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Dear Bush Hill Families,
It's been another exciting week at Bush Hill Elementary! Here are some highlights from the past few days:
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Kindergarten Orientation: We welcomed our newest students and their families to Kindergarten Orientation last week! It was a wonderful opportunity for rising Kindergarteners to explore their future classrooms, meet our teachers, and get a taste of what their school year will be like.
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Second Grade Adventures: Second graders had a jam-packed week filled with learning and exploration. They embarked on a fascinating field trip to the Natural History Museum, where they were able to see incredible exhibits and learn about the natural world. Back in the classroom, they continued their geometry project-based learning unit, applying their knowledge in creative and engaging ways.
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STEAM Power in 6th Grade: Our 6th graders delved into the world of nuclear power during their STEAM class. They were fortunate to have a guest speaker share their expertise and spark curiosity about this important scientific topic.
We also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the families who volunteered their time and helped make our Spring Book Fair a success last week. Your contributions are invaluable in supporting our school's literacy initiatives.
Thank you for your continued support!
Friday, May 3, 2024 is a professional workday/student holiday. Please plan accordingly. The next holiday will be the Memorial Day Holiday on Monday, May 27th.
School Lunch Hero Day is a special day celebrated annually on the first Friday of May. This day is dedicated to recognizing the hard work and dedication of the cafeteria staff who prepare and serve nutritious meals to millions of students every day. This year, School Lunch Hero Day falls on May 3rd, but as FCPS schools will be closed on that day, we will be celebrating throughout the week of April 29th to May 2nd.
The kitchen team is an integral part of the FCPS instructional processes, as they provide students with the necessary fuel for educational success every day. We appreciate your support for this event and for recognizing your food and nutrition service team.
We will have a Classroom Photo Retake Day on Thursday, May 2nd. This is NOT for individual photos. If you have already purchased a classroom photo - you will receive the new one. If you haven't purchased it - you will have the opportunity to do so.
Read-A-Thon
The top 5 earners & readers from the Read-A-Thon will get to participate in the upcoming assembly (Friday, May 2nd). It will be a fun and wild experience! Parents of these students will be notified by the front office via email.
Staff Appreciation Week is NEXT WEEK!
Donate items here: https://bit.ly/BHESSAWDonate or sign up to volunteer here: https://bit.ly/BHESSAW2024!
Spring Enrichment Classes: Volunteers Needed!
If your child is attending a spring enrichment class, please be on the lookout for volunteer sign ups! We cannot run these programs without parent volunteers!
Coming Soon!
- Noodles & Company Restaurant Night on Monday, May 20th!
- The PTA is looking for volunteers for the nominating committee for next year's board. Interested? Please email us at ptabushhillelementary@gmail.com
- We're already gearing up for the end of the school year! If you would like join the committee for the end of the year social, please email us at ptabushhillelementary@gmail.com
Next PTA Meeting:
The next General Body PTA Meeting will be held on Thursday, May 16th at 7:00pm via Zoom. A link will be sent via Givebacks.
Become a PTA Member Today!
It's easy! Click here: Join_PTA
Why join? Membership helps support our students and staff! The PTA helps plan fun activities for our school community (for staff and students), plans fundraisers, and supports the purchase of new materials and items for school improvements.
Ideas, thoughts, questions; want to volunteer or assist? We take donations via Givebacks and always need help from volunteers! https://bushhill.memberhub.com/store?limit=21&live=true
Join Mrs. Duffy for a Bike Bus on May 8th starting at 8:30 for Walk, Bike, and Roll to school day! Meet in the parking lot of NEWLIFE at 5502 Trin St. If you can volunteer to monitor the route for safety please sign up here: https://tinyurl.com/mry67mpv
BIKE SAFETY TIP #1:
Wear and equip the right safety gear, like a helmet, bike lights, and tire reflectors. Bike lights will ensure you're seen by drivers. even in the dark!
BIKE SAFETY TIP #2 :
When you're riding in the street, follow all traffic signs, signals, and lane markings.
BIKE SAFETY TIP # 3 :
Don't weave between vehicles - always signal to other vehicles when you're moving.
BIKE SAFETY TIP #4:
Wear neon, fluorescent, or other bright colors when riding, in the day or at night. Bright clothing will help drivers see you and avoid accidents!
BIKE SAFETY TIP #5:
Make sure your helmet fits! It should sit one or two finger-widths above your eyebrow, and no more than a couple fingers should fit under the chin strap.
BIKE SAFETY TIP #6:
Look for a break in traffic before turning, and don't forget to signal. You can signal with your arms, or attach signal lights to your bike!
BIKE SAFETY TIP #7:Use your eyes AND ears to watch out for any dangers in the road and listen for any traffic or potential accidents.
Bush Hill is pleased to announce that we will have community peers in our preschool program next fall. Our school piloted this program during this school year and are excited to expand this program for the 2024-25 school year. The community peers program provides opportunities for students with developmental delays to participate in integration activities with typically developing peers from our community 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, who are age 3 ½ -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.
If your preschool-aged child will be 3 ½ by September 30, 2024, and you would be interested in having them participate in this half-day program, please contact the Bush Hill Main Office to complete and a return a form by May 9, 2024. Through a lottery process, we will identify potential community peers to invite to a playdate which will take place in late May. This playdate will be an opportunity for our staff to observe the interactions of our current preschool students with potential community peers. We will utilize information from our observations to select students to participate in this program.
Bush Hill Community Peers Program Information
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 preschoolers with special needs.
The preschool program will offer community peers for preschool-aged children. This project will provide an opportunity for the preschoolers with special needs to work and play on a regular basis with typically developing preschoolers from the community. The community children participating in this project have the unique opportunity to make new friends and share experiences with the school’s preschoolers. The school’s preschoolers will in turn benefit from being with community peers who model age-appropriate language, motor, and social skills.
Facts about the Early Childhood Special Education Program:
- We use a child-centered approach to learning.
- We follow a daily routine that includes circle, centers, story-time, small group, music, art, and outside play.
- Children attend either a morning or afternoon session.
- Sessions are three hours and fifteen minutes long, Monday through Friday.
- There are up to eight children with special needs in each class.
- Classes are staffed by an early childhood special education teacher and a full-time instructional assistant.
Community Peer Models Must:
- Be at least 3 and ½ years old by September 30 of the school year they are entering.
- Be completely toilet trained.
- Reside within Fairfax County.
Please note that transportation and lunch will not be provided by the school system and must be provided by the family. If at any time, the experience is not mutually beneficial for both the community peer and the students with special needs, the preschool staff reserves the right to reconsider a community peers’ placement in the program.
 A Bush Hill Fundraiser
Consider making your student or loved one’s legacy permanent at Bush Hill Elementary School by purchasing a brick to be placed on our brick path between Door 3 and Door 5. The bricks will be placed there among the other legacy bricks. We have two brick options to choose from. Bricks purchased now until May 24, 2024, will be laid in late summer 2024. Bricks purchased after May 24th, 2024, will be laid by Spring of 2025. All profits raised will be used to support student events, materials and supplies for Bush Hill ES.
Link:
https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/stores/checkout/getproduct?clientKey=ZZI5ZQWBKS04NJ8&buttonID=c23ad13d-4c15-4405-b98c-8ad89e89817c
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Our Lost & Found is overflowing! All unclaimed items will be donated at the end of the year. |
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