January Newsletter
A Message from the Principal
Dear parents,
Welcome to winter!! A big thank you for your support during our snow days, early release, and late start. I appreciate your support and flexibility in dealing with Mother Nature!! I hope we can make it without any additional disruptions to our instructional day!!
Thank you for your support in joining us for Coffee & Conversation meetings, SOAR Nights which have been a great success, and Spirit Nights which have also had great turnouts. We appreciate you supporting Belmont as we soar to improve student achievement in 2018-2019.
Please note the activities being planned in the new and improved Parent Resource Center. We hope to see you at one or more of the exciting workshops.
~~~Dr. G
Calendar
January 21 – Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday – No school
January 22 – Middle School Specialty Program Orientation for 4th and 5th grade parents
January 24 – Spelling Bee
January 25 – Half day for Elementary Students/Parent Teacher conference
January 28 – Teacher workday – No school
February 6 – Report Cards go home
February 7 – Kinder – 2nd grade award ceremony
February 8 – Graces 3-5 award ceremony
February 12 – Building Routines for Children at 6:00 pm, Social Studies Night at 6:30 pm
February 13 – Coffee and Conversation with the Principal
February 18 – President’s Day – No School
February 19 – Building Routines for Children at 9:00 am
February 26 – Advisory Council Meeting
Attention Fourth Grade Parents
We have been selected as a school who will participate in NAEP assessment for fourth grade. Letters have been mailed and sent home in the backpack for those students who were selected to participate in this test. The NAEP test will be in February 26, 2019. If you have any questions please contact Mrs. Bolles at 703.494.4945.
From the Office
As a reminder, our start time and dismissal time have changed. Instruction now begins at 8:15 a.m. and dismissal begins at 2:55 p.m. Remember that we do not dismiss students from the office between 2:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. during bus dismissal. If you need to change your mode of transportation, please make sure that you call the office prior to 2:00 p.m. If you are running late, please call the office to let us know.
Coffee and Conversation with the Principal
Please come to our “Coffee and Conversation with the Principal” in the Parent Resource Center. This informal meeting with the principal will be held on the second Wednesday of each month at 9:00 a.m. The next Coffee and Conversation event is scheduled for February 13, 2019.
BoxTops
You can help our school by clipping BoxTops and sending them to the school with your student. The next submission deadline is March 1.
We will have a competition between grades K-2 and 3-5.The class with the most BoxTops will have a pizza party in April!
From the Nurse
Hey Eagles, there are a lot of fun things to do outside in the winter. However, it is important to consider safety. It is a good time to review the American Academy of Pediatrics winter health and safety tips.
Nosebleeds: If your child suffers from winter nosebleeds, try using a cold air humidifier in the child’s room at night. Saline nose drops, or petroleum jelly may also help. If severe, consult your pediatrician.
Hypothermia/Frostbite: When (or if) it gets cold outside, remember to set reasonable time limit on outdoor play and have children come inside periodically to warm up. Dressing in layers is best.
Outdoor Winter Activities: Ice skating and sledding are great ways to get exercise on a cold winter day. Children should be supervised. Advise your child to: Sled feet first or sitting up, instead of lying down head-first. Sled on slopes free of obstructions (like trees or fences), not too steep, that ends with a flat runoff. Skate only on approved surfaces. Skate in one direction with the crowd. Never skate alone. Do not chew gum or eat candy. Wear a helmet. Stay away from crowded areas.
Lice This time of year we often get a few cases of lice. Adult head lice or their eggs (nits) are found in the hair, most often behind the ears and at the base of the neck. Head lice are most commonly spread by direct head-to-head contact with hair of other people who have head lice. Head lice are less commonly spread through contact with an infested person’s personal items, such as hair brushes and combs, hats, unwashed clothing, bedding or towels. Head lice are commonly spread within households. There are several effective treatments for head lice. Treatment for head lice usually consists of shampooing the hair with a medicated shampoo. Consult with your pediatrician for treatment of head lice. Head lice are certainly a nuisance, but they are not generally considered a health hazard. Both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Association of School Nurses advocate that "no-nit" policies in schools should be abandoned. Head lice are not a health hazard or a sign of poor hygiene and are not responsible for the spread of any disease. No healthy child should be excluded from or miss school because of head lice. Stay safe and warm!
Next month is Dental Health Month. If your child has no insurance and you would like to have them get a free Dental cleaning, please call Gainesville Pediatric Dentistry at 703-754-1580. On February 1st they will be offering free cleaning for children. No paper work required. Please call to schedule time appointment.
Blessings, Nurse Stephanie Myers BSN,RN
Reading
K-2
Cozy Read-Alouds
What’s one of the best ways to make your child a better reader? Read to him! Studies show that reading aloud builds children’s vocabularies and their reading and writing skills. Snuggle up with your child and a good book, and try these ideas.
Get comfortable: Let your child choose a quiet spot, away from distractions like TV or cell phones. Maybe he wants to cuddle under a blanket on the sofa while you read, or perhaps he’d like to pile pillows and stuffed animals on his bed for story time. Tip: Hold the book so he can see the words and pictures while you read.
Slow down: Find a time to read when you won’t be rushed. Reading at a leisurely pace allows your child to absorb the story. Tell him that he’s welcome to stop you if he doesn’t know what a word means or if he wants more time to look at an illustration. Asking questions and examining the pictures help him understand and enjoy the book.
Be playful: Use different voices for the characters, or read scary or exciting parts dramatically. For example, use a high, chirpy voice for a parrot or a low, booming voice for a giant. You might even assign him the part of a character. Stop and let him read the dialogue so he practices reading fluently.
3-5
Less Screen Time, More Reading Time
Amber would rather watch TV than read. Eric used to read at bedtime, but now he asks to play video games instead. If your child prefers electronic devices to books, you’re not alone. Use these ideas to set reasonable limits and motivate her to read more.
Create rules: Your child will be more tempted to pick up a book if screen time isn’t an option. Decide how much time she’s allowed each day—perhaps less on weeknights than on weekends. She could read to settle down at night rather than watch TV or play video games.
Make reading convenient: Think “out of sight, out of mind.” Ask your child to put devices away when screen time is over. On the flip side, keep reading material in plain sight She might fill a basket with library books and place it in the family room—next to the turned-off TV. And have her leave devices at home and read or listen to audio books in the car or waiting room.
Build on interests: Help your child find reading material related to her interests. For example, if her video games feature sports, animals, or outer space, she might enjoy books or magazines on those topics. Also consider having her read books that were made into movies she liked.
Class Page
As a reminder, please make sure you check the Class Page for your child’s teacher. The Class Page is updated each Monday morning and has valuable information about the academic content being taught each week. The Class Page also includes tips to help your child at home. You may also visit the Encore teacher’s class page to see what they are learning in PE, Music, Art, Library, and Guidance.
Belmont Elementary School
Website: https://belmontes.pwcs.edu/
Location: 751 Norwood Lane, Woodbridge, VA, USA
Phone: 703-494-4945
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/belmonteagles/?__xts__[0]=68.ARAniTYojTJGpu9YqC0yjctQgGAREgd6L3LOhbdnHQlNYtn1TH6lwX87ZBTQ1CW1t-TyNRCB6-FcVHOs3gtqvKyYkKQONNRkIWSl7Ooqimf0UaUW3ERzVTlqIPujBwdAtElDM7g0NkVnWO0Ws5eF0mSksuY5yxSeLtWXVPR_Q_LpXcv1keSwW51xLYbqqjtZ8eB6k2yao-BAPKjEUYf8Eu7U3PQWxKNwOQmWuV87TucbswuNBOuVO4qlMDYupUBRYgsGZ_EVkoXgWfUHXe4I6jxxWzFD_NEDs0vk_D_aOXgalAdOnSnl_oSAnSGAqyuUPkhwuMJeIaVv2Q_UMDg