Carrollton Family,

Last week I shared about my fall when running and that story got some traction. Will you indulge me to share one more lesson from my stumble? I went down because I stepped on a piece of trash – one of those thin, plastic bands that wraps around a package. My left foot stepped on it, it popped up, and it caught my right foot. Basically I lassoed myself! Here’s the lesson: Avoid trash! As you’re making your way down this pandemic-impacted path, steer clear of the junk that can trip you up: negative relationships, defeated thinking, toxic social media, fake news. Now more than ever it’s important to focus on that which is helpful, hopeful, and honest.  

Good news: The final batch of learning modules will be available for pick-up this Friday (12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.) and Saturday (9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.); friendly Instructional Assistants will be on hand to provide smiling customer service and retrieve your child’s belongings that may still be in the building. Please be sure to return any item belonging to a teacher of the library.

• Help is here!
  • The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has answer at VDOE_FAQs
  • IWCS Literacy Hotline is available for reading questions from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. Mondays through Fridays. The number is 1-720-500-3324, the PIN is 841 239 201#.
  • IWCS Tech Help Desk can assist with inquiries regarding school-issued devices, apps, etc. from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mondays through Fridays
• All Continuity of Learning Modules are available on our website and the most recent sets will be available at each meal distribution site.
• Check out the collection of resources on our website at caeshomelearning. The CAES staff is updating it regularly as we discover new opportunities and resources to help you.
  • Be sure to check out our weekly read-aloud series Stories from the Nest. Each Wednesday at noon, a new read-aloud by a CAES staff member or IWCS guest will be available on our website.  

Thank you for your patience as our studio reopens and gets back to full capacity.

• ORDER YEARBOOKS
  The official deadline has passed, but you can still place an order until we place the full order to print all of the yearbooks (which will be within the next week or so).

Online Ordering: https://AccessMyEvent.com/TH7747

Yearbook Delivery: Yearbooks will be delivered to the school in late July. More information on the specifics and details will come from Mr. Brennan as we get closer to delivery.

• SPRING PICTURES

Online Ordering Only: https://AccessMyEvent.com/U4ET52

Product Delivery: Photo orders will ship directly to the address you provide (not the school)

Important: spring pictures were optional, please read the instructions after clicking the link for more info.

• ORDER WHOLE CLASS PHOTOS

Online Ordering Only: https://AccessMyEvent.com/PSC566

Product Delivery: Photo orders will ship directly to the address you provide (not the school).

• The News Crew is putting together a video about your experiences during the school closure for COVID-19 and need your help. You can record a video of yourself talking about or showing us what you have been doing, how you are doing, and any advice you may have or message you may have for your fellow Cardinals. Send your video messages to Mrs. Berkeley via email to be included in the News Crew Special Report. mberkeley@iwcs.k12.va.us 
• Click here to request  an Online Meeting with Mrs. Berkeley 
• Let'shave lunch! Fill out this Lunch Bunch form to have a virtual lunch with Mrs. Berkeley on Zoom.                                                   

May 25 – Memorial Day – Do something fun with your family!

May 29 – Learning materials pick-up day #1 (12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.)

May 30 – Learning materials pick-up day #2 (9:00 .m. – 1:00 p.m.)

June 11 – Last day of school!

June 12 – Report cards will be mailed home

June 21 – Father’s Day

July 6    – Summer school starts (more info coming)

July 30   – Summer school ends

Please follow the CDC guidelines for keeping safe and minimizing the spread of COVID-19. Medical questions may be directed to the VDH Hotline: 877-275-8343 (877-ASK-VDH3). I will keep in touch with you during this closure, and pertinent information will be made available on the IWCS and CAES communication platforms.

grover-on-coping-during-coronavirus-just-for-kids

Carrollton Family,

Have you taken up a new hobby during this time of quarantine? I haven’t. No baking or gardening, macramé or decoupage, but I have begun to run again. Several years ago I trained for and ran races then stopped because I didn’t have the time. Well, that excuse went away once my commute decreased from 30 minutes to just down the hall. Last week while jogging through the neighborhood I fell. Hard. Scuffed my palms, scratched an elbow and knee, bruised my hip, cracked my phone. Hurt my pride. I had to decide either to stay in a fetal position until some good Samaritan happened by or to get up and keep going. Not unlike the choice we’re faced with daily during this unprecedented time as we struggle with the inconvenience of being quarantined, the discomfort of social distancing, the pain of loss particular to this pandemic. There’s an end to all of this current COVID-craziness, and many of you are keeping up a steady pace while others of us are limping along -- but at least we’re limping! However long it takes, we’ll get to the finish line and hopefully be better for it.    

• Be sure to watch the Encore teachers’ videos linked on our website!

• The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) encourages you to review resources provided by our school division, public libraries, public media, civic and community groups, and other resources, including those found on the Department’s website - search for "families" or visit the VDOE_for_families_webpage. It’s perfectly fine if you have questions. Check here for answers… VDOE_FAQs
• got questions?
  • IWCS Literacy Hotline is available for reading questions from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. Mondays through Fridays. The number is 1-720-500-3324, the PIN is 841 239 201#.
  • IWCS Tech Help Desk can assist with inquiries regarding school-issued devices, apps, etc. from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mondays through Fridays
• All Continuity of Learning Modules (a.k.a. learning packets) are available on our website and the most recent sets will be available at each meal distribution site.
• The CAES staff has been working together to collect some of the most interesting activities and best home-learning resources to support you. Please check out the collection of resources on our website at caeshomelearning. We are updating it regularly as we discover new opportunities and resources, so check back often!
• Be sure to check out our new weekly read-aloud series Stories from the Nest. Each Wednesday at noon, a new read-aloud by a CAES staff member (or IWCS guest) will be available on our website.  
  • School buses are now stationed throughout the county as Internet hot spots for you. The closest ones are at First Gravel Hill Baptist Church in Smithfield and the Carrollton Cove Shoppes in Carrollton. The buses will be parked in these locations through the end of the current academic year. All nine schools will continue to have parking lot hot spots. 

• The Cardinals CARE Club is hosting a postcard design contest for anyone interested in creating a fun and colorful postcard that will be sent out to our Cardinal families to let them know we miss them and wish them well. The directions and information were in the back of the May 4-15 Encore Packet. Design entries are due May 18. You can take a picture of your design and email it to Mrs. Berkeley. Good luck!
• The News Crew is putting together a video about your experiences during the school closure for COVID-19 and need your help. You can record a video of yourself talking about or showing us what you have been doing, how you are doing, and any advice you may have or message you may have for your fellow Cardinals. Send your video messages to Mrs. Berkeley via email to be included in the News Crew Special Report. mberkeley@iwcs.k12.va.us 
• Click here to request  an Online Meeting with Mrs. Berkeley 
• Let's have lunch! Fill out this Lunch Bunch form to have a virtual lunch with Mrs. Berkeley on Zoom.
• Check out this resource from Sesame Street about helping kids during this time of COVID-19:   grover-on-coping-during-coronavirus-just-for-kids  

5/18 – Cardinals CARE Club postcard competition deadline (see Mrs. Berkeley’s info above)

5/18 – Mrs. Harris’, Mrs. Lenz’s, & Mrs. Hall’s students’ virtual Hydroponics Expo

5/25 – Memorial Day

6/11 – Last day of school!

6/12 – Report cards will be mailed home

• You may pick up your child’s belongings, check Lost & Found, and return school-issued items during our final learning packet distribution days May 29 and 30. 
• Reminder of the Suffolk Cultural Arts Center’s YouTube video series called “Virtual Art Education” -- Students of all ages can experience art training virtually whether it’s visual, performing, culinary, or any other form from the comfort of their own home. Children will have the opportunity to learn at their own pace from professional instructors. New episodes every week at www.youtube.com/suffolkculturalartscenter
• Wordsmyth.com is giving 50 students free access to their Children’s Online Dictionary for a year! To find out how to claim your free subscription, please look on page 5 of the Library's 2nd & 3rd grade Continuity of Learning Packet for directions. There are only 50 free subscriptions, so don't miss out!

Keep heading toward the finish line!

Mr.B.

Please follow the CDC guidelines for keeping safe and minimizing the spread of COVID-19. Medical questions may be directed to the VDH Hotline: 877-275-8343 (877-ASK-VDH3). I will keep in touch with you during this closure, and pertinent information will be made available on the IWCS and CAES communication platforms.

Carrollton Family,

In loco parentis is the Latin phrase that qualifies teachers as the “parents-on-duty” whenever students are in the building. Not only does in loco parentis relate to legal and functional aspects of a teacher’s responsibilities when in the care of students, but it also goes to the heart of who a teacher is. Teachers become very protective of their own students, and every student in the building is the responsibility of every staff member in the building. This explains why our teachers are trying so hard during this prolonged, unanticipated school closure to keep connected with your children: they still feel obligated to provide instruction, support, continuity, encouragement. Letting go in mid-June is part of the educator’s scheduled routine, but letting go in mid-March is all wrong. Please understand that your child’s teacher is reaching out not to annoy you or to replace you; she is reaching out because she wants to; he is attempting to make contact because that’s what a good teachers does. Seven percent of our student body has not been heard from since the quarantine began and the in loco parentis in us is uncomfortable with that statistic! If you’re overwhelmed or over school, please let me know and I’ll tell the teacher to back off. Just know that the “school moms and dads” are committed to your kids now more than ever. 

• All Continuity of Learning Modules (a.k.a. learning packets) are available on our website and the most recent sets will be available at each meal distribution site.
• The CAES staff has been working together to collect some of the most interesting activities and best home-learning resources to support you. Please check out the collection of resources on our website at caeshomelearning. We are updating it regularly as we discover new opportunities and resources, so check back often!
• Be sure to check out our new weekly read-aloud series Stories from the Nest. Each Wednesday at noon, a new read-aloud by a CAES staff member (or IWCS guest) will be available on our website.  
• Got questions?
  • IWCS Literacy Hotline is available for reading questions from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. Mondays through Fridays. The number is 1-720-500-3324, the PIN is 841 239 201#.
  • IWCS Tech Help Desk can assist with inquiries regarding school-issued devices, apps, etc. from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mondays through Fridays
  • School buses are now stationed throughout the county as Internet hot spots for you. These will be located at the Otelia Rainey Center in Camptown, Bethany Presbyterian Church in Zuni, First Gravel Hill Baptist Church in Smithfield, and the Carrollton Cove Shoppes in Carrollton. The buses will be parked in these locations through the end of the current academic year. All nine schools will continue to have parking lot hot spots. 

• The Cardinals CARE Club added information in the Encore Packet for this two-week period that we want to make sure you are aware of. They are hosting a postcard design contest for anyone interested in creating a fun and colorful postcard that will be sent to our Cardinal families to let them know we miss them and wish them well. The directions and information are in the back of the Encore Packet. Design entries are due May 18. You can take a picture of your design and email it to Mrs. Berkeley or drop it off at the next packet pick up site. Good Luck!
• The News Crew is putting together a video about your experiences during the school closure for COVID-19 and need your help. You can record a video of yourself talking about or showing us what you have been doing, how you are doing, and any advice you may have or message you may have for your fellow Cardinals. Send your video messages to Mrs. Berkeley via email to be included in the News Crew Special Report. mberkeley@iwcs.k12.va.us 
• Click here to request  an Online Meeting with Mrs. Berkeley 
• Let's have lunch! Fill out this Lunch Bunch form to have a virtual lunch with Mrs. Berkeley on Zoom.                                                          

5/10 – Mother’s Day 

5/15– Newly extended yearbook ordering deadline

5/15 – Learning packet #4 distribution day (12:00 p.m. – 4:00 a.m.)

5/16 – Learning packet #4 distribution day (9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.)

5/18 – Cardinals CARE Club postcard competition deadline (see Mrs. Berkeley’s info above)

5/25 – Memorial Day

6/11 – Last day of school!

• Blue Dominion has extended the deadline for ordering yearbooks until Friday, May 15. Here’s the link: blue-dominion-studios.caes/yearbook. This would be a great way to preserve the memories of this strange school year and to support a small business that is struggling due to losing so much wedding photography business.
• You may pick up your child’s belongings, check Lost & Found, and return school-issued items during any of our learning packet distribution days for the remainder of the year. 
• From Suffolk Cultural Arts Center Education Manager Gavin Harper: I hope that everyone is staying healthy and safe during this crazy pandemic. You are on our minds as we navigate through this time. Here at the Suffolk Center, we miss interacting with all of you and hope to soon be able to engage in the arts together in person. With help from generous donors and grant funding we are able to launch this awesome free project that will help keep your students engaged in the arts while at home. We are launching this online YouTube video series called “Virtual Art Education.” Students of all ages can experience art training virtually whether it’s visual, performing, culinary, or any other form from the comfort of their own home. Children will have the opportunity to learn at their own pace from professional instructors. New episodes every week at www.youtube.com/suffolkculturalartscenter
• The Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU has made available a tool for busting boredom with its covid-19-kid-friendly-coloring-book

Happy Mother’s Day, Moms!

Mr.B.

Please follow the CDC guidelines for keeping safe and minimizing the spread of COVID-19. Medical questions may be directed to the VDH Hotline: 877-275-8343 (877-ASK-VDH3). I will keep in touch with you during this closure, and pertinent information will be made available on the IWCS and CAES communication platforms.

Carrollton Family,

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve come across the comment that parents appreciate teachers in a whole new way now – I even heard Oprah say it, so you know it’s gotta be true! May 4 – 8 is National Teacher Appreciation Week. If you’re grateful for your child’s teacher, this would be a great time to let him/her know. Expressing your thanks with a note or an e-mail may be just what our teachers need at this time as they continue to move away from their comfort zones of training and experience to continue to help your children.Here’s a digital option provided by the Virginia Lottery: thankateacherva.com

While we’re on the topic, I want to thank you for how you’ve stepped up to fill the role of teacher over the past seven weeks. It was you, the parent-teacher, who suggested clickable links on our web-based PDFs, answer keys included with packets, and daily academic schedules, so we’re making those improvements happen. It’s you, the parent-teachers, who are participating on Zoom with reading conferences and speech therapy sessions to better understand how to train your children. Parent-teachers have declared spirit days, taken fieldtrips, and conducted hands-on learning. Parent-teachers are sharing pictures of what their children are learning, and that's how I learned that one mom donned a wig to act as a substitute just to add some variety to the instructional day! Dozens of you picked up IWCS iPads and scores picked up CAES packets. So many of you are rising to the challenge to add "remote learning teacher" to your resumé. On behalf of the Carrollton Elementary faculty and staff, we appreciate you!

• All CAES Continuity of Learning Modules (a.k.a. learning packets) are available on our website. 
• Our staff has been working diligently to collect some of the most interesting activities and best home-learning resources to support you. Please check the collection of resources on our website at caeshomelearning. It's updated regularly as we discover new opportunities and resources, so check back often.
• Looking for some interesting events to share with your children? So many organizations and individuals are hosting webinars, trivia sessions, live chats and more throughout each week, but sometimes it is difficult to remember when each event starts! We have been working on curating a calendar of live virtual events that you and your children can access so that you have a variety of interesting live events at your fingertips. You can click on each event for more information and we have included URLs on each event as appropriate. Have fun exploring! https://bit.ly/virtuallive
• Got questions about reading instruction? The nice folks at the IWCS Literacy Hotline would be glad to help you from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. Monday through Friday. The number is 1-720-500-3324, the PIN is 841 239 201#.
• There will be school buses stationed throughout the county as Internet hot spots for you. These will be located at the Otelia Rainey Center in Camptown, Bethany Presbyterian Church in Zuni, First Gravel Hill Baptist Church in Smithfield, and the Carrollton Cove Shoppes in Carrollton. The buses will be parked in these locations through the end of the current academic year. All nine schools will continue to have parking lot hot spots.

Hi Cardinals! I miss you all, and I think about you every day. I hope you all are doing well, and enjoying the time at home with your families. These are strange times. It is okay if you are feeling scared or worried, sad, or even angry about the changes in your life, and how it affects you and your family. If you want to talk about it, I am here. We can arrange a meeting online to chat alone if you like, or you can sign up to have lunch with me and a group for fun or to check in. I can't wait to see you online!  

• Click here to request an Online Meeting with Mrs. Berkeley 
• Let's have lunch! Fill out this Lunch Bunch form to have a virtual lunch with Mrs. Berkeley on Zoom.                                                               

• 5/1 – Distribution of tablets to elementary students (at Smithfield Middle School)
• 5/1– Yearbook ordering deadline
• 5/15 – Learning packet #4 distribution day (12:00 p.m. – 4:00 a.m.)
• 5/16 – Learning packet #4 distribution day (9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.)
• 5/17 – Mother’s Day
• 5/25 – Memorial Day

• If you would like to pick up your child’s belongings, you may do so during any of our learning packet distribution days. 
• Our amazing Encore Team will be providing weekly videos linked on our website and their Clever accounts starting Monday. These videos will allow your children to see their Encore teachers share about creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking. 
• Our Engineering teacher Mrs. Hall wants you to know that studies link gardening to good mental and physical health. Gardening isn't just about reaping a harvest; it's good for you and leads to quality family time. Gardening is known to reduce stress and restore a sense of well-being and balance, and getting outside is excellent for your immune system. Read all about it in Mrs. Hall’s most recent newsletter: NewsFamilyGarden

I appreciate all that you’re doing as your child's teacher right now!

Mr.B.

Please follow the CDC guidelines for keeping safe and minimizing the spread of COVID-19. Medical questions may be directed to the VDH Hotline: 877-275-8343 (877-ASK-VDH3). I will keep in touch with you during this closure, and pertinent information will be made available on the IWCS and CAES communication platforms.