Woodley Words
I S S U E
2
O C T O B E R
8 T H
2 0 1 5
In a fixed mindset students believe their basic abilities, their intelligence, their talents, are
just fixed traits. They have a certain amount and that’s that, and then their goal becomes to
look smart all the time and never look dumb. In a growth mindset students understand that
their talents and abilities can be developed through effort, good teaching and persistence.
They don’t necessarily think everyone’s the same or anyone can be Einstein, but they believe
everyone can get smarter if they work at it.
Carol Dweck, Stanford University
Quite often parents ask how they can help their child (ren) be successful. Reading
every night is often shared as one of the most effective way; however, another
important way to help is assisting your child in developing a growth mindset.
Having a growth mindset is what can be considered a “can do attitude” or some
may remember the saying “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again!”
As parents and educators, we need to redefine what smart means. We all must
understand and teach our children that smart does not mean easy or fast.
Our children need to know that smart means working through things, preserving
and eventually understanding. This does not mean that every person will be great
at everything. It does mean that if we have an interest or desire to learn something
new, we can. We will need to teach our students grit, determination and
perseverance.
At home and at school we need to remind our children that they may not be the best
in every subject at school; however, they can get better. We are not given a certain
amount or knowledge or information from birth that stays at that level throughout
our lives. We develop a like for certain things from watching/hearing others as well
as the experiences we have. Often times when things become hard we give up and
then that “thing” becomes something we don’t like it. We forget that the things we
love to do now very well were difficult at first. So, when your child tells you they
don’t like a subject please help to develop a growth mindset. Remind him or her
that it’s alright to not like something and it may seem difficult but it’s important to
work hard and to keep trying.
WOODLEY
WORDS
Woodley Words
I S S U E
2
O C T O B E R
8 T H
2 0 1 5
En una mentalidad fija los estudiantes creen que sus capacidades básicas , su inteligencia, talentos, son
solamente sus características fijas. Que Tienen una cierta cantidad y sus metas son verse inteligente todo el
tiempo y nunca verse tonto.
En el crecimiento de su mentalidad, ellos entienden que sus talentos y habilidades se pueden desarrollar a través
del esfuerzo, la buena enseñanza y la persistencia. Ellos no necesariamente piensan que todo el mundo es el
mismo o cualquier persona puede ser un Einstein, pero si piensan que todos podemos ser más inteligentes si
trabajamos en ello.
-Carol Dweck, la Universidad de Stanford
Muy a menudo los padres se preguntan cómo pueden ayudar a su hijo (a) para que tengan
éxito. La lectura todas las noches es a menudo recomendado como uno de los más eficaces;
Sin embargo, otra forma importante de ayudar a su hijo, es a desarrollar una mentalidad de
crecimiento. Tener una mentalidad de crecimiento es lo que se puede considerar una
"actitud de poder hacer", algunos pueden recordar el dicho; "Si al principio no tienes éxito
inténtalo de nuevo!" Como padres y educadores, tenemos que redefinir lo que significa
inteligencia .Todos debemos entender y enseñar a nuestros hijos que la inteligencia no
significa fácil o rápido. Nuestros hijos necesitan saber que la inteligencia es trabajar las
cosas, perseverar y, eventualmente la comprender. Esto no quiere decir que cada persona
va a ser grandioso en todo. Lo que significa es que si tenemos un interés o deseo de
aprender algo nuevo, podemos hacerlo. Tendremos que enseñar a nuestros estudiantes
desde un principio, la determinación y la perseverancia.
En casa y en la escuela tenemos que recordar a nuestros hijos que no pueden ser el mejor en
todas las asignaturas de la escuela; sin embargo, pueden mejorar. No se nos da una cierta
cantidad de conocimiento o información desde el nacimiento. Desarrollamos un interés por
ciertas cosas que vemos o escuchamos de otros y a veces cuando las cosas se ponen difícil
tienden a darse por vencidos.
Nos olvidamos de que las cosas que nos gusta hacer fueron difíciles al principio. Todos
podemos recordar algo que era difícil, pero seguimos trabajando duro en ello hasta que
logramos nuestro objetivo.
WOODLEY
PAGE
3
Reading Team
Welcome back to our Woodley Hills Families!
For those of you who don’t know us, we are Mary Kate DeRose and Marion
Eckhause, and we are the reading teachers at Woodley Hills Elementary School.
We are so excited to be starting another school year, and we’re looking forward
to working with you and your children and all of our fabulous teachers!
We’d like to share a few resources that are really helpful in terms of supporting
your child’s literacy development. One of these resources is the Reading Is
Fundamental (RIF) website: http://www.rif.org/ Here you will find activities,
booklists, articles, and brochures that will give you lots of ideas for how to
incorporate literacy at home in a fun and engaging way. The information on
the website is available in both English and Spanish.
Another great resource is our local library, Sherwood Regional Library. The
library is located at 2501 Sherwood Hall Lane, and information can be found
online at: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/branches/sh/ Signing your
child up for a library card and visiting the library regularly is a great way to
support literacy at home!
Last but not least, research tells us that the best way to support your child’s
literacy development at home is to make sure you set at least 20 minutes aside
to read to your child, read with your child, and/or listen to your child read to
you. Reading at home should be a fun and special time for you and your child/
children.
Please feel free to contact one or both of us with any questions that you have!
Mary Kate DeRose (mderose@fcps.edu)
Marion Eckhause (maeckhause@fcps.edu)
WOODLEY
WORDS
PAGE
4
Energy Zone Wellness
9-5-2-1-0 Zip Code to Your Health
To encourage student wellness, FCPS Elementary Schools are promoting
9-5-2-1-0 Zip Code to Your Health the week of October 19 – 23, 2015.
Students will learn about healthy eating and exercise through this daily
message. This program is a partnership with the Northern Virginia
Healthy Kids Coalition. Teachers are invited to highlight the daily
message in the classroom.
What’s on the Menu Today?
Healthy Choices!
Parents ‐ did you know?
Today’s school lunch includes:

Fresh fruits and veggies

More whole grains

Less sodium and fat

Nonfat or low‐fat milk
LUNCH APP
Interactive monthly school breakfast and lunch menus can be accessed via the free FCPS
mobile app (Android or Apple) or through the web version of the lunch app, http://
fcps.nutrislice.com/. Both options provide quick and easy access to menu choices and nutrition information, so parents and students can learn more about the variety of healthy
foods available in their school. The web version features a link to MySchoolBucks.com,
making it easy to add money to a student’s lunch account or check a student’s school
meal selections. Other widgets connect customers to ingredient lists, allergen information,
and resources and services provided by the FCPS Office of Food and Nutrition Services.
There is no convenience fee with MySchoolBucks. In fact, if you have an account on
www.MySchoolBucks.com not only will you be able to pay for school lunch but you will
soon be able to pay for field trips, missing library books and any other school payments at
the elementary level. If you have older children you can pay sports fees, activity fees,
lunch and so much more. Think about signing up today.
WOODLEY
WORDS
PAGE
5
Flash Cards That Encourage Reasoning
(adapted from “Teaching Children Mathematics” February 2014)
Children’s understanding of basic facts is encouraged through using facts that
they know to help them with facts they don’t know. Basic fact flash cards that also use
models, such as tens frames or arrays, can help support students in their understanding.
For addition and subtraction, the child might also use the “make a ten” strategy by
mentally moving 2 dots from the set of 6 to make the 8 into a 10, then add the remaining
4 to make
Ten Frames 14.
6x4 6x4
5x8
1x8
8+6
6x8
For multiplication and division, using array flash cards, 6x8 can be
calculated by counting the total number of squares. Or, students could use a
“halving and doubling strategy” to divide 8 into 4 and 4, and create two equal
parts of 6x4 and 6x4, which will also make 48. Children could also use facts of 2,
5, or 10 to find the product, thinking of 6x8 as 5x8 and 1x8, which also makes 48.
The children can draw their own tens frames and arrays, or you can copy and
use templates from these websites and glue onto index cards: Mini Tens Frames
and Grids can be found at:
http://bridges1.mathlearningcenter.org/media/Bridges_Gr1_Corrections/
Bridges_Gr1_NC_OH_9.pdf
WOODLEY
WORDS
PTA News
Welcome back WHES families!
Stop and smell the mums!
The PTA would like to thank Tim Meyers and crew from GMI Landscaping. They
volunteered their time and supplies to beautify the front grounds and give the
trees a little pruning to make sure we had beautifully blooming trees come
spring. A big thanks to Tim and his crew!
It's going to be an exciting year. We have a creative and energetic board ready to
work hard and make things happen. I would encourage everyone to get
connected in some way. Whether you are a behind the scenes person or you like
being front and center there is a place for you in the PTA. Come out to the
General PTA meeting on October 13 at 7PM to explore your options, be
informed and share your thoughts with other parents. If you can't make it, look at
the PTA website later in the week to catch the meeting minutes. As always, you
may reach out to myself or any board member by emailing us from the PTA
website, http://woodleyhills.my-pta.org/ .
Together we can make a difference! See you all there!
Angie Bryant
Woodley Hills PTA President
PAGE
7
Science
Built upon the basic tenants of STEM education, STEAM education
recognizes and acknowledges that in order to be successful in the technical
fields, scientists and engineers are required to think creatively when solving
problems. Additionally, their ability to think critically while engaging in this
process is essential. Both of these skills are attained through exposure to the
arts. At Woodley Hills, STEAM education will provide students with
meaningful experiences in the STEAM disciplines through a process of
inquiry and project based learning. Relationships between the core subject
areas will be brokered by asking essential questions that will form the basis of
each of the projects. Working in collaboration, each of the STEAM team
members will work to integrate content from their curriculum, making
learning not only beneficial, but also relevant and meaningful.
WOODLEY
WORDS
PAGE
8
October is…
*Head Start Awareness
Month
*Va. Disability History and Awareness
Month
*Fire Prevention
Week (4-10)
*Teen Read
Week (18-24)
*National School
Lunch
Week (12 – 16)
*Day of National
Concern about
Young People and
Gun Violence in Va.
Day (21)
*National School Bus
Safety
Week (19-23)
*National Red Ribbon
Week (23-31)
WOODLEY
WORDS