Timberwolf Times September 12, 2022

T. Clay Wood - Facts at your Fingertips

Welcome to T. Clay Wood ES

Welcome Back to School - 2022-2023

"It's A Great Day to be a Timberwolf""

Dear Timberwolf Families,

If you are able and interested, please sign up below for our first in-person Timberwolf Talk - Parent Tea for this school year.

Our First Timberwolf Tea and Talk will take place on Friday, September 23 at 10:00 am.

I will share the "State of the School" - We will also have tea and some treats. Please RSVP to me by filling out this quick form - https://forms.office.com/r/jXz3VsvBQm if you are able to attend.

Sometimes students need a break before they are ready to share what they have learned at school.

2 really important deadlines to complete this week if you haven't yet:

1. The back to school packet in ParentVue. We still have a bunch of families who need to complete this.

2. Free and Reduced Price Application - please complete this asap - see below.

At T. Clay Wood Elementary School, we love to have visitors and volunteers every day. To help ensure the safety of our students, visitors to Prince William County Schools are expected to report promptly to the school’s main office when entering school buildings. Visitors and volunteers will be asked to provide a valid government issued photo identification. There are no exceptions. Every visitor to our school must bring with them a photo id. Visitors will then be issued a temporary identification badge. We will not permit any visitor or volunteer into the building without this identification. Our main goal is to ensure the safety and security of our students and staff at school.

2022-2023 – Back to school information: https://www.pwcs.edu/parents/backtoschool

2022-2023 – Calendar link: https://www.pwcs.edu/cms/one.aspx?pageId=654031

Code of Behavior link: https://www.pwcs.edu/cms/One.aspx?portalId=340225&pageId=767701

Link to Family Life Education objectives and Opt out - https://www.pwcs.edu/academics___programs/science___family_life_education/family_life_education

PLEASE NOTE - if Packers/Lunch Bringers would like to purchase school milk, the cost this year is $1.00. If a student who has purchased lunch, would like a 2nd lunch, the cost this year for the 2nd lunch is $4.00

Masks will continue to be optional if students would prefer to wear them.

We truly do Everything Better Together as a Community of Leaders and Learners Achieving Excellence.

I hope you all have a wonderful week.

Dr. Andrew Buchheit

Principal

#TimberwolvesROCK

“Like the Sun, I am here to Shine”

Timberwolf Tea and Talk

Our First Timberwolf Tea and Talk will take place on Friday, September 23 at 10:00 am.

I will share the "State of the School" - We will also have tea and some treats. Please RSVP to me by filling out this quick form - https://forms.office.com/r/jXz3VsvBQm if you are able to attend.

Food Share Table

We are starting up the Food Share Table up again at T. Clay Wood. It is an opportunity for students to share wit those students who might still be hungry wrapped or packaged food they did not eat. All food that is still left over will be distributed to students in need at our school and through Northern Virginia Food Rescue

We could use any left over plastic or paper grocery bags to collect food being picked up. Please send the bags to our front office.

Have you completed all your Back to School Information in ParentVue??

The Back to School Packet, where parents/guardians can review emergency cards, update contact information, and complete annual policy reviews and acknowledgements, is now available in ParentVUE.

All families should complete the Back to School Packet as soon as possible, but no later than Friday, September 16, 2022. The information you provide will allow school staff to ensure the safety of your student this school year.

To access the Back to School Packet:

Login to your ParentVUE account and go to “Online Records” in the top right corner.
Written Instructions for completing the Back to School Packet
Video Tutorial for completing the Back to School Packet
If a parent/guardian needs to make changes to information once they submit the Back to School Packet, they can resubmit anytime by following the same instructions provided above.
If you need assistance, or do not have an active ParentVUE account, please contact your child’s school.

For your convenience, we have created a Back to School webpage with information and resources you and your student need to start the school year off right.

What's Happening at T. Clay Wood during the week of September 12 - September 16, 2022

Monday, September 12, 2022 Day 2

Have you completed your Back to School Packet - it is due from Everyone by Friday

Tuesday, September 13, 2022- Day 3

Have you completed your Back to School Packet? Don't be that person!!

Wednesday, September 14, 2022 - Day 4

I am not going to bring up the Back to School Packet for today but see above.

Thursday, September 15, 2022 - Day 5

If you think you may qualify for free and reduced lunch, please complete form below:

Friday, September 16, 2022 -Day 6

If you think you may qualify for free and reduced lunch, please complete form below:

2022-2023 Calendar - As a reminder, due to current supply chain issues with paper, the Communications Department will not be printing the 2022-23 School Guide and Calendar at this time. A printable PDF version of this year's School Calendar and Reference Guide, as well as a printable PDF Month-at-a-Glance Calendar, are available on the PWCS Calendar webpage.

Free and Reduced Price Meal and Meal Prices

A federal waiver that made school meals free to all students regardless of their family’s income ended June 30. This upcoming school year, only students who qualify for free and reduced meals will receive free meals. This year, students whose families qualify for reduced-price meals will also receive free meals, based on a Virginia General Assembly expansion of the program. Applications will be available in August.

Free and Reduced Price Meal Applications were mailed by the School Division to families with children registered in Prince William County Public Schools. If you did not receive an application, please contact School Food and Nutrition Services at 703.791.7314 or your school. You may also complete the application electronically. Visit the School Division Web site at https://pwcsnutrition.com/index.php?sid=0408101731444083 to access the electronic application.

Breakfast:$1.50 student full price

Lunch: $2.50 student full price

Milk (for packers/Bringers) - is $1.00

Second lunch is $4.00

Free and reduced breakfast and lunch are free to those who qualify for Free and Reduced

Go for Gold

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month! T. Clay Wood Elementary is collecting playdoh, small toys, games, and Legos for Inova Children's Hospital. Collection boxes will be in the front hallway from Sept. 19-30. September 30 is Go Gold day! Wear gold or yellow in honor of all the survivors, fighters, & angels in our community!

SEPTEMBER is ATTENDANCE AWARENESS MONTH

September is Attendance Awareness Month, so I wanted to share some important and timely information regarding attendance. I believe it is important to start the year off by establishing how important it is to be in school each day and on time.

Chronic Absenteeism is one of the Accreditation Indicators impacting T. Clay Wood that you can support. In order for our school to be considered fully accredited by the Virginia Department of Education, our school must maintain a rate of both excused and unexcused absences combined below 10%.

Decreasing chronic absenteeism is part of our Continuous Improvement Plan and I am confident that we will make progress.. I would also recommend reviewing Regulation 724-1 Attendance, Absences, Excuses and Tardies . This is a great resource for understanding the differences between Excused, Unexcused, Pre-arranged Unexcused and Mandatory Withdrawals.

When students accumulate absences, the academic, social, and emotional impact is undeniable. It is our role as school staff to contact parents and guardians should a student accumulate absences. Over time, if absenteeism continues more formal interventions with PWCS staff are required. I thank you in advance for your support in helping our students realize their potential as well as the legal requirements of Code of Virginia 22.1-254 Compulsory attendance."

Thank you for your consideration.

Attending School Each Day and On Time

It is the responsibility of parents and guardians to see that their child attends school regularly and on time every day. Research tells us that the best learning takes place during the interaction of the teacher and child during class discussions. Children who are not in school each day miss important educational opportunities and learning experiences. Simply making up the missed work does not begin to take the place of actual class attendance. Students who enter class tardy are disruptive to classroom instruction and can have a challenging time getting into the classroom routine. The same holds true for students who leave early. We urge you to schedule medical and other appointments so that they do not conflict with class time.

It is important to note that Prince William County policy states that: “students in kindergarten through grade eight, who miss ten or more days of school for the year, excused or unexcused, and who have completed little or no make-up work may be considered for retention.” In addition, we are required to notify our Attendance Officer in cases of excessive absences.

Preapproved absences, such as vacations are discouraged and are only granted in extraordinary circumstances. The principal is not allowed to approve absences for family trips unless accompanied by extraordinary circumstances. The school principal can approve no more than 5 days of these type of absences. Additional absences beyond 5 days will need approval by student services. Please send a note or letter in advance to the teacher and the principal informing the school of your plans. Teachers are not required to provide assignments in advance. We would encourage students to read, keep a written journal and practice math facts while out of school. Students can complete make up assignments when they return.

If your child is absent, please call the school Attendance Line at 703.594.3992 or email cwes-timberwolf-attendance@pwcs.edu. This is for your child’s safety. If you do not contact the school, it will be necessary for the school office to contact you. Students with excused absences are allowed two days for every day of absence to make up work. Students are responsible for making up work when they are absent. Students are marked unexcused if parents do not call the school to inform us that their child is out.

For students who have missed a number of days of school, have been tardy a number of times, or have a number of early dismissals we will be sending letters to parents informing them of the number of missed days or days tardy from school. Thank you for your cooperation and support.

Transportation Department

Our Prince William County School Transportation Department continues to update and implement some tools to help us all when it comes to buses. I have included some helpful links below that are now on their PWCS Transportation Webpage. I believe these will help families throughout the school year. Please take a moment to check these out.

1. The main Transportation Website - most of the below links can be accessed from this site: PWCS Transportation

2. Delayed Bus Page will inform you of any buses that are expected to arrive at least 15 minutes late. Delays will be removed after 12pm for morning runs and after 5:30 pm for afternoon runs. Bus Delay Site

3. Here Comes the Bus APP - See real-time map location for students' buses and get push notifications when the bus gets close by - Info on Here Comes The Bus App

4. Looking for your student's bus schedule? Remember it is located in the Hub which you can access in your ParentVUE account -

5. Transportation Contact for T. Clay Wood (PWCS Western Area Transportation): trns-westernbusroutes@pwcs.edu or 571-374-6593

Back To School Nights – Save the Date (All future dates are subject to change):

Back to School Nights will be held at on the following nights at 6:30 pm:

Monday, October 3 for 4th, and 5th

Tuesday, October 11 for 2nd and 3rd,

Monday, October 17 for Kg and 1st grade.

Some reminders

Early Dismissal

We encourage all families to avoid, when possible, taking students out early from school. Instruction and learning continues until the end of the day. If you need to pick up your child for an appointment, please notify your teacher and school office at cwes-timberwolf-attendance@pwcs.edu and plan to arrive before 3:15pm.

Please park and report to the office. Please do not leave your car unattended in the pickup line. All parties picking up a student from the office must show a photo id.

Please do not make changes to your child’s dismissal time after 3pm. Anyone other than parent/guardian must have prior written approval to pick up a student even if listed on the emergency card.

Dress Code Reminders

All students are expected to dress appropriately and maintain a reasonable appearance. The Prince William County Schools’ Code of Behavior has addressed several areas that are considered improper dress in any Prince William County school. Please refer to the Parent Handbook in the Timberwolf Folder and the School Division’s Code of Behavior.

Volunteering

Please feel free to coordinate times to volunteer in the classroom with your child's teacher. Teachers and students appreciate our volunteers. Thank you again for everything you are doing to help us build our Positive School Community. I want to formally invite all parents to become involved in your child’s education at T. Clay Wood Elementary School. It has been shown that strong parental involvement and interest in education is a crucial factor in student success. There are many ways to volunteer at T. Clay Wood Elementary School as well. Joining the PTO or Advisory Council, helping out in your child’s classroom, volunteering in the library, working at our Welcome Table Counter and chaperoning field trips are just a few of the many, many ways you can become a part of our Community of Leaders and Learners. Please review the regulation on volunteering: Regulation 511-10

Classroom Interruptions

In order to limit interruption to the teaching and learning environment and protect instructional time, if you drop off forgotten lunches, homework or materials, we will ask you to leave these in the front office. We will inform the teacher who will pick it up at a more convenient time. We want to thank you in advance for your understanding of this procedure and hope you know that our only intent is to maximize your children's instructional time.

Change in Transportation Home

If a situation occurs which makes it necessary for your child’s transportation home to change, please send in a note with your child in the morning giving clear directions as to how your child should go home at the end of the day. Only a parent/guardian can change their child’s transportation plan for any given day. A note from the parent must be received by the office AND the teacher before noon that day indicating the change. This is for the safety of the children and will alleviate any confusion at the end of the day.

Bus Passes

If it is necessary for a student to ride a bus home other than the one he/she is normally assigned, a bus pass is required and must be approved by the office. A note must be sent to school indicating the bus number that the child should ride and a phone number to verify the information. Thank you for helping us ensure the safety of all our students.

Drop Off and Pick Up

Drop off and Pick Up - When dropping your students off in the morning, please drive all the way around to the front of the drop off area in front of our school. Please do not allow students to exit your vehicles until staff members are outside. If you will be picking your students up frequently, please come into our office to sign up for a car pick up tag. You can get a tag on August 19, 2022 during the Open House Meet and Greet and Orientation times. If you choose to park in the parking lot, you will need to park your car and walk your student to the cross walk.

Drive Carefully

Drive Carefully - Drive carefully and obey the posted speed limits around our parking lot and the neighboring streets. Please pay close attention to posted speed limits and reduced speed limits during the start and ending of our school day and Patriot High School’s day. There are many students and families driving in our two parking lots and around these neighborhoods. Please be extra careful and follow all signs and cones and directions. Please do not enter the parking lot through the exit lane. Car drop offs and pick up should enter through the T. Clay Wood Entrance and not through Patriot HS.

Student Inclement Weather and Emergency Dismissal Plan

In the event of inclement weather, power failure or any situation in which we are faced with an early closing of our school; we will activate our Automated Auto Dialer Calling system to inform our parents of the early closing. We will send out both a phone message and email message with the early closing information. Please make sure your phone number and contact information is updated. We will also place this information on our school website, Facebook and Twitter sites.

I encourage you to sign up for PWCS Weather alerts from PWC Schools. You can access this link from the PWC website or by this link:

https://www.pwcs.edu/departments/communications/p_w_c_s_weather_alerts_subscription

Kindergarten teachers will contact their students’ parents to confirm dismissal.

If schools close early, the SACC program will not open. Parents of students who attend SACC will be contacted by our SACC staff. Parent of SACC students should have an Emergency Back-up Plan.

When school does close early, we will send your children home via their regular dismissal method for that day, unless we hear differently from you.

Please contact the school office immediately in case of a change to their dismissal procedures

Online tutoring available to all PWCS students free of charge

PWCS has partnered with Paper to provide K-12 students with unlimited tutoring, 7 days a week—at no cost to families.

Students can get help with their homework, receive feedback on their writing assignments, or ask questions about any academic subject. Experts are available to assist students with any subject or content area via a secure, chat-based platform.

Tutors are currently available to help students in English, Spanish, French, and Mandarin.

You can access Paper right from your student's Clever Account. Or you can use this Link to Access Paper: https://paper.co/

Learn how to use the Free Online Paper Tutoring Service by clicking on this PWCS Link: https://www.pwcs.edu/departments/Instructional_technology/paper

Device Reminders

All Students in Prince William County Schools will be issued a school laptop or similar device. Students and their families are responsible for the safe and appropriate usage of the devices.

Families can opt to purchase low cost insurance to protect the device in case of accidentally damage. Here is the link for information on the optional digital device insurance. https://securranty.com/pwcs If purchased, the insurance covers unlimited repairs or replacements for everything from broken screens, lost chargers, and accidental damage, with a zero deductible for one year on a school-issued HP device. The insurance cost is $32.95, which may be significantly less than repair or replacement costs without insurance.

I do encourage all families to consider the optional low-cost insurance. After last year, I observed it was very beneficial for families to purchase the insurance PWCS was offering for the devices.

As we get ready to start using the devices again, please look for emails from Mr. Taylor about how to reset passwords, etc.

Also this is a good time to remind all families to always know what your students are doing when they are on the internet, using devices to complete their school work, using social media, texting with friends, or playing online games. We continually are reminding our students about appropriate and acceptable use of technology. I encourage all parents and guardians to regularly check what their students are doing on the internet and while using technology -(school devices, gaming systems, home devices, phones, etc). Just as you monitor where your children go in person, I encourage you to monitor where they go on the internet.

I would also encourage all families to consider adding parental controls on their personal devices that students use. If you have any questions about student devices, please feel free to reach out to Mr. Taylor, our Instructional Technologist at TaylorBi@pwcs.edu. Thank you.

Phones - Reminder: If students bring in phones to school they must remain in their backpack and turned off. Please let all your family members know not to call your elementary school student during the day. If you need to change dismissal, please let our front office know by calling 703.594.3990.

Also I recommend that all parents and guardians turn off the Air Drop feature on their Iphones. I have heard of students at secondary schools air dropping inappropriate photos into all phones that can receive airdrop and then other students accepting those photos. You can turn this off on your students' device.

PWCS is now a fully one-to-one School Division; laptops are provided by PWCS for every student and all instructional staff. As such, the use of personal devices by students and staff for any instructional or official PWCS business is strongly discouraged. The PWCS technology support will not support issues with Personal Technology Devices.