Soul Fest Is Coming February 17!
We have some amazing performers joining our third grade chorus and first grade presenters this year! Thanks to Jon Lohman and the Virginia Folklife Program, our students will perform along with the Legendary Ingramettes, one of Virginia's premier gospel groups. We will also have an entertaining and informative presentation on oyster shucking from two professionals, Deborah Platt and Clementine Mason. You can check out the Ingramettes by clicking on this link. The Oyster Shucking Sisters can be seen having their friendly competition by following this link. More information is coming in next week's Thursday folders. Upcoming Dates Feb. 2 Harvest of the month snack Feb. 3 Student of the Week Assembly (grades 3-4), 8:05am Prospective Parent Tour, 9:15-10:15am Feb. 7 Hugs & Kisses Assemblies Feb. 10 Student of the Week Assembly (grades 1-2), 8:05am Feb. 14 Second grade to Paramount for Dr. Seuss, 11:45am Feb. 17 School-Wide Morning Meeting Soul Fest, 5:15pm Feb. 20 Professional Learning Day No School for Students (unless needed for snow make-up) Feb. 21 PTO Meeting in the North Lobby, 8:00am Colonial Day, 1st grade Feb. 27 4th grade to Paramount for Momix, 9:40-11:45 March 2 Harvest of the Month Want More Dates? Access the Venable Parent Calendar at the Charlottesvilleschools.org website with the most up-to-date information about what's going on. |
Sleep and Screens
A recent study out of Harvard University suggests that the light from screens (cell phones, tablets, laptops, TV, etc.) suppresses sleep, tricking the brain into thinking that it's morning. Researchers are suggesting that we refrain from using screens for an hour before bedtime. This is especially something that we want to encourage for our students. Having a full night's sleep is important for the brain to process the learning that happened for the day, helping new information to moved from short term to long term memory. More obviously, a good night's sleep helps students be alert, ready for the day, and able to handle interruptions or unexpected events with greater flexibility. Some tips for parents: make sure that all screens are charging at night in a location outside the bedroom. Make after dinner time screen free. Enjoy a book together the old fashioned way! Student Led Conferences Coming This Spring
Remember Back to School Night when your child gave you a tour of his or her classroom? That was a precursor to Student Led Conferences, which will be taking place in March or April (depending on the grade level). Student led conferences are not like your ordinary parent-teacher conference! You will be meeting with the student, not the teacher (she or he will be overseeing several conferences at one time). These conferences are an opportunity for you to hear from your child about his or her learning. Your child will walk you through some samples of work from the year, telling you about what was learned, how it was learned, and what the next steps in learning will be. We will have sign-up sheets coming in early March for 15-20 minute time slots where you will come with your child to hear about his or her reflections on the learning that has taken place so far this year. Your role will be to listen, ask questions about the work, and help your child set some goals for the remainder of the year. This is a new experience for all of us; we are looking forward to participating in this new adventure with all of you! Student Artwork on Display in the Community
Congratulations to the following students who have their original artwork on display in City Hall. We are proud of our artists!
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