Churchill Chatter - Issue 5, September 25, 2019
In This Week's Issue
- Following protocols for students' safety and security
- Getting to Know Churchill: Barbara Lewis, First Grade Teacher
- Churchill Spirit Day this Friday, September 27
- Reminder: Dogs not allowed on school property
- PTA Go Home Note system begins October 1
- CRS Calendar of Upcoming Events
- CRS PTA News - Go home notes start 10/1, Martha's Table 10/2, Reflections program information and raise $ for CRS through AmazonSmile.
The Office Thanks You!
As we reach the midpoint of the first quarter, we’d like to thank parents and visitors for following our school procedures. By following these protocols you are both helping ensure the safety and security of the students, as well as minimizing classroom interruptions which affect instructional time:
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Arriving prior to 3:00 p.m. for early pick-ups. Parents must come to the front office and your student will be called down; do NOT go directly to the classroom. Please plan to arrive before 3:00 p.m.; parents/guardians who arrive at 3:00 p.m. or after, will need to wait for dismissal (3:20 p.m.).
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Bringing ID to check into the Visitor Management System, every time; if you do not bring ID (driver's license or state-issued ID), you will be asked to leave the building.
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Always signing in to the Visitor Management System in the front office before going to the classrooms or meetings in the main building and/or modular building.
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Reporting student absences/late arrivals prior to 9:00 a.m. the day of occurrence, by calling the CRS Attendance Line (703-288-8484) or emailing the CRS Attendance Email (churchillroadelem.attendance@fcps.edu), or utilizing the online attendance form (https://churchillroades.fcps.edu/attendance-form). Please do not call the front office.
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Reminding your students to leave a message, if no one answers and they get voicemail when calling home.
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Bringing forgotten instruments to the office and placing in the forgotten instruments box, then emailing the classroom teacher that the instrument is here. Please remind your students to pick up the instruments on their way to band or strings class.
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Taking forgotten lunches directly to the cafeteria, after signing in to the Visitor Management System in the front office.
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Entering Go Home Notes into the online system by 8:00 a.m. on the day of the playdate/transportation change. If a Go Home Note is not entered on time, the playdate or change of transportation will not happen and students will go home their normal way. Calls to the office will not change this policy.
If you have questions about specific topics/procedures, please contact:
- Chris Redding (Registrar), cbspencerred@fcps.edu, for questions about registration, student records, copies of student health forms, enrollment certifications, parent SIS accounts.
- Jody Sterling (Administrative Assistant), jlsterling@fcps.edu, for questions about MySchoolBucks or to schedule an appointment with Mr. Hutzel.
- Kim Moran (Office Assistant), kmoran2@fcps.edu, for questions about student attendance, community use of facilities, distribution of fliers, newsletter items.
- Wendy Biliter (Office/Library Assistant), wmbiliter@fcps.edu, for questions about library matters.
For any items not addressed above, please call us at 703-288-8400 between 7:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. and we will be happy to help.
Thank you from all of us in the front office.
Getting to Know Churchill: Barbara Lewis,
1st Grade Teacher
The students in Ms. Barbara Lewis’s kindergarten class last year are not the only ones to ascend to first grade this fall; Ms. Lewis is also embracing the joys of first graders as a first grade teacher!
Ms. Lewis enjoyed teaching kindergarten for six years at CRS and is excited about now teaching first graders. Nine of her kindergartners from last year are joining her in her first grade classroom. The continuity in the classroom creates confidence as students use the foundations of kindergarten to embark on new academic milestones in first grade.
Ms. Lewis grew up in Vienna, Virginia, and graduated from FCPS. In fact, Ms. Lewis now works with one of her former teachers. Yes, our very own Mr. Hutzel was once Ms. Lewis’s sixth grade teacher!
Ms. Lewis earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from The College of Mary Baldwin at Mary Baldwin University. In addition to her experience as a kindergarten teacher, she has also taught preschool. Social studies is her favorite subject to teach. She truly enjoys introducing students to the world of learning. Ms. Lewis also serves on the Superintendent's Teacher Advisory Council, where she meets monthly with the superintendent to receive important updates about FCPS and shares information with the CRS staff.
Ms. Lewis shares her lake-front home in Falls Church with her rescued beagle mix, Sadie. Ms. Lewis has three nephews. She also owns an extensive collection of squirrel memorabilia representing her college mascot; the Fighting Squirrels.🐿
Ms. Lewis, thanks for bringing your love of learning and encouraging approach to the first grade classroom. We are excited to have your expertise contributing to our first graders' successes!
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Butterfly Expert Visits CRS
Second graders had the chance to learn more about monarch butterflies and their migration from Dr. Alfonso Alonso, a biologist who studied the monarch butterfly for his PhD. He now works as the Managing Director of Field Programs at the Center for Conservation and Sustainability of the Smithsonian National Zoological Park. Dr. Alonso gave a great presentation and answered student questions such as “How do monarchs know when to migrate?” “What makes the fall monarchs live longer and migrate?” “How far and fast can a monarch fly?” “What dangers do monarchs face?’ All this information will help students with their upcoming Project Based Learning Activity in which they will come up with a way to convince the community to help save the monarchs. Thank you to Dr. Alonso for coming to CRS and to Ms. Bamdad for arranging this great visit.
Dogs Not Allowed on School Property
We know that dogs are members of your family, but they are not allowed on school property. We have students and faculty members that have a fear of dogs and some of our students have serious dog allergies. Dogs are not allowed anywhere on the school grounds, including the track and playground. Dogs are allowed on the side walk along Churchill Road in front of school. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.
Wellness: Benefits of Biking or Walking
Mr. Varhol greeted some of last year's bike to school participants on their way to the school.
An easy and fun way to increase your activity level is by opting to bike or walk to local destinations where you normally drive. You will get your heart pumping, work your legs and abdominals, improve your mood, and enhance your overall health (as well as save on gas). Although physical activity is not a guarantee against illness, regular exercise has been shown to reduce the risk of several serious illnesses, including: heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. By choosing to bike or walk you will also help reduce traffic pollution, which has been linked to an increase in asthma. Plus, cycling and walking can be truly enjoyable, especially when you are with friends. We hope your family is able to join us for Walk/Bike to School Day next Wednesday, October 2. You might discover walking and biking to school is your preferred method for the commute to and from CRS!
Walk or Bike to School Day October 2
Please join the thousands of schools in the country and area in walking/biking to school on Wednesday, October 2. The benefits of choosing to walk or bike to school include additional physical activity, reducing traffic and congestion, sharing time with parents and friends, and getting familiar with your neighborhood and safe routes to take. More information is available at https://www.fcps.edu/news/walk-school-day-planned-october-2. Some of your favorite Churchill Road faculty and staff will be around the school to greet our walkers/bike riders and give a little gift for participating!
Yoga Back in Full Swing
School social worker Wes Smith lead students in weekly yoga sessions.
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Students in Ms. Finger's and Ms. Myers' classes got a head start on mindfulness with some yoga sessions this week. Ms. Finger's students showed great teamwork by executing the tree pose in a circle with their classmates. Ms. Myers' students even got Mrs. Backes and Mrs. Warren to join in. Thank you to our school social worker, Wes Smith, for helping everyone relax and focus through yoga. |
Cheer Winners of the Week
Congratulations to our first Churchill Cheer winners of the school year. Cheers are given to students who follow the four R’s. This week’s winners are: Raymond Kiefhaber (K); Henry Zimmerman (Grade 1); Zayna Ansari (Grade 2); Paxton King (Grade 3); and Melanie Mayer (Grade 4). Our winners for Spanish (LTC) are: Matilda Glascott (K-2) and Carter Ginsburg (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.
Churchill Spirit Day this Friday, September 27
Churchill Road will host the first Spirit Day of the year this Friday, September 27 to celebrate the induction of our new SCA members. Students are asked to dress in blue and white or wear their favorite Churchill Road apparel to celebrate this event. Go Churchill!
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McLean Project for the Arts
13th Annual MPAartfest
Sunday, October 6
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
McLean Central Park
Art. Music. Food. Fun! Come and see Churchill Road student artwork. For more information:
www.McLeanProjectForTh eArts.org
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FCPS Mental Health and Wellness Conference October 5; Register Now
The sixth annual FCPS Mental Health and Wellness Conference will be held on Saturday, October 5, at Fairfax High School from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m, sponsored by Inova and Kaiser Permanente. The morning session will focus on social and emotional learning, with a special session for high school students, the Our Minds Matter Teen Summit, in the morning as well.
Attendees are encouraged to stay for Inova’s Act on Addiction Summit, which will be held from 12:30 to 4 p.m.
For more information or to register, go to the Mental Health and Wellness Conference webpage.
CRS Calendar of Upcoming Events
Tuesday, October 1
PTA Go Home Note program begins
Wednesday, October 2 - Friday, October 4
Cognitive Abilities Testing (CogAT) for Grade 2, Classrooms, 8:45-10:00 a.m.
Wednesday, October 2
Martha's Table Sandwich Making, GR 1,3,5, Cafeteria, 3:30-4:15
Monday, October 14
Student Holiday
Tuesday, October 22
AAP Parent Information Night, Exploratory Arts Room, 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, October 24
Make-ups for Fall Picture Day
Monday, October 28
FLE Preview Night, CRS Library, 7:00-8:00 p.m.
Go Home Notes Start Tuesday, 10/1
The Go Home Note System is run by CRS PTA and allows families to submit a request for their child to go home with a friend, or bring one friend home, via a link on the PTA website (only available once you have logged into your PTA account). In addition to scheduling a play date, you can use Go Home Notes to schedule an early pick up (i.e. for a doctor's appointment) or transportation change (i.e. your walker needs to be picked up at Kiss and Ride). You must join the PTA to use the Go Home Note System. New users then need to create a Go Home Note user ID and password, or for those who have used the system, please update your child's grade, teacher, and mode of transportation. For playdates, both the host and guest child must have a Go Home Note submitted by each child's family.
The Go Home Note System is designed to make sure your child's teacher, the school staff, and bus drivers are informed of transportation changes, so your child is dismissed correctly and safely. It is necessary to use the Go Home Note system rather than contacting your child's teacher directly.
For more information about the program or to register, visit the PTA website: churchillroadpta.membershiptoolkit.com/go-home-notes. A written handout will be sent home in next week's VIP folder with further details about this volunteer-run program. If you have any questions, please contact the chairperson for Go Home Notes, Elaine Kelley, via email: elainekelleydvm@yahoo.com. Thank you!
Martha's Table
Next week, 1st, 3rd, and 5th graders will be participating in a well-loved tradition at Churchill Road – making sandwiches for Martha’s Table. To make this a success, we need food donations! Please consider contributing pre-packaged lunch meat, cheese, and/or bread—we’ll start taking donations on Friday (September 27) and keep taking them right up to the event day, which is Wednesday, October 2nd. Your child can just drop your contributions in the gray bins located throughout the school on his or her way to class in the morning (all items will be collected by 9:00 a.m. and refrigerated). Find more details at http://www.churchillroadpta.org/marthas-table.
Thank you to all those who have already volunteered to help. We are especially in need of:
- Someone to run to Costco on Wednesday 10/2 to purchase sandwich making materials.
- One or two volunteers to drive the sandwiches downtown to Martha’s table after the event.
Volunteer at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090c4fa9ae2da0f49-marthas2.
Reflections
All CRS students are invited to participate in the Reflections art contest! Reflections is the National PTA program that encourages students to reflect on a specific theme and create original artwork for fun and recognition. Students can submit entries in one or more of the following categories: Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography, and Visual Arts. Details and rules are on our website at http://www.churchillroadpta.org/reflections. The deadline for submissions is Friday, October 18.
Support CRS with AmazonSmile
Did you know that your everyday shopping on Amazon can support CRS and it's totally free for you? It's quick & easy to sign-up - just go to smile.amazon.com and note "Churchill Rd Elementary PTA" as your beneficiary. Then all you have to do is start your shopping at smile.amazon.com every time on your PC or phone via a web browser. Find more details at http://www.churchillroadpta.org/amazonsmile.
Links to PTA News
Link to the CRS PTA homepage:
http://www.churchillroadpta.org/
Link to the PTA Week-at-a-Glance:
https://churchillroadpta.membershiptoolkit.com/newsletters
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 2019-2020 school year are the weeks of September 16, December 2, March 2 and May 4. 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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