Click to read the Update – Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Parents-Let’s Talk About Vaping Information

Welcome back from what we hope was a restful and enjoyable break. The New Year promises lots of new activities, fun and learning…

Hi! Please click below to read the latest Knightly News, as well as a letter from Mr. Jones, our school counselor.

Nottingham Knightly News – November 6, 2018

Letter from Our School Counselor

Important Dates

• 12 September, Wednesday – Back to School Night, 7:00PM
• 12 September, Wednesday – PTA Meeting, 8:05PM
• 26 September, Wednesday – SCA Spirit Day
• 2 October, Tuesday – PTA Meeting, 7:00 PM
• 8 October, Monday – Professional Learning Day (NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS)
• 10 October, Wednesday – ASPAN Walk-a-Thon, 8:00AM
• 10 October, Wednesday – Early Release, 1:26 PM

2018-2019 Early Release Dates: October 10, October 25, December 12, January 16, February 13, March 7, March 13, June 5, June 12. Students will be dismissed at 1:26PM.

We are combining our newsletters! The combined newsletter will be sent from APS School Talk on Tuesdays every week. In addition to the weekly newsletter, please check the PTA website, www.nespta.org (as well as our Facebook and Twitter feed) and Nottingham’s school website https://nottingham.apsva.us/ to stay current with what is going on at school.

Kudos and Appreciation
We would like to thank our volunteers who have helped the PTA throughout the summer and during last week’s teacher work week. Thank you to:

• Katia Smith-King who coordinated the summer kindergarten playdates;
• Lisa Solinger for ordering and setting up the staff welcome back breakfast;
• Elissa Ghosh, Andrea Kaplowitz, Angela Na, Ewa Schweitzer, Stacey Stump, Jim Wisniewski and Colleen Wright sorting and delivering school supply kits; and,
• Maureen Bouda, Elissa Ghosh, Andrea Kaplowitz, Angela Na, Stacey Stump and Colleen Wright for sorting and delivering APS first day packets.
• Stacy Rosenthal for helping welcome and transition new leadership, counselor and other staff so seamlessly.
• Stacy Rosenthal and Stacey Stump and the PTA for putting together the fabulous staff luncheon last week!

From the Principal
Thank you all for a great start to the year! I am so thrilled to be a part of the Nottingham community and look forward to everything we plan to do this year. As with all change, there are bumps and stumbles. I really appreciate how flexible, patient and adaptably everyone has been as we endeavor to streamline processes and procedures to ensure ours is a well run program. You may already have heard about a few:

• The Halloween Parade will be on Halloween! More details will be forthcoming once Halloween is closer, but since this is a BIG change, we wanted to alert you sooner rather than later.
• 4th and 5th grade is departmentalizing (switching classes) for content. Our students will be ready for middle school and all the transitions they will face in grade 6
• We will be spending a great deal of time experimenting and evaluating what works to build our exemplary project “STEAMing Ahead” and look forward to seeing where Kristin Muller, Exemplary Project Coordinator takes us.
• Recess is now 30 minutes at every grade level (more if they finish lunch a little early).
• Dismissal changes have been implemented and I apologize for not getting the information to you sooner. See below for specifics.

It’s been an exciting transition and again, I am looking forward to meeting and getting to know all our students and families. Hope to see you all at Back to School Night next week.

Eileen

Here’s a few reminders and updates about arrival and dismissal….School begins at 9:00AM and students are welcome to arrive at about 8:40AM. Students should sit outside the classroom (MaryBeth Johnson’s students should sit outside the art room near the back door). Students in grades 3 and 4 who have classrooms on the lower level can also sit outside classrooms with 2 exceptions. Ms. Ready’s class should sit across from the library by Mr. Jones’ counseling office. Students in Ms. Foeckler’s class should sit outside the art room storage closet. Signs will be posted and staff will be available to assist. Breakfast will be served to any student who would like to have some.

We’ve adjusted the dismissal process to streamline and build student independence. You may have already received my note, but just in case…

• Walkers in grades K/1 will meet a parent or designee on the front blacktop.
• Walkers in grades 2-5 will dismiss through the door closest to their classroom or near a point of pickup that families have agreed upon.
• Bus riders will line up in the hallway or on the front steps to await arrival of the bus.
• Extended day students in K/1 will be escorted to Extended Day.
• Extended day students in grades 2-5 will be dismissed directly to Extended Day.

Safety is of the upmost concern and children and families should obey and follow all posted signs, staff and crossing guards. If you are driving your child to school, please follow directions from Ms. Pugh, Mr. Giusto and the patrols for kiss and ride. Please make sure you are parking legally around the neighborhood if you plan to walk your child in to the building. At the end of the day, please be mindful of the parking signs and do not park illegally around the school. This presents safety hazards and confusion. Thanks for your cooperation on this.

Back to School Night is September 12 at 7:00PM. This is the perfect opportunity for you to meet your child’s teacher, if you haven’t already, and to learn about the great things happening at Nottingham. First, you will view a short video from your principal and PTA President, Stacy Rosenthal. Parent-teacher conference sign-ups will also be available. There will be two sessions for parents to attend. Specials teachers and specialists will be in the library should you have any questions.

Finally, please join us for the PTA Meeting at 8:05AM for some important information and to establish plans for the year.
VERY IMPORTANT…Please “Opt-In” and grant APS permission to share your student information with the PTA. If you want to be included in the student directory, please check “yes” in Part I on the 2018-19 Release of Student Information Form included in your child’s APS first day packet.

From the PTA President
Welcome back, students! Didn’t we just say “have a great summer” and now our kiddos will join our wonderful faculty and staff at Nottingham for a new school year. I hope everyone had a terrific first day of school!

As I mentioned in last week’s newsletter, we will be over-communicating with you during the upcoming weeks and a lot of information will be headed in your direction – both electronically and hard copy. Please keep a lookout in your inbox and child’s backpack.
I would like to welcome Dr. Megan Lynch, who was appointed at last week’s school board meeting, as our new Assistant Principal. She has hit the ground running and we welcome her to our school community.

A few September reminders:

• Back to School Night (BTSN) is Wednesday, September 12. At the conclusion of BTSN, please join me for a brief PTA meeting in the multi-purpose room. We will have a few announcements and vote on the 2018-19 PTA budget.
• If you have volunteered (or plan to volunteer) to be a room parent, please plan to attend a room parent orientation on Tuesday, September 25 at 7:00 pm in the Nottingham library.
• Please go to www.nespta.org and update or create your PTA account with your child’s class assignment. While you are there, you can join the PTA, pay the bulk supply fee, make a donation and/or let us know where you are interested in helping out
• Please “Opt In” and grant APS permission to share your student information with the PTA. If you want to be included in the student directory, please check “yes” in Part I on the 2018-19 Release of Student Information Form included in your child’s APS first day packet.

Last, but not least, please update your calendar to reflect the Halloween parade will actually take place on Halloween, DURING the school day (in the afternoon). As always, I welcome your comments, questions and feedback at president@nespta.org.
Thank you,

Stacy Rosenthal
PTA President 2018-19

Hello Third and Fourth Grade Families,

I wanted to say thanks again for all your patience as we address the mold issue on the lower level. On Saturday, we were able to get into four of the six classrooms. Tomorrow they will be doing an additional cleaning and inspection and hopefully, we will be in before the end of the week.

If your child has Ms. Zipfel, Ms. Benowitz, Ms. Cornacchio or Ms. Brandt, your child may be in the classrooms tomorrow morning.

Ms. Ready’s class will meet in the library and Ms. Foeckler’s class will meet in the art room. As soon as we are given the clearance that Ms. Ready and Ms. Foeckler’s room are ready, students will be permitted to attend class there. I’ll keep you as updated as I am about the progress.

Thanks again for your patience and support.
Eileen Gardner, Principal

Hello Families,

It has been such a positive and exciting start to the year! Teachers are back and are attending staff development, meeting with teams to discuss and plan for the first weeks of school and prepare classrooms for your arrival. We have been working hard to get the building ready for our open house this Thursday, August 30 (8:45 for K and 9:00 for grades 1-5) and hope to see many of you there. Families new to Arlington Public Schools are invited at 8:30 for a brief orientation prior to the open house. The clinic staff will be available August 27-August 31 9AM -4PM if you would like to avoid the rush and drop off medication and paperwork for the upcoming school year.

Our placement letters were sent electronically yesterday. Thank you all for being understanding and patient as we work through the technological kinks and ensure we have updated emails for families. If you did not get the email, feel free to call to find out who your child will have for homeroom.

A very special thank you to our outstanding custodial team, Dilma Reyes, Rolando Posada, Ana Mendoza and Noe Corada for all their hard work, moving furniture and making Nottingham sparkle in preparation for our students next Tuesday.

Thank you to all our volunteers who have come in for breakfast, lunches and the meet and greet last week. It’s because of you that we can do so many wonderful things to appreciate and welcome our families and staff to the 2018-2019 school year. A special thank you to Stacy Rosenthal for getting volunteers for the meet and greet. We really appreciate everyone who helped with the event, especially Sampak Garg, Megan Roe, Kristen Alcorta, Indu Spugnardi , Janna Tranfa, Kim Fortin, Elizabeth Ingram and Indu Spugnardi for signing up to help as well as everyone else to jumped in where needed. It helped make the night a huge success.

Also thank you to Lisa Solinger for setting up our delicious staff breakfast on Thursday, August 23. And, thank you in advance to the PTA volunteers who are helping with the staff lunch on Wednesday. We really appreciate it!

Thanks again,

Eileen Gardner
Principal

Hi Everyone!

I can’t believe it’s already Thursday! I’ve enjoyed meeting more students, families and staff, and I especially enjoyed meeting several of our rising kindergartners at the play-date last Saturday. Students can help me get to know them by completing a simple “Tell Dr. Gardner About You” online form that can be found here. The direct link for the form is: bit.ly/sharingaboutme

Remember, our final playdate is set for August 25, from 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM, at Nottingham. I’ll there and am happy to open some kindergarten classrooms so our students can take a peek inside!

I am really looking forward to next Thursday, August 23, when our full staff returns so I can start to get to know them as well.

Next Tuesday, August 21 is our Meet and Greet activity night, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. If you haven’t already done so, please RSVP, so we can accurately plan for materials —craft and cookie decorating supplies, and the food truck. The direct link to RSVP is: https://goo.gl/g569B2

Be on the lookout for Classroom Assignment letters which will be sent via email on August 27. We have a great staff here! Many factors have been taken into consideration when making student placements. I’m confident you will trust our decisions. Bus transportation letters will be sent to your homes directly by the APS Transportation Department.

Our Open House is on August 30. Kindergartners are welcome at 8:45 AM, and rising 1st – 5th graders should plan to be here around 9:00 AM. Please stop by to meet teachers and drop off supplies. If you are new to Arlington, please stop by for a quick welcome session at 8:30AM, in the library. We hope you can make it, but if you are still away on vacation, no need to worry. We will be happy to greet you on the first day of school, September 4.

I am really looking forward to the next few weeks and the school year to come.

Sincerely

Eileen Gardner
Principal
Nottingham Elementary School

Dear Nottingham Families, Students and Staff,

I wanted to let you know that John Koutsouftikis will be moving to Williamsburg Middle School as an assistant principal this year. I truly appreciate John’s support during my transition. He has worked closely with me to ensure a smooth leadership transition at Nottingham, and I know he will be available should any questions arise in the future. John asked me to extend his best wishes and sincere thanks to Nottingham with the following:

I have enjoyed every second working with you and your children and getting to know so many of you over the past eight years. Although I am leaving, it is not goodbye as I will see many of you at Williamsburg next year and when your children go to middle school. So much has been accomplished at Nottingham over the past 8 years and I leave with many, many great memories. Thank you for your support over the year.

-John Koutsouftikis

I hope you will join me in wishing him the very best as he transitions to his new assignment at Williamsburg. In the meantime, I will be working closely with our Human Resources to fill the position.

I am excited about the coming year and working closely with everyone in the coming year.

Eileen Gardner, Principal
Nottingham Elementary School

Hi Everyone and Happy Friday!

It’s been a great first week and I’ve really enjoyed getting to meet many of you around the building and during library night. I plan to be at the kindergarten play date tomorrow and hope to see many of you there as well. Next week, I’ll be in the office and available for a quick hello or a scheduled meeting if you’d like one.

I’d also like to invite everyone to come in for a little get together on August 21, 2018 from 5:00-7: 00 PM. We will have some games and activities for our students. I look forward to meeting you and hope you’ll be able to stop by for a little bit — click here to RSVP

Some other dates coming up include:

August 11 – Kindergarten Playdate

August 25 – Kindergarten Playdate

August 27 – Teacher assignment letters will be sent via email

August 30 – Open House to meet your teacher

September 4 – First Day of School

Good Morning Everyone,

I am so happy to be starting my first day at Nottingham! It was a pleasure to meet many of you last week and I look forward to meeting everyone in the weeks to come.  As you may know, I’ve been working with Arlington Public Schools for 20 years now as a special education teacher, an autism coordinator, behavior specialist and assistant principal. In all those roles, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with APS staff, students and families. Please check the website and your email often for updates regarding events, open house opportunities and back to school information. This will include dates and times that I will be available to meet and talk with you informally. Also, please feel free to drop by and say a quick hello or call to schedule a meeting if you have some specific needs, questions or concerns that I can help address. I am very happy and excited to be here and I look forward to seeing you soon.

Eileen Gardner
Principal, Nottingham Elementary School

Dear Parents/Guardians,

“Everybody gets so much information all day long that they lose their common sense.” -Gertrude Stein

SOL Testing Window Information -Parents/ Guardians of Knights in Grades 3-5 Update
We have completed almost all of the Reading SOL assessment. The first week went very smoothly. As a reminder the balance of the SOL’s are as follows:
– Friday, May 25: 4th Grade VA Studies
– Tuesday, May 29: 5th Grade Math, Part 1
– Wednesday, May 30: 3rd Grade Math, Part 1 & 2, (AND) 5th Grade Math, Part 2
– Monday, June 4: 4th Grade Math, Part 1
– Tuesday, June 5: 4th Grade Math, Part 2
– Wednesday, June 6: 5th Grade Science
We will be in touch with parent/guardians regarding retakes for students who do not pass their SOL and receive a score between 375 and 399. When possible, all tests will be given in the morning.

Nottingham Shakespeare Festival
The Nottingham Shakespeare Festival was once again a resounding success. Our 5th grade Knights gave flawless performances in two of the bard’s classic romantic comedies, The Merry Wives of Windsor and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, much to the delight of the packed house. Our talented actors skillfully rendered the interwoven plotlines in each story and kept the audience in stitches, particularly one 5th grade parent who shall remain nameless. The action however, was as much physical as it was verbal, with several characters involved in raucous tussles on stage ably demonstrating the actors ability to handle slapstick humor as well and making it vividly clear that love does indeed hurt.

Upcoming dates to remember
Wednesday 5/23 Kindergarten Field Trip
Monday 5/28 Memorial Day Holiday – no school
Thursday 5/31-6/1 5th Graders-Outdoor Lab
Friday 6/1 K-2nd Field Day
Wednesday 6/6 Early Release – 1:26
Friday 6/7 3-5 Field Day
Wednesday 6/13 Early Release – 1:26
Tuesday 6/19 Promotion – Williamsburg Middle School 5:30
Wednesday 6/20 Last day of school and Early Release 1:26

Constance Skelton
Acting Principal

A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning. ~Brad Henry

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Safe Routes to School HEADS UP! Public Service Announcement contest.

Congratulation to the First Place winners in the Public Service Announcement contest! Nottingham’s own Luc Penella, a 3rd grade student in Ms. Foeckler’s class, Caroline Rice, a 2nd grade student in Mrs. Casey’s class and Emily Rice, a kindergarten student in Ms. Biechman’s class! They did a fantastic job of demonstrating safe and responsible ways to get to school!

May Festival

Please come over and join the fun at Robin Hood in Nottingham Forest this Sunday, May 6th from 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM. Activities include: 3 Inflatables including Moon Bounce for 5 & unders only

Laser Tag / Sack Races / Archery / Photo Booth / Basketball Games / Bubble Center Games / Hair Flair / Face Painting
Food Trucks: Rocklands BBQ, ChixNStixDC & DC Slices On-Stage Entertainment in the MPR
While You Eat & SO MUCH MORE!

Announcement

Effective April 2nd Janet Embrey has retired from Arlington Public Schools. We thank her for her 30+ years of service to Nottingham and wish her the best!

Your Voice Matters Survey.

Parents: Please be on the lookout for the upcoming Your Voice Matters Survey. This survey is a collaboration between Arlington Public Schools and the Arlington Partnership for Children, Youth and Families (APCYF) to provide the Arlington community with a snapshot of school climate, staff engagement, and student and family well-being.

If you have questions about either the parent or the student survey, please contact Regina Van Horne at 703-228-2481 or regina.vanhorne@apsva.us.

The SCA Jar Wars Campaign 2018

Thank you for allowing students to bring in coins for Jar Wars. We are about half way done counting the coins and the amount of money raised. The total amount collected will be announced on Knights @ 9 on Friday, May 11. The money collected this year will be donated to Arlington Thrive.

The 2018 – 2019 SCA Officer elections are coming!!

Students in 3rd and 4th grade will receive information regarding SCA Officer Elections in their Friday Folder this week. Current 3rd grade students can run for Vice President, Secretary, and Sergeant at Arms and current 4th grade students can run for President, Vice President, and Secretary. If your son or daughter are interested in running for an office, please read the information carefully. Students must attend a meeting on May 8th at 8:30 am in Mrs. Zipfel’s room OR 9:00 am in the Library with Mrs. Moore, if they want to run for an office. Please pay close attention to do the important dates listed in the information regarding elections. If you have questions, see Mrs. Zipfel or Mrs. Moore for more information.

Recycling: On May 18th, the SCA Officers and 5th grade representatives will conduct a survey of our school to see how Nottingham is doing with recycling. An update on how we are doing will be given here on Knights @ 9 after we receive the results.

Thank you for your support of SCA this year!

Appropriate Dress: Friendly Reminder

Knights have broken out their spring wardrobes! Parents/guardians are asked to assist their child in reviewing their clothing choices so that they are appropriately attired for school activities as well as for comfort. The active learner will climb on playground equipment, run outdoors, and sit on rugs in the classrooms and library. On days when your child has PE, sneakers should be worn or carried to school. Flip flops are not appropriate for school. Head coverings, (including hats and caps) may not be worn in the school building, unless for religious purposes or school-designated spirit days. Shirts and blouses must fully cover the chest, midriff and back. Tank tops and camisoles should not be worn to school. Thank you in advance for your efforts to help your child determine appropriate clothing for school!

Math Letter to Fifth Grade Parents/Guardians

Parents/Guardians should have received a letter with information about sixth grade math courses in their child’s backpack earlier this month. An excerpt from the letter is below:

In June, a team of experienced math educators will determine a mathematics course recommendation for your rising sixth-grader…For more information about the different assessments noted above or the APS Mathematics Pathways, please see the enclosed information or visit the following website: https://www.apsva.us/mathematics/secondary-math-program/course-pathways.

Upcoming Events

05/06/18 – May Festival – Theme: Robin Hood in Nottingham Forest! – Sun. 12:00 – 3:00 p.m.
05/10/18 – Choral Musical – Pirates 2 – 7:00 – 7:30 p.m. / MultiPurpose Room
05/17/18 – Shakespeare – 7:00 p.m. / MultiPurpose Room

Have a great weekend!

Connie Skelton, Acting Principal
John Koutsouftikis, Assistant Principal

① SOL Testing with Student iPads – Grades 3-5

The SOL testing window at Nottingham will begin on Monday, May 14th. This year, all students in grades 3-5 will be administered their required SOL tests on their APS 1:1 issued Apple iPad. Research shows that elementary students test very well on iPads as they can manipulate the device in a manner and distance that is best for them. In the event of any equipment failure or needed student accommodation, laptops can be used for testing.

All students in grades 3-5 are to bring their iPad charging block and charging cable to school on Thursday, 5/10. From May 10th through the end of the testing window on June 15th, all student iPads will remain at school and charged overnight in their respective homeroom classroom.

Teachers and your school’s instructional technology coordinator, Mr. Crouse, will ensure that the iPads are compliant and properly prepared for SOL testing. When an SOL test is in progress, the iPad enters a mode known as ‘kiosk’ where the student can only use the testing application – that is, the device is disabled from accessing any other application, website or web content.

② Important Summer iPad Device Information for Parents

– Current grade two (2) students – Student iPads for grade two will be collected on Thursday, June 14th. Second grade iPads will be stored at Nottingham over the summer under custody of the school’s instructional technology coordinator.

– Current grade three (3) and four (4) students – After SOL testing and to best facilitate continued personalized digital learning opportunities, student iPads (and their charging accessories) for all third and fourth grade students will be returned to your child to go home for the duration of the summer. While the student devices are at home, the continued protection of the content filters and VPN service will remain in full-force, as well as full compliance of the APS Acceptable Use Policy. As with any technology at home, it is understood that parents can restrict or remove the technology from student use as they deem appropriate in their household. Should you desire to personally opt out your child from the take home program for the summer, please click the following link: http://bit.ly/ipadoptout

– Current grade five (5) students – As our current fifth grade students have the oldest devices, APS has made a decision to recycle these iPads. As a result, all current fifth grade student iPads will be collected and erased on June 12th. As a rising sixth grade student, your child will be issued a new APS personalized learning device at the start of middle school.

Dear Parents/Guardians,

As you know, APS is working on the first phase of the Elementary School Planning Initiative. I met with many of you on Tuesday night. Wednesday morning, I attended an Elementary Principals Meeting. At that meeting, considerable time was devoted to the Elementary School Location Review and analysis of preliminary data. Central office staff took note of the concerns and ideas expressed by the principals. There is another meeting for principals on April 26.

I want to assure you that I am fully engaged in working for Nottingham. The fact that I am your acting principal in no way lessens my voice in the process.

A School Talk was sent today and references the documents that are available for review at:
www.apsva.us/elementary-school-boundary-change/location-review and www.apsva.us/elementary-school-boundary-change

Please feel free to reach out to me with questions or concerns.

The 3rd Annual Discovery/Nottingham Friendship 5K is tomorrow. The race starts at 8:00 AM from Nottingham.

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month and Nottingham will be honoring our volunteers this Monday morning, April 23rd. If you are room parent, regular volunteer or PTA volunteer, please stop by the main hall between 8:30 and 9:00 for a small thank you gift and see how our grateful our Knights are for all the hard work you do.

On Monday, April 23rd, contractors will begin work on Nottingham Street between Little Falls Road and Williamsburg Boulevard. The first leg of the work will be to mill the road and should be completed by Tuesday, April 24th. The second leg of the work, paving, will most likely begin the following week. Again, this should only be, at most, a two-day job.

The work should not impact pedestrian traffic in any manner. Sidewalks should remain open and all pedestrians will be able to navigate to and from school safely. We have been informed that contractors will only work between the hours of 9:15 a.m.-3:00 p.m. This will be the schedule, weather permitting.

Please notify Mr. Koutsouftikis, john.koutsouftikis@apsva.us or (703) 228-5290, immediately if there are any concerns regarding pedestrian safety.

Yearbook Price Will Increase on May 1 – If you haven’t purchased a yearbook for your child(ren) yet, the price will rise from $25 to $30 on May 1. The last possible day to purchase a yearbook is May 15 @ midnight. For questions, please email webmaster@nespta.org.

MayFest will be on Sunday, May 6. 12:00-3:00. Please consider donating your time for this fun event.

If you have a rising Kindergarten student or know a neighbor who has one, please stop by and register as soon as possible. We’d like to get all next year students in the system as early as possible. Please see any front office staff with questions.

Best,
Connie Skelton

“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant.” Anne Bradstreet

Dear Parents/Guardians,

We have had a busy week of learning and an unexpected spring snow storm! Next week is Spring Break. Nottingham will be closed. I will have limited availability via email. You may also leave a phone message and I will reply on April 2. Remember April 9 is a grade preparation day. There is no school for students on that day.

Updated Enrichment Opportunities From State of Virginia
http://nottingham.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/sites/28/2018/02/ENRICHMENT-OPPORTUNITIES-2018-1.pdf

Summer School: Registration Began on March 1

During your Spring Conference, your child’s teacher may have mentioned Summer School opportunities for remedial or enrichment learning. Registration for Summer School and the 2018-19 school year began Wed, March 1. Summer school registration ends on May 4.

Summer School Catalog

Extended Day Registration for Summer School and 2018-19 School Year Begins on May 1
Families can register for both Summer School Extended Day and Extended Day for School Year 2018-19 starting on May 1 at 8 a.m.
Registration is first come, first served and you may be put on a wait list if space is not available.
For more information about Extended Day registration please visit https://www.apsva.us/extended-day/registration/.

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

Connie Skelton
Acting Principal
@NTMKnightsAPS

Learners are active participants in setting goals, planning learning paths, tracking progress, and determining how learning will be demonstrated. At any given time, learning objectives, content, methods, and pacing are likely to vary from learner to learner as they pursue proficiency aligned to established standards. A fully personalized environment moves beyond both differentiation and individualization.
-Tapping the Power of Personalized Learning – J. Rickabaugh

Dear Parents/Guardians,

We are looking forward to seeing you for Parent-Teacher Conferences this Thursday and Friday. A friendly reminder that Thursday, March 1st is an early release day and our Knights will be dismissed at 1:26.

Mr. Koutsouftikis and I look forward to seeing you at our next PTA meeting on Tuesday, March 6th at 7:00 pm in the Library. Below is an excerpt from our PTA President, Stacy Rosenthal:

Does your child struggle with reading or writing? Do you want help for your child, but do not know what questions to ask? Maybe your child is receiving an intervention that does not seem to be effective? Or is your child receiving effective reading instruction/intervention that other children should have access to?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, please join us at the next PTA meeting on Tuesday, March 6 @ 7:00pm.
We will devote the first 45 minutes to learning more about the special education identification process/cycle, available reading interventions, including early interventions, dyslexia support and/or other learning disability supports available at Nottingham
and throughout APS.

Carlette Bryan – Special Education Coordinator, Lori Silver – English Language Arts (ELA) Department Acting Supervisor, and Donna McConnell – ELA Elementary Reading Specialist will present on these topics followed by a question and answer session. Reminder, there is babysitting available at all our PTA meetings.

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

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

The world needs more kind acts and one small act can literally spread around the world. Source: Random Acts of Kindness Week

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Enjoy a restful holiday weekend. We hope you are able to share some additional family time with your loved ones!

Spring Parent/Teacher Conferences: Mark Your Family Calendar
We look forward to seeing many of you at our APS Spring Conferences, scheduled for March 1st and 2nd.
Online sign-up for conferences will open today at 6pm.
Please use this link to access the Parent/Guardian Conference sign-up: https://nottingham.apsva.us/conferences/
· Thursday, March 1 – Conferences will begin at 2:00 p.m.
· Friday, March 2 – Conferences will begin at 8:30 a.m.

We recognize that you may be satisfied with your child’s performance here at Nottingham and that you already feel that you enjoy regular communication with your child’s teacher. You may not feel a conference is necessary at this time. Some of you may have recently met with your child’s teacher for a variety of reasons, in which case a phone conference would suffice or you may choose not to conference at this time. Please communicate your preferences to your child’s teacher.

Knights Take Note Week:
Kudos and thanks to parent Colleen Wright for a successful Boogie Nights themed Knights Take Note Week! The Music Masters crew arranged for DJs every morning before school, and hosted parent/teacher/friend performances at Tuesday’s Nottingham Jams sessions. I enjoyed dancing with lots of fifth grade knights as we were serenaded by 5th grade teacher Susie Matthews and music teacher Cora Rhodes. Our annual Open Mic Knight found knights showcasing their talent as they performed for each other. Our Boogie Nights KTN Week culminated in an all-school assembly with a performance by the Cherry Blossom String Quartet! It was a real treat to have NTM parent Clif Ogea and two former parents Yvonne Brant and April Maddox perform as part of the ensemble. Knights were treated to a musical lesson focused on 2 pieces of music played in different tempos and times. On Tuesday, February 13th, the Army Chorus group “Army Voices” worked with and performed for our Chorus students. Ms. Rhodes shares that, “Our Knights were delighted to hear songs performed in many styles and learned about the responsibilities and duties involved in being in an Army performing group!”

Knights STEAMing Ahead
Our third grade Knights have been learning about Matter via the Engineering Design Process. This critical component of Nottingham’s Knights STEAMing Ahead Exemplary Project takes the learner on a journey, encouraging critical and creative thinking with encouragement to tinker and learn from structural mishaps. I enjoyed seeing lots of parents/guardians who were invited view the artistic creations made especially for them. Our third grade Knights were excited to share poems, sculptures, and paintings related to Matter. They were tasked with sharing their lessons learned through their design process in which they created their own play dough to mold their sculptures. Kudos to the Valentine’s Day Dream team who created and conducted this valuable Project Based Learning Unit: Art teacher, Ms. Sam O’Connor, our 3rd grade team and Exemplary Project Coordinator Becky Johnson!

Love The Bus Week:
Yesterday, Nottingham Knights received bus rider tokens for “Love the Bus Week.” Love the Bus Week is a national event hosted by the American School Bus Council to express appreciation of school bus drivers. Bus drivers report before sunrise and often complete their last route after dark. Arlington Transportation Partners (ATP), APS’s partner in supporting APS Go!, is raising awareness of the importance of riding buses for the APS community. Riding the bus, just like biking, walking and carpooling, is one way that the APS community can support healthy, sustainable transportation. Special thanks to the 5th grade Knights who helped craft letters of thanks to our bus drivers.

Crossing Guard Appreciation:
Crossing Guard Appreciation Week is an annual Safe Routes to School celebration recognizing Crossing Guards for the critical role they play in the safe routes to school network. Thousands of APS students regularly walk and bike to school with assistance from the 30+ Crossing Guards who make up the Arlington County Police Department Crossing Guard Unit. To show our appreciation, Nottingham Knights who serve as patrols made cards and shared expressions of appreciation that will be given to the Crossing Guards later this afternoon.

Bike Unit
Knights in our second grade Physical Education classes will be participating in a Bike Safety Unit this month. Our outstanding Health and PE team will work with our second graders on safe riding skills; understanding traffic signs and signals; hazard avoidance; proper bike maintenance; and communicating with other vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians while riding.

Virginia Elementary School Counseling Week
2018 National School Counseling Week, “School Counselors: Helping Students Reach for the Stars,” was created to focus public attention on the unique contribution of school counselors within U.S. school systems. National School Counseling Week, sponsored by ASCA, highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career. No doubt you are aware of Ms. Bisbee and Dr. McCormac’s efforts to join our teachers in ensuring that our Knights achieve school success and plan for a career!

Parents/Guardians of Fifth Grade Knights:
Digital Learning Day – Thursday, February 22, 2018
We have a strong infusion of instructional technologies here at Nottingham and with the inclusion this year of 1:1 Apple iPads for all students in grades 2-5, our students integrate learning with their devices on a daily basis. As you know, our current fifth graders have had opportunities with their personalized device for the past four academic years. This year, our fifth grade teachers and students will generally showcase multiple uses of instructional technology methods on the afternoon of Thursday, 2/22. Each teacher will communicate their showcase schedule in a parent newsletter directly to you. If you are able to visit, please talk with the students as to how the devices have assisted in their learning and motivation.

For more information about Digital Learning Day, follow this link: http://www.digitallearningday.org

Middle School Transition Timeline
As always, parents and guardians of our fifth grade Knights, please continue to check Dr. McCormac’s blog for updates to transition activities. A direct link to the blog: https://nottingham.apsva.us/post/staff_posts_category/counseling-blog/

Volunteers
Nottingham front office secretary Mardi Moorman will be taking over as our Volunteer Liaison. As always, we appreciate our Parent Volunteers and look forward to highlighting the many and varied ways our parents/guardians volunteer for our Knights in their classrooms. Friendly reminder that a Volunteer Application and Non-Disclosure Form should be completed before volunteering in the classroom.
https://www.apsva.us/volunteers-partnerships/volunteer-application-form/
A reminder that parents attending Field Trips must also complete a Field Trip Application Form.

Summer School Registration Begins March 1
Registration for Summer School begins on Thu, March 1. Arlington Public Schools provides a variety of summer programs for students in PreK through Grade 12 during summer 2018. Most classes begin on July 9.
https://www.apsva.us/post/summer-school-registration-begins-march-1-2/

Note – Lost and Found: The next time building, please browse through our Lost and Found items. They will be located across from the library in the front lobby. All unclaimed items will be donated to charity after March 5, 2018.

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

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

Start each day with a grateful and healthy heart – Healthy is the new Black

Dear Parents/Guardians,

I hope you enjoyed the additional family time last week; our instructional staff were busy preparing report cards and preparing lesson and unit plans for the 3rd quarter. Hard to believe it’s here already! Report cards will be sent home on Tuesday, February 13, 2018. Thank you in advance for taking the time to speak with your child about all aspects of their report card. Many goals have been reached and new learning goals, whether academic in nature or not, can still be set!

Teachers have worked with their students to set learning goals and renew their Hopes and Dreams. This week we held our school wide Responsive Classroom mid-year celebrations. Mr. Koutsouftikis and I enjoyed following the example of our Knights in sharing our own school (and life) related Hopes and Dreams. Check out our Twitter feed for a video of our Shark activity. Knights in grades K, 2 and 4 even began the celebration by demonstrating their budding Spanish skills greeting one another!

Principal Appreciation Week
Special thanks to our PTA Executive Team and to those of you who have sent an email of appreciation and recognition of the collaborative work of our instructional team. Mr. Koutsouftikis and I enjoyed the many drawing and letters we received from our Knights! Our work here is indeed a labor of love, made easier by the joy of being surrounded by a talented team of teachers and the wonder and the curiosity of our Knights.

Concert
Kudos and thanks to our outstanding Music Team comprised of Ms. Cora Rhodes, Mr. Randy Glasner, and Mrs. Jessica Simonetti!
Nottingham Knights were treated to a medley of songs and sounds from our NTM musicians:the 4th and 5th grade Chorus as well as our 5th Grade Strings and Band. I enjoyed the opportunity to hear and see the performance during the academic day. Parents/ Guardians in the audience were treated to a whole school rendition of our school song.

Our Chorus portion of the evening centered around our Knights singing in Canon or in a Round. Songs included “Toembai”, a Hebrew folk song and the “Taco Bell Canon” which was dedicated to our beloved P.E. team of Ms. Pugh and Mr. Giusto! Instrumentalists played such numbers as “Music in the style of Telemann” and “Miramar Fanfare” Please plan to join us for the spring performance this

Important Attendance Update
Thank you to so many of you who have worked to assist us in managing attendance and front office staff needs. We appreciate you monitoring your child’s health needs in this winter season and encourage you to reach out to our clinic staff if your child is diagnosed with the flu. If your child is absent from school, please send all attendance emails to: attendance.ntm@groups.apsva.us.

SCA
Thank you to those of you who are working with your child to assist our SCA in hosting our annual “Souper Bowl” food drive for AFAC (Arlington Food Assistance Center). Our drive will end on Monday, February 5th. If you have the following items in your patry and can donate, please note the following items the AFAC personnel indicate a need for: tea/coffee, crackers & cookies, baking mixes, jelly, peanut butter, low sugar cereal, oatmeal, canned foods and condiments. Quick meals such as Hamburger Helper, Taco Kits, Ramen Noodles etc., would also be appreciated. Collection boxes will be by the Main Office. Please, no glass containers.

The next SCA meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 7th, 2018 at 8:00 am in the library.

Arlington’s Summer Camp Registration begins Wed., Feb. 14
Your child can become a Wellness Warrior or explore a full day of gymnastics fun while your teen enhances nutrition skills in the Fabulous Fun Fixin’ Foods camp or completes nature adventures. And of course, our classic camps! Arlington County has great offerings to fit different skills, hobbies and interests for a variety of ages and abilities. check out our new camp search tool here. Registration starts at and register on Wed., Feb. 14 at 7 a.m. Looking for even more to do? Come to the Summer Activities Fair Fri., Feb. 9, 6-8 p.m. at Kenmore Middle School

Early Release Wednesday: February 14th, 2018
Please remember that Wednesday, February 14th is an Early Release Day. Our Knights will be dismissed at 1:26 p.m., giving time for teachers to attend to their professional development. Enjoy this gift of time with your children!

Upcoming Dates

-Monday, February 5th: Knights Take Note Week begins
-Tuesday, February 6th: PTA meeting 7:00 pm in the library
-Tuesday, February 13th: Mix It Up at Lunch
-Wednesday, February 14th: Early Release- Students dismissed at 1:26
-Monday, February 19th: President’s Day- No school

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

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

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is,”What are you doing for others?” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dear Parents/ Guardians:

Kudos and thanks to Nottingham Social Studies Lead Teacher, Ms. Jacoby, who enthusiastically planned and facilitated Nottingham’s 2018 Geo Bee held earlier last week! The Bee, an annual competition organized by the National Geographic Society, was designed to inspire and reward fourth through eighth grade students’ curiosity about the world. Each year, thousands of schools across the United States participate in the National Geographic Bee, competing for college scholarships and the glory of being the National Geographic Bee Champion!

Here at Nottingham, Knights in fourth and fifth grade were given an opportunity to participate in the initial rounds of questioning. Congratulations to our top ten Knights who made it to the final round of our school wide competition! The finalists impressed those in attendance with their growing knowledge of Geo Bee facts. Even well-travelled adults in the audience were daunted by some of the rigorous questions.

Congratulations are in order to:
Gabriel B., Collin D., Hayden B., Matthew H., Ryan H., Meredith L., Claire M., Drew M., Megan R., and Wylye T.
Special Congratulations to Claire M. who will serve as our 2017-18 Nottingham Geo Bee Champion! I enjoyed dropping by the Maverick classroom to deliver Claire a book I love that encourages exploration at a young age. With Claire’s knowledge of all things Geo related, no doubt she will go on to become a citizen of the world! Best wishes to Claire for her upcoming qualifying test for the Virginia State Geography Bee.

Sock Hop
A big shout out and thank you to Mrs. Laurie Sinton who wore her PTA hat while chairing the Sock Hop Committee. Knights enjoyed a fun time dancing with their friends. The costumes were delightful, showing lots of creativity in recreating a 50’s look. Laurie thanks all the parents/guardians for their large and small efforts to ensure this beloved tradition continues for our Nottingham Knights!

Nottingham Kindergarten Observations
Do you have a friend or neighbor with a rising K learner? Invite them to join me at a K orientation. Call 703-228-5290 to reserve a spot at one of our K Orientations.

Wednesday, February 7, 2018 – 10:30-11:30
Wednesday, March 14, 2018 – 10:30-11:30
Wednesday, April 4, 2018 – 10:30-11:30
Wednesday, May 2, 2018 – 10:30-11:30

We encourage parents / guardians to bring their rising Knights to our Kindergarten Information Day scheduled for Wednesday, April 11, 2018 2:15-3:30 pm.

No Name-Calling Week
Dr. McCormac and members of the Student Services team worked collaboratively to use the national No Name-Calling Week to remind our Knights with ways to handle name-calling and bullying. This week serves as a reminder that name calling can be a form of bullying. Knights were taught that while it might often start out by joking, calling someone a name with the intent of hurting them is not okay. Thank you in joining us by sharing the message with your child that when calling someone a name, even if they feel the person deserves it, is not okay and if repeated will be considered bullying. Efforts were made to reinforce to Knights that even if the child is doing the name calling, “behind their back” or through an electronic device, it is still hurtful and might be shared with that other child. It is never acceptable, even if the other child started the name calling. At Nottingham, Knights are taught early and often the following strategies to handle name calling: 1) ignore; 2) be assertive; and if those do not stop it 3) tell a trusted adult in our Nottingham Community of Learners.

5th Grade Instrumental Music
We hope to see you tonight at the 5th grade Instrumental Music and Chorus concert at 7:00 pm. Our Knights have been practicing both at home and at school to prepare a wonderful concert highlighting our talented musicians!

Upcoming Dates to Remember
• 1/26 – Teacher work (Grade Prep) / No School for our Knights
• 2/6 – PTA Meeting, Library, 7:00-8:30 PM
• 2/9 – Family Bingo Night – Multi-Purpose Room, 6:30-8pm
• 2/14 – Early Release – 1:26 p.m.
• 2/19 – Presidents Day / No School

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

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

America is a poem in our eyes; its ample geography dazzles the imagination, and it will not wait long for metres. -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Early Release Wednesday
A friendly reminder that today, Wednesday, January 10th is an early release day. Knights will be dismissed at 1:26.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
There will be no school Monday, January 15th, 2018 in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. I hope you will be able to take advantage of the many MLK, Jr. events that the D.C. area has to offer.

Attendance Update: NEW PROCEDURE
If your child is going to be tardy or absent please call the attendance line at 703-228-5292 and email attendance.ntm@groups.apsva.us as well as your child’s teacher.

APS School Talk messages through School Messenger.
Did you miss receiving yesterday’s text message about the 2-hour delay? If so, there’s an easy fix. As long as your cell number is already in the school’s database, just text the word YES to 67587. This will verify that you can receive text messages to that phone.

Meteorological winter is here and that means there is always a possibility of school delays and closures. Whenever snow and icy conditions are in the forecast, APS begins making preparations to ensure that schools can remain open whenever possible.

APS crews communicate closely with County staff to make sure accumulating snow is cleared and icy conditions are treated on bus routes. If a storm occurs during the overnight hours, APS crews monitor road conditions thoroughly and provide updates to the Superintendent. (Winter Weather PSA)

Throughout the winter season, we encourage families to be prepared for the possibility of school delays or closings by establishing plans for alternate work arrangements and/or child care if schools delay opening, close early, or are closed for the whole day. If a decision is made overnight to open late or to close for the whole day, families will be notified typically by about 5 a.m. You can also get the latest information through the many other communication channels that APS uses:

• Visit the website at www.apsva.us.
• Check your email for an update from APS School Talk.
• Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
• Tune in for news updates on major English or Spanish television & radio stations.
• Announcements will be posted on AETV on Verizon Channel 41 or Comcast Channel 70.
• Call the APS Hotline at 703-228-4277 to hear a recorded message.
• Download the free APS app to receive a notification on your mobile device.

For more information on snow-related closings, delays, and emergency updates, visit https://www.apsva.us/emergency-alerts/.
Thank you for your efforts to keep our Community of Learners healthy and happy this winter season!

Geography Bee:
Nottingham’s annual Geography Bee will take place on Wednesday, 1/17 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. Each fourth and fifth grade class will hold a preliminary round in their classroom and the top ten finalists will complete the the school bee. If your child would like to brush up on his or her skills, they can go to: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/bee/study/play-kahoot/
Also, check out the Study Corner on the navigation bar for more practice.

Upcoming Important Dates:
Jan. 17 Nottingham Geography Bee 2:00 in the Multi Purpose Room
Jan. 19 Sock Hop (Snow day is Feb. 2)
• 6:30-8:00pm Dance for K-2nd graders
• 8:00-9:30pm Dance for 3-5th graders

Jan. 26 Teacher Planning Day – no school for students

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

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

“So when you’re cold from the inside out and don’t know what to do,
Remember love and friendship, and warmth will come to you.”
― Stephen Cosgrove, Gnome from Nome

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Happy New Year to you and yours! It is wonderful to see our sleepy Knights back here in the halls of Nottingham. I enjoyed family and friend time in MA, which did not quite prepare me for these wintry temperatures. We trust you cherished the gift of time and the joys of family over the break. Our knights were quite animated as they excitedly greeted friends and teachers while sharing details of local “staycations” as well as travels to climates warmer than Northern Va. Many thanks to so many of you who assisted with Winter Holiday gatherings. Together with your children, you created warm winter memories and played your part in continuing long standing Nottingham traditions. Many thanks also, for your thoughtful and generous remembrances for our hard working staff!

We are delighted to highlight the hard work and significant accomplishment of our NTM colleague, Ms. Danielle Mascioli, who is now a National Board Certified Teacher! She holds a certificate is the area of Exceptional Needs Specialist: Early Childhood through Young Adulthood, (ages birth-21+). Ms. Mascioli is in her fourth year of teaching here at Nottingham and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary and Special Education with an endorsement in Autism. National Board Certification was designed to develop, retain and recognize accomplished teachers and to generate ongoing improvement in schools nationwide. National Board Certification is the most respected professional certification available in K-12 education. Those colleagues and families fortunate to work with Ms. Mascioli recognizes her strong content knowledge and calm, caring approach with all learners. Congratulations, Ms. Mascioli, we’re very proud of you!

Together with our instructional staff, we have dived right back into our purposeful work of planning and pacing for the next few weeks of instruction. By the end of the month, Mr. Koutsouftikis and I will have met with all of the staff we supervise, reviewed documentation logs and held Mid-Year SMART Goal meetings with teachers, reviewing their data driven goals for the learners in their classroom. Formative assessments help us as we review initial learning goals as well as our collective commitment to our Knights and their learning!

2018 Kindergarten Information Night Scheduled for Jan. 22
If you have neighbors and friends who have rising K learners in their homes, please remind them of the (APS) Kindergarten Information Night: Monday, Jan. 22, from 7 – 9 p.m. at Washington-Lee High School, 1301 N. Stafford St.
https://www.apsva.us/post/2018-kindergarten-information-night-scheduled-jan-22/

SCA
The next Spirit Day is Wednesday, January 31. The theme is “Group” Day. Knights on the SCA came up with this inclusive idea, hoping that other knights wil want to dress up aspartners of a sports or music ensemble, dress like twins, or triplets, etc… Even better yet, wear their Nottingham gear or any shirt that they wear as part of a “group.”

Nottingham’s traditional “Souper Bowl” is coming! It will be held from Jan.30 – Feb. 5 (leading up to the actual US Super Bowl). All members of our Community of Learners will be asked to bring in food to donate to AFAC. There will be boxes outside the main office. The grade with the most items donate, will be the Souper Bowl winner. SCA officers and representatives will talk to their classes and partner classes about this in January.

Recycling Update- Kudos and thanks to NTM parent Mimi Shah, as well as K assistant Marcie Williams for their efforts to partner with me in raising student and staff awareness about the values of recycling. Student Council officers and representatives are pushing into classes modelling recycling at Nottingham and putting out new signage in the cafeteria. Later this month, our SCA Officers will highlight recycling on Knights @ 9. The next SCA meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 7th, 2018 at 8:00 am in the library.

Recess
Thank you for helping us to ensure that our Knights are dressed for winter weather. Mr. Koutsouftikis works with our Front Office staff and lunchroom teachers to determine whether or not there will be Outdoor Recess or Inclement Weather Recess. Typically students are sent outside unless it is below freezing or raining. Thank you in advance for labeling your child’s jacket, coat, gloves, hat, and/or scarf.

Parent Workshop Opportunity
“Unstuck and on Target” Workshop for Parents: TMRW: Saturday, 1/6/18 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. at the Walter Reed Community Center, 2909 16th St S., Arlington, VA. For some students, problems with flexibility and goal-directed behavior can be a major obstacle to success in school and in life. But flexibility and goal-setting can be taught, and this how-to workshop equips teachers and parents with simple, real-world ways to help students develop this critical aspect of executive functioning. This workshop, facilitated by SEPTA, is highly recommended and it is free. A number of Jamestown teachers have been trained in the “Unstuck and on Target” strategies, and they recommend this workshop for parents who would like to help their children improve their executive functioning abilities.

Upcoming Events and other items:
Wednesday, January 10: Early Release. Students are dismissed at 1:26 pm.
Wednesday, January 10: PTA Meeting, Library 7:00-8:30 pm.
Thursday, January 12: Sign up for Shakespeare @8:35 am near the gym.
Monday, January 15: Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. No School.
Tuesday, January 16 – Friday, January 19: No Name-Calling Week.
Wednesday, January 17: Nottingham Championship Round of the National Geographic Geography Bee.
Wednesday, January 19: Mark your calendars and start practicing your hula-hooping skills because the NES annual Sock Hop is this month!

The Sock Hop will take place on Friday, January 19, 2018 (Snow day planned for February 2)
6:30-8:00pm Dance for K-2nd graders
8:00-9:30pm Dance for 3-5th graders

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

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

As the year comes to a close, it is a time for reflection – a time to release old thoughts and beliefs and forgive old hurts. Whatever has happened in the past year, the New Year brings fresh beginnings. Exciting new experiences and relationships await. Let us be thankful for the blessings of the past and the promise of the future. — Peggy Toney Horton

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Season’s Greetings from our “home” to yours! The purposeful planning of our teachers and the hard work of our Knights is still on display as we work collaboratively to finish academic units of study, culminate Project Based Learning units and finish assessments before the winter holidays begin. With the winter weather finally here, please note that we make every effort possible for our Knights to go outside for recess. Thank you for doing your part to ensure your child/children are dressed for the weather and that their names are in their coats, jackets, hats, gloves, and scarves. I think we are all anticipating the joy, exhilaration and solitude of the first significant snowfall.

It’s been wonderful to see so many parents/guardians here at Nottingham, taking the time to volunteer to share family holiday traditions, help with a grade level gathering or volunteer for Art Ace. Nottingham traditions like the second grade Nutcracker Toy Soldier activities have taken place, and our Girls on the Run group has finished up strongly for the season.

When we return from Winter Break, following our Responsive Classroom principles, teachers will be asked to dedicate time in their Morning Meeting to reflect upon and revisit the Hopes and Dreams/Classroom Rules/Expectations crafted by each homeroom. Age level appropriate, they will discuss if the class rules and hopes are still a priority for them as learners or if new goals need to be set.

ImagiLab Update
Our ImagiLab STEM/STEAM Makerspace program is off to a great start this year! Throughout the fall and continuing through the new year, Knights can enjoy an opportunity to visit ImagiLab, both as a whole class and in small groups at recess time. Projects in ImagiLab vary from week to week, but they all have some elements in common: unstructured time to collaborate, solve problems, create and learn in a hands-on way. Recently, Third grade classes created a project using simple machines to rescue an animal in danger. Second graders built flotation devices for an injured duck. December is coding month in ImagiLab, and our Knights have had the opportunity to experiment with different coding tools and robotics, such as Dash and Dot, BeeBot, Robot Mouse, Ozobots, and various coding games using apps such as The Foos, Scratch Jr, and Kodable. Questions re: ImagiLab? Contact Librarian Nicole Gustafson – nicole.gustafson@apsva.us <mailto:nicole.gustafson@apsva.us or Regina Koehler – regina.koehler@apsva.us <mailto:regina.koehler@apsva.us> .

Technology Update
Instructional staff who work with Knights in grades 2-5 have been working closely with our Instructional Technology Coordinator, Mr. Ron Crouse to begin the installation of Apple Classroom on all APS-issued student assigned iPads.

Apple Classroom is an iPad app for the teacher. It provides new ways to guide learning and control student iPad devices in the classroom. With Apple Classroom, the teacher can perform actions on each student’s iPad to guide their experience during class. For example, the teacher can help a student or an entire class open an app, view a teacher-pushed webpage, monitor student activity, remotely lock and mute student devices, share student screens and even project student work on other iPads or share it with the whole close through AirPlay and the many integrated Apple TVs at Nottingham. This new tool and electronic teacher interaction help students focus on exactly what we want them to learn.

This software tool only works within the school and teachers can only control and monitor devices of students of which they have enrolled in their unique class. By design, there is no extended ability to monitor any device outside of our school through Apple Classroom. If you have any specific questions about this new initiative, please contact Mr. Crouse directly to ron.crouse@apsva.us.

For several years now, Arlington Public Schools has used Google Apps for Education for instructional purposes. Google Apps for Education includes Google Drive (which includes Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, and Drawing), Google Sites, and Google Classroom. Every student in Arlington has a Google Apps for Education account and Nottingham classrooms are using these tools to collaborate in all subject areas, specifically in the Language Arts domain of Writing. Teachers of Knights in grades 2 – 5 are using Google Drive applications in a variety of ways. Google Apps for Education is free to public schools and their students. It is deployed and managed by the Arlington Public Schools. I enjoy seeing the various ways our Knights and their teachers are using Google Apps for education blended learning experiences in the classroom environment. To learn more about Google Drive, please check out the following video links that provide tutorials:

Exemplary Project Update
Parents/Guardians of Fifth Graders – Please join us in the library on Thursday, December 21st from 1:00-1:30 to view creations and presentations made by your Knights as a part of our Exemplary Project. The Exemplary Project, Knights STEAMing Ahead, focuses on science, technology, engineering, arts, and math with an emphasis on project based learning. The fifth grade Knights have worked hard to create noise-eliminating headphones in conjunction with our study of sound in science. They are excited to share what they have learned with you! This event will be held immediately before the fifth graders’ winter celebration.

Girls on the Run (GOTR) Update (A message from Beth Yoder)
Thank you for a wonderful season! I wanted to share that GOTR Nottingham 2017 successfully donated thirty three pounds of cereal to needy families in Arlington. More importantly, however, these girls stood up for many members of their community, increased awareness, and demonstrated that little people can do big things! Kudos to our GOTR group and their sponsors!

A Word from the Clinic:
Mrs. Cuesta- Public Health Nurse/School Health shares the following: I am sure you can ask any student how many days are left until Winter Break and we want to be sure that everyone is able to enjoy the holiday festivities. Please remember to keep your child at home when he or she is sick. A Knight who has a fever or is vomiting should remain at home until he or she is free of fever or has stopped vomiting without medication for 24 hours.

National Geography Bee- An update from Social Studies Lead Sarah Jacoby
Become a Geo-Genius! Nottingham’s annual Geography Bee will be held on Wednesday, January 17th. Fourth and fifth grade Knights can participate in preliminary rounds held in homerooms to qualify for the championship round. Practice geography skills or download the study app at https://www.nationalgeographic.org/bee/study/

Parents/Guardian of fourth and fifth graders, please save the date for January 17, 2018 for our annual Geography Bee. More information can be found at Natgeobee.org <http://Natgeobee.org>.

Updated Contact Information
If you have had a change of work or cell phone contact information, please provide the changes to your child’s classroom teacher as well as Ms. Embrey in the main office by Friday, January 5, 2018. Thank you for your efforts to ensure that all current information is updated in our APS/Nottingham student database.

Lost and Found
If you are in the building prior to the winter break, please take the time to look through our growing Lost and Found collection. As the weather has gotten progressively colder, our Lost and Found has grown! Please have your child/children check for missing hats, gloves, jackets, water bottles, etc. Any unclaimed items will be donated to a local charity.

Winter Break Dates
Please note Nottingham will stay closed for winter break through Monday, January 1. We look forward to seeing our Knights and their teachers bright and early (and on time), Tuesday, January 2, 2018.

Dates to Remember – Please mark your family calendars.
12/22 – 1/1 Winter Break
01/5 Bingo Night 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.
1/15 Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday
1/16-1/19 No Name Calling Week
1/17 National Geo Bee 2:00 p.m./MPR
1/24 Winter Concert: Chorus Performance 7:00 p.m. /MPR
1/26 Teacher Work Day-No School For Students

At this time of year, as we enjoy the bounty of the season, I want to be sure and wish you and your family peace, joy and wellness in the year ahead. As always, thank you for entrusting us with the gift of caring for your children.

Best wishes for a safe, happy start to the New Year!

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

Better than a thousand days of diligent study is one day with a great teacher.
  -Japanese Proverb

Dear Parents/Guardians:

It brings me great pleasure to announce Nottingham’s selection for our 2017 Teacher of the Year, Special Education Lead Teacher, Sarah Garrett! Our Teacher of the Year committee met and reviewed attributes of all our peer and parent/guardian generated nominees. Mrs. Garratt is a student of learning herself, having recently graduated from the University of Virginia with a Masters in Reading Education. Daily she can be found conversing with colleagues regarding best instructional strategies to reach Knights on her caseload. Her collaboration within the fourth-grade teachers in their Collaborative Learning Teams is a relative strength, as Mrs. Garratt consistently holds high standards for her learners measured with a dose of care and concern for their identified learning needs. Mrs. Garrett is a respected teacher/leader here at Nottingham, serving as the lead Special Education teacher and a conduit for colleagues for resources to meet struggling learners’ needs.

Please note that all members of the Nottingham Community of Learners, Knights included, may submit a letter of support on Mrs. Garrett’s behalf. Please submit letters of support to my secretary, Mardi Moorman, (703-228-8339, Mardi.moorman@apsva.us <mailto:mardi.moorman@apsva.us> ) either by mail (if you can include an electronic signature) or hand delivery no later than Monday, January 8, 2018. These letters should be originals and must be signed. They should be addressed to: Steven R. Staples, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Commonwealth of Virginia, P.O. Box 2120, Richmond, VA 23218-2120. Please do not mail or send the letters of support directly to the State Superintendent’s office.

Hour of Code-Global Kickoff

Here at NTM, the Hour of Code is not an hour or a just this week, but instead a month-long endeavor that began earlier this week and will run until winter break. I’ve enjoyed a chance to join Nottingham Librarian, Nicole Gustafson and Regina Koehler, library assistant as they provide their non-device coding opportunities for our Knights! We appreciate their partnership with Mr. Ron Crouse, NTM’s Instructional Technology Coordinator, as they prepare classroom teachers in grades K-5 for this amazing opportunity for our Knights to learn/reinforce basic programming skills and problem-solving in a fun and engaging way. As stated in our Nottingham Mission statement, we acknowledge that our Knights are growing up in a world surrounded by technology. Coding helps our children in developing their analytical thinking, problem-solving and creativity skills. These are lifelong skills for their future! Whatever job fields our Knights enter as adults, their ability to succeed will increasingly hinge on a deep understanding of how technology is integrated into everyday life and problem-solving. Our Coding Team is working with all grade levels to actively work with instructional staff in infusing coding activities into their teaching and learning. Our fundamental foundation is that coding builds problem-solving skills and those skills have both real-life and academic application for our Knights. We trust that our instructional staff will share in our Knights’ enthusiasm that coding is fun, easy, and accessible to learners of all ages.

Nottingham Ice Cream Social, December 3-10 : A word from our PTA

Bring the herd for a fun and tasty gathering. 25% of proceeds will support Nottingham when presented with this flyer found on Peachjar at https://www.peachjar.com/index.php?a=28&b=138&region=24874

Operation Santa Holiday Show: A word from the Arlington County Police Dept.

Join members of the Arlington County Police Department for a public performance of the Operation Santa ‘All I want for Christmas’ holiday show. To celebrate the holiday season and give back to the Arlington County community, members of the police department perform in the Operation Santa holiday show, which features many popular characters including, Santa, Rudolph, the Grinch, and others. This event will offer members of the public an opportunity to experience the show, get to know the officers who make it happen each year and take photos with the characters and officers following the performance: Saturday, December 9 at 11:00 a.m. Nottingham parking lot. This is a free, family-friendly event. Toys will not be distributed at this performance.

Social Worker Request

As the temperature drops, please be on the lookout for a student in your class who does not have a warm coat, hat or gloves, scarf, mittens, etc. Please send elizabeth.brady@apsva.us the estimate for gender and size, and she will use her resources to procure one for those in need.

Help a fellow Nottingham Family! Please consider picking up a Gift Card or two, to brighten the holidays. Gift cards in denominations of $10, $20, or $25 are suggested. Giant, Safeway, Target, Toys R Us or other local stores of your choice. Our Knights are encouraged to use their own money to buy a small gift card (even $5 is helpful!) Please drop off cards in the designated green boxes in the Main Office and at Extended Day by this Friday, December 8th. Cards will be distributed by our school social worker, Elizabeth Brady. Question? Call or email at 703-228-8337/ elizabeth.brady@apsva.us. Thank you for making a difference!

Inclement Weather Information

The winter weather season is upon us, and that means there is always a possibility of school delays and closures. Whenever snow and icy conditions are in the forecast, APS begins preparing to ensure that schools can remain open whenever possible. APS crews communicate closely with County staff to make sure accumulating snow is cleared and icy conditions are treated on bus routes. If a storm occurs during the overnight hours, APS crews monitor road conditions thoroughly and provide updates to the Superintendent.
Throughout the winter season, we encourage staff to be prepared for the possibility of school delays or closures by establishing plans for alternate work arrangements and/or childcare if schools delay opening, close early, or are closed for the whole day. You can get the latest information through multiple communication channels: https://www.apsva.us/post/inclement-weather/

Check your email for an update from School Talk. In addition to the many ways APS notifies the public online and through local media, all APS staff receive a voicemail message by about 5 a.m.
• Follow us on Facebook or Twitter.
• Tune in to updates on major English or Spanish television & radio stations.
• Watch for an announcement on public access television, Verizon Channel 41 or Comcast Channel 70.
• Call our emergency hotline at 703-228-4277.
• Download our APS app to receive notification on your mobile device.

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

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

Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our Thanksgiving.
-W.T. Purkiser

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Wishing you and yours a restful Thanksgiving holiday break and safe travel whether near or far.

I hope you’ve had a chance to drive by and see our marquee in which we express appreciation for all members of our Community of Learners. It was great fun to slip on my cowboy boots and join you all at the Boots and Bluegrass PTA Auction. Hats off to our co-chairs and their army of volunteers! Also, many thanks for your generosity in bidding for the many different types of donated auction items.

Hopefully by now, your child’s classroom teacher has shared information with you regarding Arlington County’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Literary & Visual Arts Contest. More info here. Thanksgiving break might prove a great opportunity for your child to reflect on Dr. King’s statement concerning courage: Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.

NPR’s Great Thanksgiving Listen project is another way to have fun and record some family history. I have used this framework and gleaned fun family facts and stories that can be shared across generations. StoryCorps suggests using its app to have a meaningful, one-on-one conversation.

Clinic News

As we encounter cold and flu season, please see the following request from the clinic. Mrs. Christina W. Cuesta,, Public Health Nurse/School Health, writes: Please remember to keep your child at home when he or she is sick. Children cannot concentrate and learn, or have fun when they feel sick. A student who has a fever, is vomiting, or has diarrhea needs to stay at home until he or she is free of fever and symptoms without medication for 24 hours.

5 Conversations to Have with Your Kids After Wonder | Common Sense Media:

For parents/ guardians of 3-5th grade Knights, I hope you have been able to read the book Wonder with your child before taking them to see the movie. For a few years now I have alternated incorporating aspects of the story into my end of year awards ceremony and the fifth grade promotion ceremony. This is a powerful story and a great way to broach topics of kindness and respect for differences with your child. See the following from Common Sense media: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/oblog/5-conversations-to-have-with-your-kids-after-wonder

Teacher of Year (TOY)

It is that time of year again when we call for nominations to select Nottingham’s 2018 Teacher of the Year! If you wish to nominate a teacher for this honor, please submit a letter of reference to Nottingham via Mardi Moorman no later than this Monday, November 27. She can be reached at 703-228-8339 or email: mardi.moorman@apsva.us. Our instructional lead teachers serve as the nominating/selection committee. Together they will review the nominations and select one candidate. The Nomination Committee will meet and vote to select our TOY at the November 30th Lead Teacher’s meeting. Stacy Rosenthal, as the PTA President, will serve as the community member on the selection committee. We look forward to sharing the announcement of Nottingham’s 2018 Teacher of the Year.

Dates to Remember:

11/28/17: Report Cards Issued
12/1/17: Family Bingo Night – Multipurpose Room

Enjoy a restful break and thank you for being a partner in your child’s education.

Mary Beth Pelosky, Principal

Marybeth.pelosky@apsva.us
@NTMPrincipal @NTMKnightsAPS

Right education should help the student, not only to develop his capacities, but to understand his own highest interest.
– J. Krishnamurti

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Arlington Public Schools issued the following news release:
Acceptable Use Policy (Technology/1:1 Device) Community Discussion
Community Can Provide Input In-Person and Online from Nov. 15-Dec. 1
APS is hosting a community discussion on the Acceptable Use Policy (Technology/1:1 Device) today Wed, Nov. 15 from 7-9 p.m., at Washington-Lee High School.
https://www.apsva.us/post/acceptable-use-policy-technology11-device-community-discussion-nov-15/

Bluegrass & Boots
I look forward to seeing staff and parents/guardians at the Nottingham Fall Social & Auction this Saturday, November 18th at the Knights of Columbus. Kudos and thanks to co-chairs of the event, Daniele Herndon and Meredith Chistolini as well as Lauren Conklin, chair of the Auction Committee. They have been dedicating countless hours to ensure a good time had by all! I’ve enjoyed following our teachers’ Twitter feeds to see the creativity of their auction pieces. This week, our fifth graders have been wearing ties in honor of our Harry Potter themed auction items. I’m not sure who is more interested in those items, our Knights or their parents/ guardians.

Treats for Troops
Kudos to all Knights, but especially to members of our Nottingham SCA, who led the collection of donated Halloween candy for “Treats for Troops!” Tuesday, Nov. 6, I joined SCA members, and SCA Co-Chairs Mrs. Moore and Mrs. Zipfel as they had fun and worked collaboratively to sort and box the candy. We were glad to have a member of the US Coast Guard, NTM dad, Mr. Mauger join the group.
Notes of appreciation were tucked inside the boxes which at final count totaled 21 boxes of candy! Thanks to Mrs. Moore and Mrs. Zipfel who delivered our “Treats for Troops” to Mr. Chris Duffley, Director of Service to the Armed Forces at the American Red Cross in Fairfax. He was impressed with the amount of treats collected as well as the effort and service of our SCA members. He shared that he was, “Happy to deliver these treats to our troops.”

Elementary Honors Chorus Auditions:
Kudos to our musically inclined Knights! The following Knights were selected amongst close to 200 students that auditioned for the Elementary Honors Chorus this year.
Ajay A.
Lola G.
Polina H.
Meredith L.
Libby S.

Lost and Found
Please encourage your child to take a moment to look through the Lost and Found items in the hallway near the library this week. We will be donating unclaimed items on November 21st to a local shelter.

Teacher of Year (TOY)
It is that time of year again when we call for nominations to select Nottingham’s 2018 Teacher of the Year! Nottingham’s nominee will then be placed in contention to be selected as Arlington’s Teacher of the Year.

Attached to this APS Talk you will find a copy of the Nottingham Teacher of the Year Nomination Form. If you wish to nominate a teacher for this honor, complete the form and return it to Nottingham via Mardi Moorman no later than Monday, November 27. She can be reached at 703-228-8339 or email: mardi.moorman@apsva.us. Our instructional lead teachers serve as the nominating/selection committee. Together they will review the nominations and select one candidate. All qualifications listed in the Department of Education official document will be considered during the voting process.

Qualifications of Nominees
• Individuals who are planning to retire at the end of the current school year are not eligible.
• Teachers, librarians, guidance counselors, reading specialists or technology specialists who transfer to administrative or supervisory positions for the next school year are not eligible.
• A person cannot nominate himself/herself.
• Nominees must have three consecutive years of successful, full-time experience in the Arlington Public Schools in one of the eligible categories (teacher, librarian, guidance counselor, reading specialist or technology specialist) by the end of the 2016-17 school year.
• Nominees must be on full-time active duty teaching status during the entire 2017-18 school year.
• Nominees should be strong participants in their own schools’ activities.
• Forms, supporting statements, and letters of support should be typed or word-processed; essays should be double-spaced.
• All forms and other documents must be free of borders and artistic embellishments.

Our timeline calls for a quick turn-around to submit nominations for consideration. The Nomination Committee will meet and vote to select our TOY at the November 30th Lead Teacher’s meeting. Stacy Rosenthal, as the PTA President, will serve as the community member on the selection committee. We look forward to sharing the announcement of Nottingham’s 2018 Teacher of the Year.

See you Saturday evening. I’m looking forward to a great reason to wear my cowboy boots and kick up my heels!

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

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

“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

The leaves fall, the wind blows, and the farm country slowly changes from the summer cottons into its winter wools. ― Henry Beston

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Thank you for a strong showing and whole family efforts to encourage your child to participate in our Bike and Walk to School Day. Mr. Koutsouftikis and I were thrilled to learn of so many Knights eager to prove to Ms. Pugh and Mr. Giusto that they had indeed biked, walked or scootered to school! We had just over 250 walkers and 100 bike riders.

Kudos and thanks to our Patrol sponsor, Mr. Giusto! Last week I joined Mr. Giusto and Corporal Tiffany Haig, School Resource Officer, (SRO) as she briefly addressed our fifth-grade patrols at their monthly Patrol meeting. Our patrols take their responsibility for ensuring student safety very seriously and were eager to demonstrate that they have learned their oath. Here at Nottingham, our patrols wear their belts in school all day on Fridays, further modeling for our community of learners that they are a resource and a problem solver for other Knights.

Mr. Koutsouftikis and I look forward to seeing many of you in the building for our Parent/ Teacher Conferences. In partnership with you, we join our instructional staff in focusing our efforts on nurturing our Knights in their academic journey of self-discovery. Family involvement and communication between school and home are important elements in creating a strong learning environment. We consider parents/guardians a true asset to our learning community and we look forward to continuing our partnership to enhance the educational experience for each Knight. Thank you for working with your child/ children to strive for on-time arrival to school in order to ensure good attendance and a smooth start to the instructional day. All instructional staff have reviewed our CARES Code of Conduct and daily work to encourage our Knights to demonstrating safe, respectful and caring behaviors. Yesterday I joined Dr. McCormac and SCA advisor’s Mrs. Moore and Mrs. Zipfel in reminding our student reps of their responsibility to serve as role models for our Knights and to demonstrate strong inclusivity in developing new friendships within their classroom and around Nottingham.

Online Scheduling: Parent/Teacher Conferences
**Online Sign-Up: Beginning noon on Wednesday, 10/11/2017

Parent-Teacher conferences are all day, Thursday, October 26th and Friday, October 27th. Online scheduling for these conferences will begin at noon on Wednesday, October 11th. If parents/guardians are unable to attend a Parent-Teacher conference in person, they are encouraged to use the online scheduling link to schedule a “phone conference” on either October 26 or October 27. If parents sign up for a phone conference, they must input their best contact phone number on the form. Please visit https://nottingham.apsva.us/conferences for access to the conference schedule links and remember that the links do not go live until 12:00 pm on Wednesday, 10/11. Please note that parents of siblings will be receiving an assigned conference time from their children’s classroom teacher no later than the morning of Wednesday, 10/11. If for any reason you are unable to schedule your conference online, please contact your child’s classroom teacher who can work with you to find a mutual time. This will be viewed only by your child’s teacher. To access the conference schedule link, click on https://nottingham.apsva.us/conferences

APS School Health Advisory Board Releases Food Allergy Guidelines

I wanted to bring the following information to your attention: Arlington Public Schools (APS) aims to provide a safe, academically enriching, and socially accepting setting for all students. These guidelines specifically address the needs of students who live with life-threatening food allergies. All APS schools are encouraged to implement these evidence-based recommendations, which outline prevention and response protocols: https://www.apsva.us/post/allergies-and-anaphylaxis/

Managing Allergies and Anaphylaxis Among Students is a collaborative effort between APS, parent volunteers serving on the APS School Health Advisory Board (SHAB) and the Arlington County-School Health Bureau. Its purpose is to set uniform and consistent APS-wide guidelines, which establish a safe environment for students with food allergies and support parents regarding food allergy management. Nottingham staff continues to focus on ensuring that these new guidelines are followed and that all of our children are safe at school. For your reference, this website has some excellent information that should help parents and students find “children-friendly” non-nutty food.

APS Honors Chorus, Band & Orchestra Auditions for 5th Grade Knights

Parents/guardians are asked to encourage their 5th grade children to audition for Honors Chorus, Band, or Orchestra. These music performance groups are an excellent learning opportunity for our Nottingham Knights! Online audition sign up, music rehearsal tracks, rehearsal and performance information, and more can be found on the following link: https://www.apsva.us/arts-education-overview/honors-band-orchestra-and-chorus/

APS Dyslexia Conference: October 28, 2017: 9:00am – 3:00pm Kenmore Middle School 200 S. Carlin Springs Road, Arlington, VA 22204 Arlington Public Schools’ first Dyslexia Conference will address building knowledge, interventions, accommodations and more.

Ameer Baraka, actor, educator, activist and author of The Life I Chose, and Miya Ali, an adult with dyslexia and daughter of Muhammad Ali, will join us as Keynote Presenters. Registration is required and space in sessions are limited, so interested participants are encouraged to register early. View session descriptions. Register online now. Parent Resource Center (PRC) at 703.228.7239 or emma.parralsanchez@apsva.us

Upcoming Principal Chats:

10/10/17 – 4th Grade 8:30 – 9:15 Library
10/16/17 – 5th Grade 8:30 – 9:15 Art Room
10/16/17 – 3rd Grade 9:15-10:00 Art Room

We are here to support you and your children and look forward to working collaboratively with you to create an enjoyable, safe, and successful school year. Below is a list of which administrator is supervising which grade level:

Ms. Pelosky – Grades 1, 3 and 5
Mr. Koutsouftikis – Grades K, 2 and 4

My last APS Talk had a defunct link, please see the following link for an article on Anxiety from Dr. McCormac. Dr. McCormac’s Presentation.

School Picture Day – Save the Date: Thursday, November 9

School Picture information will be sent home via a Friday Folder in late October. If you have any questions regarding this opportunity for a “snapshot in time,” please contact Janet Embrey at 703-228-8326, or janet.embrey@apsva.us

Changes in Routine:

Friendly reminder that Monday, October 9, APS students and staff will be off in honor of Columbus Day. Wednesday, October 25, is an Early Release day, dismissal is at 1:26 pm.

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

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

The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, which highlights customer satisfaction, workforce empowerment, and increased productivity, has come to symbolize America’s commitment to excellence.
~William J. Clinton

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Members of our adult community of learners were devastated to hear the news of the violence and loss of life in Las Vegas this morning. As always, we here at Nottingham will do our best to support you and your children with tools for a facilitated conversation. Please see below for recommended guidelines in terms of addressing this with your child.The American School Counseling Association (ASCA) offers the following suggestions:

• Try and keep routines as normal as possible. Children gain security from the predictability of routine, including attending school.
• Limit exposure to television and the news.
• Be honest with children and share with them as much information as they are developmentally able to handle.
• Listen to children’s fears and concerns.
• Reassure children that the world is a good place to be, but that there are people who do bad things.
• Parents and adults need to first deal with and assess their own responses to crisis and stress.
• Rebuild and reaffirm attachments and relationships.

Student Services:

Dr. McCormac and members of our Student Services staff are an integral piece of our efforts to educate the whole child. We’re proud of their collaborative good work on behalf of our Knights. For those of you new to the Nottingham Community of Learners, I wanted to share Dr. McCormac’s article on Anxiety in Schools: Addressing Student Anxiety in the American School Counselor Association’s September newsletter. Dr. McCormac has also received the significant honor of serving as a past VA Elementary Counselor of the Year: https://www.apsva.us/post/snapshots-features-virginia-elementary-school-counselor-of-the-year

Gifted Resource Parent Meeting:

Many thanks to our lead critical and creative thinker, Ms. Van Valen, Resource Teacher for the Gifted, who recently shared with parents/ guardians the APS and NTM processes for identifying gifted learners. In addition, she shared several photos to illustrate what classroom instruction looks like using resources aimed at gifted learners. Please see Ms. Van Valen’s Presentation here.

APS Community Engagement: Two Community Meetings RE: Middle School Boundaries
APS will host two community meetings to kick off the resetting of middle school boundaries.
https://www.apsva.us/post/save-date-aps-begins-process-resetting-middle-school-boundaries/
Tonight, Mon. 7-9 p.m.10/2/17 at Yorktown High School (This meeting will be livestreamed.)
Also, Weds., 10/4/17, from 7-9 p.m., at Kenmore Middle School.

Challenging Racism: Learning How Workshops for Parents
Americans are talking about race in a new way… but it is not always easy. To help, APS has been sponsoring yearlong Challenging Racism: Learning How workshops for parents since 2004. The workshops provide a parallel experience to the teacher/staff Conversations About Race and Equity (part of the APS effort to close the Achievement Gaps). Through reading, stories, activities and conversation, participants learn to work effectively in cross-cultural situations. These conversations encourage a basic understanding of racism, institutional racism, White privilege, the roots of racism, and its modern manifestations around us. Each of the 11 sessions builds concrete skills for engaging in challenging conversations related to race, second language and other forms of bias. The location for the next series will be Discovery Elementary School, beginning 10/11/17. For more information and to register go to: http://www.challengingracism.org/parent-workshops.html

Lost & Found: Now that the weather is starting to turn with cool mornings and evenings, please label your children’s outerwear. We appreciate the many parents/ guardians who ensure that their children’s names are on/in jackets, sweatshirts and other clothing that they are likely to leave around. All lost items with names are returned to classroom teachers. Our Lost and Found is conveniently located near a well travelled corridor, near the PE and Cafeteria spaces.

Dates to Keep in Mind Online Scheduling: Parent Teacher Conferences-
Parent-teacher conferences are all day, Thursday, October 26th and Friday, October 27th. More information will be forthcoming re: Online scheduling.

Digital Device Initiative in Grades 2, 3 and 4 – APS Personalized Learning
Teachers of Knights in grades 2, 3, 4 and 5 have begun their Digital Device initiative work. Together with their teachers, our Knights have established technology rules and guidelines and reviewed iPad expectations. For those parents/guardians interested in more information on the district initiative for Personalized Learning. Please see the APS Personalized Learning Device Handbook webpage at this link for parents in both English and Spanish:
https://www.apsva.us/personalized-learning/parent-resources/parent-handbook/

Dismissal Policies / After School Playdates
Thank you for working with your child to encourage on time arrival at school. If you know that your child will need to be out of school, please send emails 24 hours in advance. If a teacher is absent, he/she will not receive the email to know about a change in schedule, pickup, etc. Please copy Ms. Embrey on your emails at janet.embrey@apsva.us. If you must make a change during the school day, contact Ms. Embrey in the main office at 703-228- 8326.

If your child will be heading home on the bus with a classmate or fellow Knight, they must bring written permission from a parent/guardian. Both children must have a note. Our APS Transportation Department requires that bus drivers have a written note from each parent if a child is going to ride a bus that he/she is not assigned to ride. These notes must be checked by the classroom teacher before the children ride the bus.

Walk and Bike to School Day 2017
To promote the health, environmental, and community-building benefits of walking and biking to school as often as possible, Nottingham Knights and Parents/ Guardians are reminded to join us in our Walk, Bike and Scooter to School Day 2017 this Wednesday, October 4. 2017. Walk and Bike to School Day 2017. More information about walking and biking in Arlington any time.

Music Twitter Handles: Here at Nottingham, we are fortunate to have a strong vocal and instrumental music program. Music is in full swing! Please consider following Mrs. Simonetti and Ms. Rhodes on Twitter. Their handles are: @NTMMusicMrsSim and @NTMMusicMsR.

Malcolm Baldrige Visit
Tomorrow, October 3rd will be another highly productive day here at Nottingham! I’m pleased to announce that Nottingham was one of just a few elementary schools selected by the school division for a Baldrige Site visit. The committee will be with us from 10:30 am -12:30 pm., and Mr. Koutsouftikis and I look forward to serving on teacher and faculty panels designed to highlight our collaborative work.
We will provide a brief report out at tomorrow evening’s PTA meeting and Panel on Anxiety.

Parents/ Guardians of Second Grade Knights: Please join me at my Principal’s Chat on Wednesday, October 4 at 8:30 in the library.

We are here to support you and your children and we look forward to working collaboratively with you to create an enjoyable, safe, and successful school year. Below is a list of which administrator is supervising which grade level:

Ms. Pelosky: Grades 1, 3, and 5
Mr. Koutsouftikis: Grades K, 2, and 4

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

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