Haymarket Happenings
October 2019
Contact Information
Email: baldwisl@pwcs.edu
Website: https://haymarketes.pwcs.edu/
Location: 15500 Learning Lane, Haymarket, VA, USA
Phone: 703-468-2800
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HaymarketES/
Twitter: @haymarketcubs
Upcoming Dates of Interest
Friday, October 4th - 5th Grade SCA Officers Announced
Monday, October 7th - Boosterthon Kicks Off!
Monday, October 14th - No School (Professional Development Day)
Thursday, October 17th - Boosterthon Fun Run (volunteers needed...please call the school)
Saturday, October 19th - Haymarket Day (our SCA Officer and Reps will be walking in the parade!)
Sunday, October 20th (3:30pm at St. Paul United Methodist) - VOICE Community Action Meeting
Tuesday, October 22nd (6:30pm) - PTO Meeting
Friday, October 25th - School-wide DEAR time (drop everything and read)
Monday, November 4th and Tuesday, November 5th - Workday/Parent-Teacher Conferences
New Grading System - Standards Based Practices
PWCS is enhancing grading procedures for the 2019-2020 school year. Standards based grading practices aren't new concepts. It has been around for years (or at least there has been articles about it for years). When teachers choose activities and assessments, they will continue to be guided by the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs). You will continue to notice that assignments will be directly linked to specific SOLs and named in your child's gradebook as such with a brief description of the SOL in the "Description" section.
The purpose is to provide you, as parents, a clear understanding of where your child is performing on each SOL. For example, in the past, your child was given one grade for a math test that had 4 SOLs associated with it. Now, they will get a grade for each SOL (4 grades). This will allow you to follow up with your child at home and continue to be important partners in your child's education. After all, we are #haymarkettogether!
This approach to grading has many benefits:
- Clearer information about student progress
- Enables teachers, students, and parents to target specific areas of need and enrichment
- Grading is based on proficiency in each standard
- Provides students with time to acquire new skills (not one test and done)
- Students have more time to show a deeper understanding of the Standards
If you have any questions about this, please feel free to reach out to your child's teacher or administration. We are excited about being able to give you a deeper understanding of how your child is performing at school!
No interims!
Elf, Jr. The Musical Coming Again this Year
*If you know of any local businesses who would like to donate to the school to help with production costs for this show and future shows at HMES, email Mrs. CW at collinav@pwcs.edu. We can put the company logo on the program!*
Cafeteria and Visitors
Boosterthon is coming!
Parents! This year’s main fundraiser is the Haymarket Boosterthon Fun Run! It’s a two-week program that kicks off with a Pep Rally on Monday, October 7th. Families will then gather pledges for every lap your student runs (30-35 laps), and we’ll celebrate at the Fun Run on Thursday, October 17th. Last year, we raised about $28,000 that went towards two Buddy Benches, picnic tables for outdoor learning opportunities, and new swings! With our goal of raising $30,000 for enhancements to interior aesthetics (like murals and sensory paths on the floor, we asked the Fun Run experts at Boosterthon to power our Fun Run and make it easier, more profitable, and more fun.
Students will also experience an amazing character theme, MINDSPARK WILD WEST! Boosterthon’s most exciting theme yet combines S.T.E.A.M skills (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) with character-building. Our students will learn five 21st-century character traits that will help strengthen themselves and our world.
As mentioned earlier, donations will go toward HMES interior aesthetics upgrades. So please help our school by reaching out to sponsors. Also, all families are invited to come out and cheer on your student at the Fun Run! Thank you for your support!
You will be receiving a lot of reminders in the next couple weeks about this and we apologize in advance for that...BUT...you all helped raise $28,000 that directly and positively affected our students...YOUR child(ren)!!!
LEGO Drive Extended!
We will continue to collect NEW Legos for all those children currently undergoing cancer treatment! Legos help these bright young minds stay busy during their long hospital stays and/or emergency room visits. Please place your donations in the collections boxes in the main office and around the school! We will have the boxes in the office through October 15th.
Watch D.O.G.S. - Open for Signups!
Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads Of Great Students), a nationally known program to engage Dads in their child's education, is back again this year! Last year, we had a GREAT showing throughout the year! Use the link below to sign up...you pick the date! Upon arrival, you will be given a schedule that includes time in your child's classroom, time to have lunch with your child, helping sign people in for lunch in the office, helping shelve books in the library (as needed), recess, encore, and more! We promise you will learn a lot and appreciate our teachers even more than you already do! Here is the link:
https://haymarketes.pwcs.edu/parent_engagement/watch_dogs_sign_upMore information will come regarding Top Dog contact information as well as a kick-off pizza party!
VOICE Community Action Meeting
- Ensuring our students have safe routes to schools
- Obtaining enough funding for mental health support for our students and families
- Providing additional funding for after school programs to schools
- Helping families learn English (not just students)
- Establishing a Public Defenders Office in PWC (we are one of the only counties that doesn't have one which is creating crowded jails and a cycle of not being able to get out of the system)
If you are interested in learning more or attending, please contact me, Mr. Baldwin via email (baldwisl@pwcs.edu).
(VOICE is not a religious or political organization...rather it is a non-profit organization that listens to community needs and organizes people behind important causes)
Veterans Needed to Read to Students
PWCS Policies and Regulations
From cell phones to dress codes, and homework to field trips, check out School Division regulations if you have questions.
The Policies and Regulations governing Prince William County Public Schools may be accessed online at www.pwcs.edu." Find the "Policies and Regulations" from the “Parents” icon in the “Rules” section or under “About Us.”