Principal’s Message

Dear Westbriar Families and Community,

As we close out the 2024–2025 school year, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to each of you for the unwavering support, partnership, and encouragement you’ve shown throughout the year. Whether through volunteering, attending events, or cheering on our Falcons from home, your involvement has made this school year one to remember.

This week has been full of joyful moments—class celebrations, author’s teas, and special recognitions—and we’ve loved seeing our students grow, learn, and soar. Thank you for entrusting us with your children; it is a privilege and honor we don’t take lightly.

As we wrap up the week, here are a few quick reminders:

• Medication Pickup: Please remember to pick up any medication from the health room by dismissal on the last day of school. *REMEMBER WE HAVE A 2:05 PM DISMISSAL ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11th.

• Lost and Found: Our Lost and Found will be donated after the last day—please stop by to check for any missing items!

• Report Cards: Final report cards will be sent home with students and available in ParentVUE.

• Summer Learning Resources: Look out for optional resources and reading activities to help your child stay engaged over the summer.

We also want to recognize and bid farewell to several members of our Westbriar team:

• Emily Nicely, First Grade Teacher, is relocating to Chesterfield, Virginia. Her warmth and dedication will be missed dearly.

• Ann Weagraff, Kindergarten Instructional Assistant, is retiring after years of tireless support for our youngest learners.

• Cheryl Tsang will be transferring to Oakton Elementary to be closer to home—we wish her continued success.

• Neha Goyal, Kindergarten Instructional Assistant, will be taking some time off for R&R—we hope it brings rejuvenation and joy.

• Reem Halabi, Teacher Trainee, who served in kindergarten this year, is also moving on to her next adventure—we’re grateful for her time with us.

These staff members impacted our community in many ways, and we wish them all the very best in their future endeavors.

As the summer approaches, we could still have staffing changes. We will continue to update the community with any changes. We are already almost fully staffed for the next school year. We will introduce our new staff members to you all later this summer.

Wishing you all a restful, joyful summer filled with adventure, laughter, and maybe a little reading, too. Until August—thank you for being a part of what makes Westbriar a truly special place.

With gratitude,

Dr. Sallie Burch

Principal, Westbriar Elementary

Learning to Fly

Westbriar Hosts Grade 3 Author’s Tea: Imagination in Ink

On Wednesday, June 4th, the library at Westbriar Elementary transformed into a literary café as we proudly hosted a Grade 3 Author’s Tea, Imagination in Ink. Led by veteran teacher Mrs. Debbie Alsado—who has taught at Westbriar for 25 years and brings 38 years of experience to the classroom—this event celebrated the imagination, hard work, and unique voices of our third-grade authors.

Each student had the opportunity to write, illustrate, and publish their very own book, sharing a diverse range of genres including historical fiction, poetry, biography, and mystery. Notable works included The Many Wives of King Henry VIII by Alice Critchley Hoang, blending storytelling with period recipes; a suspenseful “Guess Who” mystery by Emily Ladu; and The Life of Poetry by Kate Lee, a lyrical celebration of prose.

Guests also explored student work from across the Benchmark writing units, including animal-perspective diaries, digital biographies, weathering projects, and student growth portfolios. The creativity on display reflected the depth of our new language arts curriculum and the exceptional teaching behind it.

Adding to the special occasion, families, staff, and students were honored to welcome distinguished guests Dr. Michelle Reid, Superintendent of FCPS, and Mrs. Melanie Meren, our Hunter Mill District School Board Representative. Their presence elevated the event and underscored the importance of student voice and celebration of learning.

Light refreshments and live music filled the air as our Westbriar community gathered to read and reflect. Performances by our talented sixth-grade musicians on piano, violin, and guitar created a warm ambiance, and third grader Don Cowley impressed the audience with a stunning rendition of The Approaching Storm.

A heartfelt thank you goes to our incredible third-grade team, Mrs. Alsado, and all the parents who supported behind the scenes—from helping publish books to setting up refreshments. Most of all, we applaud our third-grade students, whose imaginations took center stage and truly soared.

Here’s to many more chapters of creativity and celebration ahead at Westbriar!

Dietary Accommodations for Students

In recognition of National Food Allergy Awareness Month, the Office of Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) wants to emphasize that it has implemented a standardized process for dietary accommodations. This ensures that FCPS students receive safe and healthy food. The Dietary Accommodations information provides step-by-step guidance for families to follow to ensure safe and appropriate food is provided to their student(s). This guidance includes needing a Medical Dietary Accommodation Form to be signed by a Licensed Health Care Provider and forwarded to FNS. For students who need a milk substitute, the Milk Substitution Form signed by a Parent/Guardian must also be on file with FNS.

Forms are to be emailed to dietary.forms.fns@fcps.edu by parents/guardians. FNS Registered Dietitians on staff will then contact the family to begin planning safe meals for their student and place an alert on the student’s file at the register.

✏️ Order Your 2025–2026 Sprout School Supply Kits Today!

Planning ahead for the next school year? Make back-to-school shopping a breeze by ordering your child’s school supplies through Sprout School Supply Kits!

Each grade-level kit is customized to match our updated 2025–2026 supply lists and will be delivered directly to your child’s classroom before the first day of school—no running around to different stores or searching for specific items!