and coworkers are reading!”

Ms. Johnson: “I use Goodreads to help track my reading! The main thing that I like about it is that it automatically connects with my Kindle app – so I don’t even have to worry about remembering to add that I started (or finished) a book. At the beginning of each year, I create a reading goal for the number of books I’d like to read and it will track the number for me as the year progresses. I also like that you can have “friends” on the app and it is one of the main ways my family stays connected to see what everyone has been reading.”

Ms. Nicolai: “I keep track of the books I read on the app Goodreads. I love to rate the book and see how others like it after I am done reading! I have always loved to read and one of my 2026 resolutions was to read every night before I go to bed.”

Ms. Riffe: “I use a bookmark that looks like a bookshelf full of books with no titles. When I finish one, I write the title on the shelf. I start a new one each year. I like it because it is super satisfying to fill in a book- it’s like I’m checking off a to-do list! I also love how pretty the bookmark is, and I like going back to look at former years and remembering what I’ve read.”

Ms. Rodgers: “I use The StoryGraph to keep track of my books read and I love that I can see how my reading changes by month. I also love the audiobook to traditional book graph.”

Ms. Thomas: “I use Goodreads, but it’s not great and hasn’t had any major updates in years. I also tried Fable for a while and liked that it could migrate my Goodreads data, but I’m still looking for the perfect reading platform!”

Ms. Whaley: “I started using The StoryGraph this year because I love graphs and the different data it collects, but I also use Goodreads because I have used it for years and I don’t want to transfer all my reading over. I also follow friends and instagrammers on Goodreads to get recommendations. I also get book recommendations by the “challenges” Goodreads have. I’m very competitive and I like to get all the badges, so it forces me to read books that I wouldn’t have necessarily picked up in the first place. I keep track of books I want to read mostly on Libby or my basket of unread books next to my bed. I have the maximum number of books on hold on Libby at any given time, and I have a label of “to be borrowed” for the ones I’ll put on hold once a space opens up. In 2025, I kept track of my reading by crocheting a square in the colors of the cover of the book and putting them together to make a blanket. (I say that as if I actually finished that project—I have 7 more squares to go!)”

Ms. Michelle White: “Currently, I’m reading Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. I keep track of my reading on a piece of paper by writing down how many pages I read each time I sit down. I try to read at least one more page than the time before — if I read 5 pages yesterday, I aim for 6 or more today. I love that it challenges me to grow a little each day and keeps me motivated to finish the book!”

Families--now it’s your turn! How do you keep track of your reading, or help your child keep track of theirs? We would love to feature your answers in next week’s Feather Report! Please share your great ideas with Ms. Dushok via email or TalkingPoints. (And don’t worry--she will send out a reminder via TalkingPoints, too!)

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 Manal Alaswadi! Miss Alaswadi is a special education teacher at Westlawn. Let’s learn more about Miss Alaswadi! What was your favorite subject in school? Math What is one talent or skill that you have that most people don’t know about? I can do a headstand and enjoy jumping while roller blading. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? Work smart, not hard. What is your favorite holiday? Eid Sweet or salty snacks? Both (together)! Salt and vinegar chips with Oreo ice cream or fries with a hot fudge sundae! What is one thing that always makes your day better? Seeing people enjoying one another and having a good time. 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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