Churchill Chatter - Issue 12, November 14, 2018
In This Week's Issue
- FCPS Grading Policies and Standards-Based Progress Reports
- Getting to Know Churchill: Jamie Meyers, Counselor
- Veteran's Day and Thanksgiving Luncheon
- School closed for the Thanksgiving holiday Wednesday, November 21 - Friday, November 23
- CRS Calendar of Upcoming Events
- CRS PTA News - PTA Winter ASA registration begins 11/29 for PTA members, shop for holiday cards and more to raise $ for CRS, Parent Education event on building stud and organization skills on 11/30 and October Box Tops results.
Grading and Student Progress Reports
At the end of each quarter, Churchill Road teachers provide student progress reports updating parents and students on specific standards taught and assessed during that time frame. Standards-based progress reports can sometimes be tricky to navigate. Therefore, on the day that progress reports are going home with students, we’d like to share some helpful information and resources for parents and guardians to explore.
Student progress reports are broken up by content standards, citizenship skills, and effort. These are measured on a 1 to 4 scale. A grade of “4” indicates a high level of achievement; it communicates that a student has a strong understanding of all the concepts and skills taught for that standard during a quarter and can demonstrate understanding independently and with very few errors. It is important to note that when assigning grades for students, teachers consider the most current assessment data as evidence of learning. Therefore, grades are not necessarily cumulative, rather a progression towards mastery.
CRS teachers strive for all students to master grade-level skills. They know, however, that achieving mastery can take time. As such, for skills or standards that are taught throughout the year, teachers anticipate some to be developing at first and continuing to show growth and more thorough understanding as the year progresses. This means that students typically begin the year at about a 2 in language arts, which indicates they are sometimes showing the skill at the appropriate grade level. The expectation is that they progress towards 3’s and 4’s by the end of the year, demonstrating more independent understanding of the concepts taught.
Further information on FCPS grading policies that grade level teams reference when assessing students for progress reports are outlined in the links below:
Thank You for Joining us for Veteran's Day and Our Annual Thanksgiving Luncheon
 Churchill Road fifth graders learned all about the Marines from a visiting parent.
Second and third grade classes learned all about the Army and Navy from visiting veterans.
First graders were one of many grade levels to create thank you cards to Veterans in honor of their service.
Thank you to the many parents and Veterans who came out to help us celebrate both our annual Thanksgiving luncheon and Veteran's Day. It was a wonderful day for our students, families and staff.
Parents enjoyed a special Thanksgiving lunch with their students (top), prepared by the cafeteria staff and parent volunteers.
Getting to Know Churchill:
Jamie Meyers, Counselor
Our spotlight this week is CRS’s fabulous school counselor, Jamie Meyers. Ms. Meyers grew up in Chesterfield, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. Educated in Missouri, she received her Bachelor of Social Work from Mizzou (U of Missouri – Columbia) and her Masters of Education and LPC from Missouri Baptist University. After four years as a school counselor in the Parway School District in St. Louis, Ms. Meyers moved to this area because her older brother and younger sister both lived here; they both have since moved back to Chesterfield. Although Ms. Meyers was sad to see them go, she takes it in stride: “I guess that their moving home is okay. They still want to see me when I visit. If not, I would have developed a complex! HA!HA!”
Ms. Meyers started working at CRS seven years ago! Maybe there is truth to the idiom “time flies when you are having fun,” because Ms. Meyers finds it hard to believe she has been here seven years! Then she recalls that students she remembers as kindergartners are now preparing to graduate CRS.
Ms. Meyers is talented at sharing valuable coping skills to help students to resolve issues and confront challenges. She helps students to hone approaches that will serve them well at CRS and throughout life. She goes into the classrooms to assist students, as well as works one-on-one. One of the aspects of her role at CRS that Ms. Meyers loves most is that she has an opportunity to work with so many students, teachers, and parents. She stated, “It’s always a new day!”
When she is not at CRS sharing her wonderful counseling skills, she enjoys reading, colorful podcasts, listening to music or attending concerts, and going to dinner with friends. She is a self-acclaimed expert on “useless ‘90s trivia and movie quotes.” (Test her knowledge the next time you see her around the school!) Although she questions whether laughing can count as a hobby, she does enjoy laughing and appreciates the joy and laughter she experiences every single day at CRS.
Thank you, Ms. Meyers, for imparting skills that strengthen our CRS community, for your kind, friendly smile, and for sharing your laughter.
CRS Nature Campers Featured in ASK Children's Magazine
Nature camp students participated in a hike at Great Falls National Park where they were able to observe the many species of plants and animals native to our own backyards.
Every summer, Churchill Road teachers lead thematic camps. For the last several years, Mr. Woler has run a nature camp! This past summer, students in the nature camp got to travel to a bonsai nursery to participate in a bonsai workshop. They were featured in ASK magazine (arts & sciences for kids). You can see the article here: http://info.cricketmedia.com/rs/357-NUK-896/images/ASK1811_11_Tiny-Trees.pdf
Be on the lookout for summer camp signups in VIPS this January or February!
Cheer Winners of the Week
Congratulations to our Churchill Cheer winners for the week of November 5. Cheers are given to students who follow the four R’s. This week’s winners (and the staff member who gave each a Cheer) are: Ella Choi (Ms. Finger); Ariana Dimonte (Mrs. Williams); Claire Foster (Mrs. Lynch); Kaylee Newgen (Mrs. Alvarez); and Ethan Yang (Mrs. Khan). 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.
Thanksgiving Holiday Attendance Reminder
Schools will be closed for Wednesday, November 21 through Friday, November 23 for the Thanksgiving holiday. If your student will be absent additional days surrounding these dates, please call the CRS 24-hour attendance line, 703-288-8484, or email the school at churchillattendance@fcps.edu.
Family Fitness and CRS Spirit Day on Friday, November 30
Mark your calendars now for CRS’s first Family Fitness Spirit Day, on Friday, November 30! We encourage you and your family to come to school at 8:00 a.m. to enjoy 20 minutes playing on the playground, walking on the track, shooting hoops, or joining a game and having fun with friends while wearing CRS’s blue and white colors! Research has demonstrated just 20 minutes of movement before school can help students to be more receptive learners and adding more movement is an energizing way for adults to start the day too! We hope you can tweak your schedule to get an early start on the final Friday of November and join us to play before the school day starts!
CRS Calendar of Upcoming Events
Wednesday, November 21 – Friday, November 23
Thanksgiving Break – School Closed
Wednesday, November 28
Beginning Strings Concert, 6:00 PM, Gym
Advanced Strings Concert, 7:00 PM, Gym
Friday, November 30
Family Fitness Day, 8:00-8:20 AM, Playground (Gym in case of inclement weather)
Churchill Spirit Day - All Day
Tuesday, December 11
Chorus Concert for Parents and the Community, 7:00 PM, Gym
Wednesday, December 12
Principal’s Pizza, 6:00-7:00 PM, Exploratory Arts Room
PTA Meeting, 7:00-8:00 PM, Exploratory Arts Room
Winter After School Activities
Thinking about activities for after school? The ASA catalog for the winter session is updated and available for browsing. We have new offerings (Superhero Engineering, Strobe Light Dance Party) plus favorites like Chess Club and A.M. Bobcat Fitness! And fall ASA hit Decorating Sweets is back, this time for grades K-2. Don’t forget, Kindergartners can participate in Winter ASA! https://em-churchillroad.jumbula.com/#/winter-2019.
- Priority registration for PTA members is from 9:00 a.m. on 11/29 to midnight on 11/30. You must have an active PTA membership by noon on Wednesday 11/28 to participate.
- General registration is from 7:00 p.m. on 12/2 to midnight on 12/10.
Shop at Shutterfly, Tiny Prints or Minted
and Raise Money for CRS
Need holiday cards, photos, photo books, and more? We have three ways to shop and raise money for CRS. First, shop from our storefront with Shutterfly or Tiny Prints (all you have to do is start your shopping from our link), and 13% of your purchase will go to the CRS PTA. http://churchillroadpta.shutterflystorefront.com/
Or use our special offer with Minted.com through November 30 – you save 15%, and Minted donates 15% to the CRS PTA! This special offer is also open to family and friends. Just use our special code FUNDRAISECHURCHILL during checkout. https://www.minted.com
Homework Battles Got You Down? Come Learn Techniques for Helping Your Child Build Study and Organizational Skills
Friday, November 30 at 8:45 a.m. in the CRS Exploratory Arts Room
The PTA Parent Education Committee has invited the parenting and education experts at local organization, The StudyPro, to share their proven and straightforward techniques for building a growth mindset and executive function (EF) skills. These skills help your child overcome their struggles with homework, and prepare them for middle school, high school and beyond. Information will include specific strategies you can use to bolster EF skills, help your child push through their frustration, and encourage independence.
October Box Tops Results!
Congratulations to Allison Schuette in Mrs. Lynch's class for bringing in the most Box Tops in October! We have already received over $600 from the Box Top program for this school year. Please continue to send in your Box Tops to the box in the front office. Thank you! Learn more at https://bit.ly/2wIcnao.
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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