|
Weekly update for Nov. 12, 2021
Dear Columbia ES families:
It's been another great week at CES! We were especially excited to celebrate our veterans on Thursday.
The picture above of our "Hall of Fame" only captures a small piece of our excitement in showing gratitude for veterans this week. We were also excited to send postcards in the mail to veterans and active duty members, along with sharing stories and words of wisdom via the morning announcements from our very own CES staff veterans: Mr. Bob Lewis and Ms. Laura Steib.
Additionally in the picture above, I would like to send a huge shout out of thanks to our wonderful PTA. The new lobby furniture has arrived and it looks outstanding. The funds raised for this upgrade were in honor of our former principal, Mr. Cunningham. Thank you again, PTA!
I hope you have a great weekend!
Take care,
Mike Astudillo
Proud Principal
 Outstanding Employee Awards
Nominations are now open for the Outstanding Employee Awards! To submit a nomination for a Columbia ES Outstanding Employee in one of the categories below, please complete the nomination through this Google form link. You may nominate one employee at our school or multiple employees (one individual may only nominate one employee per category.)
All that is required for a preliminary nomination is a paragraph or two about how this employee demonstrates exceptional work in the criteria for that category. The google form link has more information regarding the criteria for each of these awards and the eligibility requirements are below.
Outstanding Teacher
Eligibility: Has at least three years of experience as a teacher (in any school/school district); librarians are included in this category
Outstanding New Teacher
Eligibility: Has up to three years of experience as a teacher (in any school/school district); librarians are included in this category
Outstanding New Principal
Eligibility: Has up to three years of experience as a building principal (in any school/school district)
Outstanding Leader
Eligibility: At least one year of experience in their current position as a Schedule-C or School-Based Administrator scale employee (that is not the building principal):
Common positions in this category: Assistant and Associate Principals, Director of Student Activities, Director of Student Services
Outstanding Professional Employee
Eligibility: At least one year experience in current position as a Schedule-B employee or other non-instructional employee in a school that supports school leadership
Common positions in this category: School-Based Technology Specialist, Technology Support Specialist, Assessment Coach, Career Center Specialist, Instructional Coach, Psychologist, Social Worker, School Counselor, Safety and Security Specialist, Resource Teachers that serve in an administrative role in a school
Outstanding Operational Employee
Eligibility: At least one year of experience in current position as Schedule-A or Classroom Instructional Support Scale employee
Common positions in this category: Administrative and Office Staff, Safety and Security Assistant, Custodial Staff, Food Service Staff, IA, PHA, PHTA, All Parent Liaisons (regardless of how they are paid)
******The deadline to submit a nomination is Tuesday, November 23rd
If you have any questions, please contact Ali Morrison at acmorrison@fcps.edu
Optional Covid-19 Testing at CES
Optional COVID-19 screening testing will begin the week of November 15 for students who are not fully vaccinated. FCPS is partnering with LongView International Technology Solutions, Inc. (LTS) to provide testing services for students.
Optional screening testing for Columbia ES students will take place on Thursdays from 12:00pm to 2:30pm in our CARES room. Staff at our school will work with all students to ensure they are scheduled to access COVID testing with LTS during the timeframe they are scheduled to be at our school.
One-time parent/legal guardian consent is required to begin COVID screening testing for a student to be tested at school. You may withdraw your consent for testing at any time. If you want your child to begin participating in COVID-19 screening testing, you must pre-register your child(ren) and provide consent using the LTS secure online portal. If you do not want your child to participate in COVID-19 screening testing, no action is required. You will have the option each week to update your child’s vaccination and consent for testing.
For all the details about optional COVID-19 screening testing, visit the FCPS website and review the FCPS COVID-19 Screening Testing Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document.
If you have questions about how testing will be conducted here at CES please contact Claudia Gonzales in the main office.
Screening testing is a recommended layered prevention strategy that keeps CES safe for in-person learning. Thank you for considering enrolling your child.
Meal Kit Distribution Change for Thanksgiving Break
In preparation for the Thanksgiving break when schools are closed (November 24-26), the following plan is in place to distribute meal kits:
-
Wednesday, November 17: Additional meals (7 days of breakfast and lunch, along with 14 days of afternoon snack and supper meals) will be served in one meal kit.
-
Wednesday, November 24: Meal kit distribution is canceled.
-
Wednesday, December 1: Regular meal kit distribution resumes.
More information and the location of the meal kit sites is available online.
Tip Sheet for Parents: Encourage Your Child to Make Responsible Choices
You want your child to learn to make responsible choices at home and at school. But constant orders and criticism can wear him or her down. Instead of commanding, encourage your child to make better choices and improvements.
Here’s how:
- Thank him or her when they remember to do something on their own.
- Praise him or her for effort more than outcome.
- Recognize the hard work he or she puts into schoolwork.
- Encourage his or her involvement in music, sports, or other activities that keep them busy. Busy, involved children need less external control than those with too much time on their hands.
Copyright 2021, the Parent Institute, a Division of PaperClip Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Get more tips for parents and other family engagement resources.
 |
|
Parent Volunteers Needed - Book Fair
Our library is having a Scholastic Book Fair after Thanksgiving Break from November 29th to December 3rd. The library would appreciate the support of volunteers who can help with the book fair during school hours. Please email Mr. Brizek at crbrizek@fcps.edu if you would like to volunteer. Thank you!
|
|
