Timberwolf Time - February 5, 2024

Welcome Back to School - 2023-2024

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

Dear Timberwolf Families,

February 7 is a Day 0

It is School Board Appreciation Month in PWCS.

At T. Clay Wood, it is also Kindness Month.

This week is National School Counselors' Week - please say thank you to Mrs. Cunningham, Mrs. Robertson, and Mrs. Eng for all they do for our school community.

Boosterthon is Back!! We are excited to welcome the team back and are getting ready for the Fun Run on February 15, 2024.

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”

Please congratulate Laura Van Gelder as the T. Clay Wood Elementary School Teacher of the Year for 2023-2024 School Year. Her nomination will move on to a central nomination committee.

Please also congratulate Lynn Hardwick as the T. Clay Wood Elementary School Support Employee for 2023-2024 School Year. Her nomination will also move on to a central nomination committee.

On February 7, 2024, report cards will be available to parents of K-5 students to view in ParentVUE in a PDF format in the Documents Tab.

Here are the steps on how to review Report Cards.

Accessing Student Report Cards through ParentVUE

To access student report cards, through ParentVue, please follow these steps:

1. Log into the ParentVUE app or the ParentVUE website using your ParentVUE UserID and password.
2. Once logged into ParentVUE, click the Documents button on the left side of the screen.
3. If you need assistance with accessing your ParentVue account, please reach out to our Administrative Assistant, Mrs. Baker at BakerKL@PWCS.EDU
4. If you have any questions about attendance, please follow up with Mrs. Kanakasabapathy at KanakaV@pwcs.edu
5. If you have questions about any grades, please follow up with your child's classroom teacher or encore teacher.

DOCUMENTS

Documents

Upload Date Document Document Category

02/07/2024 2023-2024 Report Card Report Card

Hi I sent this information out a couple of weeks ago, however, I still have received some questions abut the attendance letters. I wanted to take a moment to address the Attendance Letters that some of you may have received this school year.

Please note the style, form, and content of the letter is not written by me, our school, or PWCS. I would suggest considering these letters and informational. If there are any continued issues or situations we will reach out to families directly.

As I shared at the start of the school year, Prince William County Public Schools is using a new program - Attention2Attendance - to address the Virginia Department of Education concerns about the increase in absenteeism rates since returning back to school full time over the last couple of years. For example, at T. Clay Wood, we have seen an increase in some families taking 2 weeks or more for trips. This amount of time off of school can negatively impact student academic achievement.

This new Attention2Attendance Program sends out letters automatically at certain points. Here are some examples of the automatically scheduled letters:

• Students who have 5 excused absences will get the Excessive Excused Absences Letter 1
• Students who have 10 excused absences will get the Excessive Excused Absences Letter 2
• Students who have excused or unexcused absences equaling 10% of the school year or 9+ more days will receive a Chronic Absence Letter.
• Students who have 3 unexcused absences will receive a Truancy Letter
• Students who are out of school for 15 consecutive days are unenrolled and will need to reenroll when they return with our school Registrar.

Attendance rates also impact school division and schools' accreditation along with SOL results. However, if your student is sick and not able to attend school, yes - you should keep him or her home. For most families, the letters are informational. The letters let all families know what the school has listed as the number of absences -either excused or unexcused. Some families may also be contacted by the school to discuss absences and/or to put in place attendance plans.

The longer we are in school the more letters will be generated due to the number of absences students have. We have seen some students struggle with just coming to school on certain days; if this is the case, please reach out to your child's teacher or one of our school counselors. We also discourage students from taking trips during the school year if at all possible; especially for long periods of time. However, if your student is sick then he or she should stay home as you feel is best.

Please review the attendance letters as informational. Although my signature is on the automatically sent letters, please reach out to our Admin Intern, Mrs. Crawford at crawfola@pwcs.edu if you have any questions. Mrs. Crawford is leading our Attendance Committee and is our Attendance contact. If there is increased concern, one of our school staff will reach out to families to check in.

If you need to be out of school, please make sure you email our attendance email - cwes-timberwolf-attendance@pwcs.edu or contact the school at 703.594.3990. Excused notes or doctors' notes can be sent to Mrs.Kanakasabapathy at kanakav@pwcs.edu

February 26- March 1 - Read Across America Week - March Madness. During this week, we will share on the broadcast the following 4 picture books. At the end of the week, we will vote on our number 1 Picture book for T. Clay Wood. If you have any questions, please reach out to your child's teacher or our librarian, Mrs. Rice:

The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors by Drew Daywalt

"Long ago," warrior Rock found that he had outbattled every inhabitant of the Kingdom of Backyard. Paper faced the same challenge in the Empire of Mom's Home Office, as did Scissors in the Kitchen Realm. So, each hero sets out to find a worthy opponent. Hilariously elaborate battle cries and full-bleed art that almost vibrates with combative intensity make this over-the-top origin story a winner.”

I Yam a Donkey by CeCe Bell

Even frustrated grammarians will giggle at the who's-on-first routine that begins with a donkey's excited announcement, 'I yam a donkey!' Unfortunately, the donkey's audience happens to be a yam, and one who is particular about sloppy pronunciation and poor grammar. An escalating series of misunderstandings leaves the yam furious, and the clueless donkey bewildered by the yam's growing (and amusing) frustration. The yam finally gets his point across, but regrettably, he's made the situation a little bit too clear . . . and the story ends with a dark and outrageously funny twist.

On Account of the Gum by Adam Rex

On Account of the Gum is a book about how the best intentions lead to some of the worst (and funniest) ideas! Serious humor abounds in this story about one kid's hilarious misadventures with gum, and the cumulative buildup of stuff stuck in hair. From the madcap mind of Adam Rex comes a book about the improbable, downright bizarre remedies for a problem kids have faced since the creation of gum. " Features hilarious text with unexpected turns and fun rhymes " Wacky suggestions make this prime for constant giggles and repeat reading " Author Adam Rex has a funny, smart, and relatable style How do you get gum out of your hair ‘a pair of scissors? Butter? The cat? Call your aunt, she'll know what to do. She doesn't? Try the fire department! With each page turn, this situation ‘relatable to any family ‘grows stickier and more desperate. " A wonderful blend of light wordplay, zany humor, and a timeless topic "

Llama Destroys the World by Jonathan Stutzman

Meet Llama, the next great picture-book megastar, who has most definitely driven a bus and who loves tacos way more than you. He also loves cake, and that’s where our story begins. On Monday, Llama discovers a pile of cake, which he promptly eats. On Tuesday, Llama squeezes into his dancing pants, which he promptly rips. The force of the rip creates a black hole (naturally). By Friday, Llama will (indirectly) destroy the world. In their debut picture book, author/illustrator team Jonathan Stutzman and Heather Fox introduce young readers to the comical, the studious, the oblivious Llama, a picture-book hero for the ages. So, grab some cake and your dancing pants and prepare for Llama Destroys the World... because THE TIME FOR LLAMA IS NIGH!

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.

Mark your calendars for T. Clay Wood’s annual Heritage Night next month on Thursday, February 22 from 6-7:30 p.m. Come celebrate our community with us by sharing in a cultural food tasting, heritage museum, crafts and activities, a fashion show and a performance from our Timberwolf Chorus!

Families, we need your help! Please consider signing up to contribute to the food tasting by bringing something from your heritage to share and/or to bring a cultural artifact to display in our museum! In the past, some families even brought a presentation board with their artifact so we could learn more! To RSVP to contribute for these two special parts of our Heritage Night, please complete the following Microsoft Form: https://forms.office.com/r/mfuVR0Ez8i?origin=lprLink

You may also click the QR code in the Heritage Night flyer your student brought home: 2024 Heritage Night Letter.pdf

Families and students are encouraged to dress in cultural attire and may join our fashion show that night (no early rsvp necessary for fashion!). Food and crafts are from 6-7 p.m. and the fashion and performance portion will be from 7-7:30 p.m.

We are looking forward to a wonderful Heritage Night and hope to see you there!

This T Clay Wood Fun Run fundraiser will kick off on 02/07/2024! Our goal is to raise $30,000 for Instructional and Classroom Resources for Teachers and Students. We are so excited about this fundraiser because it will be fun for all our students as they take part in Booster’s legendary character-building program, enjoy the T Clay Wood Fun Run and get a great boost of school spirit too!

Registration is NOW OPEN for our main fundraiser of the year.

Head to mybooster.com today to get your student(s) registered. Thank you for your support!

Random Acts of Kindness - February 1- February 23, 2024

February is School Board Appreciation Month

Feb. 5 - Feb. 9, 2024 - is National School Counselors' Week

Tie Dye Day - For Peace, Love, and Kindness - Wear Tie Dye Clothes

Tuesday, February 6, 2024 - Day 2

8:15 am - Chorus

Crazy for Kindness - Wear Crazy Socks

Wednesday, February 7, 2024- Day 0

100th Day of School

Show your Kindness - wear Red, Pink, or hearts

Boosterthon Starts

Thursday, February 8 2024 - Day 3

Work out problems with Kindness -Wear your work out wear

Friday, February 9, 2024 -Day 4

Dream of Kindness - Wear your PJs.

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!

January 10 - Chipotle Spirit Night

Jan. 10 - SEP Registration opens for PTO members

Jan. 15 - SEP Registration opens for ALL

Jan. 15 - No School

January 18 - Advisory Council/PTO Meeting on ZOOM

Join Zoom Meeting

https://pwcs-zm-edu.zoom.us/j/84553248885?pwd=Z3hQMUhCSFc2ZG91Z3pOdjF1SEx1UT09

Meeting ID: 845 5324 8885

Passcode: Advisory

Jan. 24 - Boosterthon Registration Opens

Jan. 26 - 1/2 Day School _ Dismissal 12:40

Jan. 29 - No School for Students

Feb. 5- March 11 - Winter SEP

Feb. 7-15 - Boosterthon

Feb. 15 - Advisory Council/PTO Meeting on ZOOM

https://pwcs-zm-edu.zoom.us/j/84553248885?pwd=Z3hQMUhCSFc2ZG91Z3pOdjF1SEx1UT09

Meeting ID: 845 5324 8885

Passcode: Advisory

Please visit the PTO Facebook page and PTO website for updates and more info: https://www.tclaywoodpto.com/

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!

• • 
    

    Together Is Better

    I value other people’s strengths and learn from them. I get along well with others, even people who are different than me. I work well in groups. I seek out other people’s ideas to solve problems because I know that by teaming with others we can create better solutions than anyone of us can alone. I am humble.

  
  

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