Churchill Chatter - Issue 1, August 29, 2018
In
This Week's Issue
- Mr. Hutzel's Welcome Back to the new school year
- Recent happenings at Churchill Road
- First lockdown drill scheduled for Thursday, September 6 at 9 AM
- Community flier dates for 2018-2019
- CRS Calendar
of Upcoming Events
- CRS PTA News - ASA registration information and details for Science Olympiad and Kids Literature interest meetings
Principal's Podium
Welcome to the 2018-2019 school year and our first edition of our
weekly newsletter, The Churchill
Chatter!
Our community has spent the last couple of months enjoying summer
schedules. Some went to summer school, others attended camps, and many
families enjoyed vacations. As August 28th loomed closer, new clothes
were purchased and school supplies were restocked. At school, teachers
joined together to organize classrooms, develop new lessons, and plan for the
new school year. And now, the 750 children of Churchill Road are joining
the nearly 200,000 FCPS students that returned to school yesterday.
The School Board has charged us with creating a world-class school
system that, "inspires, enables, and empowers students to meet high
academic standards, lead ethical lives, and demonstrate responsible
citizenship." While the Board is responsible for establishing
policy, the school staff and I are responsible for turning that policy into action.
Although this is only our second day of school, our classrooms are busy with
productive activities and our students are already immersed in exciting
learning opportunities. Important routines and procedures are being
established and serious instruction is already occurring. As I visit the
classrooms, it's impressive to see the many creative and purposeful lessons
taking place.
Educating a child today might seem daunting, but our school is
uniquely poised to meet this challenge. Our teachers, along with our
PTA’s programs, provide our students with great opportunities. Access to
technology, lessons focusing on our international community, and participation
in service learning activities are key pillars to ensure that our students have
the skills they need to be successful citizens of the future. I feel
confident that they will have the knowledge and skills to be our world’s future
leaders.
A key ingredient to a successful school year is good
communication and partnership between the school and our families. The
teachers will do a good job of keeping you posted about school events and your
child’s instructional program. Be sure to check Blackboard.com on a
regular basis. The teachers will be posting daily homework updates to keep
you informed. Also, this newsletter is the #1 communication between the
school and your home. The Churchill Chatter is posted on our school's
website every Wednesday by 4:00 p.m. Please get in the habit of reviewing
each edition. You are guaranteed to learn something new every week.
In an effort to be available for parents, I host a monthly
Principal’s Coffee, 8:00-8:45 a.m., prior to our PTA meetings on the following
dates (all Wednesdays): September 12, October 10, November 14, December
12, January 16, February 13, March 13, April 10, May 8, and June 12.
These events are informal gatherings that provide a forum for discussions about
school and school system news and events.
Tonight and tomorrow night (August 29 & 30), we will be
hosting our Back to School Nights (BTSN). BTSN is an important event
because it provides both our PTA and teachers an opportunity to share essential
information. Your attendance is noted and appreciated. The parent
involvement here at Churchill Road is a critical element to the success of our
school. On behalf of the staff and myself, thank you for your support.
I look forward to seeing you around the school. It’s going
to be a great school year!
Don
Hutzel, Principal
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Recent Happenings at CRS...
A crew from Wheat's Landscape (pictured above) worked hard on our school grounds to ensure that the plants are freshly trimmed and the beds mulched. Thank you to Wheat's for doing an absolutely spectacular job!
 Who says cleaning can't be fun? Ms. Brown and Mr. Woler take a short break after cleaning out the science closet, while building manager Laura Torres and our newest custodian, Sonia Carreno Camacho, help set up in the modular.
Churchill Road teachers and staff caught up on their summer reading with the first book club of the year.
 Staff completed their annual health training with our Public Health Nurse, Julie Smith.
 Thanks for the efforts of the many parents and students who volunteered their time to ensure that all the pre-ordered school supplies made it to the classrooms in time for Open House. It was a daunting task tackled with smiles and a little elbow grease. A special thank you to Elizabeth Marino who coordinated the school supply drive on behalf of the PTA.
 The first day of school went off without a hitch. Mrs. Williams' first graders got back into the school year routine with their morning work (above) and students greeted teachers with enthusiasm (below).
Thank You CRS PTA for a Great Welcome Back Luncheon!
 A very sincere thank you to the CRS PTA Staff Appreciation Committee who treated the entire staff to a wonderful catered lunch on August 21. Several lucky teachers even received gift cards in a raffle drawing. The luncheon was made even more special by all the yummy homemade desserts -- thank you to all those who donated items for the luncheon. And, of course, it would not have been possible without the efforts of Amanda Clarke, Chelsea Lake, Catherine Paschkewitz, Manmeet Sethi and Kristi West. Good job all!
1st Lockdown Drill Scheduled
In order to meet the requirements of the Amended Code of Virginia 22.1-137.2, lockdown drills must be conducted at least four times each school year. On Thursday, September 6 at 9:00 a.m., our students and staff will take part in the first of the four annual “Lockdown Drills” for this school year. A real “lockdown” procedure is initiated in the rare event a high risk incident (involving weapons, stranger intrusion, etc.) occurs in the school, on school property or in the vicinity of the school that could endanger the safety of the students and staff.
A lockdown requires that all students and staff remain in classrooms or other designated secure locations that are away from danger and that minimize access and visibility. During the drill, signs will be posted on the entrance doors indicating the school is in lockdown. No one will be allowed into the school at this time. Similar procedures would be followed in a real situation. Please take this into consideration if your child has an appointment scheduled for Thursday morning, September 6.
The safety of our students and staff at Churchill Road Elementary School is a top priority and the drill will help ensure that we are able to successfully manage crisis situations at the school. Please note that this drill is for practice purposes only. Please do not hesitate to contact Ms. Niccolls, CRS Assistant Principal, at jniccolls@fcps.edu should you have any questions or concerns relative to this issue.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Jennifer Niccolls, Assistant Principal
Distribution
of Community Fliers for the 2018-2019 School Year
The weeks of September 24, December 3, March 4 and May 13 have been
designated for the distribution of fliers and newsletters to CRS students by
non-profit organizations.
Please note that all fliers must be submitted at least 48 hours in
advance for the principal to review and contain the following disclaimer:
"These materials are neither sponsored nor endorsed by the Fairfax County
School Board, the Superintendent, or this School."
For complete information on regulations governing their
distribution, please go to: http://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/fairfax/Board.nsf/files/8K8J7H4BC99C/$file/R1367.pdf.
Attendance
Reminder
School will be closed on Monday, September 3, in honor of the
Labor Day holiday. If your student will be absent any additional days
surrounding the holiday, 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
Wednesday, August 29
BTSN for Kindergarten and Grades 1, 3 and 5, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Thursday, August 30
BTSN for Grades 2, 4 and 6, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Monday, September 3
Labor Day--No School
Thursday, September 6
State-Mandated Lockdown Drill #1 (of 4), 9:00 a.m.
Wednesday, September 12
Principal’s Coffee, 8:00-8:45 a.m., Exploratory Arts Room
PTA Meeting 8:45-9:45 a.m., Exploratory Arts Room
Thursday, September 13
Fall Picture Day
Friday, September 14
Family Movie Night, School Grounds (Gym in case of rain), 5:30-9 PM
Wednesday, September 19
3-Hour Early Release at 12:20 PM
After School Activities
Our catalog of classes & clubs for 2018-2019 is now live. There are lots of fun new options (like Decorating Sweets & Funky Forces), classes taught by our own CRS teachers (Bobcat Fitness!), and returning favorites like Chess Club. Plus by popular demand, Tennis & Basketball are back! Find all the choices at https://em-churchillroad.jumbula.com/#/home.
Note: Priority registration will open for CRS PTA members on 9/6, followed by general registration on 9/10. Kindergarteners are eligible to participate in the Winter & Spring sessions.
Science Olympiad Orientation Meetings
If your 4th, 5th or 6th grader student is interested in participating in Science Olympiad this school year in either Division A or Division B, please mark your calendars and plan to attend with your student one of the mandatory orientation meetings. Find more information online at https://bit.ly/2BGAo7x.
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Division A Orientation (4th & 5th grade students): Friday, 8/31 at 7:30 AM in the Library or 7 PM in the Exploratory Arts room.
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Division B Orientation (5th & 6th grade students): Thursday, 9/6 at 7 PM (Exploratory Arts) or Friday, 9/7 at 7:15 AM (Cafeteria, enter from parking lot).
Note: Division B participants are selected via lottery and entry forms will only be accepted at the orientation meetings. Checks for club fees are also due at the meetings.
For questions, please contact:
Kids Literature Quiz
Kids Literature Quiz (KLQ) is an international literature
competition in which students up to age 13 work in teams to answer questions
about books they have read. If your 4th, 5th or 6th grade student might be interested
in participating in KLQ Club this school year, please mark your calendars and
plan to attend one of the mandatory informational sessions in the Exploratory
Arts room: Wednesday,
9/5 at 7 PM or Thursday 9/6 7:30 AM. Find more information online at https://bit.ly/2BGAo7x.
Links
to PTA News
Link to the CRS PTA homepage:
http://www.churchillroadpta.org/
Link to the PTA Week-at-a-Glance:
https://www.churchillroadpta.org/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 2018-2019 school year are the
weeks of September 24, December 3, March 4 and May 13. 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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