MHES Eagle News
Dec 2023
Marumsco Hills ES is a diverse community of learners committed to excellence.
December School Calendar Dates
Dec 1 - Mr. and Mrs. Ott's Class Field Trip
Dec 12 - Santa Parade (10:00-10:30 a.m.)
Dec 13 - Family Food Market (4:30pm)
Dec 13 - Strings Concert (7pm)
Dec 14 - Fall Picture Retakes
Dec 20 - Winter Sing Along
Dec 21 - Jan 1 - No School, Winter Break
Jan 2 - Students return to School
December Spirit Days
We look forward to staff and students participating in our December Spirit Days!
December 1: 'Tis the Season: Wear your Red and Green to kickoff our holiday countdown
December 4: It's A Wrap: Come wearing bows or wrapping paper
December 5: Deck the Halls: Wear your favorite holiday accessories (lights, garland, light-up necklaces, etc.)
December 6: Holiday Sock Day: Show off your holiday spirit with a festive pair of socks
December 7: Ho! Ho! Ho!: Wear a holiday hat or headband
December 8: Ugly Sweater: Wear your favorite "ugly" holiday sweater
December 11: Mad About Plaid: Wear plaid flannel shirt, pants, scarf (no pajamas)
December 12: Candy Cane Day: Dress up in candy cane colors or attire
December 13: Winter Wonderland: Wear white or blue to wish for snow
December 14: Wear your best holiday attire!
December 15: MHES Code Orange Day: Wear pajamas so we can practice having a Code Orange Day
December 18: Bundle Up Monday: Wear earmuffs, scarves, vests, boots, etc.
December 19: Wear Festive Colors Day: Be colorful and wear lots of the color for your grade level: Pre-K and Kindergarten (wear red)
1st Grade (wear green)
2nd Grade (wear blue)
3rd Grade (wear silver or gray)
4th Grade (wear white)
5th Grade (wear yellow or gold)
December 20: T'was the Night Before Winter Break: Pajama Day
Annual Storybook Character Parade
MHES staff and students had fun participating in and celebrating all of the book characters during our parade.
Attendance
Attendance is extremely important. We want our students to be in school every day, unless they are sick. Students should arrive to school beginning at 8:30am each day. Class begins at 8:45am. Students should be in school by 8:45am to avoid being tardy. Students are considered chronically absent when they miss 10 or more days each school year. This includes excused and unexcused absences. If a student misses 1 day every month of the school year, they will be considered chronically absent. Please avoid taking trips and vacation during the school year. Also, please try and schedule appointments for your child outside of school hours. If this is not possible, then schedule appointments either very early in the morning or in the late afternoon so that your child can be present at least part of the school day. Your child should not have to miss an entire day of learning. Thank you for your assistance in ensuring that your child is in class each day. If your child currently has 10 or more absences (excused and unexcused), a doctors note will be required for any additional absences to be marked excused.
Attendance Challenge - Week 1 🎉
🎉Congratulations to those students who earned an Attendance Challenge Bracelet for our first Attendance Challenge week from Oct 30 - Nov 4. A total of 389 students came to school ALL DAY, EVERYDAY during our first challenge week. These students did not have any tardies or early dismissals. Way to go MHES students and families! Thank you for making sure your child comes to school, ALL DAY, EVERYDAY! Let's increase the total during our next challenge week!
Leader in Me
Camp Read-A-Lot Ambassadors
Our Camp Read-A-Lot Ambassador students met the author of our beloved book, The Scarecrow. They engaged in a read aloud and book talk with the author, Beth Ferry. We extend a huge thank you to our Camp Read-A-Lot partnership with Shenandoah University! Our learners were so excited!
Learning Targets
Thank you parents for being involved in your child's education. We want you to know all about the great things your child is learning. Below you can click on the link where you can read about the Learning Targets for this month. The Learning Targets focus on the skills required based on the Standards of Learning (SOL). December Learning Targets
Second Grade: Learn Not to Burn Presentation
Second grade students had so much fun engaging in the Learn Not to Burn presentation from our PWC Fire Department.
Go Green BMX Assembly
MHES staff and students enjoyed watching and participating in the BMX show which taught them about the 5 Secrets of Success:
• STAY DRUG-FREE | Live a Healthy Life & Make Good Choices
• LIVE YOUR DREAMS | To Live Dreams, You Must Have Dreams
• BE MOTIVATED | Nothing Worthwhile is Easy, You Must be Determined
• RESPECT OTHERS | Never Act Like a Bully, Treat Everyone with Respect
• STAY IN SCHOOL | Finish, Graduate, Never Quit
Technology Corner
Students should be bringing their devices to and from school every day. If you have a concern regarding the device, please contact your child’s teacher. If the device is lost, please contact the school immediately. As a reminder, during the event of a Code Orange day, students will be required to log on to Zoom to receive virtual instruction from teachers and attendance will be taken. Please work with your child to support their understanding of navigating Canvas and accessing teacher Zoom links. For more information, please visit the PWCS Parent Canvas and Zoom information page.
More specific expectations for our school’s Code Orange days will be communicated at a later date. Lastly, if your household needs access to a WI-FI hotspot for the purpose of at-home learning, please fill out this survey and we will be sure to provide your student with a hotspot.
If you have any questions, please email weavercg@pwcs.edu or call our school at (703) 494-3252.
PARENT CORNER
- Our next Family Food Market will be on Wednesday, December 13. We have seen families lining up outside as early as 3pm for the Family Market. As the weather gets colder out, please dress accordingly if you plan to arrive early. The November market was a huge success! We distributed 7000 pounds of food to about 150 families. This could not have happened without the help of our 20 volunteers made up of parents, staff, and staff's families members. Thank you so much to all the volunteers.
- Are you interested in becoming a parent leader? Our PTO is looking for a President and other volunteers who are available to help support with fund raising and other fun events here at MHES. Reach out to Tamara Vasquez, Parent Liaison, with questions and for more information. vasqueat@pwcs.edu
- How can parent's support their student's literacy skills? Read to your child in any language they understand. Have your child read to you. Share stories about your family, about your childhood. By engaging in any of these activities daily you will be supporting your student's learning. Especially over breaks from school, be sure your student is reading daily.
Health Updates
Health Information for Parents: Please review the "When to go, when to stay home": A Guide to Student Illness.
Specialty Programs for Middle School
Our School Counselors wants to share information about specialty programs for Middle School: There are multiple opportunities for students entering middle school offered in Prince William County Public Schools. These programs include the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program (IB MYP), Math and Sciences programs, Traditional Schools, Same Gender, and World Language programs. Information nights are listed below. For more information, please visit pwcs.edu.
Specialty Program Information Video for Parents: https://youtu.be/rK4XybUF5YI?si=noSEtRULE2YEg9ih
Bullying Prevention Information for Parents
Please click on the link to read information about Bullying Prevention. Bullying is NOT tolerated in any Prince William County School. Bullying Information for Families
Marumsco Hills Elementary School
Email: cuoccija@pwcs.edu
Website: https://marumscohillses.pwcs.edu/
Location: 14100 Page St, Woodbridge, VA 22191, USA
Phone: 703-494-3252
Twitter: @MHES_Eagles