Wednesday, March 20 Churchill Chatter School Newsletter

Churchill Chatter - Issue 27, March 20, 2019

In This Week's Issue

• Spring 2019 SOL dates
• Getting to Know Churchill: Dana DiCamillo, 3rd Grade Teacher
• Square 1 Art order deadline extended
• FCPS Special Education Conference on April 6
• CRS Calendar of Upcoming Events
• CRS PTA News -  Picture Day 3/28,Churchill Challenge 5K registration link, Science Olympiad A for grades 3-4, Pizza Night 3/27, Parent Education discussion on anxiety 3/27.

Spring 2019 SOL Testing Schedule

Mark your calendars!  Churchill Road students in Grades 3-6 will be taking the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) Tests from May 14 through May 30, 2019.  Testing will begin at 8:45 a.m. on each of these days.  If your student will be absent on a scheduled testing date, please notify his or her classroom teacher.  Make-up tests will be scheduled upon the student’s return, through the end of the testing window.

It will be very helpful if you can avoid appointments which may take your child out of school during this time period. Also, it will help your child perform his or her best if he or she has had a good night’s rest, a healthy breakfast, and comes to school with a positive attitude.  Dates for each grade level test are shown below.  

The Virginia SOL tests measure the extent to which students have learned the content and skills specified in content areas such as writing, reading, mathematics, history/social studies and science. 

Please look for additional information to be posted on grade-level BlackBoard sites and in future Churchill Chatters. 

Getting to Know Churchill:  Dana DiCamillo, Third Grade Teacher

Mrs. DiCamillo enjoying the first day of spring.

Meet Dana DiCamillo, Churchill Road third grade teacher and Northern Virginia native. Mrs. DiCamillo grew up in Arlington, VA, the oldest of three children. Becoming an educator and working in a service field is a family tradition. Her mom is an elementary school teacher, currently at Patrick Henry Elementary in Arlington, and both her paternal grandmother and great aunt were teachers. Mrs. DiCamillo’s dad is a graphics designer, currently working with the Navy on historical document preservation.  Her sister is working on her master’s degree in Physical Therapy, and her brother, Tyler, works at Potomac Overlook Park as a park ranger (where her class learned from him on their field trip earlier this year!). 

Mrs. DiCamillo completed her BA in Elementary Education with a minor in Music at MidAmerica Nazarene University in Olathe, KS (outside Kansas City) and recently completed her Masters at George Mason University in Teaching Culturally and Linguistically Diverse and Exceptional Learners.  Before coming to CRS, she taught both internationally -- in San Jose, Costa Rica – and domestically – in DC Public Schools as a Spanish teacher. She believes that these varied experiences showed her some different perspectives as a teacher and gave her the “ESOL” bug.

Mrs. DiCamillo joined Churchill Road four years ago; this year’s 6^th graders are her first CRS graduating class! She loves the community here at CRS, finding that parents are supportive school partners, the staff is knowledgeable and collaborative, and, of course, the students are the best part of the job!

Mrs. DiCamillo finds, “the most rewarding part of being a teacher is watching students succeed at something that used to be challenging for them.  There will always be challenges in life, but learning to persevere and be resilient in the faces of those challenges is one of the most important lessons that a student can learn.  Seeing their face as they finally get that hard concept is what keeps me coming back each day!”   The other joy of her job is learning about the unique and beautiful cultures that students bring with them to school.  She particularly enjoys learning new languages, and her students are the best teachers for that!

Mrs. DiCamillo is just as active outside of school. She loves to read, cross stitch (currently working on a replica of Van Gogh’s Starry Night), bake pies and cheesecakes, and try new restaurants with her husband.  Her love of restaurants goes back to her college days when, while waiting tables, she sang an Italian operatic version of "Happy Birthday" to customers. Each summer, she plays 1st base (2nd base and outfield, also) on a women’s fastpitch softball team. Mrs. DiCamillo’s travel wish list is still a mile long, and she tries to visit at least one new place every year. So far, her favorites include Montreal, Cozumel, and Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. 

Mrs. DiCamillo aIso finds time to pursue her musical interests. She continues to play the flute a couple of times a week, having been the principle flautist all four years of college.   While in college she also played in a Hispanic Marimba Ensemble, playing traditional marimba music from Mexico, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and other Latin American countries, and is proud to note that some the group’s videos are still up on YouTube.

Thank you, Mrs. DiCamillo for sharing your love of other cultures with CRS students and families. We are fortunate to have you.

First Grade Musical Rocks!

First graders wowed students, staff and families with their outstanding performances in the musical, "How Does Your Garden Grow?"  Thank you musical specialists Ms. Judkins and Mrs. Queen, and first grade teachers Ms. Gordon, Miss Isom, Mrs. Lynch and Mrs. Williams for orchestrating this much loved annual event.

Wellness:  Benefits of the Buddy System

Fifth and sixth graders meet with their kindergarten and first grade buddies on a regular basis to help them with special project.

The buddy system is a practice where two or more people, the “buddies,” work together. CRS uses the buddy system in many successful ways. Students buddy up for safety when traveling in the building and to encourage academic progress when working on a project. Buddy reading is a favorite!

Buddying up can also be a great option to help make progress on fitness goals. A buddy can boost motivation, help maintain accountability to goals, and offer strategic encouragement. The right buddy can also make working out much more enjoyable; the more fun exercise is the more likely a person is to stay committed to working out. Plus, there is power in numbers; with a buddy, it is much less intimidating to try a new sport, athletic pursuit, or fitness classes. Workout buddies can also introduce a healthy dose of variety to exercise routines by sharing their different skills and knowledge.

Challenge yourself this week to find a way to get active and to invite a friend to join you. Be intentional about scheduling a hike, a time to shoot hoops, or a few practice laps on the track in preparation for the Churchill Challenge. Buddies make it better!

Square 1 Art Order Deadline Extended

Ordering online or by phone for Square 1 Art? The deadline has been extended until Monday, March 25. Order numbers can be found on your personalized artwork packet. Questions? Contact Mrs. Wallace, jewallace@fcps.edu.

Cheer Winners of the Week

Congratulations to our Churchill Cheer winners for the week of March 11.  Cheers are given to students who follow the four R’s. Winners  are: Aleeza Malik (K); Edwin Pan (1st); Kiley Sessions (2nd); Yazan Abutaa (3rd) and DJ Wiberg (4th). The cheer winners for PE are:  Emmy Center (Gr. K-2) and Gunnar Jamieson (Gr. 3-4).

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.

Save the Date: Annual FCPS Special Education Conference on April 6

Registration is now open for the 2019 Special Education Conference, which will be held Saturday, April 6, from 7:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Lake Braddock Secondary School. The focus of this year’s conference is on building inclusive and post-secondary practices to support the development of 21^st century skills and Portrait of a Graduate attributes.

This year’s keynoter is Dr. Mary E. Morningstar, the co-director of Portland State University’s Think College Inclusion Oregon project and a professor in the Graduate School of Education’s Special Education Department.  Dr. Morningstar will be speaking about Moving from Compliance to Quality Transition.

Get more information and register

CRS Calendar of Upcoming Events

Thursday, March 28
Spring Individual and Class Picture Day

Saturday, March 30
Churchill Challenge 5K

Friday, April 5
Teacher Workday, No School for Students

Friday, April 5
Kindergarten Orientation, 9:00-10:30 AM, Cafeteria

Wednesday, April 8
Principal’s Coffee, 8:00-8:45 AM, Exploratory Arts Room
PTA Meeting, 8:45-9:45 AM, Exploratory Arts Room 

Friday, April 12
Vacation Day Spirit Day

Monday - Friday, April 15-19
Spring Break

Spring Picture Day

Get ready to smile...spring individual and class picture day is Thursday 3/28. Order forms were sent home last week’s VIPs. Questions? Contact yearbook@churchillroadpta.org.

Churchill Challenge Registration

Join us for this fun and beloved event on Saturday, March 30th! You can register to participate in either the 5K or Fun Run (one mile) races.

Learn more and register at http://bit.ly/2MQQa1H. Want to help? You can volunteer at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f4caeaa29a5f49-churchill.

Science Olympiad A – Spring Club!

Have a 3rd or 4th grader who’s curious about Science Olympiad? Register them for our spring “mini-club” and they can experience what Science Olympiad A is all about! Each week students will have hands-on fun with building events like Gunk (teams make “Gunk” from materials and then create geometric shapes) and Boomilever (build the shortest boomilever to hold the largest mass possible). Plus they will practice their research skills for study events like Astronomy and Anatomy.

Our “mini-club” is a great way for students to try out Science Olympiad. Students will meet after school on Tuesdays from 3:30-4:30 p.m. for 7 weeks starting 4/9. Registration fee is $55. Register at http://bit.ly/CRSPTAIntroSO.

Pizza Night is Back!

Leave the cooking to Domino's on Wednesday, March 27! Use code DN3 when you order from Domino's (app, phone, in store), and 20% goes to the CRS PTA! No cooking or driving and you raise money for CRS at the same time! Find all the details and a downloadable flyer at http://bit.ly/2zwkGZ3.

Lynn Lyons, LICSW, and Expert on
Childhood Anxiety Coming to McLean

Monday, April 1, at 7:00 PM
McLean Community Center Alden Theater

The McLean Safe Community Coalition presents author and licensed clinical social worker Lynn Lyons. She will discuss her book "Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents" and offer concrete strategies parents can use with children and tweens to handle anxiety and prevent the development of anxiety and depression later in life.  Tickets are available at https://reducinganxiety.brownpapertickets.com/.

Parent Education Discussion about Anxiety

Wednesday, March 27 at 8:45 AM
CRS Exploratory Arts Room

Join us for a facilitated book discussion about Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents by Lynn Lyons. Come with questions or strategies that have worked for you. Want to purchase the book? Go to smile.amazon.com and select “Churchill Road PTA” before you order. Don’t have time to read the book? No worries – everyone is welcome to what we expect will be a vibrant dialogue!

Heritage Night at Cooper

Future Cooper families, especially our Rising 7th graders, please join us to celebrate our multicultural community at Cooper World Heritage Night on Thursday, March 28 from 6:00 to 7:30 (kindly consider bringing a dish that reflects your heritage). Questions to Luz Panduro at luzpanduro@hotmail.com.

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.

7100 Churchill Road, McLean, Virginia 22101 | Main Office: 703.288.8400
Attendance: 703.288.8484 | Web