Margaret Brent Elementary
It's a great day to be a Bobcat!
Margaret Brent Elementary School
Email: _@staffordschools.net
Website: https://www.staffordschools.net/mbes
Location: 2125 Mountain View Road, Stafford, VA, USA
Phone: 540-658-6790
Facebook: facebook.com/pages/Margaret-BrentElementary/609963239129515
Twitter: @MBESbobcats
April Principal's Message
It seems cliché to say that this school year has absolutely flown by. However, it is
now April and we only have three months left of the 2018-2019 school year.
We are quickly headed into Spring Break and into our spring curriculum which means that our Standards of Learning assessments are right around the corner for students in grades 3-5. Our students are making outstanding growth in Reading and Math and we are excited to see them show off their skills during their end of the year assessments. Teachers will be sending a detailed schedule of dates for testing and once you receive that information, please make every effort to have your student not miss school on those particular testing days.
I am so proud to announce that we were able to meet our Boosterthon goal this year! Thank you so much for your continued generosity and support of MBES! Your support will enable MBES to continue to provide our students with opportunities through technology to further enhance their educational experiences.
A big shout out and note of appreciation to Mrs. Taylor, our music teacher, and Mrs. Sweeney, our art teacher for their efforts in the Fine Arts Festival. Hopefully, you had an opportunity to see our students amazing musical talents as well as their artistic abilities during their performances and art displays.
I would also like to publically recognize our teachers, paraprofessionals, and other support staff at Margaret Brent. It is because of their dedication, perseverance, commitment, and unwavering passion for children that our students continue to be successful.
Thank you, families, for all your continued support of the staff and students!
Brian M. Fitzgerald
Principal
Library News
Happy Spring! The March book fair was a success thanks to our Bobcat Families! With the profits I was able to purchase a World Book Encyclopedia set, 10 chromebooks, 150 nonfiction and fiction books, an author visit, and magnetic white board. I am very proud of the library as it is truly the heart of the school. The author visits will be April 26th for grades 3-5 and May 23rd for grades K-2.
Currently, The Virginia Readers Choice program is underway. This program is a statewide challenge to find the best book based on its literary value. Students are asked to read at least three of the ten books by April 28th. Then they will vote on their choice during a special celebration. By May 1st, the votes in Virginia will be tallied to determine the winning book. I can’t wait to find out which book our students choose. This program is open to all 1st through 5th-grade students. Contact me if you have any questions. Also, this month our 2-5th-grade students used Ozobot (light-emitting diodes) to code Humphrey’s hamster wheel and watch the mini robot run around. It was a great experience.
Please visit the library website to view the completed One School One Book jigsaw puzzles the 5th graders created.
Mrs. McConnell
Librarian
Technology News
The World According to Humphrey Online Puzzles
Created by: MBES 5th grade Bobcats
Humphrey the Hamster from “The World According to Humphrey” still remains in our hearts long after the “One School, One Book” month. We loved him so much we extended our time with Humphrey with a collaborative partnership with 5th graders and our librarian, Mrs. McConnell. Our 5th graders were asked to imagine an event from the story and illustrate the event from the story on paper. The 5th graders then logged into their Library Google Classroom and used an app called Google Drawings. They took a picture of their drawing and used the Google Drawing features to add enhancements, titles, and captions. Their Google Drawing was converted to an online jigsaw puzzle to be used by our primary grades and posted on Google Sites. This exercise was a great lesson in creativity, summarizing, writing, and copyright rules. Our Google site is still growing as students finalize their product. Check out our Humphrey memories built into online puzzles. You’re going to love them!
Click on the image to access our Google Site:
https://sites.google.com/staffordschools.net/the-world-according-to-humphre/home
Nurses Notes
Seasonal Allergies
As Spring arrives, so do seasonal allergies (also called hay fever or allergic rhinitis). The symptoms include congestion, clear runny nose, scratchy sore throat, itchy eyes, and headache. The symptoms occur when a sensitive person inhales the allergen and their body’s immune system reacts to the allergen by releasing histamine causing the allergy symptoms.
Symptoms can be treated with various over-the-counter medications. Antihistamines are commonly used to relieve allergy symptoms. Antihistamines dry the mucus membranes and cause a dry mouth, so it is important to drink lots of liquids (especially water) when taking an antihistamine. They can also cause drowsiness so it may make it hard for students to sit in class and learn if they are tired from the medication. If symptoms are more severe or are not relieved with over-the-counter medication, you should consult your doctor as there are stronger prescription medications available.
Other medications can be used to relieve allergy symptoms including decongestants to relieve the nasal congestion. Pain reliever medications (such as Ibuprofen or Acetaminophen) can be used to relieve headache. It is important to always follow medication labels when administering any medication.
PLEASE REMEMBER STAFFORD COUNTY SCHOOL MEDICATION POLICY—ANY MEDICATION GIVEN AT SCHOOL BY THE SCHOOL NURSE (INCLUDING OVER-THE-COUNTER MEDICATIONS AND COUGH DROPS) MUST HAVE A DOCTOR’S ORDER ON FILE IN THE CLINIC.
REPORTING ABSENCES ONLINE
If your student has been diagnosed by a physician with a contagious illness like strep throat, flu, fifth’s disease, etc., please include this information in the note section when reporting your student’s absence online. We are required to track and monitor these illnesses for the health of the student body and staff.
Nurse Johnson
Counselor's Corner
Dear Bobcat Families,
Happy Spring! In classroom guidance, Kindergarten students have been learning about respect and perseverance. In April, we will revisit lessons about tattling, to include a review of Kelso's Choice. First graders recently learned about perseverance as well as career awareness. Second graders have been introduced to “Jellybean Friends”, as they are learning about various life skills and decision-making strategies. Third graders learned about the benefits of working as a team through the Dixie Doughnut Challenge and are currently learning about stress management as well as test-taking strategies. Fourth and fifth-grade students participated in the activity “Wrinkle in the Heart”, designed to build empathy and discussed strategies for positive communication and coping strategies. They are currently discussing the word “Grit” (resilience and perseverance) and examining their use of “Grit” and how it can lead to success. (Youtube:explanation of "Grit" video)
UPCOMING EVENT: CAREER DAY
We are excited to announce our first ever SCHOOL WIDE CAREER DAY!!! Career Day will be on Wednesday, June 12th (an early release day). If you are interested in sharing information about your career with students, we will have a Google Form located on our webpage and will also be sending a hard copy of the form home with all students after Spring Break. We will be in touch with all interested Guest Speakers by May 6th. We are looking forward to an exciting day with great parent and community involvement! Please let us know if you have any questions!
Small groups are continuing in all grade levels. Please feel free to explore our webpage for further information. If you have any questions, concerns, or input regarding small group offerings, individual counseling, or community resources, please feel free to contact us.
Your Bobcat School Counselors,
Nancy Siems (K-2) / siemsnl@staffordschools.net
Laura Hoover (3-5) / hooverls@staffordschools.net
PTO Page
Our Bobcats rocked their Fun Run on Thursday, March 28th. Thank you to all parents and volunteers who were able to come out and cheer on the teams! The 10 days of Boosterthon fundraising leading up to our run were also a tremendous success thanks to our MBES families and staff. The kids had a blast learning about teamwork, integrity, growth mindset, zest and citizenship while working toward our school goal to raise $30,000 for classroom technology and shade on the playground! Thank you to every family for supporting your Bobcat(s)as they reached out to sponsors and helped our school earn even more than our original goal! MBES community is THE BEST and we appreciate your support throughout our annual fundraiser this year! Turbo Tim and All-Star Austin enjoyed being at our school and the kiddos loved the extra high fives and fun the Boosterthon team always brings. Together, we achieved amazing things for our school and our Bobcats this year!
Thank you again for your time and support to help make Boosterthon a huge success.
~PTO