The Panda Periodical

Melissa Maestle, Principal

Shane Campbell, Assistant Principal

Frederick Douglass Elementary School

100 W. Cedarmeade Ave.

Winchester, Va 22655

ph. 540-662-7656

October

Week of October 26th - October 30th

10/26 - Fall Picture Make-Up Day

10/30 - Book Character Dress Up Day

November

Week of November 2nd - November 6th

10/30-11/06 - Red Ribbon Week!

11/03 - No School - Election Day/Teacher PD Day

Week of November 9th - November 13th

11/10 - McEducator Night 5-7pm

Week of November 23rd - November 27th

11/25 to 11/27 - No School - Thanksgiving Break

On Friday, our gym was filled with roaring chants of "SLIME THEM!" as we celebrated the epic finale to our Boosterthon fundraiser! Because our incredible school community went above and beyond, Ms. Maestle (the Principal) and Mr. Campbell (Assistant Principal) held up our end of the bargain and got heavily doused in gooey green slime right on stage!

We want to extend an enormous THANK YOU to our amazing PTO, especially our President, Amy Kump, and Vice President, Nicole Pifer, for their tireless hard work behind the scenes to make this fundraiser a massive success.

Because of the generous hearts of our families, we raised more than $15,000! 🥳💰 This support directly benefits our students, our wonderful teachers, and the many exciting events and resources we will now be able to provide our students.

Thank you, FDES, for your incredible generosity—and for making today's slime-fest a memory we won't soon forget! 💚

Did your Panda miss our original picture day, or are you hoping for a do-over? Makeup pictures will be taken on Monday, October 26th.

Important Note for Retakes: If your child is having their picture retaken, they must bring their previously purchased picture package with them to school to return to the photographer.

Please reach out to the front office if you have any questions!

As the days get shorter and the mornings get chillier, we know that getting everyone out the door can feel like a heavy lift. In reviewing our first-quarter attendance data, we noticed a very clear trend across the school: Mondays are our toughest day of the week for both absences and late arrivals.

We completely understand that shifting from relaxed weekend mode back into a structured school routine is challenging, especially for our younger students who are still building their stamina. However, when students arrive late or miss Monday altogether, they miss the critical "roadmap" for the week. Teachers use Monday mornings to introduce new vocabulary, kick off new math concepts, and set the academic tone for the days ahead. Starting the week playing catch-up can leave students feeling stressed and overwhelmed by Tuesday.

The Sunday Night Pivot: The secret to a stress-free Monday morning actually starts on Sunday night! Here are a few quick ways to set your student up for a smooth transition:

• The Launch Pad: Have your student pack their backpack, charge their device, and set their shoes by the front door before dinner on Sunday.

• Wardrobe Ready: Pick out Monday’s outfit (down to the socks!) before going to bed.

• The 10-Minute Buffer: Try rolling your Sunday night bedtime and your Monday morning alarm back by just 10 minutes. That tiny buffer can absorb the shock of a lost shoe or a reluctant waker without making you late for the 7:30 AM drop-off.

Let’s work together to conquer those Monday mornings and start every week off strong!

Get ready to show your school spirit! Red Ribbon Week kicks off on Friday, October 30th, and runs through Friday, November 6th. This year's theme is "Pawsitive Choices Matter!" (¡Las decisiones positivas importan!), reminding our Pandas that making healthy, kind decisions leaves a lasting mark on our futures.

We encourage all students to participate in our fun spirit days to celebrate making positive choices every day:

• Friday, 10/30 – Book Character Day: Dress as your favorite book character! Good choices help us write an awesome life story.

• Monday, 11/2 – Active & Healthy Body Day: Wear activewear, sneakers, or neon bright colors to show that healthy bodies power bright futures.

• Wednesday, 11/4 – Superhero Day: Wear a superhero shirt, cape, or hero costume because healthy choices make us everyday heroes!

• Thursday, 11/5 – Teamwork Day: Wear a sports jersey, a team shirt, or match your outfit with a friend.

• Friday, 11/6 – Red & Panda Pride Day: Wear red, paw prints, or your favorite Panda spirit wear!

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!"

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 from Apple

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.