Sterling Jaguar Journal

Sterling families,

It's hard to believe we are embarking on the month of May! So much learning and growth has occurred. Our students are making gains representative of their hard work as well as the hard work of our staff. We have also seen our chronic absentee rate drop to just under 11% as of today. Prior to COVID, our chronic absentee rate typically hovered between 5-7%. We still have gains to make in this area, but we are seeing great improvements in this area. Every minute inside the school walls counts, so thank you for prioritizing this for your children. Let's keep working at it together to ensure our children are here every day they are well. If you or your child wakes up late, please still have them come to school.

Next week, our students in grades 3-5 will begin their SOL testing. This is their opportunity to show all they know and all they have learned this year. They have worked so hard, so let's set them up for success. You can help by:

• Ensuring a good meal and early bedtime the night before ~ Children at this age need between 10-12 hours of sleep per night.
• Helping them have a smooth start at home with words of encouragement and a belief in them.
• If they don't eat breakfast at home, ask them to be sure they eat breakfast at school.
• Ensuring strong attendance. Research shows a higher likelihood of passing the SOL if students take it on test day as opposed to taking it in a makeup session.

On another topic, this year we have had the opportunity to honor many of our staff members. The following staff members were recognized formally through their nomination by school staff:

• Monica Gipson, Resource: Instructional Support Award for Sterling Elementary
• Ashley Farmer, Grade 4: New Teacher of the Year for Sterling Elementary
• Kim Mister, Reading Specialist: Teacher of the Year for Sterling Elementary
• Bendu Jackson, Grade 4: Substitute of the Year for Sterling Elementary AND Loudoun County Public Schools

When you see these staff members, you may want to congratulate them for their excellent work.

Sincerely,

Jennifer M. Short, Principal

Do you have a child who will enter kindergarten next year? Or do you know someone who is new to LCPS? The online pre-registration portal for kindergartners and all new students is open! Once pre-registration has been submitted, the school will contact parents/guardians to schedule a registration appointment. Parents/guardians may also contact their zoned school directly. Registration appointments began March 1. Pre-registration is only for:

• Students, grades kindergarten to 12, who are new to LCPS,

• Current LCPS pre-kindergarten students entering kindergarten,

• Students who were formerly enrolled and may be returning to LCPS.

These six students represent each grade level and were selected as their grade's SPOTlight Student of the Month for consistently displaying safe, polite, on-task, and trustworthy behavior. Way to go!

Here you will find the dates for the SOL testing taking place in the month of May.

In the Art room this month, fourth grade has recently finished a mixed media project. They painted landscapes on paper plates of a chosen season then strung it with yarn to look like a tree. Pictured are a few students weaving on their tree loom with yarn colors to match their season. Speaking of landscapes, third grade has started painting a landscape with watercolors. They are learning how to layer colors to create depth in their artwork.

-Mrs. Ajima

We began April with a schoolwide author visit from Deborah Kempf Shumaker. We learned about strange-but-true animal adaptations, the process of writing a book, and what it is like to be an author. We have also been celebrating National Poetry Month by reading and writing many different types of poems, both rhymed and unrhymed. When there is a free moment, our older students are working on a 1000 piece puzzle they are hoping to finish by the end of the year!

-Mrs. Burel

-Mrs. Jeffries

We wrapped up Music in Our Schools Month with a lot of excitement! Our fourth and fifth grade Chorus did a wonderful job representing our school at the Park View Fine Arts Night. They performed beautifully and enjoyed watching performances by the middle and high school musicians. Fifth graders also had the opportunity to go to the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., to attend a concert by the National Symphony Orchestra. This was a fantastic way to review what we learned about the instruments of the orchestra by watching a world-famous ensemble. What a treat!

-Mrs. Scarboro

-Ms. Walsh

Quarter four is in full swing, which means warmer weather, which means more outdoor activities! Fourth and fifth graders have been trying to improve their fitness testing scores from the first quarter so they can receive the Wellness Certificate at the end of the year. This gives students a chance to measure their Cardiovascular Endurance, Muscular Endurance, and Flexibility. Other grade levels are hard at work on their soccer unit. We have some very impressive soccer players here at Sterling Elementary! Upcoming skill: Striking (Golf, Volleyball, 4-Square, Pickleball)

Kindergarten and first graders got to strengthen their perceiving skills by using a magnifying glass to find matches between cards and finding matches for big and small items. During another lesson, students got to use their deductive reasoning skills to listen to oral clues to help them match colored birds to their correct home.

Second graders were on the hunt to solve a BEARY special mystery! Using their deductive reasoning skills, they had to listen to a series of clues to figure out which house each bear lived in.

Third grade has finished portfolios! I am so proud of all of their hard work during this time. We are now back to “regular” SEARCH. Third grade enjoyed using their knowledge of the alphabet and fusing it with vocabulary to unlock the animals in the Alpha Zoo mystery. They did a wonderful job using their critical thinking skills and collaborating with classmates during this activity.

We would like to invite you to our final family coffee of the 2023-2024 school year. We will have light snacks and coffee for you to enjoy. During the family coffee our reading specialists will be presenting on Partnership in Summer Reading. Please come and join us as we share ways to engage your child in reading through out the summer. We look forward to seeing you there!

-Mrs. Redlin

Email: jennifer.meresshort@lcps.org
Website: https://www.lcps.org/sterlinges
Location: 200 West Church Road, Sterling, VA, USA
Phone: 571-434-4580
Twitter: @SterlingElem