The Chameleon Connection: RISE

We love seeing how our students represent GQES in our community! Here, Lincoln won a great award for his entry in the VFW contest earlier this year based on patriotism and creativity! Well done!!

Working hard to solve problems in this quiz bowl! Proud of our Chameleons in this experience!!!

Using the Liu is an exciting way to combine math, reading, and physical fitness skills with these first graders last week!

Please call our main office at 540-662-3575 if these items belong to your child. We recommend labeling your child's clothing for easy retrieval.

Chameleons RISE: Raising Intentionality Strengthening Expectations for students, teachers, administration, and families.

Week: 32: 3/18/24-3/22/24

Dear GQES Families,

We are super excited to share that on Monday, March 18, 2024 we are kicking off the first ever recognition of National Agricultural Literacy Week. We are partnering with Devon Smith, Millbrook FFA and representatives from the Virginia Farm Bureau, Farmer's Markets, and the Virginia Extension Cooperative Service to show students the importance of agriculture. All of us eat. All of us wear clothing. Both our food and clothing are connected to agriculture processes and products.

Thank you for helping us keep the arrival (car riders, walkers, bus riders) all safe as well as at dismissal. Flow of traffic works well in the morning for a few reasons: folks arrive early (7:20-7:30) and parents train their children to get out of the car and go directly to the sidewalk by the fence, thus allowing 2-3 cars to unload at once. Stay vigilant and aware of your surroundings.

Also, in the mornings, please turn right out of parking lot onto E. Southwerk street. (This prevents going across the raised crosswalk.) Recently, the Winchester Police Department installed photo red light cameras near DMMS, JKES, and James Wood Middle School. These cameras are specifically to enforce the speed limit around school zones. In addition, there are raised crosswalks around GQES as well to slow down traffic.

WE are super excited about our GQES Annual Talent Show which will be 5/23/24 at John Handley High School 5:00-6:30pm. There's a tremendous amount of work and preparation to get ready for this fun, engaging, entertaining, and wonderful, community spirit event! Ms. Lindsay Edwards, our music teacher is our point of contact for this event. Stay tuned for this excellent evening!

Report cards will be available on March 27, 2024 after student-led conferences in the evening 3:00-6:00pm and/or will be sent home on Thursday, March 28, 2024. If you have any questions about your child's learning, contact your child's teacher and arrange a meeting.

Check out our school's website under News and Highlights for exciting book talks by our students! You can also find information about our Masked Reader Reveals!! We really love encouraging our students to read!!!

A few upcoming dates include:

3/25/24: GQES's turn for the School Showcase for the WPS School Board; 6:00pm

3/25/24: Dr. Linda Liukas will be a guest presenter (Grades K-2): Adventures in Coding (Computer Science)

3/26/24: Dr. LInda Liukas will be a guest presenter (Grades 3-4): Adventures in Coding (Computer Science)

3/27/24: Student led conferences 3:00-6:00pm

3/28/24: Day of Awesomeness for All Chameleons

3/29/24: NO school

4/1/24-4/5/24: Spring Break; no school

*WPS District-wide Elementary Summer School will be at GQES from 6/10-6/27; 8:00-1:00. More information to come.

If you have questions or concerns, always feel free to contact us at 540-662-3575. Thank you for partnering with us to help your child thrive!

Sincerely,

Joanie Hovatter

Principal, Garland R. Quarles Elementary School

(540) 662-3575 (Phone)

(540) 662-8449 (Fax)

Shout out to Ms. Anna Santiago, our school's liaison, as well as Ms. Tiffany Saville, our school's clerk, and Ms. Tracy Longerbeam, our school's nurse for learning the new registration process for all entering pre-k and kindergarten students for 2024-2025 school year.

Ms. Diner celebrated her students' writing related to their work on combining history and creativity for a special awards presentation. Her students were very kind and showed excellent teamwork by congratulating and clapping for each other!! Well done!!!

Here you go! More supports for recesses:

Why we have the recesses

Our ELL team of Dr. Daraban, Ms. Williamson, Ms. Luden, and Ms. Covarrubias (Instructional Resource Teacher) are really finding ways to help promote great literacy learning activities as Mr. Slezak observes.

Children learn all sorts of skills at recesses including but not limited to social and emotional learning, creativity, critical thinking skills, and problem solving skills. Students' at GQES are to always LEARN and BE KIND!!!!

Do you have a child who will be 4 or 5 by September 30? Everything you need to know about registration is on our registration website: bit.ly/WPSregistration2024

-Registration and eligibility events start soon! Physicals and vaccinations will be offered as listed on the registration website.

-You must bring your required documents, including birth certificate, TWO proofs of residency, physical exam, immunization record, and income verification for PreK only

-We will be using a new system for online registration and an email address is required to register

We can't wait to welcome your student and family to Winchester Public Schools!

Andrew Carnegie was in the house last week! Well done!!!

• Keep Your Child Healthy and in School Handout from Attendance Works: English, Spanish;

Information:

From Ms. Jennifer Buckley, Director of Student Services

• COVID-19 Parent Flyer - English,
• COVID-19 Parent Flyer - Spanish;

• From Ms. Maggie McCampbell Lien, PR for the division
• : Opt-In to School Texts

• Info: Not receiving school-related text messages? You must OPT-IN to receive messages. Text "Subscribe" to 67587. You should receive confirmation that you are registered. Don't forget to ensure all of your contact information is correct at your student's school, too!

  
  

ELA (Reading) and Math Supports for Parents to Help Students