 Kindergarten students are preparing their entries for the Yearbook Cover contest in art class.
Note from Dr. Sheers
During the month of
September, our students have been using the Advanced Academics Program Critical & Creative
Thinking Strategy of PMI: Plus, Minus,
Interesting.
The Plus, Minus, Interesting
(PMI) strategy encourages students to develop the habit of looking beyond the
polarity of “yes or no,” “wrong or right,” “my answer or your answer.” The goal
of PMI is to develop independent thinkers who consider a range of ideas and/or
possibilities and see beyond the obvious.
For the plus side, we
consider the positive aspects of a situation; we explore the “down-side” of an
issue in the minus category. The interesting category can include
aspects that aren’t necessarily good or bad – as well as questions we have.
Classroom teachers use the PMI charts in multiple ways – the morning message (PMI about a week
of indoor recess) or in a more serious examination of the impact of an
historical event or scientific phenomena.
Did You Know?
 As we begin another school year,
teachers always start by building a community of readers in their
classrooms. Building reading stamina is
one of the first lessons we teach the children in all grade levels. Stamina
means being able to stick with something for periods of time. This stamina, or
endurance, builds strength. Stamina can apply to lots of different areas, such
as exercise or painting. It can also apply to reading. Here is an article
on how to help your child build reading stamina at home: http://bit.ly/read_stam
News and Notes
Picture
Day Orders
Parents, you still have one more day to place
Picture Day orders. Go to mylifetouch.com by September 29 if you would
like to order your student’s pictures. Use the information below.
School
Name: West Springfield Elementary
Picture
Day Date: September 27, 2018
Picture
Day ID: HJ248056Q0
Pyramid
Challenge Registration About to Close
Online registration for the West
Springfield Pyramid Challenge race will close on Monday, October 1. This FREE
race will take place at Washington Irving Middle School on Saturday, October
13, from 10 a.m.-12 p.m.. The local
schools compete to see who will have the highest percentage of participants.
Let's bring that trophy to WSES!! Keep an eye out for additional information
over the coming weeks in the Thursday folder.
Register before October 1 to guarantee your Pyramid Challenge
shirt. Contact Erin Snow or Sally
Barton, PTA Pyramid Challenge Co-Chairs, with any questions.
Advanced Academics Program (AAP) Parent Information Meeting
Ms. Tkacik, our Advanced Academics Resource Teacher, will be sharing information regarding the AAP levels of services immediately following the PTA meeting on Tuesday, October 2 at around 7:00 p.m. Questions will be answered regarding:
-
Screening, testing, and identification timeline
-
Application process for the AAP
-
Base schools and Center schools
For questions regarding
the event, please reach out to the AART teacher, Mrs. Mollie Tkacik, at mdtkacik@fcps.edu.
Rotational Barbeque
West Springfield
Elementary will have our annual Rotational BBQ on Thursday, October 4. The BBQ
menu will consist of Hamburgers, Cheeseburgers, Turkey Hot Dogs, Turkey Half
Smokes, and Black Bean Burgers as well as fruits and raw vegetables. Lunch
prices remain the same.
Chalk4Peace Rescheduled
Chalk4Peace has
been officially rescheduled for Friday, October 5. Chalk4Peace
is a worldwide event every September for artists to draw their vision of peace
outside using sidewalk chalk (Due to rain, WSES
will hold it in October). It started in Arlington, Virginia over
ten years ago and now has countries around the world participating! WSES
students will draw their images of peace during the school day on October 5. Please remember to
send your kids in clothing that can get messy and be sure to check out our
colorful artwork on the sidewalks and blacktops after school.
Columbus Day
Please be aware that
Monday, October 8 is a student holiday, so no school for students. Enjoy the
long weekend!
International Walk to School Day
West Springfield
Elementary, along with many other schools in FCPS, will participate in
International Walk to School Day on Wednesday, October 10, to promote physical
activity and reduce traffic congestion and pollution near schools. Students and
employees are encouraged to bike or walk to school and work on October 10.
Parents are encouraged to accompany their children to school, and to work with
their school and PTA to assemble bike trains or walking groups for the event.
Book Fair Volunteers Needed
Our Fall Book Fair will
take place the week of October 22-26. We need your help with sales throughout
the week, for set up on October 18 and breakdown on October 26. We are also
looking for volunteers to come in on the preview day, October 19 to help our
students. As a thank you, volunteers who
help for at least one hour will receive 10% off their purchases. We have lots
of opportunities to volunteer so please consider coming in and helping. Even if you cannot help with the event, don’t
forget to save the date for Family Night Shopping on Tuesday, October 23 from
4-8 p.m. All proceeds from the Book Fair go to our library. Please visit the
Sign-Up Genius link below to select a time to volunteer. If you have any
questions, please contact Mr. Rigsby at lsrigsby@fcps.edu.
Sign-Up
Genius Link: WSES 2018 Fall Book Fair Volunteer Sign up
Veterans Day Performance
We are beginning to
prepare for our Veterans Day Performance that will be held at 9:30 a.m. on
Monday, November 12. We need volunteers to serve on our military panel who have
served or are currently serving in one of the armed forces. Please email our
school counselor, Ms. Brooke Menard, if you are available to help at bnmenard@fcps.edu.
 Spanish Language Through Content is in full
swing in project-based learning thanks to Senora Crandol!
Grade 6 is learning about the
Solar System so they can share their favorite planet in Spanish, using color,
size, location, proximity to the sun and number order.
Grade 5 is designing and building a structure that is earthquake proof. They are currently
looking at ancient structures and determining what made them earthquake proof.
Grade 4 is learning about our Virginia
watersheds and the role they play in our daily lives. They will
ultimately design a portable water filter that will help us filter dirty water
we might find in our rivers or lakes.
Grade 3 is working on being able to identify
and describe native and non-native Virginia ladybugs. They will ultimately design
a garden that is friendly to and encourages ladybugs to visit in an attempt to
keep our milkweed healthy.
Grade 2 is learning about different states of
matter as we they work towards designing and building a cooler that will keep
popsicles solid for 30 minutes.
Grade 1 is learning about the different
seasons and weather in the northern and southern hemispheres as they prepare for
a virtual trip to Argentina during their spring.
Kindergartners are continuing to grow as
scientists. They are learning about our senses and shapes as they prepare for a virtual trip to the pumpkin patch.
Community News
Occoquan
Arts and Crafts Show
On September 29 and 30, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.,
the historic Town of Occoquan will close its streets and host nearly 300
contemporary and country crafters and artisans from across the U.S. This
award-winning semi-annual arts and crafts festival attracts 10,000 visitors for
fun, food and shopping. The typically quiet streets come to life with beautiful
art, live music and great food. To find
out more, click here.
Make,
Create, Or Take Art at Rippon Lodge
On September 29, head down to Woodbridge and
bring your easel, canvas, paintbrushes, camera, or sketchbook to make, create,
or take art at Rippon Lodge. Whether it is a landscape, a still life, a nature
sketch, a selfie, portrait, or abstract, Rippon Lodge pays special attention to the
arts this day. Art is an integral part of the Lodge’s history, from the famous
watercolors by Benjamin Latrobe to our very own Aviza Black, fashion
illustrator and painter. Enjoy working
with Edgemoore Art Studio, local photographers, make crafts at art stations, or
create on your own. This art event is free to all.
Save the Date
Tuesday, October 2 PTA Meeting at 7 p.m. in the Library
AAP Informational Meeting ~7:30 p.m.
Thursday, October 4 FCPS Rotational BBQ @ WSES
Friday, October 5 Rescheduled Chalk4Peace
Monday, October 8 Columbus Day- No School for Students
Wednesday, October 10 National Walk to School Day
Friday, October 12 Wear your previous Pyramid Challenge shirts
Saturday, October 13 WS Pyramid Challenge
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