2/21/18 PTSA E-Blast

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HAPPENINGS:

2/21 – Jazz Band and Concert Band concert, 7 pm

2/21 – Sully Citizen’s Advisory Council meeting, 7:30 pm

2/22 and 2/23 – Volunteers requested in Mrs. Warren’s English classes

2/22 – Symphonic Band and Wind Symphony concert, 7 pm

2/24 – Turbo Tutoring SAT class

2/26 – Foster’s fundraiser for Robotics

3/7 – 100 Days‘Til Graduation Meeting, 6:30 pm

3/17 – SAT Practice test

Here are several updates we know about from around the school:

1. Mulch Sale has begun: Winter may not be done with us yet, but soon it will be time to get your yard ready for spring! Make it easy on yourself and have your mulch delivered right to your driveway on April 6^th or 7^th by Westfield students! Every year, the high-quality, double-shredded mulch and and the available spreading service sell out!  Because this is an all-volunteer fundraiser, there is a limit to the total number of bags able to be delivered. If you order early (15 bag minimum, WHS boundaries), you’ll be assured free delivery to your driveway. Each 3 cubic foot bag is $5, of which $2.60 may be tax deductible (depending on your specific circumstances). To order, please either go online or download the attached form and return it to Westfield along with a check. Questions? Please email bulldogmulch@westfieldhs.org
2. Mulch Day Volunteer Sign-Ups:  Mulch Day is fast approaching! Many volunteers and food donations are needed to make this a success!  Students earn service hours and funds for up to two clubs/sports and can win prizes, plus have fun with friends! All students can help – from the most petite to the most burly and everyone in between, everyone can participate! Here are the sign-up links: student volunteers; parent/guardian volunteers; and food donations.  Please help make this annual community event successful again this year!   Students planning to apply for the PTSA scholarship this year or in the future—this is an important piece of PTSA volunteering that is part of the application.
3. Class of 2018 Parents/Guardians – 100 Days ‘Til Graduation Meeting: On Wednesday, March 7^th starting at 6:30 pm in the cafeteria, there will be a meeting for parents/guardians of the class of 2018. At the meeting, a wide variety of information will be presented – from Prom to the mulch sale and delivery (many volunteers needed) to graduation rehearsals and senior dues/fines, plus more. There may be a representative from the graduation announcements company. There are changes to graduation this year, so please be sure to come and hear all about it.
4. Class of 2018 All Night Graduation Celebration Volunteers Needed: The ANGP committee is working to plan a fun, safe event that follows graduation. All graduating seniors are invited and encouraged to take part in this memorable, once-in-a-lifetime event which will be held at the Uptown Alley. Tickets go on sale soon. More help is needed – please contact Kathleen Whitman at kwhitmangarden@gmail.com . Many hands make light work….the more the merrier. 
5. Volunteers requested to hear students in Mrs. Warren’s English classes: “We’re taking persuasive argumentation to the next level!”  On Thursday 2/22 and Friday 2/23, three English 10 classes (periods 4, 5, and 6) will present their final pitches for a project-based investigation in which they examine current issues in education and develop persuasive proposals for innovative changes to better meet he needs of 21^st century learners. The students are excited to present their proposals to an authentic audience of “real people”, which is where you come in! Needed are volunteers to join the “expert” panels and hear proposals. No particular experience or expertise is required, as questions will naturally arise during conversation and a script of discussion starters will be provided. If you are interested, please sign up here   Thank you!
6. Sully Citizen’s Advisory Council Meeting, 2/21 7:30-9 pm: This month’s meeting will focus on mental health awareness, with on emphasis on how law enforcement and mental health professionals work together. The meeting will be held at the Sully District Station, 4900 Stonecroft Blvd.
7. SAT Practice Test: On Saturday, March 17^th, the PTSA has teamed with prepwithJen.com, an SAT prep program offering summer boot camps, as well as small group 8-week classes. On March 17^th, there will be a proctored practice SAT test which will then be scored and used to help students prepare for the actual test. Studies show that the more practice student have, the better they do on the real test. There is a $20 fee, payable by cash or check made payable to “WHS PTSA”. Thank you Hari Chadeva for organizing! To register or for more information, click here.
8. Virginia PTA Senior Scholarship Program: Scholarships are awarded based on demonstrated commitment to and engagement in community service, academic achievement, and financial need. The deadline is March 1^st and you must have been a ptsa member by December 1^st. For more information, click here.
9. Foster’s Fundraiser to support the WHS Robotics Team:  On Monday, February 26^th, the WHS Robotics “Dogs of Steel” will hold a dinner fundraiser at Foster’s, 5007 Westone Plaza (down the road from WHS). A portion of sales at Foster’s between 4 – 9 pm that afternoon will be donated to the team. Thank you Foster’s for supporting WHS!
10. Turbo Tutoring SAT (2/24) Prep: Attached is an informational flier for Turbo Tutoring, an SAT and ACT prep program used by many WHS students through the years. This program consists of a strategy session for taking the test which is completed in one block of time. Click here for information about the program and click here to register. Or, see the attached flier for more information.
11. FCPS Special Eduation Conference: On April 21^st, there will be a Special Education Conference at Hayfield Secondary School. For more information or to register, click here.
12. Yarn Donations: The WHS librarians are sponsoring a volunteer opportunity for students after school on Mondays in the library. Students will be able to knit scarves for the homeless. This project is in conjunction with SOME.org and students will be able to earn community service hours. This is a project that is offered at Stone MS, so we hope to encourage students to continue this work at Westfield. To help get this project rolling, donations of yarn have been requested: Red Heart brand yarn, acrylic (washable), weight category 4, dark colors only, and from smoke-and-pet-free homes (due to allergies). Questions? Please contact Ms. Koenig at amkoenig@fcps.edu.
13. Yearbooks: Have you ordered a 2017-2018 Yearbook yet? To order, click here and enter code 5577. The price is currently $70.
14. Easy ways to Support Westfield:

• Giant Food: Please remember to reregister your Giant bonus card. It has to be registered every year and can be done at: https://giantfood.com/school-rewards  Our school code is 03798.  The program runs October 6^th – March 15^th.
• Harris Teeter: Register your VIC card at http://www.harristeeter.com/community/together_in_education/link_to_your_school.aspx   Our school code is 8134.
• Office Depot:  When checking out at the register, please ask them to credit Westfield HS. The code is 70115228. They’ll give 5% back to the school!
• Amazon: Please click on the link on the right side of the PTSA’s webpage before ordering! www.ptsa.westfieldhs.org
• Shutterfly: Please click here  to give 13% of your purchase back to the school 

15. mySATadvisor.com: An option for SAT preparation is mySATadvisor.com Online, unlimited practice and analytics on College Board tests and other popular test publishers. Improve speed and accuracy, practice missed or bookmarked questions, and more. Use promo code WHSPTSA20 for a 20% discount

16. Have something about a club, team, or class at Westfield that you’d like in the e-blast?Send a request to cpisarcikptsa@cox.net

Good luck to all trying out for spring sports!

Good luck to winter athletes still competing in Regional and State competitions!

Go Bulldogs!