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Dear Westridge Families,

As we wrap up another inspiring week, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks for the energy and commitment each of you brings to our school community - from our dedicated counselors, whose incredible work we celebrated during National School Counseling Week, to our hardworking teachers whose passion drives excellence every day, and our focused students who proudly wear their ARMOR daily, embodying resilience and determination. I look forward to PTA Paint Night tonight, an opportunity for us to come together in creativity and celebration, further strengthening the bonds that make our community so special. Have a wonderful weekend!

Warmly,

Steven Wilson

Proud Principal - Westridge Elementary

• February 10-14 - National Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) Week
• February 12 - Crossing Guard Appreciation Week
• February 14 - Amicus House Breakfast
• February 17 - No School - Presidents Day Holiday (Schools and Offices Closed)

Over the past two Fridays, our Westridge Singing Knight Chorus brought the joy of music to residents at local assisted living centers. On January 31st, our Tuesday chorus visited Westminster at Lakeridge, and today, on February 7th, our Wednesday chorus performed at Brookdale at Lakeridge. The students delivered outstanding performances, filled with youthful energy and spirit. We are incredibly proud of their dedication and the positive impact they made in our community.

February School Lunch Specials

February’s Local Harvest of the Month is Butternut Squash! We are serving Roasted Butternut Squash on the School Lunch Menu in February. Be sure to check the Lunch Menu to see when it will be served for lunch! Don’t miss this classic and seasonal flavor!

Strawberry Milk will be served on Friday, February 14th as a Valentine’s Day treat! Did you know that the milk served at PWCS, including the special strawberry milk served on Valentine’s Day, is locally produced? Our milk is supplied through Dairy Maid Dairy located in Frederick, Maryland just 50 miles from our county! In addition to the milk being local, we also ensure the flavored milk we offer such as Strawberry Milk does not contain artificial colors or dyes. Have fun celebrating Valentine’s Day with this fun and healthy treat!

February is American Heart Health Month!

In February, the United States celebrates the importance of heart health! PWCS Nutrition promotes heart health by providing students with daily menu choices featuring lean proteins, whole grains, low-fat milk, and unlimited fruit and vegetable options! Meals also are low in sodium and added sugars. Many of the school lunch menu items are made from scratch which allows the Division to better control what goes into the food served to students. Try one of PWCS Nutrition’s scratch-made, vegetarian entrees: Rosé Bolognese! This recipe is made with whole-grain rich pasta, vegetarian “sausage” crumbles, marinara sauce, low-fat dairy products, and fresh basil! Here is the recipe prepared in all PWCS kitchens!

Prince William County Public Schools is participating in the statewide SNAP in Schools Initiative to address chronic absenteeism. George Mason University’s Learning Laboratory for Community Health, in partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), is conducting a parent/guardian survey to uncover the root causes of student absences in Virginia’s public schools.

Your insights are critical to helping us support students, families, and schools. The survey takes about 10 minutes, is completely anonymous, and will be open until February 28, 2025.

Please take a moment to share your thoughts and help create meaningful change for our students: Take the Survey Here

Varsity Tutors for Schools platform is a FREE online resource for grades K-12 designed to support your students’ academic growth. This platform offers:

• 24/7 On-Demand Chat Tutoring
• Essay Review and Coaching
• Live Group Classes
• Test Prep Classes
• Enrichment Classes
• Celebrity-Led Star Courses and more.

Students access Varsity Tutors by logging into Clever using their PWCS email address (for example, username@pwcs-edu.org) and password (this is the same password students use to log into their PWCS issued device). Once logged into Clever, you can find the link for Varsity in the PWCS Resources section. For more information please visit: https://www.pwcs.edu/departments/instructional_technology/online_tutoring/index

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PWCS recognizes that this time of year can be particularly challenging for many students. To ensure that every student has access to the support they need, we would like to remind parents that free mental health telehealth services are available to all PWCS students through Hazel Health – at no cost. Together, we can make a significant difference in the mental well-being of our students now and beyond.

Visit the PWCS Hazel Health webpage for more information.

For more information or questions, please contact Francesca Knight, coordinator of social work services, at KnightFW@pwcs.edu.

Team Prince William Elite (TPWE) is dedicated to empowering young athletes through the disciplines and experiences of competitive basketball. Please visit teamprincewilliamelite.org for more information.