Churchill Chatter - Issue 21, February 6, 2019
In This Week's Issue
- CRS team wins KLQ national championship
- Getting to Know Churchill: Rick Woler, 5th Grade Teacher
- Geo Bee Champion Crowned
- Language immersion program registration information
- Celebrating Dr. Seuss -- Bookmark contest and Read Across America Day
- CRS Calendar of Upcoming Events
- CRS PTA News - Principal's Pizza, PTA meeting, speaker Ann Dolin and spirit wear pop-up shop on February 13, Bingo Night February 20 and Science Night rescheduled to May 2.
Churchill Road Team Wins 2019 KLQ
National Competition!
Churchill Road KLQ team members proudly stand in front of the competition scoreboard!
Congratulations to CRS for a tremendous job at the 2019 Kids Lit Quiz (KLQ) Competition! Eleven students did an exceptional job representing CRS and demonstrated their love of reading, strong teamwork, and stellar sportsmanship. All three CRS teams placed in the top 12 of their heat, and one of them won the entire competition, besting almost 100 other teams. After placing second two years in a row, CRS is now the 2019 USA Kids Lit Quiz National Champion!
Kudos to Clelia B., Annika D., Dhilan D., Emily J., Kasim K., Edward L., and Clara R. who successfully competed in Connecticut, and to Abigail L., Dylan T., Mia T., and Anthony X., who have been invited to represent the USA at the KLQ World Finals in Singapore this July. Well done everyone!
Getting to Know Churchill: Rick Woler, 5th Grade Teacher
 Mr. Woler pictured with some of his favorite classroom plants.
Do you know which teacher is Churchill Road's very own plant whisperer? That would be fifth grade teacher Rick Woler. Mr. Woler began his fascination with all things green when he moved here from Pennsylvania in 2011. What began as one or two plants at home has now blossomed into a classroom full of greenery. He enjoys all of his plants, tending to the ones he has and watching them grow, collecting new ones, learning more about them and visiting local gardens and botanic gardens.
Mr. Woler grew up in Newtown, Pennsylvania, just outside of Philadelphia. He seemed predestined to pursue a career in teaching. Although his mother is a registered nurse, she always wanted to go into the educational field, and his sister majored in education in college, as well. During college, Mr. Woler spent a semester abroad in Costa Rica, during which time he was also able to visit Panama and Nicaragua. After attending the University of Pittsburgh for his Bachelor of Science in Applied Developmental Psychology, Mr. Woler went on to earn a Master of Arts degree in the Art of Teaching.
Mr. Woler joined Churchill Road in 2011 and is now in his eighth year teaching fifth grade. He thinks that, “The kids and the families are fantastic! We have such a supportive community.” He loves getting visits from former students and is happy that they want to take the time to see him and let him know what they have been up to since leaving Churchill. In addition to his role as a classroom teacher, Mr. Woler has been the Science Lead, a mentor, and involved in the PBIS program where students are rewarded for their positive behavior by earning “Cheers.”
The past few years have been busy ones for Mr. Woler. He became a new homeowner in South Arlington, where he loves relaxing with his two cats and just last year got married. He honeymooned in Peru, visiting Machu Picchu and the Inca Trail, both of which were amazing! Outside of school and plants, Mr. Woler enjoys spending time with his friends going out to eat, brunching and finding interesting things to do around the city.
If you are ever in need of help getting your orchid to bloom, you know who to ask.
Churchill Road Geo Bee Winner Crowned
 On January 11th all students in grades 4th through 6th participated in the 2019 National Geographic Geography Bee Preliminary Competition. Participating in seven rounds of questions with topics ranging from state capitals to the seven continents, students even had a round based on the popular National Geographic Book Weird, But True. Eleven students, who got all 7 of their preliminary round questions correct, went on to the school championship: 5th graders Caroline M., Katie M., Logan S., Elena M., John Z., and 6th graders Tara B., Kasim K., Hannah C., Wilson B., Clelia B., and Kanuux C.
After several rigorous rounds of questions at the school championship on January 24, our top two students Kasim K., and Caroline M., went head to head. After a neck and neck race Kasim emerged as our school champion, correctly identifying Bab el Mandeb as a strait between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, connecting the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea. Kasim has taken a qualifying test for the Virginia State Geography Bee. Congratulations to all students on their hard work. A special thank you is extended to 6th grade teachers Mr. Kilpatrick and Ms. Brown for coordinating the Bee.
Wellness: Benefits of Heart Healthy Stretching
Fourth graders take a short break to practice one of the heart healthy stretches.
Next Thursday, many of our students will celebrate Valentine’s Day by sharing kind notes with classmates. Those Valentines may be adorned with superheroes, Lego characters, or personal creations, and all will likely be embellished with hearts of all sizes.
In addition to being a key symbol for Valentine’s Day, the heart is essential for sustaining life and energizing the body. The heart’s central location, where many physical and energetic pathways are located, allows it to impact many areas of health and wellness. Due to long hours in front of computers, clenching the steering wheel during traffic, or being hunched over some electronic device, we often over-burden our backs and allow our hearts to sink. Take Valentine’s week, or the whole month of February, as the perfect opportunity to lift your heart. Here are two easy exercises you can periodically work into your day (even at your desk). One exercise is to simply clasps your hands together behind your back working to bring your elbows closer together as you lift and open your chest. Another exercise is to extend your arms wide in a T position, turn palms to face back, thumbs pointing down, and gently press your arms back three to five times. Try these exercises several times and become more aware of keeping your shoulders back, collar bones open, and leading with your heart as you move through your day.
We’re celebrating Dr. Seuss’s
Birthday on Friday, March 1
and
We’re Having Our Annual
Bookmark Contest!
We are celebrating Dr. Seuss’s Birthday by holding a Bookmark Contest! There will be three winners in each grade level. The winning drawings will be made into bookmarks, and available for giveaways during student library time. Look for a flyer in today’s VIP folder or check the CRS Library page here for the guidelines and dates. Bookmark entries are due Wednesday, February 20.
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Upcoming Author Visit
Nonfiction author, Sarah Albee ( http://www.sarahalbeebooks.com/ ), will be coming to Churchill Road Elementary! She will meet with all of our second through sixth grade students on March 14 and 15. A flyer and order form were sent home in your student’s VIP last week. Digital copies of the fliers can be accessed on our school’s Library webpage. Please click here to access digital copies of the fliers directly.
Books are being offered at a 10% discount to Churchill families. Orders are due on February 22, 2019. Checks should be made payable to “One More Page Books” or send in exact change. Ms. Albee will personalize all copies purchased! Any Questions? Contact Mrs. Warren at sewarren@fcps.edu.
Immersion Registration Information
FCPS offers elementary immersion programs in five languages. Online registration will be available on the Immersion Registration site through February 22, 2019 for first grade immersion programs and through March 29, 2019 for kindergarten immersion programs. Parents will be directed to register via grade level links. All parents will need their FCPS SIS account to register. If parents do not have a SIS account, they must contact the school to set up an activation code. Parents of students not yet attending an FCPS school are required to register their child at their base school to obtain a SIS account.
CRS Calendar of Upcoming Events
Saturday, February 9
Rise Against Hunger Event at Colvin Run ES
Wednesday, February 13
Principal’s Pizza, 6:00-6:30 PM, Exploratory Arts Room
PTA Meeting, 6:30-7:00 PM, Speaker, 7:00-8:00 PM, Exploratory Arts Room
Monday, February 18
President's Day Holiday - School Closed
Wednesday, February 20
Bingo Night, 6:00-7:30 PM, Gym
Friday, March 1
International Parade of Cuisines, 6:00-8:00 PM, Gym
Principal’s Pizza
Join Mr. Hutzel and other CRS families to learn more about the many exciting events that are scheduled for the remainder of the school year! ALL CRS families, new & old, are welcome! Thinking you can't make it because you will be stuck at home making Valentine's Day cards? Don't worry, we will have a table set up for card making (just the table, you bring the supplies!). Pizza will be served. Please stay after pizza for the PTA meeting that starts at 6:30 p.m.
Date: Wednesday, February 13
Time: 6:00 p.m.
Location: Exploratory Arts Room
Please RSVP at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0d4aabaa2dabfe3-principals
A Chili-tastic Feast!
Many thanks to the Kindergarten and 1st grade parents for providing the perfect chili bar lunch as staff returned to school after a snow day last Thursday! The many types of chili, salad and desserts were perfect for the very cold weather. Special thanks for the parents’ flexibility in moving the lunch a day due to weather. Thank you!
The Bobcat Pop-up Shop
Our pop-up spirit wear shop will be back in the CRS lobby just in time for Valentine's Day - stop by on Wednesday, February 13, from 8:15-8:45 a.m. Inventory is first come, first serve. Note: all in-person sales are cash or check only. http://bit.ly/CRSspirit.
Bingo -- Save the Date!
Family Bingo Night is back – mark your calendars for February 20th, from 6-7:30 p.m.! More details coming soon! http://bit.ly/CRSBingo
Parent Workshop on 2/13
Ann Dolin, M. ED., will be at CRS next Wednesday, February 13, at 7 p.m. for a parent workshop. Ms. Dolin will present Executive Function Fixes, where you can learn how to get your kids organized, focused, and motivated without being the bad guy!
Science Night Rescheduled!
Due to the snow day last week, Science Night has been rescheduled. Save the date for Thursday, May 2!
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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