Please call the main office at 703-912-4400 for any urgent communications with the school. 

Health Room: 703-912-4410   Attendance line: 703-912-4444

 

Ways We Communicate

Parents can find the latest news about school events and happenings via the:

• Thursday Folder: Each Thursday, a folder with student work and other information from the school and PTA will be sent home.
• Weekly Classroom Communication: Each week, classroom teachers will be providing you with specific news from the class and grade level. This may be in the form of a newsletter, blog, email or another form of communication.
• Twitter: Follow us on Twitter at @WSESMustangs
• Facebook: West Springfield maintains a Facebook site that reports on school happenings. Find West Springfield ES and like our page to follow. Look for the WSES 50th Anniversary Logo!
• Schoology: Each student has a Schoology account and it is used during the school day to access parts of our curriculum. Additionally, teachers may post information about assignments and/or projects. Parents also have Schoology accounts that give them visibility into classroom materials and learning activities.
• News You Choose (Mustang Memo):  Make sure you sign up to receive communication to your email or via text message.  Find the link at the bottom of the homepage.
• Phone/Email: Each teacher has a voice mailbox and email account (Staff Directory). Please try not to leave time sensitive messages, such as a change in transportation, in a voicemail or email after the school day has begun as there is no guarantee the teacher will be able to access their phone/email during the instructional day. For those types of messages, please call the main office and they will get a message to the teacher. Please allow 24 hours for teachers to respond to emails/phone messages.

West Springfield Communication Tips:

• Encourage your child to communicate concerns/questions with the teacher on his/her own before you become involved in the conversation.
• We encourage parents to discuss concerns with the teacher before contacting the school administration.
• Allow 24 hours turnaround time on teacher communication, including emails. For every email you send to your teacher, takes away from the time they spend planning for student learning.
• Communicate with the teacher if you have a concern.
• Communicate to all teachers (including specialists) regarding important information about your child (i.e. illness, change in routine, death in the family, medication changes, etc.).
• Email is best for communicating information, asking questions and making appointments, whereas face-to-face meetings or phone conversations are appropriate for larger issues. Please pre-arrange a meeting rather than going directly to a classroom unannounced.
• Communicate changes in transportation with the office and teacher by 2:45 p.m. Please note that teachers do not check their email during instructional time, so alerting the office is best.
• Our West Springfield staff believes it to be a priority to maintain open lines of communication between our parent and school community. Parents are encouraged to contact a teacher if they have a concern. All teachers have phones in their classrooms where a parent can leave a message during the school day. All teachers and staff also can be contacted by e-mail. Please give 24 hours for a teacher or staff member to respond to your inquiry. Urgent matters that need to be communicated immediately should go through the front office. 

How Do We Contact You?

Your emergency contact information is vital to us and to you.  It accompanies your child everywhere he or she goes – even on field trips.  Phone numbers, addresses, and the names of the adults you permit to take your child from school should all be kept current. 

You can input, access, and update your child’s emergency care information via the FCPS program, weCare@school, which is available through the Parent View account on FCPS 24-7.  It is fast, easy, and safe.

The paper version of the emergency care form is still available.  It is not necessary to complete both the paper and the online version.