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Principal's Message: Heroes, Challenges, and Empathy! 🚀
I hope you're having a wonderful week! I'm thrilled to share all grade levels are launching their new Language Arts units on Monday, October 6th.
The theme across all grades is character, challenges, and understanding others' perspectives—a fantastic way for us to integrate literacy and social-emotional learning (SEL).
Literacy Unit Themes: Character, Conflict, and Connection
Our students will be diving into fiction, using stories to build empathy and critical thinking skills. Here is a snapshot of what your child will be exploring:
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Grade Level
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Unit Theme & Key Focus
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Kindergarten 🍎
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Every Story Has Characters: Students learn about character traits & perspective. Students focus on being helpful and hard-working and learning to appreciate others by understanding different perspectives.
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First Grade 🥇
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Many Kinds of Characters: Students will learn about the challenges characters face & responsible choices that they make. Stories, including fairy tales and fables, teach that families and communities thrive when people make responsible choices and help one another.
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Second Grade 🥈
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Characters Facing Challenges: Students learn that all characters face internal and external problems, and by examining how they respond, students can build knowledge about real-world problem-solving.
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Third Grade 🥉
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Ways Characters Shape Stories: Through traditional tales (fables, myths, folktales), students understand that every action has a consequence and that caring and constructive decisions come from thinking ahead.
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Fourth Grade 🏅
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Characters’ Actions and Reactions: Students analyze how a character’s actions influence the plot and other characters, understanding that real-life actions have effects on real people and events.
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Fifth Grade 🏆
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Developing Characters' Relationships: Focusing on realistic fiction, students analyze how authors communicate character traits like bravery and inquisitiveness, learning real-life problem-solving and relationship skills.
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Sixth Grade 🌟
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Characters at Crossroads: Challenge & Theme. Students analyze how a character's response to challenges shapes the theme and message of the author. They explore how facing a challenge reveals important insights into a person's character.
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Supporting Success: Literacy at Home 🏡
The knowledge, reading fluency, and writing skills students are practicing during this unit can be supported by you at home. Here are three ways you can support your child with these new units:
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Read and Discuss the “Why”: When reading with your child (at any grade level!), pause and ask questions that align with their unit themes:
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“Why did the character make that choice?”
- “What trait—like bravery or helpfulness—did the character show?”
- “What could you do in the real world if you had that problem?”
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Practice Oral Communication: Our students are practicing effective engagement in discussions during both whole group and small group opportunities. At the dinner table or on the drive home, encourage them to state, clarify, and support their ideas in a constructive conversation, just like they do in class. You can encourage them to use sentence starters such as, “I agree with _____, because” or “I disagree with _____, because”.
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Prioritize Reading Fluency: All grades are working on reading with expression, speed, and pausing. Have your child read out loud to you for at least 10 minutes each night. Reading aloud helps them build the speed and expression (prosody) needed for true comprehension.
For even more resources on supporting your child’s literacy at home, including information on the diverse learning methods used in our school, please visit this FCPS resource: Ways to Support Child with Literacy.
Finally, don't forget about the FCPS Family Academy for upcoming parent workshops and resources: FCPS Family Academy.
Thank you for being our partner in education!
Warmly,
Mary Duffy
Principal, Bush Hill Elementary School
 PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS EVENT WILL BE CANCELED IF IT IS RAINING
Wednesday, October 8th
We encourage students and families to get walk or bike to school. It helps to learn the safety rules of the road, less traffic congestion, a shorter kiss and ride line, safer streets and strong sense of community.
So, get your walking shoes, bikes and helmets ready for the big day! We would love to see you there! We also do a bike train that meets at NewLife Church in the neighborhood and a group ride together.
If you would like to help, please reach out to Ms. Mulcahy.
Volunteers are needed to help ensure the route is blocked off and safe for the kids to get to the school. The starting point will be the New Life Church on Trin Street. We will need people on Old Rolling Road, Brookland Road and Westchester Street. See the signup here Volunteer Signup!
Meet the Family Liaison
Hi Panthers! My name is Kate Formeller (Ms. Kate) and I am the Family Liaison at Bush Hill Elementary. My goal is to help build positive partnerships between you, the school, and the community by providing the information, resources, and assistance needed to support your child’s academic success and overall wellbeing. Please contact me with questions or assistance needed, I am here to support your family throughout the school year!
Please read below for information on upcoming events, programs, and resources.
Upcoming Bush Hill Events
- Come out and join us for a night of learning together! Bush Hill is partnering with Rose Hill Elementary School to offer a FREE Parent Workshop for parents/guardians of students in 5th and 6th grade! Keeping Kids Safe in the Community with Northern Virginia Family Services will be held at Rose Hill Elementary School tonight, Tuesday October 7th from 6-7pm in English and Spanish! Learn about the risks today’s families need to be aware of both online and in the neighborhood.
- Family Coffees (workshops open to all Bush Hill parents and guardians) will be launching soon! Please provide feedback on topics and resources you are interested in learning more about by submitting this feedback form. Thank you!
Academic Resources
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Varsity Tutors offers FREE tutoring services. To access Varsity Tutors, please login to the Clever dashboard and explore the different types of tutoring services offered. To view the student login guide please see here.
- One-on-one tutoring services are available. To access this year’s Family Resource Center tutoring list, please complete this interest form.
- To learn more about the Family Resource Center Tutor List, please visit this website. Please note, all arrangements made are between you and the tutor. FCPS is not responsible for these arrangements.
Upcoming FCPS Webinars
To learn more and register, please visit this FCPS website.
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Math Strategies for Students with Significant Cognitive Disabilities, October 10, 10-11:30a.m.
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Supporting Your Child with Dyslexia, October 15, 10-11:30 a.m.
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Reading Plans and Your Student, October 22, 10-11:30 a.m.
Community Resources
Fairfax County Neighborhood and Community Services
- Please find food resources in your area, using the emergency food access map found here.
Koinonia Foundation
- Provides food, clothing, and emergency assistance in the Alexandria-Springfield area. To learn more, please visit their website.
Fairfax County Connector
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Transit Ridership Incentive Program (TRIP) provides 50% off fares for low-income residents ages 18 to 65. Learn more about theTRIP program and how to apply.
Fairfax County Animal Services and Humane Society
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Pet Resource Centeroffers low-cost services for pet vaccinations, veterinary care, spaying and neutering and a pet food pantry for Fairfax residents.
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Ani-Mealsprovides pet food and pet care items to people in Fairfax County and surrounding areas, please see the application here to access their services.
Community Events
- Fairfax County Department of Family Services: Building Stronger Families Virtual Parent Cafes is presenting a Positive Co-Parenting Workshop: Working as a Team for Your Child's Wellbeing, Tuesday, October 14, 6:30-8 p.m.For more information, please see the flyer here.
Have questions or need support on any of the information above? Please contact Bush Hill’s Family Liaison, Ms. Kate, for further assistance. Thank you!
Phone: (571) 595-5135
Email: Kformeller@fcps.edu
Talking Points: Kate Formeller
Bush Hill Tools and Resources
To learn more, please click on each resource below.
Family Resource Center Tutor List
Upcoming Events
Wednesday October 8, Bike, Walk to School Day
Wednesday October 8, Hangry Burger Restaurant Night, 4:00-8:00pm
Tuesday October 21, PTA General Body Meeting, 7:00 pm (virtual)
Saturday October 25, Fall Festival (Bush Hill ES), 12:00-2:00pm
Indigenous Peoples’ Day Monday, October 13, is a student holiday and staff development day for Indigenous Peoples' Day. See the complete school year calendar.
Diwali, School Holiday Monday, October 20, is a school holiday for Diwali and all schools and offices are closed. See the complete school year calendar.
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