Park Ridge ES: School Scoop

November 18th- PTO Spirit Night: Panera

November 20th- Picture Retakes

November 20th- STEAM NIGHT at PRES!!!!

November 21st- Popcorn Friday

November 25th- Ms. Owate's Gathering of Gratitude

November 26th-28th- Fall Break

December 4th- Learning Meeting (Steps 4 & 5)

December 5th- PTO Movie Night

December 12th- 5th Grade's Trivia Night & Cookie Exchange

December 19th- End of 1st Semester

December 22nd-31st- Winter Break (No School)

The SEC Team has traditionally been the point of contact for parents and teachers whenever interventions "don't work" or there is a suspicion of or diagnosis/disorder present. In the absence of blatant academic interference, the SEC team has the ability to propose intervention(s) and/or additional data collection methods. Many times, to the frustration of teachers, the intervention and request for more data collection time promotes a compounding effect in the classroom.

The STAT team will serve as a collaborative support for teachers as a step before SEC Referral. Through the use of the STAT Referral, a team member will be responsible for responding to the teacher's concern by observing the student in their area of difficulty. Afterwards, the team member will share insights and relevant observational notes to the team. At that point, the team will share reliable solutions that will/can serve as interventions and a source of data. After 3-6 weeks, the team member will check back in with the referring teacher to determine next steps. In cases where the intervention is unsuccessful, SEC team members will be invited to an in-person STAT Team meeting. At that point, the team will collectively determine if a true SEC referral is warranted.

I would like to inform everyone that our Speech Pathologist, Lindsey Ishler, is no longer with us. Please know that we are working closely with Student Services to find a new Speech Pathologist as soon as possible. I understand that speech services for our students have been challenging this year with the transition after the start of the school year. So thank you all for your patience as we work to ensure our students receive the services they need.

Teachers, please make sure students are given the opportunity to use the restroom before arriving to specials. This helps minimize disruptions to instruction and allows our specials teachers to maximize learning time. We know that unexpected needs come up, and students will always be permitted to go when it’s urgent, but having students take care of restroom needs ahead of time supports transitions and keeps classes on schedule.

Teachers, please make sure you are picking students up from specials on time. Our specialists have very limited transition time between classes, and late pick-ups takes away from the time they need to prepare for their next group. Your timeliness helps ensure that instruction stays on schedule and that all classes receive the preparation they deserve. Thank you for doing your part to bring students to specials on time and pick them up promptly.

Please see the LIST of students who were absent for picture day.

We are preparing to have a wonderful STEAM night for our PRES families. There are a few stations where we have the opportunity to include parent volunteers. The stations are ready made and do not require any prework on your part. Instructions and materials are already packaged for these stations. All we're missing is you!

Follow the link to SIGN UP to facilitate a station.

For questions or accommodations, please contact Jalita Johnson, Assistant Principal at johnsonjj@staffordschools.net/540-658-6320.

We’re excited to bring back the Cookie Walk for Park Ridge staff on December 17th! Last year, thanks to all of you, our staff cookie walk was a huge success. We hope you can help us make it just as special this year. We love to show our staff appreciation for all they do for our kiddos and what better way than with a sweet treat? Here’s how you can help:

• Donate cookies (baked or store-bought) to Park starting the week of December 15th.

• Our staff will get to walk through and pick their favorite cookies to enjoy in class or at home.

Let’s make our staff feel appreciated and loved for all they do. Thank you in advance for your generosity!

Dear Educators,

Get ready to explore creativity, collaboration, and innovation at the 2026 Maker Mindset Conference, hosted by the University of Mary Washington College of Education!

🗓 Date: Saturday, February 7, 2026

📍 Location: Academy of Technology and Innovation, Stafford, VA

🎯 Theme: Beyond the Build: Empowering Creative Problem Solvers

Join K–12 educators, preservice teachers, and leaders for a day of hands-on learning, inspiring sessions, and practical ideas for bringing the maker mindset to your classroom.

Mark your calendar and stay tuned—registration details will be coming soon!

If you want to make sure to get future emails, please join our mailing list: Mailing List Sign Up

Warm regards,

The Maker Mindset Conference Planning Team

University of Mary Washington College of Education

https://sites.google.com/view/maker-mindset-conference/home

We will be collecting food again for the American Legion Food Drive. Boxes will be in the lobby from November 5th - December 14th, with the food being collected by the American Legion on December 15th.

Thank you for your support!

Join us for Spirit Night at Panera! 🥗

25% of sales benefit the PTO

Tuesday, November 18th

4:00 PM - 8:00 PM

905 Wonder Road

- In Cafe

- Drive Thru

- Pick Up

- Delivery

Enter promo code FUN4U at online checkout 📌

Join us for Movie Night hosted by our PTO! This event is open to all Park Ridge families. Light concessions sold by the Brooke Point Dance Team will be available for purchase. Just a reminder, ALL students must be accompanied by a parent. Bring a cozy blanket to sit on, and wear your pajamas!

We hope to see you there for a fun evening! 🍿🎥

Join the PRES Spirit Council in collecting pop tabs to help support the Ronald McDonald House - Greater Washington, DC.

Their Mission:

Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Greater Washington, DC (RMHCDC) provides essential services that remove barriers, strengthen families, and promote healing when children need healthcare. Collection jars will be in classrooms beginning next week!