Churchill Chatter - Issue 20, February 1, 2017
Principal's Podium
It’s hard to believe that our 2nd semester of the school year will soon be underway. Second quarter report cards will go home in the February 15 VIP folders. During next Monday’s teacher workday, the staff will meet to collaboratively complete the progress reports and plan for the upcoming school weeks. Also, our staff will participate in several staff development sessions, both here and at other sites in the school system. We are fortunate to have an extraordinary amount of expertise in our school system; our motivated teachers spend many hours attending classes to further their own knowledge.
Since we have reached the halfway mark of the year, I encourage all families to take some time to talk with your child about school. This is a great opportunity to set some academic and behavioral goals for the next two quarters based on the data that comes home in the report card. The Churchill Road teachers have many strategies and ideas that can be shared with families to optimize learning opportunities.
We are lucky to have an extensive cadre of specialists that are available to support students, as well. In addition to the classroom teachers’ Blackboard sites, many resources are posted on the CRS Specials and School Information Blackboard site. Advanced Academic Resource teacher Margie Campbell, Reading teacher Cindy Haines, Librarian Sari Warren, and Technology teacher Jordan Craig-Kuhn all have many ideas, resources and strategies that can be used with students at home.
Finally, I hope that all CRS families consult their classroom teachers. The Churchill Road teachers work hard to establish partnerships with CRS families. We count on parents to let us know if something seems amiss, or to let us know if something happening at home may be affecting academic achievement or behavior at school.
Under our teachers’ excellent guidance and with family support, our students can look forward to an exciting and productive 2nd semester!
Don Hutzel, Principal
 FCPS TV Features CRS 6th Grade Ethics Day
Churchill Road 6th graders attended the Safe Community Coalition’s 15th Annual 6th Grade Ethics Day earlier this fall. Our students spent a morning learning about ethical decision making with peers from another area elementary school. Ethics Day covers challenging situations faced by many pre-teens – scenarios involving issues like cheating, bullying, and lying – and leads students through discussions about how to resolve these moral dilemmas in an ethical way.
FCPS’ Red Apple Channel 21 covered the program on the day that Churchill Road and Chesterbrook students attended. Check out this video on the CRS homepage, to see what our students learned: http://www2.fcps.edu/ChurchillRoadES/video_ethics_day_2016.html.
The students also had the opportunity to sign a banner pledging to “be a person of integrity” while they were at Ethics Day. This banner is hanging near the water fountain at the end of the main entrance hall. To learn more about the Safe Community Coalition, visit: www.safecommunitycoalition.net.
 CRS Geo Bee Winner -- Daniel L.
Churchill Road crowned a new Geography Bee
champion on January 19. Congratulations to 6th grader Daniel L. for
winning his second
consecutive Churchill Road Geo Bee, after five rounds of questions to determine
the top two finalists! Congratulations to fifth grader Jacob S. and
fourth grader Christian J. for their second and third place finishes, respectively.
Their hard work paid off.
Congratulations also to the following
students who competed in the school finals: Atharva B., Andrew C.,
Vendela F., Elliott L., Daniel O., Arthur W. and Kaiden W. And, thank you to
fourth grade teachers Mr. Kilpatrick and Ms. Rook for overseeing
the Bee. (Please note the italicized text represents a correction to the article printed last week.)
 Third graders practice teamwork to "ski" during a recent PE class.
Wellness: Changing Exercise Routines
Our bodies are incredibly smart mechanisms. The more we do the same workout regimen the less effective the workout is because our bodies become more efficient in executing the same movements. We may even find we are not as mentally astute with repeat performances of the same exercise routines because we are able to cruise through the workout on autopilot without focusing. Changing our exercise patterns is important to help us stay engaged and to challenge our bodies. Plus, incorporating a variety of exercises—strength training, cardio, flexibility, and stretching—helps to prevent injuries and overuse of specific muscles. In addition to altering your exercises, you can revolutionize your favorite physical activities by changing the location of your exercise (taking your treadmill run outdoors), trying a different instructor, or updating your playlist to inspire you with new tunes. Mr. Auzenne and Mr. Varhol are always introducing fresh and exciting games in PE that not only challenge students’ physical abilities, but also require students to stay mentally focused, to consider strategy, and how to best work as a team.
Cheer Winners of the Week
Congratulations to our Churchill Cheer winners for the week of January 23. Cheers are given to students who follow the four R’s. Winners are: Jerry Zhang (Kindergarten); Zoe Tabor (1st); Jon David Bulford (2nd); Enid Appiah (3rd); and Aksel Grote-Koomets (4th). Our good citizenship winners are Conner Tone (5th) and Joseph Racich (6th). Our whole class winner is Ms. Bamdad’s second grade class. Remember, at CRS we follow the four R’s. We respect ourselves, we respect others, we respect property, we respect the Earth, and we are responsible.
Last Call for Lost and Found
Our lost and found is overflowing with sweatshirts and coats. One parent found 3 missing sweatshirts and a vest this morning! Please take a minute to go through the items in lost and found located near the gym. Any items that are not claimed by close of business this Friday, February 3, will be donated to charity.
Save the Date for a New Family Coffee with
Mr. Hutzel!
Join Mr. Hutzel to learn more about Churchill Road and the many exciting events coming up at CRS this Spring!
When: Wednesday, February 8, 2017 at 8:00 a.m.
Where: CRS Exploratory Arts Room
Who: All CRS Parents with a special welcome to parents new to CRS this school year!
You are invited to stay for the general membership meeting of the PTA, beginning at 8:45 a.m. immediately following the coffee. Let us know how the year is going and discuss what’s happening next at CRS!
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Digital Citizenship @ Home and @ School
Join us Wednesday, February 15 at 7:00 p.m. in the Exploratory Arts Room for a presentation and Q&A hosted by a team of CRS Teachers and Staff. They'll cover information literacy, Hour of Code, digital footprints, home tips for parents, current technology use at CRS, and screen time recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Presented by the CRS PTA Parent Education Committee.
Student Attendance Reminder
School dismisses at 1:20
p.m. this Friday, February 3. Monday,
February 6 is a student holiday. If your student will be absent any
additional days surrounding these dates, please call the CRS 24-hour attendance
line, 703-288-8484, or email churchillattendance@fcps.edu to report the
absence.
CRS Calendar of Upcoming Events
Friday, February 3:
2-Hour Early Dismissal at 1:20 p.m. (End of Quarter)
Monday, February 6:
Teacher Workday (Student Holiday)
Wednesday, February 8:
Principal’s Coffee @ 8 a.m. in the Exploratory Arts Room
PTA Meeting @ 8:45 a.m. in the Exploratory Arts Room
Wednesday, February 15:
Parent Information Night: Digital Citizenship @ Home and @ School
7:00 p.m. in the Exploratory Arts Room
Monday, February 20:
President’s Day (Student Holiday)
Friday, February 24:
SCA Dress Alike Spirit Day (All Day)
Family Fitness Day from 8-8:20 a.m. (Track, weather permitting, or gym)
Link to the CRS PTA Week at a Glance:
http://www.churchillroadpta.org/crs-pta-week-at-glance
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