Timberwolf Times -August 15, 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""

WELCOME!!!! On behalf of our entire school staff, I am very pleased to welcome you to T. Clay Wood Elementary School. I hope you have had an enjoyable summer vacation and a chance to rest and relax and get ready for school. We have been busy getting the school ready for your arrival. I know this will be a TERRIFIC year for your children at TCWES.

I want to ensure you that we have an outstanding staff and no matter which classroom your child is in, I know he or she will have a successful year. 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.

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

Timberwolf Folder and 2022-2023 school Magnet

Each student will receive a Timberwolf Folder. The Timberwolf Folder is also our Parent Handbook. It outlines many of our school Procedures and Policies. Please take a moment to review the folder about important information related to Attendance, Dress Code, Bringing items to school, and so much more.

Every Timberwolf Student will receive our New Timberwolf Magnet in their folders for your cars. The magnet captures our theme for the year: “Like the Sun, I am here to Shine” from the book I am Enough by Grace Byers. Also the design of the Timberwolf in Space along with the quote: “T. Clay Wood is out of this World” comes from one of students, Sophie Taylor.

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”

T. CLAY WOOD ES COMMUNICATION

We will communicate as much as possible using Canvas and the Automated Email Messenger System as well as our website. Please bookmark our web site https://tclaywoodes.pwcs.edu / and check it frequently.

We will also communicate through email using the email address that you have provided and is in the system. Please make sure this email address is up to date and correct. We will send home by email upcoming dates and important information. It is important that we have your correct email address. You will also want to be sure to allow your email provider to accept email from T. Clay Wood ES including from me by adding the following to your Contact Lists– buchhear@pwcs.edu and from NoReplyTCWES@Pwcs.edu. You should also add your child’s teacher’s email too

I will send home a Weekly Timberwolf Times each Friday morning around 9:30 am.

Class Placement/Teacher Assignment

CLASS PLACEMENT/TEACHER ASSIGNMENT will be made available in ParentVUE on August 16, 2022. See this link on how to access ParentVUE - https://www.pwcs.edu/about_us/the_hub

When you receive your child's teacher assignment/class placement, please be kind and remember that social media spreads far and wide. Even the simple question of "Does anyone know anything about Mr/s. so-and-so?" can lead to a multitude of opinions that may not all be positive. Remember, someone else's experience will not necessarily be the same as your experience. Teachers come in all different packages and personalities, just like all of us. I encourage everyone to extend the courtesy to your child's teacher, get to know him/her, ask questions, and give him/her a chance. You may find that the teacher you worried about, was exactly what your child needed!

I believe the adults at a school set the tone and climate of the school. How we react and interact with others in our school community can impact how your child feels about school, their teacher and learning in general. I believe we can all work together to make our school the best it can be and model the types of behaviors and actions that we want our students to mimic and follow.

Some things that you can do at home to establish a strong foundation of success in school now and in later years are emphasizing the importance of school and education, setting time each day for homework to be done, ensuring your child attends school regularly and on time, and supporting the teacher in front of your child.

I want you to know that your child has a knowledgeable, skilled, and caring teacher who will work with you to make sure your child has a productive and successful school year and is learning to his or her full potential. As you probably already know we have an outstanding staff and no matter which classroom your child is in, I know, he or she will have a great year.

What's Happening at T. Clay Wood during the week of August 15 - August 19, 2022

Monday, August 15, 2022 - Day ---

Teachers are busy getting things ready for the First Day

Tuesday, August 16, 2022 Day --

Placement Information Should be available in ParentVue. If not, please check again on Wednesday before calling the school.

Wednesday, August 17, 2022 - Day ---

Teachers are busy setting up their rooms and receiving Professional Development!

Thursday, August 18, 2022 - Day --

6pm - Kindergarten Parent/Guardian Information Night - a Time for Kindergarten Parents/Guardians to receive all the information they will need for the start of the school year. This night is just meant for parents/guardians.

Friday, August 19, 2022 -Day ---

Open House and Meet and Greet Day - See below for the times you should attend:

8:30am - 9:30 - Kg Open House and Meet and Greet - go directly to your child's classroom

9:30 - 10:00 - New Student Orientation in Cafeteria with Dr. Buchheit

10:00 - 11:00 - Open House Meet and Greet for students with last names A-G and New Students

11:30 - 12:30 - Open House Meet and Greet for students with last names H-N

1:30 - 2:30 - Open House Meet and Greet for students with last names O-Z

Kindergarten Parent Information Night – August 18

We will hold a special KG Orientation just for Parents of rising Kindergarten students on Thursday, August 18, 2022 at 6:00 pm. Parents should go directly to their child’s classroom. The kindergarten teachers will explain their procedures, routines, and systems and what to expect the first month of school. This is just for parents and will last between 45 minutes – 1 hour. This meeting will allow us to share important information with all kindergarten parents and answer their questions without having to make our kindergarten students sit and listen for this length of time. You may bring your student’s school supplies with you.

Kindergarten Meet and Greet Open House – August 19

On Friday, August 19, 2022 between 8:30 am – 9:15 am, we will have a Meet and Greet Open house for Kindergarten students and their parents. Students and parents will bring in their supplies that day and go directly to their classrooms. Kindergarten students will also have an opportunity to ride a school bus around the bus loop during this time.

New Student Orientation for students in 1st-5th grade – August 19

On Friday, August 19, 2022 at 9:30 am, we will have a brief Orientation for students in 1st-5th grade who are new to T. Clay Wood this year. Students and their families should meet in the cafeteria at 9:30 am.

1st-5th grade Meet and Greet Open House – August 19

On Friday, August 19, 2022, we will have a Meet and Greet Open house for ALL students in 1st -5th grade. We are asking that only one adult accompany their student. Students and parents will bring in their supplies that day and go directly to their children’s classrooms at the following:

10:00 am – 11:00 am - All New Students in 1st -5th grade and 1st-5th grade students with the last name beginning with A-G

11:30 – 12:30 - 1st-5th grade students with the last name beginning with H-N

1:30 – 2:30 - 1st-5th grade students with the last name beginning with O-Z

Parents and their students should go directly to their child’s classroom. This is a great time to bring in your student’s school supplies, fill out important forms in the classroom, meet your child’s teacher, and find your student’s desk. You will also get your child’s Timberwolf Folder which contains the Parent Handbook.

I encourage all our families to consider carpooling together since the parking lot gets full. I do want to remind everyone NOT to park in the car drop off lane or the bus loop. We need to keep these free in case emergency vehicles need to get access to our school.

Building a Positive School Community

Please take time to read over our school wide Quality Leader and Learner School Wide Expectation Plan – “Building a Positive School Community” with your student. The plan outlines our expectations and responsibilities for all members of our school community.

It is the expectation that all students and families are familiar with the plan: Click Here - Building a Positive School Community

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

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

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.