Churchill Chatter - Issue 7, October 9, 2019
In This Week's Issue
- Congratulations Churchill Road School and PTA on Excellence Awards
- Getting to Know Churchill: Valerie Thatcher, Second Grade Teacher
- Student holiday on Monday, October 14
- CRS Calendar of Upcoming Events
- CRS PTA News - Martha's Table thank you, Corey the Dribbler assembly, join the PTA and information on Principal Selection Panel
Congratulations Churchill Road School and PTA for Awards of Excellence
Thank you to the PTA Board for all their hard work leading to the National PTA naming Churchill Road a School of Exellence for 2019-2021.
Congratulations to Churchill Road for being named a school of excellence by both the Virginia Board of Education and the National PTA. The Board of Education recognized Churchill for achieving high standards with respect to state accreditation and federal accountability. The National PTA recognized Churchill as a School of Excellence for 2019-2021, for programming that supports and celebrates partnerships between PTAs and schools to enrich the educational experience and overall well-being of all students. Churchill's recognition resulted from a year-long effort to enhance family engagement through new programs like the International Reading program, events such as Science Night, and more. Thank you to Mr. Hutzel and Mr. Craig-Kuhn for hanging the PTA Excellence banner and to 5th grade teacher Judy Smith for accepting the VDOE Excellence Award on behalf of the school.
|
 Thank you to 5th grade teacher Ms. Smith (circled at center) for accepting Churchill's VDOE Excellence Award at a recent School Board Meeting.
Getting to Know Churchill: Valerie Thatcher,
Second Grade Teacher
Each day teachers at CRS are striving to help students to develop their skills, increase their confidence, and build on their academic learning. Second grade team lead teacher Ms. Thatcher also wants to impart to her students that “it’s okay to take risks.”
Ms. Thatcher encourages her students by stressing that their ideas are important and highlights that there are so many things we can learn from one another. She reminds her students to stand up and voice their opinions and share their ideas because that is where it all begins. She wants her students to feel empowered even if their perspective and way of thinking is different from what is popular. “We’re all different, unique and exceptional. When we hear each other out, respect one another, and truly collaborate, real learning occurs.”
Being brave is not just something Ms. Thatcher promotes in her classroom; it is also her approach to life. She is passionate about hiking and hiked Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado during spring break this year and hiked the Bavarian Alps this summer. Ms. Thatcher is also a fan of traveling and exploring new places while meeting new people and trying new foods. Favorite experiences include: mountain biking in the Shenandoah, swimming with dolphins in Mexico, and horseback trail riding in Cuba. This summer she was able to combine her fondness for travel with her commitment to teaching at an English Immersion summer camp in Frankfurt, Germany. She has also traveled to Trinidad, Havana, and Varadero in Cuba; Cozumel, Mexico; and Jaco, Costa Rica, where she fed monkeys 🐒 in the Mangrove Forest! She is planning to visit Spain over spring break this year and Greece this coming summer. Still on her bucket list is skydiving, visiting Alaska and Banff National Park, and seeing the Northern Lights.
A native of Northern Virginia, Ms. Thatcher is the middle of three sisters, with whom she still loves to spend time. Her love of teaching comes naturally; her grandmother taught and substituted for 25 years and her aunt is currently teaching in Arlington County.
Ms. Thatcher earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Mary Washington (where she rowed on the crew team), a Masters in Elementary Education from Shenandoah University, and is currently working on a Masters in Special Education with an emphasis in Applied Behavioral Analysis at George Mason University. Before joining CRS four years ago, she served as an early childhood educator at a learning center in NOVA. Ms. Thatcher’s experience working at Fairfax County’s Extended School Year program motivated her to pursue her Special Education Masters.
Ms. Thatcher is extremely grateful for the community at Churchill, from colleagues who have become her best friends and mentors to the kind and supportive families who welcome her into their lives. She finds it surreal to watch “her” kids grow from year to year. She is a big supporter of students outside the classroom attending students’ games, recitals, and performances. Ms. Thatcher is also a proponent of CRS events; she ran the 5k in the spring and will be joining the teacher basketball team this spring.
Ms. Thatcher, thank you for your empowering work in the classroom and inspiration outside the classroom. Your enthusiasm for lifetime learning is self-evident!
|
Wellness: Benefits of Traditions and Holiday Celebrations
The CRS front office staff got a kick out of dressing as bikers for Halloween last year.
Traditions and holiday celebrations serve a significant role in the lives of children. Customs and annual events create stability in students’ constantly shifting world. Traditions are touchstones that help children feel grounded and secure, despite the changes occurring around and within them. Holidays or family traditions often involve clear roles and responsibilities from the youngest to oldest and help to create a sense of community.
A favorite October tradition at CRS is the Halloween parade. During students’ initial years at CRS they have the opportunity to march with their class in cool costumes. Students in the upper grades at CRS are cheering observers encouraging the procession of superheroes, robots, and princesses, or may be musicians in the infield providing musical accompaniment to the festivities. Many parents, friends, and family members often line the parade route, too. The Halloween parade also allows students to see teachers and staff having fun in creative costumes, sometimes with a coordinated theme. Like many holiday traditions, CRS’s Halloween parade also helps to create lasting enjoyable memories of their elementary school experience! The Halloween parade will be Thursday, October 31 at 9:00 a.m. Students may want to use our Monday off on October 14th to begin to plan their costume for the festivities (remember no masks or weapons).
Third Graders Enjoy the Great Outdoors
Mrs. Dierman's students took advantage of the beautiful weather to read in the school's bird and butterfly garden.
Third graders got up close and personal with some earthworms during last week's field trip to Potomac Overlook Park.
Cheer Winners of the Week
Congratulations to our Churchill Cheer winners for the week of September 30. Cheers are given to students who follow the four R’s. This week’s winners are: Grayson Sheers (K); Zoe Robertson (Grade 1); Spencer Stute (Grade 2); Vivian Hanson (Grade 3); and Ruhi Rana (Grade 4). Our winners for PE are: Michael Dittamo (K-2) and Leila Oveissi (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.
Attendance Reminder
Monday, October 14 (Columbus Day) is a student holiday. If your student will be absent any additional days surrounding the holiday, please call the CRS 24-hour attendance line, 703-288-8484 or email ChurchillRoadElem.Attendance@fcps.edu to report the absence.
CRS Calendar of Upcoming Events
Thursday, October 10
Community Meeting on Principal Selection Process, Exploratory Arts Room, 6:30 p.m.
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.
Thursday, October 31
Spooky Halloween Concert and Parade (K-2), Track, 9:00 a.m.
Monday and Tuesday, November 4 and 5
Teacher Workdays - No School for Students
Sandwich Making Fun
Thanks to the Churchill Road 1st, 3rd, and 5th graders! You made 1,200 sandwiches last week for Martha’s Table – that means 1,200 people received something to eat!
Thanks also to our generous parent community – your donations of sandwich-makings helped make this possible. And then there’s our fearless team of parent volunteers who set up, helped make, bag, and count sandwiches, and overall kept some order to the chaos – you’re amazing! Special thanks to Elaine Kelley who helped tally the donations; Christie Buschmann who tallied donations, made the huge Costco run, and pitched in everywhere we needed help, Jenna Nichols who drove the entire lot downtown, and Heather Capps who organized the whole event! What a great team!
Corey the Dribbler a Huge Hit
Four time Guinness World Champion and former Harlem Globetrotter, "Corey the Dribbler" joined our students to share his amazing story of setting a three year goal to join the Harlem Globetrotters, learning tips from the pros, practicing everyday and challenging himself to be the best by learning to dribble six basketballs at once. After less than a year of practicing six hours a day, Corey ended up signing his contract with the Globetrotters after less than one year. Corey shared that with determination, practice, and perseverance, anything is possible. However, it was years of respect for teachers, coaches and teammates along the way that ended up making the difference. What an inspiring message to start the school year! Thank you to the CRS PTA for this and other Integrated Arts Assemblies.
Join the PTA and Donate to the Bobcat Fund
Did you know that the CRS PTA sponsors programs (such as this month’s assembly and author visit), activities, events, technology and more every year to enrich our student’s educational experience? This support is only possible with your help!
Please join the PTA! The class in each grade with the highest percentage of PTA family memberships by 10/31 wins a class treat in November. Join at http://www.churchillroadpta.org/membership.
Help support our CRS Bobcats and the dedicated staff at Churchill Road with a donation to The Bobcat Fund. The CRS PTA is a 501(c)3 nonprofit and your donation is tax-deductible to the full extent provided by law. Plus your donation might be eligible for corporate matching! Learn more at http://www.churchillroadpta.org/bobcat-fund.
Principal Selection Panel
Community members are invited to raise their hands to participate on the principal selection panel – a total of six members will serve on this panel. We are seeking members who are committed to the principal selection process and the future of CRS. To participate you MUST be available from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 6. The panel will meet at the Gatehouse Administrative Center in Falls Church.
Completed forms must be submitted by tomorrow, October 10, in order to be considered for the panel. Submit your information at http://bit.ly/2LKVgxe.
Please contact Lauren Maimone, CRS PTA President at president@churchillroadpta.org with any questions.
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.
|
