Gravely Connection
August 2018
Welcome to the 2018-2019 School Year
Seadog Families,
We are excited to start the school year with a “Spotlight on Seadog Success.” During the summer our teachers have been working hard to prepare for your return. Teachers officially return on August 20th! Classrooms are getting ready, plans are being made for instruction, and teachers are participating in professional development locally and out of state.
Throughout the summer, we were fortunate to celebrate several events with our staff and community, including Blankets and Books, Popsicles on the Playground. a literacy event at the Gainesville/Haymarket Library, Kindergarten home visits, and still have our upcoming kindergarten orientation and open house for all students.
We would like to send a huge shout out to our custodial staff of Mr. Thomas, Mr. Johnson, Mrs. Schmidt, Ms. Solano for all their work over the summer to make the school look phenomenal for our students. We would also like to thank our office staff and teachers for all the work they have already put in to prepare for an exceptional school year.
Our PTO has been collaborating in order to provide amazing community building events, fundraisers, and after school opportunities for our students. We are grateful for all they do for our school and community.
We look forward to working collaboratively with you to make this school year memorable for your child. Our teachers are eager to continue providing a caring and supportive environment, and are focused on delivering high quality instruction that prepares our students to be leaders and innovators.
As always, we would like to thank you for your continued support of Gravely! See you soon.
Michael Kelchlin - Principal
Kisha Trammell - Assistant Principal
Upcoming Dates
August 14 - Kindergarten Assessments (by appointment)
August 15 - Kindergarten Orientation (6:00pm)
Come learn what kindergarten is all about, and then meet some new friends with popsicles on the playground
August 17 - Class Placement Letters will be mailed home
August 23 - Meet and Greet:
Come visit your classroom, meet your teacher, see your friends, and drop off supplies.
Kindergarten Meet and Greet 9:00am-10:00am
Meet and Greets Grades 1-5
Last Names A-L 10:30am - 11:30am
Last Names M-Z 11:30am - 12:30pm
August 27 - First Day of School
Doors open for students at 8:50am
Bell rings at 9:05am for the start for the day
Dismissal time 3:45
Back to School Nights:
September 25:
5:30-6:15 – 4th Grade
6:30-7:15 – Kindergarten
7:30-8:15 – 2nd Grade
September 27:
5:30-6:15 – 5th Grade
6:30-7:15 – 1st Grade
7:30-8:15 – 3rd Grade
Class Placements
We will mail class placement on August 17, 2018, and Gravely teachers are excited to welcome their students at our Open house on August 23th. Our current enrollment is around 780 students. This summer we have added an additional first grade classroom. As always, there is the possibility that your child’s classroom assignments may change based upon fluctuations in enrollment.
First Week Arrival Procedures
It is always best to begin the first day of school with your child arriving and departing school in the manner in which he/she will do so for the entire school year. It causes great confusion for the child and staff when a student’s transportation is different on the first day.
Please provide a note to your classroom teacher on the first day for how your student will be getting home for the year. (Bus #, Walker, Kiss and Ride, Alpha Best)
In the interest of student safety, please refrain walking your child to class. Our wonderful staff will greet your children in the halls and outside their classrooms. This will allow the staff time to remain focused on the children, welcome them with their undivided attention, and set routines and procedures for a successful school year.
As student safety is our top priority, dismissal will take us longer than usual the first week.
KINDERGARTNERS will all meet in the Cafeteria at arrival for the first two weeks of school.
•Please wear the name tags supplied by your teacher so it is easy for us to identify the children in our kindergarten classes. Please wear the name tags for the first two weeks and be sure to return them at the end of this period. (Beirnes=Sun, Moran=Dr. Seuss, Murray=Apples, Podkowka=Fish, Sablan=Frogs)
Bus Routes and Transportation information will be emailed this week or can be found at:
Important Arrival / Dismissal Procedures
Kiss and Ride drop off/pick up:
· When using K&R please enter the school parking lot and follow the assigned arrows
· Student drop off begins at 8:50 when school staff is there to greet you
· Employees contract hours begin at 8:50, which is the reason for student drop off not beginning before this time. We have installed a sign asking parent to not block available parking spaces.
· The first car in line should wait at posted sign (by emergency access) and then pull forward to the front door at 8:50
· Students may only exit their vehicle after school staff has signaled to do so
· Students may only enter and exit the car from the passenger side
· THERE IS NO STUDENT DROP OFF PERMITTED ON WAVERLY FARM DRIVE
· The school day begins at 9:05 AM, and kiss and ride staff will enter the building at this time. If you arrive after 9:05 AM, you must park your car and walk your child into the building for a tardy pass.
· Dismissal begins at 3:45
· Be sure your car rider tag number is displayed on your rearview mirror when you pull forward. All families will receive an assigned number.
· Do not exit your car, and please pull as far forward to maximize pick-up space
· Students will not be dismissed from the office at the end of the day. You must use the carpool line except for special circumstances.
· Be sure to have a picture ID available.
· We ask you to respect our dismissal procedures as we continue to provide a safe dismissal for over 780 students.
All families will receive a carpool number. We will have these numbers available at Meet and Greet. Please keep this number in the event you need to pick your child up from school versus having them ride the bus home. Remember you must always send a note in if your child is to go home differently than their normal schedule. Please do not notify us by email as we may not receive the notice in time. If your child is going home with another student or if you have a student coming to your house, both parents must send in a dismissal change note.
Walkers:
· A crossing guard has been assigned to our school and will assist our students in crossing Waverly Farm Drive / Allens Mill Blvd.
· Students are to use the crosswalk at the entrance to the school where a staff member will help them safely cross
· If students are riding their bikes, bike helmets are required, and students are reminded to walk with their bikes when they are crossing the street and on school property.
Dominion Valley Owners Association contacted us numerous times last year in regards to our parents parking in no parking areas. There are no parking signs posted throughout the inside of the gate at Allen’s Mill BLVD, but the DVOA has expressed concern where Gravely families are parking in these areas during afternoon dismissal. As a school we strive to be good neighbors to the communities that we serve. Please support us in an effort to work collaboratively with DVOA and follow their established rules of not parking in these designated no parking zones.
Seadog Staffing Updates
We are excited to have the following dynamic teachers join our staff this year:
Assistant Principal - Kisha Trammell
Kindergarten- Melissa Podkowka
1st Grade- Kim Weller
1st Grade - Allison Notarantonio
START- Megan Osborne
3rd Grade- Erin Hurd
LD- Angelina Kelly
Nurse- Nina Herrara
KTA- Marie Sarmiento
PE TA- Ursula Laskodi
Office Assistant- Stephanie Daugherty
ESOL- Julie Breton
Internal Moves:
1st Grade - Grace Hurley
2nd Grade- Shreve Cassarino
Monica Godbole - part time ESOL
We owe the following Seadogs a debt of gratitude and wish them great success in their promotions, retirements and/or new endeavors outside of Gravely ES: Mrs. Zeffiro, Mrs. Patil, Ms. Neuman, Ms. Meachem, Mrs. Miller, Mrs. Anglin, Mrs. Beckett, Mrs. Tackett, Ms. Nelson, Mrs. O’Hare
School Lunches
Go to myschoolbucks.com to put money on your child’s lunch card. You need your child’s student ID number to activate your child’s account. You can also view your child’s lunch choices.
School improvements
Numerous murals have been painted throughout the school. Last year our SCA held multiple fundraisers to support spreading a message of Kindness throughout our building. The murals are currently being painted by Linda Rafferty (Murals By Linda).
We have added 50 new touch screen laptop computers, which will allow us provide every grade level with a cart of laptops in addition to their classroom computers. This was made possible through PTO Fundraising throughout the year, a donation from the Harvey Family, as well as school funding.
Six classrooms have received new 75" SMARTBOARDS, and we have refreshed our 50 oldest laptops with 50 new laptops.
We now have a Gaga Ball Pit on the playground! Logan Doppee, an Eagle scout candidate, fund-raised and then directed Troop 581 in the installation of the Gaga pit. This was also made possible through funding from our PTO.
Samuel L. Gravely Jr. Elementary
Website: https://gravelyes.pwcs.edu/
Location: 4670 Waverly Farm Drive, Haymarket, VA, United States
Phone: 571-248-4930
Facebook: facebook.com/SamuelLGravelyJr