Dear Buchanan Families,

I hope you all had a wonderful and restful Spring Break, filled with joy, laughter, and quality time with family and friends. It’s hard to believe how quickly the school year is flying by—we’re already in April, and there is so much happening in the weeks ahead!

This past Friday, we held a very special, last-minute ribbon cutting ceremony for our brand-new school sign! I took the opportunity to explain to our students that ribbon cuttings are traditionally used to mark new beginnings. I wanted them to understand just how meaningful this moment was—not just for our school, but for them personally. They now have the unique honor of saying, “I was here when the Buchanan sign was installed!” It’s a memory I hope they’ll carry with them for years to come.

This sign represents more than just a beautiful addition to our campus—it’s a symbol of community pride, partnership, and support. I want to sincerely thank everyone who helped make it possible: our incredible PTA, dedicated families, the Buchanan community, and our supportive BCPS School Board Office. We are truly grateful.

Looking ahead, April 24th marks the beginning of our SOL testing. This time of year can bring increased anxiety for many students. As educators and families, we play a critical role in shaping how our children approach challenges like testing. Rather than letting them fall into negative thinking, we can guide them toward positive self-talk. Encourage them to say things like, “This test is really challenging, but my teacher has prepared me,” or “I may not know every answer, but I will do my best.” That mindset can make a powerful difference.

Later in this newsletter, you’ll find helpful test-taking tips and strategies to support your child at home. Thank you, as always, for your partnership and encouragement. Together, we make Buchanan a place where students feel confident, supported, and ready to shine.

With gratitude,
Mrs. Catey Moretz

The Book Fair is open for purchases April 7-11 from 7:45am-2:30pm. On April 11th, we will close the book fair at noon in order to get packed up for the return shipment. If you are looking for after school hours, the Book Fair will also be open for shopping Tuesday, April 8th from 3-6pm and after the PTA Fine Arts performances.

We accept all forms of payment. Checks can be made to “Buchanan Elementary” and there is no tax for the in-house fair. For those who wish to use a credit card, check out the “gift card” option. https://literati.com/store/?school=buchanan-elementary-school-buchanan-va

Because time in the classroom is so valuable, students will not be allowed to miss instructional time to visit the fair. Parents who would like to shop with their children are welcome to come after school on April 8th or they can contact Mrs. Boblett through Dojo or email (sboblett@bcps.k12.va.us) about joining their child’s class during their library time.

If you are interested in volunteering to help at the book fair, please go to volunteersignup.org/LBB8K and pick a time that works for you.

We thank you in advance for your continued support of our school, literacy and your child’s education.

Kindergarten registration for the 2025-2026 school term has begun at Buchanan. Contact the office and schedule a time to come into the building and complete the appropriate paperwork.

All parent forms may be found on the BCPS division website, under the parents tab.

Virginia school law states that children are of school age if they have reached their fifth birthday on or before September 30.

Information requested at the time of registration will include:

• Birth certificate
• Documentation of Proof of Residency (mortgage/lease/real estate tax statement – or you may provide a current utility bill and a current bank statement or check stub issued by an employer)

A physical examination and a record of immunization will also be required prior to the first day of school

If you have questions or need additional information, please contact the school

Taking the time to review practical test-taking tips with students can boost their confidence, make them feel more in control of their testing experience, and improve their performance! Here are my best tips for you:

• Eat a healthy breakfast. Help children choose foods that fuel their bodies and brains to do their best work!
• Get a good night sleep. Having a consistent bed time every night brings structure and routine to a child’s day that helps them thrive. But on nights before a big test, getting to bed early, by 9:00 PM, is even more important! We want our kiddos to be as rested and energized as possible for the big test. Also, make sure the child wakes up in the morning with plenty of time to get ready for school, so they don’t feel rushed. Anything we can do to limit students’ stress on test days is critical!
• Study and prepare. I encourage students to do all that they can to give themselves the best chance at test success. This means attending school each day, listening to their teacher, completing their homework, asking for help, and trying their best.
• Trust your gut. Second-guessing yourself can often lead to over-thinking, and incorrect answers. Unless they are certain that their first choice is wrong, I teach students to trust their instinct. That little voice inside of their head is usually right!
• Challenge your negative thoughts. Teach students to avoid falling into a thinking trap: an overly negative, unrealistic way of seeing things. Show them how to change their anxious, worried thoughts into positive ones. For example, instead of thinking, “I’m horrible at math – I’m definitely going to fail this test!” Think, “This test may be challenging for me, but I’ve been practicing this all year and I am going to do my best!” Believing in yourself and your abilities goes a long way!
• Use your keywords and eliminate incorrect answers. On paper and pencil tests (or digital tests that allow it), I teach students to circle the key words in the question or passage to help them find the central point and main idea. Also, pay special attention to tricky words like “always”, “never”, “not”, and “sometimes.” On a multiple choice test, encourage students to read each answer choice and cross out any answers that they know are incorrect.
• Keep a steady pace. This means finding a happy medium between rushing and moving too slowly. Make sure students read each question and passage thoroughly and take their time to give a thoughtful answer. But, don’t spend too much time on any one question. Think of a test as a marathon, not a sprint.
• Focus on you. Students, test day is all about YOU! Teach kiddos not to worry about their peers’ answers to test questions, how quickly they are working, or what they are thinking or feeling. Now is the time to focus on their test, and only their test! Comparing our performance to others only distracts us from our test (and causes anxiety!)
• Check your work. Teach students to look for and fix silly mistakes, but don’t overthink or second guess their answers. Look back at questions they marked as challenging or confusing. You never know – something in the test might have helped them remember the correct answer!
• Use your test anxiety coping skills. Of course it is normal to feel nervous before a big test. But, it is important to control our feelings so that we can focus and do our best. Teach students to identify signs of test anxiety in their bodies, and when they experience them, to take a quick brain break. Students can take a deep breath in their nose and out their mouth, count to 10, then repeat as many times as they need.
• This article was taken from https://musiccitycounselor.com/stories-tools-that-teach-test-taking-skills/

4/17 - Pancho Spirit Night

Tap House: June 2025

Kroger Community Rewards

If you are a Kroger customer, please consider signing up for the Kroger Community Rewards Program to help support Buchanan Elementary School. If you travel to visit friends or family over the summer you can even show them how to participate, regardless of where they live. It's a simple process: just log into your Kroger account, go to your profile, click on Community Rewards, and use our organization number JF994.

Thank you in advance for your support! It truly makes a difference for our students.