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Dear GBE Families,
Our virtual Staff Appreciation Week was a huge success thanks to your participation! The GBE administrative team joined each class on Thursday morning to express appreciation for our terrific staff. I loved greeting students during my visits! Mrs. Lorenzi, Mrs. Showker, and I look forward to more opportunities to connect with our Roadrunners during live instruction. We had so much fun during curbside pickup on Friday for our staff. Teachers received a grab bag with distance learning supplies and a delicious lunch from Jersey Mike’s sponsored by our GBE PTA. What a terrific way to end our week!
On Friday, we shared information for families to submit parent input for the 2020-2021 school year. I’ve included the link below. Please submit parent input by May 29th. I hope everyone is healthy and safe.
#GBEStrong
Estimadas familias de GBE,
Nuestra semana virtual de agradecimiento al personal fué un gran exito gracias a su participación. El jueves por la mañana, el equipo admnistrativo de GBE visitó todas las clases virtuales para expresar nuestro agradecimiento. Me encantó saludar a nuestros estudiantes durante mis visitas. La Sra Lorenzi, la Sra Showker, y yo, buscaremos futuras oportunidades para conectarnos con nuestros Roadrunners durante las clases en vivo. El Viernes tuvimos el placer de ver a muchos miembros del personal cuando pasaron por la escuela y recibieron una bolsa con articulos que pueden usar en sus clases, junto a un delicioso almuerzo de Jersey Mike's patrocinado por el PTA de GBE. Que excelente manera de terminar la semana!
El Viernes enviamos un formulario pidiendo información sobre sus hijos que se utilizará para la asignación de clases para el año escolar 2020-2021. Aqui incluyo de nuevo el enlace. Por favor completen el formulario antes de el 29 de Mayo. Espero que todos en la familia continuen bien. Hasta la próxima semana.
#GBEStrong
Sincerely,
Dave Pietzman, NBCT
Principal
Celebrating Our Superheroes
Whimsical Wednesday of Resilience
Today is all about finding joy, having fun, creating art and sharing humor. Play is both fun and good for you! The American Academy of Pediatrics explains that children engaging in play is key to building healthy brains, bodies and social bonds. Play can improve children's language, math and social skills as well as their abilities to plan and cope with stress. BUT, the benefits of play aren’t limited to children. Studies show that laughter can help adults relieve pain and even increase immunity. So do your body good by making room for joy today, and every day!
How can you participate in Whimsical Wednesday?
• Click here for 50 Ways to Practice Whimsical Wednesday
• Share how you participated on social media: I am celebrating this 2020 #ResilienceWeekVA this #WhimsicalWednesday (i.e. having a family night, blowing bubbles, letting my smile shine, making sure every child has access to a childhood…)
• Take it from Ellen, laughter is the best medicine!
• Today’s challenge: DON’T LAUGH! Can you resist?
• Try out this super cool drawing site . It’s a little trippy, but it’s also very cool!
• Check out these colorful handouts for kids and adults which include 20 creative ways to build resilience, including links to external resources.
o Kids version
o For Grown-Ups
GBE Parent Input for 2020-2021
The school year 2020-2021 planning has begun! Since we work in partnership with our families to provide a supportive school environment for our students, we would like to invite you to complete the Parent Input Form. This system is not intended for families to request specific teachers. Rather we are looking for more input to assist us with making the best teacher and student match.
Class assignments are made by a team. Your child’s current teacher, specialists, upcoming grade-level staff, and administrators collaborate to develop class lists for next school year. This form (submit one per child) will be reviewed and considered at the beginning of June. Submission must be completed by Friday, May 29th. Greenbriar East embraces collective responsibility and all of our staff are equipped to meet individual student needs.
Mike Kearney
How did your career path lead to teaching?
Before teaching, I have been a personal trainer, a truck driver and a pro wrestler. While wrestling, a friend told me about applied behavior analysis (ABA). He thought I would love it and do well with these amazing kids. I tried it and very quickly fell in love with the work. I have worked in a school setting and private in home setting. I soon decided it was safer (and more fun) than being in a wrestling ring, so in 2019 I moved back home to Fairfax, Va and found a position as a substitute, I focused on special ed, which is what led me to the amazing team at GBE!
Growing up, what was your favorite part of school?
My favorite part of school was language arts. I enjoy writing creatively, I found school to be challenging, but the teachers who were most passionate were able to make learning more fun than work, that is a passion I hope to provide to the students now.
What is the best part of your job? The most challenging?
The best part of the job is seeing the kids grow, writing their name for the first time, reading their first word, then sentence, seeing them independently finish math problems, that true happiness when they have accomplished something they struggled with for so long. The challenge is finding the right method, the best strategy to connect to each individual student and get their true potential from them.
What do you want people to know about your students?
My students are the absolute best part of my day, they are always trying, always learning and constantly amaze me. I hope I am able to be as positive of an influence to them as they are to me.
Roadrunners Connect
Social Media Post of the Week
https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=-QlGk4fYSQk
2020-2021
Kindergarten & New Student Registration
Have a rising Kindergarten or new student in Grades 1-6?
Visit our website to start the registration process now.
Early registration for next year is important as it supports the number of teachers for which we are staffed.
For questions please contact our school registrar, Melissa Dicker at mldicker@fcps.edu.
When the office re-opens, Melissa will setup a time to come to school to present the necessary documentation for registration (child’s original birth certificate, physical and immunizations, enrolling parent’s ID, lease/deed to your home, etc..).
P-EBT for Free/Reduced Meal Eligibility
With the schools being closed, families may not think of applying for FARMs. Families may also not be aware that they can apply during the school year if their income level drops below eligibility limits. Those limits are higher than the limits for SNAP and can be found HERE. The application for FARMs can be found HERE. For families without access to the online application, paper applications can be requested by contacting FCPS Food and Nutrition Services at 703-813-4800.
Families of students who were already on the FARMS list prior to the school closures don’t need to do anything to receive the P-EBT. FCPS press release about the P-EBT can be found HERE.
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