Westgate Families,
I hope this finds you having a fantastic week. Please take note of these upcoming important dates:
• January 19 – MLK Jr. Birthday – No School for Students
• January 22 – DesignPalooza & PTA Meeting @ 6:00 p.m.
• January 28 – 2-Hour Early Release @ 1:30 p.m. for ALL Students
• January 29 & 30 – No School for Students
As always, thank you for your continued support of all things Westgate and have a wonderful weekend ahead!
All my best,
Hallie Demetriades
Principal
Upcoming Student Experience Survey at Westgate
Our school will participate in the FCPS Student Experience Survey. This survey will gather important feedback from students about their school experiences to help FCPS make meaningful improvements.
All students in grades 3-6, except those who have opted out, will receive a link to the survey in their FCPS email on February 23. We will administer the survey during the school day between Monday, February 23, and Friday, March 6. Any student may take the survey at home, if they are unable to take the survey during the school day. You will receive a communication with details on how to preview the survey and opt your child out, if you choose. The electronic opt-out form can also be accessed at this link.
We believe it's important to hear from our students about what we're doing well and where we can improve. This work also aligns with the equity commitments in FCPS’ 2023-30 Strategic Plan, which include a focus on amplifying student voice and experiences as we work toward meeting plan goals.
Get Ready for DesignPalooza 2026 - January 22
Mark your calendars for the sauciest showdown of the year!
Date: January 22, 2026 at 6:00 PM
Calling all T-shirt designers and creative engineers! Prepare to unleash your inner mad scientist for Westgate's first ever marshmallow and spaghetti tower challenge!
Students K-6 may participate individually or in teams of 4 or less.
Design A T-Shirt Challenge
Create a t-shirt design that matches this year's Design Palooza theme! The winning design will go on t-shirts that will be given to our Tower Challenge winners! Design winner will also get a free t-shirt as well!
Build the Tallest Spaghetti Tower Challenge
Details:
The structure must stand on its own.
The entire marshmallow must be placed at the very top.
Permitted Materials: The following will be provided at the event
- 20 spaghetti sticks
- 1 regular size marshmallow
- Masking Tape
Break or Cut Materials as Needed - if you need scissors to cut materials, please bring your own.
You are free to break spaghetti or cut tape to shape your design.
Students will be given exactly 18 Minutes to build their tower on January 22 - be sure to arrive no later than 6PM!
When time is up, hands off! Any team touching or supporting their structure at the end will be disqualified.
TO WIN: Build the tallest tower! Winning team/individual of each grade gets a free t-shirt bearing the winning t-shirt design
Register here: https://forms.gle/kpQ3TKHqv3SMTDuE9
Submit your t-shirt designs or questions to designpalooza@westgatewolvespta.com.
Westgate Student Ambassadors - Animal Shelter Drive
Westgate Student Ambassadors are collecting items to donate to Lucky Dog Animal Shelter. Please consider helping their initiative by dropping items below off in the main office between January 20 - February 6.
- Dog and Puppy Food - Wet and Dry
- Cat and Kitten Food - Wet and Dry
-
Clean Towels
- Pet Toys - dog and cat
- Treats - Dog and Cat (no rawhide treats please)
- Leashes and Collars (no retractable leashes please)
- Breakaway Cat Collars
- Food/Water Bowls
- Printer Paper
Apply for Your Child to Learn in Two Languages
FCPS’ 2026-27 Dual Language Immersion (DLI) Program lottery opens on Monday, January 12. The program offers students in kindergarten and first grade the opportunity to learn in English and another language — French, German, Japanese, Korean, or Spanish — for half of each instructional day.
The online, countywide lottery is open to Fairfax County residents. Families must have a SIS ParentVUE account. Students not currently enrolled in FCPS should register at their base school before applying for the immersion program.
Families applying for first grade must do so by Thursday, February 12, at 4 p.m. Those applying for kindergarten must do so by Monday, March 2, at 4 p.m.
Informational meetings will begin in January. View dates and details on the FCPS calendar. If you have questions, please contact Brigid Williams at 571-423-4600.
Solicite Cupo para que su Niño Aprenda en Dos Idiomas
La Lotería de cupos del Programa Dual de Inmersión en Idiomas (DLI, por sus siglas en inglés) del período 2026-2027 abre el lunes, 12 de enero. Este programa les ofrece a estudiantes de kindergarten y de primer grado la oportunidad de aprender en inglés y en algún otro idioma, francés, alemán, japonés, coreano o español, durante la mitad de cada día escolar.
Esta lotería, la cual es online e incluye a todo el condado, está abierta para residentes del Condado de Fairfax. Para participar en ella, las familias deben tener una cuenta en SIS ParentVUE. Los estudiantes que no estén inscritos en FCPS, deberán inscribirse en su escuela base antes de solicitar cupo en el programa de inmersión.
Aquellas familias que estén solicitando cupo por primera vez, deberán hacerlo antes del jueves, 12 de febrero. Quienes estén solicitando cupos para kindergarten deberán hacer su solicitud antes de las 4 p.m. del lunes 2 de marzo.
Se realizarán reuniones informativas a partir de enero. Encuentre las fechas y detalles en el calendario de FCPS. Si tiene alguna pregunta, puede contactar a Brigid Williams, llamando al 571-423-4600.
Follow Our Budget Process
Encourage your neighbors, friends, and community members to follow the FCPS budget process and look for opportunities to share your ideas about funding public education. Key decision dates and engagement opportunities are coming up in the next few weeks:
- The Fairfax County delegation to the General Assembly will hold a public hearing regarding the upcoming 2026 session on Saturday, January 10, at 9 a.m. in the Board Auditorium at the Fairfax County Government Center.
Fairfax County residents can sign up in advance to speak at the hearing online or contact the Department of Clerk Services at 703-324-3151, TTY 711, by Thursday, January 8, at noon.
-
Thursday, January 22, Dr. Reid will present the proposed budget to the School Board.
Visit our budget webpage for more information.
Spanish:Siga el Proceso de Nuestro Presupuesto
Anime a sus vecinos, amigos y miembros de su comunidad a que sigan el proceso del presupuesto y a que busquen cualquier oportunidad para compartir sus ideas acerca del financiamiento de la educación pública. En las próximas semanas, se tomarán varias decisiones claves y habrá oportunidades de participación:
- La delegación del Condado de Fairfax ante la Asamblea General del Condado efectuará una audiencia pública acerca de la próxima sesión del 2026 el sábado, 10 de enero, a las 9 a.m. en el Auditorio de la Junta en el Centro Gubernamental del Condado de Fairfax.
Los residentes del Condado de Fairfax pueden inscribirse aquí para hablar en la audiencia online o pueden contactar al Departamento de Servicios Administrativos llamando al 703-324-3151, TTY 711, antes del mediodía del jueves, 8 de enero.
- Jueves, 22 de enero, la Dra. Reid presentará el presupuesto propuesto a la Junta Escolar.
Visite nuestra página web del presupuesto para que encuentre más información al respecto.
Healthy Habits to Reduce the Spread of Flu and Other Germs
Fairfax County is seeing very high levels of influenza (flu) illness. 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.
Consider these tips from the Fairfax County Health Department to help reduce the spread of flu and other germs.
Hábitos Saludables para Prevenir la Propagación de la Influenza y Otros Gérmenes
El Condado de Fairfax ha estado observando altos niveles de casos de enfermedad de la influenza (la “flu”). El número de visitas a las salas de emergencias y centros de cuidados urgentes ha aumentado, especialmente entre niños, además de que múltiples casos de “flu” han ocurrido dentro de nuestras comunidades e instalaciones escolares.
Lea los consejos del Departamento de Salud del Condado de Fairfax para reducir la propagación de la “flu” y de otros gérmenes.
Volunteer Registration Update
Due to the overwhelming response from our community, FCPS is temporarily pausing fingerprint requirements for most Level 3 volunteers.
If you are scheduled for an upcoming fingerprinting appointment, please cancel your appointment unless you are a mentor, host parent, or non-parent volunteer having frequent, direct, and unsupervised contact with students, which will still require fingerprinting. FCPS will be charged if individuals miss a fingerprinting appointment without canceling in advance.
Those who have already been fingerprinted will be processed to be eligible for all Level 3 opportunities.
Field trip chaperone opportunities will now be classified as Level 2 (not requiring a background check).
To ensure continuous safety, all new volunteers are required to sign a Volunteer Certification Statement. This statement is a legal attestation confirming you have no history of violent felonies, physical/sexual crimes against children, or crimes of moral turpitude.
Want to volunteer? Visit Volunteer FCPS to find and sign up for volunteer opportunities. Contact Volunteers@fcps.edu with any questions.
Westgate Spiritwear—Available All Year!
Even though the Spiritwear Fundraiser has ended, families can still purchase Westgate gear anytime throughout the year and have it shipped directly to your home!
While prices are slightly higher and there’s a delivery charge, this is a great way to grab something special for the holidays — or show your Westgate pride any time of year.
The online store now includes an even bigger selection, with mugs, hats, blankets, and of course, plenty of Westgate shirts!
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