Churchill Chatter - Issue 24, February 27, 2019
In This Week's Issue
- Churchill Spelling Bee Champion Crowned
- Getting to Know Churchill: Julie Wallace, Art Resource Teacher
- Dr. Seuss Bookmark Contest winners announced
- Celebrating Dr. Seuss -- Read Across America Day
- Cultural Spirit Day on Friday, March 1
- CRS Calendar of Upcoming Events
- CRS PTA News - Parade of Cuisines and Family Heritage Night March 1, 5K early bird registration ends 2/28, Spring ASA registration begins 2/28 for PTA members and Bingo Night rescheduled for March 8.
Churchill Spelling Bee Champion Crowned
 Congratulations to all of the students who participated in the final round of the Spelling Bee.
Congratulations to all the students who participated in the final round of the Churchill Road Spelling Bee on Friday, February 22. Everyone did an amazing job. After 13 rounds, 6th grader Abigail L. became the new school champion, narrowly beating out Sophie C. (2nd place). Mia T. placed third. Abigail will represent Churchill Road at the County Spelling Bee on March 17. A very special thank you is also extended to teacher sponsors Megan Brown and Rebecca Diorio for coordinating the bee.
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Getting to Know Churchill: Julie Wallace,
Art Resource Teacher
Mrs. Wallace in front of the bulletin board she created in her art room.
Churchill Road art teacher Julie Wallace was raised in the south Chicago suburb of Lansing, Illinois (Go, go White Sox!). Her greatest passion has always been art, recalling a visit to the Art Institute of Chicago in kindergarten as a major early inspiration. Growing up, Mrs. Wallace did not have art classes at her school, but her parents supported her art making by enrolling her in everything from ceramics, cartooning, mixed media and theatre at the local community arts center. Several of Mrs. Wallace’s family members have also worked as professional artists and educators, so you might say it was destiny that she became an art teacher!
After receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Art Education from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana (where she met her future husband, himself a sculpture and art history major), Mrs. Wallace relocated to Washington, D.C and briefly worked at the Building Museum before beginning her teacher career at Churchill Road. Now in her ninth year, Mrs. Wallace acts as the lead Art Resource Teacher, along with teammate Pauline Tran. In addition to teaching art, Mrs. Wallace is the creative force behind the Woodsy & Winston artwork for Churchill’s 60th anniversary, serves on a variety of school committees, organizes the many specials groups for our 3rd-6th graders (a massive undertaking) and sponsors an art-based camp each summer.
Mrs. Wallace loves her job. She finds that, “Making art is such a joyful process. It’s pretty amazing that I can come to my classroom every day and help guide my students as they develop so many cool, innovative, and beautiful ideas into works of art.”
“I want my students to feel welcomed, know their thoughts and experiences are valued, and that by sharing their personal identities through their artwork, we’re building a strong community together.”
A lifelong learner, Mrs. Wallace is currently working towards her Master of Arts Teaching in Art Education at George Mason University. She still enjoys taking studio classes in drawing, watercolor, and printmaking as part of a lifelong practice. Mrs. Wallace is also an avid reader (and is a dedicated member of the staff book club) and loves watching Jeopardy! She takes the opportunity to travel whenever she can, and cites Costa Rica, Iceland (where her now-husband proposed), Ukraine, and Ireland as recent highlights - though she’d argue that there’s no place quite like sweet home, Chicago!
Thank you, Mrs. Wallace for being such an inspiration and enabling our students’ creativity to shine!
Wellness: Boosting Your Immune System
Students enjoy some healthy fruit as part of their lunch.
Want a simple way to give your immune system a boost during the winter cold and flu season? We can easily enhance our immune function through foods we incorporate into our diet. You are probably well aware of the benefits of Vitamin C in strengthening the immune system and keeping our body healthy. Fresh fruits and vegetables, such as citrus, berries, kiwi, bell peppers, and dark green vegetables, are all wonderful (and delicious) sources of Vitamin C. Herbs and spices are another option to improve immune function; consider adding onions, garlic, ginger, black peppercorn, cayenne pepper, curry, or turmeric to your dishes for added flavor and an immunity kick. Keep in mind roughly 80% of our immune system is located in our digestive system; this makes probiotics (good bacteria) crucial to healthy immune function. Probiotics can be found in whole and fermented foods like miso, yogurt, kefir, kimchi, microalgae, and raw sauerkraut. Enjoy thwarting infections this winter through a fabulous array of colorful fruits and vegetables, seasonings, and experimenting with probiotics.
If you are looking for fun inspiration for adding new foods and spices to your diet, please join family and friends at CRS this Friday, March 1st from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. for the fabulous 25th annual CRS Family Heritage Night. CRS Family Heritage Night is a wonderful evening of sharing and learning about all of the amazing cultures that make up our school community, as well as an incredible opportunity to taste an array of delicious cuisines with immunity building fruits, vegetables, spices, and probiotics.
Cheer Winners of the Week
Congratulations to our Churchill Cheer winners for the week of February 18. Cheers are given to students who follow the four R’s. This week’s winners are: Catherine Reuther (K); Yuka Lang (1st); Aiden Ahn (2nd); and John David Bulford (4th). 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.
SCA Cultural Spirit Day and PTA Family Fitness Day This Friday
This Friday is the SCA's Cultural Day Spirit Day and PTA Family Fitness Spirit Day. What better way to celebrate Family Heritage Night and the 25th annual Parade of Cuisines this Friday than by wearing clothing that represents your heritage. Or you may wear the colors of your native country.
Be sure to get in a little extra exercise and join us this Friday for Family Fitness Spirit Day, as well. Just arrive at school at 8:00 a.m. to enjoy 20 minutes playing in the gym. And remember to wear something that represents your heritage or your country's colors!
Don't miss out on future spirit days. Mark your calendars now for the remaining Spirit/Family Fitness Days of the school year.
- Friday, April 12 -- Vacation Spirit Day
- Friday, June 7 – Field Day Spirit Day
Congratulations Bookmark Contest Winners!
 Our bookmark contest was a huge success. We received so many great Dr. Seuss bookmarks that it was hard to choose our winners. Come and check out the many entries in the hallway near the reading room the next time you are at the school. Congratulations to the following student winners whose bookmarks will be distributed during library times:
Kindergarten: Elissa A., Amelia N. and Dallas W.; 1st grade: Eleanor H., Finley S. and Benjamin G.; 2nd grade: Hani K., Sophie L. and Emily C.; 3rd grade: Rahniya S., Michelle L. and Alyson L.; 4th grade: Emily R., Katherine J. and Arianne A.; 5th grade: Jackie S., Davanee L. and Isabella L-T.; 6th grade: Phoebe P., Sophia H and Kyra T.
Celebrate Dr. Seuss's
Birthday Monday, March 4
We are celebrating Read Across America Day and Dr. Seuss's birthday next Monday, March 4. To celebrate, please wear red, black, and white to school that day. If you have a “Seussical” hat, wear that, too! Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!
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CRS Calendar of Upcoming Events
Friday, March 1
Cultural Spirit Day
International Parade of Cuisines, 6:00-8:00 PM, Gym
Monday, March 4
Dr. Seuss' Birthday -- Wear Red, White, and Black
Friday, March 8
Bingo Night, 6:00-7:30 PM, Gym
Monday, March 11
3-Hour Early Release at 12:20 PM
Wednesday, March 13
Principal’s Coffee, 8:00-8:45 AM, Exploratory Arts Room
PTA Meeting, 8:45-9:45 AM, Exploratory Arts Room
Saturday, March 30
Churchill Challenge 5K
Parade of Cuisines and Family Heritage Night!
Come celebrate the cultural roots of all our Bobcats at the 25th International Parade of Cuisines and Family Heritage Night! On Friday, March 1, you’ll experience amazing food, cultural booths, performances, and a fashion & flag show. To participate, all you need to do is bring a food dish (portion recommendations and more details on our website) and join us in the CRS gym from 6-8 p.m. Find all the details at https://bit.ly/2DvpEcT.
Churchill Challenge -- Early Bird Pricing Ends Tomorrow!
Early bird registration pricing ends tomorrow, February 28, for the Churchill Challenge 5K race and 1 mile fun run. Join us for this fun and beloved event on Saturday, March 30! Learn more and register at http://bit.ly/2MQQa1H.
Want to help? You can volunteer at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f4caeaa29a5f49-churchill.
Interested in being a sponsor for the event? Learn more at http://bit.ly/2BD2rlT.
Spring After School Activities
Priority registration for CRS PTA members opens tomorrow 2/28 through midnight on March 1. General registration will open on Monday, March 4 at 7 p.m. through midnight on March 11. Find all the details at https://em-churchillroad.jumbula.com/#/spring-2019.
Bingo Night is March 8th!
Join your fellow wizards and wizards-in-training at Family Bingo Night. Get ready for a magical evening of games, prizes, food, and fun on Friday, March 8, from 6-7:30 p.m. Food will be on sale at the event! Learn more at http://bit.ly/2I1ijEr.
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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