Friday Feature - November 1

DPS has a vision of providing active, engaging science instruction for ALL students. For this reason, we want to hear from you! Teachers, tell us all about your science experiences with this survey:

November 4 - GW Scholastic Bowl home match vs. Martinsville at 5 p.m.

November 5 - Election Day: No school for students

November 8 - GW Varsity Football home game vs. Tunstall at 7 p.m.

November 11 - Veterans Day holiday for all

*Check out school websites for school-based events!

1 in 3 American adults have high cholesterol, and since symptoms are hard to spot, you could be at risk too. Linked in the button below are 4 easy ways to lower your cholesterol in 30 days.

Aerobic or cardiovascular training is designed to develop a healthier heart and circulatory system. Interval training for a stronger heart simply means alternating between short bursts of more-intense exercise with brief periods of rest or a less-intense activity. Try this “treadmill” workout you can implement with or without a treadmill. It helps you develop better aerobic endurance and increases your overall cardiovascular fitness. The payoff is improved cardiovascular fitness!

CommonHealth’s 2024 Turkey Trot Challenge

Keep moving in November with the Turkey Trot Challenge! Get 20 minutes or more of activity on at least 25 days in November to complete the challenge. See the attached registration info for details and register HERE to join the challenge and receive the official activity calendar for tracking your progress. Let’s make November a month of movement!

If you would like to receive these messages straight to your inbox, register here: https://forms.office.com/g/GvGeA4wtnz

Got questions about Medicare? Whether you are turning 65, over 65 and on group insurance, or making plans, Medicare can be a confusing subject. Please review the Medicare flyer and contact Wendy Bryant, Client Representative with OneDigital Benefits, at 804-521-6680 or wbryant@onedigital.com for an overview of Medicare options and information. OneDigital Benefits is DPS's benefits broker and service partner offering free services to employees.

Bonner Middle School is thrilled to announce its spring musical, The Lion King Jr! This exciting production invites all DPS students and staff members to join in on the fun—whether you're ready to sing, dance, act, or help behind the scenes, there's a role for you! Auditions will be held December 4-6, from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m., with an interest meeting on November 19, 4:00 to 5:00 p.m., to learn more about the production and what to expect in auditions. Don’t miss your chance to be part of the Circle of Life in this unforgettable musical adventure! Please email Ms. Gilbert or Ms. Jessup with any questions! jgilbert@mail.dps.k12.va.us or djessup@mail.dps.k12.va.us

In the afterschool STEAM+C Enrichment class at Park Avenue, students were joined by Mrs. Fitzgerald to work on etiquette. They practiced showing manners, pulling out chairs for ladies, setting a table, public speaking, and writing thank you notes.

Congratulations to first place winner Ashley Williams (Hattie Mae) and second place winner Michelle Adkins (Flo from Progressive)!

Students at OT Bonner celebrated El Dia de Muertos this week with a traditional "ofrenda" or "altar." Students learned the significance of the holiday, how it is celebrated, and the history behind it.

Students in Mrs. McDonald's first grade class used writing tools like gel pens, writers checklist, and spaceman (to make spaces between words) to compose an opinion piece on their favorite sport and why

1.w.1.c. Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose opinion pieces that state an opinion and supply a reason for the opinion.

Every student, faculty, and staff member at Park Avenue received a celebratory cupcake from an anonymous donor in recognition of the school's recent accreditation announcement.

Students in Mr. Carlson's third grade class at Park Avenue are reading The Flag Maker from their HMH textbook, focusing on how to retell key events from the story as part of their learning.

Thursday's Family Fun Night at RISE Academy was a tremendous success, with over 50 parents and students in attendance. Students were recognized with awards for their achievements based on Q1 reports, attendance, and behavior. Following the awards ceremony, families enjoyed food and refreshments along with a variety of activities prepared by each teacher, tailored to their subject areas. Participants earned stickers for completing each activity, which they could later trade in for prizes. One highlight of the evening was Ms. Lawrence’s demonstration with the Van de Graaff generator, providing students and parents with a hair-raising thrilling introduction to the science of electricity. It was a night filled with learning and fun!

GW's Culinary Arts I/II students were given a frosted cookie, 4 colors of fondant, and 15 minutes to decorate a Halloween themed cookie. Here are the results!

Red Ribbon Week was a great success! Red Ribbon Week is a drug and violence prevention awareness campaign that takes place every October in the United States. It's the country's longest-running and largest drug awareness program. To commemorate this important program, the students and faculty of OT Bonner participated in a Spirt Week.

Park Avenue's Fall Festival was a spooktacular blast! Families joined in on the fun with paper rockets, marshmallow shooters, bowling, pizza, noodle art bots, pollination activities, popcorn, sno cones, giant Jenga, Connect Four, BINGO, and so much more! It was a fantastic evening filled with laughter, scientific learning, and unforgettable memories.

Haven Feilmeier and Bodie Feilmeier from Gibson Elementary school won a squishmallow from the Office for Exceptional Children. Their names were drawn for attending the annual C3 Resource Fair event.

The RISE Fishing Club had a fantastic time learning to use rods, reels, and cane poles while fishing at the Dan River. Some students were surprised to find worms involved in the process and hesitated to put them on the hooks. Sofia saved the day and baited the hooks while Cayedrian just wasn't feeling the love of putting on bait. However, once they got the hang of it, the experience turned into a fun-filled day full of smiles and laughter. The only catch of the day was made by TreVontay—a big, long green stick. Better luck next time, club members!