Wild Cat ROAR! February 17, 2026

Teresa Fernandez, Manager (left) and Ms.Boscan, Ms. Safdar, Ms. Rendon. Our cafeteria team arrives at 6 in the morning to begin their day. They have a hot breakfast ready by 7:10. Then they are quickly moving on to get prepare hot lunches which begin at 10am. Our nutritional team are always encouraging students to select fruit and vegetables to eat. In addition, the team helps support our free food initiative which includes unopened school food that any student may access. EVery child deserves a full meal!

1,939 boxes of cereal were donated by Weller families and business partners including Trader Joe's and Wegmans. Ariya in 5th grade brought in 60 boxes of cereal! We were pleased to have Morgan Moses, parent of Legend, Jeremiah, and Isaiah, and New England Patriots offensive lineman start our domino of kindness! We were also joined by current Washington Commander Mike Sainristil, and former Washington players Ken Harvey and Kevin Barnes, along with members of the Loudoun County Sheriff's department. Everyone helped pack the cereal and took car loads to Loudoun Hunger Relief.

We appreciate everyone's participation.

School Nutrition Services (SNS) is pleased to inform you that the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has received USDA approval for a special waiver during Ramadan 2026. SNS will provide this option to students observing Ramadan from February 18 to March 19, 2026, allowing them to take their meals home at the end of the day, instead of eating at school.

How does the waiver work: Ramadan Meals
Students are allowed one breakfast and one lunch each day. If they choose to eat their meal on campus, they cannot take a meal home. This program ensures that all students have access to one nutritious breakfast and/or lunch meal while respecting their religious fasting practices. It promotes inclusivity and supports the diverse cultural and religious needs of our school community.

• Students in attendance on the day meals are distributed will be eligible to receive a non-congregate meal.
• Students observing Ramadan can go through the service line daily during their regular breakfast or lunch meal periods and request a "to-go" meal from the cashier to be picked up after school. Alternatively, they can order through the SNS website before 10 am each morning. Parents can also order on behalf of their students on the SNS website before 10am each morning. Students will be charged at the point of service for these meals: breakfast, lunch, or breakfast and lunch.
• The meal will be charged to student meal accounts according to their typical meal eligibility status.
• Students’ meals are charged as they normally qualify for school meals, free (no cost) or paid. If the student is in the paid category for breakfast and lunch, their account will be charged accordingly.
• Meals purchased will be provided, no refund if the student does not pick up the meal.
• Students who have requested a meal will come to the cafeteria to pick up their meal.
• SNS will follow proper food handling and safety procedures, including providing reheating instructions if needed.
• Please note: Parents cannot pick-up meals for students.
  Strictly Ramadan Meals (Halal)

Kindly let us know how we can work together to ensure the success of this program.

Link to order meals:

https://forms.gle/wbzGY9FYFYNiN9j8

Thank you!

As part of our ongoing efforts to improve communication with our families, our school is participating in a Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) pilot program for a new two-way communication tool, Rooms (by Apptegy). Families can easily access Rooms right in the LCPS app to message teachers, get school updates and more, streamlining school communications – just what staff, students and families want.

Important: Rooms is similar to Remind and will replace Remind and ClassDojo during this pilot. This pilot program will launch on Tuesday, February 24.

How do I get started?

• In the next few weeks, check your inbox and/or text for a message from Apptegy. Follow the steps/prompts. (Please note: The email will come from accounts@thrillshare.com.)
• Download the LCPS app by searching for “Loudoun County Public Schools” in your phone’s app store.
• Select “Allow Notifications” when prompted on initial download to ensure you receive notifications.
• Click on “Rooms” or “Messages” to sign in to Rooms.

We know change isn’t easy, but with the Rooms robust platform that already integrates with the LCPS app and your school’s website, it’s a win!

This pilot program is a learning process and your feedback is important for the successful implementation of Rooms to all schools at the beginning of the next school year (2026-27 school year).

Please share your feedback and questions via this form.

Thank you for your support!

Ms. Burton

If parents are driving their children to Weller, or picking up their children at the end of the day, use the car loop on the gym side of the building. Exchange St. is not a drop off zone. Students are WALKING to school and we MUST consider their safety. The only families who may drop off students near the B-2 door are ones who have received explicit permission from the school because their children need assistance getting to their classrooms. Please follow the drop off and pick up guidelines. Accidents happen very quickly and can result in tragedy. Walkers need to use the crosswalks. Cars need to go to the car loop, not the neighborhood side streets. We appreciate everyone's consideration for all of our children.

If your child has an outstanding bill on their account, they will not be able to purchase additional items. If you need meal assistance, please contact our Family Liaison, Gladys Palomino.

Or you may submit an online application for free or reduced meals. The online process can be approved typically within 72 hours. The paper application is available in the office, but it takes longer for the approval process.

Use this link: https://linqconnect.com/public/meal-application/new?identifier=243AAV

Empathy & Kindness Unit

To begin this unit, grades K & 1 will learn about the importance of kindness. Grades 2 & 3 will define empathy and how it plays a role in friendship. Finally, grades 4 & 5 will be covering concepts such as being kind when learning about different points of view and practicing kindness in the school community.

K - Encourage your child to offer to share items at home. For example, have them help you make a snack and then offer to share it with other family members. Encourage them to offer hugs to family members or friends when they are tired or sad or need encouragement.

1 - Help your child think of a kind act they can do for someone involving offering to help or inviting them to join. Support your child in carrying out the kind act.

2 - Ask your child how having empathy can help them know how to be kind.

3 - Ask your child what helps them feel better when they feel sad. What helps when they feel embarrassed or angry? Tell them what helps you feel better when you feel those same emotions.

4 - Discuss with your child how learning more about someone’s point of view can help you have empathy for them. Encourage your child to think of a time when they had empathy for someone or someone had empathy for them.

5- With your child, think about a problem in your community and make a list together of what you could do to learn more about someone else’s point of view. If possible, try out one of your strategies.

SEAC: The next Special Education Advisory meeting will be held on March 4 at the main Administrative Building. Our SWES PTO representative is Elaheh Latifi. She represents all parents at Weller who have a child with special needs. You may reach out to her at: elaheh.latifi@gmail.com with any concerns or needs. Mrs. Benson, the Weller DEAN is the contact person for any specialized Weller programs; Ms. Trinidad is the contact for cross categorical programs.

Notes from the February meeting will be in our next newsletter.

• Spirit Wear
• Looking for a new Weller shirt? Winter hat? Tumbler? We've got it covered!
• Check out our new shop: https://steuartweller.myshopify.com
• Volunteers needed!
• Please consider helping the PTO with these opportunities.
• Social Media coordinator
• Work with the PTO team to regularly post content on social media channels.
• Staff volleyball game committee
• Help organize details and planning for the staff volleyball game vs Riverside varsity volleyball team on Friday, April 17th.
• Email infoswespto@gmail.com with interest.

If you have questions on anything listed above or would like to discuss other ways to get plugged in, please reach out to Krysti Lloyd at lloyd.krysti@gmail.com.