parent & community connection A NEWSLETTER FOR STAFFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FAMILIES & THE COMMUNITY NOVEMBER 2016

IN THIS ISSUE Parents Speak and Officials Listen Superintendent and School Board Listening Tour 2 Superintendent School Visits On October 27, over forty parents and would SCPS add study skills as an area of 3 School Buzz community members attended the first of study for the students? three Superintendent and School Board • When looking at how to save money in our Listening Tours. The event took place at Brooke 4 For Parents school system, I think we should reevaluate Point High School Library and provided an opportunity for parents to engage directly with the need for purchasing books. 5 Upcoming Events school leaders and provide input on issues that impact students and families, including If you are a parent and have input on issues or 6 Partners in Education budget. Director of Strategic Communication questions, consider attending the next series of and Community Engagement Sherrie Johnson Listening Tours scheduled for January and April moderated questions and shared concerns 2017. Stay tuned for the December issue for from parents in attendance. The listening panel more event updates. included Superintendent Dr. Bruce Benson and School Board Members Holly Hazard, Dewayne McOsker Jr., Scott Hirons, Melissa Ayers and Irene Egan. No question was left unanswered as school officials answered every question provided during the event.

Parent Questions and Input from the Listening Tour included: • Is there an effort to have more collaboration between upper elementary teachers and middle school teachers for expectations and preparations for students? • What is expected of faculty and staff to help students get into college? • Some school districts and most colleges Stafford County Public Schools offer “Study Skills” strategies and techniques, [email protected] From our Superintendent Dear Stafford Families and Community,

I hope the first edition of Stafford County Public Schools (SCPS) Parent and Community newsletter was informative. Parent and community engagement is valuable to our division.

School board members and I had the opportunity to hear from and respond to parents last week at our first Listening Tour. On behalf of the school board and SCPS, I want to thank you for taking the time to bring concerns to our attention and share in the vision of making SCPS the best school division it can be. I invite all parents to attend the next tour in January 2017.

Collaboration is one of the C’s of our C5W initiative with the goal that all Century Learners engage positively with others to achieve common goals. We actively participate in the process through deliberation, encouragement, flexibility, reflection, responding to constructive criticism, and honoring the strengths in others and ourselves. We are All Century Learners. Read more about the collaboration of community partners supporting the goals and well-being of our students.

Keep warm and enjoy the time off with your families this month.

Sincerely,

W. Bruce Benson, Ed. D Superintendent In the Classroom Superintendent Visits Schools

Future Leaders Prepared for Life Students lead the way for there fellow classmates. Dr. Benson heard “On-time graduation is one measure of success for our schools. from Mountain View High School class officers over a bite to eat. However, graduation, in and of itself, is not our end goal. Ensuring our students have the knowledge and skills to be successful in what they want to do next is our goal – prepared for further education, work, and citizenship – for life after Stafford County Public Schools,” Benson notes on his blog after visiting Stafford High School.

2 PARENT & COMMUNITY CONNECTION School Buzz News from our Schools Firefighters Deliver New Winter Coats to SCPS Students The Carnival doesn’t just benefit the Stafford area community; it On a cold Wednesday morning, the bay doors of Stafford County benefits the high school students. Learn and Serve is a class that Fire and Rescue Station 12 opened to tables of over 600 donated teaches students about service-learning, and students connect that new coats. The Coats for Kids tagging event was in support of the learning to their academic studies. The event met all C5W core values: Operations Warm initiative to provide new winter coats to children Collaboration, Communication, Creativity, Critical Thinking, Citizenship throughout America. Stafford County Public School (SCPS) counselors and Wellness. C5W is a set of skills and abilities that all Stafford County worked with Stafford Professional Figherfighter Association Local 4012 Public School graduates will possess to succeed in further education, to identify and provide coats to students. work and citizenship. SCPS principals and staff from Anne E. Moncure Elementary, Conway Elementary, Ferry Farm Elementary, Rocky Run Elementary, Shirley C. Heim Middle and H.H. Poole took Jessie Schmedes, the Massad YMCA’s Group Fitness Director and part in tagging and sorting coats Family Engagement Coordinator said, “I am thrilled to tell you that for all schools. Business partner with the amazing work of the Stafford County High Schools’ Learn representatives from Apple and Serve students, the Massad Y was able to raise over $4,900.00 at Federal Credit Union, Mission BBQ the Creepy Crawly Carnival. This money goes directly to providing and Walmart assisted with raising financial assistance to families who would otherwise be unable to money and acquiring gloves afford having a Y membership, giving them access to swim lessons, and hats. Concluding the event, before and after school care, fitness classes, basketball, tennis, and fireman delivered coats to 28 more. The event depends entirely upon volunteers to make it a SCPS schools and Head Start. fundraising success, and would have been impossible without Learn and Serve. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart!!” Click the links below to read more about the event. Stafford firefighters gather nearly 700 coats for kids in need Free Lance-Star, October 26

VIDEO: Stafford Fire & Rescue Coats ‘16 NewsTalk1230 WFVA, October 26

Helping the Community Isn’t Scary Unless. . . For Students in the Learn and Serve program, helping in the community isn’t scary, but it does mean scaring others. On October 22, over one hundred students from all five Stafford County high schools participated in the Massad Family YMCA’s Creepy Crawly Carnival. The Learn and Serve students took charge of all aspects of the trail from start to finish.

PARENT & COMMUNITY CONNECTION 3 For Parents Helpful News for your Family Closings and Emergency Alerts A Sustainable Place Winter is upon us and weather can be unpredictable. Stay up to date As a community, we are responsible for the behaviors exhibited on a with weather related school closings and delays. Here are ways to daily basis that contribute to either the conservation or waste of our receive updated information. natural resources, determining the footprint left for generations to come. Many are unaware of the money spent on resources consumed SCPS Communication Tools to provide an environment conducive to teaching, learning and • SCPS website: www.staffordschools.net growing. Resources provide heating, cooling, lighting, cooking, plug- • Stafford Alerts: www.staffordalerts.com in loads and water consumption. • Robocall On average, high schools cost more than $376,000, middle Social Media schools $176,000 and elementary • SCPS Facebook: www.facebook.com/StaffordSchools $95,000 to operate per facility, • SCPS Twitter: www.twitter.com/scpschools per fiscal year. Factor in all other resources such as parking lot Newspaper lighting, stadium lighting and • Free Lance-Star/ Fredericksburg.com support facilities, the yearly utility • Washington Post budget exceeds the $5,000,000 mark. On average, it costs $1.21 Radio per square foot to operate one • WFLA 93.3, The Vibe 99.3, The Rock 96.9 and WNTX 96.5 school. This makes the cost to • WBQB 101.5 and WFVA 1230 AM operate an average size 800sq/ft. classroom more than $960 per year. • Thunder 104.5 and WGRQ 95.9 While spending money needed to operate SCPS facilities is a must • WTOP 103.5, 103.9 and107.7 and unavoidable, the amount we spend is dependent on the ability of an individual to utilize resources in an environmentally and fiscally Television responsible manner. Remember: Think Globally. Act Locally. Join the • ABC7 - News Channel 8 Committee. Attend a Meeting. Spread Awareness. Do the Right Thing! • CBS6 - WTVR Richmond For all questions, concerns and comments contact Energy Manger • NBC12 Joshua Schimpf at [email protected]. • NBC4 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • WRC TV 4 • WTTG FOX 5 Upcoming Events • WUSA TV 9 • WTVR - Channel 6 Richmond • WWBT 12 Richmond Education Appreciation Days November Stafford County Fire and Rescue Department - National Native American Heritage Month American Education Week Heating Safety Tips National Career Development Week Temperatures are dropping and you’ll find yourself curled up with a Education Support Paraprofessionals Day good book by the fireplace. Did you know that heating equipment is a leading cause of home fire deaths? With a few simple safety tips and November 13-19: precautions you can prevent most heating fires from happening. American Education Week Be warm and safe this winter! National Career Development Week • Keep anything that can burn at least three-feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or November 18: portable space heater. Education Support Paraprofessionals Day • Have a three-foot “kid-free zone” around open fires and space heaters. • Never use your oven to heat your home. Important Student Dates: • Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or November going to bed. Test Smoke Alarms Monthly 7 End of 1st Nine Weeks • It’s a sound you can live with. 8 Election Day (No School for Students) Heating Equipment Safety • Install wood burning stoves following manufacture’s instructions 11 Veterans Day (All Schools and Offices Closed) or have a professional do the installation. All fuel-burning 14 Report Cards (All Grade Levels) equipment should be vented to the outside to avoid carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. 15 Early Release – Elementary Only • Carbon Monoxide Alarms should be installed in a central location 23-25 Thanksgiving Break (No School for Students) outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home and other locations where required by applicable laws, codes or standards. For more information on safety tips, click here.

4 PARENT & COMMUNITY CONNECTION November 10 Falmouth, Ferry Farm, Hartwood, Grafton, S M T W T F S St. Jude Teen Gala Rocky Run and Stafford County Sheriff’s 7 p.m. | The Inn at the Old Silk Mill Office present information on how to help 1 2 3 4 5 Join us and and hear how your teen is making keep children safe. In this increasingly digital a difference for the kids of St. Jude Children’s world kids are confronted with decisions and 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Research Hospital. Learn more about the obstacles on phones, games, computers, upcoming St. Jude Teen Gala, and how you etc. RSVP to your school or at https://goo.gl/ 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 can support your teen in reaching their forms/daTIQ1bezbDZJHY2 fundraising goal for the kids of St. Jude. We 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 will have snacks and soft drinks! RSVP by November 17 Tuesday, November 8 to Daniela Romero at Scared and Worried! Anxiety Workshop for 27 28 29 30 [email protected] or 703-677-4412. Parents 6:30 p.m. | Hartwood Elementary November 11 Join us on Thursday, November 17 at 6:30 November 5 Veterans Day at Hartwood Elementary, as Dr. James Crist Middle School County Band Concert All Schools and Offices Closed presents ways to 3 p.m. | Stafford High School help your child Featuring students from our eight middle November 12 cope with anxiety. school band programs. Free admission. Keys to Successful Transition Dr. Crist is the 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. | Chancellor High School Clinical Director Learn Hands-Only CPR Youth with disabilities, parents/guardians as well as a child 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Stafford Hospital Parking Lot and professionals who support them attend and adolescent Help celebrate the life of Gwneth Griffin and a free transition conference and resource psychologist at the make our community the safest for cardiac fair Pathways to the Future 2016. Explore Child and Family arrest survival in . Training begins at the extensive vendor fair and attend three Counseling Center 9:30 a.m. with sessions every thirty minutes information sessions that will assist you in Woodbridge, until 1:30 p.m. Training is complimentary, preparing for the move from school to adult VA. Snacks and but not for certification. For questions, email life in the community. The keynote speaker drinks sponsored [email protected] or call will be Mat McCollough, Executive Director, by Chick-Fil-A and 540-300-4831. DC Developmental Disabilities Council HES. (DDC). Register online by November 11 at November 6 pathways2016_participants.eventbrite.com. November 18 Daylight Saving Time For more information contact Stafford PRC at Education Support Paraprofessionals Day Turn clocks backward 1 hour. 540-658-6710. National ESP Day honors and recognizes the contributions education support November 14-18 professionals (ESPs) make to public November 7 education. It is a time to strengthen support Band Together to Fight Hunger American Education Week and show respect for ESPs, who are equal and Gates Open 5:30 p.m., Performances Begin American Education Week presents all essential partners in public education. 7:00 p.m. | Mountain View High School Americans with an opportunity to celebrate Stafford County Public Schools Band Parents public education and honor individuals who Association presents the 6th annual Band are making a difference in ensuring that every November 23-25 Together to Fight Hunger. Stafford’s five child receives a quality education. This year’s Thanksgiving Break - No School for Students high school marching bands will perform theme is “Great Public Schools: A Basic Right Offices close at 12 p.m. Wednesday, their shows and collect canned food for local and Our Responsibility.” For more information, November 23. All schools and offices families. The event will conclude when the visit http://www.nea.org/grants/19823.htm. closed Thursday, November 24 and Friday, students at all five schools “band together” November 25. for a grand finale. Bring your canned food November 15 • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • donation for entry. Early Release - Elementary Schools

November 8 November 16 Save the Date Election Day National Career Development Day No School for Students National Career Development Association December 17 promotes career development through its Stafford County Christmas Parade November 9 annual celebration. Every November, career 5 p.m. | Parade Route: Start at Black Hawke Public Hearing on School Budgets development professionals are encouraged Drive. End at Stafford Hospital Drive and 7 p.m. | School Board Chambers to celebrate with career related activities. For Courthouse Road. The Stafford County School Board will hold more information, visit http://www.ncda.org/ The Stafford County Crime Solvers hosts the a public hearing on citizen’s budget input aws/NCDA/pt/sp/ncdmonth Stafford County Christmas Parade.The theme towards the Superintendent’s recommended is Christmas Memories. Enter a float into the FY 2018 budgets. All interested indiviudals November 17 parade. Registration deadline is November are encouraged to attend and present oral or Conversations with the Counselors - Parent 10. For more information contact Parade written comments. Workshop on Internet Safety Coordinator Gordon Shelton at 540-840-8992 10 a.m. | England Run Library, Room 2 or email [email protected]. Join the counseling departments of Conway,

PARENT & COMMUNITY CONNECTION 5 Partners in Education Community Business Partners Support our Schools and Students Driving Out Hunger One Can at a Time Registration for CANstruction 2017 is now OPEN! The theme is Driving Students, veterans, community, and business leaders will form a Out Hunger. five-person team to build sculptures out of canned goods depicting how one can make a difference in the lives of the hungry right here The event takes place January 12-16, 2017 at the Spotsylvania Towne in our community. Participants will use art/design, mathematics and Center, 137 Spotsylvania Mall Drive, Fredericksburg, VA 22407. problem solving skills to create fantastic, innovative structures using “People’s Choice Award” is open to the public through the donation full cans of food. of $1 or one canned good per vote on Saturday and Sunday. Official judging for all other categories takes place on Monday, January 16, All proceeds benefit the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank. 2017.

Why get involved - HUNGER: For more information or to register your team, contact Cynthia 1/9 of Humanity is undernourished. That’s 795 million people. $1 on Lucero-Chavez: [email protected] or https://goo.gl/ average will buy you two cans of food. forms/77uM806g6R14YGVI3

Canstruction is a unique competition showcasing colossal structures It starts with one can. To lift the spirit. To change the world. To made entirely of full cans of food. After the structures are built, end Hunger! the creations are on display to the public as a giant art exhibition.

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and organizations in the community to promote the common goal of Become a SCPS Business Partner improving educational opportunities for SCPS students.

SCPS seeks partners to work with us in designated platforms We are excited to learn more about your goals and the possibility and meet specific engagement thresholds. The Community and of a mutual partnership. Begin your partnership by completing our Business Partner program provides opportunities to link schools, Community and Business Partner Starter Form. administrative departments and division employees with businesses 6 PARENT & COMMUNITY CONNECTION Running for Classroom Support

Stafford County Public Schools (SCPS) hosted a 5K Fun Run/Walk to benefit Stafford Education Foundation (SEF) on Saturday, October 29 at 8:00 a.m. Nearly 150 SCPS employees ran or walked in the fundraising event.

In support of the division’s All Century Skills, participants competed in a C5W costume contest. Judges selected winners based on their costume’s representation of the following skills: communication, collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, citizenship, and wellness. Costume contest judges included Superintendent Dr. Bruce Benson, School Board Chair Holly Hazard, and SEF President Cathy Yablonski.

The event raised $3,000. All proceeds support SEF which is a non- profit, independent organization committed to impacting and advancing education in Stafford County Public Schools through charitable activities that support sound educational programs and practices. The organization works to secure grants and raise funds for a broad range of educational activities, including scholarships for students and professional educators, enrichment or supplemental programs, and any other support or incentives that will enhance the educational opportunities for Stafford County students.

Thank you to event sponsors: Anthem, Apple Federal Credit Union, AT Nails, Attronica, Augustine Opticians, Chick-Fil-A, Costco, Jostens, Liberty Mutual, McDonald’s, Party City, Pepsi, Sprint, Stafford Massage & Healing Arts, Wawa, Walmart, and Wegmans.

PARENT & COMMUNITY CONNECTION 7 Stafford County Public Schools 31 Stafford Avenue Stafford, VA 22554 540.658.6000 • www.staffordschools.net

parent & community connection November 2016

ABOUT SCPS

Stafford County Public Schools (SCPS) has an enrollment of more than 27,000 students with 30 schools. The district is located south of Washington, DC and serves a diverse population with suburban and rural communities. Although the school district has experienced rapid growth, the county has maintained a commitment to educational excellence. Support from the board of supervisors and the community have enabled the school district to maintain, improve and expand school facilities, transportation offerings, and instructional programs. Commitment to an excellent student-teacher ratio has enhanced quality instruction and attention for students. Significant technology advances ensure that students have the opportunity to learn practical work.