Chris Yung Elementary
Full STEAM Ahead
December 2019
Principal: Kathy Notyce
Assistant Principal: Ann Quattrone
Mission: Working collaboratively to achieve success.
Vision: A World Class school committed to excellence.
Mark Your Calendars
Dec. 10: 3rd – 5th Grade Math Night @ 6:30
Dec. 11: K-2nd Grade Math Night @ 6:30
Dec. 12: Chorus Concert & 5th Grade Strings Concert @ 6:30
Dec. 17: Advisory Council Meeting @ 6:30
PTO Meeting @ 7:00
Dec. 19: Holiday Parties: (K, 2nd, 3rd, & 5th)
Skate N Fun Zone @ 6:30-8:30
Dec. 20: All Pro Dads @ 8:00
Holiday Parties: (1st & 4th)
Holiday Sing Along @ 9:30 (Parents Welcome)
Dec. 23-Jan. 3: Winter Break
Jan. 6: School Reopens
Jan. 10: BINGO Night @ 6:30
Jan. 20: Dr. King Holiday: School Closed
Jan. 21: Advisory Council Meeting @ 6:30
PTO Meeting @ 7:00
Jan. 23: 4th Grade Concert @ 6:30
Jan. 24: All Pro Dads @ 8:00
Half-Day: Parent Teacher Conferences
Jan. 27: Staff Professional Dev. Day: School Closed
Jan. 30: STEAM Night @ 6:30
Jan. 31: Zumba Night @ 6:30
Principal's Message
I am excited to announce that Chris Yung ES received the School of Excellence Award! This award reflects our school’s success in the areas of academic achievement, Health and Wellness and Stakeholder Satisfaction during the 2018-2019 school year. Our school’s success is a direct result of the dedicated and hardworking staff, parent partnership and community support. A celebration will take place in the Spring.
It is hard to believe that the holiday season is upon us! December is a very busy month at school and I’m sure it is equally busy at home. Despite the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, our focus will remain on teaching and learning for the next few weeks. The Winter Break begins December 23 through January 3. This will allow us two full weeks to spend enjoying the beauty of the holiday season. I would like to remind all students and families of the importance of spending time reading daily. Our goal is to help children develop a love for reading. We can work together to ensure that our children realize the joy that books can bring. In addition to reading at school, we believe that reading together as a family is important as well. You can encourage this in your home by setting aside a specific time each day to read and asking your child questions about the book he is currently reading. Turning reading into a regular family event can be a great way to spend a cold winter evening together as a family. During the winter break, I encourage everyone to join me in spending at least thirty minutes every day reading. If you need books that are on your child’s reading level, they may go to Benchmark Literacy to find books that have been designated for them. Students in grades 1st through 5th have their own passwords. A trip to the public library is another way to get students involved in selecting and reading books.
The Little Library is now open and located outside the school. The Little Library is stocked with books at various reading levels. Parents are invited to bring children to select several books. Once they read the books, they may return them to the Little Library for other students to read. Parents may also donate books by dropping them off at the school.
On behalf of the Chris Yung staff, I extend to each of you a wish for a safe and joyous holiday season. I would like to thank you for your support of Operation Turkey sponsored by the Student Council. We collected 18 boxes of items that were donated to the SERVE organization to help feed members of community. A heartfelt thanks to the PTO for sponsoring several fundraising events at such as Yankee Candles, Chuck E. Cheese, Harvest Glow Dance, Chick fil-A, etc. to earn money for our school. These events demonstrate your commitment to our school and the support of our community.
Family Code Night!
Musical Notes
Holiday Parties
December 19 and 20 have been designated as days for classroom parties. Each grade level will decide on a date/time and contact parents with details. Look for information from room parents who will be assisting with the planning of the class parties.
Counselor's Corner
COUNSELORS’ CORNER
The month of December is always a busy month for families. The pressures of family gatherings, academic obligations, religious traditions and social commitments can be extremely overwhelming. Lynn Lyons, a psychotherapist who specializes in treating anxious families, offers some tips for helping children successfully deal with stress.
1. Minimize overscheduling
One of the biggest stressors for children is being overscheduled. In many cases, kids are expected to pay attention and perform in school for seven hours, excel at extracurricular activities, finish homework, to repeat everything the next day. Frequent rushing can make children feel unsettled and anxious. Their brains and bodies need to rest. Recognizing when your child may be overscheduled is important. Be realistic in making plans and allow time for rest and relaxation
2. Make time for play
Play can be a healthy outlet for dealing with stress. Young children need ample unstructured, non-goal-oriented play time. Play allows children to “reset” – it also allows them an outlet for various feelings. When possible, consider combining play with physical activity, which is critical for well-being. Some ideas include: riding bikes, playing catch, and hiking.
3. Make sleep a priority
Sleep is a vital piece of the wellness puzzle. Children need more sleep than adults need. Set a bedtime routine, limit electronics hours before bedtime, encourage children to read before bed (a great time to complete daily reading requirements) and foster a suitable sleep environment.
4. Mindfulness
Our steam engines have learned about the basic parts of the brain that are responsible for flight or fight responses. They have also learned basic ways to minimize the “butterflies” and sudden stress symptoms. Teach your children to recognize their own body signs and respond accordingly. Encourage your children to listen to what their bodies are saying. While it’s normal for a child’s stomach to feel jumpy on the first day of school, leaving class because of a stomach ache or waking up with a headache repeatedly may be a sign of stress.
6. Make mornings calmer
Chaotic mornings are a trigger for many students. While we do our best to recognize and intervene when a student may have had a rough start to the day, there are some things families can do to minimize the likelihood of morning challenges. Set a morning routine, set-up clothes the night before, prioritize the things that must be done in the morning and save remaining tasks for another time, stagger wake up times (if space or bathrooms are limited), instill self-responsibility so that children learn to manage their time and set priorities. Smoother mornings translate into easier transition from home to school which leads to increased productivity for students in class.
Holiday Assistance to Families in Need
Although we are not sponsoring an official Angel Tree at CYES this year, we have plenty of opportunities for CYES families to help children in our community. Please contact the school counselors directly if you are looking for ways to assist families in need.
Attendance
Attendance plays a vital role in your child’s ability to thrive in school. Please familiarize yourself with the PWCS attendance policy. https://www.pwcs.edu/cms/One.aspx?portalId=340225&pageId=36145436
Parents are encouraged to minimize absences during school hours and to plan family trips and vacations during school holidays. Repeat absenteeism has been associated with lower reading and math achievement in elementary grades, increased stress for students who struggle to keep up and maintain a predictable routine and class failure or drop out at the secondary level. The added stress of completing missed work on top of current work, as well as having to learn missed material, can take its toll on children.
We are pleased with our high daily attendance rate and appreciate your efforts in insuring your children attend school every day. If we can assist you regarding school attendance in any way, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Classroom Counseling Lessons
This month, in classroom counseling lessons, our focus will be on bullying, respecting differences and the power of one. Related library book suggestions include: Wonder by R.J. Palacio 100 Dresses by Eleanor Estes, The Juice Box Bully by Bob Sornson, Bully Beans by Julia Cook, One by Kathryn Otoshi and Spaghetti in a Hot Dog Bun by Maria Desmondy.
For continued discussion at home: We invite you to ask your child(ren) to tell you what they learned about the characteristics of bullying, the different types of bullying, and strategies for dealing with bullying situations. We also encourage you to ask about the Power of One and how their effective communication skills (learned in October’s counseling unit) can be used to help mitigate bullying situations.
Small Group Counseling
Now that the second quarter is underway, we are running small groups that focus on coping skills, test taking, study skills, and organization. The purpose of small groups is to provide a safe environment for sharing, giving and receiving feedback, practicing new skills, and increasing awareness so that students can continue to be successful in school. Small groups typically meet once a week for 30 minutes for six to eight sessions during the school day at a time that is agreeable with the teacher. If you feel that your child could benefit from small group counseling, please contact our school counseling team.
Dr. McClurg & Ms. Poore, School Counselors
STEAMonthly
CYES STEAM Night
Mark your calendars for STEAM Night on January 30th from 6:00 pm-7:30 pm in the Cafeteria and Gym. We have another exciting night of STEAM planned. Keep an eye out for a flier coming home after winter break! We look forward to seeing you there!
COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION WEEK 2019
December 9th-15th is Computer Science Education Week! Kids all over the world will be participating in a variety of coding activities. Can you find Chris Yung on the map? https://hourofcode.com/us#join
Want to get in on the fun at home? Visit www.hourofcode.com and see if you can complete one hour of code!
At Chris Yung, we continue to move forward with our computer science curriculum and have evolved beyond a single hour, at all grade levels. Over the past few weeks, our students have been hard at work during STEAM exploring a variety of resources to build their understanding of computer science by exposing them to computational thinking.
Each grade has been using a resource that can be used at home to extend their learning:
Grades 3-5 have been using Scratch, a free programming resource run by MIT. You can have your kids create accounts at home by visiting scratch.mit.edu. Grade 5 students have started using our Hummingbird Robots and our microbits to program motors, LEDS and sensors.
Scratch: https://scratch.mit.edu/
Microbit: https://microbit.org/code/
Grades 1-2 are using the younger version of Scratch called Scratch Jr. Scratch Jr. Is app based and introduces the basics of sequencing. Grade 2 students also have code.org accounts set up to complete a basic coding course.
Scratch Jr: https://www.scratchjr.org/
Code.org: https://code.org/
Kindergarteners have been working in an app called Kodable. They work through puzzles that teach sequencing in a game like environment. You can access a paid version at home by creating a parent account. Kodable: https://www.kodable.com/
If you have questions about the STEAM Lab, please feel free to contact Mrs. Chidester: chideskw@pwcs.edu.
Mrs. Chidester, STEAM Coach
Reading Corner
Fun for the Holidays!
As we prepare for a long winter break this year please consider visiting your local library! Using your library card, you are able to check out books to read at home or use some of their digital online resources from the comfort of your couch! Download audio books on their app Libby, check out up to 8 movies a month per card on Hoopla, and more. For more information, visit PWPLS Digital Library. It provides free access to thousands of online and digital resources including eBooks, audiobooks, newspapers, and Premium Websites.
PWPLS Digital Library https://www.pwcgov.org/government/dept/library/Pages/digitallibrary.aspx
Bull Run Regional Library and Haymarket Gainesville Community Library
Calendar of Events http://pwcgov.evanced.info/eventcalendar.asp
Mrs. Morgan, Reading Specialist
ESOL Corner
All English Language Learners levels 1-5 will be participating in the ACCESS for ELL's assessment at the end of January. The assessments measure students' academic English language in four language domains: Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. Please make sure your child comes to school every day, gets a good night sleep and eats a healthy breakfast each morning. The results will be sent home in June. If you have questions about the assessment, you may contact your child’s ESOL teacher or call the office @ 571.598.3500.
Ms. Vasquez, ESOL Teacher
Dress for Cold Weather
It is important that your child be properly dressed with a warm coat, hat and gloves or mittens during the winter months. Even during cold weather, every effort is made to have students spend some recess time outside. If you are in need of cold weather clothing items, please contact the school. As a general rule, children will not be outdoors when the wind chill factor is 32 degrees or below.
Prince William County Public Schools uses a variety of platforms to post weather related closings. Please view the link below for the latest from Prince William County.
Nurses Corner
Holiday Health Tips
The holidays are a great opportunity to enjoy time with family and friends, celebrate life, to be grateful, and reflect on what’s important. They are also a time to appreciate the gift of health. Here are some holiday tips to support your efforts for health and safety this season.
Handwashing Importance
Keeping hands clean is one of the most important steps you can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. Wash your hands with soap and clean running water and rub them together for at least 20 seconds. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don’t have tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve or elbow, not your hands.
Keeping Warm
Cold temperatures can cause serious health problems, especially in infants and older adults. Stay dry, and dress warmly in several layers.
Managing Stress
The holidays don’t need to take a toll on your health or pocketbook. Keep your commitments and spending in check. Balance work, home, and play. Get support from family and friends. Keep a relaxed and positive outlook. Make sure to get proper sleep.
Mrs. Shipley, School Nurse
School Closings and Cancellations
Chris Yung Elementary School
Website: https://chrisyunges.pwcs.edu/home
Location: 12612 Fog Light Way, Bristow, VA, USA
Facebook: facebook.com/ChrisYungElementarySchool
Twitter: @CYESsteamengines