Timberwolf Times -August 22, 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""

It always feels like it will never arrive but it is here - The First Day of School is Monday, August 22, 2022. Our School Hours are 9:15 – 3:55pm. We open the doors at 9:05 am.

I encourage you to send your students to school the way they will be going home. Making the first day the first day will help them get into the routine while everything around them is new.

Please double check bus schedules again before sending your student on the bus to make sure times or bus numbers have not changed.Bus Schedules are online – you can access from our school and county website. Your student’s specific bus information can be found in ParentVUE under the Student Information Tab. See this link for information on how to access the Hub: https://www.pwcs.edu/about_us/the_hub

Bus schedules will be in ParentVUE starting on August 8, 2022. However, changes will take place all summer long and we recommend checking for any changes up to the first day of school on August 22, 2022. It is a good chance bus times/bus numbers/routes could change, please check.

Important Bus Information for our Kindergarten Parents

Kindergarten students must be accompanied to and from bus stops by a parent, guardian, or other designated individuals. All Kindergarten students must have a completed Kindergarten Authorization Form on file with the school in order to ride the bus https://www.pwcs.edu/cms/One.aspx?portalId=340225&pageId=9043783. Once you know your bus information, please complete and submit to the school, kanakav@pwcs.edu Those authorized to take custody of kindergarten students must be listed on the Kindergarten Authorization Form and the Emergency Data Card maintained at the school and they must have identification available when receiving a student at the bus stop. An older sibling who is at least 12 years old may take custody of a kindergarten student at the bus stop. No change of custody is required if an older sibling is riding the bus with a kindergartener unless the parent has indicated otherwise

I sent out a in-depth Back to School Newsletter for all families earlier on this month - please review here if you did not get it: Parent Welcome Letter 2022-2023 School Year

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”

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.

The First Week - Dismissal

During the first week of school most buses will probably be late - some significantly late. There are a couple of reasons for this. Most of our buses come from other bus routes. This means they have dropped off High Schoolers, Middle Schoolers, and other Elementary School students. Since this is the first week, every school is taking time and care to make sure their students are getting on the right buses, students are learning where their buses are and trying to remember their bus number, and bus drivers are learning who students are.

So when buses come to us, they may be later than normal. Then we are doing the same thing as the other schools - carefully putting students on the bus.

Meanwhile, for students who are being picked up by cars or Day Care Vans - they are learning their car numbers and listening up for their names. Our teachers are also learning who they are so they can match names with faces with numbers.

If we have students who have missed a bus, we will be calling the parents. Unless your child's bus has dropped off students at the stop, I would ask everyone not to call us looking for the missing bus. Some ways you can stay informed is the Here Comes the Bus mobile app. I will also send out information about buses using the School Info App - see below how to get it.

Please understand when calling the school, the lines may be tied up. Instead of a busy signal, it will ring to our answering machine. We are not ignoring anyone. We are just on the phone. If your bus has arrived without your student and you cannot get through our phone line - please email me at buchhear@pwcs.edu

School Info App

The School Info APP is a free app you can download (if you choose to get it) to your Android/iPhone/etc. Device.

We use this APP to mainly send out late bus notices.

For example, if Bus 272 -is running late, we will send out a text using the School Info App letting you know the bus is running late and when it leaves our school.

This is a free app but it is optional.

We have had positive feedback about the APP. We use it update families about late buses.

Steps to down load the APP -

1. Search for the APP - School InfoApp (A picture is below)

2. Once you download the free APP, search for T. Clay Wood ES (Nokesville, VA).

Then you should be set.

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

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

What's Happening at T. Clay Wood during the week of August 22 - 26, 2022

Monday, August 22, 2022 - Day 1

YAY - Welcome Back - let's have the Best Day

Tuesday, August 23 2022 Day 2

Dr. Buchheit will meet with each grade level to proactively (Habit 1) set up expectations for the school year to help all students have a successful and happy year.

Wednesday, August 24, 2022 - Day 3

During this week we will practice different type of Drills including Fire Drill.

Thursday, August 25, 2022 - Day 4

Hopefully, everyone had a great week so far.

Friday, August 26, 2022 -Day 5

A new Timberwolf Times will be coming out today- around 9:30 am - keep an eye out for it.

Visitors and Identification

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.

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.

Code of Behavior, FLE Objectives and Opt Out and Calendar Now Online

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

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.