Westgate Families,
I hope this finds you having a wonderful spring break. It is hard to believe that next week starts the beginning of the last quarter of the school year! We have so many fun things to celebrate and to learn so make sure you plan for all the upcoming dates, and events.
Please note that a new student holiday has been added for April 21 to accommodate the special election as FCPS schools serve as polling sites. Due to that added holiday, our 3 hour early release for April 22 has been canceled. That day will be a full school day for all students and we will dismiss at regular time.
March 30 - April 3 - No School for Students (Spring Break)
April 6 - No School for Students (Teacher Workday)
April 10 - No School for Students (Teacher PD Day)
April 10 - Kindergarten Orientation @ 9:00 a.m.
April 20 - Community Conversation with Dr. Reid @ 6:30 p.m.
April 21 - No School for Students (Special Election)
April 24 - Staff Volleyball Game @ Marshall High School
As always, thank you for your continued support of all things Westgate and wishing everyone a fantastic week ahead!
All my best,
Hallie Demetriades
Principal
Acceptance Week Spirit Week - April 13-17
Help us celebrate Autism Acceptance Month by participating in an Acceptance Week spirit week from April 13 - April 17!
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Monday, April 13th - Rainbow Day: Wear your most colorful, rainbow or tie-dyed clothes to represent all of our uniqueness!
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Tuesday, April 14th - Passion Day: People with Autism often have a passion or interest that they love to learn about. Wear something that shows what you are passionate about.
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Wednesday, April 15th - Purple Up!: Wear purple for the Month of the Military Child!
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Thursday, April 16th - Crazy Sock Day: Wear your craziest and most colorful socks for Down syndrome awareness!
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Friday, April 17th - Sensory Day: People with Autism and other disabilities tend to have different sensory needs like textures and materials. Wear your most comfortable clothes or pajamas today!
Spring 2026 PTA Sponsored After-School Enrichment Opportunities
We’re thrilled to bring back many of our favorite classes—and even more excited to introduce some brand-new offerings this season, including Drama Club, Golf, and Tennis!
Registration opens Monday, March 16 and closes April 6. Classes will run from April 13 through June 5.
We know how busy life can be - don't forget to register your student for the PTA sponsored after-school activities! All spring session offerings can be viewed here.
Below are a few of our new offerings:
🎭 All Star Drama Club (K-2 and 3-6; separate classes) Register by March 30 – Improv and musical theatre in a fun, supportive environment that builds confidence and teamwork.
🔬 Designing Submersibles (3-6) Register by April 6 – A hands-on engineering class where students design and test their own submersibles while learning key science concepts.
🇮🇹 Italian Discoveries (3-6) Register by April 6 – Learn Italian while exploring Italy’s contributions to science, art, and medicine with an Italian professor.
Be sure to secure your child’s spot before the registration deadlines!
Questions? Email afterschool@westgatewolvespta.com
🏐 Westgate vs. Freedom Hill Faculty Volleyball Showdown!
Get ready for one of the most fun events of the year! Join us Friday, April 24th at Marshall High School as the Westgate and Freedom Hill faculty face off in an epic volleyball game you won’t want to miss!
🕡 Doors open at 6:30 PM 🏐 Game starts at 7:00 PM 🎟️ Tickets are $5 per person (Everyone 5 years old and over needs a ticket).
Click HERE to buy NOW! Pre-order sales close at 5pm on Wednesday, April 22nd. Tickets will be sold at the door.
Hungry? Pre-order a pizza for just $15 a pie or $3 a slice and enjoy dinner while you cheer on your favorite team! All pre-order sales end at 5pm on Thursday, April 24th.
Please use this link to sign up to volunteer at the event. We need everyone's support to make this event a success.
Come support our incredible teachers and staff in this high-energy, community-filled night of fun. Let’s pack the stands with Westgate pride! 💙🏐📣
Yearbooks are on Sale Now!
Order your 2025–2026 Westgate Elementary School Yearbook today! Capture the memories, friendships, and special moments from this school year in a keepsake your child will treasure for years to come.
Visit www.buytheyearbook.com and enter School Code: 732383 to place your order.
Order deadline: April 24, 2026 — be sure to order before the deadline so you don’t miss out on this year’s edition!
Kindergarten Orientation and Registration at Westgate
Our kindergarten orientation is being held on April 10 @ 9:00 a.m. to give parents of students entering school in August an opportunity to learn more about kindergarten at our school.
We recognize that parents are their children’s first teachers. Resources on the School Readiness and Transition to Kindergarten webpage provide parents with ways to support their children to help ensure a smooth transition to kindergarten.
There’s also an easy-to-follow five-step process outlined for registering your child for kindergarten. Register your child today! Contact our registrar, Tracy Green, at tmgreen@fcps.eduwith any questions.
Conozca más sobre el Kindergarten en la escuela Westgate
Nuestro evento de puertas abiertas para kindergarten se llevará a cabo el April 10 para darles a los padres de los niños que entran a la escuela en agosto, la oportunidad de conocer más acerca de cómo es el kindergarten en su escuela. Contacte directamente a su escuela si no la encuentra en la lista de esta página web.
Nosotros reconocemos que los padres son los primeros maestros de sus niños. Los recursos ofrecidos en la página web para la Preparación y la Transición a Kindergarten proveen a los padres con formas de apoyar a sus niños que aseguran que éstos tengan una transición al kindergarten sin contratiempos.
También contamos con un proceso de cinco pasos que es fácil de seguir, diseñado para que inscriba a su niño en kindergarten. ¡Inscriba a su niño hoy!
Si tiene cualquier pregunta, contacte a nuestro registrador escribiendo o llamando al tmgreen@fcps.edu
Volunteer Registration Update
Due to the overwhelming response from our community, FCPS is temporarily pausing fingerprint requirements for most Level 3 volunteers.
If you are scheduled for an upcoming fingerprinting appointment, please cancel your appointment unless you are a mentor, host parent, or non-parent volunteer having frequent, direct, and unsupervised contact with students, which will still require fingerprinting. FCPS will be charged if individuals miss a fingerprinting appointment without canceling in advance.
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 background check).
To ensure continuous safety, all new volunteers are required to sign a Volunteer Certification Statement. This statement is a legal attestation confirming you have no history of violent felonies, physical/sexual crimes against children, or crimes of moral turpitude.
Want to volunteer? Visit Volunteer FCPS to find and sign up for volunteer opportunities. Contact Volunteers@fcps.edu with any questions.
Westgate Spiritwear—Available All Year!
Even though the Spiritwear Fundraiser has ended, families can still purchase Westgate gear anytime throughout the year and have it shipped directly to your home!
While prices are slightly higher and there’s a delivery charge, this is a great way to grab something special for the holidays — or show your Westgate pride any time of year.
The online store now includes an even bigger selection, with mugs, hats, blankets, and of course, plenty of Westgate shirts!
🛍️ Shop here!
Your Support Is Making a Difference!
Thanks to the incredible generosity of our Westgate community, the money raised from our PTA Fundraiser is already being put to good use with engaging activities for our students!
And if you haven’t donated yet, the fundraiser is still open — and we’re getting closer and closer to that pie in Mr. H’s face!
Help us reach our goal here: https://www.givebacks.com/causes/9ca818ba-e882-445c-b9dd-a397b724a246/campaigns/f39b8a163d81
Thank you for helping us bring innovative and inspiring experiences to our school — your support truly makes it happen!
Remaining Early Release Wednesday Dates
Westgate will have 8 early release Wednesdays throughout the school year. Please note that we will dismiss at 12:30 p.m. on those days.
The scheduled dates for Westgate are:
Student Smart Watches and Cell Phones
Please remind your child that FCPS is phone-free! For elementary school students, this means:
- Smart watches that serve a dual purpose may be worn, but the phone features (texting, Internet viewing, and calls) are to be off when phone use is prohibited.
- Cell phones and personal devices (airpods, earbuds, headsets, other items connected to the internet) must be off and away for the entire school day (bell to bell).
If you need to reach your child during the school day, please call our main office at 703-610-5700. Learn more about FCPS’ cell phone and personal device policy.
Spanish: La Política de FCPS con los Teléfonos Celulares: Por qué es Importante
La política de FCPS con los teléfonos celulares ayuda a los estudiantes a concentrarse, a aprender y a involucrarse. Cuando los estudiantes guardan sus celulares, tienen más interacciones cara a cara con sus compañeros y los maestros tienen más oportunidades para desarrollar sus habilidades de resiliencia y de resolución de problemas. Por favor, recuérdale a su hijo que:
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Teléfonos celulares y otros dispositivos personales (“Airpods”, “earbuds”, audífonos, otros dispositivos conectados a la internet) deben estar apagados y guardados todo el día escolar (desde el timbre de entrada hasta el de salida).
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Relojes inteligentes o “Smart watches” que tienen distintos propósitos pueden usarse, pero las funcionalidades relacionadas con el celular (textos, navegación internet y llamadas), deben estar apagadas mientras el uso del teléfono esté prohibido.
Si usted necesita comunicarse con su niño durante el día escolar, por favor llame a la oficina principal.
School Meals & Free and Reduced Price Meal Applications
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Breakfast and Lunch
Breakfast will cost $1.75. Lunch will cost $3.25, and milk $0.60. Money can be added to your child’s accounts using www.myschoolbucks.com. You can also write a check to Westgate Food Services and deliver it to our Food Services Manager at Open House. During the school year, you can find the menu for breakfast and lunch here .
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Free and Reduced-Price Status
Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals will continue to receive these benefits through the end of September. A new application must be filled out each new school year and forms are available online now: https://www.fcps.edu/resources/student-safety-and-wellness/food-and-nutrition-programs/free-and-reduced-price-meals.
Applications are accepted at any time, but we encourage you to apply or renew your application before the end of September. Call (703) 610-5700 if you need help. This must be completed for eligible students to receive free meals.
Arrival/Dismissal Safety Reminders for Westgate
Please remember to be mindful of our important safety procedures during arrival and dismissal.
- There are NO left hand turns allowed in, or out of, Kiss & Ride during arrival or dismissal.
- There are NO illegal u-turns allowed in front of the school on Magarity Road. Please enter kiss and ride from the correct side (towards rt. 7) and follow the traffic pattern, as we've witnessed both student and staff safety being compromised too often.
- Please ONLY cross your child at the dedicated cross walk (with police officer). Crossing you children at any other location is not safe.
- There is NO parking on either side of Magarity Rd. right in front of the school. Please do not park in these areas.
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Cars are not permitted in the bus loop between 8:20 - 9:00 a.m. and between 3:00 - 3:40 p.m.
Our number one priority at Westgate remains student safety. Thank you for adhering to these very important safety reminders. Please note that the Fairfax County Police Department will be closely monitoring this situation.
Multilingual Parent Information Line
☎️ Parent Information Phone Line Available in Eight Languages
Parents/caregivers who speak Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Spanish, Urdu, or Vietnamese may call a telephone information line for general information about FCPS. View the list of phone numbers.
Spanish: ☎️ Línea Telefónica de Información para Padres Disponible en Ocho IdiomasPadres/cuidadores que hablan Amárico, Árabe, Chino, Farsi, Coreano, Español, Urdu o Vietnamita pueden llamar a una línea telefónica de información para obtener información general sobre FCPS. También pueden obtener apoyo para comunicarse con la escuela de su hijo. Vea la lista de números de teléfono.
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