Principal’s Notes from Nottingham – November 3, 2017

“Autumn burned brightly, a running flame through the mountains, a torch flung to the trees.”

                                                                                                               -Faith Baldwin

Dear Parents/ Guardians:

With the impending time change, I wanted to ask that you continue to encourage your child to practice pedestrian safety walking or biking to and from school, i.e.,  using crosswalks, paying attention to cars backing out of driveways, etc. Thank you for helping us to continue to keep all members of the Nottingham Community of Learners safe

Treats for Troops: November 1st through November 6

Hopefully by now your child shared with you a few vignettes regarding Tuesday’s dismissal!  Our Knights were “treated” to the wonderful musical sounds of the Yorktown  Pep/Marching Band. Special thanks to band director Brian Bersch and several former Knights dressed in costume who made it a special event here at Nottingham.

Members of our Nottingham Student Council Association (SCA) are thrilled with the amount of donations received thus far for our current Treats for Troops campaign.  Knights have been bringing in their leftover candy to donate to our US troops/service members, serving both here and abroad.  Knights are also encouraged to create cards thanking service members for their efforts.  The bins are getting close to capacity but we are still accepting donations of candy and cards through November 6 by the main office.  Knights are asked to drop off their  treats / cards before heading to their instructional space.  The SCA Officers and Representatives will package treats and cards after school on Monday, November 6

CogAT Testing Window:  Parents/Guardians of 4th Grade Knights:

Kudos to those of you who are parents/guardians of our 4th grade Knights! We appreciate your efforts to ensure that your child is arriving to school on time and rested as they continue to take the nationally normed Cognitive Achievement Test (CogAT) during morning classes.  The testing window will run through  November 16. This year’s schedule was challenging due to the swimming curriculum, Veteran’s Day and the teacher work day.  Parents/Guardians of 4th grade students have received a detailed letter regarding this countywide assessment.

Reminder No School:

Tuesday, November 7, 2017 – No School for Students – Grade Prep Day
Friday, November 10, 2017 – No School – Veteran’s Day

Friday is Veterans’ Day and a national holiday. One of the wonderful benefits of living so close to the nation’s capital are the many  family centered and free or reasonably priced activities. There are many meaningful things to do in our area to recognize the contributions of veterans and many places to visit as a family that will help your children appreciate our nation’s history. Where to Observe Veteran’s Day & Activities for the … – KidFriendly DC
https://washington.org/dc-guide-to/veterans-day-in-washington-dc

PTA Meeting – Tuesday, November 14 – Arlington Outdoor Education Association (AOEA)

We hope you are planning to attend our next general PTA meeting on Tuesday, November 14 in the library.  There will be an informal question and answer session with a PTA officer from 6:30-7:00 pm and the meeting will start at 7:00 pm.  A speaker from the Arlington Outdoor Education Association, AOEA  will present on the Outdoor Lab, the AOEA and the relationship between the two

Fall Social/Auction: 11/18/17: Bluegrass and Boots Knights of Columbus 6:30-10:00 pm

I look forward to visiting with NTM Parents/ guardians as they join fellow parents at our PTA sponsored evening of barbecue, bluegrass, and country cocktails at the Fall Social & Auction! Kudos and thanks to Chairs Meredith Chistolini and Danielle Herndon who promise blazing hot auction items, games of chance and skill, a bourbon pull, and live music by local band Hollertown!

Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation 5-K & Family Fun Day – November 18 – 9:00am-1pm

Current and former Nottingham families are invited to join our friends at Discovery as they honor the life of former NTM parent, Jennifer Bush Lawson. The Jennifer Bush-Lawson Foundation is hosting the third annual 5K & Family Fun Day on November 18 at the Knights of Columbus. Proceeds from this event will help provide access to high-quality pediatric and maternal healthcare services for economically vulnerable expectant mothers and their children through their primary beneficiaries, the Virginia Hospital Center and Arlington Pediatric Center. Register online.

Thank you for being a partner in your child’s education.

Mary Beth Pelosky
Marybeth.pelosky@apsva.us
@NTMPrincipal  @NTMKnightsAPS