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The Chameleon Connection: RISE
News for Families: Week 34: 4/8/24-4/12/24
Outstanding student presentation for the GQES Showcase!
Dr. Linda Liukas, shared wonderful computer science learning and problem solving!
As our wonderful Metrics Grant comes to a close, we enjoyed time with a world-renowned author on coding. Every child did heavy duty thinking during this active process of engagement and critical/creative problem solving on 3/25 and 3/26 at GQES!
Day of Awesomeness!!!
Ms. Faliskie's class loved the Day of Awesomeness on 3/28/24, right before Spring Break. It tied in beautifully with our PTO efforts for fundraising to support our school's positive behavior intervention system (PBIS).
Successful Student-Led Conferences on 3/27/24 at GQES
These youngsters completed their student-led conferences!
Looking over student work!
Ms. Helms class had a good turn out for student-led conferences!
Wonderful to listen to a child read their writing!
So proud to listen to this first grade student share at student-led conferences!!!
Lost and Found
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.
A Message from GQES Administration!
Chameleons RISE: Raising Intentionality Strengthening Expectations for students, teachers, administration, and families.
Week: 34: 4/8/24-4/12/24
Dear GQES Families,
We hope you had a wonderful, restful, and safe Spring Break! We look forward to welcoming our Chameleons back on Monday, 4/8/24. When your child returns, we ask for you to help remind them of our expectations of how to BE KIND:
1. Smiling Faces
2. Listening Ears
3. Helping Hands
4. Respecting Boundaries
5. Doing Our Best on All Learning Tasks
Learning our positive behavior expectations is critical to enable students learn. We appreciate the voluntary GQES families' involvement in our fundraiser, resulting in the Day of Awesomeness for our whole students and staff!
We also want children to be at school, every day, ready to learn, and on time! Let's have a great fourth quarter!!!! The four Elementary schools and one intermediate school will have an attendance competition April 8-19, and the winning school will receive a visit from a traveling petting zoo along with other fun activities the week of April 22. Please help our Chameleons get that opportunity by sending your child to school, every day, ready to learn, and on time!
You may notice Winchester City is planting trees along the city row around GQES (southward/E. Whitlock)---you might see flags to show where tree is planted. We appreciate the City of Winchester's assistance as well as Winchester Public School's Maintenance Team to help us take care of our school.
Monday, April 8, 2024 is a historical day as we are having a total eclipse of the sun: Please see the https://www.smore.com/n/60mrz about our need to wear protective eyewear for the Total Solar Eclipse. WPS is furnishing protective eyewear for each child/staff. In order to be safe, we must comply with wearing these protective eyewear from 2:00pm-4:30pm. The last time we had a total eclipse of the sun was in 1979, so this is a rare event. There have been partial eclipses likes in 2017; but this is a full event.
Thank you for attending your child's student-led conference on 3/27/24. We had an 80% turn out of parents learning their child's progress. If you have questions about your child's progress or performance or report card, please schedule a conference with your child's teacher and/or administration if needed.
Here are some important updates:
1. Remember there are raised crosswalks around GQES to slow down traffic.
2. Red Light cameras are now around DMMS, JKES, and James Wood Middle School areas to slow down traffic.
3. Please read FROM CAO section in this s'more for added updates, please.
A few upcoming dates include:
- 5/2/24: Early Release: Apple Blossom at 1:00pm
- 5/3/24: No School: Apple Blossom
- 5/9/24: SOL Testing for grades 3 and 4
- 5/14/24: SOL Testing for grade 4
- 5/16/24: SOL Testing for grades 3 and 4
- Make Up SOL Testing will occur for any student missing an SOL, as it is a mandatory requirement at the local, state, and federal level during mid-to end of May 2024.
- 5/30/24: Last Day of School: early dismissal at 11:15am
- 6/10/24-6/27/24: WPS District-wide Elementary Summer School 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)
Students Loved the Stations and Inflatables!!!
Our Day of Awesomeness for every student on 3/28/24 was another amazing event. We continue to raise funds for our PBIS (positive behavior intervention system). These students loved basketball!!!
Ending a Great Day of Awesomeness with Singing!
Ms. Edwards, our Music teacher created March Music Madness and students and staff picked their favorite song. Officer Marshall and Ms. Edwards sang along with the chosen song! It was a great way to end our Day of Awesomeness and go right into Spring Break!!!
More Recess Research
Here you go! More supports for recesses: THE ANXIOUS GENERATION by Jonathan Haidt who focuses on phone-based childhood versus play-based childhood:
From a parent who read it:
"5 stars. Extremely well researched book about why we should not give our kids smartphones due to indisputable evidence that it causes mental illness, anxiety and depression. Children are just not equipped for social media and the trade offs they will experience with addictive phone based free time. Kids need play time, outside with other children. This book was very enlightening and I will be recommending it to everyone I know."
Congratulations: 2nd Grade Students who Learned their 109 Power Words!!!
Ms. Mandy Estep, Ms. Teresa Cave, our GQES Reading Specialists celebrated our grade 2 students' who learned all of their 109 power words (see the list of 109 words under ELA/Math Supports in each weekly s'more)! They were treated to a wonderful cafe event right before Spring Break! Congratulations!
After Hours!
Spring Break had officially begun well over an hour prior, but these three Chameleon teachers were still hard at it, talking about student learning and quality teaching! Thank you, Ms. E. Berry, Ms. A. Kresge, and Ms. M. Faliskie! We hope everyone enjoyed their spring break!!!!
It's time to register for Preschool and Kindergarten!
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!
WPS Update: From the Central Administrative Office (CAO)
- Keep Your Child Healthy and in School Handout from Attendance Works: English, Spanish;
From J. Buckley:
COVID-19 Parent Flyer - English, COVID-19 Parent Flyer - Spanish; VDH has updated their guidance for schools on the K-12 Education and Child Care - Coronavirus (virginia.gov)webpage.
"An individual can return to work in 24 hours IF their symptoms are improving and they are fever free without fever reducing medication."
- Keep Your Child Healthy and in School Handout from Attendance Works: English, Spanish;
- From our WPS Public Relations Officer: https://www.smore.com/n/re6ph
- Planning ahead: Save the Date flyer in English and Spanish for the Readiness Fair!
- Now that the museum is installed and other aspects are being finalized, we can't wait to welcome you to the Douglas School Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting on Saturday, June 8 at 10:00 a.m. Families are welcome. Feel free to share!
From our Central Administrative Office
Information:
From Ms. Jennifer Buckley, Director of Student Services
- 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!
Attendance Information
ELA (Reading) and Math Supports for Parents to Help Students