The Little Judges Ledger

What a wonderful week at Virginia Avenue! Lunch on the Lawn was a huge success, and it was beautiful to see so many of our families gathered together, sharing lunch and enjoying time with one another. Throw in a few quirky hats for Hat Day, and it was the perfect way to round out another great week at VACDES! Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the day so special.

🍧 Final Week of the Kona Ice Challenge!

This is the last week of our Kona Ice Attendance Challenge! While we missed out on the Kona Ice truck the past two weeks, we continue to have the highest cumulative attendance among the elementary schools—and that is something worth celebrating!

• 🏫 Thank you, families, for making daily attendance a priority.
• ⏰ Getting students to school every day and on time gives them the best opportunity to learn and grow.
• 🍧 We have one more chance to bring that Kona Ice truck back to VACDES—let’s finish strong!

🎉 Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month!

We’re excited to continue celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month at Virginia Avenue! We have several spirit days coming up.

• 🌎 Monday, September 28: Wear the colors of your country’s flag.
• ⚽ Wednesday, September 30: Sport your favorite Hispanic athlete.
• 💃 Friday, October 2: Wear traditional dress or an outfit that represents your culture.

Let’s fill our hallways with color, culture, and pride as we celebrate the many backgrounds represented in our Virginia Avenue community. ❤️

🌟 Gifted Referrals – Grades 3 & 4

During the month of September, parents of students in 3rd and 4th grade may refer their child for evaluation for gifted services.

• 📄 Review the High Achiever, Gifted Learner, Creative Thinker resource linked here for characteristics you may notice in your child.
• 📝 If you believe your child demonstrates gifted characteristics, you may submit a referral for testing.
• 💻 The referral form can be found on the WPS website under Departments → Gifted.
• 💬 Questions about testing or gifted services can be directed to our school's Gifted Chair, Heidi Chilcott.

📱 Having Trouble Reporting an Absence?

We know some families are having difficulty using the new attendance reporting tool in the PowerSchool Parent Portal. The division is working with the software company to resolve the issue.

If you are having trouble submitting an absence, please try:

• 🌐 Updating your current web browser to the latest version.
• 💻 Using Google Chrome as your web browser.

These steps have worked for some families while the issue is being addressed. Thank you for continuing to communicate with us when your child needs to be absent!

🏔️ Keep Climbing!

Thank you for another great week of showing up, working hard, and supporting our Little Judges. Let’s keep climbing together!

Alli Di Giovanni

Principal

September 23- One for Schools Town Hall (sales tax referendum) at VACDES at 6:00 pm

September 29- Picture Day

As we continue Attendance Awareness Month, remember that good attendance starts with a good morning routine! Helping children build consistent habits now makes getting to school every day and on time much easier.

A few simple ways to help:

• 🎒 Pack backpacks and choose clothes the night before.
• ⏰ Keep bedtime and wake-up times as consistent as possible.
• 🍎 Build in enough morning time so no one has to feel rushed.
• 🏫 Talk positively about school and remind your child that their presence matters!

Small routines at home can make a big difference in starting the school day ready to learn.

Join Dr. Van Heukelum and the Winchester Education Foundation to learn about the capital needs of WPS and the Foundation's initiatives prior to the referendum vote in November.

• Tuesday, September 29, 2026 / 12:30-1:00 p.m. / Douglas School, 598 N Kent St

• Thursday, October 8, 2026 / 6-6:30 p.m. / Douglas School, 598 N Kent St

  Winchester Public Schools does not advocate for or against ballot measures. Our role is to share clear, factual information so community members can understand the referendum and the capital needs of the school division.