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Husky Herald
DECEMBER 2012
Principal’s Message
Dear Parents, We hope you enjoyed the long Thanksgiving Break and were able to spend time with family and friends. It was great to see so many of you during American Education Week. We want to thank all of the volunteers who assisted us with signing in our visitors in the lobby area during this week. This helped us out tremendously! We greatly appreciate your time! The Hutchison Farm Elementary staff would like to thank the PTA for the very generous stipend that has been offered to our staff members. This is certainly a gift that will be utilized by many and comes at a very good time. We appreci-ate the generosity and the consideration that is given toward our children when providing such a gift. As we enter the cold winter months, please be sure to review Early Dismissal Plans with your children in the event we are released early from school due to inclement weather. We ask that you review this a few times with your children so that there is no confusion. We will always send children home as indicated on the Early Dismissal Plan. Please welcome Mrs. Karen Harper as our part-time secretary. She began at Hutchison Farm Elementary on Wednes-day, November 28th. We are very excited to have her join our team. She previously worked at Little River Elementary as a secretary so she does come to us with experience. Please be sure to welcome her the next time you are at the school. We have had inquiries about nook tablets, kindles, and ipads (electronic tablets in general). These devices are permit-ted in school; however, the school will not be responsible for the care, damage, or loss of these items. In efforts to prepare 5th graders for success as they transition to middle school, the MSAAC (Minority Student Achievement Advisory Committee) Executive Board is hosting an "Academic Advisory Enrichment Fair" on Saturday, February 9, 2013. The Fair will be held at our LCPS Administration Building from 12 - 4pm. The Academic Advisory Enrichment Fair directly aligns to both a LCPS school goal and the MSAAC goal of increasing minority participation and performances in Advanced Placement (AP) and honor related classes in higher grade levels across the county. The Fair will equip and educate our LCPS families on the best tools and practices to successfully navigate throughout the school years; as well as empower and encourage parents to serve as advocates for their children towards achieving academic success! An outcome of success will be reflected during the 2012-2013 year and beyond, expecting an in-crease in minority student's participation and performance in AP and Honor related classes. During the Fair, there will be a "Town Hall" conversation with the LCPS School Board. Thank you for everything you do in support of your child’s education. At HFES, we appreciate your partnership. If you ever have any questions regarding your child, please do not hesitate to contact me. Your cooperation and support is always appreciated. Have a wonderful winter holiday and we look forward to seeing you in the new year. Sincerely, Heidi E. Smith, Principal
We show Respect, Responsibility, and Readiness.
PRINCIPAL: Mrs. Heidi E. Smith
Assistant Principal: Mr. Charles E. Hale
Administrative Intern: Mrs. Carlene L. Lydic Bookkeeper: Mrs. Marti Hill Attendance Secretary: Mrs. Denise Shaver Part-Time Secretary: Mrs. Karen Harper
Hutchison Farm Elementary School
42819 Center StreetSouth Riding, Virginia 20152 Tel: 703-957-4350 FAX: 703-444-8020 Absentee Line: 703-957-4351
Lockdown Drill
On Tuesday,December 18th at 8:15 a.m., our school will be conducting a Lockdown Drill. During a Lock-down Drill, teachers must lock their classroom doors, and all students and staff must move away from the doors and windows within their classrooms. Teachers must close the blinds on windows and turn the lights out. All students and staff must remain silent and out of sight. The purpose of this drill is to prac-tice a school “Lockdown” in the event of an intruder or other dangerous event requiring students and staff to lock themselves inside their rooms for safety. Before our Lockdown Drill on December 18th, classroom teachers will explain all of these instructions to students in class. During the drill, an announcement will be made about the drill and the procedures to be followed. You may want to review these procedures and discuss the drill with your child(ren) at home. Thank you in advance for your reinforcement and support of these procedures at home!
Car Riders and Walker Concerns
With the cold weather approaching, we want to kindly remind car riders that when picking up your chil-
dren, please make sure you are staying in the car line. This will make for easier accessibility and create a
faster flow of cars.
Also, walkers: Please make sure that you are using the crosswalk at all times. No cars or students should
be entering the side parking area on the Dabner side without specific permission from the office.
We appreciate your cooperation in working together to keep our students safe.
Please refer to the PTA Website for a Schedule of
PTA Before/After School Programs
Upcoming Events
Dec. 7 Newsletters Sent Home
Dec. 12 Interims Sent Home
Dec. 14 Spirit Day: HAT DAY
Dec. 18 8:15 AM Lockdown Drill
Dec. 21 8:30 AM Holiday Sing Along
Dec. 24-Jan 1 Winter Holiday
Jan. 2 Classes Resume
Jan. 7 9:00 AM Geography Bee
Jan. 11 Newsletters Sent Home
Spirit Day: CRAZY HAIR DAY
Jan. 17 End of Grading Period
Jan. 18 Moveable Student Holiday
Jan. 21 STUDENT HOLIDAY
Jan. 22 Parent Portal Opens for Grades K-2
Jan. 29 8:30 AM & 7 PM Grade 3 Musical
Jan. 30 Report Cards Sent Home
Notice
If, due to a disability, you need assistance to enable you to partici-pate meaningfully in any of our school pro-grams, please contact Mr. Hale, Assistant Prin-cipal, at (703) 957-4350 at least five working days prior to the activi-ty.
Dec. 14:
Hat Day
Jan. 11:
Crazy Hair Day
Feb. 1:
Seventies Day
Thank You
Ms. Gloria Rutledge is our parent volunteer who copies our Husky Herald each month for distribution. It is a big job, and we thank her for taking the time to help our school with this huge task!!
In the last week of November, our Top Dog drawings became even better. SIX Top Dog student names are now being randomly drawn each Friday morning on the news show instead of two—one student Pawesome Award is being drawn from EACH of the grade levels K-5. To assist us with this change, Mr. Michael Seymour graciously agreed to build a larger doghouse for this purpose, with 6 slots and dividers to separate the Pawesome Awards by grade, as students deposit them throughout each week at school. His son, Gabe Seymour, even assisted in the building and painting of this new doghouse, which is now displayed in the front lobby of our school. Thank you to Mr. Seymour, and Gabe, for completing this huge task for our school! Our first SIX Top Dog winners were drawn on Friday, November 30th:
Congratulations to our 6 NEW TOP DOGS:
Hutchison Farm Husky Pride
As part of our school PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) program, individual students can be recognized by staff members for exhibiting behaviors reflective of our 3 Rs (Respect, Responsibility, and Readi-ness). If a staff member witnesses these behaviors, the student can be recognized with a “Paw”esome Award. The “Paw”esome Award is placed in our school Doghouse in the front office for a chance at being the week’s TOP DOG. One K-2nd grade student and one 3rd-5th grade student winners are randomly drawn out of the Doghouse on the Friday Morning News Show. Our Top Dogs for the first 3 weeks in November were:
Congratulations to our November TOP DOGS:
K-2nd Grade Kamonte in Ms. Holt’s class Sapna in Ms. Boyd’s class Mary in Ms. Thacker’s class
3rd-5th Grade Hannah in Ms. Gill-Anderson’s class Kassandra in Ms. Greenwalt’s class Aiyana in Mr. Cotter’s class
K-5th Grade K: Ashley in Ms. Corbey’s class 3: Rowan in Ms. McKay’s class 1: Anna in Ms. Holt’s class 4: Ethan in Ms. Tuck’s class 2: Marielle in Ms. Rivera’s class 5: Rhea in Mr. Cotter’s class
Our staff has also started giving each other “Pawesome Awards,” and a staff “Leader of the Pack” is also now drawn every Friday on the morning news show. The students are enjoying this, hopeful that their own teacher’s name will be drawn as the winner!
Counselor’s Corner
Building a Supportive Family Environment
Oftentimes, children experience more school success when they are loved and supported by their families. During this busy time of year, try these simple ideas to help your family feel close and connected: Share a Laugh. Adding humor to your household makes the challenge of daily life less stressful. Try reading silly stories or tell riddles and jokes during dinnertime. Show your Love. Find a way to spend special time with each of your children. Bedtime or reading time is the per-fect opportunity! This gives you and your child a chance to talk without interruptions. Don’t forget the importance of a simple hug and kiss, too! Make Way for Family Time. Take a break from holiday shopping and set aside time to do something special as a family. Spending time together makes everyone in the family feel important and included. Consider starting a family tradition! Or, simply take some time to sip hot cocoa together or watch a favorite movie. Keep the Peace. Children feel more secure when they know what’s expected of them. Make your expectations clear and stick to them! Create a family “mission statement” and post it in a place where all family members can see it. Parents:, We would appreciate your feedback on how to better serve your parenting needs through our parent workshops. Please take a moment to com-plete the short survey on the Hutchison Farm website. Simply go to the bottom of the home page and click on “Parent Workshops.” Thank you! To contact your child’s school counselor feel free to call 703-957-4350 or e-mail us.
Our Guidance Counselors:
Shelly Horin
Grade 1 (with the exception of Ms. Carrig & Ms. Wilkes) Grade 3 (with the exception of Ms. Fellows) Grade 5
Sue Pangman
Grade K Grade 1 (Ms. Carrig and Ms. Wilkes only) Grade 2 Grade 3 (Ms. Fellows only), and Grade 4
Hutchison Farm School Improvement Plan
The Hutchison Farm Elementary administration and staff are dedicated to improving our strategies for in-
creasing student achievement. A formal School Improvement Plan (SIP) has been developed by staff, par-
ents, and community members, and is available on the school website. Please let us know if you wish to par-
ticipate in the ongoing monitoring, assessment, and refinement of the School Improvement Plan for the
2012-2013 school year by contacting Mrs. Smith, the principal. We welcome and value your input!
Music Notes
The music room is a busy place these days. 4th and 5th graders are learning to play recorders in mu-sic class, the 5th grade chorus is preparing for winter concerts and on December 21, the whole school will participate in a Holiday Sing-A-Long. The Chorus will perform for the school at 8:30 a.m. and all students will be singing songs and learning about the holidays that are celebrated by
the many cultures represented in our school. Third graders are having a great time learning songs for their musi-cal entitled I Have a Dream, which will be performed on January 29 at 8:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. Third grade parents, please look for more information in the next few weeks about the show.
We hope everyone has a Musical holiday season!
Our Music Teachers:
Mrs. Heverin Grades 1,3, and 5 and Chorus
Mrs. James Grades 2 and 4
Fast Break With P.E.
It’s December already, and what a great year it has been so far! We have started the month with our dancing shoes on! The Cha-Cha Slide, Cotton Eyed Joe, The Michael Jackson Shuffle, The Hamster Dance, The Chicken Dance (Remix), and The Agadoo Folk Dance are just a few of the dances that will be covered!
Next up….. Gymnastics!!
~ Happy Holidays from the Hutchison Farm Physical Education Department ~
Help others. Do not hurt others. Use equipment properly. Sportsmanship. Kindness towards others. In control. Everyone Plays. Show RESPECT!!!
Our Physical Education Teachers:
Mr. Warthen & Mrs. Force-Lansdowne
Library News
December will be full of exciting library lessons.
Our kindergarten students will learn about the author Laura Numeroff, and be able to identify the characteristics of a circle story.
In first grade, students will begin an author study on James Marshall becoming familiar with the beloved char-acters of George and Martha. In first grade our students will also be exploring the “Everybody” section and learning where to find books by their favorite authors.
Our second graders will begin their study on transitional novels written by Cynthia Rylant including the popular series: Poppleton, Mr. Putter and Tabby, Henry and Mudge, and High Rise Private Eyes. They continue to work hard selecting books in their Reading Range and are working on meeting their weekly AR reading goals.
Third grade is studying works by Chris Van Allsburg and learning about the Caldecott award.
Our Fourth and Fifth graders will be learning about our online resources including The New Book of Knowledge and World Book for Kids. Later in the month they will begin their study of the 2012-2013 Virginia Readers Choice titles.
Our Library Staff:
Heather Pfundstein & Sarah Lichter
Reflections on Reading
Looking to acquire some free or low cost gifts for your child during the holidays? Books and apps can be downloaded for FREE or purchased for a minimum price. Access to books is essential to literacy development. According to a 20-year study led by Mariah Evans, at the University of Nevada, Reno, “Having as few as 20 books in the home has a sig-nificant impact on propelling a child to a higher level of education, and the more books you add, the greater the bene-fit. You get a lot of 'bang for your book'," she said. "It's quite a good return-on-investment in a time of scarce re-sources."
Below are some places to look for wonderful low cost gifts! McKay’s Used Books, Manassas mckayusedbooks.biz/ www.storybird.com A free website where your child can write stories and share them with family and friends. Their stories can be made into books for purchase. Scribble Press A free app for creating stories with great drawing and writing tools. Winner of the Parent’s Choice Award. Minimod Reading for Details An app (cost $3.99) for grades 2-6. Helps students build mastery in the essential reading comprehension skill of reading for details. www.Spellingcity.com
Creates spelling games using any word list. Free for basic use. K-3 Sight Words
An app of minimal cost, teaches your child to read sight words. Phonics Awareness
A free app to learn core phonics
“A capacity and taste for reading gives access
to whatever has already been discovered by others.”
― -Abraham Lincoln
Our Reading Specialists:
Mrs. Assadi & Mrs. Kimmel
Our Art Teachers:
Mrs. Wilson and Ms. Minkin
Artfully Yours Ten pieces of student art will be selected for display at the General Assembly Building in Richmond during the month of January. The pieces will be part of a show of elementary art from the 87th district, hosted by delegate David Ramadan. The show will be judged. I will include artists’ names and more details next month. Plans for our second nine week grading period are as follows:
:
Grade One
Clowning Around Cut and Drawn Clown Portraits
Landscape with Penguins Cut and Torn Paper, Watercolors-
Fish or Turtle Woven Paper Pictures Drummer Hoff Color Explosion Warm and Cool Colors
Grade Two
Owl Moon Watercolors
Abstract Neighborhood Study of Artist Paul Klee The Giving Tree Color Drawing, Shel Silverstein’s Book, Figure Drawing
Stripes! African Textiles and Zebras Sculpted Birds Earthenware Clay
Grade Three
Pond Patterns Watercolors Snow Scene with Deer Landscape, Mixed Media Fish Plates Ancient Greece, Paper Mosaics Paper Plate Players Greek Theater Outrageous Owls Earthenware Clay
Grade Four
Tiny Town Study of Artist Paul Klee Self Portraits Contour Drawing, Complementary or Analogous Colors Box of Color, Shape Texture Study of Artist Louise Nevelson
Tromp L’oeil Desserts Earthenware Clay
Grade Five
Out of this World Special Effects Landscape Picasso’s Guitar Collage Mehndi Designs Study of Artist Dale Chihuly
Search
The Gift of Good Books
"A book is a gift you can open again and again" ~ Garrison Keillor
As we enter a very busy time of the year when activities seem to multiply daily for both parents and children, we sometimes feel overwhelmed by all we have to do. It's fun, we want to do it, we love the time with family and friends, but wouldn't it be nice to take a break?
What could be better for you or your child than to settle into a comfy chair with a good book and to escape into an interest-ing story? Whether it's for a holiday present or just a for a fun winter treat, consider finding some wonderful children's books for your child (and maybe one for yourself!).
Sometimes, however, the vast variety of children's books is overwhelming, so for a few hints on what books are great "reads," what better source to recommend appropriate books for every age level than the American Library Association!
Speaking of libraries, if you don't have a library card for your child, why not do that now? Going to the library is a great way to spend a happy hour on a cold winter afternoon or evening!
Here are some very helpful links to help you select books for your child, either for purchase or to check out of your school or local public library. ALA: Building a Home Library http://www.ala.org/alsc/compubs/booklists/homelib/alacbcbuildinghomelbry ALA: Notable Children's Books http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/notalists/ncb ALA: Great Reads http://www.ala.org/alsc/sites/ala.org.alsc/files/content/compubs/booklists/greatreads/greatreads_lo.pdf
Our SEARCH Teacher: Ms. Faroe
Our FLES Teacher: Ms. Osuba 4th & 5th Grades Wednesdays & Fridays FLES
Hola Familias de Hutchison Farm: As a culmination to The School and Sports and Hobbies themes, the students are going to create a presentation us-ing the vocabulary learned in class. 4th grade - The students are going to create their own “Escuela.” 5th grade - The students are going to create a presentation about their favorite “Deportes y Pasatiempos.”
Remember: *Ask your child what they learned. *Check the FLES page on the school’s website. (Documents used in class and a draft of the projects are available on the website.) *Practice Spanish vocabulary at home.
Christmas celebrations in Puerto Rico begin very early in December and do not stop until January 6th. The celebrations can continue into the middle of January if you consider the ''octavas” and “octavitas''. The big Christmas celebrations are; December 24th (“Nochebuena”), December 25th (“Navidad”), December 31st (“Despedida de Año”) and the biggest and most important of all for the children, of course, el “Día de los Reyes Magos” on January 6th.
Puerto Ricans are known for their unforgettable "parrandas” or “trullas navideñas." A “parranda” is when a group of friends gathers together to surprise another friend. It's the Puerto Rican version of Christmas caroling. Most “parranderos” play some sort of instrument, either “guitarras,” “tambor,” “guiro,” “maracas,” “panderos,” or “palitos.” A “parranda” tends to be more secular than religious, however many of the traditional “aguinaldos” (Puerto Rican Christmas songs) retain the holiday spirit.
Traditional Puerto Rican Christmas foods such as “pasteles,” “arroz con gandules,” “lechón asado,” “arroz con dulce,” “tembleque,” and “coquito” give Puerto Ricans a separate identity from the rest of the world. Part of the holiday festivities in-cludes cooking a pig on a spit. Most Puerto Ricans would feel their Christmas was a little incomplete if they did not get to partic-ipate or enjoy an old fashioned “lechón asao.”
It is hard for “Boricuas” to keep their Christmas traditions, especially living in places where it gets very cold. But they excel at improvisation and do the best to celebrate a “FELIZ NAVIDAD!”
EL BORICUA – A Puerto Rican Christmas ¡FELICIDADES! (HAPPY HOLIDAYS!)
Tech Talk
Technology & the Holidays:
We recently read an interesting article by Ki Mae Heussner. She discusses ten ways in which technology is af-fecting how we celebrate the holidays:
1. Christmas Trees Now Just a Few Clicks Away: You can now order your tree online. 2. No Change for the Salvation Army? Bell ringers can now accept credit cards. 3. The Annual Christmas Letter Fends Off Facebook: There has been a decline in “snail mail” Christmas commu-nications. 4. Cyber Christmas Caroling: You can now upload your singing to You Tube. 5. Track Santa's Christmas Eve Ride with Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr: These sites are an addition to the traditional NORAD telephone call. 6. GPS Tracking of Nativity Scenes. Some churches are now putting GPS tracking devices in nativity scenes to assist in recovery if there is theft. 7. Hold the Holidays in Your Hands: You can now download Smartphone Applications to Celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas 8. High-Tech Holiday Shopping: On-line Shopping continues to increase in popularity 9. Tele-Celebrating with Skype, and Video Conferencing: These new services let families overcome distance to celebrate 10. Connected Cooks in the Kitchen Website and smart phone application make it easier to share holiday reci-pes. 1
For more details, see the article at http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/holidays-top-10-ways-technology-web-social-networks-transform-traditions/story?id=12317953 . Whether you have a “high tech” “low tech” or a “medium tech” holiday season, please have a safe and wonderful one!
1 http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/holidays-top-10-ways-technology-web-social-networks-transform-traditions/story?id=12317953
November in the Lab:
We were extremely involved in American Education Week. The first graders created a slide show on their favorite activity in first grade. The third grade students learned many keyboarding skills in Microsoft Word while typing their poems for their poetry recit-al. The fourth graders created slide shows about Virginia in Pow-er Point, which they shared with their parents. We enjoyed see-ing so many of you during American Education Week. The kindergartners explored Millie’s Math House and Bailey’s Book House. Second Graders wrote two poems - one about Thanksgiving and one about a color – and illustrated them in Pix-ie. Fifth graders visited web sites which explained the rock cycle. In addition, all grade levels continued work in Math Concepts and Skills, our individualized math program. Second through fifth graders continue with the Accelerated Reading program.
Our Technology Resource Teacher and Assistant:
Ms. Sabbath [email protected] and Ms. Kuhfahl [email protected]
Our Parent Liaison:
Susan R. Smith Tuesdays and Thursdays 11 AM-3 PM [email protected]
Parent Liaison
A big thank you to our Husky families that donated gently used coats. I have a pretty good supply of coats, hats and gloves, so if you have a need please contact me through email or send in a note with your student. All requests and communication are strictly confidential.
The Arc of Loudoun and United Way are sponsoring the 2012 Holiday Snowflake Celebration in Leesburg on December 8th from 12 to 3 p.m. at The Paxton Manor. Please contact 703-777-1939 Ext. 200 for more information or email [email protected].
The Loudoun County Nurturing Parent Program has a new class starting January 17th, “Parenting Strat-egies for the Pre-Adolescent/Adolescent” (ages 10-13). Children are encouraged to attend with their par-ents. Classes are in Leesburg and are free, but pre-registration is required. For more information please call 703-771-3973, Ext. 27 or email [email protected].
If you are in search of employment Loudoun Workforce Center is hosting meet the employer for 4 dif-ferent businesses during the first couple of weeks of December. Please visit their website at www.loudoun.gov/wrc if you are interested.
If you are in need of assistance during the Holiday Season and have not applied at Holiday Coalition or Salvation Army you can apply directly to Toys 4 Tots. Application deadline is December 13th. To apply please visit http://loudoun-va.toysfortots.org/local-coordinator-sites/lco-sites/local-toy-request-single-form.aspx.
A few reminders………..Please have your student check the Lost and Found before the Holiday break. Items left over the break will be donated in early January. Please check your student’s Café account to make sure you have adequate funds and not a negative balance. If you have concerns or questions about your account please contact Judith Lim, Café Manager.
Hutchison Farm Equity Committee
Webster’s Dictionary: Equity (eq-ui-ty) noun, justice according to natural law or right; specifically: free-dom from bias or favoritism. The Equity Committee is here to serve our Husky family by ensuring that our instruction and interaction with students, staff and families is equitable. We monitor activities, programs and projects to make sure they are relevant, diverse and support and represent all of our students and staff here at Hutchison Farm Elementary School. The Committee meets on the second Thursday of each month. We invite parental/guardian participation, and if you have a desire to meet with the committee or have questions or suggestions, please contact Susan Smith at [email protected].
