KGCS Chronicle

KGMS is all decorated to celebrate the year of Together We Shine, Constellations of Kindness! This is a great display that our Project KIND lead, Mrs. Nunez and her building ambassadors created! The students enjoyed receiving their star pens.

Each Elementary and Preschool is equipped with a Project KIND resource center that is open for all classroom teachers to use in collaboration with our character trait of the month, or just for FUN! Included is a snapshot of the KGES Purposefull Center!

This month at SES, Astronaut and Wildcat taught students how to be respectful. They explained that we should be respectful to ourselves, others, and the space we are in. They wanted to highlight some books on respect that can be found in their very own library!

KGES Counseling is ALL IN with their Attendance Awareness week! To kick off our spirit week, students were asked to celebrate Roy, their beloved Attendasaurus dinosaur. Roy travels grade level to grade level each week to the class with the highest attendance percentage!

Monday was Dress Like Roy in as much GREEN as you can, some of our staff greeted students at Parent Drop off and Buses as dinosaurs! Staff also visited classrooms with special Roy stickers to celebrate coming to school.

To Read more about Roy and the KGES Attendance efforts,

VSCA Article on attendance

🚀👨🏻‍🚀🌜Stay Tuned for our “ There’s No Space for Bullying” October Initiative!👩🏻‍🚀🔭📡

On September 6, all first semester Economics and Personal Finance students put together an "elevator speech" and practiced answering common job interview questions with the help of custom workshops created for KGHS by the amazing team at Rappahannock Goodwill!

September's "CTEats" casual stakeholders dinner meeting at the Smoot Library was a hit! 34 partners were in attendance including: Rappahannock Community College, Germanna CC, Rappahannock Goodwill, KG Parks & Recreation, Kitty Hawk Industries, C & F Bank, NSWC Military Liaison for K-12, Four Elements Electric, Dahlgren-KG Rotary, Amazon, KGHS JROTC, KGHS CTE, KGHS Admin, KGMS CTE, KGHS Ascent Lead, KGCS Deputy Superintendent, Mrs. Julia Snow, Mrs. Beckey Gallimore, Ms. Urzetta Lewis, Mrs. Elizabeth Buckley, KGCS Supervisor of Secondary Instruction, and KGCS Work-Based Learning!

On September 18, 236 Economics and Personal Finance class students participated in this year's first Reverse Career Fair event! This concept flips the traditional career fair on its head with STUDENTS being the ones manning the booths about themselves, their strengths, and their dream jobs. Over 50 professional volunteers visited the student booths offering each student 2-4 practice interviews! The goal of this exercise is to establish a baseline in workplace readiness skills across the entire Junior class!

Students and staff have enjoyed the Attendance Awareness Week spirit days! Thank you for showing up each day and participating.

Blue Up Day is October 7. Students are asked to wear blue that day.
Picture Day is coming October 11. Ordering information will be coming home soon.

Coming at the end of October is another spirit week for Red Ribbon Week!

Our PES Hawks have had an adventurous month of engaging activities! The PES PTA hosted our first annual Hawk Hustle on Friday, September 20th! During this event, our entire PES community of students, staff, parents and business partners came together to raise funds for student recognition, school beautification, teacher appreciation, assemblies, field trips, classroom enhancements, promoting the humanities in the classroom and more! Every single student received a t-shirt to mark off their laps and was given the opportunity to run for their school! We would like to give a special thanks to our local business sponsors, King George Parks and Recreation for lining our track, and the KGHS cheerleaders for coming and helping out! It was a beautiful day of celebrating our PES Hawks' success in raising nearly $20,000 for their school along with families and the community! Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make this a successful community event for PES! Go Hawks!!

Our 4th graders had the opportunity to attend a field trip to Jamestown Settlement to explore the fort, Powhatan village, and what colonial life was like when the English settled in 1607. The students had a great time on the field trip, and we are truly thankful for the parent volunteers who helped chaperone our students in Jamestown! While learning about the continents and oceans, Mrs. Jones' third grade class made balloon globes! This was super fun and a great way for students to understand the location of each continent and ocean.

Our 2nd graders began swim classes at the YMCA in September, and they are learning new skills and how to be safe in the water. We are appreciative of the partnership between King George County Schools and the YMCA that makes these lessons possible every year.It is always a memorable time for our 2nd graders!

Students and staff had a great time participating in our Attendance Awareness Spirit Week. It provided an opportunity for productive conversations with students about the importance of attending school everyday. We will continue to work collaboratively with families to ensure our students aren't missing too much valuable instructional time throughout the year. Every day counts!

Finally, we want to share our sincere thanks to all of our students, families, teachers, and staff for your contributions to our American Heart Association Kids Heart Challenge every year. Potomac Elementary was honored with the American Heart Association, Eastern Region, "Heart-Healthy School" Award at the September 23rd School Board meeting.This Award recognizes a Kids Heart Challenge or American Heart Challenge school that has gone above and beyond to fully implement American Heart Association programs within the entire school. We are so grateful to have the opportunity to work with our Director of School Engagement, Mrs. Marjorie ChurchBourne, as we help our students learn how to save a life and practice heart-healthy habits. We can't wait for our kickoff in 2025!

PES Important Dates

October is: Bully Prevention Month, Farm to School Month, National Principals Month

Cereal Drive - October 1st -October 25th
Custodian Appreciation Day - October 2nd
World Day of Bullying Prevention (Wear Blue) - October 7th
Crunch Heard Round the Commonwealth - October 10th
National School Lunch Week - October 14th - 18th
Picture Retake Day - October 18th
Report Cards - October 18th
Red Ribbon Week - October 23rd - 31st
Fall Book Fair - October 25th -November 1st
Grandparents Day Breakfast - October 29th from 7:30-8:30
Fall Fashion Fun Day Parade - October 31st @ 2:00 pm

The school year is in full swing, and we're excited to share some wonderful news and upcoming events with all of our families.

We wrapped up September with an amazing football-themed Night of Family Literacy! It was a fantastic evening filled with reading games, football fun, and family bonding. Thank you to all the families who attended and made the night such a success. We hope the excitement around reading continues to grow at home.

Our Fall Book Fair is up and running, and students have been loving the wide selection of books and activities. There’s still time to visit before it ends on October 4th, so don’t miss out on this wonderful opportunity to foster a love of reading in your child.

Our highly anticipated Grandparents' Lunch is happening this Friday, October 4th! We are excited to welcome our students’ grandparents for a special day of lunch and connection. It's always a heartwarming experience, and we look forward to seeing everyone there.

Field trip season is here! Our students have been busy exploring and learning outside the classroom. Second Grade enjoyed a wonderful trip to Braehead Farm, where they learned about different farm animals, honey bees, and the life cycle of pumpkins. Fifth Grade will be heading to Belvedere later this month for an exciting day of outdoor exploration and adventure. The KG County Fire Department will be visiting our Kindergarteners soon to talk about fire safety. It’s a great opportunity for our youngest learners to understand important safety tips and meet our local heroes.

We hope you're as excited as we are about all the fun and learning ahead this month. Thank you for your continued support!

SES Important Dates

Grandparents' Lunch- October 4th during student lunchtimes
Wacky Wildcat Parade- October 31st

Creative Writing Making Maps

Mrs. Nunez's creative writing classes are embarking on the journey of world-building! Students worked to create unique worlds with laws, historical events, and detailed maps. They used rice to make their maps even more realistic! This is the most popular project of the semester- it's amazing how creative our students are!

Library News
KGMS Library Aides created seasonal bookcase decorations to give the library a spooky & autumnal feel!

A Message from Mr. Watson, KGHS Principal

The end of the first quarter is quickly approaching. Students have been working hard to learn new material and maintain good grades. The quarter ends on October 11th. Please contact your child’s teacher, school counselor or administrator if you have questions or concerns about grades and need academic support. Please continue to speak with your child or children about expectations regarding no cell phone use during the school day, being on time to class, and attending school daily. Attendance remains a challenge that we must work on together. Students are not receiving education if they are not in school. Please contact the school with any questions or concerns.

ALL IN Day was a huge success. Thank you to our students, staff, and PTSA for a wonderful event. Please click the link below to read about the day.

ALL In Day Article

Ms. Wilkerson's Dual Enrollment Psychology students created "Nature Neurons" after going on a hike on the cross country trails to forage materials for their projects. Students were tasked with constructing a diagram of a neuron: dendrites, cell body, axon, myelin sheath, axon terminals, and neurotransmitters entirely from found items.

King George DECA is in the midst of its membership drive! If you are a DECA Alumni or would like to support this student co-curricular organization for Marketing Students as a Professional member, please go to www.kgdeca.org to access the Alumni/Professional Member form. Membership is also still open for student members.

HOSA is currently conducting a candy drive to support the Heritage Hall Trunk-or-Treat event on October 30. All donations can be dropped off at Heritage Hall or the main office at KGHS. Residents will be dressed up and handing candy to the trick-or-treaters who come to the event.

Freshmen students in CGS built ecocolumns throughout the first quarter in AP Environmental Science. In this long-term activity, students build, maintain, and collect data on the effectiveness of their ecosystem, which includes a terrestrial chamber (top), a filtration chamber (middle), and an aquatic chamber (bottom). They are growing mung seeds, radishes, and basil in their terrestrial chamber, and the aquatic chamber holds a Betta fish and elodea. Through the biogeochemical cycles, students are able to see how the various systems interact and sustain each other.

Important Links:
10th Grade Opt-Out Form

9th and 11th Grade Opt-In Form

Practice Site

Congratulations to KGHS golfer Zach Koch for winning the district individual championship on Sept 23rd.

• No bags are permitted
  
• Be respectful
  
• Avoid using foul language, obscene gestures, or threats. Don't bring signs or clothing with offensive language to the event. Be courteous to visiting teams, officials and other guests.
  
• Don't disrupt the event
  
• Don't interfere with the athletes, performers, or officials. Don't enter the playing field or court, even during halftime or pre-game warm-ups. Don't throw objects in the stands or toward the court. Don't rush the court or field after the game to celebrate.
  
• Report inappropriate behavior
  
• If you see someone acting inappropriately, let school event staff know.
  
• Be a positive fan
  
• Cheer for your team, not against the other team. Focus on why you're a fan in the first place, which is your favorite player and our team.
  

Tickets and Season Passes

Tickets and passes are available using the GoFan link.

Cash is not accepted at the gate for any home event.

It’s that time of year again where we have the opportunity to celebrate students for their creativity and artistic abilities. The National PTA Reflections Contest, with the theme of Accepting Imperfection, provides our King George High School Foxes with the opportunity to compete in six different categories. Our premiere students will then be submitted to the King George County level in hopes of National Recognition at a later date. There are also prizes for winners at each level.

Submissions are due by November 12, 2024, in the box in the front office or submitted electronically at decarlijd@gmail.com. No late entries will be accepted.

KGES

Sarah Ritchie & Kierra Mason

Let’s TACO About it! Our counseling lessons focused on Respect with a K-2 focus on respecting yourself and speaking kindly to yourself and others. Mrs. Ritchie read “Taco Falls Apart” and everyone had a delicious time building our own tacos in Art! The classes practiced respectful and positive self talk using “I CAN!” statements. And as the saying goes… 'It's okay to fall apart sometimes. Tacos fall apart and we still love them.’

For 3-5 grade lessons, Dr. Mason also visited the Art room! Her lessons focused on self respect and self control. For our 4th and 5th students, scenarios were created to see how they would react in different situations. For 3rd grade, students practiced the power to choose with the What Should Danny Do book series. Classes discussed how your choices can impact yourself and others.

The KGES Rise & Shine Club has started its Wednesday Morning Meetings. Rise and Shine focuses on school connectivity with students K-5 while focusing on the importance of coming to school. This club also features our AMAZING Attendance mascot, Roy the Attendasaurus (read more about him in the Project KIND section!)

SES

Julie Sodergren & Dawn Hamilton

This month, Sealston started the Attendance Breakfast Clubs! Each week in the counseling office, we gather students to connect, share experiences, and build a community focused on overcoming challenges together. Students can enjoy breakfast while engaging in fun activities and discussions that help everyone feel more motivated and ready to tackle the school day. Our goal is to support each student and help make coming to school a little easier for—one delicious bite at a time!

Sealston is also excited to welcome back our friend SAM, the SEALSTON Attendance Mascot. SAM is excited to come to school each day ready to learn and do his best. Mrs. Elia will tell SAM about the class that had the highest attendance in the school for each month. Each month the class who comes to school ready to learn the most will win a class prize AND get their picture in the yearbook!

PES

Hannah Hanks & Lisa Lawrence

This month at Potomac Elementary guidance lessons focused on Respect and Bullying Prevention. Students learned the meaning of bullying, how to stop bullying, and how to make school safe for everyone. We also focused on what respect means, what it looks like, and what it sounds like. Relationship building games and other hands-on activities were utilized in the lessons.

Additionally, the WINGS after-school program started this month and we are looking forward to our next pep rally. Our pep rallies recognize students who had perfect attendance for the month as well as students who were nominated by their teacher for exhibiting the character trait of the month, Respect.

The Attendance Breakfast Clubs have started as well! Students enjoy breakfast while engaging in conversations and topics that help them feel more connected to the school community. Students are able to connect with peers, share experiences, and work through attendance related obstacles while enjoying fun activities. There are lots of fun and exciting activities happening at Potomac Elementary!

SAVE THE DATES!

Monday, October 7th is World Day of Bully Prevention - #blueup Day!

October 28-November 1st is Red Ribbon Week!

Helpful Tips for Middle School Parents

As the first nine weeks is coming to an end, students should be getting acclimated to the dynamics of middle school. We know it has been a smooth transition for some and a rough transition for others, but in due time, things will get better.

At KGMS, here are a few things that students need to remember:

1) Be kind to one another
2) Be respectful to teachers, staff and students
3) Follow the school rules
4) Raise your hand when you have questions
5) Understand that Bullying will NOT be Tolerated

Since middle school is a time of significant change for students, some key things parents/guardians

should be aware of are:

1) Increased academic expectations – In some cases, homework can become more demanding.

Better time management skills would be beneficial. Students also need to develop good study habits to decrease test anxiety and increase test scores.

2) Social complications – Friend circles can change frequently and navigating social dynamics can

be challenging, including potential issues with peer pressure, body imaging, and bullying.

3) Hormonal shifts – Puberty can lead to mood swings and more intense emotions.

4) Developing independence – This is an important skill for middle schoolers as it can help them

learn, grow and interact socially. They should start taking more responsibility for their school

work, schedules and organization.

It’s important for parents/guardians to be supportive, have open communication and help their children to navigate these challenges and address any concerns. Research shows that students tend to perform better in school when they have a strong support system.

Contact Us

Mrs. Ashley Price (Last Names: A-Davis)
Email: aprice@kgcs.k12.va.us
Mrs. Kimberley Miller (Last Name: Dean-I)
Email: kmiller2@kgcs.k12.va.us
Mr. Patric Anderson (Last Name: J-Paz)
Email: panderson@kgcs.k12.va.us
Mrs. Illianez Ramos-Chaves (Last Name: Pe-Tir)
Email: iramoschaves@kgcs.k12.va.us
Mrs. Robin Mitchell, Director of School Counseling
(Last Name: To-Z)
Email: rmitchell@kgcs.k12.va.us
Mrs. Diana Garland
School Social Worker
Email: dgarland@kgcs.k12.va.us

October Events

We have some great events in October!
October 7 is Blue Shirt Day in recognition of bully prevention month
October 15 is the College Night at Spotsylvania Towne Center at 6 pm. Look for your school counselor to receive a bag for all of your college resources!
October 21 is KGHS Financial Aid Night in the KGHS library for families preparing for the cost of post secondary education for their student.
October 24 is Mix It Up at Lunch Day in the cafeteria for all KGHS students.
October 28 - November 1 is Red Ribbon Week to highlight drug abuse prevention with a variety of activities.

ASVAB Testing

KGHS Counseling is also hosting two ASVAB test sessions and a variety of college visits this month. Students can sign up in the counseling office or using the google form sent through email.

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month! This is a great opportunity for us to come together and ensure our students understand the importance of staying safe online. We encourage you to discuss topics such as creating strong passwords, recognizing phishing scams, and the importance of privacy settings on social media. By working together, we can help our students navigate the digital world safely.

Please view the following interactive presentation in order to help spark conversation with your student!

If your child has a severe allergy, asthma, diabetes, seizures, or any other chronic health condition which may require nursing services, you and your healthcare provider are required to complete and sign an Individualized Health Care Plan to assist us in caring for your child during the school day. Health Care Plan Forms are available on the school website or from your school nurse.

The "Crunch Heard 'round the Commonwealth" is October 10, 2024. The whole school division will take a bite out of an apple at the same time!

National School Lunch Week is October 14-18. This is always a fun week for students! We will have an interesting menu, as well as many other treats for the students!

Please watch Including Samuel on Inclusion any time between now and October 14th and attend the Q & A with Daniel Habib on October 14 at 1:00 via Zoom.

See the attached flyer for links to the movie and special Q & A session!

• October 7- World Day of Bullying Prevention, Wear Blue!
• October 7- School Board Meeting, Public Hearing at King George Middle School
• October 14- School Board Meeting, Revercomb Building, 6 PM
• October 14- Teacher Workday- No School for Students
• October 18- Report Cards Distributed
• October 30- School Board Meeting, King George Middle School, 6 PM
• October 30- Early Release Day for all Students