The Chameleon Connection

GQES Vision: Thriving Literacy Community in a STEM School

GQES Mission: We BELIEVE!

Week 10: Oct. 12-16, 2026

Dear GQES Chameleon Families,

We cannot believe that we have finished our first quarter of our school year! This is a great time to reflect on our first quarter attendance, behavior and academic data.

• K-4 Attendance Data: We have 161 K-4 students with perfect attendance!
• 77% of GQES Students: No Absence Issues
• 7.57% are Trending Chronic
• 5.14% are Nearly Chronic
• 10.27% are Chronically Absent
• PBIS Update: We had our first quarter PBIS celebration on Friday, 10-9-26! Students were all smiles as they got to use their PBIS Rewards points to participate in an activity of their choice! Students will continue to have an opportunity use their PBIS points in quarter 2 for the following:
• Read to a class (25 points)
• Appearance on the Announcements (75 points)
• Book Vending Machine (50 points)
• Lunch with a Staff Member (50 points)
• Game time with a Staff member (75 points)
• Library Assistant (50 points)
• Gym Time (75 points)
• Class Show & Tell (25 points)
• Academic Data: You will have the opportunity to review your child's progress during your parent conference on Thursday, October 15th. Please work with your child's teachers to get your parent conference scheduled.

Thank you for your support with our Domino's Fundraiser to support the GQES PTO! See below for more information.

After School Tutoring

Select students have been invited to join after school tutoring. Response forms were due back on Tuesday, October 6, 2026. If you have not returned your form, please contact the GQES office. After school tutoring will be held on the following Tuesdays and Thursdays:

• October: 20, 22, 27, 29
• November: 5, 10, 12, 17, 19

Questions? Contact the GQES front office. Point of contact: Lindsay Edwards.

📅 Parent Conferences will be held on Thursday, October 15th, from 3:00–7:00 p.m. Please work with your child's teachers to get your parent conference scheduled. If you need to schedule for multiple children, please communicate that so our teachers and staff can work together to accommodate multiple students and time slots. We are looking forward to these "Starting Strong" conversations that will include data on attendance, academics and behavior. We will also have:

• Title I Parent Information Sessions at 3:30 and 5:00
• PTO will be selling Pizza ($3/slice or two slices for $5) and bottled water ($1 each) and Quarles t-shirts, 25-26 Yearbooks ($5 each)
• Sugar Creek will be selling ice cream (a portion of the sales will go to the GQES PTO)

Report Cards: Report cards will be shared electronically on Thursday, October 15th.

• WPS: Standards Based Grading (English Handout & Spanish Handout)

As always, thank you for being such an important part of our Quarles community! We value your partnership in your child's learning. If you have any questions, please contact the main office at 540-662-3575.

Jennifer DiMarco
Principal, Garland R. Quarles Elementary School

Erika Berry,

Assistant Principal, Garland R. Quarles Elementary School

Oct. 12: Teacher Work Day (NO SCHOOL)

Oct. 15: 3-7 p.m.: Parent Conferences at GQES

Oct. 15: Report Cards will be Shared Electronically

Nov. 3: Teacher Professional Development Day (NO SCHOOL)

Nov. 25-Nov. 27: Administrative Offices Closes (NO SCHOOL)

Mark your calendars for 10/02/2026, we will be partnering with the Domino's Pizza Slice the Price program for a fundraiser everyone will enjoy! The proceeds of this fundraiser will support PTO funds!

Below, you will see a picture and description of our SLICE THE PRICE card. See how the card works with this short VIDEO: https://fast.wistia.net/embed/iframe/934xj66gkh

Slice the Price Card:

• With the card, every time you purchase a large pizza at Domino’s, you will receive another large pizza FREE!

• The cost of the card is just $20, and our school profits $10 for every card sold!

• Use the card as many times as you would like until the card expires 06/30/2027!

• Cards will be sold from 10/02/2026-10/16/2026.

• When a customer buys a card through your online store, it will be shipped directly to them! If they purchase one card, the shipping fee is only .99 cents.

• Every student that participates will receive a free prize!

Information packets and order forms will be distributed on 10/02/2026. See all the locations where the card is accepted here: https://slicethepricecard.com/map.

Ready to get a head start? Use the attached form to start brainstorming on your supporters!

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Kindergarten

Grade 1

Grade 2

Grade 3

Grade 4

• Bus Rider
• Chameleon Convoy (Walkers) with four (4) location
• A: Kent/Whitlock
• B: Whitlock/South Loudoun
• C: South Loudoun/Southwerk
• D: Southwerk/Kent
• Car Rider

VERY IMPORTANT DISMISSAL UPDATES FOR ALL STUDENTS:

• No transportation changes after 1:30 p.m. (If you need to make a change to your child's afternoon dismissal plan, please call the main office at 540-662-3575 before 1:30 p.m. and talk to a front office staff member.)
• No students being signed out after 2 p.m. (If you need to sign your child out early, you need to do this before 2 p.m.)
• For safety and emergency purposes, our GQES parking lot will be close daily at 2 p.m. and will reopen at 2:20 p.m. to begin our car rider dismissal procedures.

Please enter our parking lot by turning right into our parking lot off Southwerk Street. Thank you for your help and support to ensure the safety of our students.