Weekly update for Dec. 20, 2024
Dear CES friends and families,
Wishing you and yours a wonderful winter break! During the next two weeks, the main office will have modified hours. Please email me at mastudillo1@fcps.edu with any questions you may have that require a response prior to students returning from break.
We will see all of our Cougars back here at school on Monday, January 6th, 2025.
Take care,
Mike Astudillo
Proud Principal
Columbia Elementary School
PTA News & Notes
The PTA would like to thank everyone for their support this year. We hope you have a wonderful holiday and we look forward to seeing you after the break.
Fall Direct Donation Campaign
We are a third of the way to our goal! With increasing reliance on technology in schools for learning, it's more important than ever for our elementary students to learn fundamental typing skills to increase their digital literacy. The wonderful CES staff have requested support for a typing curriculum designed to increase typing proficiency for students in grades 3-5. We are hoping to raise $2,300 to purchase the Edclub typing program for three years that will allow Columbia teachers the ability to provide broad access to the program for their students. The campaign is now live and will run through January 15th. Please consider a contribution, any amount helps. Thank you!
Donations can be submitted several ways:
New Partnership with Papa Johns
Don't feel like cooking dinner? Is it Thursday? You can now order pizza ANY THURSDAY from 11AM – 11PM from Papa Johns in Annandale for delivery or carryout (carryout until 10 PM). Families will receive 40 percent off their entire order and 10 percent of their order goes to the PTA. This opportunity will last until the end of the school year. Online code “CES4010” - this code will also be accepted by phone in case of issues with the website.
🎉Columbia Awarded Educate Fairfax Grant! 🎉
Congratulations to Srta. Carly Alba for securing the "Building Bridges: Fostering STEAM and FLES Through LEGO® Education" grant from Educate Fairfax! Visit our website to learn more about this exciting project! This generous grant will allow Srta. Alba to provide our students with even more enriching learning experiences in STEAM and FLES!
Specials Spotlight
Art with Mrs. McKenna
Happy Holidays, CES Families! Things have been busy in the art room. Thank you to everyone who has recycled those bubble wrap mailers arriving at your home by donating them to the art room. Please keep sending them in! For the start of the 2nd quarter your students have been working on their projects for our Art to Remember fundraiser. More information and order forms to purchase items with your child’s art on them will be sent home in March.
-
Kindergarteners have been learning about different kinds of lines and patterns. In January we’ll be talking about our favorite animals and introducing architecture.
-
1st graders have been creating artworks about birds of Virginia and will be making a 3-D animal mask.
- In 2nd grade we’re creating a collage of a community celebration and will be starting some animal projects in late January.
- Our 3rd graders having been working on an abstracted collage of foods and creating artworks with symmetry. As part of the Emerging Visions program, we will have a field trip to an art gallery in February and then create our own artworks to possibly be included in an exhibition this June.
-
4th graders have been learning about abstraction in art. In January we will be starting a stitchery unit. I will be reaching out soon for volunteers who might be willing to help with stitchery.
- In 5thgrade we’ve been learning about typography and Zentangle designs and will be starting a fun ceramic project in January.
🐾Save the Date 🐾
Holidays - Winter Break
December 23 - January 5
Holiday
January 20
Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Meeting
January 21
Student Holiday
January 29
3 Hour Early Release - 1:05 p.m. Dismissal
February 10
Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Meeting
February 18
STEAM Night
February 20
|
