|
Dear Spring Hill Families,
Next week is Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week and our PTO has many fabulous activities planned for our staff. Please also take a moment to share your appreciation of our staff by submitting an FCPS Cares message.
May also includes the SOL Testing time. Our 5th grade students took their reading SOL earlier this week. If you have a child in 3rd-6th grade, please look closely at the SOL Test Schedule below. Please make sure that your children bring their fully charged laptop each day. It’s important that students are at school on time and well rested. Student laptops are used to take the SOL testing, which will begin each day at 9:30.
Have a great weekend!
National School Nurse Day is Wednesday, May 10, 2023. It is a day to recognize the many contributions that school nurses make to student health and learning.
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) appreciates the role of School Public Health Nurses (PHNs) and our School Health Aide for their contribution to the health and welfare of all our students. Professional school nurses support the needs of students through their delivery of healthcare, contributions to local school communities, and promotion of safety, prevention, and wellness throughout the year. They are advocates who bridge healthcare and education by supporting student health and readiness to learn. School nurses and aides are essential to our community and work tirelessly to make a positive impact in the lives of their students.
Please join us in thanking our SHA, Lema Keyar and our SHN, Cat Romer, for their hard work and dedication to Spring Hill Elementary.
As we are in the midst of SOL testing and end of year assessments, please share these helpful tips with your students, as needed, to ease some of the feelings of stress and anxiety associated with testing.
One of the important things we do to get ready for the next school year is class placements. Multiple staff members (including current teachers, counselors, specialists and the administration) collaborate as a team to place students in an optimal learning situation each year. Creating balanced classrooms is a challenging task. We must take many considerations into account such as heterogeneous groupings, balancing academic abilities, and maximizing the support our resource staff for students.
One piece of this process is providing parents the opportunity to provide input. We ask that you do not request specific teachers. This does not take into account the many variables to be considered such as grade-level changes or reductions in staff. It is far more valuable to share social/emotional or academic strengths and concerns. Be assured that, with or without a parent input form, each child’s strengths and needs are considered in this lengthy and complex process.
If you would like to share information that you believe would help us as we are making these placement decisions, please click on this link. Completion of this form is optional.
Please note that the deadline for submitting this information is Friday, May 26, 2023.
The Virginia Science Olympiad (VASO) is a great opportunity for kids passionate about science to team up with their schoolmates and compete against great minds from schools all across VA. The three VASO divisions include Division A - Grades 3 through 5, Division B - Grades 5 through 8 and Division C - Grades 9 through 12. For Elementary school, the relevant divisions are A and B.
Currently, we are soliciting interest from parents for participation in Division A (Grades 3-5). You can find out more details about the type of events for Division A here https://www.virginiaso.org/_files/ugd/b8eaea_e90eeaac5c714a07b77b115a790e7ed6.pdf
SHES can have up to 3 teams and each team can have up to 15 kids. Being a primarily parent led effort, we need parent coaches and volunteers to support the preparatory and participatory needs of the Division A team(s). We will be holding a SHES information night on May 10, 2023, at 6:30 PM for interested parents. Look forward to seeing everyone!
We are so excited to celebrate our 6th graders with the traditional Spring Hill 6th Grade-only all-day party on June 14, 2023. It’s the day they’ve been waiting for all year - teachers and administrators in the Dunk Tank, an obstacle course, water balloons, a DJ, guessing “who’s who” in the baby photo contest, a picnic lunch and more! Every student will need a ticket. For more information and to purchase a ticket (which includes a “Class of 2023” t-shirt), visit the 6th Grade Party website.
Oils are included in most recipes, so it's important to choose healthy oils when cooking. Healthier cooking oils are generally unrefined, cold-pressed, and low in Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs) which become toxic when heated. Below is a quick guide to healthy oil choices.
- Best oils for all-purpose and heating: unrefined olive, avocado, coconut, macadamia nut, peanut, and almond
- Best oils for cold recipes: all oils listed above, plus unrefined flax, walnut, artisanal grapeseed, and sesame
- Oils to avoid: canola, corn, cottonseed, soy, sunflower, safflower, rice bran, refined palm, and hydrogenated oils
Equitable Access to Literacy: The Keys to Literacy Success
The Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Equitable Access to Literacy (EAL) Plan outlines the division’s continuous improvement efforts to align practices with science-based reading research.
We are excited to share webinars for families to learn about the shifts that FCPS is making to improve literacy instruction.
Webinar Highlights:
- What is the Science of Reading?
- What is the Virginia Literacy Act?
- How is the Equitable Access to Literacy Plan being implemented?
- Why is this so important for my student’s reading life?
Presented by Tara Hewan, Carrie Leestma, and Natasha Saunders.
Thursday, May 11 2023, 6:30-8 p.m. - Elementary: Register for Equitable Access to Literacy: The Keys to Literacy Success
Wednesday, May 17, 2023, 6:30-8 p.m. - Secondary: Register for Equitable Access to Literacy: The Keys to Literacy Success
Portrait of a Graduate: The Keys to Success in Life: A Webinar for Families
In this session, families and caregivers will learn about the what, the why, and the how of the FCPS Portrait of a Graduate (POG) attributes and skills.
Participants will walk away with tangible strategies for supporting their children in owning and growing these transferable 21st-century skills.
- What are Portrait of a Graduate Skills?
- Why are these skills important in school and in life?
- What is a Portrait of a Graduate Presentation of Learning (POG POL)? Why is POG POL an effective measurement tool?
- How can you support at home?
Join Nishi Langhorne, Manager of Learning Innovations, FCPS Instructional Services for this important webinar.
May 12, 2023 10-11:30 a,m.
Register for Portrait of a Graduate: The Keys to Success in Life: A Webinar for Families
PANTHER PROWL
Put on your favorite sneakers, and help welcome back a favorite Spring Hill Tradition, the Annual Panther Prowl on Sunday, May 21st! This year we are partnering with Potomac River Running for event registration and official timing. We will have prizes for each grade winner, and for our adult race winners too. Register by May 7th to receive a FREE T-shirt. Shirts will not be available after that date or at the event.
What we need from you!
-
Sign up and race! Registration site will be LIVE this week. Be sure to follow us on Instagram (@springhillelem) for the big announcement! Early Registration by May 7th comes with a free t-shirt.
-
Volunteer!There are all types of volunteer opportunities (student and adult!) on the morning of the race, and you can volunteer and still participate in the event. Click here to volunteer today!
Spring Hill Field Day - Volunteers Needed
Get ready for a day of FUN with Field Day! This year's event will be on Friday, May 26th. Our Spring Hill PE teachers have put together a day of classic field day games for our students, and we need parent volunteers to help run each station. No experience necessary - we will provide game instructions before the events start.
Morning - Grades 3 (Nalley, Chang), 4-6th
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4EAEA722A0F8C25-20231
Afternoon - Grades K-3 (Fishbone, Michaels, Boswell, and Margeson)
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4EAEA722A0F8C25-2023
The Giving Tree
Did you know the Spring Hill PTO purchased new modular classroom furniture for grades 1st-3rd earlier this year? This style of furniture can easily shift into unique configurations that help provoke an innovative learning environment. The students and teachers are loving their new desks and chairs but we still need new furniture for grades 4th-6th!
For the '22-'23 school year we had BIG plans to reach our goal of upgrading the remaining classrooms, grades 4-6th, this year but are falling just a bit short. Help us cross the finish line by checking out the Spring Hill Giving Tree with many ways to help on our PTO website!
Grades 3-6:
- IReady (Reading/Math):April 11-May 19. Click here for more information regarding the iReady.
- Spring SOL's (May 1 - May 26). Click here for more information..
 |
|
May 4 - SOL Testing Begins
May 21 - Panther Fun Run
May 26- Field Day
May 29 - School Holiday
|
|
