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Westlawn Feather Report: Volume 1, Issue 24

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Volume 1, Issue 24

Leadership Ledger

Westlawn Families,

With the 3rd Quarter in full swing and Spring on the horizon, we look forward to bringing our community together again these next few weeks. Tonight we welcome all families for Glow Night, with a focus on fun and engaging activities related to STEM, math, reading, and other content areas. And next week our children have a chance to show off their talent at our annual Westlawn’s Got Talent event!

100 days in the books, we are thankful for our students, families, and everyone who makes Westlawn special.

Sincerely,

Christoph Hill, Stephanie Carpenter, and Erin Theiss

Proud Principals

Happy Valentine’s Day! Students across the building left on Friday with sacks of goodies thanks to their classmates.

Westlawn Students are 100 Days Smarter!

Last Thursday was the 100th day of school, and Westlawn celebrated in style! Learn about the activities teachers did with students and see the 100th Day of School photo gallery on our website!

Reminder: Free Virtual STEM Classes

Students are invited to participate in free virtual STEM classes on Thursday afternoons from 4:15-5:45 through Google Meet. The classes are created and presented by our partner The Future Brighter. The classes are recommended for students in grades 3-6.

Student Fasting Meal Kits for February 28 - March 28

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has issued a new, first-time waiver allowing students fasting during the school day from February 28 to March 28, 2025, to request take-home breakfast and lunch meal kits. The Office of Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) will provide meal kits reflecting the school menu. Meals will be kept cold and must be heated at home.

Students may claim one breakfast and one lunch kit per day. If a student purchases breakfast or lunch at school, they cannot pick up a kit that day. Meal kits must be picked up by students at the end of the school day—adults cannot collect them.

Parents or guardians must submit a weekly request form via the FCPS FNS website by the deadlines:

February 24, 2025, for February 28 and the week of March 3, 2025
March 3, 2025, for the week of March 10, 2025
March 10, 2025, for the week of March 17, 2025
March 17, 2025, for the week of March 24, 2025

Forms must be submitted on time to receive meal kits for the following week.

🤧 Protect Yourself and Your Community From the Flu

Fairfax County is experiencing high levels of influenza (flu) illness. The Fairfax County Health Department reports that visits to emergency departments and urgent care centers for flu-like illness have increased, especially among children, and multiple flu outbreaks have occurred in our community and school settings.

Read this letter from the health department which includes the following steps to reduce the spread of flu and other germs:

Cover coughs and sneezes. If you must be around others while ill, wearing a mask can help reduce spread.
Wash hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizers when soap and water are not available (with supervision for younger children).
Clean frequently touched surfaces.

According to the health department, to help prevent or reduce the spread of illness, it is important for individuals who are sick to stay home and away from others until symptoms improve and until they have been free of fever for at least 24 hours. Visit our Attendance webpage for guidance.

FCPS News

Are you curious about what’s happening more broadly in FCPS? This week’s In Case You Missed It (ICYMI) FCPS roundup covers:

Flu Prevention
Students Spread Joy
Investing in our Classrooms

Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.

TONIGHT: February 20: Family Adventure Night

Family Adventure Night will take place on February 20 from 5:00-6:30! Families are invited to come to Westlawn for games and activities that have to do with reading, math, STEAM, library, art, and more!

February 21: PTA Restaurant Night at Shake Shack

Eat lunch or dinner at the Mosaic Shake Shack between 11 AM - 10 PM and help raise funds for the PTA! Mention “Donation Day” at the register or use the promo code DONATE in the Shake app, web, or in-store kiosk to help us earn 25% of the proceeds.

February 22: Falls Church High School Heritage Festival

The FCHS Heritage Festival will take place from 1-5 PM at Falls Church HS.

February 26: Fun Clothing Wednesday

Today’s theme is pink clothing in recognition of National Pink Shirt Day, an anti-bullying campaign.

February 28: Westlawn’s Got Talent

Save the date! Westlawn’s Got Talent will be February 28. Come out to cheer on Westlawn’s amazing students!

March 1: VT STEM Discovery Fair

Students are invited to the new Virginia Tech campus in Alexandria’s Potomac Yards to participate in a STEM Discovery Fair from 2:30 PM - 5:30 PM. Students from all grade levels are welcome. Families are asked to register (for free) by February 25.

March 3-7: Read Across Westlawn Week

Save the date!

March 12: Career and Transition Fair

Families of students who receive special education services are invited to this fair, where the goal is to explore the pathways available to these students in high school and beyond. The fair takes place in person at Luther Jackson MS from 6:30-8:30 PM.

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.

Volunteer to Sell and Serve Pizza Tonight at Family Adventure Night (Glow Night)

It’s never too late to volunteer to help the PTA!

Volunteer to Sell and Serve Drinks and Candy at Westlawn’s Got Talent!

The PTA could use your help, and it’s a great way to meet more folks in our community!

Join a Community Conversation

Join us on Wednesday at 11 AM on Zoom to hear the important news from the school from Principal Hill! Community Conversations happen weekly barring school holidays or weather closures. If you miss a Community Conversation, you can catch up with slides and recordings on our website.

AAP Beyond Westlawn

What happens to AAP services in middle school and high school? AAP services as we know them here at Westlawn continue through 6th grade. It is a continuum of access where all students have opportunities to try rigorous AAP curriculum, some need more time in one or more subjects, and some students need full-time AAP services.

At Luther Jackson Middle School, students still access full-time AAP services if they’ve been found eligible, but also they can self-select honors level courses which offer the same rigor as an AAP class. Many of our current sixth graders will be accessing those honors courses next year in one or more subjects regardless of their current AAP service.

At Falls Church High School students have full control of their classes and can choose honors, or Advanced Placement (AP), or Dual Enrollment (DE). They can also opt to go to another high school if they want to attend International Baccalaureate (IB) classes. And they can apply to Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) if they need a highly rigorous STEM focused high school.

This chart details the various AAP pathways available to students within FCPS. More information about each section of the chart can be found on the Program Overview section of the FCPS Advanced Academics page.

Social-emotional learning (SEL) is an important part of helping children develop the skills they need to succeed in school and life. This year, we are using Second Step, a research-based SEL program designed to teach students essential skills like empathy, emotional regulation, and problem-solving. Each focus for the week will share recommendations for conversations and activities families can do at home to promote SEL outside of school.

Kindergarten

In this week’s lesson, your child will show what they’ve learned about kindness and the power of kind acts to help people feel good. They’ll draw themselves doing a kind act for someone at school. Try This at Home: Ask your child to show or tell you about their drawing of doing a kind act for someone at school. Encourage them to draw a picture of themselves doing a kind act at home too.

1st Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will show what they’ve learned about kind acts as they role-play doing kind acts for others in a variety of contexts. Try This at Home: Choose a day of the week (for example, Wednesdays) as “kindness day.” Help your child think of kind acts they can do for family members, friends, or neighbors. Write the kind acts on the calendar for the next several weeks.

2nd Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will use empathy to come up with a kind act they could do for a person they choose. Try This at Home: Ask your child who they chose to have empathy for and what kind act they decided to do.

3rd Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will show what they know about empathy and kindness by planning kind acts to do for someone they care about. Try This at Home: Ask your child about the kindness coupons they made in class. Ask how they chose the kind acts for each person.

4th Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will practice asking questions to better understand someone’s point of view when it’s harder to empathize. Try This at Home: Discuss with your child the benefits of learning more about the different points of view of people in your family. If there’s a point of view they don’t understand, think of questions together that they can ask to learn more about it.

5th Grade

In this lesson, your child will choose a solution to a problem in their school community and explain how it meets the wants and needs of the people who are affected by the problem. Try This at Home: Point out a change that has happened in your neighborhood recently that was intended to solve a problem. Ask your child if that change was a good solution, and how they know.

If you have questions about these prompts or ideas, or social-emotional learning in general, please email Westlawn’s SEL Coach, Ms. Andrews. We can work together to create a positive and safe school environment!

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3200 Westley Rd, Falls Church, VA 22042 | Main Office: 703.241.5100
Attendance: 703.241.5151 | Web | Facebook | Instagram

Westlawn Feather Report: Volume 1, Issue 23

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Volume 1, Issue 23

Leadership Ledger

Westlawn Families,

A snow-filled January has led us into an action-packed February, and we are grateful to see our learners embracing the unique opportunities that this month has to offer, including today, the 100th day of school this year! It’s hard to believe we’ve been together for 100 days already! This week is also Kindness Week, with one more fun clothing day tomorrow: hearts, red, and pink.

Also coming up this month are two of our most popular events for families: Family Adventure Night is on February 20, and Westlawn’s Got Talent is on February 28!

We continue to appreciate your partnership in ensuring that your children are in attendance every day on time, and look forward to connecting with you at our family events and our PTA Meeting on February 18.

Sincerely,

Christoph Hill, Stephanie Carpenter, and Erin Theiss

Proud Principals

This week is Kindness Week, and Tuesday’s theme was twin day! We have enjoyed seeing students’ school spirit as they participate in the themes each day. Tomorrow’s theme is hearts, red, and pink.

Westlawn Recognized for Social Media!

Westlawn was recognized by the FCPS Office of Communications for our post about Ms. Heyer’s Groundhog Day lesson. If you are not yet doing so, please follow us on Facebook or on Instagram for an inside glimpse into the wonderful world of Westlawn!

Congratulations to Our Outstanding Staff!

Westlawn recently recognized several staff members for their amazing contributions to their community. Their nomination packets will now be submitted to Region 2. Westlawn’s nominees are:

Ms. Baer (Outstanding Professional Employee)
Ms. Carpenter (Outstanding School Leader)
Mr. Luis (Guerra) (Outstanding Operational Employee)
Ms. Schneider (Outstanding New Teacher)
Mrs. Thomas (Outstanding Teacher)

PTA Meeting Rescheduled

The PTA Meeting for February has been rescheduled to Tuesday, February 18. You can join the meeting on Zoom.

Reminder: Fun Clothing Wednesdays Return!

Fun Clothing Wednesdays are returning for the second semester! We encourage you to help your child select an outfit that meets each week’s theme. Upcoming themes will be published on our website, and reminders will be shared on Facebook and Instagram stories on Tuesdays at noon. Here are the next few themes:

February 19: farmer clothing (flannels, jeans, overalls, boots, shirts with farm animals)
February 26: pink clothing

FCPS News

Are you curious about what’s happening more broadly in FCPS? This week’s In Case You Missed It (ICYMI) FCPS roundup covers:

Proposed Budget Progress
Apply for Dual Immersion and Magnet Lotteries
Black History Month Event

Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.

February 10-14: Kindness Week

Kindness Week takes place from February 10-14 and features a different clothing theme for students and staff each day.

Friday: Red, pink, or hearts

February 17: No School (Presidents’ Day) February 18: PTA Meeting

The meeting will be on Zoom at 6:30 PM. All are welcome!

February 19: Fun Clothing Wednesday

Today’s theme is farmer clothing in recognition of Future Farmers of America Week.

February 20: Family Adventure Night

February 22: Falls Church High School Heritage Festival

The FCHS Heritage Festival will take place from 1-5 PM at Falls Church HS.

February 26: Fun Clothing Wednesday

Today’s theme is pink clothing in recognition of National Pink Shirt Day, an anti-bullying campaign.

February 28: Westlawn’s Got Talent

Save the date! Westlawn’s Got Talent will be February 28. Come out to cheer on Westlawn’s amazing students!

March 3-7: Read Across Westlawn Week

Save the date!

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.

Join a Community Conversation

Teacher Highlight: Sharelle White, 5th grade full-time AAP teacher

Hi there! I’m Ms. White, your full-time fifth-grade AAP teacher! I’ve been a teacher for fifteen years, and next year will be my fifth year at Westlawn. I’ve taught lots of different grade levels, but I especially love teaching third and fifth grade.

One of my favorite things about the AAP curriculum is our weekly math challenge! Each week, students work with partners to solve tricky math problems in different ways. Want to know why I love it so much? Because sometimes, even I learn something new from all the amazing strategies my students come up with!

Kindergarten

In this week’s lesson, your child will learn different ways they can show kindness at school. The class will share ideas for kind acts they could do for one another. Try This at Home: Ask your child to tell you about the kind acts they and their classmates have been doing for one another at school this week.

1st Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will role-play doing kinds acts in response to different scenarios. Try This at Home: Ask your child to tell you about the kind acts they and their classmates have been learning about at school this week.

2nd Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will use empathy to come up with a kind act they could do for a person in their school community. Try This at Home: Ask your child what member of their school community they had empathy for and what kind act they chose to do for that person.

3rd Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will practice asking questions to help them understand how someone else is feeling and what they can do to help. Try This at Home: Ask your child what questions they can ask to find out how someone feels and what they may want or need. Discuss how checking in on someone’s feelings is a great way to show you care about them.

4th Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will learn that better understanding someone’s point of view can change your own point of view and how you act. Try This at Home: Ask your child to describe a time when learning more about a different point of view changed their own thoughts or actions. Tell your child about a time when this happened to you.

5th Grade

In this lesson, your child will evaluate possible solutions to a community problem by thinking about the points of view of the people who are affected by the problem. Try This at Home: Point out a problem in your neighborhood that affects other people. With your child, make a list of possible solutions to the problem. Ask your child how different groups in the community might feel about each solution.

Follow us on social media (Facebook and Instagram)
Text a staff member with TalkingPoints
Browse our website

3200 Westley Rd, Falls Church, VA 22042 | Main Office: 703.241.5100
Attendance: 703.241.5151 | Web | Facebook | Instagram

Westlawn Feather Report: Volume 1, Issue 22

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Volume 1, Issue 22

Leadership Ledger

Westlawn Families,

We are delighted to enter the second semester going strong! Our teams have planned big and exciting opportunities for students in the third quarter, and we can’t wait to get started!

Over the next few weeks there are also several opportunities for students and families to engage with Westlawn in ways beyond the classroom. February 10-14 is Kindness Week, where students will have an opportunity to nurture relationships with others and show their school spirit by dressing up for each of the fun clothing days. Then, on February 20, we are excited to welcome the community into the school for Glow Night, otherwise known as Family Adventure Night. Details for both of these events--and more--can be found below.

As always, we continue to appreciate your support as we work together toward ensuring that each day at Westlawn makes an impact.

Sincerely,

Christoph Hill, Stephanie Carpenter, and Erin Theiss

Proud Principals

Students in our Preschool Autism Classroom start the day with sensory play. Sensory play involves stimulating a child’s senses, and can also include movement, balance, and spatial awareness. Sensory play can help people with autism improve their focus, communication, and social skills, and can help them become more comfortable with their environment.

Fun Clothing Wednesdays Return!

February 12: exercise clothing or sports jerseys
February 19: farmer clothing (flannels, jeans, overalls, boots, shirts with farm animals)
February 26: pink clothing

🧸 Kindergarten Registration: It’s as Easy as 1-2-3…

There’s an easy five-step process for parents wanting to register their child for kindergarten:

Determine eligibility.
Identify your local school.
Gather documents.
Fill out forms.
Schedule an appointment.

After the appointment at the school (the student and one guardian must be present), the student will be ready for orientation, Popsicles on the Playground, and Welcome to Westlawn! Read more about the registration process. For additional information, please contact Ms. Caballero, our school registrar, at 703-241-5100.

💻 Try Online Registration

Online registration for the 2025-26 school year is open. Parents/caregivers may register their children online for kindergarten through 12th grade. Learn how to begin the online registration process.

When registering, parents/caregivers will need to create or log in to an existing SIS ParentVUE account.

Current families are encouraged to forward this email to friends and neighbors who have children eligible to enroll in kindergarten next year.

FCPS News

Are you curious about what’s happening more broadly in FCPS? This week’s In Case You Missed It (ICYMI) FCPS roundup covers:

FY 2026 Proposed Budget
Student-Driven Lunch Menus
Inclusion Awards Nominations

Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.

February 7: FCHS Youth Basketball Night

Elementary and middle school students get in free to watch the boys’ basketball team at FCHS! The game starts at 7:30.

February 8: Reading Opens the World

Get free books at Reading Opens the World, from 10 am - 2 pm at the Lorton Community Center. View the Facebook invitation.

February 10: 3-Hour Early Release (Staff Development)

February 10 is a 3-hour early release day for students. The remaining 3-hour early release days for Westlawn are March 10, April 21, and May 12.

February 10-14: Kindness Week

Kindness Week takes place from February 10-14 and features a different clothing theme for students and staff each day.

Monday: Pajamas
Tuesday: Dress the same way as someone else, or dress like a teacher
Wednesday: Workout clothes or jerseys
Thursday: Sunglasses, neon, or rainbow colors
Friday: Red, pink, or hearts

February 17: No School (Presidents’ Day) February 20: Family Adventure Night

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.

LAST CALL: Join the Fundraising Committee

As more FCPS schools are designated as Title I schools, the amount of money that each receives from the Title I grant is reduced. In the past, a significant amount has been set aside for upper grades field trips to places such as Jamestown, Gettysburg, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. We are forming an exploratory committee to identify other sources of funding so that we can continue to keep field trip costs affordable for families. Please consider joining the committee! If you are unable to commit to joining, you are also welcome to email your fundraising idea to Principal Hill.

Join a Community Conversation

Access to Rigor in all classrooms!

This week we are diving into the second half of the school year! Teams are celebrating all the ways they’ve used rigorous Advanced Academic curriculum in ALL classrooms in the past quarter and plan to continue in quarter three. Take a look!

Kindergarten: William and Mary Literature Web, M-squared
First Grade: VDOE math tasks, William and Mary Literature Web
Second Grade: DBQ (Document Based Questions), VDOE math tasks, Jacob’s Ladder, William and Mary Literature Web, Clarion science units
Third Grade: VDOE math tasks, DBQ (Document Based Questions), Socratic Seminar, William and Mary Literature Web, William and Mary Vocabulary Web, mind mapping, Jacob’s Ladder, M-cubed
Fourth Grade: Open Middle, M-cubed, Jacob’s Ladder, SEM-R questioning, William and Mary Literature Web
Fifth Grade: VDOE math tasks, DBQ (Document Based Questions), William and Mary Vocabulary Web, M-cubed
Sixth Grade: Desmos, advanced science pacing, DBQ (Document Based Questions), VDOE math tasks, William and Mary Vocabulary Web, M-cubed, PBL

What makes a curriculum or lesson rigorous? They often involve critical and creative thinking skills, can have multiple solutions, often requires students to do at least some work independently, and asks students to be able to defend or justify their reasoning.

Kindergarten

In this week’s lesson, your child will practice two kind acts: asking, “Would you like to share?” and “Would you like a hug?” Try This at Home: Encourage your child to offer to share items at home. For example, have them help you make a snack and then offer to share it with other family members. Encourage them to offer hugs to family members or friends when they are tired or sad or need encouragement.

1st Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will learn and practice two types of kind acts: offering to help someone and inviting someone to join. Try This at Home: Help your child think of a kind act they can do for someone involving offering to help or inviting them to join. Support your child in carrying out the kind act.

2nd Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will practice having empathy to come up with kind acts they could do for others in different situations. Try This at Home: Ask your child how having empathy can help them know how to be kind.

3rd Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will learn that people like to be shown kindness in different ways. Try This at Home: Ask your child what helps them feel better when they feel sad. What helps when they feel embarrassed or angry? Tell them what helps you feel better when you feel those same emotions.

4th Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will practice listening, asking questions, and observing to learn more about another person’s point of view. Try This at Home: Discuss with your child how learning more about someone’s point of view can help you have empathy for them. Encourage your child to think of a time when they had empathy for someone or someone had empathy for them.

5th Grade

In this lesson, your child will practice building empathy for different groups affected by a community problem. Learning more about each group’s point of view will help them find solutions that can work better for everyone. Try This at Home: With your child, think about a problem in your community and make a list together of what you could do to learn more about someone else’s point of view. If possible, try out one of your strategies.

Follow us on social media (Facebook and Instagram)
Text a staff member with TalkingPoints
Browse our website

3200 Westley Rd, Falls Church, VA 22042 | Main Office: 703.241.5100
Attendance: 703.241.5151 | Web | Facebook | Instagram

Westlawn Feather Report: Volume 1, Issue 21

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Volume 1, Issue 21

Leadership Ledger

Westlawn Families,

This week we celebrated the end of the second grading period…already!! The beginning of 2025 has had a slightly interrupted start, but the weather seems to be improving, snow is melting, and we are hopeful for a smooth transition into February.

Please pay close attention to upcoming dates and events as we inch closer to spring. Tonight our rising 6th grade families have an opportunity to learn more about the middle school experience at Luther Jackson’s Curriculum Night, and tomorrow the Falls Church High School’s Athletic Department is sponsoring Youth Basketball Night at the Girls Varsity game! The more we expose our children to life in secondary school the better prepared they will be when it’s time to transition!

At Westlawn we value our school community and strive to enhance the academic and social experience for both students and families. Please reach out and let us know how we can best support your family. Let’s get the third quarter started!

Sincerely,

Christoph Hill, Stephanie Carpenter, and Erin Theiss

Proud Principals

We love it when former students return to Westlawn to complete service hours! Westlawn teachers work with former students in meaningful ways, such as having them act as additional voices to help current students think through projects in art.

Food and Growing Students

Our food sharing program has become a big hit in the cafeteria! We have noticed that requests for additional food have increased, which makes sense because students continue to grow and develop! We encourage you to talk with your child about their food needs at lunch. It might be time to pack an extra snack, or encourage them to take greater helpings of fruits and vegetables when they go through the cafeteria line. If your family needs help acquiring more food at home, please reach out to one of our family liaisons.

FCPS News

Are you curious about what’s happening more broadly in FCPS? This week’s In Case You Missed It (ICYMI) FCPS roundup covers:

SOL Score Reports
Upcoming Budget Presentation
Science Fair Judges Needed

Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.

January 30: Luther Jackson Middle School Curriculum Night

Rising seventh grade students and their families are encouraged to visit Luther Jackson MS to learn about different classes, programs, and opportunities for students in middle school. More information can be found on the Luther Jackson MS website.

January 31: FCHS Youth Basketball Night

Elementary and middle school students get in free to watch the girls’ basketball team at FCHS! The game starts at 7:00.

February 4: Family Literacy Program First Meeting

English classes for adults will be offered at Westlawn again this spring, from 6-8 PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Adults can sign up by contacting Ms. Reyes via email, TalkingPoints, or calling 703-241-5100.

February 5: World Read Aloud Day

Wear clothing with words on it to celebrate World Read Aloud Day! Guest readers will be visiting classrooms throughout the school!

February 7: FCHS Youth Basketball Night

Elementary and middle school students get in free to watch the boys’ basketball team at FCHS! The game starts at 7:30.

February 8: Reading Opens the World

Get free books at Reading Opens the World, from 10 am - 2 pm at the Lorton Community Center. View the Facebook invitation.

February 10: 3-Hour Early Release (Staff Development)

February 10 is a 3-hour early release day for students. The remaining 3-hour early release days for Westlawn are March 10, April 21, and May 12.

February 10-14: Kindness Week

Kindness Week takes place from February 10-14 and features a different clothing theme for students and staff each day.

Monday: Pajamas
Tuesday: Dress the same way as someone else, or dress like a teacher
Wednesday: Workout clothes or jerseys
Thursday: Sunglasses, neon, or rainbow colors
Friday: Red, pink, or hearts

February 17: No School (Presidents’ Day) February 20: Family Adventure Night

Save the date! Family Adventure Night will take place on February 20 from 5:00-6:30! More information will be coming soon!

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.

Reminder: Join the Fundraising Committee

Join a Community Conversation

Kindergarten

In this week’s lesson, your child will learn that kindness is a way to show people that they care and that doing kind acts can make both the giver and the receiver feel good. They’ll share personal examples and discuss how they felt when they gave or received kind acts. Try This at Home: Help your child think of a kind act they can do for someone and support them in carrying it out. With your child, discuss how they think the receiver of the kind act felt. Ask your child how they felt doing a kind act for someone.

1st Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will learn and practice two ways they can be kind to others: asking, “Are you okay?” and offering to keep someone company. Try This at Home: Help your child think of a family member or close friend who could use some company. Encourage them to ask the person, “Would you like some company?”

2nd Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will describe a time they had empathy for someone and how it affected their thoughts and actions. Try This at Home: Ask your child to tell you about a time they had empathy for someone.

3rd Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will learn how acting on empathy can make friendships stronger. Try This at Home: Ask your child to name one of their friends and explain what makes them a good friend.

4th Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will learn that asking questions, listening, and observing can help you learn more about someone’s point of view when you don’t understand it. Try This at Home: Tell your child about a time when learning more about a different point of view helped you have empathy. Encourage your child to think of future situations where it might be helpful to learn more about a different point of view in order to get along and show they care.

5th Grade

In this lesson, your child will use empathy to identify problems in their school community and think about how these problems might affect other people. This is an important first step toward making positive change in the community. Try This at Home: Ask your child what problems they see in your neighborhood that affect other people. Point out how empathy helped them notice those problems.

Follow us on social media (Facebook and Instagram)
Text a staff member with TalkingPoints
Browse our website

3200 Westley Rd, Falls Church, VA 22042 | Main Office: 703.241.5100
Attendance: 703.241.5151 | Web | Facebook | Instagram

Westlawn Feather Report: Volume 1, Issue 20

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Volume 1, Issue 20

Leadership Ledger

Westlawn Families,

While this has been anything less than a seamless transition back from Winter Break, we are thankful for the flexibility, empathy, and thoughtfulness of our families and community. Your patience during arrival and dismissal and understanding as meetings and events have been postponed and rescheduled (multiple times in some cases) has not gone unnoticed.

This week may have been disrupted a bit, but we can still end on a high note. Bingo Night is this Friday, with doors opening at 5:45 PM and the first game starting at 6:00 PM. Bring the family, eat some pizza, and enjoy an evening with our beautiful community.

No more snow dances in 2024!!

Sincerely,

Christoph Hill, Stephanie Carpenter, and Erin Theiss

Proud Principals

Students in fourth grade focus on reading music and playing the recorder as part of their music class. For the second year in a row, fourth grade students will also be invited to participate in Westlawn’s spring musical. How many future PIRATES! do you see?

Join the Fundraising Committee

Extreme Cold Resources on Westlawn Website

We are now sharing resources about handling the extreme cold on our website. If you are in need of winter gear for your family, please contact Ms. Reyes, Ms. Yataco, or Ms. Cortez.

FCPS Family Academy

Looking for resources about co-parenting, webinars about executive functioning skills in adolescents, or how-to documents about navigating Zoom? The FCPS Family Academy website offers it--and so much more, too!

LAST CALL: Westlawn Clothing is Available for Purchase for a Limited Time!

The Westlawn Spirit Wear Store is now open! The shop closes on January 24, and all orders will be printed at that time and delivered shortly after that.

FCPS News

Are you curious about what’s happening more broadly in FCPS? This week’s In Case You Missed It (ICYMI) FCPS roundup covers:

Dress Children Warmly
Proposed Construction Projects
Dual Language Immersion Lottery

Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.

January 24: Bingo Night

Bingo Night will be held in the Westlawn cafeteria! Doors open at 5:45, and games will begin at 6:00 PM. Pizza will be sold. We can use a few volunteers to make this event a success!

January 29: No School for Students (Teacher Workday) January 30: Luther Jackson Middle School Curriculum Night

January 31: FCHS Youth Basketball Night

Elementary and middle school students get in free to watch the girls’ basketball team at FCHS! The game starts at 7:00.

February 4: Family Literacy Program First Meeting

February 5: World Read Aloud Day

Wear clothing with words on it to celebrate World Read Aloud Day! Guest readers will be visiting classrooms throughout the school!

February 7: FCHS Youth Basketball Night

Elementary and middle school students get in free to watch the boys’ basketball team at FCHS! The game starts at 7:30.

February 10: 3-Hour Early Release (Staff Development)

February 10 is a 3-hour early release day for students. The remaining 3-hour early release days for Westlawn are March 10, April 21, and May 12.

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.

Volunteer at Bingo Night!

Volunteering at Bingo Night is an excellent opportunity to meet more members of the Westlawn community! Pro Tip: Sign up for one volunteer slot, and attend the event with a partner and your child. Swap roles with your partner halfway through so you each have time to soak in your child’s joy while supporting the event!

LAST CALL: Warm Winter Clothing Drive!

Students are collecting new or gently worn adult-sized winter gear for our senior friends at the James Lee Community Center! Please consider donating to this worthy cause! Some of the students will be able to go to drop them off directly and see firsthand the positive impact they have made. Donations of hats, scarves, gloves, and mittens can be dropped off to the collection box in the main office. The deadline for collection has now been extended through January 30!

Join a Community Conversation

Explore your area!

We are so lucky to live in such a culture-rich place that offers so many free or low-cost ways to enrich our minds. Here’s a few ways you can venture out and see new things, especially when it’s not tourist season!

Check out any of the Fairfax County history and nature centers, all of which are FREE. There are often exhibits in the main building then multiple trails or highlights outside, as well as events. The closest to our neighborhood is Hidden Oaks.
Any of the FREE Smithsonian museums offer a chance to build knowledge in virtually any area of interest from art to space to history. Explore the individual websites where they list free family friendly events, for example at the National Gallery of Art. Don’t forget the Zoo is a part of the free Smithsonian, as is the huge Udvar Hazy Air and Space museum in Chantilly, though both have a parking fee.
More FREE ideas include: tour the Capitol, explore the fascinating US Botanical Garden, go to the top of the Washington Monument, check out the multiple interesting areas of the US National Arboretum, catch a performance at the Kennedy Center Millenium Stage, stroll among the many DC memorials and monuments, and watch one of the free college sports at George Mason University (cross country and track, softball, tennis, golf, swimming and diving, wrestling, lacrosse, rowing). GMU also has low-cost tickets for basketball, soccer, volleyball, and baseball.

If you’ve got a cool free idea to share, tell Mrs. Maxwell and we can share more in a later newsletter.

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3200 Westley Rd, Falls Church, VA 22042 | Main Office: 703.241.5100
Attendance: 703.241.5151 | Web | Facebook | Instagram

Westlawn Feather Report: Volume 1, Issue 19

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Volume 1, Issue 19

Leadership Ledger

Westlawn Families,

It’s been wonderful to have our students back in the building and learning alongside their teachers and classmates! We've all missed the energy and laughter that fill our hallways.

Thank you to all our families able to join our PTA meeting on Tuesday evening. It was a fantastic opportunity to connect with our community, and we thank the folks at Be Safe for their enlightening and sobering presentation regarding the importance of firearm safety.

We are excited to kick-off another new year together!

Sincerely,

Christoph Hill, Stephanie Carpenter, and Erin Theiss

Proud Principals

Third grade students learned about the Navajo Code Talkers this week in the library, and then had a chance to use binary code and two colors of plastic beads to make a necklace featuring their initial.

2025 Westlawn New Year’s Checklist

Is one of your New Year’s resolutions to stay more organized? We can help! Here’s a checklist to help you stay on top of all things Westlawn:

Sign up all the adults in your household for this newsletter.
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook.
Download the TalkingPoints app and send your child’s teacher a quick hello to make sure you can connect.
Use a fabric marker or a Sharpie and write your child’s name on the tags of their coats, hats, gloves, water bottle lunch box, etc.
Make a calendar reminder on your phone to check your child’s Thursday folder every week.

Snow and Recess: Be Prepared!

Students will go outside for recess even when there is snow on the ground. Staff will ensure that students are only playing in areas cleared of snow, such as the blacktop. Please make sure your child is wearing clothes that will keep them warm when they are outside for daily recess or transitions to classes in the quads.

Free Webinar: Help Children Understand that AI is Not Human

Sophisticated artificial intelligence programs are designed to mimic people. Adults understand the difference between artificial intelligence and human beings, but children’s emotional reserves are not as deep, and they may have trouble distinguishing between the two. This webinar recording shares the dangers of anthropomorphizing AI and what adults can do to help children distinguish between people and robots.

Reminder: Westlawn Clothing is Available for Purchase for a Limited Time!

The Westlawn Spirit Wear Store is now open! The shop closes on January 24, and all orders will be printed at that time and delivered shortly after that.

FCPS News

Are you curious about what’s happening more broadly in FCPS? This week’s In Case You Missed It (ICYMI) FCPS roundup covers:

National Merit Commended Scholars
Celebrating the Best of 2024 in FCPS
Cell Phones Off, Learning On

Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.

January 13-17: Family Math Week

FCPS families are invited to do math together during Family Math Week, and FCPS is collectively trying to collect 3,000,000 minutes spent on ST Math during that period. Learn more about how your family can participate.

January 20: No School (MLK Jr. Day) January 24: Bingo Night

Bingo Night will be held in the Westlawn cafeteria! Stay tuned for more details and a chance to sign up and volunteer.

January 29: No School for Students (Teacher Workday) January 30: Luther Jackson Middle School Curriculum Night

February 4: Family Literacy Program First Meeting

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.

Reminder: Warm Winter Clothing Drive!

Join a Community Conversation

Understanding Giftedness

Have you ever noticed something in your child that you don’t quite understand and wondered if perhaps it was linked to giftedness? First, it helps to figure out what “giftedness” is. One way to define it is people that perform—or have the capability to perform—at exceptional levels compared to others of the same age, experience, and environment. In FCPS our gifted services are part of an academic curriculum (Advanced Academic Program, or AAP) that all students access, and therefore it does not focus on talents in non-academic areas such as arts or sports.

The NAGC, or National Association for Gifted Children, is the largest organization that supports the needs of gifted and talented children. Their website offers multiple resources, but one in particular is helpful to families looking to understand and nurture their potentially gifted child. Family Tip Sheets offer a variety of information such as Nurturing Creativity and understanding Perfectionism. We hope you find these short articles helpful!

Fun Fact: our own FCPS AAP Coordinator, Dr. Kirsten Maloney, was the recipient of the 2023 NAGC Coordinator of the Year award!

Kindergarten

In this week’s lesson, your child will learn that a kind act is something they can do to help someone feel good. They’ll practice suggesting kind acts to do for people in different scenarios. Try This at Home: Encourage your child to think of a kind act they could do for someone, for example a sibling, grandparent, or neighbor.

1st Grade

2nd Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will learn that empathy means feeling or understanding what someone else is feeling, and that empathy can lead to kindness. Try This at Home: Ask your child to tell you what empathy means.

3rd Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will learn how empathy—the ability to understand and feel how someone else is feeling—and kindness can help build new friendships. Try This at Home: Ask your child what kind things they could do to build a friendship with someone.

4th Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will learn that people can have different points of view about the same thing. Try This at Home: With your child, discuss a time when you had a different point of view than someone else about the same thing. Describe how your experiences—what you’ve seen, heard, or done in your life—affect your point of view.

5th Grade

In this lesson, your child will describe how empathy can help someone identify and solve a problem in their community. Try This at Home: Point out something that has changed for the better in your neighborhood recently. Ask your child why they think that change is helpful. Point out how empathy might have helped someone decide to make that change.

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Text a staff member with TalkingPoints
Browse our website

3200 Westley Rd, Falls Church, VA 22042 | Main Office: 703.241.5100
Attendance: 703.241.5151 | Web | Facebook | Instagram

Westlawn Feather Report: Volume 1, Issue 18

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Volume 1, Issue 18

Leadership Ledger

Westlawn Families,

As the end of another fantastic year approaches, let us express our sincere gratitude for your unwavering support of Westlawn Elementary School. Your partnership has been instrumental in creating a vibrant and enriching learning environment for our students.

We've had a truly remarkable year together, filled with countless memorable moments. From our warm and welcoming Welcome to Westlawn event that kicked off the year to the captivating performances of our Fall Musical Chorus and Instrumental Ensemble and subsequent Gatehouse encore, and the cultural immersion of International Night, our community has truly come together to celebrate the diversity and talents of our students.

As we embark on our Winter Break, we wish you all a safe and joyous time with your loved ones. May the spirit of the season fill your homes with warmth and happiness.

We look forward to welcoming you and your children back in the new year, ready to embark on new adventures and create even more lasting memories together.

Sincerely,

Christoph Hill, Stephanie Carpenter, and Erin Theiss

Proud Principals

Second grade students finish putting glazes on clay birds and prepare them for their second firing in the kiln. Some students said they plan on giving the birds as gifts this season. If that applies to your child… remember that you didn’t hear it from us!

The Next Feather Report will be in January!

The editorial team wishes your family a safe and restful winter break. We cannot wait to share the good news of Westlawn with you again in 2025!

Spring 2025 SOL Information

For our community, we are offering the gift of organization and the ability to plan ahead! We have created a pop-up SOL information page on our website, and it already contains the dates for this year’s testing. As dates approach, we will add more information.

Give the Gift of Westlawn Clothing

The Westlawn Spirit Wear Store is now open! Please note that items are printed in bulk once the store closes, so they will not arrive until after Christmas and Hanukkah. If you buy something as a gift, we recommend printing a screenshot and letting the recipient know that it’s coming soon!

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like… Course Selection for 6th Graders!

Sixth grade students will begin selecting courses to take in middle school soon! We will share more detailed information when we return in January once dates are finalized. Families who want to get a jump on the process are encouraged to talk with their sixth grader about the class selection process and help them reflect on what courses they might want to take next year. Browse the 25-26 LJMS course catalog.

Winter Special Education and 504 Newsletter

The latest issue of the FCPS Special Education and 504 Newsletter is available online. Topics in this issue include:

Community Resources for Families of Students with Disabilities
Executive Functioning Webinars
Early Literacy Resources
ESY and Assessment Webinar
COVID-19 Compensatory Education: FCPS Service Delivery Options

Subscribe to the Special Education and 504 Newsletter.

English Classes for Adults

Our partner, the English Empowerment Center, will be offering English speaking and writing classes this winter. Learn more about the offerings and see if they meet your needs.

Additionally, the FCPS Family Literacy Program will also be offering English classes for adults here at Westlawn on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from February-May. Learn more about this program, or contact Ms. Reyes via email or at 703-241-5100 to ask questions and register.

Reminder: Tax Season Resources and Winter Break Resources Now on Website

We have created some pop-up announcements to store information related to tax season resources and winter break resources on our website. Our school office will only be open for limited hours during winter break, and we will not be sending a Feather Report during this time, so please take note of them today!

FCPS News

Are you curious about what’s happening more broadly in FCPS? This week’s In Case You Missed It (ICYMI) FCPS roundup covers:

Course Selection for Middle and High School Students
Join Our Teacher Team!
Comprehensive Boundary Review Updates

Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.

December 20: Gingerbread House Decorating

Gingerbread House Decorating is open for students in grades K-2 and will take place from 3:45-4:30 PM. Students must have a ticket, and we expect that they will sell out. Adults are welcome to help their child build their gingerbread house and do not need a ticket. Purchase tickets today! Volunteer at the event!

January 13-17: Family Math Week

January 15: Restaurant Night at Pupatella

Save the date! The January Restaurant Night is at Pupatella in the Mosaic District. More information will be coming in the next Feather Report!

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.

Warm Winter Clothing Drive!

The students in the classrooms of Ms. Rezcallah, Ms. Stephenson, Ms. White, and Ms. Chan learned about being young activists and the impact even a child can have on making the world a better place. They are collecting new or gently worn adult-sized winter gear for our senior friends at the James Lee Community Center! The James Lee Community Center is located about a mile from Westlawn on Annandale Road and gives seniors in our community a place to gather, make friends, and participate in some activities ranging from athletic to artistic and everything in between.

Please consider donating to this worthy cause! Some of the students will be able to go to drop them off directly and see firsthand the positive impact they have made. Donations of hats, scarves, gloves, and mittens can be dropped off to the collection box in the main office between January 6-24.

Reminder: Volunteer to Decorate Gingerbread Houses

Volunteer to help students in K-2 build and decorate gingerbread houses.

Join a Community Conversation

What is Ability Testing?

FCPS administers two ability tests to students; these assess reasoning abilities and potential to succeed with an advanced academic curriculum. They are used as universal screeners, meaning they are given to all students. These are different from achievement tests which measure a student’s current content knowledge (for example an SOL).

The two ability tests currently used in FCPS are the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT) given in first grade, and the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) given in second grade. As with any test, they are only one measure of skills and abilities and are never used alone to make decisions about a student’s services and needs.

CogAT test scores are coming home in folders this week and will be available in ParentVue on Friday. NNAT scores will likely come out sometime in January. Please reach out to Mrs. Maxwell via email or TalkingPoints if you have any questions about these assessments!

Curious about ALL the assessment types and purposes across all the grades? Check them out for some light holiday reading.

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Text a staff member with TalkingPoints
Browse our website

3200 Westley Rd, Falls Church, VA 22042 | Main Office: 703.241.5100
Attendance: 703.241.5151 | Web | Facebook | Instagram

Westlawn Feather Report: Volume 1, Issue 17

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Volume 1, Issue 17

Leadership Ledger

Westlawn Families:

The spirit of the holidays filled our halls with music on Tuesday night! We thank all our families in attendance for your participation in the Winter Concert! It was truly inspiring to witness the joy and dedication our students poured into their performances. Their hard work in learning an instrument was evident on stage, and it was a testament to the incredible music program we have here at Westlawn.

Speaking of celebrations, the Book Fair is in full swing, and it's wonderful to see our students' excitement as they select new books! A huge thank you goes out to our dedicated parent volunteers and the PTA for their tireless efforts in making the Family and Friends event on Tuesday such a success!

We encourage all our families to join Principal Hill for our weekly Community Conversation. Every Wednesday at 11:00 AM, we discuss important topics and answer your questions in an open forum. For those who miss it live, slide decks and recordings are conveniently available on the Westlawn Elementary website. Principal Hill is always joined by Tech Coach Alanna Dushok, and Family Liaison Hilda Reyes provides Spanish interpretation.

Stay warm, and thank you for being part of our Westlawn Family.

Sincerely,

Christoph Hill, Stephanie Carpenter, and Erin Theiss

Proud Principals

The winter band and strings concert was a hit! We are so proud of our students who participate in our music programs!

Top Ten Reasons to Love Westlawn

Drumroll, please! A few weeks ago we asked for your feedback about your favorite things about Westlawn. We gathered and analyzed that information to make our Westlawn Top Ten, and created a brand-new page for our website! We are also collecting more testimonials to make the page even better!

Computer Science Education Week and Westlawn Winter Challenge

December 9-13 is Computer Science Education Week, and also kicks off the Westlawn Winter Challenge. Any student who completes an Hour of Code between now and January 6 can complete the challenge! Learn more on the Challenge slide deck. Students can complete the challenge from any computer, not just their FCPS-assigned one.

Tax Season Resources and Winter Break Resources Now on Website

FCPS News

Are you curious about what’s happening more broadly in FCPS? This week’s In Case You Missed It (ICYMI) FCPS roundup covers:

Family Academy Orientation
Literacy Resources
Winter Programs and Activities

Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.

December 9-13: Book Fair

The Scholastic Book Fair will be held December 9-13 in the Westlawn library! We still need book fair volunteers for Friday!

December 13: Protecting Kids Against Digital Exploitation (Webinar)

Join us for this important webinar from 10-11:30 AM presented jointly by Fairfax County Schools, the Fairfax County Police Department, the Department of Justice, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Webinar highlights include:

What is Sextortion?
What are FCPS and FCPD seeing in relation to sextortion?
How can families help prevent their kids from becoming victims?
How should families respond if their child was victimized?

December 14: Virginia Bronze Handbell Ensemble

This event is now sold out! We hope you snagged some tickets and have a wonderful time at the performance!

December 18: Hoodie Wednesdays

We finished teaching kindergarteners their colors, and now we will switch over to other fun clothing days on Wednesdays. Until winter break, all Wednesdays will be Hoodie Wednesdays! Students and staff are encouraged to wear hoodies to school to be comfortable and to remember to keep it easy during this busy time of year.

December 20: Gingerbread House Decorating

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.

LAST CALL: Make Seasonal Magic Happen

Are you hoping to spread some cheer this season? Consider supporting a Westlawn classroom via treating a teacher to an item from their wish list!

Volunteer at the Book Fair Tomorrow (It’s the Last Day!)

Volunteer to help sell books, update displays, and help students complete wish lists.

Volunteer to Decorate Gingerbread Houses

Volunteer to help students in K-2 build and decorate gingerbread houses.

Join a Community Conversation

Apps for the Brain

Screen time is hard to avoid completely these days… but why not choose apps that are fun AND educational? Here’s a sampling of some free or almost free apps you may want to consider that are reviewed by trusted sources. However, as always, we suggest monitoring your children as they try them out. Enjoy!

SimplePhysics lets you design complex structures for everything from tree houses to Ferris wheels and then simulates your design with a sophisticated physics engine.
Unblock Me is a puzzle app similar to RushHour. The goal is to move the red block off the board by sliding the other blocks out of the way in the least amount of moves.
Math BINGO has 5 different types: addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and mixed, and there are 3 levels of difficulty, avatars, and rewards.
codeSpark is a learn-to-code app for kids with hundreds of activities and games designed to introduce kids to STEAM and teach them the fundamentals of computer science.
The Foolish King is a fictional and magical explanation of the origin of the game of chess as well as an introduction to the game.
Khan Academy Kids from the hugely popular online educational site Khan Academy, the app for kids has thousands of educational games, books, and activities.

LAST CALL: Window for Full-Time AAP Referrals Closes on December 15, 2024

Parents/guardians of students in Grades 2-7 who would like their student to be considered for Full-Time advanced academic programs may submit the AAP Full-Time Referral Form to the office or via email to Gretchen Maxwell no later than December 15, 2024. Look for the December 5, 2012 Feather Report email for further details.

Kindergarten

In this week’s lesson, your child will show that they can use body language and context clues to figure out how someone is feeling. They’ll also show they can use slow breathing as a way to help themselves feel calm when they encounter strong feelings. Try This at Home: Ask your child to tell you how they think others around them might be feeling, for example a sibling or a character in a story, a movie, or a TV show.

1st Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will show that they can use body language and context clues to figure out how someone is feeling. They’ll also show that they know ways to help themselves feel calm when they encounter strong feelings. Try This at Home: Ask your child to tell you some ways they’ve learned to feel calm when they get upset. Have them teach you how to use slow counting to feel calm.

2nd Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will explain why their classmates have a different feeling from theirs in the same situation. Try This at Home: Ask your child to tell you what they learned about their classmates’ feelings and their own feelings.

3rd Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will practice identifying different intensities of the same feeling by giving personal examples. Try This at Home: Ask your child if they can give examples of times they felt strong emotions like furious or excited.

4th Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will work with a team to see how many different ways they can rethink a variety of situations. Try This at Home: With your child, create a “Rethink It!” chart to display at home. Make a list of questions that everyone can use to rethink when emotions are taking over and you just need a little help to see things in a different way.

5th Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will practice identifying two changes they could make in a recurring personal situation to manage their strong emotions. Try This at Home: Ask your child to tell you about a situation at home that causes them to feel strong emotions, like anger or stress. Ask them what they could change about the situation to better manage their emotions. Talk about what you can do to help them implement the change.

Follow us on social media (Facebook and Instagram)
Text a staff member with TalkingPoints
Browse our website

3200 Westley Rd, Falls Church, VA 22042 | Main Office: 703.241.5100
Attendance: 703.241.5151 | Web | Facebook | Instagram

WES Feather Report: Book Fair Next Week, Gift Ideas Galore, and More!

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Volume 1, Issue 16

Leadership Ledger

Westlawn Families:

We hope all our families had a relaxing Thanksgiving, filled with love, laughter, and good cheer. It was wonderful to see students back in the building Monday morning!

We look forward to two big events next week at Westlawn: our annual Book Fair, which opens on Monday, December 9, and our Winter Concert on the evening of December 10. Our Book Fair Friends and Family Event will take place December 10th as well, and we welcome families to come to the book fair after student dismissal and stay for the Winter Concert beginning at 6:30 PM. What’s better than a two-for-one?!

With less than three weeks remaining before Winter Break, it’s important to emphasize the power of regular and consistent student attendance. Each day counts, and every learning opportunity must be capitalized upon to ensure children reach their highest potential. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your child(ren)’s attendance, please contact the Westlawn Front Office at 703-241-5100 and ask to speak to a member of the Attendance Team.

It’s amazing how fast a year goes by… thank you for partnering with Westlawn and making each day special for our children.

Sincerely,

Christoph Hill, Stephanie Carpenter, and Erin Theiss

Proud Principals

Are you getting excited for the Book Fair? These students certainly are! Check out today’s issue of The Feather Report for information about setting up an eWallet and volunteering at the Book Fair next week!

Reminder: Window for Full-Time AAP Referrals Closes on December 15, 2024

The window for families to submit a referral for Full-Time AAP services is the first day of school through December 15, annually. Get a form for Full-Time and part-time referrals. No late referrals for Full-Time AAP services will be accepted.

Submitting a referral form for Full-Time AAP will initiate a process that begins at the local school and is then completed at the central office level. Our school will put together a portfolio that includes multiple data which are considered holistically. At the central office level, a committee of six trained professionals from various schools and roles will review the portfolio materials to determine eligibility for Full-Time placement. Eligibility decisions are communicated by early April. Parents may request a copy of the portfolio that was submitted after they have been turned in for central selection by emailing Gretchen Maxwell.

Referrals for Subject-Specific and Part-Time AAP are screened at the local school. If you miss this deadline, your student can still be screened for Subject-Specific AAP or Part-Time AAP for the remainder of the year and submit a referral for Full-Time AAP next fall.

For more information, please visit the Advanced Academic Programs website.

No December PTA Meeting

We invite families to the next PTA meeting on January 14, which will be held on Zoom with Spanish interpretation. Look for the link in an upcoming Feather Report!

Preparing for Winter Weather

Winter weather will be here before you know it! Watch this video to see how weather-related closing decisions are made.

FCPS’ website is generally the first place to find out about emergency weather closings. Other communication channels will be used as quickly as possible including email, text, social media, and news stations. Learn more about how schedule changes are communicated.

Be sure to plan for the winter season. Update your contact information in SIS ParentVUE, bookmark the FCPS website, and arrange for childcare if needed.

Keep Your Child Warm During Outdoor Activities

We will monitor the weather for low temperatures, wind chill advisories and warnings, and weather advisories which may prevent children from being outside. Make sure your child is dressed appropriately with a warm coat and other cold-weather clothing, so they can comfortably enjoy their time outdoors. See the National Weather Service’s tips on staying safe during cold weather.

If you need assistance supplying your child with cold-weather clothing, please call our parent liaisons, Ms. Reyes and Ms. Yataco, at 703-241-5100. They can assist with any challenges you are facing, including food, shelter, employment, financial assistance, and health care.

Literacy Resources for Winter Break and Beyond

If you are wondering how to help your child continue learning during winter break, or whenever you are home with them, we have two sites available to help! The Literacy Resources for Families page offers resources--many in Spanish--to help families understand the process of reading and language development. The Family Facing Curriculum page shows families what students are learning and when they are learning it.

Virginia School Survey of Climate and Working Conditions (Grade 6 Only)

All students in grade 6 will be given the opportunity to participate in the Virginia School Survey of Climate and Working Conditions, which is being offered this year to all students in grades 6-8. The gathered data will be used to help identify positive perceptions of working and learning conditions in schools. Westlawn will receive a report about the data once it is available. If you do not wish for your sixth grade student to participate, you may opt them out of the survey by calling our office at 703-241-5100.

FCPS News

Are you curious about what’s happening more broadly in FCPS? This week’s In Case You Missed It (ICYMI) FCPS roundup covers:

Preparing for Winter Weather
SEL Screener Results
Varsity Girls Wrestling Is New Winter Sport

Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.

December 9-13: Book Fair

The Scholastic Book Fair will be held December 9-13 in the Westlawn library! The Family and Friends Night will be on Tuesday, December 10. Now is the perfect time to set up an eWallet for your child so they can shop at the fair without needing to carry around a baggie full of cash. Also: we need book fair volunteers!

December 10: Friends, Books, and Music

It is an afternoon and evening of excitement on December 10! The book fair will be hosting a Family and Friends Night from 3:30 PM - 6:15 PM in the library. Then the band and strings winter concert will take place in the gym at 6:30 PM. We hope to see you that evening!

December 11: Hoodie Wednesdays

December 11: Restaurant Night

The December Restaurant Night will be held at Panera in the Mosaic District from 4-8 PM. Use the code FUND4U at online checkout when ordering in the cafe, via the drive-thru, for pickup, or for delivery. Westlawn will earn 30% of sales!

December 14: Virginia Bronze Handbell Ensemble

Did you enjoy hearing the Virginia Bronze Handbell Ensemble at our winter choral and instrumental concert? You can hear them perform in Tysons! Learn more and snag free tickets.

December 20: Gingerbread House Decorating

Save the date! More details are coming soon!

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.

Make Seasonal Magic Happen

Are you hoping to spread some cheer this season? Consider supporting a Westlawn classroom via treating a teacher to an item from their wish list!

Volunteer at the Book Fair

Volunteer to help sell books, update displays, and help students complete wish lists.

Join a Community Conversation

Gift Giving Ideas!

Are you looking for some gift ideas for your child that are both good for their brain AND fun? We are big fans of strategy games!! We have a large collection of strategy games here at Westlawn that are used in our STEAM academy clubs, for indoor recess, or for small groups and lunch bunches. Here’s a few of our favorites: (These are all Amazon links, but we do not suggest this is the only place to purchase.)

Rush Hour by ThinkFun classic game of logic
Gravity Maze by ThinkFun game of logic with bonus of marble-run fun (all ThinkFun games are excellent)
Sequence or Sequence for Kids by Jax fast-paced strategy game
Blokus by Mattel simple rules and a student favorite
Guess in 10 by Skillmatics there are many versions of this guessing game (like the Marvel version!) and it’s also great in the car
Mastermind by Pressman a classic game of logic and code-breaking

ALSO: We are looking for donations of your cardboard paper towel tubes (not toilet paper tubes)! If you have some, can you send them in with your student to bring to the office for Mrs. Winters! Thank you!

Kindergarten

In this week’s lesson, your child will learn two ways to help themselves feel calm when they encounter strong feelings: asking for help and slow breathing. Try This at Home: Ask your child to tell you some ways they’ve learned to feel calm when they get upset. Have them teach you how to use slow breathing to feel calm.

1st Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will learn to use body language and context clues to figure out when someone feels frustrated. They’ll practice looking at the person’s face and body, as well as thinking about what’s going on in the situation. They’ll also learn about a new strategy for feeling calm when they get frustrated: slow counting. Try This at Home: Encourage your child to notice when others around them feel frustrated. Have them practice using body language and context clues to figure out when family members, friends, or characters in books, movies, or on TV might be feeling frustrated.

2nd Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will learn that people can have different feelings in the same situation because of their experiences. Try This at Home: Ask your child for an example of something that people can have different feelings about. Talk about the reasons people might have different feelings about it.

3rd Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will learn words for three degrees of happiness: content, happy, and excited. Try This at Home: Ask your child to explain the differences between feeling content, happy, and excited.

4th Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will practice rethinking a situation they’ve personally experienced. Try This at Home: Ask your child, "How could rethinking help you the next time you’re in a situation where you feel a strong emotion?" It’s important to note that rethinking is not a good strategy to use when someone is hurt or in danger.

5th Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will practice identifying things that a person can or can’t change in a recurring situation that causes them to feel a strong emotion. Then they will focus on the things that can be changed to recommend something the person could think or do differently to manage their emotions in the future. Try This at Home: Ask your child if there’s anything coming up at school that makes them feel a strong emotion, like nervous, frustrated, or stressed. Ask them what they could think or do differently to make the situation easier to handle.

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Text a staff member with TalkingPoints
Browse our website

3200 Westley Rd, Falls Church, VA 22042 | Main Office: 703.241.5100
Attendance: 703.241.5151 | Web | Facebook | Instagram

WES Feather Report: The Book Fair is Coming, Community Conversation Slides are Now Available in Spanish, Events à Gogo, and More!

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Volume 1, Issue 15

Leadership Ledger

Westlawn Families:

Sending a BIG Westlawn ‘thank you’ to the Falls Church High School Spotlight Theatre troupe for their absolutely flawless performance of The Phantom Tollbooth on Monday evening! Our goal at Westlawn is to nurture, empower, and advocate for our children, and bringing the performance to Westlawn provides a window into what the future could hold for students as they continue in the Falls Church Pyramid, if they are so inclined. Ms. Beth DeMarco leads a wonderful group of children who spent Saturday preparing for the event, and worked until well past 10:00 PM after the performance to pack up and move to the next location.

Today is our Thanksgiving Luncheon! Families are welcome to join their child(ren) during lunch time. Students eat free; adult meals are $4.75. Please note we may be running low on change, so exact payments (check or cash) are preferred. Check out the Thanksgiving Luncheon page on our website for more information. There you’ll find grade level lunch times, menus, and a link to volunteer during the luncheon.

As we celebrate the Thanksgiving season, please know how thankful Ms. Carpenter, Ms, Theiss, and I are to be part of this beautiful community. We are thankful for every day, and consider it an honor to serve the Westlawn Family.

Christoph Hill, Stephanie Carpenter, and Erin Theiss

Proud Principals

Second grade students had the opportunity to get reacquainted with the parachute during PE this week. In this photo students are learning the power of pulling together to stretch the parachute to its maximum size.

No Feather Report Next Week

The editors will be celebrating with their families. We hope you and your family have a safe and restful break that leaves you recharged for a busy and bustling December!

Community Conversations Slide Decks Now Available “Live” (and in Spanish)

We recently switched from using Google Slides to using Canva for our Community Conversation slide decks. Canva allows us to host the slide decks at a URL which makes it easier for people to view them on a mobile device. It also allows us to provide our community with slide decks translated into Spanish! Take a look at Community Conversations slide decks in English or Spanish. And remember: you are always welcome to join us for a live Community Conversation on Wednesdays at 11 AM on Zoom!

SIS ParentVUE and More Scores Incoming

Did you know that text scores are often reported first in SIS ParentVUE before they are printed and mailed home? We still have 300 families who need to create SIS ParentVUE accounts. If your family is one of them, please contact our parent liaisons at 703-241-5100 or via TalkingPoints messages to Hilda Reyes or Ariana Yataco. They can walk you through the process of setting up an account and using it to access information. Then you’ll be ready for the scores from the SEL screener, which should populate in early December!

FCPS News

Are you curious about what’s happening more broadly in FCPS? This week’s In Case You Missed It (ICYMI) FCPS roundup covers:

Veterans Day Recognitions
Resources on IEPs, Financial Aid, Literacy, Community Leadership
Teacher Hiring Event

Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.

November 21-23: Aesop Live! Performance

Luther Jackson Middle School Drama will be performing Aesop Live! Between November 21-23. Learn more about show times and buy tickets.

November 21: Fall Choral and Instrumental Ensemble Concert

Join us for a night of music featuring our chorus and instrumental ensemble. Doors open at 6:00 and the show starts at 6:30! This is a free program and open to all members of our community.

November 22: Bingo Night

Join the Westlawn community for a wonderful night of fun and games! Bingo cards and pizza will be on sale. Bingo games will start at 6:00 PM and last until approximately 7:30. Volunteer to sell pizza, sell bingo cards, or run an activity.

November 27-29: No School

There is no school in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.

December 3: Picture Day Retakes

If you missed the first picture day, or you did not like your picture, today is the day to dress sharp and bring your best smile!

December 3: FLE Parent Preview Night

Adults are invited to attend our virtual Family Life Education materials preview night, which will take place on Zoom starting at 7 PM.

December 4: Hoodie Wednesdays

December 9-13: Book Fair

December 10: Friends, Books, and Music

December 11: Restaurant Night

The December Restaurant Night will be held at Panera in the Mosaic District from 4-8 PM. More details are coming in a future Feather Report!

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.

Make Seasonal Magic Happen

Are you hoping to spread some cheer this season? Consider supporting a Westlawn classroom via treating a teacher to an item from their wish list!

Searching for Basketballs

The Westlawn PE Team is in need of basketballs! If you are cleaning out your garage, they are collecting basketballs in gently used or like-new condition to ensure that all students have quality equipment during upcoming units. You can donate basketballs by sending them into Westlawn to the attention of Mr. Maloney.

Volunteer at Bingo Night

Volunteer at bingo night from 5:45 PM - 7:30 PM on November 22. Volunteers are needed to run activities, sell pizza, and sell bingo cards.

Volunteer at the Book Fair

Volunteer to help sell books, update displays, and help students complete wish lists.

LAST DAY! Support the Fall Fundraiser through Charleston Wrap

Westlawn families are invited to support our fall fundraiser through Charleston Wrap. The fundraiser will last from November 6 through November 22. Learn how to join the Westlawn shop and share the shop with your own family and friends.

Join a Community Conversation

AAP Curriculum Training

Have you ever wondered what makes a teacher prepared to teach AAP curriculum? Great question! Here in FCPS we have a robust AAP team in the central office as well as in every school. FCPS Academy courses in a variety of advanced academic topics are open to all staff. Everyone who works with AAP curriculum on a full-time basis is FCPS endorsed or working toward endorsement in this specialized category, including our Westlawn full-time teachers! Our AART recently finished a masters in gifted education and so is also endorsed with the state of Virginia. Some examples of the AAP curriculum used in FCPS include: William & Mary Center for the Gifted Language Arts materials, William & Mary Center Social Studies materials, and M2 and M3 math materials.

Kindergarten

In this week’s lesson, your child will learn to use body language and context clues to figure out when someone feels mad. They’ll practice looking at the person’s face and body, as well as thinking about what’s going on in the situation. Try This at Home: Encourage your child to notice when others around them feel mad. Have them practice using body language and context clues to figure out when family members, friends, or characters in books, movies, or on TV might be feeling mad.

1st Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will learn to use body language and context clues to figure out when someone feels calm. They’ll practice looking at the person’s face and body, as well as thinking about what’s going on in the situation. Try This at Home: Encourage your child to notice when others around them feel calm. Have them practice using body language and context clues to figure out when family members, friends, or characters in books, movies, or on TV might be feeling calm.

2nd Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will learn how to use positive self-talk to help themselves feel better when they’re upset, disappointed, or worried. Try This at Home: Ask your child what they want to tell themselves when they’re having a tough day. Encourage them to use positive self-talk at home.

3rd Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will learn how, when, and where to take a break in different situations as a way to manage a strong emotion. Try This at Home: Discuss where and how your child can take a break at home. Then ask your child how they could take a break in place, for example, in the car or at the grocery store.

4th Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will learn about questions they can ask to rethink situations and they’ll practice asking these questions using made-up stories. Try This at Home: Ask your child, “What questions could you ask yourself to rethink a situation?” (Questions might include, “What happened?” “Has this ever happened to anyone else?” and “What’s something good that happened?”) Talk about how those questions can help them think differently about a situation.

5th Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will practice breaking down situations that feel big and unmanageable into smaller, more manageable pieces. They will also practice identifying a small change someone could make to manage their strong emotions the next time a situation occurs. Try This at Home: Tell your child about a recurring situation in your life that typically causes you to feel a strong emotion, like stress or anger. Ask your child what you can change to make the situation better, and why they would suggest that change.

Follow us on social media (Facebook and Instagram)
Text a staff member with TalkingPoints
Browse our website

3200 Westley Rd, Falls Church, VA 22042 | Main Office: 703.241.5100
Attendance: 703.241.5151 | Web | Facebook | Instagram

The Feather Report: 4 Ways to Volunteer, Planning for a Week of Adventure, and More!

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Volume 1, Issue 14

Leadership Ledger

Westlawn Families:

Clear your calendars!! Next week Westlawn is serving up an abundance of activities for families to enjoy, both during and after school. On Monday we are excited to welcome the Falls Church High School Spotlight Theatre for the opening night performance of The Phantom Tollbooth at 7PM! On Thursday we welcome families for our Thanksgiving Luncheon during the day, and back into the building in the evening for our Chorus and Instrumental Ensemble fall performance. Then we wrap up our week with Bingo Night on Friday evening presented by our Westlawn PTA. Whew! What a week!

We’d like to thank our families and community for prioritizing student attendance, and using different resources to ensure children attend school every day. Our collective school-wide attendance has increased by over 3% from this time last year, and we look forward to continuing this work together.

Christoph Hill, Stephanie Carpenter, and Erin Theiss

Proud Principals

Students in the Choral and Instrumental Ensemble are busy rehearsing for the big show! Students are not only performing for the Westlawn community; they are also taking their show on the road! They will be performing for FCPS officials at the central office next Friday.

Welcome, Ms. Yataco!

We are pleased to announce that we now have a second parent liaison, Ms. Ariana Yataco! Ms. Yataco will be joining Ms. Reyes in the parent liaison office and is eager to serve our families.

Contacting the Parent Liaisons

You can contact our parent liaisons by calling the main office at 703-241-5100 and leaving a message. They will return your call when they are able, usually later that same day. You can also send each of the parent liaisons a message via TalkingPoints. If you have the app, you can look up Ariana Yataco or Hilda Reyes. If you do not have the app, either download TalkingPoints from your phone’s app store or call our main office to schedule an appointment for support.

Boundary Review

As a reminder, FCPS has started the process of reviewing school boundaries across the division. This important work will help the district better support student population growth, changes in school capacity, and evolving community needs. Community input is vital to this process. With that in mind, FCPS, in partnership with Thru Consulting, will be hosting a series of community meetings in each of FCPS’ six regions. Participants are encouraged to share their thoughts, ask questions, and learn more about the boundary review process.

Please visit FCPS’ website for meeting dates, locations, and other information. Sign up for the School Boundary Review newsletter for updates.

Tutoring Resources for Families

Is your family looking for resources to help support your child’s academic success? FCPS’ Family Resource Center (FRC) maintains a list of district employees who hold a valid Virginia teaching credential and who are available to be hired as a tutor by parents. FRC maintains this list, but families are responsible for contacting and working directly with tutors. This list is not “approved” by FCPS and is only meant as a resource.

FCPS also partners with Varsity Tutors to provide students and families with extra resources for learning. Every student can take advantage of Varsity Tutors' services at no cost, including weekly live online classes, on demand 24/7 chat tutoring, essay editing, study resources such as recorded content, practice problems, and diagnostic tests.

LAST CALL: Return Your Federal Impact Aid Survey

FCPS is asking all families to fill out a Federal Impact Aid Survey. The form is available online in SIS ParentVUE. If you have not already filled out the form online, we will provide paper forms in November. Please be sure to return them by November 17.

Completing this form for each school-aged child in every household is important, because information from this survey resulted in more than $4 million in funding last year from the U.S. Department of Education. These funds are used to support all Fairfax County public schools and centers. Learn more about the Federal Impact Aid Survey.

FCPS News

Are you curious about what’s happening more broadly in FCPS? This week’s In Case You Missed It (ICYMI) FCPS roundup covers:

Fall Testing Results
Boundary Review Community Meetings
Resources for Families

Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.

November 16: IEP Palooza and Resource Fair

The Fairfax County Special Education PTA (SEPTA) will be hosting an IEP Palooza and Resource Fair at Luther Jackson MS from 9:00 AM - 12:30 PM. Learn more about SEPTA and register to attend the fair (and request an interpreter if needed).

November 18: Three Hour Early Release

Students will be released at 12:30 PM today so that Westlawn staff may engage in professional learning.

November 18: The Phantom Tollbooth Performance

The Falls Church High School Spotlight Theatre Company is taking their fall performance on the road! Check out The Phantom Tollbooth right here at Westlawn!

November 21: Thanksgiving Luncheon at Westlawn

Families are invited to join us for the annual Thanksgiving lunch at Westlawn. Lunch costs $4.75 per adult. Learn what time your child has lunch and what is on the menu. Volunteer to help make this beloved event a huge success.

November 21-23: Aesop Live! Performance

Luther Jackson Middle School Drama will be performing Aesop Live! Between November 21-23. Learn more about show times and buy tickets.

November 21: Fall Choral and Instrumental Ensemble Concert

Join us for a night of music featuring our chorus and instrumental ensemble. Doors open at 6:00 and the show starts at 6:30! This is a free program and open to all members of our community.

November 22: Bingo Night

November 27-29: No School

There is no school in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.

December 3: FLE Parent Preview Night

Adults are invited to attend our virtual Family Life Education materials preview night, which will take place on Zoom starting at 7 PM.

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.

Send In Your Restaurant Night Photos!

Did you take any photos at Red Robin Restaurant Night on Wednesday, November 13? Ms. Dushok would love to publish them and share your joy with the community! Send photos via email or by texting them to her at 571-355-2321.

Searching for Basketballs

Volunteer at the Thanksgiving Luncheon

Volunteer for an hour at the Thanksgiving Luncheon on November 21 to help serve Westlawn families and celebrate the season! We recommend volunteering before or after your child’s lunch time so you can eat with them, too!

Volunteer at Bingo Night

Volunteer at bingo night from 5:45 PM - 7:30 PM on November 22. Volunteers are needed to run activities, sell pizza, and sell bingo cards.

Support the Fall Fundraiser through Charleston Wrap

Join a Community Conversation

AAP Service Highlight: Full-Time AAP

Did you know Westlawn is a Local Full-Time AAP School? This means we have trained staff and AAP services right here in Westlawn to meet the needs of students identified for Full-Time AAP services!

Full-Time Services are for identified students in grades 3-8 who access AAP curriculum on a full-time basis. This programming has increased pace and depth in all academic subjects. How is a student identified for these services? A portfolio of information is collected by the school and submitted to the FCPS central screening committee who makes the decision if a student needs these services. This portfolio includes a referral, work samples, progress reports, test scores, and optional parent questionnaires. Watch the complete information session that was held in October by our Advanced Academic Resource Teacher, Gretchen Maxwell. Spanish translations are included.

Learn more information and access forms for full-time AAP. The window for full-time AAP referral is closing in a month on December 15, 2024.

Kindergarten

In this week’s lesson, your child will learn to use body language and context clues to figure out when someone feels sad. They’ll practice looking at the person’s face and body, as well as thinking about what’s going on in the situation. Try This at Home: Encourage your child to notice when others around them feel sad. Have them practice using body language and context clues to figure out when family members, friends, or characters in books, movies, or on TV might be feeling sad.

1st Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will learn to use body language and context clues to figure out when someone feels worried. They’ll practice looking at the person’s face and body, as well as thinking about what’s going on in the situation. Try This at Home: Encourage your child to notice when others around them might feel worried. Have them practice using body language and context clues to figure out when family members, friends, or characters in books, movies, or on TV might be feeling worried.

2nd Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will learn that we can feel disappointed when something we want or expect does not happen. Try This at Home: Remind your child that everyone feels disappointed sometimes. Ask them what they can do to feel better the next time they’re feeling disappointed.

3rd Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will learn words for three degrees of anger: annoyed, angry, and furious. Try This at Home: Ask your child to explain the differences between feeling annoyed, angry, and furious.

4th Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will learn what it means to rethink a situation and how it can help them calm strong emotions. Try This at Home: Tell your child about a time when rethinking a situation, or thinking about it in a different way, helped you feel better. Encourage your child to talk about times in their lives when rethinking could have helped them.

5th Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will identify signs of stress, situations that can cause them to feel stress, and strategies they can use to manage feelings of stress. Try This at Home: Ask your child what their body feels like when they’re stressed and what things cause them to feel stress. Share your own experiences with stress and what you do to manage it.

Follow us on social media (Facebook and Instagram)
Text a staff member with TalkingPoints
Browse our website

3200 Westley Rd, Falls Church, VA 22042 | Main Office: 703.241.5100
Attendance: 703.241.5151 | Web | Facebook | Instagram

The Feather Report: Live Music and Theater Performances, Language Arts Grading Updates, an Amazing Photo, and More!

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Volume 1, Issue 13

Leadership Ledger

Westlawn Families:

While we hope you enjoyed some quality time with your family over the past week we were happy to see children back in the building yesterday! Over the next few weeks we have some exciting community events to enjoy together. Please keep a close eye on the Westlawn calendar so you don’t miss out!

Unfortunately, we need to postpone Westlawn Day, scheduled for this Saturday. We will reboot after the Winter Break and set a new date. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause. Instead, make sure to join us for the Falls Church HS Theater performance of The Phantom Tollbooth on November 18, the Westlawn Music Department’s Choral and Instrumental Ensemble performance on November 21, and Bingo Night presented by the Westlawn PTA on November 22.

A busy month, filled with Westlawn fun! Thank you for being part of the Westlawn Family.

Christoph Hill, Stephanie Carpenter, and Erin Theiss

Proud Principals

Members of the traditional Bolivian dance troupe Tinkus Tiataco USA performed the tinkus at our recent International Night. How many Westlawn students can you spot?

Elementary School Language Arts Grading Updates

Our teachers have been hard at work teaching with the new Language Arts curriculum, and we are excited to help all of our students become strong readers and writers! This year we also have new assessments, which is how we check if your student needs extra help with reading and writing, and new Standards of Learning (SOLs).

Because of these changes, we are now teaching all of the Language Arts skills your child needs to know (and checking if they need extra help) throughout the whole school year, instead of different skills each quarter. While these skills will be new to your child in the beginning of the year, the goal is for your child to grow strong in all of their new skills by the end of the year.

This means that when you get your child’s progress report next month, it might look different. Your child’s teacher will give you more information on the new progress reporting and how we’re making sure your child is getting any extra help they might need. You can also find more information on FCPS’ Grading and Reporting webpage.

We will also have new ways for you to help your child practice their reading and writing skills at home. These resources are coming soon!

Afternoon Kiss and Ride Reminder

Students begin exiting the building around 3:25 PM, and families are starting to line up much earlier than that. If your car is stuck in the line on Oak Ridge, please be mindful of not blocking a home’s driveway.

REMINDER: Return Your Federal Impact Aid Survey

LAST CALL: Nominate a Westlawn Staff Member for an Outstanding Employee Award

Thank you to the two outstanding families who have nominated staff members for an award! We are hoping to hear from even more families this week! All it takes is a short paragraph from you to start the process. Nominate teachers, professional employees, and school leaders! Nominations are due by November 8.

FCPS News

Are you curious about what’s happening more broadly in FCPS? This week’s In Case You Missed It (ICYMI) FCPS roundup covers:

Calendar Reminders
Resources for Families
Complete Impact Aid Survey

Read FCPS This Week to learn more about these topics. If you are not already receiving this weekly newsletter, please sign up today.

November 9: Westlawn Day has been cancelled.

November 11: No School

School is closed on November 11 in observance of Veterans Day. We look forward to welcoming students back into the building on November 12. Learn when SACC is open or closed.

November 13: Wear Gray to School!

Help our kindergarteners learn their colors by wearing gray to school today!

November 13: Restaurant Night at Red Robin

Red Robin will be hosting November’s Restaurant Night! Families can dine in and mention the Westlawn fundraiser, or order online and add the fundraiser to their bag before checkout. Westlawn will earn 20% back! The fundraiser is happening during restaurant hours, which are 11 AM - 9 PM.

November 14: First Meeting of Virtual STEM Club

The first meeting of the free Virtual STEM Club will take place on Google Meet from 4:15-5:15 PM. The club is open to students in 3rd-6th grades. Learn more about accessing this opportunity.

November 18: Three Hour Early Release

Students will be released at 12:30 PM today so that Westlawn staff may engage in professional learning.

November 18: The Phantom Tollbooth Performance

The Falls Church High School Drama Department is taking their fall performance on the road! Check out The Phantom Tollbooth right here at Westlawn!

November 21-23: Aesop Live! Performance

Luther Jackson Middle School Drama will be performing Aesop Live! Between November 21-23. Learn more about show times and buy tickets.

November 21: Fall Choral and Instrumental Ensemble Concert

Join us for a night of music featuring our chorus and instrumental ensemble. Doors open at 6:00 and the show starts at 6:30! This is a free program and open to all members of our community.

November 22: Bingo Night

Save the date! More information is coming soon!

November 27-29: No School

There is no school in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.

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.

Support the Fall Fundraiser through Charleston Wrap

Join a Community Conversation

AAP Service Highlight: Subject-Specific and Part-Time Services

The continuum of AAP services offered in FCPS and here at Westlawn include two separate part-time programs.

Students in K-6 can be found eligible for Subject-Specific AAP services which means they have an academic strength and need beyond their peers in one or more subjects. These students receive small group instruction or differentiation in their areas of strength from their classroom teacher. Our Advanced Academic Resource Teacher, Mrs. Maxwell, partners with teachers by directing them to opportunities to infuse AAP curriculum in the classroom.
Students in 3-6 can be found eligible for Part-Time AAP services which means they have an overall multi-subject need for advanced curriculum beyond their peers. Most of these students receive the same services as Subject-Specific students, but also participate in a weekly pull-out group with Mrs. Maxwell that focuses on CCT skills as well as challenging curriculum in all subjects. Some part-time students access AAP curriculum daily in subjects of strength.

All students are screened for these services in the spring, but a parent can refer at any time by filling out the subject-specific or part-time services referral form and sending it in to your teacher.

Kindergarten

In this week’s lesson, your child will learn to use body language and context clues to figure out when someone feels happy. They’ll practice looking at the person’s face and body, as well as thinking about what’s going on in the situation. Try This at Home: Encourage your child to notice when others around them feel happy. Have them practice using body language and context clues to figure out when family members, friends, or characters in books, movies, or on TV might be feeling happy.

1st Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will practice using body language and context clues (looking at the person’s face and body, thinking about what’s going on in the situation) to figure out how someone is feeling. Try This at Home: Ask your child to tell you how they think others around them might be feeling, for example a sibling, or a character in a story, a movie, or a TV show.

2nd Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will learn that we can feel proud when we accomplish something difficult or when we do something nice for others. Try This at Home: Ask your child to tell you about a time they felt proud. Tell them about a time you felt proud of something you accomplished or of doing something nice for others.

3rd Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will learn that emotions give us information about what we want or need. Try This at Home: Ask your child what information the emotions fear, sadness, and happiness give us.

4th Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will learn that our brain works best when the logic and emotion centers are balanced and working together. Try This at Home: Tell your child about a time when a strong emotion made it hard for you to learn something new or caused you to say or do something that hurt someone’s feelings. Discuss why it’s important to learn to manage strong emotions.

5th Grade

In this week’s lesson, your child will learn that it’s possible to anticipate recurring situations that cause them to feel strong emotions so they can plan ways to manage those emotions in the future. Try This at Home: Tell your child about a recurring situation in your life that typically causes you to feel a strong emotion, like anger or frustration. Ask your child to tell you about similar situations in their life.

Follow us on social media (Facebook and Instagram)
Text a staff member with TalkingPoints
Browse our website

3200 Westley Rd, Falls Church, VA 22042 | Main Office: 703.241.5100
Attendance: 703.241.5151 | Web | Facebook | Instagram

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