2025–26 VDOE School Report Card Summary

• Overall Rating: Distinguished (Score: 95.44 / 100)

• Academic Mastery: 62.48 / 65 points (96.1%) — High performance in Reading, Math, and Science.

• Student Growth: 23.23 / 25 points (92.9%) — Strong year-over-year learning progress.

• Readiness & Attendance: 9.72 / 10 points — 97.22% regular attendance rate

WSES: State Report Card Highlights

News and Notes

Entering the Building

To help keep our school community safe and ensure that everyone entering the building is properly checked in, we are updating our front door procedures.

When someone arrives, a staff member will greet them and ask them to state their name and their purpose for visiting.

If the staff member does not recognize the visitor, they will ask the visitor to wait while the office verifies their information. Once verified, the visitor will be invited to enter the office and check in.

If you are dropping off an item for a student, please make sure it is marked clearly and leave it on the bench near the entrance. A staff member will come out to retrieve it when they are able to. 

Finally, please make sure you do not allow adults to 'piggy back' when you are buzzed in. 

Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we follow these procedures. Your partnership helps us maintain a safe and welcoming school for everyone.

Heritage Night

We are thrilled to invite you to our annual Heritage Night - our biggest school celebration of the year! This special evening is a chance for our community to come together, honor our diverse traditions, and learn from one another.

Date: Wednesday, October 21
Time: 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.

How to Participate:

• Food Sign-Up
  Share a taste of your heritage! Bring sample-size portions of a favorite dish that reflects your family’s cultural background. Sign Up Here
• Display Sign-Up
  Create a display to share your culture, traditions, and story. Posters, trifolds, photos, artifacts, and other creative ideas are welcome. Sign Up here.
• Student/Family Showcase
  Perform or present something meaningful to you, your family, or your culture. All are welcome to showcase until the sign up is full! Students can sign up on the poster near the front office.
• Volunteer to Help
  Former Student Mustangs, this is your chance to give back and earn service hours by helping make the night a success! Sign Up Here

Outstanding Mustang Employee Nominations

It’s time to recognize the incredible staff members who make West Springfield ES such a special place! 🐴💙

Nominations are now open for the 2026–2027 FCPS Outstanding Employee Awards. Mustang staff and families are invited to nominate a deserving West Springfield employee who goes above and beyond for our students, staff, and school community.

🏆 AWARD CATEGORIES

• Outstanding Teacher
• Outstanding New Teacher
• Outstanding Principal 
• Outstanding Professional Staff Leader
• Outstanding Educational Services Employee
• Outstanding Operational Services Employee

🗓️ NOMINATION DEADLINE Friday, October 23, 2026

📝 HOW TO NOMINATE Complete the nomination form linked here.

Questions? please contact Jessica Knotts

Thank you for helping us celebrate our amazing Mustang staff! 🐴

Calendar Change: Eid al-Fitr

FCPS will mark the beginning of Eid al-Fitr with an evening-only observance day on Monday, March 8. There will be school on this day, but major school-sponsored events and activities (such as auditions or tryouts) will not take place. 

Tuesday, March 9, will be a holiday for students and staff. 

Wednesday, March 10, will be an observance day. There will be school on this day, but certain activities that cannot be made up (major tests, field trips, or mandatory events) will not take place on this day. 

A new school year calendar has been published, which includes this change. Please note that holidays and observances on the calendar may shift due to anticipated lunar sightings.

📚 Book Character Parade – DATE CHANGE ***** Friday, October 30

Students are invited to dress as their favorite book character and bring the book to carry in our Book Character Parade!

• Please note: No masks or pretend knives and/or weapons.

Families are welcome to join us on the track at 9:00 AM to watch the parade and celebrate our amazing Mustang readers!

Cultural Showcase

This year in our front lobby, we will have a Heritage and Cultural Showcase.  This month (October 1-October 31st), we will be highlighting Disability History and Awareness Month and LGBTQIA+ History Month. If you are interested in contributing an artifact (picture, piece of clothing, story, etc.) to the showcase, please fill out the Google Form here and bring your artifact to the front office.

Fall into Flavor With FCPS’ New Menus

FCPS’ new September and October menu items are packed with classic favorites and fresh global inspiration. Check our new online menu system to see when you can try new recipes based on student feedback, and developed by FCPS’ executive chef and team of food and nutrition experts. 

Student Pictures

You still have time to order your student’s photos at www.strawbridge.net/picture-day-lookup

Enter our school name and state

Select “Get Code”

Enter your child’s name and student ID and click “submit”

Click on the student code to access

Family Life Education (FLE) Update:

• The elementary Family Life Education (FLE) program is taught by the regular classroom teacher. The early elementary program emphasizes the importance of families, distinction between good and bad touch, sources of help, and the importance of friendships.  More information can be found here.
• All schools are required to provide a Parent Information/Preview Night.  WSES’s Parent Preview Night will be Tuesday, October 13, from 6:00 – 7:00 PM via zoom.  Parents can opt their child out through the Digital Consent through October 31st.  After that, opt out forms must be completed by paper and submitted to the office. 
• If you have any questions regarding FLE, your staff point of contact is Andrea Cabrera.

Safe Routes to School Parent and Caregiver Survey

As part of the Fairfax County School Board’s Annual School-Based Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Assessment, the FCPS Office of Safety and Security and Safe Routes to School program are inviting parents and caregivers to share their experiences traveling to and from school.

The Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Survey asks about walking and biking routes, traffic near schools, kiss and ride experiences, accessibility, and other safety concerns. 

Your feedback will help FCPS identify common issues. Your responses will be kept confidential and shared with school administrators and the Office of Safety and Security. The five-minute survey is open through Thursday, October 15. 

Be sure to identify the school related to your feedback and include specific locations where you have observed a safety issue. If you have students at different schools in FCPS, please complete a different survey for each school. 

If you have any questions about the survey, please contact SafeRoutestoSchool@fcps.edu.  

Volunteer With Us!

Now is the time to become an approved FCPS volunteer so you can volunteer as a chaperone, support classrooms and special events, assist in the cafeteria, and more! All volunteers must register with FCPS, complete the volunteer orientation, and sign in using the visitor kiosk. Some volunteer opportunities may also require a background check.

Advanced Academic Programs

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is committed to challenging all students through talent development and differentiated instruction. A continuum of Advanced Academic Program (AAP) services is available to students in Grades K-12 and is designed to match services to each student’s unique academic needs.

Identification for Subject-Specific and Part-Time AAP services occurs throughout the school year. Full-Time AAP services have two identification cycles:

• Fall identification: Students in grades 3-7 who have enrolled in FCPS since January may be referred by October 15, 2026.
• Spring identification: Any FCPS student in Grades 2-7 may be referred by December 15, 2026.

FCPS uses ability testing as one consideration in the holistic identification process for AAP services.

• All students in Grade 2 take the Naglieri General Ability Test (NGAT).
• Students in Grades 3-6 who do not have a multi-domain ability test score take the NGAT.
• Students in Grades 3-6 may retake an ability test one time. Families may request the ability test retake by contacting Caryn Seiler, School Testing Coordinator, at csseiler@fcps.edu by September 30.

For more information, please contact Caryn Seiler, AART, at csseiler@fcps.edu or visit the FCPS Advanced Academic Programs website.

FCPS Seeks Community Input on Middle School AAP Centers

FCPS is exploring a plan to offer Full-Time Advanced Academic Program (AAP) services at every middle school. Under the proposal, students who qualify could attend their neighborhood middle school and take advanced classes with other AAP students. The School Board has approved community engagement at Franklin, Hayfield, Holmes, Key, and Whitman middle schools, where programs could open for the 2027-28 school year. The proposal is still under consideration, and the School Board is expected to make a decision in December.

Each community meeting offers in-person and virtual participation. Upcoming meetings are scheduled for:

• Franklin Middle: Monday, October 5, at 6 p.m.
• Holmes Middle: Thursday, October 15, at 6 p.m.
• Whitman Middle: Thursday, October 22, at 6 p.m.

Current middle school students will remain at their assigned AAP centers through middle school. Learn more and find meeting sign-up forms on the Middle School AAP Centers page.

Superintendent Community Conversations

Join Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid for a Community Conversation. Students, families, staff, and community members are invited to ask questions, share concerns, and discuss what matters most to them. Everyone is welcome! Click on the date to register for any of the following events:

• Monday, October 19, at 6:30 p.m., at Spring Hill Elementary School
• Monday, October 26, at 6:30 p.m., at Beech Tree Elementary School
• Thursday, October 29, at 6:30 p.m., at North Springfield Elementary School
• Tuesday, December 1, at 6:30 p.m., at Powell Elementary School (note date change)

Dates for Early Release Wednesdays

Early Release Wednesdays will start in late September 2026. Each elementary school will have a total of four early release days throughout the school year. Students will be dismissed at 12:30 p.m.

Early release Wednesdays for West Springfield ES are:

• November 18
• January 13
• April 7

School Hours

• 8:45 AM – 3:30 PM
• Doors open at 8:45 AM *students should not arrive before 8:45 AM
• Students are expected to be in class by 8:55 AM (after that, they are marked tardy)

Attendance

• Please call the attendance line at 703-912-4444 or use our online form to report absences or tardies
• Daily attendance matters—please aim for on-time arrivals!

Family Resource Center

Growing Together: Talking About Social-Emotional Learning at Home

Social-emotional learning (SEL) helps children develop confidence, resilience, self-awareness, and other important skills that support their success in school and throughout life. Join a workshop for parents and caregivers to:

Understand your child’s Fairfax County SEL Screener results.

• Use the results as a starting point for meaningful conversations at home.
• Support your child’s social and emotional development.
• Build confidence, resilience, and lifelong skills together. 

Learn practical ways to talk with your child about their social and emotional well-being and support their continued growth at home. Events will take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, October 8, at Skyview High School and Wednesday, October 21, at Kingstowne Regional Library. View additional dates on the FCPS Family Academy webpage. 

Childcare will be available. Interpretation services are available upon request. For more information, contact the Family and School Partnerships office at 703-204-4300 or FamilyEngagement@fcps.edu.

Family Café General Flyer

Family Café Registration Form

Learn About Applied Behavior Analysis and Teaching New Skills at Home

All family members and caregivers are invited to attend monthly Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Family Training to learn how to support and teach students with autism and related disorders. No registration is needed.  

Virtual trainings take place at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Join a session. Upcoming topics include:

• Autism and ABA Overview on Wednesday, October 14. (It is highly recommended that you attend this session before any future sessions.)
• Prioritizing Skills to Teach at Home on Wednesday, November 18.
• Toilet Training on Wednesday, December 9.
• Managing Challenging Behaviors at Home on Wednesday, January 13.
• Communication: A Foundation for Independence on Wednesday, February 10. 

Visit the ABA webpage for a full list of classes. Need an interpreter? Contact Stephanie Watkins two weeks before the training at 571-423-4110 or sawatkins@fcps.edu. 

Save the Date

Monday, October 12 - Student Holiday

Friday, October 16 - Book Character Parade - MOVED TO October 30

October 19 - 23 - Bookfair

Wednesday, October 21 - Heritage Night, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.

Friday, October 30 - Book Character Parade 9:00 am

End of Quarter, 2-hour early release at 1:25 p.m.

Monday, November 2 - Tuesday, November 3 - Student Holidays

Wednesday, November 4 - Picture Makeup Day 9:15-12:00 p.m.

Wednesday, November 11 - Veteran’s Day Celebration 8-9 a.m.

Thursday, November 12 - Thursday, November 19 - Boosterthon

Saturday, November 14 - Pyramid Challenge at Irving Middle School 10-12 p.m.

Wednesday, November 18 - 3-hour early release at 12:30 p.m.

Friday, November 20 - Boosterthon Fun Run

Wednesday, November 25 -Friday, November 27 - Thanksgiving Break

6802 Deland Drive, Springfield, VA 22152  |  Main Phone: 703.912.4400
Attendance: 703.912.4444 or WestSpringfieldES.Attendance@fcps.edu
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