The Panda Periodical
09/28/26 - 10/02/26
Frederick Douglass Elementary School
Melissa Maestle, Principal
Shane Campbell, Assistant Principal
Frederick Douglass Elementary School
100 W. Cedarmeade Ave.
Winchester, Va 22655
ph. 540-662-7656
📅 Upcoming Important Dates 📅
October
Week of September 28th - October 2nd
There will be a Fire Drill this week
Week of October 5th - October 9th
10/09 - End of 1st Nine Weeks
10/09 - Movie On The Lawn Night
Week of October 12th - October 16th
10/12 - No School - Teacher Work Day
Week of October 19th - October 23rd
10/22 - Parent Teacher Conferences
Week of October 26th - October 30th
10/26-10/29 - Red Ribbon Week!
10/28 - Fall Picture Make-Up Day
10/30 - Book Character Dress Up Day
November
Week of November 2nd - November 6th
11/03 - No School - Election Day/Teacher PD Day
Highlight of the Week
🎉 We Crushed Our Boosterthon Goal!
What an incredible Friday! Our FDES Pandas brought the energy for our culminating Boosterthon Fun Run. As you can see from the photos below, the students had an absolute blast getting outside, running, and playing games together to celebrate their hard work.
Thanks to the amazing support of our families, friends, and community, we officially surpassed our massive fundraising goal of $15,000!
Because our students went above and beyond, a highly anticipated reward has officially been unlocked. At an upcoming school assembly, both our Principal, Ms. Maestle, and Assistant Principal, Mr. Campbell, will be getting SLIMED!
Thank you to everyone who donated, shared, and cheered on our students to make this year's Boosterthon such a massive success!
FDES News
Beyond "How Was Your Day?": New Conversation Starters!
We’ve all been there: you ask your student, "How was school today?" and get a quick "Fine!" in return. At FDES, we know how important it is to connect with your child about their learning and social experiences, so our teachers have put together a fantastic new resource to help: 50 Questions To Ask Your Kids After School.
These conversation starters are designed to encourage deeper thinking, help students reflect on how they showed their Panda PRIDE, and give you a real window into their daily lives. We recommend picking just one or two questions a day on the ride home or around the dinner table. You might be surprised by the wonderful, detailed stories your child has to share!
You can view and download the handouts below:
Panda Promise: Making Every Monday and Friday Count!
Every Day Matters: Protecting Fridays and Mondays!
We are having a fantastic September at Frederick Douglass Elementary! As we look at our school calendar, we want to talk about a hidden attendance trap that often sneaks up on families: the "Long Weekend" effect.
It can be very tempting to let a student stay home on a Friday to start the weekend early, or keep them home on a Monday to extend a relaxing weekend. However, these days are absolutely critical for instruction!
Did you know? If a student misses just one Friday every two weeks, they will miss nearly a full month of school by the end of the year.
Our teachers do not use Fridays as "free days" or Mondays as just "review." New reading strategies, math concepts, and important collaborative projects happen on the days that bookend our weekends. When students miss these days, they often return mid-week feeling out of the loop and overwhelmed.
Unless your child is experiencing a fever or contagious illness, please help us keep them in the classroom from Monday morning all the way through the Friday afternoon bell. Thank you for making every day count!
Bring on the Books! Launching Our New Reading Challenge
We are thrilled to introduce a fun new library initiative designed to keep our young readers turning pages and bringing their books back on time. Starting this school year, students in 1st through 4th grade can earn exciting rewards for reading and returning all of their library books.
How it works:
Check out, read, and return 15+ books during the semester
Earn a FREE book to keep forever, plus another prize!
Zero lost books: Students must return every single book they check out to qualify for the reward.
Two chances to win:
Semester 1: August through the week before winter break.
Semester 2: January through the end of May (book counts reset in January, giving everyone a fresh start!)
Our goal is to foster a love for reading while teaching responsibility and keeping our library shelves stocked for everyone. Encourage your child to track their checkouts, enjoy their stories, and return every book promptly so they can build toward their reward!
Grade Level Quarterly Newsletters
WPS News
WPS Communication Update
We know your schedule is busy, so we’re making it easier to track WPS events. We have launched a live Division News page that captures school and community events in real-time.
Visit the WPS Division News Page
This link is your go-to for dates, deadlines, and division-wide announcements. Be on the lookout for the bi-weekly division newsletter for even deeper dives into community happenings!"
During the 2026 general election, voters in the City of Winchester will be asked if an additional general retail sales tax not to exceed 1% be levied in the City. Revenue from the tax could only be used for qualifying capital projects involving the construction or major renovation of public schools serving the City of Winchester. Join us to learn more during a town hall co-hosted by the City of Winchester and Winchester Public Schools!
New school entry procedures are being implemented in Winchester Public Schools. Please allow extra time when you visit a school building to adjust to the new procedures.
- Have your photo ID out and ready when you arrive.
- Press the intercom and follow the directions from the office staff.
- Know the name of the person you are meeting with.
- Call ahead if you need to pick up your child unexpectedly so the office staff is aware.
We appreciate your understanding and partnership as we work together to keep our school community safe.
Procedimientos de Ingreso Escolar
Se están implementando nuevos procedimientos de entrada en las Escuelas Públicas de Winchester. Por favor, dese tiempo adicional cuando visite un edificio escolar para adaptarse a los nuevos procedimientos.
- Tenga su documento de identidad con foto a mano y listo cuando llegue.
- Presione el interfono y siga las instrucciones del personal de la oficina.
- Conozca el nombre de la persona con la que se va a reunir.
- Si necesita recoger a su hijo(a) de forma inesperada, llame con anticipación para que el personal de la oficina esté al tanto.
Agradecemos su comprensión y colaboración mientras trabajamos juntos para mantener segura a nuestra comunidad escolar.
Keeping Our Pandas Safe Online: The Securly Home App
Securly Home App
We are excited to highlight the Securly Home App for parents/guardians of 3rd and 4th grade students. The Securly Home App is a powerful, free tool designed to give you visibility and control over your child's school-issued device outside of school hours.
With the Securly Home App, parents/guardians of 3rd/4th grade students can:
Monitor Activity: View a real-time Activity Feed of your child's online activity on WPS issued devices.
Manage Content: Use the "Rules" tab to block specific websites or toggle entire content categories on or off.
Pause the Internet: Temporarily disable internet access on your child’s WPS issued device at home.
Set Schedules: Create custom offline schedules to automatically disable the internet, helping your child take a healthy break from screens.
Securly Home will NOT override any division rules or policies. For example, all WPS-issued elementary Chromebooks are automatically locked from 9 PM to 6 AM.
Here are some link and guides to help you get started with the Securly Home App:
Securly Home App on Google Play
Securly Home App Walkthrough (English)
Securly Home App Walkthrough (Spanish)
Securly Home App FAQs (English)
Securly Home App FAQs (Spanish)
When creating a Securly Home App account, please use the email address you provided in PowerSchool.
If you do not see the features listed above, please uninstall and reinstall the Securly Home App.
If you need assistance with setting up your Securly Home App, please contact Kelly Carey at carey@wps.k12.va.us.