Bristow Run Elementary School
“We are a Team on Track for the Future”
From The Panther’s Pen
Our School Mission Statement
Bristow Run Pledge
Bristow Run Elementary School is
committed to the belief that all children will
learn to their fullest potential in a safe,
respectful and motivating environment of
high expectations and continuous
improvement in partnership with our
parents and community.
"A Team on Track for the Future”
“I will remember to be respectful,
kind, trustworthy and a good citizen. I
will work hard, do my best and be a
Quality Student. I will be responsible
for my actions and my own learning
and response-able to the success of
my class and our school.
I will seek to make a positive
difference at school today.”
Hello Panthers!
Andrew Buchheit, Principal
Kim Werle - Assistant Principal
November, 2010
Thank you for an Awesome first 9 weeks of school. We were excited to learn
that Bristow Run Elementary School made AYP targets and has earned the
designation as a School of Excellence for the 10th time from our test scores
last year.
Can you believe 1/4th of our school year is already over? I have enjoyed seeing all the returning
students again and getting to know our new students. We have such wonderful students and it is nice to see
them all work together as Quality Citizens. As you already know, we have outstanding teachers. No matter
which classroom your child is in, I have no doubts that they will have a successful school year.
Please work closely with your child’s teacher. I believe teaching is a partnership and our teachers
appreciate your support and assistance. If you have not had a chance to meet with your child’s classroom
teacher at Back to School Night or for conferences, please contact them by phone or email. It is so important
that all our teachers and parents get a chance to talk about their children early in the school year. As you
know, our School Vision is: “A Team on Track for the Future”. At Bristow Run we recognize that it takes all
of us (Teachers, Students & Parents) working together to ensure the success of each student. We truly believe
that by working together all children will learn to their fullest potential. I look forward to continuing to work
with you and your children this year. One of the best things you can do to help support your students
and teachers at home is to make sure your students are reading each night. They should also work
on Raz-Kids, Study Island and SOL Pass at home.
We started the year off with a lot of fun events – Our open houses, Back to School Nights, the staff
volleyball game against Signal Hill ES, Spirit Night at Chick -Fil-A, our Math Information Night and the PTO
Family Fun Night Costume Bingo. The next 9 weeks promises more exciting events- our Annual Read a Thon
and Family Reading Night, Family Fitness Night, Jump rope for heart, and SOL Information Night. These
activities are not only fun for our students, parents and staff and raise money for our school but they are also
important in helping us develop a strong school community. We appreciate your involvement and
participation in these activities. Many of these events were organized and sponsored by our PTO. As you
probably already noticed, we have an outstanding and hard working PTO board once again this school year. I
encourage everyone to get involved with PTO if you can. One of our biggest fun raising goals for this year is
acquiring more Smartboards and Mobile Laptop carts. I would like to have one in all our regular classrooms
that are permanently mounted. Much of the money we raise this year will go toward these goals.
As you probably have heard by now, I was chosen as the principal for the new T.Clay Wood
Elementary School. Although, I am excited about this new opportunity and adventure, I am also sad to be
leaving my home at Bristow Run. I will be here at least through winter break. I want to ensure you that we
will have a smooth transition and we will find the best principal for our school. I will still live in the
community and always keep my eye on Bristow Run!!! Thank you for a great 11 years.
Thanks for all you have done to help us have such a wonderful first 9 weeks of school and for
entrusting your students with us. I anticipate a GREAT 2nd 9 weeks too.
Sincerely, Andrew Buchheit, Principal
UPCOMING CALENDAR
Our school hours are from 9:00 am – 3:30 pm.
o Wed., November, 24– Early dismissal(12:15 pm) for Thanksgiving
o Thursday-Friday, November 25-26 – Thanksgiving Holiday – no school
o Saturday, December 4 – Girls on the Run 5 K
o Monday, December 22– Winter Break begins at dismissal (early dismissal)
o Monday, January 3 - School Resumes
o Monday, January 17 – Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday – No school
o Tuesday, January 19 – ½ day Parent Conference day – 12:15 pm dismissal
o Tuesday, January 25 - Winter Concert – Band/Chorus – 7:00 pm
o Friday, January 28– end of 2nd grading period
o Friday, January 28 – Family Fitness Fun Night , 6:30 pm.
o Monday, January 31– Teacher workday – no school for students
NEWS FROM OUR ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
I would like to thank everyone for a great first nine weeks of school. It has been wonderful meeting all of
our new families and seeing our returning students again. As I continue to visit with students each day in
their classrooms, I am always impressed by how much they are learning and how they are working hard to
be quality students. Please know that I am always available if you need assistance. You can reach me by
calling 703-75-7741 or by e-mail at werleka@pwcs.edu
Car Riders
If you pick up your child each day, remember to get a number from our office staff.
Morning Procedures - You may enter the car line starting at 8:35 am. Students
are not permitted to enter school until 8:40 am when there is supervision in the
gym. Staff members report to school each day at 8:40 am. Due to the number of
cars arriving too early at our school; the car line has grown so long that our staff members
are not able to get into the parking lot and end up stuck in the car line.
Cars must pull all the way forward as directed by our staff members. Students
should exit the car on the sidewalk side. If your child needs assistance to exit the car we
ask that you park in our parking lot and escort them into the building. Please prepare your
children by making sure they have all their belongings such as backpacks with them before
you pull up to school. Just a reminder, please remember to walk on the sidewalk at all
times. If you park in the spaces in front of the school please walk around to the sidewalk
instead of walking in the street. Safety is our #1 priority
Students should be released along the entire length of our sidewalk and not just by
the front door. By having as many students as possible exit their cars and walk into the
building; we can make sure all students are in the building on time each day. If you feel
you need to only release your child at the front door, we ask that you park in the parking lot
and walk your child into the building.
Afternoon Procedures Cars will not be permitted to enter our car line at the end of
the school day until 3:25. We will not dismiss car riders until 3:30 in the afternoon. This
allows our buses to enter our parking lot. It also allows students to be picked up by parents
during emergencies.
Our car line is becoming so long that it blocks our bus loop and we cannot get buses
into the building and parents who are coming to pick up their children for an appointment
also cannot get into the building. If this problem continues to grow, we will need to consider
some other alternatives for picking up students in the afternoon including blocking the car
pick up lane and asking all parents to park and sign out their children. We are encouraging
all our parents to - Please let your child ride the bus or walk to school, whenever possible.
Please always remember to obey all traffic laws while entering, exiting and driving in our
parking lot. We especially have had to remind many drivers to remember not to drive on the
other side of the double yellow line. This is dangerous and against traffic laws. We are
thanking everyone in advance for working together to help us resolve these concerns and
whenever possible having their students walk to school or ride the bus. This has been a
huge help at our arrival and dismissal time.
WATCH OUT FOR OUR STUDENTS
Please remember when parking or driving around the local streets to be careful of all our students.
Follow all traffic laws and watch out for our little ones who may walk between cars or step out in the
road.
Walkers and Bus Riders
It is important for everyone’s safety to remember the following when walking
or riding the bus home. Walkers need to plan their trip so they don’t arrive
at school before 8:45 am. While walking, students should stay away from the
road and not throw any items. Bus riders also need to be careful at the bus
stop to use good character by not throwing things or playing sports at the bus stop
we don’t want anyone to get hurt. Remember, if you change your child’s method of
going home, please send in a note.
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Each school in Prince William County has a School Advisory Council
comprised of parent representatives, teachers and staff representatives. The
Advisory Council helps decide on the focus and direction that the school should
take each year. It sets these goals out in our Annual School Plan. Anyone can
attend an Advisory Council meeting. We meet on the first Thursday of the month at 6:30 pm.
Please see school website for our new strategic improvement plan.
SCHOOL WEB SITE - http://www.pwcs.edu/pwc/schools/brun/bristowrun.htm.
Did you know that Bristow Run has a website on the Internet? It is being updated
continually. Read the latest Panther Press, see Advisory Council minutes and PTA
news, look at teacher pages, check the lunch menu for Monday, read our school song,
look at student picks for the top 100 children’s books, and see what the weather is for our
area at the News 4 weather Station at Bristow Run. After checking it out email us with
any comments or questions
GIANT BONUSBUCKS
Did you know that every time you shopped at Giant, you can
designate Bristow Run Elementary School to receive points for the total
that you spend? These points earn our school money.
All you need to do is fill out a quick form designating our school. It costs you
nothing. Our school code is 03606. You can also register online at:
http://www.giantfood.com/bonuscard_aplus_pin.cfm. So if you have not
already designated Bristow Run as your school, I ask you to take a moment to do so. It is
one of our easiest and most successful fundraisers. Thank you.
would like to thank all the patrols for doing such a good job so far this year.
Please remember to be respectful, kind, trustworthy and a good citizen. I look forward to
working with all you the rest of the year. Patti Wells, Patrol Coordinator
Patrols-
I
DETENTION PROGRAM for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders Effective November 4, 2010, we will begin an After School Detention Program for students in Grades
3rd, 4th and 5th. This is an effort to help hold our students accountable for their behavior and to offer
another mechanism of providing consequences for serious and/or repeated work habit concerns or
behavioral violations to classroom, school and county rules.
We hope this program will effectively motivate our students to complete class work and homework in
a timely manner, to be polite and courteous to all adults and students, and to follow school and classroom
rules in a consistent and appropriate manner. Criteria for serving detention have been established and has
been sent home. Classroom teachers have reviewed this criteria with their students.
Detention will be held on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm and will always
to be supervised by a Bristow Run staff member. Parents will be notified in advance that their child has
been assigned detention on the Panther Pride Review Form. You will be requested to sign the form and
return it to the school. It is very important that we receive your support in ensuring that your child attends
detention if one is ever assigned. Parents will be responsible for arranging their child’s transportation
home after the detention is served. Prompt pick up is important.
Students attending detention will be expected to be productive during the time they are there. The
teacher in charge will monitor behavior and student work. Students who exhibit inappropriate behavior or
do not make good use of their time will be reassigned detention. All of the rules will be reviewed with all
children so they are aware of the expectations.
By instating this program, we hope to continue to instill and motivate our students to develop
consistent and strong work habits. We also hope that this will help them to see the importance of
following school and classroom rules. The Detention Program also offers us another option for
disciplining students without having to suspend them from school. We are hopeful that you, as parents,
will be supportive of this program and will discuss with your child the criteria for their grade level. If you
have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call your child’s teacher or us. Thank you for your support.
ACADEMIC RECOGNITION
3rd -5th grade Students at Bristow Run Elementary School earn a place on the Principal’s Honor
Roll if they earn all As in all subjects in a marking period. 3rd – 5th grade students can earn a place on the
Honor Roll if they earn a combination of As and Bs in all subjects in a marking period. Congratulations to
all students who have earned one of these two academic recognitions\
PANTHER PRIDE RECOGNITION
We are proud and happy to recognize our students for their Outstanding Panther Pride. Students
must meet the following criteria:
1.
Conduct: S or S+ on the report card and no checks in the descriptors.
2.
Work Habits: S or S+ on the report card and no checks in the descriptors.
3.
Effort: No X for any area for the grading period.
4.
Discipline Plan: Follows Discipline plan. No suspension from school or bus. No
detention.
5.
INK JET RECYCLING PROGRAM
Did you know that we collect used Ink Jet cartridges to recycle? For each cartridge we
recycle our school earns money. Money from this recycling program is often designated
for our technology needs. Put it in a small bag so that your child does not get messy and
have him or her drop it off in our big recycling container in the front lobby
TESTING INFORMATION- Heather Goode, Intervention Specialist
All third graders will be taking the CogAT and Naglieri Nonverbal Ability
Tests in November. These tests are used to designed tp assess the
development of verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal reasoning and problem
solving skills. The results from these tests and other classroom achievement
information will be used to assist teachers in understanding the learning strengths and
needs of each student. The purpose is to help design the most effective instructional plan
for each individual student so that all students perform to the best of their ability.
The schedule is as follows:
Friday, November 5 - Practice CogAT
Monday, November 8 – CogAT/ Tuesday, November 9 - CogAT
Wednesday, November 10 – CogAT/ Friday, November 12 - Naglieri
The best way to prepare for these tests is to ensure that your child gets enough rest
and to encourage them to do their best.
Our next benchmark test for 3rd, 4th and 5th grade will be in December. This will be
used to compare to the 1st benchmark given in September to measure growth.
If you have any questions about testing, please email Heather Goode, School Testing
Coordinator goodehg@pwcs.edu
Library Stories by Carolyn Kyker THE BOOKWORM CENTRAL BOOK FAIR IS COMING THE WEEK OF Nov. 15 - 19
We are in need of wonderful parent volunteers to help us with the fair. Please sign up at the
welcome table for the time you are available to work. The classroom with the most worked
hours will receive a $50.00 gift certificate from the fair. Sign up and help your child's class win
the $50.00.
What are we doing in the library. Besides reading great books. The second, third, fourth
and fifth graders have been learning about our new Destiny Library Catalog. It is very different
from our old OPAC. Destiny will soon be available on the Bristow Run Library Web page.
Speaking of the Bristow Run Library Web page check it out. There are many neat reading and
craft ideas for students and parents on our web page. We even have a blog where you can tell
us about your favorite book. Then we will begin studying Reference materials. The students will
studying the dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopedia, glossary including the online versions of the
these reference materials.
Kindergarten and first grade are reading the 10 nominated Virginia's Readers Choice books
and voting on their favorite so far Chester is in the lead. It's my favorite, too. Come visit us
and you may want to be a library volunteer. We Need You. The Second, Third, Fourth and
Fifth grades will be finishing the study of our new Destiny Library System.
Physical Education The second nine week grading period will continue to focus on improving our four
tested areas of fitness; cardiovascular endurance, upper body strength and endurance, abdominal strength
and endurance, and flexibility. Additional areas of the curriculum to be covered include spatial
awareness, locomotor movements, and the Action Based Learning Lab. Grades 1-5 will be taking the
Virginia Wellness Fitness Tests as well as participating in activities to improve their scores in these areas.
The tests include the PACER aerobic capacity test, the push-up test, curl-up test and the back saver sit and
reach flexibility test. Kindergarten students will be working on spacial awareness and locomotor
movements such as skipping, hopping, etc... All students in grades K-2 will continue to participate in the
Action Based Learning Lab. This is a series of stations that has been linked to increasing academic
performance by incorporating moving and learning activities together.
GRADE LEVEL NEWS – What to expect for the next 9 weeks
Kindergarten -
- Kindergarten has settled into the school routine and will be very busy
in the weeks ahead! We are becoming emerging readers as the student’s master additional
letters and their sounds. Knowing all of their letter sounds will help them in their guided
reading groups. Please continue to help your child learn the kindergarten popcorn words,
as knowing these words will also help when reading with the teacher. For our Math
Investigations we will continue to learn about patterns, counting and measuring, writing &
recognizing numbers 0-10, and traditional addition. For our Social studies and science units, we
will learn natural and man-made heat, magnets (push & pull), needs & wants, learning the
difference of past & present, studying Pocahontas and the traditions of Thanksgiving. We have
many exciting activities and lessons planned for the days ahead! Don’t forget to read every night!
1st grade –
"Wow! What a great first quarter it has been. The students have been working so hard this
quarter learning their new classroom routines and how to be quality citizens in first grade.
In the 2nd quarter, we will study units such as colonial life (past/present), diversity &
culture, nutrition, motion, force and winter. In math, we will work with addition,
subtraction, probability, telling time, and collecting and representing data. When reading, we
will continue to decode our words, work on retelling a story with detail, as well as making
reflections and connections to what we are reading. We are off to a great start in writing
workshop. We will continue to focus on using details when writing about small moments and
adding proper spacing, punctuation and capitalization.
We will have our first field trip to the Stephen Udvar-Hazy Air & Space Center in
Chantilly, VA on Nov. 17th (Kesler, Gregory, Brown, Shrader) and Nov. 18th (Heltibridle, Starnes,
Winkelmann, Riello-Jones). We will also have our Winter Celebration before Winter break.
More information will come from your teacher as the dates approach. Thank you to all the
wonderful volunteers we have had this first quarter!
Don't forget to do your nightly reading and to record your minutes on your reading
calendar each night. Don’t forget, www.Raz-kids.com is a wonderful, independent reading
activity for the children to use! Happy Reading!"
2ND GRADE – The Second Grade Team would like to thank parents for all your support
in helping to make our first quarter so successful! We are looking forward to an
exciting second quarter of the school year! We have many topics to cover but second
graders are up to the challenge of learning as much as they can!
As we read each day, we’ll continue to practice the strategies that
readers use before reading, during reading and after reading. And of course, we’ll
continue to add to our Accelerated Reader totals and complete our monthly reading logs!
Second graders already see their own progress in writing. We are learning and applying the
writing process. Look for more of our creations in the hallways! We’ll also learn to recognize
verbs, proper nouns, contractions, synonyms and antonyms.
In math, we’ll complete our second unit, Shapes, Blocks and Symmetry. Our third unit is titled,
Stickers, Number Strings and Story Problems. We also continue to memorize addition and
subtraction facts for Math Facts in a Flash. Our social studies topics will be: Economics –
natural, human and capital resources, barter and scarcity, Famous Americans. Diversity, And
our science topics will be: Ecosystems and Magnets
Third Grade Our third grade year is off to a great start. We have been working hard
setting up our classroom communities and discussing quality student behavior around the school
building. In Reading we have worked on identifying different story elements, locating facts in a
story, and determining the main idea of a passage that we have read. We have also begun learning
about the seven different types of folktales which include fairy tales, fables, tall tales, trickster
tales, pourquoi tales, myths, and legends. In Writing, many of our classes have already begun to
write paragraphs! We are making sure to use correct capitalization and punctuation in our sentences and
to add good details to our sentences to make the reader interested in what we have to say. During Math
this quarter we have reviewed some different addition and subtraction strategies. We have also learned
about all different types of graphs including bar graphs, pictographs, and line plots. Probability has been
a very fun math topic to learn as well! In Social Studies we learned all about our government and even
voted in our classrooms using a representative democracy to choose our SCA representatives. Many of
our classes have also been studying the famous holidays and Americans who have helped shape our lives.
Some classes have even begun to travel around the Earth as they learned about our geography. In Science
most of us have been studying all about different animals and their adaptations, food chains, habitats, and
life cycles. Other classes have learned about Matter and have done some fun hands on experiments
during this unit. As you can see we have been extremely busy in third grade already. In the 2nd quarter
we will have a lot of exciting things to learn. We will be continuing to study the different types of
folktales in Reading and will work more on our comprehension. In Writing some of us will be writing a
story from a turkey’s point of view and our own versions of “The Three Little Pigs.” In Math we’ll be
working on place value to the hundred thousands place and we’ll also begin learning about geometry and
measurement. We will travel around the world and learn about Greece and Rome and review our
continents and oceans from 2nd grade. Simple machines, which is one of our most exciting units, is also
coming up in Science. As you can see we are looking forward to the upcoming quarter and are ready to
dive into some more fun learning!!
Fourth Grade It is hard to believe that the first nine weeks of 4th grade is over. We
have really enjoyed getting to know our students. We had a great time on our
first field trip of the year to Vulcan Quarry. Here are a just a few more units that
we will be focusing on during the next nine weeks.
Language Arts: Guided Reading Groups, Elements of Fiction/Non Fiction
The Research/Writing Process/ Science: The Solar System, Motion
Virginia Studies: Jamestown , Colonial Virginia , American Revolution
Math: Place Value, Multiplication/division, Data Analysis & Probability
It is very important that your child continues to read for at least 20 minutes and
practice multiplication facts every night. Be sure to check your child’s agenda for
homework assignments, classroom updates, and upcoming quizzes or tests. Also, please
remember to sign your child’s agenda every day.
The 4th Grade team is looking forward to a great 2nd nine weeks!
Fifth Grade Fifth grade has had a great start to the year! Students have learned
about Living Things in Science with hands on activities. We have started touring the
United State Regions in SS with the Northeastern Region. Number Sense in Math has
been a focus with skills in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division presented.
We are moving into Fractions, Percents, and Decimals! Guided reading groups and
centers provide a variety of activities for all students in Language Arts. The highlight of
the 1st quarter was our field trip to Skyline Caverns! We enjoyed our Constitution Day assembly
and Character Counts program too! We are looking forward to learning about Oceanography and
the history of the Northeast. It is hard to believe we are already into the 2nd quarter!!
News from Reading by Mrs. Segovia, Bristow Run Reading Specialist
Our reading motivation theme this year is Flat Bristow, like the popular book Flat Stanley. Poor Bristow,
just like Flat Stanley, got squashed this summer when the workers were putting in new carpeting and
painting the school. He is fine, but FLAT. The only way the students can help Flat Bristow turn back
into Bristow is by completing their at home nightly reading. For the month of September, we had 3 grade
levels with 95% reaching their goal: 1st, 2nd and 3rd!! Unfortunately, our 4th and 5th graders only made it
to the 70% mark. K did a great job at 80%. Research shows that reading nightly at an independent, easy
level, increases comprehension, fluency, accuracy, vocabulary and yes, test scores! Look at our bulletin
board and watch Flat Bristow turn a little fatter each month. Of course, he can’t do it if the students aren’t
doing their nightly homework in reading. We are looking to see who reaches the 100% at home reading
goal for October.
Your child’s teacher also has a Flat Bristow that you can take when you go visiting somewhere. It can be
to another state, country, or somewhere special in VA. If you take Flat Bristow somewhere, like
Grandma’s house for apple pie, please write what Flat Bristow did on that trip and send it to school so we
can post it on the bulletin board. We would love to hear of Flat Bristow’s adventures.
In our library, Flat Bristow has read 100 different books. These are books of all genres: mystery,
biography, science fiction, fantasy, non-fiction, realistic fiction, poetry, student published books and
historical fiction. Your child should pick out a book of choice that can be read easily, or someone reads
aloud, and when it is checked out, it may be a Flat Bristow Book. If it is a Flat Bristow book the student
receives a bookmark and gets his/her name announced on the news.
NOVEMBER
18TH is FAMILY READING NIGHT. Come join us for a night of reading
activities, games, and door prizes. It starts when the book fair closes at 7:00 p.m. Please help celebrate
the joy of reading and reading activities with you child. ACTIVITIES, GAMES AND DOOR PRIZES.
See you on the 18th of November.
News from Math by Denise Cowne – Math Intervention Specialist
Thank you all who came out for our annual math night on Oct. 19. We had over 100 students who had
fun learning math by playing games, graphing, estimating with pumpkins, candy corn and other things.
The “Horse Problem” enabled many of us to discuss mathematics in a different way. This rotation for
math, grades 2-5 will be playing 24 and K-1 will be using manipulatives to form basic fact equations. We
will be doing fall/Thanksgiving activities in November including problem solving on a hundreds board,
doing glyphs and graphing, and playing number sense games during the next rotation. The rotation
activities are based on number sense as well as the concept topics listed through the SOL numbers.
K: K.1 greater than less than, K..6 beginning addition and subtraction, K.15 graphing
1st:1. 9 concepts of addition and substation/1.9 Graphing / 2nd: 2.23 graphing, 2. 2 and 2.6 addition
and subtraction/ 3rd: 3. 2 and 3.8 finding sums, 3.21 graphing
4th: 4. 6 addition and subtraction, 4.19 graphing/ 5th: 5.3 addition and subtraction, 5. 18 graphing
From the Science Lab by Jill Hanlon - FROM THE SCIENCE LAB
“Investigate and Understand.” This is the phrase most of the Science Standards
of Learning begin with. What does that mean for an elementary student? I believe that
part of “investigate” is tapping into a child's natural curiosity, however it also involves
developing and using inquiry skills. In science lab we are learning and developing the
following inquiry skills; observing, classifying and sequencing, communicating (lab
notebooks). Measuring, predicting hypothesizing, and inferring. Many of these inquiry
skills can and should be practiced at home, in everyday situations. Skills such as
observing, classifying, and inferring can be practiced while riding in a car; classify cars
by color or model, or vehicles by the number of tires. Observe the number of drivers
driving alone, or observe the number of cars in the line of the drive through and make
an inference about what they might be ordering; such as if there are children in the
car, how many kids meals might they order. Science is everything, everywhere and it is
fun! I will be following each grade levels pacing guide as much as possible over the
next 9 weeks. Next week we will be discussing food allergies for the whole school and
tying that in with various science objectives. In January I will be doing the same thing
for nutrition and tying the nutrition objectives with science. Before January I am
covering ecosystems and then magnets for 2nd grade, simple machines for 3rd, the
solar system and then force motion and energy with 4th grade, the Earth patterns,
cycles and change with 5th grade and matter and energy with kindergarten and 1st
grade. Thank you, Mrs. Hanlon
Technology @ Bristow Run
Good news for teachers! We will be adding 8 new mounted SmartBoards in the classrooms, and
adding 2 new Elmo’s as well! In the computer lab we will continue support the classroom content areas.
Students are being introduced to Type to Learn, Kidspiration, virtual math manipulatives, math
investigation programs. Kg will be working on..... weather, letter and sound recognition using
starfall.com, reading A Plimoth Village, and a virtual field trip Plimoth.
1st grade will be working on.... Seasonal changes, letter and sound recognition using starfall.com,
reading A Plimoth Village, and a virtual field trip Plimoth. 2nd grade will be working on reading A
Plimoth Village, and a virtual field trip Plimoth, animal/plant habitats, coolmath4kids.com. 3rdgrade
will be working on Thanksgiving webquest, Coolmath4kids.com, Famous Americans. 4th grade will be
working on Thanksgiving webquest, Virginia Regions, Type to Learn 3 typing program. 5th grade will
be working on Thanksgiving webquest, Explore Oceanography, Type to Learn 3 typing
Music Notes – by Lynn Maletick - Bristow Run Music classes are off to a noteworthy start.
K AND 1ST Grades started the year with our theme song “We’re Friends”. Ask your child to sing it to
you. The follow up song “Staying Cool at School “ helped us focus on how friends work together at
school to do a GOOD JOB. K classes are continuing with learning, playing and coloring pages on
percussion instruments like the bells, tambourine and maracas. 1st grade is continuing with a unit using
song stories like Grizzly Bear and The Old Gray Cat. We listen, sing and discuss the order of the story
and color a page to show one of the stories.
2nd grade started the year learning about The Star Spangled Banner. Students watched a ten minute video
on the story followed by a class discussion about who wrote the words and what was happening when
Francis Scott Key had the idea to write these words. Classes will continue to work on Patriotic music and
start to work on our music vocabulary.
3rd, 4th and 5th grade general music students all started the year with Patriotic music focused on our
September assembly for Patriot and Constitution Day. Students participated in a wonderful assembly
singing together The National Anthem, Constitution Rap and Proud to Be an American by Lee
Greenwood. Fifth grade students shared facts about the Songs, The Constitution and The Pledge to the
Flag .This year honored guests were parents and relatives of our students who have served or who are
currently serving in the military. These three grade levels have continued with a closer look at the
sentence structure and vocabulary for the National Anthem. Mr. Maletick is pleased with the interest in
5th grade strings. We have 57 students divided into two classes. Parents should encourage daily practice
for 20 minutes. This will help to improve use of the bow and playing the notes. Students should be
practicing on pages 9—12. Instruments should be coming home every day for home practice. Panther
Chorus is meeting every Monday after school with 4th and 5th graders .Mrs. Maletick is working on
ways to use the voice and produce a good singing sound. Good attendance will help this performing group
to continue the awesome performing standard set by the previous 12 years of Chorus. Both Panther
Chorus and Fifth Grade strings will perform for the first time in concert January 2011. Date and time
TBD
ART NEWS by Karen White
ART
Western Area Art Exhibit - Prince William County Schools and the Office of the Arts
are proud to announce the exhibit of Select Student Works of Art representing Western
Area Schools in Prince William County. Elementary, Middle, and High School Visual
Arts Teachers have selected outstanding Works of Art representing their school to be
displayed in the Atrium and Professional Library in the Kelly Leadership Center at
14715 Bristow Road. The exhibit can be viewed Monday through Friday from 7:00 am
until 6:00 pm, October 8, 2010 through December 17, 2010.
Congratulations to the following Talented Young Artists from Bristow Run
ES who had their work selected which is now on display:
Melanie Rowland 4th grade, Lauren Bundens 4th grade, Kayla Ojeda 4th grade,
Aaron Inocencio 5th grade, Diego Hernandez 5th grade, and Emily Drummond 5th
grade.
Happy October!! - Art Classes have been enjoying the October Season as inspiration
for works of Art.
Fifth Grades are making a Clay Leaf Bowl using the Slab Method (Sol 5.14)
Students were given clay and then shown how to use a rolling pin to spread out the
clay so they could trace and cut out a maple leaf. Students then observed the veins of
real leaves and traced in their own vein designs. The clay leaf was then gently pressed
into a bowl where it will dry in a bowl shape so it can be used as a container. Students
have also learned the various names for clay during the ceramic process (Sol 5.15).
After being fired in the kiln, students will enjoy painting their leaf bowl in bright, bold,
Autumn Colors. These should be finished by the end of October. Next, Still Life
Cornucopia in Pastels!
Fourth Grades are working on Colonial Quilt Samplers. They have been learning
about the Colonial Era and the role Crafts and Artisans played during this time period
(Sol 4.15). The works of art by Grandma Moses were studied because they depict what
life was like in Colonial Times. To start the Quilts, Geometric Designs in a variety of
colors will be attractively arranged and glued on. Then students will learn how to sew
and stitch designs. These works of art will be displayed on the Colonial/Jamestown
Musical Night. Next, Clay Sculptures!
Third Grades are nearly finishing up their Printed Autumn Leaves. Students traced
and colored in a leaf on a Coffee Filter with markers in Autumn Colors. Then they
placed it on top of white paper and brushed over it with a glue/water mixture and the
colors blended and transferred. The results were awesome! Students learned about
Positive and Negative Space during this lesson (Sol 3.4), which guided them in how
many and where to print their leaves. These will be on display in the school during
October. Next, Clay Coil Pots!
Second Grades have been learning about the works of art by famous artist Vincent
Van Gogh. The focus has been on looking at the subject matter and categorizing it into
landscape, portrait, still like, and seascape (Sol 2.17). Then we started creating our
own still life works of art using Vincent’s Sunflower Paintings as an inspiration.
Organic Shapes have been emphasized (Sol 2.4-2) for the vase and flower petal design.
These should be on display in the school by middle/end of October. Next, a First
Americans Unit and Weaving!
First Grades have been learning where artists get their inspiration from (Sol 1.5).
We read the book, Jeb Scarecrow, as our inspiration. Then we studied about lines,
patterns, and shapes as we created our own scarecrow art. Have them tell you about
Grandfather Crow!! Next, will be Pumpkin Art!
Kindergarten has been learning about lines and their names (Sol K-3). Ask them
how many lines they can name for you? We created Autumn Leaves and filled them
with a variety of lines. Then we painted over them using a Wax Resist
Technique. Several classes have already brought theirs home. Next we will be
continuing with an Autumn Theme making Squirrel Tails and Pumpkin Patches.
NEW: This year more classes will be completing “Artists Statements” as they create
works of art. The purposed is to assess what they have understood and mastered, as
well as to give them an opportunity to share about their work. I think you will find
them very interesting. If your child tells you they did a worksheet in art with writing,
that is probably the Artist Statement. This tool also provides a Language Arts
Experience during Art Class.
COUNSELORS’ Corner - Amy Cunningham and Robin Vaneman
Guidance Lessons Focus on School Rules: Work Hard, Do Your Best, Be Kind
This first marking period classroom guidance in grades 1-5 focused on “Work.” Our counselors taught
lessons on various work habits, learning styles, and goal setting. Kindergarten students attended a puppet show
presented by the counselors on the six pillars of character. First and second grade students completed units on
becoming champion learners. They learned many great work habits and a fun song to remember how to be a
champion at school each day. Third graders started a unit on being “School Cool.” They are setting goals and
learning some “cool” ways to reach them. Fourth graders identified their learning styles and how to use them to
learn in class and while studying at home. They watched a funny video titled “How to Do Homework without
Throwing Up.” Fifth graders identified their learning styles and learned some fun and creative ways to study. Ask
your 5th grader if he or she can name their learning style and how to use it.
Listening is Important and Character Counts EVERYWHERE
The counseling department celebrated Listening Week in the beginning of September. The whole school
focused on using positive listening skills. There were funny skits on the morning announcements and a mystery
sound for students to figure out each day. The classes watched videos on listening and practiced using their skills
each day.
Bristow Run is a Character Counts school. That means that we emphasize a home-school effort to teach
students the 6 pillars of good character: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and
Citizenship. National “Character Counts Week” was recently celebrated here through various activities: special
morning announcements, class posters, and classroom activities. The PTO sponsored the “Bully Plan”
performance, a program focused on teaching students to recognize feelings and show empathy to others. It also
focused on ways to handle bully situations and what to do if you see bullying happening. Students are encouraged
to show their good character everywhere. It takes a team effort (home and school) to build good character!
Parenting Workshops
The counseling department recently teamed up with Mrs. Cowne, our math specialist, to present a parent
tea focused on being an academic coach. The parents that attended found the information to be very beneficial.
Bristow Run is excited to be part of the West End Counseling Consortium, which is a group of area elementary
school counselors working together to offer a variety of parent education opportunities. Parents are welcome to
attend the parent workshops at any of the schools in the consortium. The next workshop titled “How to Make
Homework More Manageable” will be offered Nov. 10th at 7:00pm at Glenkirk Elementary. Kids are encouraged
to come with parents. We will be offering our next Love and Logic workshop here at Bristow Run on Dec. 16th at
9:15 am and again at 7:00 pm. Even if you have attended a Love and Logic workshop before, you are still welcome
and new information will be shared. Please let us know if you would like to RSVP for any of these workshops.
Counseling Services Offered
Bristow Run is lucky to have two full-time counselors, Mrs. Vaneman and Mrs. Cunningham. The
counselors offer group counseling on topics such as Work Habits, Social Skills, Anger Management, and
Divorce/Separation. Groups meet once a week, usually during lunch, for 6 to 8 weeks. Referrals for individual and
group counseling come from parents, staff, the Child Study Committee, the administration, or the students
themselves. Parent permission is required for any kind of ongoing counseling. If you feel that your child would
benefit from counselor assistance, please call and ask to speak with either Mrs. Vaneman or Mrs. Cunningham.
The counselors are available for consultation and can provide additional resources when needed.
Heritage Night Coming Soon
Our Family Heritage Night is planned for Friday, February 18th. Please let us know if you would like to
contribute items to display in the cultural museum, if you would like to contribute food, or dress up for the cultural
fashion show. Also, please contact us if you or someone you know can perform, offer an activity, or offer any other
cultural presentation. You can call or send an e-mail to Mrs. Vaneman (vanemarl@pwcs.edu) or Mrs. Cunningham
(cunninax@pwcs.edu ). We are looking forward to an exciting evening as we share our various cultures and
backgrounds!
ATTENDANCE IN SCHOOL
It is very important that all students attend school on a regular basis and on time.
Children, who are not in school each day, arrive late or leave early miss
important educational opportunities and learning experiences. At Bristow
Run, we recognize, and I’m sure you will agree, that regularly being at school
and being on time is very important for a child’s academic success.
It is the responsibility of parents and guardians to see that their child
attends school regularly and on time every day. Every school day is important to
the education of your child. Research tells us that the best learning takes place during the
interaction of the teacher and child during class discussions. Simply making up the missed
work does not begin to take the place of actual class attendance. Students who enter class
tardy are disruptive to classroom instruction and can have a challenging time getting into
the classroom routine. The same holds true for students who leave early.
We discourage vacations during the school year. However, we know for a variety of
reasons they may occur. Please send a note or letter in advance to the teacher and the
principal informing the school of your plans. The principal has the responsibility of
approving prearranged absences. We realize in the case of a family emergency that this
may not be possible. Teachers are not required to provide assignments in advance. We
would encourage students to read, keep a written journal and practice math facts while out
of school. Students can complete make up assignments when they return.
Attendance- I would like to remind all parents and guardians that if your student is
going to be absent or late to please call or email the office staff. Also, the same if you have
early dismissals. Please send an email to the following staff: wellspa@pwcs.edu,
luttrecl@pwcs.edu, perenism@pwcs.edu, and hardwilm@pwcs.edu. Please call us at 703-753-7741.
Office Staff. We also request that parents send a letter to the teacher the next day explaining the
absence. Unexplained absences will be considered unexcused. Students with excused absences
are allowed two days for every day of absence to make up work. Students are responsible for
making up work when they are absent.
Tardy Policy- Students should arrive on time by 9am. Early Dismissal Policy – students
should complete a full day of school every day.
It is important to note that Prince William County policy states that: “students in
kindergarten through grade eight, who miss ten or more days of school for the year, excused
or unexcused, and who have completed little or no make-up work may be considered for
retention.” In addition, we are required to notify our Attendance Officer in cases of
excessive absences. It takes both students and parents working together to assure a child
attend school as required. Your cooperation in helping your child get to school is very
important. If you would like to work with our guidance counselors, Amy Cunningham or
Robin Vaneman, to make a plan for improvement or discuss these issues, you can contact
them at 703-753-7741.
As you already know, all our procedures and regulations are in place to help ensure
the safety, security and continued success of all our students and not to inconvenience you.
By working together, we truly can do everything better. Please let us know if you have
questions or concerns by calling 703-753-7741. We thank you in advance for your support.
Every 9 weeks, we will recognize students for “Perfect Attendance” - meaning they
have attended school each day and have no more than 2 tardies in a 9 week period or
“Excellent Attendance” – meaning they have missed no more than 1 day or school and have
no more than 2 tardies in a 9 week period..
Inclement Weather Procedures
WINTER WEATHER REMINDERS - Please discuss these procedures with your child.
All Day Closing: (Color Codes mentioned in the announcements refer to school employees.)
1. All activities are cancelled at the school.
2. All evening activities are cancelled.
Two Hour Late Opening:
1. Bus pick up will be two hours later than usual.
2. School will begin at 11:00 a.m. Lunch will be served. Breakfast will not be served.
3. School will be dismissed at 3:30 pm as usual.
Two Hour Early Closing after 10:00 am: (Always Make Certain Your Child Knows Where To Go)
1. School will be dismissed at approximately 2 hours earlier than normal for that day.
2. We will activate our "Phone Tree."
3. All evening activities are cancelled.
NOTES:
1. Please sign up to have school closings and activity cancellations emailed to you. You can do
this at www.pwcs.edu. This website also post’s closings and delays.
2. Please report any changes concerning your snow contact person to the school. We need a LOCAL contact
person.
3. Please listen to the radio or television during inclement weather.
4. We will not activate the 'Phone Tree' for late openings or all day closings
5. Parents should not bring students to school early when a delayed opening is in effect because school staff members may also
be delayed in getting to school.
6. Information may also be obtained concerning school closing, delayed opening or early closing by calling 703-791-2776 and
selecting #3.
Please Keep This Handy, In The Event We Have To Implement These Procedures.
Please click on this link to see the county school closing website http://www.pwcs.edu/admin/closingpolicies.htmlImportant Change to Car Drop Off/Pick up
procedures