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Westgate Families,
I hope this finds you having a wonderful week. Thank you to our fantastic PTA for organizing such an exciting staff volleyball game last week. Our students were full of school spirit and we were so appreciative of the energetic support!
We are finishing out the final days of April with our annual WestFest event on Thursday, April 30 at 5:30 p.m. This event is run solely by students and is an amazing evening of fun, food, and celebration of each another. Please note that this is not a drop-off event and all students much be accompanied by an adult to attend. We look forward to seeing many of our families at WestFest this week!
Upcoming Important Dates:
April 28 - Family Book Fair Night 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.
April 30 - WestFest @ 5:30 p.m.
May 4 - 8 - Teacher Appreciation Week
May 6 - Spring Chorus Concert @ 6:00 p.m.
May 13 - Early Release Wednesday - Dismissal @ 12:30 p.m.
May 25-27 - No School for Students (Memorial Day & Eid al-Adha)
June 5 - Field Day
June 10 - Band & Strings Concert @ 6:00 p.m.
June 17 - Last Day of School - Dismissal @ 1:30 p.m.
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
WestFest is April 30 - We Need Your Help!
WestFest is a vibrant celebration of our incredible and diverse community! Join us on Thursday, April 30th, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at Westgate for an evening of fun, connection, and festivities. At WestFest, taste some of our community's favorite dishes and participate in a variety of activities! We hope to see you there!
The student planning committee is looking for volunteers to help make this a successful and fun event for our Westgate community.
Scholastic Book Fair - BOGO - April 24 - May 1
The Scholastic Buy One Get One Free Book Fair is here! The book fair will be held April 24- May 1. Students can shop during school hours. We hope that families will be able to join us for our family night on Tuesday April 28 from 4:00 - 6:00. There will be staff representatives from Tysons-Pimmit Library at the family night so that you can learn about the library’s resources.
We need volunteers to help with running the fair. If you would like to help, please visit https://tinyurl.com/westgatespringbookfair Your help makes the book fair possible!
If you would like to set up an ewallet for the book fair so that your child does not need to bring cash to school, please visit https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/westgateelementaryschool4
Due to the US Penny phase out, we appreciate your help in providing exact change as payment when possible. You could also consider allowing your child to donate their change of a penny towards our share the fair program, which provides books for students that might not otherwise be able to get books from the bookfair.
Thank you in advance for the support of our book fair!
Teacher Appreciation Week: May 4-8
Planning for Teacher Appreciation week is well underway!
You will see flyers in your child’s Wednesday folders on all the great treats the PTA has in store for our staff. We have volunteer opportunities already – Sign up to donate an item to their Breakfast, Snack, or pushing around the roaming snack cart!
Breakfast sign up is here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050449AAAD2CA02-63462240-teacher#/
Snack Cart sign up is here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050449AAAD2CA02-63462264-snack#/
We will also have a sign up for helping with the Monday, May 4 lunch set up/take down closer to the event. Mark your calendars!
Looking to Get Involved? The PTA Needs YOU!
We are looking for volunteers to serve on the PTA Board for the upcoming year, including President, Treasurer and Communications, as well as members for the Audit Committee.
These roles are essential to keeping our PTA active and able to support our school community. If you are interested or would like to learn more, please email president@westgatewolvespta.com
Spring SOL Testing Dates
Students in Grades 3-6 will participate in Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) testing this spring. Please mark the following testing dates on your calendar:
- Tuesday, May 12th - Reading SOL (Grades 3-6)
- Friday, May 15th - Science SOL (Grade 5 only)
- Tuesday, May 19th - Math SOL (Grades 3-6)
It is very important that students are at school on time on these testing days. Please do not schedule appointments or absences on these days. Thank you!
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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