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Dear Stenwood Families,
The Hive has certainly been abuzz this week! Yesterday, we celebrated the 100th day of school! Our kindergarteners love the 100th day celebration and everyone should celebrate how much we have learned and grown in 100 days! We also had our Winter Band and Strings concerts last night. Our 5th and 6th graders did a phenomenal job thanks to Kim Campbell and Brad Zimmerman. Today our 1st graders celebrated the 101st day of school with their 101 Dalmatian theme. Our 2nd graders also shared their poetry over Zoom and our whole school attended a Jump Rope for Heart Assembly (more information about that below)!
Tonight, the PTA is hosting the Sweetheart’s Dance. We hope many of you are able to join; you can find more information about the Sweetheart’s Dance in PTA’s Wednesday Mail.
We also celebrated our fabulous counselor Mrs. Berick for School Counselors Appreciation Week. Thank you Mrs. Berick for all you do for our students, families, and staff!
Finally, it was 60 years ago this month that Stenwood first opened its doors to students! We have been commemorating the occasion on our Facebook and Instagram pages all week with pictures from our vaults.
Please watch this fantastic video looking back at Stenwood’s 60 years of learning. A huge thank you goes out to our School Based Technology Specialist and Social Media Manager Jackie Krum, who has been hard at work bringing all of this together! We look forward to continuing to celebrate our 60th with you all as the year buzzes on!
 Below you will find additional information about:
Have a great weekend!
Sincerely,
Erica Riley, Principal
esriley@fcps.edu
Bryan Case, Assistant Principal
bgcase@fcps.edu
Bell Schedule Reminders
We have been noticing an uptick of late drop-offs at Kiss N Ride in the morning. All students need to be dropped off by 8:38 to be in class on time by the late bell at 8:40. Students will be marked tardy if they are not dropped off before 8:38. If you see the patrols heading to class - you are late. Kiss N Ride opens at 8:20.
SEL Screener in Grades 3-6
The Spring Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Screener will be administered to students in grades 3-6 between the dates of February 26th and March 15th. Families will get specific dates for their student’s classes in the weekly communication from their classroom teacher closer to the date. Students use the SEL Screener twice a year to share their perspectives on how well their school and community help them develop skills they need to succeed. The screener works by asking questions or presenting statements that students can think about and respond to. More information is available about the SEL Screener by accessing this link:
https://www.fcps.edu/student-tests-and-assessments/student-assessment-details/social-emotional-screener
If you have any questions please reach out to our SEL Screener Lead, Tammy Berick, tsberick@fcps.edu.
Lunar New Year
The Lunar New Year is a holiday that marks the first new moon of the lunisolar calendar, which is the calendar traditionally used in many east Asian countries including China, Vietnam, Singapore, and South Korea. In these and other Asian countries, it is one of the most important holidays of the year. The Lunar New Year is all about ushering in luck and prosperity with family. Read more about Lunar New Year and its animal symbols in National Geographic Kids.
Black History Month
 Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history.
Learn more about the heritage months, celebrations, and traditions celebrated in FCPS. Learn more about Black History month.
Parent Book Club
Come join us to discuss parenting challenges and strategies in a supportive community. During Quarter 3, we are excited to be discussing The Whole Brain Child by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson. Books are selected based on your input and interest and are related to parenting skills and raising school-aged children. If you aren’t already on the email list, please fill out this form to express your interest and feedback and we will provide you with more details directly. The book club is facilitated by Tammy Berick, School Counselor and Catherine Wideman, Kindergarten Teacher and open to all parents who want to join.
Next Year’s Intention Forms/
Rising Kindergarten Information
Last month, students brought home a Student Intention Form. We are asking families to fill out this form for each child to help us plan for adequate staffing next year. Thank you to those who have already returned the form. If you need an extra copy please reach out to the office at 703-208-7600.
If you have a child who will turn five on or before September 30th, 2024, please return the blue form or fill out the Rising Kindergartner form. We have Kindergarten Orientation coming up on March 8th at 9:15am. If you have any neighbors that have children that turn 5 on or before September 30th, please let them know to reach out to Mrs. Hunt, snhunt@fcps.edu as soon as possible so we can ensure they have all the information they need.
Community Peers Preschool Program
Next year Stenwood will have community peers in our preschool program. This program provides opportunities for our students to participate in integration activities with typically developing peers. The program is designed to teach preschoolers with delays and without delays in the same classroom. It can provide young children with a more stimulating environment, teach skills for coping with different situations, and provide the opportunity to learn appropriate social skills.
Our program will invite a limited number of community preschoolers (2 per class), who are ages 3.5 (by September 30th) to 5 years, to participate in our daily preschool activities.
The children from the community will have the opportunity to make new friends and share experiences with current early childhood special education students. Our students will, in turn, benefit from being with community peers who can model appropriate language, motor, and social skills.
All children learn through their play. Intellectual growth occurs in a social context, influenced strongly by the quality of social interactions. The goal of this program is to encourage active learning and promote social interaction and acceptance through shared experiences between the community children and our preschoolers with special needs. Bus transportation cannot be provided for the community peers. Feel free to contact us for further explanation of our program.
If you are interested in having your child considered for this opportunity, please complete the Community Peers Preschool Program Interest and Information Form by Friday, March 1st. Stenwood will host a playdate for interested students in late March/early April. If you know of anyone who may be interested and does not receive the Stenwood Hive Happenings, feel free to forward them this information.
Spring Picture Day - February 21st!
- School Picture Day is coming Wednesday, February 21st, 2024! Images will be available to view and purchase approximately 10 days following our school's picture day
- Victor O’Neill Studios is pleased to offer free shipping during a two week period once images are online
- Please feel free to direct questions regarding picture day or online ordering to our office at the following email: Underclass@vosphoto.com
We need 2 volunteers from the community to help navigate the flow. Would you like to volunteer? For more information or to sign up, please contact Nora Marrero in the Stenwood front office.
2024 CTE Summer Enrichment
The Career and Technical Education (CTE) office is once again planning engaging summer enrichment programs for students! For current kindergarten to 5th grade students, there is the Tech Adventure Camp. For current 6th to 11th grade students, there is the CTE Summer Academy.
These are hands-on, exploratory enrichment programs that teaches students engaging and exciting content in Career and Technical Education program areas by making connections to careers and developing new skills.
Registration is open from February 1st through June 7th, 2024.
Dual Language Immersion Registration
Registration for the countywide lottery for Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs will open on Monday, January 22. Current pre-K students may apply for the kindergarten immersion program, and current kindergarten students may apply for the first grade immersion programs for the 2024-25 school year. Programs are available in French, German, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish.
Parents/caregivers who are interested may want to attend an informational meeting. Meetings are held at the school site. Check the FCPS events calendar for the most current information. Meetings will begin on Tuesday, January 16.
A virtual meeting hosted by the World Languages Office will include general program information. Access to this virtual meeting will be made available on the FCPS events calendar and the Dual Language Immersion registration site on the day of the meeting.
Get more information on the immersion program webpage and registration page.
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We are so excited to be leading our school's Kids Heart Challenge (KHC)! Your family is making a lifesaving difference! Help Today!
Did you know that not only are we helping save lives, but the more we raise, the more chances we have to help our school earn much needed school equipment that supports mind and body health? Only Online donations are accepted.
If you haven't already registered, you can do so by downloading the AHA Schools app or visiting heart.org/schools. Thank you for supporting our team, our school, and our community through KHC!
The American Heart Association is excited to extend our work with the NFL to support improving health outcomes at home and beyond through the Hands-Only CPR education. Students that complete Finn’s Mission will earn an entry for two tickets to Super Bowl LIX in 2025 and our school will be entered to receive a $10,000 fitness equipment makeover for every 18 students who complete Finn’s Mission.
You can also double your gift by checking to see if your employer will match your donation. Follow the steps and forward the confirmation to matchgifts@heart.org to have this added to your student's fundraising page. Remember, only Online donations are accepted!
Our Stenwood School Page
Nutrislice Menu and Free/ Reduced Lunch Applications
Free and Reduced-Price Status
Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals will continue to receive these benefits through the end of September. A new application must be filled out each new school year and forms are available online now: https://www.fcps.edu/resources/student-safety-and-wellness/food-and-nutrition-programs/free-and-reduced-price-meals. Applications are accepted at any time, but we encourage you to apply or renew your application before the end of September. Call (703) 813-4800 if you need help. This must be completed for eligible students to receive free meals.
Stenwood is Hiring!
We are looking to hire Classroom Monitors and Substitutes! If you are interested in any of these positions, please reach out if you have any questions or if you want more information. Here is a link to FCPS’ application portal.
Classroom Monitors: Monitors will work every day students attend throughout the 2023-24 school year, and will directly support classrooms by providing additional supervision to students during lunch or in the classroom. The pay is $16.85/hour. Teachers will provide directions/assignments for monitors and students to complete. Please apply here and email me at esriley@fcps.edu so we can schedule a time to talk more. Please share this opportunity with others who might be interested. All FCPS schools are looking to hire for this position.
2nd Grade Poetry Slam!
Strings Concert!
Band Concert
Stay Connected
Here are a few ways to stay connected with all the happenings at Stenwood ES
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Facebook
facebook.com/StenwoodElementary
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Instagram
@stenwoodelementary
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Website
stenwoodes.fcps.edu
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PTA Facebook
facebook.com/StenwoodElementaryPTA
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