Timberwolf Times - March 4, 2024

Welcome Back to School - 2023-2024

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

Dear Timberwolf Families,

As a reminder - March 5, 2024 is now a PWCS Workday. This means there will not be school for our students. Please mark March 5th on your calendar as a Teacher Workday - this was changed at a January School Board Meeting.

March 4th begins our annual Read Across America Week with Book Character Dress Up Day. Please be sure students wear shoes, appropriate clothes, and bring nothing that could be seen as a weapon or used as one. Each Day this week will be a special Spirt Day see below.

Please be sure you send your students in to school with a coat! We cannot send students out without their coats during the really cold days especially when it is below 32 degrees. Please make sure they come to school each day wearing their coat. So they do not lose their coats, I would suggest putting their full name on the jacket.

Transfer requests can be made for students in grades 1 through 5 between January 2, 2024- April 30, 2024 Kindergarten transfer requests can be made starting from the first day of Kindergarten registration through 30 days after the kindergarten student registers. Please contact your child's school for more information.

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

“At T. Clay Wood, Everyone Belongs”

April 8, 2024 - Link Up Assembly. This is a fun, energetic, interactive school assembly program that mixes music, video and activities to introduce elementary students to Rachel Scott and her challenge to reach out to others with deliberate acts of kindness. Link-Up focuses on the following five challenges: Be Kind, Accept and Include Others, Choose Positive Influences , Dream Big, Set Goals, Keep A Journal and Start a Chain Reaction of kindness. Here is a link with more information: https://rachelschallenge.org/our-programs/rc-live/ If you have any questions, please reach out to our school counselor, Mrs. Amy Cunningham who arranged it to bring this assembly to our school.

April 23, 2024 - We will hold our annual I Can Assembly. The focus will be on reminding students that they can if they work hard, try their best, and persevere.

May 9, 2024 - The PTO has arranged for a Reptile Assembly. Students will have an opportunity to see a wide variety of reptiles -including snakes.

If you do not want your student to participate in any of these activities or assemblies please let your child's teacher know.

Social Media Reminders: T. Clay Wood ES only puts up photos or videos on the Official T. Clay Wood Social Media Sites - on the T. Clay Wood Facebook, X(Twitter), Instagram, and You Tube.

You will see the following Notice on our Official Site -

“This PWCS social media account has been approved by the PWCS Communications Department.”

Social Media sites have to be approved annually by the PWCS Communication Department. Regulation 790-3 , Section B of the Attachment provides further information as well as information about Opt-Out. When filling out the Back to School Packet, information is included that discusses and references this regulation.

Please join us for our next Parent Tea at 10:00 AM on March 8, 2024. Mrs. Cunningham, one of our school counselors, will be sharing fun and engaging ways parents can help their children develop important social and emotional skills. Some of the topics covered will be:

• Emotional Regulation and Coping Skills
• Ways to Express Feelings in Healthy Ways
• Problem Solving and Conflict Resolution Skills
• 
  

· In addition, Mrs. Yuditsky, our Assistant Principal, will share some information about the upcoming SOL test dates and other information related to the SOLS.

· Email Dr. Buchheit at buhhear@pwcs.edu to RSVP!

SEL WEEK IS MARCH 4-8

T. Clay Wood is excited to join PWCS in focusing on the importance of Social Emotional Learning during the week of March 4-8. Our school counselors will share information and videos during the morning announcements on the 5 SEL Competencies: Self-Awareness, Responsible Decision-Making, Social Awareness, Self-Management, and Relationship Skills. Students will discuss the importance of these competencies during morning meetings in class. Our Parent Tea on March 8 will also focus on ways to help your child develop strong social emotional skills at home.

Please join us for a Virtual SOL Information Night on Thursday, March 7th at 6:00 p.m. We will have all parents join the main Zoom meeting for general information, followed by specific grade level break-out rooms. Teachers will share grade level specific information regarding the upcoming SOL tests in April/May.

Please join via the zoom link below:
ZOOM Link - Join Zoom Meeting
https://pwcs-zm-edu.zoom.us/j/9946812029?pwd=bDdrVlBLeEhDTE8wZ1RjYU01NER2Zz09&omn=87423419919

Meeting ID: 994 681 2029
Passcode: timberwolf

We look forward to seeing you, via zoom, on Thursday, March 7th at 6:00 p.m.
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T. Clay Wood Elementary School SOL Testing Schedule

3rd Grade: Reading SOL: Part 1 - 5/2/24 Part 2 - 5/3/24
Math SOL: Part 1 - 5/8/24 Part 2 - 5/9/24

4th Grade: Reading SOL: Part 1 - 4/25/24 Part 2 - 4/26/24
Math SOL: Part 1 - 5/6/24 Part 2 - 5/7/24
Virginia Studies SOL: 5/15/24

5th Grade: Reading SOL: Part 1 - 4/30/24 Part 2 - 5/1/24
Math SOL: Part 1 - 5/13/24 Part 2 - 5/14/24
Science SOL: 5/10/24

Are you interested in volunteering to participate in our T. Clay Wood Elementary School Career Fair? We are excited and know that your willingness to share your profession will have a tremendous educational impact on our students. The Career Fair will take place on Friday, April 5 from 12:00- 3:30. We will have a space for each presenter. Students in grades 3-5 will interview different presenters and use what they learn to complete a variety of projects. Please bring any visual aids/hands-on materials that might help elementary age students better understand your job. Please let us know if you need extra space, access to an outlet, or other needs which we might help to accommodate. Once we receive the online form, we will include you in our program. Please plan to arrive at school by 11:45 (or earlier if needed) so we can be ready to start at 12:00. Please let us know if you have any other questions. We are looking forward to a great day!
~T. Clay Wood Elementary School Counselors

Presenter Sign-Up Form: Please feel free to share this form with family or friends who may be interested in sharing their career with our students.

Career Fair Sign Up Form

I sent out this information on February 27, 2024

T. Clay Wood Elementary is adding a new part-time volunteer staff member: Murphy. Murphy is an AussieDoodle who will be working as an educational assistance therapy dog at our school some days. We are very excited to bring this opportunity to T. Clay Wood Elementary.

Therapy dogs are trained as a support dog and have important roles in their environment. As Murphy becomes more comfortable with large groups of students, he will be more visible around school and will interact more with staff, students, and visitors. Research has shown that trained working therapy dogs support psychological and academic growth while increasing social skills and self-esteem in young people.

I am Murphy’s trained handler (as well as his owner). Amy Cunningham has also been trained and will back me up as his handler, if needed. She is also training an additional dog, Max, that we hope to have join our school later this year or next school year at the latest. We will be educating staff and students on Murphy’s role and purpose, along with when and how to interact with him.

Students will learn that Murphy is on duty when he is wearing his Therapy Dog Vest (or Scarf). We will teach students to ask if they can pet the dogs before reaching out to pet them and where to pet them when the dogs are working. This skill is an important one for students to learn when encountering dogs outside of school.

Clarification: Although some breeds, such as poodle mixes like the Aussiedoodles and Goldendoodles are said to cause fewer allergy symptoms than other breeds because they do not shed or shed less, studies ,referenced by the American Kennel Club, suggest that there is no specific breed that completing hypoallergenic. In any case, no dog is ever 100 percent hypoallergenic to 100 percent of the people.

Before entering this role, Murphy and I were trained by professional dog trainers from K-9 Caring Angels for almost a year. They are the group who has trained and sponsored the therapy dogs that have visited our school for the last 10 years or so. Murphy had to pass the Canine Good Citizen test as well as a daylong intensive therapy dog assessment. He was assessed by professional dog trainers from K-9 Caring Angels and met all the requirements to be a working Therapy Dog.

A Therapy dog is different from a service dog. A service dog helps its owner perform tasks in addition to being a pet. A therapy dog provides comfort and companionship to others and is someone's pet. Unlike service dogs, therapy dogs are encouraged to interact with a variety of people while they are on-duty including petting the therapy dog.

Murphy and I are continuing ongoing professional dog training to ensure that Murphy is prepared for all situations and interactions. Recertification as a Therapy Dog takes place annually. Murphy is up to date on all of his shots and will always be under supervision of me or another informed adult. Murphy will also be joining other community events at libraries, assisted living homes, fire houses, and so on. If your community group would like to include therapy dogs, please let me know and I can set you up with Murphy or another therapy dog.

All students will have opportunities to interact with Murphy throughout the school year. We will be working with whole grades, specific classes, small groups of students, and individual students during the school day, to spread joy, promote wellness, and support communication skills. If for any reason you do not feel comfortable with your child interacting with a therapy dog, we respect and honor your choice to opt out of any interaction.

Below is a form for you to complete and return to your child’s teacher if you need to opt them out. Your child’s teacher will return the form to me.

In addition, if you feel your student would benefit from one on one time or small group time with Murphy, please let me know by emailing me at buchhear@pwcs.edu We will try to meet all individual needs. I will also be looking for some students to help Murphy become more comfortable working with students, perhaps walking him in the office, sitting with him, and brushing him. If your child would be interested in becoming part of Murphy’s Crew and helping on this for a little bit during the week, please email me at buchhear@pwcs.edu I cannot guarantee all interested students can be chosen.

We are excited about the new addition to our staff and welcome your questions! Please contact me if you need more information.

Sincerely,

Dr. Andrew Buchheit

Opt out form -

OPT OUT forms – Therapy Dog

(Murphy and Max)

Name of Child: _____________________________________________

Homeroom Teacher:________________________________________

Parent/Guardian Name:________________________________________

As the parent/guardian of __________________________________ I am choosing for my child to opt out of any interaction with Murphy, T. Clay Wood’s Therapy Dog. I understand that I will need to explain this to my child, so they understand not to engage with Murphy.

Reason for opting out, or any additional information you would like to provide (optional – you do not need to provide a reason)

SEP- Feb. 5 - March 15, 2024

Book Character Dress Up Day

Let's all March Forth and have a wonderful week

Tuesday, March 5, 2024 - Day --

Teacher Workday - No School for students.

Read to yourself or to an adult for 20-30 minutes at homme

Wednesday, March 6, 2024- Day 2

State Tornado Drill

Furry Friend Day - Bring a small stuffy with your to read to or read with

Thursday, March 7, 2024 - Day 3

Read My Shirt Day - Students and staff wear appropriate shirts with appropriate words for everyone to read.

SOL Information Night on ZOOM; 6:00 pm

https://pwcs-zm-edu.zoom.us/j/9946812029?pwd=bDdrVlBLeEhDTE8wZ1RjYU01NER2Zz09&omn=87423419919

Meeting ID: 994 681 2029

Passcode: timberwolf

Friday, March 8, 2024 -Day 4

Timberwolf Talk/Parent Tea- 10:00 am - Please RSVP to me at buchhear@Pwcs.edu

Pajama Day

Our 2023-2024 PTO BOARD

President - Kate Case

VP - Kelsey Fisher

Treasurer - Beth Feliciano-Rivera

Asst Treasurer - Cooper Waterman

Secretary - Sandra Oviedo

Director - Amelia Hunter

Teacher Director - Tiana Marshall

Upcoming Dates:

Moving forward we have decided to merge the Advisory Council meetings with the PTO meetings to offer families one combined meeting to get all the information they need for happenings at the school and in the community. Due to this change, some of our meeting dates have changed. Please see the schedule posted for new meeting dates. We hope you'll be able to join us!

Email tclaywoodpto@gmail.com for more information!

PTO Membership is still open!

Membership (tclaywoodpto.com)

As always, keep an eye on our T Clay Wood PTO facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/timberwolvesrock) and our website (https://www.tclaywoodpto.com/) for up to date information

*Every Tuesday - Every Tuesday during the school year Gainesville Papa Johns will give you 40% off your order and donate 10% back to the PTO!

PWCS has a late bus link for buses that will be late 15 minutes or more - https://www.pwcs.edu/departments/transportation/bus_delays

You can also sign up for the Here Comes the Bus App at - https://www.pwcs.edu/departments/transportation/here_comes_the_bus

For more information about buses - please the Transportation Website -

https://www.pwcs.edu/departments/transportation/index

We are reminding all our School Community to treat our school staff, our students, and one another with civility. Our students are always watching!

In case of inclement weather when school is closed, PWCS will provide live virtual (Synchronized) instruction to all students through ZOOM. PWCS Expectation is that all students participate. Attendance will be taken. Students must keep their cameras on to be counted as present. Instruction will take place between 9am - 2pm with 1 hour for lunch and recess time.

Prior to late fall/early winter, please make sure you are able to access the internet. Any family needing assistance with home internet should contact their school during the first month of school to receive a school-issued take-home “hotspot.” If you are not able to access the internet, please reach out to Mr. Taylor at taylorbi@pwcs.edu or 703.594.3990.

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.

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.

Changing Dismissal Routine – Parents, if you are changing your child’s dismissal, you must send an email/note to the office or notify the office by 3:30 pm. The teacher and bus driver cannot accept a change if a student just tells him or her about the change without a note. In these cases, students are sent home the original way. In addition, please try to avoid changing dismissal procedures in the middle of the day and please send all dismissal changes to our office by calling our office at 703.594.3990 or sending a note in the morning. Emails sent to the teacher in the middle of the day may be missed if there is a substitute that day or if the teacher is not able to check his or her email.

3:30 pm - If you must pick your student up early, please arrive before 3:30 pm. We will not be able to call students to the office after 3:30 pm until all car riders are picked up. Students called for dismissal after 3:30 pm will be sent to the car rider area and will be brought up after all car riders are dismissed with the supervising teachers. This way we can reduce interruptions to the classrooms, provide continual supervision for all our students and give our focus in the office to dismissing students. Parents coming in after 3:30 pm will be asked to wait in the vestibule outside of the office and once their students are brought up to come in and sign their students out.

2023-2024 – Calendar link: https://www.pwcs.edu/calendars/school_calendar/index

You can also subscribe to the PWCS Calendar. To learn how, you can go to this PWCS Site and then follow the directions - How to Subscribe to the PWCS School Calendar

Code of Behavior link: https://www.pwcs.edu/about_us/code_of_behavior/index

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

Please take a moment to view our 2023-2024 T. Clay Wood Continuous Improvement Plan by clicking this link: T. Clay Wood 2023-2024 Continuous Improvement Plan

We have three Academic Goals this year - Increase Reading, Math, and Science Achievement Rates for all students at T. Clay Wood to at least 85% or higher.

We also are focused at increasing student satisfaction rates to 90% or higher and increasing number of active business partnerships at T. Clay Wood.

A Prince William County School of Excellence

“A Community of Leaders and Learners Achieving Excellence”

10600 Kettle Run Road; Nokesville, VA 20181

Andrew Buchheit, Principal - buchhear@pwcs.edu

Melissa Yuditsky, Assistant Principal yuditsml@pwcs..edu

“A Community of Leaders and Learners Achieving Excellence”

School hours: 9:20 am – 4:00 pm

(Office hours: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.)

SCHOOL SCHEDULE

Doors Open: 9:10 a.m.

Students tardy after: 9:20 a.m.

Dismissal: 4:00 p.m.

School Phone Number: 703.594.3990

School Fax Number: 703.594.2653

Attendance Email: cwes-timberwolf-attendance@pwcs.edu

Attendance Phone Line:– 703.594.3992

Motto: “I seek to make a POSITIVE DIFFERENCE AT SCHOOL”

Website: http://tclaywoodes.schools.pwcs.edu

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TClayWoodES

Twitter @TClayWoodElem

Instagram: tclaywoodelementary

Email: buchhear@pwcs.edu
Website: http://tclaywoodes.schools.pwcs.edu
Location: 10600 Kettle Run Road, Nokesville, VA, USA
Phone: 703.594.3990
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TClayWoodES
Twitter: @TClayWoodElem