Churchill Chatter - Issue 31, April 18, 2018
In This Week’s Issue:
- Jump Rope for Heart a Huge Success
- Final Spring 2018 SOL Testing Schedule
- Second grade guest speakers
- Churchill students excel at Robotics Competition
- Earth Day and Family Fitness Spirit Day on Friday, April 20
- Parent network event, Coffee and Conversation: The Blessing of a Skinned Knee, tomorrow morning (April 19) at 8:45 a.m.
- Parent network event, iParent 101, Wednesday, April 25 at 8:45 a.m.
Jump Rope for Heart a Huge Success!
The Physical Education department would like to give a big thank you to all the students and families that participated in the American Heart Association’s Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser! Due to your efforts, Churchill Road raised an impressive $28,129. In the 19 years Churchill Road has participated in Jump Rope for Heart, this year is our all-time school record! We are currently the highest fundraising school in Fairfax County and the second highest fundraising school in the Commonwealth of Virginia!
We had 249 students participate on the fundraising side. All students enjoyed different jumping activities as part of their warm up in P.E. class. They also got to learn more about the scare squad and the specific health messages of each scare squad member.
Our top earners this year included Rahniya S. (2nd Grade) with a whopping $1,910 raised, Alex C. (2nd Grade) $1,225 raised, Griffin H. (2nd Grade) $1,000 raised, Ryan D. (1st Grade) $800 raised, Casey T. (3rd Grade) $530 raised, Connor G. (2nd Grade) $505 raised, and Isabelle S. (4th Grade) $500 raised. We had many students raise over a $200, as well. It was a total team effort.
Most impressive was the enthusiasm displayed by our students to further the cause and awareness of heart disease. The money raised will be used to fund groundbreaking research that helps kids and adults with serious heart diseases and conditions survive and thrive. It also helps fund programs that train people how to perform lifesaving CPR. All of you are Heart Heroes! Thank you again for all your support and effort these last couple of weeks!
Mr. Varhol & Ms. Gift
Spring 2018 SOL Testing Schedule
Mark your calendars! Churchill Road students in Grades 3-6 will be taking the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) Tests from May 15 through May 25, 2018. It is important that your child attend school on these days. If possible, please avoid scheduling trips or appointments that would take your child out of school during this time period. It is also important that your child have a good night’s rest and a healthy breakfast before testing. Please be sure that your student arrives on time the day of his/her SOLs, as testing will begin promptly at 8:45 a.m. Make-up tests will be scheduled upon the student’s return, through the end of the testing window (June 1, 2018). Dates for each grade level test are shown below.
Grade 3 Reading - Wednesday, May 16
Grade 3 Math - Friday, May 18
Grade 4 Reading - Tuesday, May 15
Grade 4 Math - Tuesday, May 22
Grade 4 VA Studies - Thursday, May 24
Grade 5 Reading - Thursday, May 17
Grade 5 Math - Wednesday, May 23
Grade 5 Science - Friday, May 25
Grade 6 Reading - Thursday, May 17
Grade 6 Math - Wednesday, May 23
The Virginia SOL tests measure the extent to which students have learned the content and skills specified in content areas such as writing, reading, mathematics, history/social studies and science.
Please look for additional information on grade-level BlackBoard sites and the CRS website.
Second Graders Learn from Experts About Innovations in Communication and Transportation
Mr. Appel talks to second graders about transportation of goods.
Second grade kicked off its next Project Based Learning unit in Social Studies: Innovations and Invention in Communication and Transportation with two very special guest speakers. Industry expert Mr. Peter Appel, former head of the Research and Technology agency at the U.S. Department of Transportation, outlined the wide variety of forms of transportation for the students. The students were fascinated to learn all the steps in the process of getting a Pokémon card from China to McLean. Mr. Ira Keltz, former deputy director of the Office of Engineering and Technology for the Federal Communications Commission, highlighted the extraordinary advancements in communication -- from the town crier spreading news around town to the 10 day pony express to get news from coast to coast to modern day instant messaging flying around the globe in an instant. Both gentleman did a fantastic job engaging student interest in this project. Thank you to Mr. Appel and Mr. Keltz for their engaging and informative presentations.
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Mr. Keltz speaks with second graders about how communications methods have advanced over the years.
Churchill Students Excel in Recent Team Robotics Competitions
Team Rising Phoenix, which includes Churchill Road students Daniel W., Cynthia Q., Matthew L., Sophia L., David H. and Pranav A. showcased their robots at the US News Workforce for Tomorrow event on April 4-5 and at the 5th USA Science and Engineering Festival held in Washington DC on April 6-8. Team Rising Phoenix, Capital Robotics Team representing the VEX IQ, was the only middle-school /elementary-school students group invited to this largest STEM festival in the US. Team Rising Phoenix recently won VEX IQ Robotics Virginia State Championship in February. The accomplishments of the Team has earned them a ticket to compete in the upcoming 2018 Vex IQ World Competition (Apr. 29 - May 1) with hundreds of other teams from different countries and regions. Congratulations to Team Rising Phoenix on a job well done!
Wellness: Benefits of Environmental Stewardship
Fifth graders plant some seeds to place in the greenhouse until they can be transplanted to the raised beds later in the spring.
Good health is not just about our diet and physical fitness; our environment is also critical to our overall wellbeing. We need clean air to breath, safe water to drink, and homes secured from hazards, such as lead, radon, and mold. Our neighborhoods should be free from potentially hazardous nuisances, like illegal dumping, noise pollution, unsafe structures, and mosquito breeding areas. CRS students are such great stewards of the environment and it is reflected throughout the school. They learn about the environment and actively take part in improving our world on a daily basis, from gardening to recycling to composting. Many students share the lessons they learn at CRS with their families for an even greater environmental impact. This Friday, CRS will celebrate Earth Day Spirit Day with a family fitness fun day. Please join us at the playground (or gym if there is inclement weather) at 8:00 a.m. to celebrate our beautiful blue and green planet. Happy Earth Day!
Cheer
Winners of the Week
Congratulations to our Churchill Cheer winners for the week of April 9. Cheers are given to students who follow the four R’s. Churchill Cheer
winners are: Ellie Kalantar (K); Jonah Meier (1st); Griffin Harris (2nd); Abby Kalish (3rd); and Stanley Cai (4th). Our good citizenship winners are Ray Seo (5th)
and Alex Miller (6th).
Our teacher winner is Mrs. Alvarez! 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.
 LHS Presents EVITA
April 19-21 and 26-28
Come see current Churchill Road students and alumni in Langley High School's upcoming musical, Evita. All performances will be held in the Langley High School Auditorium, 6520 Georgetown Pike,
McLean, VA 22101. Curtain is at 7:00 p.m. Purchase tickets in advance for $12 each at: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3391908. Any remaining tickets will be sold at the door for $15.00.
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Earth Day
and Family Fitness Spirit Days Friday, April 20!
In honor of our Earth Day celebration, Friday, April 20th
is a school spirit day! We are showing our support for planet
Earth by wearing blue and green. Kindergarten, second, fourth,
and sixth graders should wear blue. First, third,
and fifth graders should wear green. We can’t wait to see
everyone in their blue and green! Also, join us for the
PTA's Family Fitness Day from 8:00-8:20 a.m. on the CRS playground
(or gym, in case of inclement weather). Mark your calendars now for the
remaining Spirit/Family Fitness Days of the school year.
Friday, May 25 -- Pajama/Stuffed Animal Day
Friday, June 15 -- Color Day Spirit Day
CRS Calendar of Upcoming Events
Friday, April 20
Earth Day Spirit Day
Family Fitness Day, 8:00-8:20 AM, Playground
Tuesday, April 24
AAP Orientation Night, 7:00 PM, Gym
Friday, April 27
International Parade of Cuisines & Fashion Show, 6:00-8:00 PM, Gym/Stage
Monday, April 30
Wear Blue Autism Spirit Day
Saturday, May 5
Cinco de Derby, 5:30-8:00 PM, Greenhouse Tysons
Wednesday, May 9
Principal's Coffee, 8:00-8:45 AM, Exploratory Arts Room
PTA Meeting, 8:45-9:45 AM, Exploratory Arts Room
Scroll down to "Upcoming Events at Churchill Road Elementary School" on the CRS homepage for event dates later in the school year: https://churchillroades.fcps.edu/.
Coffee & Conversation: The
Blessing of a Skinned Knee
Stop by tomorrow
from 8:45-10:15 a.m. in the EA room for an informal gathering to chat about
everyday child-rearing issues based on clinical psychologist and child expert
Dr. Wendy Mogel's book, The Blessing of a Skinned Knee. The first of Dr.
Mogel's three books covers how to raise self-reliant, compassionate and ethical
children in today's world. Didn't read the book? No worries! Come anyway and
ask questions, meet other parents, or just listen in.
Parade of Cuisines & Fashion Show
Signups to participate in the Fashion Show at our
International Parade of Cuisines (4/27 from 6-8 p.m.) close this Friday 4/20.
Learn more http://www.churchillroadpta.org/international-parade-of-cuisines.
Thank A Teacher
Through the Virginia PTA’s
Thank A Teacher program, you and your child can send a digital thank you note
to your favorite teachers & thank them for all that they do. With each
thank you note, teachers can enter to win one of many great prizes. Learn more
at https://thankateacherva.com/. Check next week’s Chatter for information on Teacher Appreciation
Week at CRS.
iParent 101
Join us next Wednesday at 8:45 a.m. for a
discussion with Dr. Pletter on preparing and managing your family in the age of
smart phones and social media, including what to have in place before you give your child a smartphone, getting screen time under control, and
setting firm boundaries to safely navigate digital parenting. http://www.churchillroadpta.org/parent-education-resources.
Links
to PTA News
Link to the CRS PTA homepage:
http://www.churchillroadpta.org/
Link to the PTA Week-at-a-Glance:
https://cresp.memberclicks.net/crs-pta-week-a-glance
As
outlined by FCPS Regulation 1367.2, school principals shall offer options to
nonprofit organizations that want to make their materials available to students
and parents. At Churchill Road, non-profit organizations will be permitted to
send home flyers in the take home folder 4 times during the year. The dates for
the 2017-2018 school year are the
weeks of October 2, December 4, March 5 and May 14. These
fliers must be related to the school’s educational mission and be
age-appropriate. Community organizations must submit their materials in advance
to the school’s principal and must include the disclaimer “These materials
are neither sponsored nor endorsed by the Fairfax County School Board, the
Superintendent, or this School.” Once approved, the organization will be
required to make the copies necessary for distribution. Any questions can be
directed to Kim Moran, Churchill Road's Public Relations Liaison.
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