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What's Happening in June 2008

• President's Message
• Minority Achievement News
• ANGP News
• After Prom Party
• Senior Class News
• Landscape Committee
• Tidbits
• FCPS Newswire
• Community Programs
• Events Calendar
• 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
• 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
  
  

Your feedback is important to us. Send to newsletter@ westfieldhs.org comments or suggestions to make your PTSA better

President's Message

The school year certainly has come to a screeching halt following a flurry of activities and a school year that ends two days earlier than anticipated. Thanks to: Cindy Alls and Nancy Hutchison for orchestrating their last teacher's luncheon in May; membership chair Kym Sunday for surprising 5 staff PTSA members with raffle prizes from Barnes and Noble and tickets from the Washington Nationals; our devout, dedicated adult and senior mulch spreaders for ANGP; plus Mona Miller, Kathy McGuiness and Greg DellaPeruto for their ongoing landscape clean up with the Saturday kids. There are many things that occur from and behind the scenes that help make the Westfield school community what it is. We could not do it with out our volunteers! Those who contribute know that you get back what you give in new contacts and a better connection to the big picture.

I am pleased to announce our nominated slate for the PTSA Executive Board: Salma Ashmawi, President; Jennifer Campbell, 1st VP; Denise Stalnaker, 2nd VP; Kathy Sanders, Treasurer and Mary Coleman, Secretary.

Along those same lines, would you please consider one of the following positions: All Night Grad Party chairs for each grade level; Mulch Sale Directors; Student Directory; After Prom 2009; Bulldog Café; Ethics Day; Legislative chair; Parent Programs chair; Silent Auction chair; Bulldog BBQ chair and Ways & Means chair. There are numerous ways to get involved - most of us are working, have other family responsibilities and activities, but these tasks can be done without impacting other things. Each of these positions could be shared by a few people as well, if that helps you work it in to your schedule. While it is a hard stand for the PTSA to take, if we don't have chair people for the committees such as the ANGP and the Mulch Committee by the beginning of school, the All Night Grad Party for the Class of 2009 will not take place. While there is not a lot of activity for these two groups in August, we do need to make decisions about dates and contracts at that time and we need a leadership commitment.

Talk to your friends to see if someone wants to assist you in taking on one of these open positions. Any Westfield parents are welcome to come visit us after 11pm on June 18th at this year's All Night Grad Party held at school to take a peak and see what it's all about. Remember that high school years are the last ones your kids will be home and you will have increasingly fewer opportunities to catch a glimpse of what their world is like!

I'd like to offer my personal thanks to Tim Thomas and the school administration for their collaborative support of the PTSA over the past 2 years. Likewise, my heartfelt thanks to my Executive Board members Dana Cimino, Denise Stalnaker, and Mary Coleman for their ongoing support. I appreciate the willingness of Denise and Mary to continue in another term on the board. I will miss Dana's on-the-fly mentoring and her 14 years of PTA expertise now that she is graduating from Westfield along with her son. I look forward to a new PTSA role behind the scenes rather than being front-and-center. Please join us for our end of year PTSA social meeting, on Thursday, June 12th, 7 pm at my home. RSVP to jcampbellpta@aol.com and I'll give you directions. Congratulations and best wishes to the graduating Class of 2008! For those of you returning in the fall, don't forget to read over the summer http://www.fcps.edu/DIS/readlist/index.htm.

We'll see you at the Bulldog BBQ on August 26th!

Sincerely,
 Jennifer Campbell, WHS PTSA President
ptsa_president@westfieldhs.org

ANGP News

The Westfield High School ANGP Mulch Committee recently completed the successful sale and delivery of over 15,500 bags of mulch. WE THANK YOU AND ALL THE SPONSORS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Tickets are still available for purchase online. Get yours now and join the fun!

For a successful 2008-2009, we need at least 2 chairpersons from each grade level, 9-12 Ideally the younger grade level volunteers would be in a training mode and able to take over as their student advances grade level. The ANGP is held on the night of graduation in June from 11am-5am. ANGP is a completely self supporting arm of the PTSA. There are many sub-committees in the ANGP including security, advertising, decorations, amusements, mulch sales, ticketing, risk forms, food, casino, prize buying, etc. Deposits for items are made in in the fall, after an initial monthly meeting is held. A lot of committee communications is done via email. This is a fun committee to work with since it involves so many people and it is about keeping our seniors safe on graduation night! Any interested parents should attend the ANGP at this year to see what it is all about on Wednesday, June 18, 11pm at the school.

Tracy Porter, ANGP Co-Chair

Minority Achievement News

We are rapidly approaching the end of another successful school year. I hope you were able to attend the Spring Parent Coffee. If not, you missed a wonderful evening and an opportunity to stay in touch with current happenings in minority achievement at Westfield.

Congratulations to all of our 2008 graduating seniors. We wish each of you continued success as you enter the next stage of your adult experience.

It goes without saying that the success of this committee is entirely due to the volunteer services of many parents, educators, administrators and friends of Westfield High School. I'd like to take this opportunity to extend a sincere thank you to everyone for all your hard work and commitment to the goals and mission of this committee.

Visit the site often as we continuously update the MAC web site with information you can use.

Have a great and relaxing summer.

Sincerely,
Mark Richardson, MAC Chairperson
Minority Achievement Homepage

After Prom Party

Senior Class 2008 News

Please see the link on the school web page for more detailed Class of 2008 news.

   Graduation is Wednesday, June 18th, 9:30am at the George Mason Patriot Center. (See link to map with accessibility directions?) Please remember to allow plenty of travel time as seniors and their families will be caught in No VA rush hour traffic. It is also suggested to arrange for a meeting place with your graduate outside of the Patriot Center immediately following the ceremony.
   Parent volunteers are still needed. On Monday, June 16, 10 parents are needed to help serve Chick-fil-A , around 11am, prior to the graduation rehearsal. Also on Tuesday, June 17, parents are needed to serve students Milwaukee Custard around 11am. Contact Amy.Coulbourne@fcps.edu, or Jessica.Dombrowski@fcps.edu to sign up and for the specific time.
   Additionally, many parents are needed to assist with cap and gown distribution from 2-3:00pm and immediately following the rehearsal on Monday, June 16 and also on June 17. Contact Casey Burke at Casey.Burke@fcps.edu
   About 25 more parents are needed to help out with the ANGP on June 18. Please contact Suzanne Olijar at volunteerCoord@westfieldhs.org with your time availability. Also, please don't forget to send in your ANGP ticket orders, now $85 and turn in the Risk permission forms by June 12th to help your senior gain quicker access to the party. With almost 600 attendees, they will be glad you did. Additional forms are available in the main office.

~Senior Class Sponsors

Landscaping Committee

I would like to wish everyone a great summer!

Campers Trophies gave me a 20% discount on plaques. I would like to thank them for their generosity. They are a great company to deal with and do exceptional work.

Here is their contact information:
   Campers Trophies and Awards
   3854 Old Lee Highway, Fairfax, VA 22030
   Tel:      703-273-8663, Fax:     703-691-7546
   Email: Awards@CampersTrophies.com,  www.CampersTrophies.com

Landscaping Thank You and Wishing all a Great Summer

~Mona Miller, Landscaping Coordinator
landscapeCoord@westfieldsh.org

Tidbits

• June 2, 2008: Public Hearings: Special Education Draft Regulations
• Enough Is Enough Internet Safety Video Taping June 7, McLean
  With today's easy access to the internet, keeping our children safe online has become a top priority for parents. In an attempt to address the need for protection of children using the internet, the Virginia PTA is partnering with Enough is Enough (EIE) to provide an educational video program, Internet Safety 101, Empowering Parents Program. This program will deliver educational information about internet threats and safety solutions to organizations throughout Virginia this fall. The nationwide launch is scheduled for 2009. Read letter from Virginia PTA  Download Flyer
• 2009 Virginia PTA PPLP Letter and Survey (recommend submitting survey online) Have your voice heard!
• Project Hospitality — Safe Community Coalition's Project Hospitality Tackles Serious Local  And National Problem: Underage Drinking. Download information to make a safe year end graduation year for Senior.
• Institute for the Arts (IFTA) - The registration period for IFTA has been extended. Registration forms will be accepted until the program reaches full enrollment. It's not too late for your creative young person to apply to the prestigious Institute for the Arts (IFTA) for a summer full of dance, music, visual arts, and theatre. Applications will be accepted until full enrollment is reached. For more information you may call 703-227-8443 or visit the web site.
• Transportation Task Force in support of later school start times submitted their report to the FCPS School Board on March 10. The School Board will announce dates for meetings to provide wider community feedback and discussion later this year. View see the TTF Report. Read the FCCPTA related letter
• Coming Soon: New and Improved Keep in Touch System Fairfax County Public Schools will soon be introducing a completely new and improved Keep in Touch (KIT) system. The goal is the same: to keep you informed about what is happening in FCPS, your school, and of course, emergencies (including delays and closings). Along with a new vendor to provide improved services, some changes will be implemented based on past experiences, as well as the best practices already tried and tested by other large K-12 school systems.

FCPS Newswire

High School Summer School Plans Take Shape

Four central sites—Edison High, Lake Braddock Secondary, Oakton High, and Westfield High—will offer programs in course recovery, SOL remediation, ESOL elective credit, and acceleration classes. Read more

2008-09 School Year Calendars and Registration Requirements Available

The calendars for the 2008-09 school year have been posted and are available online at http://www.fcps.edu/cal.htm. Registration requirements for 2008-09 are also available.

Parent Resources Available Online

Community Programs

Driver's Edge Program

Driver's Edge will be conducting a program in Landover, Maryland on the weekend of June 21 & 22, 2008 at FedEx Field. This will be the closest program to greater D.C./Baltimore area this year. In receipt of this e-mail, you are NOT automatically registered for this event. You must REGISTER online at our web site. Registration begins Wednesday, May 21, 2008 at 6:00p.m. (EST).

Registration is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. We are not able to guarantee your space in this program, so please sign up as soon as registration begins. **Driver's Edge is open to anyone age 21, or younger, and MUST have a valid learner's permit or driver's license in order to participate.**

Students should only register for ONE DAY & ONE TIME (either 8am OR 1pm). After registering, you will receive an e-mail with all class details approximately 10-14 days PRIOR to the class date. Register at: www.driversedge.org/events/drivelearn.asp

We recommend that you visit our Frequently Asked Questions page at: www.driversedge.org/faqs.html

Safe Summer in Sully

District Station Kicks Off Safe Summer in Sully Beginning May 16 and running through June 22 (Read more information)

Look at what The FCPS Parent Resource Center has coming up!

View a complete list of all upcoming Workshops and Activities posted to the PRC web site.

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.

Powerful video on seatbelts. It was produced by Montana Dept of Transportation. It is a true story. No actors."   http://www.mdt.mt.gov/mdt/room_to_live.shtml

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.

Ethics Day at Westfield HS (Cluster 8; Westfield HS)
Sophomores learn valuable lessons about decision-making and consequences. (5:15 min) http://www.fcps.edu/DIT/streaming/is8_ethicsday.asx

Parents Who Host Lose the Most (Safe and Drug Free Youth; All Clusters)
Interview with Diane Eckert, Safe and Drug Free Youth and Tim Thomas, Westfield HS. (4:26) http://www.fcps.edu/DIT/streaming/is8_int_hostlosemost.asx

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 visit DMV office homepage.
  Copies of the parent guide may also be downloaded from the GOSAP Web site.
  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.

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.

FCPS Instrument Donations

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"], and 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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