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.يرجى زيارة موقعنا الألكتروني لقراءة هذه النشرة الإخبارية بلغات أخرى
Dear Great Falls ES Families,
As we finalize the month of January and the second quarter of school, our elementary school is buzzing with learning and growth. With the weather the way it's been the last few days, it almost feels like spring!
From the awesome STEAM lab experiments to the creative art enrichment projects that line the walls, our staff and I remain grateful for the community support we receive through our PTA. Your support provides learning experienced that enhance our Portrait of a Graduate goals and provide tools we need to strive to create a positive and nurturing learning environment that fosters academic excellence and personal growth.
As we move into February and the second half of the school year, we are excited to celebrate the accomplishments of our students and look forward to a solid third quarter. Thank you for your ongoing support, and we look forward to making the second half of this school year a time of continued growth and success for our students!
Have a great weekend,
Sara Harper
End of Quarter SIS StudentVue and ParentVue Availability
The SIS StudentVUE and ParentVue Gradebook module will be unavailable from Thursday, January 25 at 4 pm to Monday, February 5 at 6 am to allow for teachers to complete their second quarter grades. Second quarter report cards will be available in SIS ParentVUE on February 5 at 6 am. A copy of your child’s report card will be sent home on Friday, February 9.
Calendar Updates
February 9 - 100th Day of School Performance (grades k-3)
February 9 - SCA - Jersey Spirit Day
February 10 - Save the Date - PTA Skate Night @ Reston Skatequest
February 12 - Kindness Spirit Week
February 14 - NEXT General PTA Meeting with Guest Speaker, Dr. Litz February 19 - Presidents' Day - No School
March 5 - Presidential Primary - No School for Students
March 25 - April 2 - Spring Break
Click here to view the 2023-2024 school year calendar.
Click here to read last week's PTA newsletter updates.
Wondering what your child is learning in our STEAM lab?
In kindergarten, we are back to the ABCs of STEAM. Currently, students are learning about the different types of joints and how they help us move. Next week, we will learn more about kinetic energy and play a game called “Cotton Ball.”
In first grade, like our kindergarteners, we are also back to the ABCs of STEAM. Last week, we learned about jellyfish and how they move using propulsion. This week and next, we are analyzing the design of an object and creating a kite. We will then connect this to the concept of symmetry.
Second grade learned about the history of dog sled racing and the Iditarod Trail. Afterward, they began to design and build a dog sled on a smaller scale! Next week, they will finish building, and we will test their designs. The dog sled will be tested based on two variables (speed and being able to carry the most cargo).
Third grade continues to work on the “Save the Polar Bear, Boat Challenge.” Students have been working hard on planning and have started to construct their boats. We hope to begin testing next week!
Fourth grade is continuing with the Crater Catapults & Moon Making Challenge. Last week, we learned about the types of space rocks and then craters. Now, students are putting their knowledge of craters to the test with a catapult engineering design challenge. This week, they begin creating their catapults and will get to test them! In the upcoming weeks, students will be making craters out of Play-Doh. We used up quite a bit of my stash in our bridge-building challenge; any extra donations would be greatly appreciated.
Fifth grade started a robot hand challenge this week. First, we focused on science, learned about the essential parts of a hand, and talked about prosthetic limbs. Then, using the materials provided (cardstock, straws, & string), students create a movable hand to mimic a real-life hand. We may extend and ask students to make another hand on a larger scale.
The sixth graders started their big Eco-House Extravaganza project. They will plan and design an energy-efficient, eco-friendly house in the U.S. city of their choice. First, we learned about sustainable and “Earthship” homes and examined examples. We will use a “Planning Game” to brainstorm design components for their eco-houses in the upcoming weeks.
100th Day of School Performance
Join us to celebrate music, learning, the Lunar New Year, and the 100th day of school!
Great Falls students in grades K-3 will perform a short program on Friday, February 9th, at 9:15 am in the GFES Gymnasium. Each grade level will perform one song on their own and a finale with all students in grades K-3. We will be sharing the things we've been learning in music class through songs and dance, and we can't wait to share with you!
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Virginia Kindness Week
As part of our year-long emphasis on fostering a positive school environment, we will celebrate Virginia Kindness Week at Great Falls ES from February 12 through February 16.
Kindness is a simple act that can brighten someone’s day. It can be something significant, like donating items to a charity, or something smaller, like holding a door open for someone. It can be planned or happen on the spur of the moment. To help get in the habit of spreading kindness, we're asking students to participate in a kindness Bingo challenge. Your student can return their completed Bingo board to their school counselor for a fun prize! We will also be celebrating each day of Kindness Week with spirit days. The schedule for the week is below.
Thank you for helping us spread kindness this week and every week!
Sincerely,
Sara White and Courtney Barber
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Portrait Of A Graduate
In support of Kindness Week and instilling Portrait of a Graudate skills in or students, consider ways you could support your student in being an ethical and globall citizen in the coming weeks.
As students grow as ethical and global citizens, they can act responsibly, recognize and appreciate the similarities and differences among people and their cultures, and care for their community and environment.
How might your student impact others in their community? Maybe there's a neighbor who could use a pick me up and would enjoy a batch of homemade cookies. Perhaps they have a friend who has been feeling down and would enjoy a friendship bracelet or card. Maybe a relative would get a smile from a Valentine's day card. Some questions you might use to guide your student:
- What are things others do for you that make you smile? Who do you think might enjoy it if you did one of those things for them?
- Who do we know that might need some extra kindness this week? What do you think might brighten their day?
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SCA Jersey Spirit Day
Magnet School Application and Lottery Information
The Magnet Program registration window will be open from Tuesday, March 5, through Friday, April 12, 2024. No late applications are accepted.
To learn more about the programs and the registration process, families are encouraged to attend one of the Parent Information Nights:
- Bailey’s Upper, February 6, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. (Virtual only)
- Hunters Woods Elementary, February 12, 2024 at 5:30 p.m. (In-person)
- Snow date: February 26, 2024 at 5:30 p.m.
- Bailey’s Primary, February 13, 2024 at 6:00 p.m. (In-person)
- Snow date: February 21, 2024 at 6:00 p.m
Learn more about the FCPS Magnet Programs here.
Superintendent to Present FY 2025 Proposed Budget
Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid will present the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Proposed Budget at the School Board meeting on Thursday, February 8, at 7:30 p.m. Dr. Reid’s presentation, as well as other budget documents, will be available after she presents to the board.
View the meeting on FCPS Cable TV Channel 99 (Verizon Channel 11), the FCPS YouTube Channel, or the FCPS website. To watch School Board meetings dubbed in Spanish, please visit the FCPS en Español YouTube channel.
If you would like language interpretation or American Sign Language support for any School Board meeting, please contact the board clerk. Find your School Board member and how to contact them on the School Board Members webpage.
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