GFES December Newsletter

Dear Glen Forest Families,

We have had a wonderful week celebrating with your children as we close out 2019! On Tuesday, we surprised the student body with a magician named Joe Romano. Mr. Romano is a renowned magician and professional illusionist who has performed in major theme parks across the country, as well as at the White House and was even the half-time show for a Washington Redskins – Dallas Cowboy football game. His newest show highlights the magic surrounding the love of reading and it was a great show! A big THANK YOU to our wonderful Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) for funding this gift! We couldn’t have done it without the generous contribution of our families who have joined our PTO!

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We started today with a special treat listening to our chorus. These children have incredible voices and were able to perform last Friday night at the National Zoo’s “Zoolights” in front of hundreds of people. We were fortunate to send 4 bus loads of our families to this annual Washington D.C. event in support of our students and to enjoy the festive atmosphere. As we ended our day, we had our annual sing-along assemblies featuring holiday songs from around the world! What a wonderful way to highlight our diversity and the fellowship we value as a school community.

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On behalf of the staff, we want to thank you for sharing your incredible children with us! We are truly blessed to serve this community, as every child brings a smile to our face and your continued support and partnership ensures that ALL our students are successful! We hope you have a wonderful break with your family and friends. See you in 2020!

Sincerely,

Cindi Choate

Principal


Student Support Services

The Student Support Team hopes you and your family are looking forward to winter break just as much as we are. Below we have addressed some important information regarding your child's social, emotional, and physical development. Have a wonderful break and please reach out with any questions.

 


Sleep Patterns:

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has set guidelines outlining recommended sleep duration for children. They found that adequate sleep leads to improved attention, behavior, learning, memory, emotional regulation, quality of life, and mental and physical health.

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Below are the recommended sleep durations for infants to teens.

  • Infants 4 months to 12 months should sleep 12 to 16 hours per 24 hours (including naps) on a regular basis to promote optimal health.
  • Children 1 to 2 years of age should sleep 11 to 14 hours per 24 hours (including naps) on a regular basis to promote optimal health.
  • Children 3 to 5 years of age should sleep 10 to 13 hours per 24 hours (including naps) on a regular basis to promote optimal health.
  • Children 6 to 12 years of age should sleep 9 to 12 hours per 24 hours on a regular basis to promote optimal health.
  • Teenagers 13 to 18 years of age should sleep 8 to 10 hours per 24 hours on a regular basis to promote optimal health.

 

The AAP also suggests that screens are not allowed in a child's room and that all screens are off at least 30 minutes before bed time.

 

From <https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/Pages/American-Academy-of-Pediatrics-Supports-Childhood-Sleep-Guidelines.aspx#:~:targetText=Children%206%20to%2012%20years,basis%20to%20promote%20optimal%20health.>


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Here are some simple activities to do as a family that do not require any electronics! Created for FCPS by The Parent Institute.

Car/Bus Games

-Memory magic: Choose any subject (ex. Vegetables; name of cars; animals; cities). The first person names one item (ex. corn). The second person repeats the first item and ads another. "Corn, tomatoes." This continues until someone mixes the order or forgets one.

-Serial story: one person starts telling a story. As they get to an exciting or suspenseful part, they stop talking and the next person takes over. Here's one example: "Once upon a time, there was a princess who was very beautiful, but also very sad. She lived in a castle with her parents and her puppy. One day, the princess and the puppy were walking in the forest near the castle. Suddenly they saw… " (pass to the next story teller.)

Make an 'I'm Bored' Jar

At the beginning of a school vacation, have your child make a list of activities they can do when they get bored. Examples could include:

  • Listen to a favorite song
  • Go for a bike ride
  • Paint a picture
  • Plan a trip
  • Work on a puzzle

Write each activity on a slip of paper and drop it into an 'I'm Bored' jar.

When your child is bored, they can draw a slip of paper from the jar.

What happens if your child is still bored? Post a list of chores you'd be glad to suggest--weeding the garden, clean out closets, do the dishes, etc.

Start a Costume Box

In a large box, keep a collection of old clothes and hats that can be transformed into costumes. In addition to the usual adult clothing include some big pieces of fabric that can be turned into capes, costumes, and tents. Have a contest and see who can come up with the funniest, scariest, or most unusual costume.

 


Space is still available in the following clubs which will start the week of January 6th.  To sign up, please submit your registration form and payment to the office on Monday, January 6th!

Tuesdays and Thursdays

Basketball (grades 4-5):  Learn about basketball and run some drills to develop skills in the future. The goal of this club is to show kids that there is more to life than video games and exercise can be fun!  Taught by Mr. Reinaltt and Mr. McDermott.

*This club meets two days per week and is therefore $80 for PTO member families / $100 for families that are not PTO members.

**Due to a student holiday on 1/28, a make-up class meeting will be held on Monday (March 2).

Wednesdays

Art (grades 3-5):  Create extra special art projects we don’t do in our normal art class.  Taught by Ms. Castillo and Ms. Williams.  $40 for PTO members, $50 for families that are not PTO members.

Coloring (grades 3-5):  students keep their minds engaged for 7 hours a day in class.  Coloring can be a great way to relax and decompress before going home.  Students will work on a club mural, have coloring challenges and of course individual time to work on their own. Taught by Ms. Stanley.  $40 for PTO members, $50 for families that are not PTO members.


Be Informed, Stay Involved!

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