Neabsco News

Neabsco Families,

We had another great week of learning and leadership at Neabsco Elementary! Thank you for continuing to partner with us to ensure our STARS shine brightly every day.

This week, our school counselors and admin hosted Behavior Expectation Meetings with all students in grades K–5. During these meetings, students reviewed how we behave in the classroom, in the hallways, on the playground, on the bus, in the bathrooms, and throughout the school. These expectations are designed to keep our school a safe, respectful, and focused on learning in the school each day. Please take a moment to ask your child what they learned and how they will apply these expectations.

We encourage you to reach out to your child’s teacher to check on behaviors in class, homework, progress toward goals, and how they are demonstrating leadership at school. Our teachers are ready to support you with updates on learning and behavior so that school and home are working hand in hand. We use School Status and each teacher has a laptop or they use their phones to send messages as a class, individually or to support learning and get you involved.

As part of our Leader in Me program, students continue to build their leadership skills during weekly lessons. Ask your child to share what habit or leadership principle they explored in class, this program is designed to build each child as a future leader and have them think with a growth mindset, reminding them they can do anything, work through hard problems and persevere through challenges.

Finally, thank you for making attendance a priority. Every day counts! When students are present, they are engaged in meaningful learning experiences. If your child is absent, please remember to notify the school office. Together, we can ensure that all our Neabsco STARS are here, learning, and growing each day.

We appreciate your continued support in helping us create a strong, positive school community.

Mrs. Brooke LeVecchi
Principal, Neabsco Elementary

leveccbb@pwcs.edu

IMPORTANT Dates for Neabsco Families

Friday, September 12th: Chuck E. Cheese Family Night 4pm-9pm at the Woodbridge, Chuck E. Cheese, 14085 Shoppers Best Way, Woodbridge, VA 22192
Wednesday, September 17th*: Principal Advisor Committee (PAC) Meeting 5:00pm-6:00pm
Thursday, September 25th: Back to School Night

5:30-6:00pm - Annual Title I Family Meeting
6:00pm-7:00pm - Classroom Family Meeting

Thursday, October 9th: Kindergarten Field Trip to Cox Farms
Thursday, October 23rd: Picture Day

*please note the new date

A Guide to Student Illness

Please take a moment to review the attached guidelines about when students should stay home from school due to illness. Following these helps keep our school community healthy and safe. We want everyone to feel their best when at school.

Remember to report your student's absence to the school by either calling the front office 703-670-2147, email office@pwcs.edu, or entering the absence in the Parent Vue.

For information related to Student Health Services please visit the PWCS Student Health Services website.

If you have any questions or concerns related to your student's health please feel free to contact me at depalmkc1@pwcs.edu or 571-589-4718.

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All in Tutoring will continue this Fall, please register your student today using this form. This is a wonderful opportunity to receive the support needed and help your student continue to thrive.

Program Dates:

Monday, October 6, 2025 - Wednesday, December 17th*

Mondays - Wednesday

Morning Sessions: 8:10am - 9:10am

Afternoon Sessions: 4:15pm - 5:15pm

For questions regarding the All in Tutoring program, please contact Mrs. Morrone, email morronbm@pwcs.edu or phone, 703.670.2147

*Sessions will resume in February, more details coming soon

🫧 Bubbleball 🫧

We’re loving this crazy sport called Bubble Soccer, shared by our fan Monica L. The players each wear a giant clear plastic bubble around themselves while kicking a ball. Since the bubbles are much bigger than the people, players crash into each other while running for the ball. No one gets hurt because players just bounce off each other (or the ground) like a ball. So if you like playing soccer and knocking people over, this might be the sport for you.

Wee ones: A bubble is a sphere, or ball shape. See if you can spot 3 spheres in your room.

Little kids: If a bubble team has 10 players plus a goalie, like a real soccer team, how many players are on each team? Bonus: If 3 of those players are knocked down, how many are still standing?

Big kids: If a player crashes into another player every 3rd time he kicks the ball (starting with the 3rd), on which kick does he fall for the 7th time? Bonus: Will he fall on the 52nd kick?

Answers:
Wee ones: Items might include bouncy balls, balls from sports, or a ball of yarn.

Little kids: 11 players. Bonus: 8 players.

Big kids: On his 21st kick. Bonus: No, since 52 is not a multiple of 3. Quick trick to check: if the digits of a number add up to a multiple of 3, the number you started with is a multiple of 3, too. 5+2 = 7, which isn’t a multiple of 3, so 52 isn’t, either.

PWCS Family Engagement

Families are invited to join a series of free, live Zoom webinars hosted by PWCS to support students and families throughout the school year.

* Thursday, September 18 | 6:30–7:30 p.m.
The Secret Ingredient for Stronger Attendance Is Student and Family Support

Target Audience: All PWCS students and families
Discover how school and family partnerships can improve student attendance by meeting real-life needs.
Presenter: Kim McClarin, Supervisor of Student Prevention Programs and Family Assistance

For more information, including how to register for all webinars, please visit the PWCS Family Engagement Series Page.

If you have any questions, please contact Parent Liaison, Susana Steudle, steudlsd@pwcs.edu., 571.589.4784 directly if you need help navigating through our school's resources.

At Neabsco, we are doing our part to promote school health and wellness and following the PWCS Regulation 275-1 Wellness Plan. We all know birthdays are important to children. At school, children celebrating a birthday will be gifted a birthday pencil.

Sending a food treat to the classroom to celebrate can exclude children who have life-threatening food allergies and other dietary restrictions, who can be triggered to a medical emergency.

We are trying to make Neabsco a healthy and safe place for all of our Stars, so instead of sending in food treats, we have some additional ideas on how you can recognize your student on their birthday.

An alternative to food treats for your child’s birthday celebration at school:

· Pencils, erasers, fun stickers, temporary tattoos, stencils, stampers

· Small puzzles, Bubbles, fun superhero rings, rubber bracelets

· Donate a book in your child’s name to the classroom or school library

· Donate a game in your child’s name to the classroom

Please do not send balloons, flowers, or other celebratory bouquets to school for safety reasons.

Finally, please note, teachers can pass out birthday party invitations only if the entire class is invited. Parents are still welcome to send in small treats, although we would like to discourage items like donuts, oversized cupcakes, soda, and juice/juice boxes. Foods such as mini-cupcakes, cookies, sliced fruit or vegetables, etc., will be shared at lunch time. Food items must be store bought with a food label on them to avoid any allergic reactions.

We are looking forward to a happy and healthy school year. We appreciate all that our parents do to support their children in making healthy food and snack choices at home and at school.

As you are gearing up to get your scholars back into a routine for the 2025-2026 school year, we want to provide you with literacy support that will help engage and excite your scholar to read at home! The following are some ideas you can do at home with your Neabsco STAR scholars.

Making the Most of Family Read-Alouds

“Reading together is one of the simplest, most powerful ways to build connection, spark curiosity, and nurture a lifelong love of books. It’s not just for littles either—older kids enjoy them, too. Here are a few ways to enhance your family read-alouds.

Keep It Short & Sweet

Even 10 minutes a day makes a difference. The consistency matters more than the length.

Read What They Love Stories are great, but so are audiobooks, graphic novels, cookbooks, magazines, and wordless picture books. Text means any kind of reading material. If it sparks interest and builds connection, it counts.

Read Anywhere

Waiting rooms, sports practices, grocery pickup—you don’t need a cozy chair at home to enjoy

a read-aloud. Keep a book or basket in the car or your bag so you’re always ready to grab a few

minutes together.

Listening Counts

Car rides, chores, or downtime are perfect for audiobooks and podcasts.

Make It a Ritual

Turn reading into a tradition. Try “Story Sundays,” “Bedtime Book Baskets,” or another family habit tthat makes reading something to look forward to.

Don’t Stress the Rules

It’s okay to skip pages, reread the same book every night, or even miss a day. The goal isn’t

perfection—it’s connection.

Set the Stage

Before reading, take a quick look together at the cover, blurb, headings, and any illustrations. Build excitement and curiosity by asking things such as:

■ What do you think will happen?

■ What do you expect to learn?

■ What words should we keep an eye out for?

Talk While You Read

Pause to share ideas and reactions, the same way you might while watching a TV show together.

Ask questions, wonder aloud, and invite your child’s thoughts. Some examples:

■ What might happen next?

■ How is the character feeling? What advice would you give them?

■ What would you do in this situation?

Reading Reflections

After finishing, take a moment to reflect together. This keeps the conversation going and deepens your child’s thinking. Try asking:

■ What was your favorite part?

■ Would you recommend this book? Why or why not?

■ What did you like best—or least?

■ What would you ask the author?”

From: ILA’s Literacy Month Toolkit

As a reminder we have our annual meeting coming up at our Back-to-School Night on Thursday, September 25, 2025, at 5:30. We look forward to seeing you there.

We want to thank you for your enthusiasm to support literacy and learning.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Carolyn Matthews Matthecj@pwcs.edu , Jessica Monahan Monahanj@pwcs.edu or Jessica Hesser Hesserj@pwcs.edu.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Carolyn Matthews Matthecj@pwcs.edu, Jessica Monahan Monahanj@pwcs.edu or Jessica Hesser Hesserj@pwcs.edu.

September Attendance Challenge

Hello Families,

This week, students participated in the Code of Behavior Assembly where they learned about school expectations, how to stay safe, and the vital role attendance plays in their success. We emphasized that showing up every day not only helps students stay on track academically, but also builds strong routines and meaningful connections with peers and teachers. Consistent attendance fosters lifelong habits, boosts achievement, and strengthens our school community. We are thrilled to celebrate students who show up and shine!

Want to see the impact? Check out last year’s May Attendance Challenge, which has been a huge success for the past two years. One of the highlights was the Neabsco Pie-in-the-Face celebration.

Starting this coming Monday, we are kicking off our first Attendance Challenge of the school year! From Monday, September 8 through Friday, October 3, students who attend school every day or have no more than one absence during this four-week period will be recognized and rewarded for their commitment.

📧 How to Contact Us:

Mrs. Larimore, School Counselor – LarimoLT@pwcs.edu

Mr. Clewell, Counseling Intern– ClewelTD@pwcs.edu

💚🐉House Draco is currently in the lead with 1,167 points!💚🐉

Welcome back to a new year in our Neabsco House system! At Neabsco, we follow the 5 Star Essentials every day.

The Dos and Don'ts of Kiss and Ride

As teachers and parents/guardians we should all have the same goals in mind when it comes to Kiss and Ride, "Getting your children out of the vehicle in a safe and timely manner." Here are some dos and don'ts to remember while you are in line each morning:

DO:

do, watch and wait to be directed by the staff on duty as you proceed through the line
do, wait for an adult on duty to open doors and let students out of the vehicle
do, have your student ready to exit the vehicle when they reach the drop off point
do, continue through the parking lot once your child has exited the vehicle

DO NOT:

do not exit your vehicle while in the kiss and ride line
do not sit in the line to watch your child walk to the door (this impedes the traffic flow)

Kiss and Ride Q&As:

Q: What if I want to help my child put on their backpack before they walk away?

A: Please park your vehicle in a parking spot if you need to assist your child with their personal belongings.

Q: What if I decide to walk my child into the building when I am in the Kiss and Ride line?

A: Please exit the Kiss and Ride line and park your vehicle when you want to walk your child to the front entrance.

Q: What if my child needs special assistance from a Teaching Assistant each morning?

A: Please wait to be directed and pull to the front of the line so as not to block the flow of traffic

Q: What if my child is refusing to exit the vehicle?

A: Please wait to be directed and pull up your vehicle to the front of the line so as not to block the flow of traffic.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP IN KEEPING ALL OUR STUDENTS SAFE!

Please reach out to PWCS directly by submitting your request or concern using the following online form, click here

Currently seeking peer models for Early Childhood

Neabsco Elementary School is currently looking for peer models for their Early Childhood

Special Education (ECSE) General 6x6 Preschool Class(es) for SY 2025-2026. Our ECSE General 6x6 preschool classrooms consist of 6 students that have IEPs for a variety of developmental delays and 6 typically developing children from the community to act as peer models. All students are ages 3-5 years old. Peer models must be 3 or 4 by September 30th of the attending school year. They should also have developmentally appropriate language, social skills, behavior, impulse control and they must be toilet trained. Potential peer models will participate in play groups and be selected before the first day of school. There is no cost for registration or enrollment in the peer model program. It is a half day program.

If interested, please email Benedicta Tsogoo at AddaiB@pwcs.edu, or

Houda Toloa at ToloaH-@pwcs.edu

PARENTAL RIGHT TO INFORMATION ABOUT TEACHERS:

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act, most recently reauthorized as the Every Student Succeeds Act, states that parents in Title I schools have the right to request certain information about their child’s teachers. The information that you have a right to request about your child’s teacher is:

a. Whether the teacher has met state qualifications and licensing criteria for the grade levels and subjects the teacher is teaching.

b. Whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or other provisional status through which state qualification or licensing has been waived.

c. The baccalaureate degree major of certification or degree held by the teacher, and the field of discipline of the certification or degree.

d. Whether the child is provided services by paraprofessionals and, if so, their qualifications.

At Neabsco Elementary School we are extremely proud of our teachers and paraprofessionals, and are happy to provide you with any of the information above pertaining to your child’s teacher(s). If you have such a request, please call the school at 703.670.2147 and ask for the information you are interested in.

For more information on Title 1, you can visit the PWCS page, click here