February: Short but Busy!Hats Off to Up-Standers (Tuesday, Jan. 28)Coffee and Conversation on Friday, Feb. 7, 8-8:45am
Join Mrs. Kershner in the art room for informal conversation and coffee. We will have a special guest, Penny Stearns, CCS math coordinator, to talk with us about K-4 math and some of the strategies we're using that may be unfamiliar to parents. Spelling Bee Feb. 12
Students in grades 3-4 have been preparing for our spelling bee, which will be held in the auditorium on Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 1pm. Good luck to all our contestants: Jude, Hector, Caroline, Susmita, Malik, Tommy, Iris, Max, Harrison, Ben, Delia, Lily, Greta, Sylvia, Henry, Max, Simeon. Venable's Got Talent! Feb. 13
You won't want to miss our talent show on Thursday, Feb. 13 at 6:30pm. Come see our 2nd-4th graders show off their talents! Please bring a canned or non-perishable food item for the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. Reminder about required rehearsals: Feb. 6, Feb. 10 and Feb. 12 after school. Feb. 17 is a snow make-up day. We WILL have school that day. The teacher workday originally scheduled for that day is now a regular school day.
PTO Meeting, Feb. 18, 5:30-6:30pm
Please join us in the school library. Childcare and pizza for children will be provided in the cafeteria. Second Annual Soul Fest on Feb. 21
Join us for another great evening of student performances, drumming, dancing and a pot luck dinner. See the flyer for more details. The event is from 5:30-7pm. |
STEM week in 4th Grade a Huge Success
During the last week of January, 4th graders participated in one of four Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics projects through a partnership between Venable and the UVA School of Engineering. Students chose which design project they wanted to complete: a bridge that would sustain a certain amount of weight, a home for a penguin that would protect it from the elements, a wind turbine that would generate electricity, or a programmed Mars rover that would successfully navigate a difficult terrain. The penguin and wind turbine units were created by UVA, while the Mars rover unit was a CCS teacher-created unit. Ms. Woodard used the bridge-building unit that she had done while teaching in Alabama. Dr. Larry Richards of the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering program, Dr. Susan Donohue of the Engineering and Society program, and several of their students collaborated with our students and teachers during a week of fun, engaging, hands-on learning. See the coverage from NBC 29 here. Applications Available for CCS PreK for 14-15
Applications are available online or can be picked up at school. Please visit the CCS website or call 245-2813 for more information about the preK program. Due Date: March 3, 2014. McGuffey Tutoring Resumes This Week
We are pleased to have our McGuffey Reading tutors back in the building this week. For the next 9 weeks, students who have been identified for the program will be reading with college students on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons. Most students are continuing with the program from first semester, although some will not be. Your child's teacher will inform you of any changes to the reading program for your child. Seeking Golden Apple Award Nominations
Please consider nominating a Venable teacher for the Golden Apple Award! Each year, one teacher is selected from each school in the city and county to be honored as the Golden Apple Award Winner. Please see the attached flyer for more information about the program and how you can submit a nomination to Mrs. Kershner. Nominations are due by February 12, 2014. Golden Apple nominees should exhibit the following characteristics:
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