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Dear Spartan Families:
I hope everyone is having a great summer. We are excited to welcome all of our Spartans back to school in a few short weeks.
Our administrative team has been hard at work preparing for a great 2026-27 school year. There have been some changes to our team, please note the following administrative assignments:
Principal: Jim Patrick
Director of Student Activities: Jenny Sobota
Director of Student Services: Amrita Sethi
Asst. Principal - Sub School 1 (A-DAH): Deonte Young
Asst. Principal - Sub School 2 (DAI-HOW): Natasha Saunders
Asst. Principal - Sub School 3 (HOX-MOD): Sarah Lutes
Asst. Principal - Sub School 4 (MOE-SEC): Lavina Gangwani-Colaco
Asst. Principal - Sub School 5 (SED-Z): Greg Hall
School counselor assignments can be found on our website.
There is a lot of important back to school information in this email, so please be sure to review the information below.
As always, please reach out to the school if you need any assistance as we prepare to start the year!
Thanks,
Jim Patrick
Principal
West Springfield High School
August 20: Spartan Spree (Open House)
August 24: 1st Day of School
September 4-7: Labor Day Holiday
September 8: Back to School Night
We are excited to welcome you to our Spartan Spree! This special event is designed to help both new and returning students feel confident, connected, and prepared for a successful school year.
Spartan Spree is a great opportunity for students to:
- Explore their class schedules
- Become familiar with the building
- Pick up their FCPS laptop in the Cafeteria
- Learn about clubs, activities, and athletics in Spartan Hall
- Drop off medications in the Clinic, if needed
- Pick up parking passes
We encourage our 9th grade and new students to attend a brief welcome session in the Auditorium beginning at 9:00 AM. You'll hear from our administrative team and learn about the resources and support available at West Springfield High School!
Event Details:
Date: Thursday, August 20th
Location: West Springfield High School
Arrival Times:
- 9th Grade & New Students-9:00 AM
- Returning Students-11:00 AM
Spartan Spree concludes at 1:00 PM for all students and families.
Parents can drop off medication on August 20 from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Only a 30-day supply of medication should be brought to school at a time. All prescription medications, including licensed prescriber drug samples, must be in their original containers and labeled in English by a licensed prescriber or pharmacist. The pharmacy label must match the authorization. Non-prescription medication must always be kept in the original, unopened bottle or box with the name of the medication visible and contain no more than 30 pills.
Please reach out to your Public Health Nurse, Maricel Villarivera, at MVillarivera@fcps.edu if you have additional questions regarding medications or would like to schedule a different medication drop off.
Senate Bill 108 is a new Virginia law that went into effect on July 1. It requires that all schools in the state follow a “bell-to-bell” phone-free policy and prohibit cellphone possession and use for the entire school day. The updated FCPS Cellphone Policy aligns with this law, which means high school students are no longer able to use cellphones, cellphone accessories, or smart devices (like smart glasses, earbuds, headsets, and other items connected to the phone) during lunchtime.
Across all grade levels, cellphones, cellphone accessories, and all smart devices must be off and personally stored for the duration of the school day. Watches that serve a dual purpose (like a smartwatch) must be off and personally stored for the duration of the school day, too. Personal devices that connect to a cellphone or cellphone accessory or operate as a smart device must also follow the FCPS Cellphone Policy.
This policy does not apply to school-issued devices. However, school-issued devices must be used in accordance with FCPS Regulation 6410, Acceptable Use Policy, which allows the use of school-issued devices for educational purposes. More details are available on the FCPS Cellphone Policy webpage.
This fall, every FCPS student will receive a student identification (ID) card as part of a divisionwide effort to modernize school transportation, improve communication with families, and strengthen student safety while traveling to and from school.
Every student who rides the school bus will need to tap on and tap off the bus every day using their new student ID card. Families can help by reinforcing this new habit with their child.
All students at our school will need to have their student ID cards throughout the school day. We will be handing out the new student ID cards the first few weeks of school. More details will be shared soon.
Learn more about the new transportation system and student ID cards.
Make sure your child has all of their required immunizations before the first day of school. Check their immunization records to see what they might be missing. You can:
- Request immunization records online through the Virginia Immunization Information System (a free service).
- If your child was immunized outside of Virginia, get records from those states’ systems.
- Request records from your health care provider. Some may charge for copies.
Review school-required immunizations to verify that your child is up to date.
Required Immunizations for Rising 12th GradersSeveral immunizations are required for students entering 7th and 12th grades.
- All students entering 12th grade are to receive two doses of Meningococcal vaccine (MenACWY) prior to the beginning of school.
- To meet the MenACWY 12th grade requirement, one dose must be administered at age 16 or older.
As long as your child meets the age requirements listed above, they can be immunized at any time.
Where to Receive Immunizations
If your child needs an immunization, make an appointment with your family’s healthcare provider or one of the following immunization events.
FCPS, in partnership with Inspire Health Alliance, will be providing school-required immunizations and optional flu shots for all FCPS students, ages 18 and under, with no out-of-pocket costs. Multiple events will take place at designated FCPS locations. Additional dates will be made available throughout the school year. Parents or guardians may view upcoming events and schedule an appointment for their student. Participation is voluntary.
If you do not have a healthcare provider, visit a Health Department clinic. Fairfax County Health Department (FCHD) clinics offer immunizations to all Fairfax County students, as well as those who are behind on their scheduled immunizations or need a booster.
Summer back-to-school immunization clinics are also available. Appointments are encouraged, but walk-ins are also welcome. FCHD offers limited walk-in hours for immunization services on a first-come, first-served basis. Immunizations are also available by appointment.
Inova Cares Back to School Pediatric Health Fairs provide children ages 5 and up with free school physicals and immunizations. Weekend clinics are available in July and August. These health fairs are for VA Medicaid or Uninsured Inova registered patients only. Appointments are required. Call 703-698-2550 to make an appointment. Bring vaccine records to the appointment.
Local immunization clinics and additional resources are available on the FCPS Immunization Resources webpage and from the FCHD.
Signing up for a SIS ParentVUE account helps you to support your child’s academic success! Caregivers can view important information like attendance, grades, progress reports, and assessment scores through ParentVUE. Once you have activated a ParentVUE account for an FCPS student, you will keep the same account until the student graduates. Information about students in the same family can be accessed through the same ParentVUE account. It is available online and as a mobile app for Apple and Android devices. Need help creating a SIS ParentVue account? This video walks through the steps. Find out more about SIS ParentVUE.
If you already have an account, be sure your contact information is up to date. Parents/guardians can update their phone numbers or email addresses in the Parent/Guardian section. View additional details about ParentVUE.
On Wednesday, July 29, FCPS families who haven't activated their ParentVUE account will receive an email with the subject “Fairfax County Public Schools ParentVUE Activation Letter.” The email will include instructions to activate a ParentVUE account. If you don’t have an account and don’t receive the email, please check your spam folder or submit a request for an activation key through our SIS Parent Assistance Form.
All families are encouraged to activate their accounts as soon as possible to ensure they receive immediate access to important student information and school communications.
On Tuesday, July 28, a new ParentVUE mobile app became available in the Apple and Google app stores. This new app provides parents and caregivers with a more secure sign-in. The current “classic” app will remain active for about six months. Families must download the new app by December 2026 to ensure they have continued mobile access to their child’s school data.
In the new app, families can enroll in multi-factor authentication (MFA) for FCPS Single Sign-On. While enrollment is optional, we strongly recommend that everyone enable this security feature.
Learn more about installing the new ParentVUE app. Parents needing assistance should submit a Parent Support Request.
SAT School Day and PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT) exams will be held at West Springfield High School on Wednesday, October 7, at no cost to families. The digital SAT School Day exam is offered to 12th grade students, and the digital PSAT/NMSQT exam is provided to 10th and 11th grade students.
Find out more about SAT and PSAT assessments in FCPS.
The FCPS mobile app offers a customized platform to help keep you connected and informed, directly from your smartphone. Download the FCPS mobile app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
With the app, you can:
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View school calendars. See events, activities, holidays, and early dismissals.
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Check school menus. See what’s for lunch and breakfast each school day.
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Tap to contact. Quickly call attendance lines or email school staff.
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Stay up to date. Get the latest news from FCPS.
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Access key links. Jump to ParentVUE, Schoology, and the FCPS website in one tap.
No need to log in, just download and go! Learn more about the FCPS mobile app.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, eating breakfast at school is associated with better attendance rates, fewer missed school days, and better test scores. Studies show that students who eat both school breakfast and lunch tend to have healthier diets than those who don't participate in school meals.
Families who qualify for free or reduced-price school meals can receive breakfast and lunch for their students at no cost or at a reduced cost. This includes more than one-third of FCPS students. Families must complete the Free and Reduced-Price Meals (FRM) application before the start of each school year. Approved applications may also qualify students for additional benefits.
The application for FRM is now available for the 2026-27 school year. Students who were approved for FRM last year are eligible for the first 30 days of school this year (or until a new application is processed). Families should reapply as soon as possible so eligible students continue to receive meals at no cost.
Access the application and view criteria and up-to-date information on the FRM webpage. Families should reach out to their schools with questions or for assistance.
Meals for Students Available Through August 21No-cost meals will be provided to students on a first-come, first-served basis through Friday, August 21, at the sites and times listed on the FCPS Summer Food Service Program webpage. Students must remain on site while eating their meals.
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