Knight's News

Dear Westridge Families,

We are thrilled to introduce Smore as the new platform for Knight’s News, our school newsletter! Smore offers a streamlined, user-friendly experience that allows you to easily navigate updates and news from Westridge. One of the features we’re especially excited about is Smore’s built-in translation tool, enabling you to instantly translate our newsletter into over 130 languages. This means that every family can stay informed with just a click, making Knight’s News an accessible and convenient way to keep up with all that’s happening at your child’s school.

Looking ahead to this Friday, we’re excited to honor our veterans with our annual Veteran’s Day assemblies. This year, we’ll be implementing a new check-in process in compliance with PWCS Risk Management safety protocols. All attendees must check in through our Raptor visitor management system and will need to bring a state-issued ID for entry. To help streamline the process, we will be sending out a separate communication to pre-register visitors who have previously checked into Raptor this school year. We appreciate your patience with these procedures and any potential delays as we work to maintain a safe and secure environment for all our students and families.

Thank you for your ongoing support of your children’s learning journey, and for partnering with us as we focus on our Continuous Improvement Plan initiatives. We are excited to continue advancing High Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM), the 7-Steps to a language-rich, interactive classroom, the 5-E science lesson plan model, our student-led House system, and our new Principal’s Advisory Council (PAC), which held its inaugural meeting on October 29. Please explore all sections of this newsletter to stay connected with everything happening here at Westridge. As always, reach out with any questions or needs, and thank you for your partnership in ensuring the success of every student in our school community.

Warm Regards,

Steven Wilson - Proud Principal

• November 6 - 2nd Quarter Begins​
• November 8 - Veterans Day Assembly
• November 11 - Veterans Day Holiday (No School)
• November 25 - Multicultural Night from 6 to 7:30PM
• November 27 through 29 - Thanksgiving Break (No School)
• December 23 through January 3 - Winter Break (No School)

As we enter the second quarter, we would like to share some key information to help your student(s) stay strong through the colder months and on track to have a successful school year.

Cold/Flu season is nearing

View the when to keep students home webpage for more information on when your student could be sent home from school/School Age Child Care (SACC) or when you should keep the child home from school/SACC.

The second quarter contains many scheduled days off for students. We appreciate everyone’s efforts to avoid taking extra days off before and after scheduled days off for holidays. Just a few missed days here and there, even if they’re excused absences, can add up to too much lost learning time and leave your child behind in school. This is as true in kindergarten as it is in high school.

Missing 2 days a month, or 4 ½ days in a marking period, adds up to 18 days a year (10% of the school year) which is considered chronically absent. Students who attend regularly are more likely to stay on track.

Remember to report your student’s absences

As a reminder, if your student is absent, please remember to contact us at (703) 590-3711 or by emailing the classroom teacher or Front Office Secretary Diana Cannon at cannondl@pwcs.edu.

We want to express our gratitude to everyone who makes it possible for our students to come to school every day, on time, ready to learn.

On Friday, November 8th, the students at Westridge Elementary, along with our wonderful Singing Knight chorus, will present their annual Veterans Day Celebration assembly.

K-2nd grade assembly at 9:45am.

3rd-5th grade assembly at 2:30pm.

Entry will be through Door 3. In compliance with PWCS Risk Management safety protocols, all attendees must have a driver's license so that they can be checked in through the Raptor visitor management system. We appreciate your patience with these procedures and any potential delays as we work to maintain a safe and secure environment for all our students and families.

Students are being asked to wear specific colors:

Red: 4th and 1st

Blue: 3rd and Kindergarten

White: 2nd and 5th

Thank you to all the parents who joined us for our Principal’s Advisory Council (PAC) meeting this past Tuesday! We had a productive session focused on building a strong and collaborative advisory council. Our discussions centered around PAC’s primary purpose - to provide valuable feedback and recommendations to support our school’s Continuous Improvement Plan (CIP).

During the meeting, we reviewed our council’s bylaws, established norms, and discussed key roles and responsibilities. We also had the pleasure of hearing insights from our Superintendent’s Advisory Council on Instruction (SACI) representative, Melissa Perez, who provided valuable perspectives that will help guide our work.

I’m pleased to announce our newly selected PAC officers, who will lead us in this effort:

Council Chair – Janine Fadul (Parent)

Co-Chair – Mia Simpson (Assistant Principal)

Secretary – Sarah Newland (Kindergarten Teacher)

In addition, we extend a special thank you to all members who attended, including Andrea Crosson (Reading Specialist), Brittany Mabra (Parent), Lisa Dierlam (2nd Grade Teacher), Melissa Perez (Parent/SACI Rep), David Bowie (Parent), Sarah Newland (Kindergarten Teacher), Mona Lavoie (Parent Liaison), and Rashaunda Wilburn (Parent).

We invite all Westridge families to attend our next PAC meeting on December 17, 2024, from 6:00 to 7:00 PM in the WRES Library. Whether you hold an officer role or not, your voice and perspective are invaluable in fostering a supportive school environment focused on student success, school culture, and climate. Should you have any questions or considerations in advance of the meeting, please feel free to reach out to Principal Steven Wilson directly.

Thank you for your dedication and partnership. Together, we continue to make Westridge a place where every student thrives!