Westfield High School PTSA -- January 2008 eNewsletter

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	Bulldog Bulletin January 2008 Remember to visit the PTSA web site for the latest news
What's Happening in January - Happy New Year 2008!
Contents President's Message Minority Achievement News Tidbits ANGP News FCPS Newswire Community Programs Events Calendar Links of Interest Board Members President: Jennifer Campbell 1st VP: Open 2nd VP: Denise Stalnaker Recording Secretary: Mary Coleman Treasurer: Dana Cimino View more board member Calendar Jan 21 MLK Holiday - No School Jan 23 6:30p -8:30p ANGP Meeting - Lecture Hall Jan 25 No School Jan 28 No School Feb 4 Virginia PTA Day at the General Assembly April 5th 5K Run for Scholarships Links of Interest Fairfax County Public School Fairfax County Council of PTAs Northern Virginia District PTA Virginia PTA National PTA US Department of Education Safe VA Highways VDOT Snow Removal Information Alliance for Virginia Students FCPS Family Gram FCPS Parent Resources FCPS Inclement Weather Plans Sign up for FCPS Keep In Touch Athletic Boosters Band Boosters Choral Boosters Guitar Boosters Orchestra Boosters Theatre Boosters Reminder Items to be included in the Feb 2008 Bulldog Bulletin must be submitted to newsletter @ westfieldhs.org on or before Jan 25, 2008 Your feedback is important to us. Send to newsletter @ westfieldhs.org comments or suggestions to make your PTSA better	President's Message Happy 2008! Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and a relaxing time off from school Thank you to those who have contributed to the $52,400 raised for our "We Are Westfield Electronic Marquee Fund!" Any additional funds that dribble in will be used for enhancements, such as landscaping or mason work around the base of the structure. The exciting news is that, since we are trenching for electrical wiring for power during the installation process, we will be putting extra wiring to enable the installation of a security camera on top of the marquee. Given the marquee's front row location, it will be in a prime spot to support security efforts with a view of the school front and parking lot. The camera will have the capability to record and transmit information directly into the school. We will keep you updated on the progress once installation takes place. Thank you for your ongoing support! Thank you to Dawn O'Brien, who organized the Barnes& Noble Book Fair fund raiser, and to Bill Bernstein and others who supported the event, the SGA student gift wrappers, Renee Jones, a junior who played the viola, and the Theatre Improv students: Phoebie Dillard, Jesse Bur, Kevin Clay, Osman Tirmize, Sarah Cawkins, 5th grader Lindsay Bur, and Zoe Dillard for lending us students' time and talents! Congratulations to Megan Smith, 11, Sarah Crossland, 12, Stephanie Watson, 12, for their 1st place Reflection entries for their Literature, Music & Dance, and Photography pieces at the Fairfax County level. The entries will move on to the District level for further judging in January and potential advancement to the state level. Congrats as well to Abdullah Pathan, grade 10, for his Award of Merit in Visual Arts at the Fairfax County Council Level. Please join us and other adult Westfield supporters at our Monte Carlo Night on Friday, February 8 from 7:30-10pm at the Westfield Marriot. Have fun, win prizes, and support WHS All Night Grad Party. Advance tickets are $40 admission and gaming. Tickets will be $50 at the door. Cash bar will be available. We are also looking for sponsors of the gaming tables for $25, $50, and $100. It is a great way to get word out about your business and let them know you're a Bulldog Supporter! Checks can be made payable to WHS ANGP, 4700 Stonecroft Blvd., Chantilly, VA 20151. Contact Terry Schweinhart at 703-222-8608 or TerrySchweinhart@aol.com for more information. We're still looking for a co-chair to assist with the All Night Grad Party Mulch sale, which is scheduled for April 19th. The "How-To's" have been written up and tweaked over the years, so all we need is for someone to slip into the spot- for that I'd be really thankful! Contact angp@westfieldhs.org if interested. The last of the West County Boundary meetings was held on December 19 at Oakton High School. Considerations for the boundary adjustments included proximity of schools to residences, projected enrollment, capacity, school feeder alignments, socioeconomic characteristics, and contiguous school attendance areas. Recommendations will be made to the School Board on January 10. The School Board Public Hearing will be January 30, with the School Board Work Session on February 11. School Board Action will take place on February 28, 2008. For more detailed information, go to http://www.fcps.edu/news/boundary.htm With best wishes for an educational and enjoyable 2008 year! Sincerely, Jennifer Campbell, WHS PTSA President ptsa_president@westfieldhs.org Minority Achievement News College Resource: The Federal Student Aid web site located at: www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov will help families explore their financial aid options as early as the freshman year of high school. A free database of scholarship opportunities for FCPS students is located at: http://www.fcps.edu/ssseapps/scholarshipdb. Local sponsors have created opportunities specifically for Fairfax County students. These local, as well as state and national scholarships, are updated weekly throughout the school year. Student Achievement In today's changing economy the need for advanced skills and technical knowledge is growing. Showing our children that we value learning and education is important and will pay off in the long run as they mature. When you're involved in your child's education, your child achieves more. (Read more) Sincerely, Mark Richardson, MAC Chairperson Minority Achievement Homepage Tidbits Student Directories are still available for $10 through the main office. Please make checks payable to "Westfield High School". BITS tutoring is looking for gently used donations of "quiet" games and puzzles to occupy students on Saturdays when they have completed their work and are waiting for pick up. Games can be dropped off at the main office to Carol Jasper's attention or brought to the Saturday morning BITS program. Save the Date Feb 4, 2008 - Virginia PTA DAY at the General Assembly The Richmond City Hall, 900 East Broad Street, Richmond VA Virginia PTA Day is when PTA members from around the state come to Richmond and meet with their state representatives to advocate for issues important to the PTA and Education. We encourage all PTA and PTSA members to come to this event. Members of the District and State PTA will walk you through the steps of what to say and do. We are looking for parents and students to attend this year. Students would have to be accompanied by a responsible adult. SGA students are encouraged to participate. For more information, contact David Edelman, Education Chair (education@novadistrictpta.org) ANGP News Monte Carlo Night February 8, 2008 Like to play Black Jack? How about Roulette or Craps? Is Texas Hold'em your game? Then come to the Westfield High School Monte Carlo night. Our event will be held on Friday, February 8, 2008 at the Westfield Marriott. The fun filled, adult only evening will begin at 7:30 pm. The All Night Grad Party (ANGP) committee is sponsoring the auction. All proceeds will be used to help our seniors have a safe, drug free and alcohol free place to celebrate with their friends after graduation. Advance tickets are $40 for admission, light hors d'oeuvres, and gaming while the ticket price at the door will be $50 per person. Light hors d'oeuvres will be served and there will be a cash bar. Tickets may be ordered using the online form. Ticket information may also be obtained by contacting Terry Schweinhart (TerrySchweinhart@aol.com). Chips will be exchanged for raffle tickets. Put all your raffle tickets towards a single prize or spread them around. Winners will be announced at the end of the evening. You get to have fun playing games without having to travel to Atlantic City or Vegas and we get to raise much needed funds for our students. Everybody wins!! Next Monte Carlo Night Meetings: Jan. 8, 7:30 Jan. 22, 7:30 Feb. 5, 7:30 Next ANGP meeting: Jan 23 6:30pm -8:30pm Lecture Hall Terry Schweinhart ANGP Monte Carlo Night chair FCPS Newswire 2007-08 School Year Calendars and Registration Requirements The calendars for the 2007-08 school year are available online at http://www.fcps.edu/cal.htm. Registration requirements for 2007-08 are available for download. Don't Miss Out! Post Your Event on the School Events Bulletin Board The School Events Bulletin Board on the FCPS web site lists happenings in all Fairfax County public schools. Find out about student performances, fun fairs, special celebrations, and more by checking the board: http://www.fcps.edu/bulletin/netcal.htm FCPS Students Eligible for Discounts on Select Microsoft Products Through a special agreement with Microsoft, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) students and staff members can now purchase select Microsoft products for home and personal use at great discounts. In addition, Fairfax County Public Schools adult education students are also eligible to purchase through this program. Student Select is part of Fairfax County Public Schools Technology@Home program. This program seeks to help students, faculty, and staff members with their home technology needs by enabling them to purchase directly from vendors at educational discount rates. With the latest technology, students, faculty, and staff members can make the best use of instructional and administrative resources from home. More information on available products, pricing, and how to order. Learning Through Experience: Volunteer Opportunities for High School Students There are many ways that high school students can volunteer their time to help others. The FCPS Career Connections Volunteer Opportunities web site, offers a list of organizations that have volunteer opportunities for young people, as well as tips on how to become involved in volunteer activities. Parent Resources Available Online A complete list of resources for parents can be found on the Fairfax County Public Schools web site. The Parent Resources page includes links to information on: * Frequently called FCPS phone numbers * Athletics * Lunch payments * Fairfax County Public Library homework and student support * Policies, bylaws, and regulations * Netsmartz * Volunteering in FCPS * Parent education More information available Telephone Parent Information Line Available in Korean and Spanish Parents who speak Korean or Spanish can call a telephone information line to help them learn general information about FCPS and to receive support if they are having difficulty communicating with their child's school due to a language barrier. The Parent Information Line numbers are: * Spanish 703-764-7361 * Korean 703-764-7363 A parent may call at any time, leave a message in his or her language, and receive a return phone call in that language from an FCPS staff member within 24 hours. Interested in Becoming a Mentor? Mentoring in Fairfax County Public Schools occurs throughout the entire school system and at all levels. According to data from the 2005-06 school year, there are a total of 95 mentoring programs in FCPS: 68 elementary school programs, 12 middle school programs, and 15 high school programs. These data also indicated that 3,933 students in FCPS were being mentored. If you are interested, there are a variety of things for you to consider, including the age and number of young people you want to work with-elementary, middle, or high school age children; one youth or several. (There is a difference between mentoring a child one-on-one versus coaching a group of young people). Also, consider the setting that you may want to mentor in, such as a school, the community, or a business. For more information, go to http://www.fcps.edu/ss/MentorWorks/index.htm. Community Programs Prom Dress Drive and Give-a-Way The Reston Community Center is hosting its annual prom dress drive and give-a-way during the months of January−March. We are collecting gently worn formal wear, prom wear and accessories (i.e. shoes, jewelry, etc.) for young girls who otherwise would be unable to buy these items. The actual give-a-way event will be held April 12-13. Please pass the attached information onto your school for those who would like to donate, or for those who could benefit from that give-a-way event. In addition, there are options listed below for how any clubs/programs can assist us in this event: Please note this is just two ways your organization can help. If there is another way they wish to help, please let us know. The club/program can hold a "Mini Prom Dress Drive". The Reston Community Center will provide color flyers for advertisement, collection box, and an information letter explaining the purpose of the event that could be distributed by the club/organization and tax-deductible receipts for those individuals that donate. Please note that the schools/clubs/organizations that have chosen this option in the past, have collected dresses for a two-week period, at which point, a staff member from the Reston Community Center Teen Department pick them up. Once the prom dress give-a-way occurs, we place an ad in a local paper or provide a press release, thanking the individuals, companies, schools and restaurants who helped us this year. Download more information. Westfield Community Coalition Underage drinking parties can be reported anonymously to the police at 703-691-2131 where they will disperse police assistance, or 703-246-2333 for the "Shut it Down" Hotline, to report date, time, and location of an underage drinking party. To report WHS security concerns, contact Ray Clements at 703-488-6307 or Ray.Clements@fcps.edu Under Age Tip Line 703-691-2131. Underage drinking parties can be reported anonymously to the police at this number. They will disperse police assistance. Shut It Down Hotline 703-246-2333, to report date, time and location of an underage drinking party if you hear about it ahead of time. Leslie Churn, MA, Substance Abuse Counselor for Westfield HS - Contact 703-488-6308 or at Leslie.Churn@fcps.edu for a free and confidential assessment. Westfield Community Coalition Coordinator: Jennifer Cooper (jalcooper@aol.com) 703-966-8304. Contact Jennifer to be on the email list to receive free information about prevention programs and upcoming events. Parent Guide to Personal Safety for Youth Because of the exceptional popularity of the KidSafe Virginia parent guides, the Governor's Office for Substance Abuse Prevention (GOSAP) recently worked to revise, update, and combine the previous parent guides into one guide. The purpose of the new publication, Prevention Comes First: Parent Guide to Personal Safety for Youth, is to educate parents about some of the potential safety threats children may face and to assist parents in communicating with their children about personal safety. The topics covered in the guide include: fire safety, internet safety, driving safety, bullying, gangs, inhalant abuse prevention, and underage drinking. Beginning December 1, 2007, the parent guides will be available at fire and rescue stations and Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) offices throughout the Commonwealth. To locate your nearest DMV office, visit: http://www.dmv.state.va.us/webdoc/utilities/offices.asp. Copies of the parent guide may also be downloaded from the GOSAP Web site: http://www.gosap.state.va.us/preventioncomesfirst.htm. Questions may be addressed to Jacklyn Varela, special assistant to the Secretary of Public Safety at (804) 692-2568 or by e-mail: jacklyn.varela@governor.virginia.gov. Bike Smart, Virginia! *Bike Smart, Virginia!* is a state program to prevent bicycle-related injuries in communities. A critical component of the program is the promotion of proper helmet usage when a child engages in any wheeled mode of transportation (i.e. bicycle, inline skates, scooters, skateboards). Funding is now available for communities to implement helmet safety projects for school age children. Organizations selected will receive educational materials (brochures, posters, videos and a bike rodeo guide) and up to $1,000 for the purchase of Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) certified helmets to implement a helmet distribution project targeting low income children. Approximately 55 grants will be awarded. Applications are due January 15, 2008. DonorsChoose.org What if there were a simple way to provide students with the books, technology, and supplies that they need to learn? What if people from all walks of life could connect directly with public schools, learn about specific classroom needs, and choose how to help? DonorsChoose.org makes this possible. SIGN UP FOR GIANT BONUS Bucks You can turn your grocery shopping into cash for Westfield through Giant’s A+ BonusBucks program. Sign up for the program and designate Westfield High School. Go to A+ Bonus Bucks Homepage, click on A+ Bonus Bucks ["designate your schools"], provide the first three letters of your last name and your 12-digit card number (if you already have one) with no spaces. To designate Westfield High School enter the School ID number 03798. You can designate up to three schools and your Bonus Bucks will be divided equally among them. If you don’t have a Bonus Bucks card, you can pick one up at any Giant grocery store. The program runs from October 5, 2007 through April 3, 2008. Even if you have signed up in the past, you must do this each year to allow Giant to designate funds to the school of your choice. Office Depot 5% Back to School Program Every time parents, students, faculty, and other Westfield High School supporters make purchases at Office Depot, the school receives 5% of the qualifying purchases to use for free supplies. All you need to do is tell them at the cash register when checking out that you want Westfield High School to get credit for the purchase. They will look up the Back to Schools ID number for our school and enter it into the system at check out. GoodSearch.com Search the Web? Westfield can earn a penny every time you searched the Internet. GoodSearch.com is a search engine (similar to Google) that donates half its revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. You use it just as you would any search engine, and it’s powered by Yahoo!, so you get great results. Go to www.goodsearch.com and be sure to enter Westfield High School PTSA, Chantilly VA as the charity you want to support. Just 500 of us searching four times a day will raise about $7300 in a year without anyone spending a dime! And, be sure to spread the word to family and friends who want to support our high school. Watch D.O.G.S. (Dad’s of Great Students) WATCH D.O.G.S.® (Dads Of Great Students) is the safe school initiative of the National Center for Fathering that involves fathers and father figures to help create a more safe and secure learning environment in our nation's schools. A great starting point to explore ways to get more men involved in PTA.
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