Grafton Gazette
Winter Edition
Grafton Village Elementary School
Email: _@staffordschools.net
Website: www.staffordschools.net/gves
Location: 501 Deacon Road, Fredericksburg, VA, USA
Phone: 5403735454
Twitter: @GVESGrizzlies
A message from the Principal
Dear Families,
We are excited to be back in full swing after a long winter break. Our students have had a great beginning to the second semester and we recently completed our 100th day of school. There are many exciting events coming up at GVES including our Science Curriculum Night and 4th grade performance on Thursday, February 5th. Our annual Grafton Village Talent Show sponsored by our PTA will be coming soon to the stage at GVES. The event will take place on Friday, February 6th. This event combines our traditional talent show with the option for students to showcase their public speaking by reading an essay or poem. We look forward to enjoying the talents of our students at both events!
As the weather turns colder, we begin to look at appropriateness of outdoor activities. We will look beyond a specific temperature and consider factors such as wind chill, whether the ground is frozen or the sun is shining, how well the children are prepared to play outdoors (jackets, gloves, and hats), what activity the children are participating in, and the length of time to be spent outside. When the weather turns extremely cold, we have to balance students' needs for physical activity with the dangers that come from too much exposure to the cold. To keep our Grizzlies safe during these cold weather months, we have decided that our classes will not go outside for recess or PE when the wind chill is below 30 degrees Fahrenheit.
During this time of the year, inclement weather often becomes an important topic for families. With snow creeping into the forecast, I would like to remind parents that there are several ways to get up-to-date information on early dismissals, delays, and closings. In addition to local radio and television stations, you can visit www.schools-out.com or the Stafford County Public Schools website at http://stafford.schoolfusion.us. The county also has a link on their website to sign up for alerts such as road closures, inclement weather warnings and school closings and delays. This service allows you to receive email and text messages with this information. You can register at https://staffordalert.com . Finally, you can call 540-658-6698. Please review your plan with your child if school would unexpectedly dismiss early.
On a final note, we are excited to announce our Teacher of the Year and Service Employee of the Year recipients. Mrs Katherine Counsell has been selected as our Teacher of the Year. Katherine is a 5th grade teacher at Grafton. She started her career in Fredericksburg graduating from Mary Washington and has taught 1st grade and 5th grade at GVES. Katherine is an excellent representative of quality teaching at Grafton Village. Robin Enfinger has been chosen to be our Service Employee of the Year. Robin is an instructional paraprofessional and supports students in reading and math in various grades. Congratulations, Katherine and Robin!
Calendar
1/8 Chorus 8- 8:45
Girl Scouts 4:00- 5:00
Sea Perch 4:00- 5:00
1/10 Report cards go home
1/14 1st and 2nd Grade Awards Assembly 9:10- 10:00
3rd Grade Awards Assembly 10:00- 11:00
PTA General Membership meeting 6:00- 7:00
1/15 Chorus 8- 8:45
Follies Rehearsal 4- 5:30
Sea Perch 4:00- 5:00
1/16 5th grade Awards Assembly 9:15- 10:15
4th Grade Awards Assembly 10:00- 11:00
1/17 Early Release
1/20 Holiday No School, Martin Luther King Jr.
1/22 Chorus 8- 8:45
Follies Rehearsal 4:00- 5:30
Sea Perch 4:00- 5:00
1/23 4th Grade to Historic FBurg 9:40- 1:45
1/24 4th Grade to Historic FBurg 9:40- 1:45
2/3 Book Fair All Week
2/5 Chorus 8:00- 8:45
Follies Dress Rehearsal 4:00- 6:00
Sea Perch 4:00- 5:00
2/6 1st Grade FT to Riverside 10:00- 1:30
4th Grade dress rehearsal (3rd and 5th attend) 3:00- 4:00
Curriculum Night and 4th Grade Performance 6:30- 7:45
2/7 PTA Grafton 6:00- 7:00
2/11 SOL Reading remediation 4:00- 5:00
2/12 Chorus 8:00- 8:45
Girl Scouts 4:00- 5:00
Sea Perch 4:00- 5:00
Grizzly Clubs K- 2nd 4:00- 4:45
2/13 SOL Reading Remediation 4:00- 5:00
4th Grade Performance 6:30- 7:30 snow date
2/14 Valentine's Day
Early Release
2/17 Holiday No School
2/18 3rd- 5th Word Masters
SOL Reading Remediation 4:00- 5:00
2/19 Chorus 8:00- 8:45
Girl Scouts 4:00- 5:00
Sea Perch 4:00- 5:00
Grizzly Clubs K- 2nd 4:00- 4:45
2/20 SOL Reading 4:00- 5:00
2/21 3rd- 5th Math Contest 9:10- 9:50
2/25 SOL Reading Remediation 4:00- 5:00
2/26 Chorus 8:00- 8:45
Sea Perch 4:00- 5:00
Grizzly Clubs K- 2nd 4:00- 4:45
2/27 Early Release
3/3 No School Professional Day
Counselor's Corner with Ms. Spangler and Ms. Santina
AROUND TOWN- When your youngster regularly puts others first, kindness and compassion become second nature. Take advantage of big and small opportunities for her to make a difference in the community. Pay it forward - Make it a family policy to do two kinds of things for each one done for you. Be sure to let your child know that even small things count. Someone might hold the door open for her to enter a restaurant, for example. To pay the kindness forward (twice), your youngster could hold the door for another person- and offer to get an elderly couple's order when it's called. For times when she can't pay it forward right away, your child can watch for chances to catch up during the day. Encourage a can-do attitude- In tough situations, your youngster may want to show compassion but feel that his actions won't make a difference. For instance, he might want to help a neighborhood family who lost everything in a house fire. Remind him that while some things are too big for him to fix completely, there's still plenty he can do. Then, brainstorm ideas together. His list could include everything from donating clothes from his own closet to bigger things like having a yard sale to raise money for the family.
AT HOME- What do kindness and compassion look like? Use these activities to help your child spot kindhearted actions in her daily life. Make a reminder- Look up compassion and kindness in the dictionary together. Then, have your youngster collect quotations about these qualities from books or websites. Example: "Always try to be a little kinder than necessary." -J.M. Barrie. Ask your child to invent her own sayings too, such as "Be a ray of sunshine and brighten someone's day," Next, let her use her favorites to create a place mat. She can write the quotes graffiti- style on construction paper. Slip the paper into a plastic sheet protector so her place mat lasts longer. Tip: Suggest that your youngster spread the compassion message by making a place mat for each family member. Catch Kindness- Show your child how much kindness happens around him every day- he'll see ways he can be kind, too. Have him make a label to stick on a clean, empty jar. It might say "Be kind" or "We're a kind family." Place the jar in an easy- to reach location along with slips of colored paper and a pen. Now tell everyone in the family to add a note to the jar when they "catch" someone being kind. For instance, "Dad made soup for me because I didn't feel well" Or "Jeremy cleaned up the dog's muddy paw prints so Mom didn't have to do it." Once a week, read the slips aloud. Then, start a new batch.
The Clinic Chronicle by Amy Pisciotta, RN
January – February
Happy 2020 Grafton Family. As you know, we are rapidly heading into cold and flu season (for many, it is already here) for our area. I hope everyone got vaccinated but if you didn’t, it is not too late. There are multiple cases of the flu reported all over the state of Virginia to include our area. They are seeing a lot of Flu B which is not as common but does seem to affect the young instead of the elderly. The best way to deal with the flu is prevention starting with the vaccine but there are many other ways to help. The vaccine is about 40% effective and yes, you may hear that people can get the flu even with the vaccine but it is the best defense out there. Influenza is a serious illness especially for those that are very young, immunocompromised, and/or have a history of asthma or other respiratory related conditions. At Grafton, we encourage handwashing, soap and water is the best even over hand sanitizer, covering the mouth while coughing by coughing into our sleeve, as well as promoting healthy eating, drinking plenty of water, and staying active. The article below is taken from the Utah County Health Department and is very fitting this time of year. Stay healthy my friends!
Wash, Wash, Wash your Hands!
Did you know one of the most important things you can do to keep from getting sick is to wash your hands? During flu season it is even more important to wash your hands to prevent the spread of germs that would result in sickness. Common illnesses that can be prevented through washing hands includes: colds, influenza, food poisoning, Hepatitis A (food-borne viral illness that causes liver inflammation and gastrointestinal upset, and Rotavirus (common cause of diarrhea), among many other things.
Some activities that you should make an effort to wash your hands before doing include:
• Preparing food
• Eating
• Bushing your teeth
• Helping a young child, someone elderly or someone who is sick
Several activities that you should make an effort to wash your hands after doing include:
• Going to the bathroom
• Changing diapers
• Touching door knobs, railings, or other surfaces that have been touched by others
• Helping a sick person
• Blowing your nose
• Handling uncooked meat and poultry
• Touching animals or anything in an animal’s environment
• Coughing or sneezing
There is a right and a wrong way to wash your hands. The best way is to use soap and to rub your hands together under running water. Make sure to follow these steps for the most effective germ removal:
1. Wet your hands (very warm water works best).
2. Apply soap to your hands.
The Book Buzz Greetings from Mrs. Lieser, Librarian
It is that time of year again!
The Spring Scholastic Book Fair is coming to Grafton.
We are in need of volunteers to help with set-up, classroom wishlists, and take down. If you are available to help during any of the following times, please email lieserea@staffordschools.net :
Volunteer Help Needed-
Set-Up: January 31st (12:45-3:00 pm)
Help Kindergarten & 2nd Grade: February 3rd- 7th (9-11 am)
Help 1st Grade: February 3rd-7th (1:30-3 pm)
The Book Fair will open for a Teacher Preview and for Monday library classes to make their wish lists on February 3rd. It will not be open for shopping on that day. We will officially open for shopping on February 4!
Book Fair Dates/Times-
Dates: February 4,5,6,7, & 10
Times: 8:35 am - 4:00 pm
Special Event- February 6th open from 4 pm - 7:15 pm
Each grade is assigned a special time 15 minutes before their special of the day to send students with money to make their purchases. This is to ensure we have enough volunteers to help our younger students and to limit the disruption to classroom instruction.
Virginia Reader’s Choice 2019-2020
The deadline for the 2019-2020 Virginia Reader’s Choice Program is rapidly approaching (February 10, 2020). Students who have completed (read and passed a test or interview) 6 out of the 10 Virginia Reader’s Choice books will receive an invitation to the voting party. Students who have completed all 10 books will be invited to the March 11th field trip to the Spy Museum in Washington D.C.
Bright Ideas by Susan Kesler
The Geography Bee!
After participating in a preliminary round of challenging questions, ten amazing 4th/5th graders advanced to the GVES School Bee – Stephanie Aguiar, Sophia Beers, Raine Coy, Nicholas Hinzman, Joshua Lauture, Judson Leach, Xavier Randolph, Colin Robinson, Colin Robinson, and Owen Swank. Adults involved with the School Bee were thankful for an Answer Key. The exciting results: Kyle Stanley – 1st, Colin Robinson – 2nd, and Sophia Beers – 3rd. Kyle took a Qualifying Test and will soon find out if he’s heading to the State Bee! If students would like to sharpen their “geography” knowledge, check out https://www.nationalgeographic.org/education/student-experiences/geobee/study/ to learn about the Geo Bee Challenge App & “Kahoot.” Also, explore National Geographic Kids at https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/ Here, you will find exciting games, videos, etc. I’m looking forward to the GVES 2021 National Geographic Bee!
Mrs. Feeney's Art Message
I am happy to announce that I have a full time student art teacher from January-April. Her name is Anika Hussain. She is getting her master’s degree in preK-12 in Visual Arts Education from University of Mary Washington. We will both work toward the learning and support of your student and make some wonderful art in the process.
Art Projects
Kindergarten: The students will be creating a collage painting based on the book “The Snowy day” Ezra Jack Keats. Then they will create a clay initial wall hanging and paint it using glazes.
1st Grade: The students will be creating an owl collage painting. Then they will create a rainbow fish painting based on the book “Rainbow Fish” by Marcus Pfister.
2nd Grade: The students will be creating a patriotic collage painting. They just finished creating an abstract snowman based on the art of Pablo Picasso.
3rd Grade: The students are creating a coil clay bowl and paint using glazes. Then they will create their own Egyptian collage.
4th Grade: The students are creating a patriotic weaving for their upcoming music program. Then they will create their very own Starry night based on the painting by Van Gogh.
5th Grade: The students are making a poster design of an inspiration quote. Some artwork will be chosen to use on the walls of our school. They can use a variety of mediums of their choosing. The next lesson will be creating a three-dimensional clay fossil and painting using watercolors.
Music "Notes" from Mrs. Greven
Our 12th annual Sock Drive will run from January 15th-22nd. Please consider donating NEW socks (all varieties and sizes) to benefit Brisben Center and MICAH Ministries in Fredericksburg. Over the last 11 years, GVES students have collected almost 16,000 pairs of socks for donation!
All 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students will continue to use recorders in January. Please remind your student to practice a little bit every day. Practice at home helps make our music time more effective. Students must bring their recorder to music class. Here are a few reminders about recorders:
· Always keep your recorder in your backpack. This will be your recorder’s home and you will always have it when you need it at school or at home.
· When washing your recorder, use warm soapy water, rinse and air dry. If the joints become tight, apply a small amount of Vaseline to the joints.
· Practice, practice, practice. Take a break from your homework and practice for 5 minutes. Or if you are watching your favorite television program, practice during the commercials.
The GVES Chorus had a very full holiday season. Between a November Thanksgiving Concert, two Fields Trips and two School holiday sing-alongs, they were quite busy sharing their holiday spirit. Great job to our GVES singers who put on excellent performances each time! Thank you to Mrs. Marschall for accompanying our performances.
Mark your calendar: The 44th Annual Stafford County Fine Arts Festival is on Saturday, March 28th and Sunday, March 29th at Brooke Point High School. GVES will have artwork displayed all weekend. GVES will also be represented with students in the 3rd grade Festival Musical. GVES Chorus will also perform! Stay tuned for more details to come!
PE News
Happy New Year! PE classes are participating in activities to keep our bodies healthy and active during the cold winter months.
· We have started 2020 with our basketball unit, and we have focused on basketball dribbling, passing, and shooting skills in class.
· Our gymnastics unit is coming up next. We will work on improving our flexibility, balances, weight transfer, and tumbling. Make sure you wear comfortable clothes you can comfortably move in and socks you don’t mind showing off!
Please let us know if you have any questions.
David Bridi
Bevin Menezes