|
English | Español | አማርኛ | 中文 | 한국어 | Tiếng Việt | العربية | فارسی | اردو
Dear Columbia Families and Friends,
It has been a great 1st quarter of the 2026-2027 school year at CES!
As a reminder, all students will be dismissed at 2:05 p.m. today. It is hard to believe how quickly the year is moving, and we are proud of all that our students have already accomplished!
Earlier this week, our fourth graders enjoyed a field trip to hear the National Symphony Orchestra perform. What a fantastic opportunity to experience the arts beyond the classroom! We are proud of the way our students represented Columbia and demonstrated the kindness, respect, and positive character that define our school community.
We look forward to seeing all of our Cougars back at school on Wednesday, November 4th after the teacher workdays next week.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Take care,
Mike Astudillo
Proud Principal
Columbia Elementary School
PTA News & Notes
PTA News and Notes
BINGOween - Thank you!
Thank you to everyone who attended and supported BINGOween last week! It was a record-breaking event and we could not have done it without all of the volunteers, contributors, parents, students, and our wonderful Columbia staff. Thank you for your continued partnership - you are what makes our community so special!
Upcoming November events
-
Spirit Day at Chik-fil-a:Use “cougars” at checkout or online. (11/10, Available all day)
-
Virtual PTA meeting:Click here to JOINvia Zoom. (11/18, 7 pm)
Bingo-ween & Annandale Parade Success!
A big thank you to everyone who helped make last weekend’s Bingo-ween and Annandale Parade such wonderful successes! Both events brought our community together, created lasting memories, and highlighted the incredible school spirit that makes Columbia such a special place. Below are a few special shout-outs to community members who helped support CES!
- Thank you to the PTA Board and all families for their leadership in the Columbia ES and Annandale community!
- Thank you to the student volunteers below who helped with concessions, pre-sales, and pitched in to help throughout Bingo-ween. Additionally, huge shout out to the Annandale cheerleaders who were fantastic doing COUGAR cheers throughout the parade with us. The kids and parents just thought it was the coolest!
- Noah Beggs
- Edilin Duarte
- Melanie Flores
- Lena Nguyen
- Sheyla Blanco
- Giselle Blanco
- Camila Guevara
- Allison Valdez
- Cordelia Dvorshak
- Alberto Tolentino
- Dayra Linares
- Dayana Zometa
- Thank you to Ms. Prince's leadership from Holmes MS. She even came to the event Friday night to make sure the kids were where they needed to be and taken care of - she went the extra mile. Thanks to the kids below who helped us with IT set up, guard the raffle prizes, the silent auction, and ran the prize table for winners. They were the best!
- Alex Cline
- Victoria Do
- Felix Stewart Troy
- Owen Straz
- Sonia Musa
- Thank you to Nate Cline & Brandon Lee for the truck in the parade!
- To all the parents, families and friends who prepared for/attended the parade on Saturday morning
Below is a link to an icloud album for you to download photos from this epic event!
https://photos.icloud.com/shared/album/002UHaWV_qqDWhgoxFcjVTfow
Specialist Spotlight from the music room!
Greetings Columbia Families!
I am so grateful to be the new music teacher here at Columbia. Our students are bright, capable, and creative, and they have enthusiasm for nearly every musical challenge I have thrown their way. Who could ask for more?
October has been a busy month in the music room. At the beginning of the month, every grade level learned a different folk dance to foster a sense of physical safety and teamwork amongst classmates. Above is a photo of our 4D cohort finishing their dance to “La Bastringue” a Canadian folk tune, which gave these students the opportunity to choreograph a “handshake” section of the dance with a partner.
October was also a month for instruments! Our youngest grades are having their first exploratory experiences at the mallet instruments, experiencing the joy of making musical choices. Upper grades are re-learning expectations and procedures for managing instruments, working towards more independence and responsibility. They are reviewing how to set up the mallet instruments, take them down, remove keys, and properly use mallets to create a beautiful sound. They are showing great care for each other and for our school materials!
Second Grade students have been learning about the life cycle of the butterfly in their science unit. In music, we are in the middle of a big project to perform instrument accompaniment to the tune “La Mariposa”. Each class worked together to compose and perform a rhythm using vocabulary of the butterfly life cycle (monarch, caterpillar, egg, chrysalis, etc.). Also above is a photo of Ms. Stone’s class performing their life-cycle rhythm with body percussion.
We are wrapping up this month with spooky and fall-themed activities. The Addam’s Family cup routine, Pass the Pumpkin, The Skeleton Dance, and my favorite for primary grades “There Was an Old Lady Who Wasn’t Afraid of Anything” in which students get to choose instruments to accompany the story.
Looking ahead, students will all be contributing a performance to our Veteran’s Day assembly– the kids are so excited for this!
I am looking forward to the musical joys of the rest of this season. Thank you as always for supporting your child’s music education!
- Mrs. Berthelsen, General Music Teacher
Outstanding Employee Nominations 2026–2027
Know an amazing Columbia Cougar? Is there a Columbia Elementary staff member who goes above and beyond to make our school a special place for students and families? Help us recognize and celebrate their outstanding contributions!
Families are invited to nominate any Columbia Elementary employee, including teachers, administrators, custodians, cafeteria staff, and other dedicated team members who make a difference in our school community.
Nomination Deadline: Friday, October 30, 2026
Submit a Nomination: CLICK HERE to nominate
It only takes a few minutes to recognize someone who makes a lasting impact on our students!
Go Cougars!
Nominaciones de Empleados Destacados – Año Escolar 2026–2027
¿Conoce a un Cougar extraordinario? ¿Hay algún miembro del personal de la Escuela Primaria Columbia que hace un esfuerzo adicional para que nuestra escuela sea un lugar especial para los estudiantes y sus familias? ¡Ayúdenos a reconocer y celebrar sus valiosas contribuciones!
Invitamos a las familias a nominar a cualquier empleado de Columbia, incluyendo maestros, administradores, personal de limpieza, personal de la cafetería y otros miembros de nuestro dedicado equipo que marcan una diferencia positiva en nuestra comunidad escolar.
Fecha límite para enviar nominaciones: viernes, 30 de octubre de 2026
Envíe su nominación: CLICK HERE to nominate
¡Solo toma unos minutos reconocer a alguien que deja una huella positiva y duradera en nuestros estudiantes!
¡Vamos, Cougars!
TJHSST to host 14th Annual Science Fair
5th Grade students are invited to complete a research project of their choice and present it in-person at the Annual Science fair at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in April. We help students prepare for this fair by holding multiple sessions to teach them important STEM skills, including brainstorming, building an experimental design diagram, data collection and analysis, scientific writing, and presentation.
Our first interest/information session for prospective students and their parents is November 11th, 2026, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. We will be holding this session virtually through Zoom. During this session, we will go over the goals and guidelines of the fair and introduce students to a multitude of project ideas. All interested students should sign up using the form at the link: https://tinyurl.com/TJISOinterest2627 (OR) https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScRLUYEP9rndkQTy2Vkc9n9mymuQSp8yNDkegdZC0vpQEE6Cw/viewform
-TJ Investigative Science Outreach Team
Save the Date!
Monday & Tuesday, Nov. 2 & 3 - No School for Students
Nov. 4 - First day of 2nd Quarter of School
Nov. 11 - Veterans are invited to a Veteran's Day Assembly
Nov. 18 - 3 Hour Early Release Day, Dismissal at 1:05pm
Nov. 25 - 27 - Thanksgiving Holiday, No School
|
