Knight's News

Dear Westridge Families,

As the chilly November air settles in, it's hard to believe how quickly this month is moving along! Despite the many days off and breaks that come with the holiday season, our calendar is packed with wonderful events and opportunities to bring our community together! From the House breakfast to Multicultural Night, there are so many ways to stay connected, engaged, and part of our school’s journey. I encourage each of you to take a few minutes to explore all sections of our newsletter to discover the exciting things happening at Westridge - there's truly something for everyone. Thank you for your unwavering partnership in supporting your child’s learning and growth. Together, we’re building a vibrant and supportive environment where every student can thrive. Have a warm and restful weekend, and we look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events!

Warm Regards,

Principal Steven Wilson

• November 22 - Integritas House Breakfast from 8:15AM to 8:50AM
• November 22 - Are You Smarter Than an Elementary Student from 6 to 8PM
• November 25 - Multicultural Night from 6 to 7:30PM
• November 27 through 29 - Thanksgiving Break (No School)
• December 17 - Principal's Advisory Council Meeting from 6 to 7PM
• December 23 through January 3 - Winter Break (No School)

Our student-led House System is thriving, promoting accountability, respect, motivation, organization, and readiness for success throughout our school. We’ve seen a remarkable increase in positive behaviors, especially in our hallways, as students proudly support their houses and embody these values. The House System is not only encouraging great behavior but also nurturing leadership among our students and house leaders, creating a more positive and respectful school environment. Thank you to everyone for embracing this system and contributing to our community’s success! Be sure to check the scoreboard to see which house is leading in points for the 2nd quarter!

Date: Nov 22, 2024

Time: 6:00-8:00 pm

Location: WRES School Gymnasium/Multipurpose Room

Parents and students will go head-to-head in answering questions on topics like math, science, history, and even some surprising facts about our school! We hope you’ll join us in making “Are You Smarter Than an Elementary Student?” a highlight of the school year. With your support, we know it will be an amazing event for everyone involved!

Green forms went home with students last Friday to sign up for Multicultural night. If you would like to participate in Multicultural night (food or fashion show) please send back the form with your child. Each child participating in the fashion show needs a form. Forms are due next week on Tuesday, November 19. If you would like to volunteer to decorate the stage, please email Mrs. Machovec at Machovkl@pwcs.edu. You can also email Mrs. Machovec with any questions.

In addition, teachers are sending home a paper “doll” outline with each child. Please spend some time talking about your family’s ethnic origins. Then, as a family, dress your doll according to your family’s background. If you have more than one ethnic background, you can pick one. The goal is to make your “doll” look like a child from the country you choose. Be creative! You can color the doll, use materials (fabric, sequins, yarn, etc.) glued to the doll, or make outfits for the doll. Please note that your child will NOT be giving an oral presentation on this project – this will be an ungraded, optional school-wide activity.

Date: November 18, 2024
Time: 6-7pm

Location: Hampton Middle School cafeteria

Families are invited to attend a short IB presentation with a Question & Answer session with current and former GHMS students. Please contact Ryan Koontz at koontzrf@pwcs.edu if you have any questions.

Attention families of students in 4th and 5th grades - The Prince William County Alumnae Chapter Delta Sigma Theta (PWCAC-DST) is reinstating the writing contest portion of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Oratorical Competition and Program for the event’s 40th anniversary. The writing competition is open to all fourth and fifth grade students. Copies of the writing contest flyer are being distributed from the teachers to the students. The deadline for all participating students to submit is November 22. Winners will be notified on or before January 6, 2025, and there will be a free awards ceremony on January 18, 2025, to recognize the MLK Youth Oratorical Competition and Program winners. If you have questions, please contact the Writing Contest Lead at DrKingWriting@gmail.com. For more information about the MLK Program, visit the PWCAC-DST website.

The Principal’s Advisory Council (PAC) offers a meaningful platform for parents and teachers to come together, share insights, and collaborate on valuable feedback to guide our school’s Continuous Improvement Plan (CIP). We warmly invite all Westridge families to join us for our next PAC meeting on December 17, 2024, from 6:00 to 7:00 PM in the WRES Library. Whether or not you serve as an officer, your voice and perspective are vital in strengthening our school environment and advancing our commitment to student success, school culture, and a positive climate.

If you have any questions or suggestions in advance of the meeting, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Principal Steven Wilson directly. Your engagement and support are truly appreciated, and together, we’re making Westridge a place where every student can thrive!

Thank you for being such an important part of our community. We look forward to working with you!

The Impact Aid survey is now open and available for completion in ParentVUE. All parents should complete this survey as soon as possible. Please visit the PWCS Federal Impact Aid website for instructions on how to complete the survey. For assistance with your ParentVUE account, please contact the school. If you have not completed the Impact Aid survey, please do so by November 30, 2024. The following are a few key facts to provide you further information about Impact Aid:

• School districts with military installations or other federal lands within their boundaries lose local revenue because of nontaxable federal activities. Impact Aid funding partially reimburses school districts for this loss of locally derived revenue.
• Examples of eligible federal properties include national parks, military installations, and federal office buildings but there are many more.
• Federally connected and military connected are not the same. Parents can be federally connected but are not military connected. This is why it is important for ALL parents to complete the Impact Aid survey.
• Parent information captured on the Impact Aid survey is used solely to submit the Impact Aid application.
• Since enrollment changes and students move from year to year, the U.S. Department of Education requires school districts to count students annually. With that said, parents should complete a new Impact Aid survey every school year.