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The Feather Report
Volume 2, Issue 31
Photo of the Week: Thank a Teacher with a Taco
 Amazing news, Westlawn community! Your hard work paid off, and we are now one of the 10 finalists to win a taco party for staff during Teacher Appreciation Week, courtesy of bartaco! Now we need your vote! Keep reading: the link to the voting form is in the Leadership Ledger.
Leadership Ledger
Westlawn Families,
This week, I was reminded once again of the power of community here at Westlawn! In just under a week, our sharing fridge in the cafeteria stopped working, and we suddenly lost the space students use to set aside perishable food for hungry peers. We shared the need on social media and in our newsletter, and one of our wonderful Westlawn parents stepped in right away. A huge thank you to Jose Benitez, father to Jose in Ms. Roundtree’s room, for generously donating a new fridge so our food sharing program could continue without missing a beat! That kind of support is extraordinary, and it speaks so clearly to the heart of this community.
We also want to encourage everyone to help us get tacos! Westlawn is one of just ten schools across the United States in the final round of bartaco’s Teacher Appreciation contest, and we need your votes. Please vote for Westlawn and share this form with friends and family so they can vote for Westlawn, too!
Finally, a reminder that SOL testing is starting soon. We have a comprehensive article on our website that includes testing logistics and helpful tips for families to support students at home. Here are the spring testing dates for reference:
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April 28: 5th Grade Reading
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May 5: 5th Grade Science and 3rd, 4th, and 6th Grade Reading
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May 12: 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th Grade Math (including Algebra 1)
Thank you for partnering with us as we prepare our students to do their very best!
In partnership,
Christoph Hill, Stephanie Carpenter, and Erin Theiss
Proud Principals
News
Free Clinic
There will be a free medical, dental, and vision clinic in Chantilly on April 18. There is no ID or insurance needed, and no income requirements. The clinic is first-come, first-served and runs from 8 AM - 6 PM. Learn more about the clinic.
Resources to Help Infants and Toddlers Meet Milestones
Are you concerned about your infant, toddler, or preschool-aged child’s development? Resources are available if your child exhibits difficulties in one or more of the following areas: communication, fine and/or gross motor skills, self-help skills, problem-solving, and attention skills. Learn more about typical developmental milestones.
The Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia (ITC) provides evaluations and services for children (0-36 months) who have developmental delays or medical conditions that may affect development. Parents are encouraged to contact ITC at 703-246-7121 to share their concerns.
Early Childhood Child Find is the process of identifying children with potential special education needs between the ages of 20 months and 5 years (children must be two by September 30).
FCPS Early Childhood Identification and Services (ECID&S) offers a free referral process to identify potential developmental delays or disabilities. Special education services are provided for all children who are found eligible through the referral process. Parents are encouraged to call 571-423-4121 with questions.
 Reminder: Join Our Staff!
We are on the lookout for some wonderful people to join our staff next year! Currently we need the following:
- Instructional Assistant (2 for new EAC classroom)
- Multiple Disabilities Teacher (for new EAC classroom)
- Public Health Training Assistant (2 for EAC/PAC)
- Music Teacher
If you are interested in one of these roles, we encourage you to send your resume to Mr. Hill. We also encourage you to share these opportunities with anyone you know who might be a good fit for Westlawn. You can keep up-to-date with Westlawn vacancies on the FCPS careers page. Learn more about these opportunities via the job descriptions on the FCPS website.
Reminder: Fun Clothing Wednesdays (and Fridays) in April
April is Autism Acceptance Month and Month of the Military Child. On Fridays in April, staff and students are encouraged to wear RED to “Remember Everyone Deployed.” On Wednesdays we will continue with our Fun Clothing Wednesday themes, this time all about autism!
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April 22, 2026 – Sensory Sensation 🌿 👕 Dress in sensory-friendly, comfortable clothing that helps you feel your best. You can also wear green for Earth Day—whether it’s the color, eco-friendly clothing, or something that shows care for our planet!
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April 29, 2026 – Spectrum of Colors and Words 🌈 💬 Wear your favorite color to celebrate bright minds and different perspectives, or choose clothing with words or messages to remind us that all forms of communication matter.
FCPS News
In case you missed it in FCPS This Week, the school division shared updates on the following topics:
- Calendar Updates
- Teacher on The Kelly Clarkson Show
- Support Your Student During SOLs
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
April 18: 2026 FCPS Special Education Family Conference. Learn more and register now.
April 18: Jaguar 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run. Learn more and register now.
April 20: Auditions for the Westlawn Talent Show start today! Sign up for an audition slot. Sign up for an audition slot now. And save the date! The Westlawn Talent Show will take place on May 7.
April 21: No School (Special Election Day). FCPS will offer lunch and a snack at no cost to children aged 18 and under at participating schools. The meals must be eaten on site, and enrichment activities will be available for the children. For more information, visit the FCPS Food and Nutrition Services webpage.
April 21: 6th Grade Bake Sale - Support our 6th graders who are raising money for a pet shelter! They accept cash and Venmo. The sale will happen at Westlawn from 6 AM - 7 PM. If they sell out, they’ll close, so go early!
April 22: Full day of school (three-hour early release has been cancelled)
April 22: Fun Clothing Wednesday: sensory-friendly clothing or clothing that reflects caring for the Earth
April 22: The Falls Church High School Pyramid Art Show takes place from 5-7 PM at Falls Church HS. Participants will see amazing artwork, join a scavenger hunt, and more! There will be food and drinks for sale.
April 23: Second and final day of talent show auditions
April 23: Full-time AAP orientation; invitation-only event for our new full-time families
April 23-26: Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead at FCHS. Buy tickets.
April 24: Glow Night Dance Party from 6 - 7:30 PM at Westlawn. Entry is free. Come for great music, temporary tattoos, and a silent auction! Volunteer at the dance, too!
April 28: SOL - 5th Grade Reading
April 29: Fun Clothing Wednesday: favorite color or positive words
April 30 - May 2: Buy tickets for The Wizard of Oz at Luther Jackson MS.
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 at the Spring Dance
The PTA needs some volunteers to make the spring dance a success on April 24! Volunteers are needed during the event to apply tattoos and manage the silent auction, as well as volunteers before and after the event to help with set up and clean up. Sign up to volunteer at the dance.
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!
Tech Talk
What happened to the photo frames?
You may have noticed that the frames for the Photo of the Week and the Soaring Staff Spotlight look different this week. These changes follow new requirements in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that take effect next Friday, April 24. In short, these requirements affect anything a school or teacher shares digitally, including email, the website, social media, and this newsletter.
Here are some examples of changes you may notice:
- Images that contain text cannot be shared digitally.
- Videos must include captions (including short videos and reels).
- Links should be placed on descriptive text, not on phrases like “click here.”
- Images must include alt text (text that describes the image).
What does this mean for Westlawn?
When we first learned about the upcoming ADA changes, we began preparing early. We stopped posting PDFs on our website. We asked our partners to send information about extracurricular activities as plain text instead of sending flyers as attachments. We improved how we write links by avoiding phrases like “click here” as the only linked text. We also tested different ways to write social media captions.
We have also used ChatGPT as a tool to support compliance. When we receive flyers for events, we often upload them into ChatGPT and ask it to create a plain text version for online use. We also use it to write alt text for images and to revise text so it is easier for automatic translation tools to translate accurately.
What does this mean for families?
We believe these changes will improve communication. Many of our families speak languages other than English at home. We have always tried to make sure our communication is clear for everyone. These ADA requirements support that goal.
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 Trisha Heyer!
Ms. Heyer is the librarian at Westlawn. Let’s learn more about Ms. Heyer!
What is your favorite thing about working at Westlawn?
Our community
What is your favorite children’s book?
Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary
If you weren’t in education, which job would you want?
Veterinarian
Who inspired you when you were growing up?
Michelle Akers, a soccer player
What is your favorite restaurant in our area?
Yoko Sushi
If you could visit any place in the world, where would you go?
Galápagos Islands
If you could meet any famous person, who would it be?
Jason Reynolds (author)
What is your favorite hobby?
Gardening
Is there someone you hope to see featured in an upcoming Soaring Staff Spotlight? Tell us by text to 571-355-2321.
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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
Westlawn website | Westlawn Instagram | Westlawn Facebook | TalkingPoints
View The Feather Report archives | Questions or Comments: Contact the Newsletter Editor
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