Bristow Run Elementary School
“A Fully Accredited School and
School of
Excellence”
Bristow Run Pledge “I will remember to be
respectful, kind, trustworthy and a good citizen. I will be responsible for
my actions, work hard and do my best. I will seek to make a positive
difference at school today.” Our School
Vision Statement "A Team on Track for the
Future
From
The Panther’s Pen
Andrew Buchheit,
Principal
Kim Werle - Assistant Principal
February 5, 2007
Hello Panthers!
Can you believe that we are moving into
the second half of the school year?. What a great year
it has been so far. I am so impressed with how hard our boys and girls have
been working and learning this year so far. I know you agree that each student
is in a great classroom with an outstanding teacher. We are proud that we have
been recognized once again as a
As you know, our school motto is: “A Team on Track for the Future”. At Bristow Run we recognize that it takes all
of us (Teachers, Staff, 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.
We appreciate your involvement and
participation in our activities. Many of
these events were organized and sponsored by our PTA. If you haven’t yet
joined, I encourage you to do so. Our PTA does so many wonderful things for our
school and students. Mrs. Lisa Scott is working hard and doing an outstanding
job as your PTA president. Also our
entire PTA board is ending their 2 year term this year and we need a new PTA
president, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. Please consider signing up
for one of these important roles. The PTA works very closely with all the
members of our school community in helping us meet the needs of our students.
Please consider signing up for one of these important positions.
Thanks for all you
have done to help us have such a wonderful first semester of school and for
entrusting your students with us. I anticipate a GREAT 2nd semester too.
Sincerely,
Andrew Buchheit
Principal
OUR SCHOOL SCHEDUE:
Our school
hours are from
Morning Kindergarten students attend school from
TESTING NEWS FROM OUR ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
On February 13th, select fourth grade students will be
participated in the National Assessment for Educational Progress. The results of the assessment will be
compiled with schools around the country and are most often used in educational
research and by the federal government to determine funding and programming for
the educational system.
Upcoming Test Dates:
- February
13th- NAEP Assessment for Select Fourth Graders
- March
5th and 6th- 5th Grade Writing Multiple-Choice SOL
- March
7th- 5th Grade Direct Writing SOL
- March
14th- 4th Grade Writing Predictor
- April
17th-30th- Grades 1 and 2 Stanford Diagnostic Mathematics Test
- May
21st-June 8th- 3rd, 4th and 5th Grade Reading, Math, Science and Social
Studies SOL Tests
If you have any questions or would
like more information regarding these assessments, please contact Kim
Werle.
UPCOMING CALENDAR
- Thursday, February 8 – PTA FAMILY
HERITAGE NIGHT;
- February 8 – Parent Tea;
- Tuesday, February 13 – PTA school
Spirit Night – Cold Stone Creamery 4-
- Monday, February 19 – President’s
Day – No School
- Friday, February 23 – Family Fun
Night – Family Dance
- Tuesday, March 13– PTA school
Spirit Night – Cold Stone Creamery 4-
- Tuesday, March 27 – Science Expo
- April 2 – April 9– Spring Break
ADVISORY COUNCIL
|
Representative Name |
Email Address |
Neighborhood/Grade Level |
|
Cheryl Weadon |
Advisory Council Chair |
|
|
Trish Ruckle |
Bridlewood Manor |
|
|
Trevor Ophof |
Tartan Hills in Braemar |
|
|
Rebecca Keith |
Kingsbrooke |
|
|
Dee Wightman |
Amberleigh Station |
|
|
Minoru Komura |
Linton Hall Corridor |
|
|
Lisa Hickey |
Lisa-Hickey@prodigy.net |
Foxborough |
|
Neila
Span |
PTA Liaison |
|
|
James Dickson |
Superintendent’s Advisory |
|
|
Kathi
Hansen |
Foxborough Alt |
|
|
Jim Hill |
Tartan Hills in Braemar
Alt |
|
|
Becky Timothy |
Wzly92@peoplepc.com |
Kingsbrooke Alt |
Each
school in
GIANT BONUSBUCKS, SAFEWAY and TARGET
Did you know that every time you
shopped at Giant and Safewaty, you can designate
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
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.
ACADEMIC RECOGNITION
3rd
-5th grade Students at
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.
Car Riders
If
you pick up your child each day, remember to get a number from our guidance
counselors. In the morning, please have your child unload on the right side of
your car. They have to walk in front of
or behind cars if they exit on the left side of your vehicle. 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. This
serves as a good model for our students.
Safety is our number one priority!!
News from Reading Reading
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.
Absence
Policy – Whenever a student is out of school for
whatever reason, parents need to call the school at 703-753-7741 or leave a
message on our answering machine. 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
It is important to note that
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..
GRADE LEVEL NEWS – What to expect for the next 9 weeks
Kindergarten - Kindergarten fits so much learning in just 3 1/4 hours of
school each day! *During the next
quarter, we will be comparing sets to determine which has more, fewer, or the
same number of items (“equal.”) We will
also be working on counting backwards from 20 and continuing to count by 5s and
10s as we prepare to celebrate 100 days of school! Measurement
of length, weight, time, and temperature as well as a unit on money round out
our math studies. *For science we
will be experimenting with the three states of matter, lights and shadows,
dental health and weather/seasons. In
social studies we will be learning all about presidents Washington and Lincoln
and will affirm our friendships for Valentine's Day. *
1st
grade – We are
halfway through 1st grade! What
wonderful readers we have become. Keep
up the wonderful reading at home every night and try reading with expression. We are working hard on our math facts,
addition and subtraction to 12. Please
try to practice these facts wherever you are, even in the car or waiting in
line at the grocery store. In the
upcoming quarter, we will study spring, patriotic symbols, famous Americans,
reading maps, shapes, patterns & skip counting. We have a field trip
scheduled in early March to the
2nd
Grade - It’s hard to believe that second grade is already at the
midyear point! For the third quarter in
Math, we will continue the Investigations Program. We will finish Shapes, Halves and Symmetry
and start the next Investigations unit called Putting Together and Taking
Apart. In Social Studies, we will complete units on
Geography, Ancient China, and the topic second graders have been waiting
for…Ancient Egypt! Our second grade
musical,
We will continue to work on reading comprehension, fluency, parts of
speech, and written language during our Language Arts time. Thank you for continuing to encourage your
child to read at least 20 minutes each night and to build up those Accelerated
Reader points. Don’t forget to sign and
turn in completed reading logs!!!
Third
Grade - Third grade has an exciting third grading period
planned. In March we will be going on a
field trip to the Hylton High School
Planetarium. To continue our Earth, Moon
and Sun unit, Mr. Ken Hicks will come in early March with a special
presentation. In reading, we will be
beginning to focus on nonfiction texts, including biographies of the famous
Americans we study in Social Studies. We
will continue the nonfiction focus in writing as well. Flat
Fourth
Grade -
It is hard to believe that we are ready to begin the second half of the
year. Here are a few activities that we
are looking forward to during the third nine weeks. In Language Arts we will continue working in
Guided Reading Groups. We will also
focus on the Elements of Fiction, Non-Fiction and the Writing Process as we
continue to prepare our 4th graders for the up coming writing predictor on March
14th. Reason and Logic, The Solar
System, and Weather, will be our focus in Science. We are looking forward to learning about the
American Revolution and the Civil War in Social Studies. If you have time over
Spring Break, please visit any of our local Civil War Battlefields.
The 4th Grade Team is looking forward to a wonderful 3rd nine weeks!
Fifth Grade -
It’s difficult to believe we are now halfway through the year! It seems
as if only yesterday we were meeting our students for the first time. During
the third grading period we will begin gearing up for the SOL tests. Our first SOL tests are only one month away! The Writing SOL tests will be given on March
7th and 8th. The first day of testing
will measure students’ performance on a multiple choice test. The second day of
testing will require students to write an essay in response to a writing prompt
selected by the state. We are reviewing our curriculum during Core Extension time.
During this quarter we will begin our social studies focus on New Nation (the
period of time following the American Revolution) and Westward Expansion. Our
science classes are moving into a study of matter, during which time students
will explore the concepts of solids, liquids, and gases. In math, we will
finish up with fractions and probability, and move on to various types of
measurement. Finally, language arts will focus on styles of writing as well as
introduce elements of nonfiction.
ART NEWS - This upcoming 9 weeks is an exciting
one for art. The big news is for the first time Bristow Run will host its All-County Art Festival at the Manassas
Mall during March instead of May. However, some schools will still be having
their Festival in May. The times were split up due to the increasing size of
our county and the inability of the Manassas Mall to facilitate all the county
displays. I am particularly happy about
this because March is National Youth Art Month and having the Festival during this
time is so appropriate and a super way to celebrate Youth Art Month at Bristow
Run. Our Festival is scheduled for
MUSIC NEWS
The first part of our school year
was wonderful.
The Dynomite
Dinosaur musical by Third graders was so much fun.
The All school sing along on December 22 was
very special. Students singing out with seasonal songs of celebrations and
winter fun. January started off with an AWESOME program by our Fifth Grade
string students and the Panther Chorus.Thank you to
all the students for sharing the Joy of Music.
The next part of our year will also
be filled with the Sounds of Bristow Run Music.
Our second graders are busy at work
on the program Tales of Temples and Tombs to be presented on March 8th. This
will be the eighth year for this wonderful tradition to continue. Fourth
graders have started working on a special program celebrating the 400th
anniversary of
The end of the year Fifth grade
strings and Panther Chorus Program will be on May 10.
Additional events will include
pyramid concerts for our string students at Marsteller
Middle School on April 24 and the
Panther chorus at Brentsville High School on
April 19.WOW What a NOTE WORTHY YEAR.
Thanks students, parents and staff
for all your support.
Mr. Michael C. Maletick
and Mrs. Lynn D. Maletick
Math and Science News from Mrs. Cowne -
Math/Science: Thank
you to all the parents who have helped this past nine weeks. We are still collecting bottle tops for math manipulatives as well as paper towels, liquid soap and
tissues for the lab. If you have any
questions concerning Math or Science, please call me at school or e-mail me at
cownedh@pwcs.edu. Denise Cowne
LIBRARY NEWS from Mrs. Kyker -
Great news about Accelerated Reader. We have added 350 new test
to our accelerated reader program with 120 more to come. That puts us over 4000 books with a
test. Once they are all here we will add
them to the website. Happy
GIFTED ED - Gifted education services are available for Prince William County
S.T.A.R.T. (Strategies for
Teaching and Reaching for Talents) is the Prince William
County Public Schools Gifted Education Program for the primary grades. Students at this level are identified as
potentially gifted. This suggests they have a strong potential to achieve in
the verbal or quantitative academic area. These identified children in
kindergarten, first, second, and third grades are taken out of the regular
classroom to work with the gifted education resource teacher in a small group
setting once a week. Times vary with the
grade level. The gifted resource teacher
and the classroom teacher work together to meet the needs of the identified
children by offering differentiated curriculum in regards to content, process,
and products. Please contact Kristi Weissman, Gifted
Resource with any questions.
SIGNET - Schools Involved In
Gifted Needs In Education Today -Grades Four and Five
At the end of third grade, students are formally
identified in the category of intellectual aptitude and specific academic
aptitude. Such students receive additional services during both fourth and
fifth grades in a school-based program or in a gifted education center. Please contact Tom Gurney with any questions.
Going Home - 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
CMS TESTS
All 2nd-5th
grade students will be administered various curriculum subject area assessments
called CMS, that are designed to assess how well a
student has understood and mastered a subject and prepare students for SOL
tests in 2nd-4th grades. Both the CMS tests and the SOL tests assess
the state mandated curriculum and let us know how well students are learning
the information that we are teaching. Grades may be given on CMS tests. Due to
standardized nature of these tests being used in all schools in