Oct. 22 - Hearing and Vision Screening
Oct. 22 - Reflections Deadline
Oct. 23 - Unity Day - wear orange
Oct. 24 - PTA Appreciation Lunch - 5th/6th grades
Oct. 25 - Pizza Bingo Night
Oct. 29 - Dining for Dollars
Nov. 1 - End of First Quarter
Nov. 4-5 - NO SCHOOL
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Dear Wolftrap Families,
After consulting with many parents in our community and analyzing data from our website analytics, it has become clear that the current mode of communication for our Monthly Updates is no longer effective. For many years I have asked each grade level team and specialist to write a brief update about upcoming curriculum topics and important dates. The Monthly Updates are posted to our website and I have consistently linked them in my Connection updates. Effective immediately, I have asked each grade level team to send an email or a Blackboard announcement to communicate this information directly to parents. Many teams are already doing this practice, making the Monthly Updates on our website redundant. I hope that you find this new method an easier way to remain informed of our curriculum.
Many of our sixth grade students are collaborating with me to prepare for our annual Veterans Day assembly on Monday, November 11 at 2:00 PM. If you are a veteran, please mark your calendar and attend this special event so that Wolftrap may honor you! Students in grades 3 through 6 will be in attendance and the entire assembly will be run by sixth grade volunteers.
Please mark November 20-22 on your calendars for the annual Wolftrap Book Fair. The PTA earns 25% of all sales so this is a huge fundraiser and great opportunity for holiday gifts! The overall Book Fair hours are as follows:
- Wednesday, November 20: 2pm-8pm
- Thursday, November 21: 9am-6pm
- Friday, November 22: 9am-1pm
The annual Open House will take place on Thursday, November 21 for Grades 3, 4, and 5, and Friday, November 22 for Grades K, 1, 2, and 6. Each class will be allotted a thirty-minute Open House in the classroom followed immediately by a twenty-minute time slot to attend the Book Fair. The detailed scheduled will be coming out next week. We hope to see you there!
Finally, Impact Aid Student-Parent Surveys are being distributed this week. Please complete, sign, date, and return the survey as soon as possible! The survey helps FCPS identify federally-connected students and support its request for Impact Aid resources. FCPS anticipates receiving about $3,000,000 annually in Impact Aid funds. For more information, go to https://www.fcps.edu/impact
Sincerely,
Teresa Khuluki
Principal
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Positivity Project traits
Thank you so much to all parents who are supporting our work with the Positivity Project! Keep an eye out on our Twitter feed, where we are working to highlight great work throughout the school with lessons on positive character traits. When you walk into Wolftrap, the trait for the week is posted on the office window. You can learn more about each trait on the one page summary included there. This week, we'll begin learning about perspective -- and the ability to see the world through another person's viewpoint.
If you would like to explore all 24 character strengths, please see this link to the Positivity Project. If you are interested in learning your top character strengths, there is a free survey from the Virginia Institute on Character available at https://www.viacharacter.org/
Quad classrooms and visitors
Please remember the policy regarding forgotten items and visiting classrooms after school applies to the quad classrooms, even though they are conveniently located outside the main building.
The following is from the parent handbook: “Sufficient time is provided at the end of the day for students to get ready to go home. Classrooms are locked when teachers are not in the room during and after school hours. Custodians are not authorized to unlock doors for anyone not employed by FCPS. Our teachers are often conducting confidential conferences and/or teacher meetings at the end of the school days; therefore, we cannot accommodate requests by students or parents to open a teacher’s classroom for forgotten items.”
We appreciate your help with this effort. Thank you!
Maggie Grove
Assistant Principal
 Message from the PTA
Thanks to everyone who joined us for the October 11 meeting! We heard several updates including:
- The PTA will provide funding for Field Day from donations back from Wolftrap Under the Stars (food trucks and Dr. Ghaffari's sponsorship). In the past, Field Day has been paid for from PE classroom funds.
- Celebrating Wolftrap's receipt of the Superintendent's Excellence in Equity Award for decreasing the achievement gap in math. While test scores are just one measure, we are grateful to the teachers who make this possible and welcome the balance that initiatives like the Positivity Project bring.
- Lots of updates on the excellent work by various committees: Book Fair (see below for kickoff meeting), Reflections, Artist in the Making, Teacher Workroom Support, After Schools and Lego Robotics (see below), and of course Pizza Bingo! Seeking volunteers here.
Urgent request for volunteers! For the Hearing and Vision Screening, Tuesday October 22. No training necessary for this simple and important screener for our kids. Please sign up here.
PTA Directories are out! If you are signed up as a member and have not received your copy, please email directory@wolftrappta.org.
Look forward to seeing everyone at Pizza Bingo this Friday, Dining for Dollars at Foster's and Ben & Jerry's next Tuesday and our first evening PTA meeting, Thursday, November 7 at 7pm. Come check it out, especially if you've never come to a PTA meeting before. Lots of relevant news on Wolftrap and a great place to ask questions!
Your PTA Board,
  Through music, rhythm, and dance, on Friday, October 18th, students in all grades learned about the sounds of Latin American instruments, including the: donkey jaw, goat toenail rattle, and armadillo shell guitar. Through song and dance, Cantaré musicians enabled Wolftrap students to explore the Indigenous, European and African cultures that shape Latin American music. Through the Carnaval performance program, students experienced rhythms from different Carnaval traditions in the Andean countries, Central America, Mexico, and Brazil. It was a meaningful way to gather on a Friday morning and experience feeling connected to one other through music, humor, and learning.
Hearing and Vision Screening
Tuesday, Oct. 22, 8:20-11:30.
The Wolftrap clinic staff needs a few volunteers for this simple, but very important screening. No experience necessary, sign up here. Questions? Contact Mrs. Wolfe at SWolf@fcps.edu.
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Reflections
Good news! The Reflections contest deadline has been extended until October 22nd!!
Please get your creative submissions turned into the Reflections box in front of the main office by next Tuesday. We look forward to seeing your creative genius!
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Tuesday October 29
Foster's Grille 11am-9pm, Ben & Jerry's 4-9 pm.
Twice the fun! Have dinner at Foster's and grab ice cream next door at Ben & Jerry's.
Make sure to say you're there for Wolftrap and you'll earn 20% back for the school. Two great reasons to make it a night to eat out.
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Seeking Book Fair Committee members! First meeting will be held October 24th at 8PM. If you are interested in helping to plan for our November Book Fair, please email bookfair@wolftrappta.org for details!
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Spirit Wear
Just in time for the cooler weather!
Get your Wolftrap Flannel pajama pants now!! Kids and Adult sizes available for $20 each. Order through PTA my accounts page.
Hurry! - sale ends on Halloween for a delivery before Thanksgiving.
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Watch DOGS kid shirts available, $10!
First, submit payment, either: 1) PayPal Treasurer@wolftrappta.org or 2) send a check in via your child’s backpack payable to “Wolftrap PTA”.
Second, send an email to watchdogs@wolftrappta.org with your child(ren), name(s), size(s), and a homeroom teacher!
Thanks for your support of the program!
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Student Holiday & Election Day (Nov 4-5). While students don't have school on Tuesday, November 5, polling places are open from 6am-7pm. Each voter selects 13 candidates to fill newly-vacated seats, of which four are School Board members. More information about voting locations and times (including early in-person absentee voting available until November 2), can be found here: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/elections/absentee
For more information on community new and events such as scouting, programs for special needs students, Stemtree opportunities and more, go to: https://wolftrappta.membershiptoolkit.com/
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