Gator Gazette

Dear Arnett Hills Families,

Thank you so much for joining us for our Comic Book Family Engagement Night! 🦸🏽‍♀️🦸🏾‍♂️ It was such a joy to see our students, families, and staff come together to celebrate learning in a fun and creative way. Your participation reminds our students that learning doesn’t just happen during the school day—it happens when we explore, imagine, and grow together.

We look forward to hosting even more events that strengthen our partnership and continue to show our Gators that we are all in for them! 💚💛

With gratitude,
Cherita Williams, Ed.S.
Proud Principal, Arnett Hills Elementary

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After-School Program Launches September 30th

We are excited to announce that our After-School Program begins on Tuesday, September 30th! 🎉 This program is designed to provide additional learning support for students in grades 3–5 who have been invited to participate based on need and available staffing.

• Days: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays

• Time: 3:15 PM – 4:45 PM

• Transportation: Not currently available (coming soon!)

Students should have already received a permission slip. If your child in grades 3–5 did not receive one and you are interested in having them attend, please email our program coordinator, Ms. Mariah Walker, at mwalker1@mail.dps.k12.va.us,

We look forward to supporting our Gators with this extra time for learning and growth!

📚 Family Literacy Activities for K–5 Gators 🐊

Here are 5 hands-on activities families can enjoy together to help students from kindergarten through fifth grade strengthen their literacy skills. Each one is designed to be fun, creative, and engaging while building important reading, writing, and vocabulary skills.

1. Family Story Builders ✍️📖

Start a story as a family, and each person adds one sentence at a time. Encourage creativity, sequencing, and vocabulary. Write down the final story and illustrate it together to make your own family “book.”

2. Word Hunt Around the House 🔎🏠

Create a list of words (sight words for younger grades, vocabulary words for older students). Have kids find objects in the house that match or use sticky notes to label them.

3. Comic Strip Creations 💬🦸

Make your own comic strips with speech bubbles. Younger students can draw pictures while parents write the words; older students can write and illustrate their own. This supports sequencing, dialogue, and story structure.

4. Family Book Talk & Snack 📚🍎

Read the same short book or chapter together. After reading, gather for a “book talk” over a snack. Each person shares their favorite part, a new word they learned, or a question they still have.

5. Word Sort & Build Challenge 🧩🔠

Use index cards with letters or words (sight words, rhyming words, prefixes/suffixes). Sort them into groups (by beginning sound, meaning, or word family) and build new words or sentences.

In today’s world, it’s easy to get caught up in screens—phones, tablets, television, and social media. While technology has its place, sometimes the best learning and growth happen when we unplug and spend time together as a family.

Talking, sharing stories, and learning from one another helps students feel more connected to their family members. These moments teach the importance of listening, caring for one another, and building stronger bonds.

When students learn to value conversations and family time, they also begin to understand the importance of contributing to their homes, their schools, and their communities.

Let’s remember: the greatest connections are the ones we make face-to-face.

This week, pick one evening to put away all screens—no phones, tablets, video games, or TV. Instead, spend the time together as a family:

• 📖 Read a story out loud or take turns reading chapters.

• 🗣️ Share family stories, jokes, or memories.

• 🎲 Play a board game or card game.

• ✍️ Write a short family poem or story together.

• 🎶 Sing songs, dance, or make up a silly skit.

Afterward, ask your child how it felt to spend time unplugged. Talk about what you enjoyed most.

These small moments create big memories and help students understand the value of family, school, and community.

Each year from September 15 to October 15, we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month—a time to honor the history, culture, and contributions of Hispanic Americans who have enriched our schools, communities, and nation. From leaders in science and government to artists, authors, and everyday heroes, their impact continues to inspire us all.

• Morning drop off is at 7:40, please do not let students out before staff has arrived to greet them and see them safely inside.

To ensure a smooth dismissal process, students may not be checked out after 2:15pm.

To ensure the safety of all students, parents or guardians MUST present an ID at the time of checkout. We thank you for your cooperation.

Arnett Hills Elementary School

Associate Principal: Mr. Withers Jackson

Assistant Priincipal: Mr. Gary Lawson

Website: https://arnetthills.danvillepublicschools.org/
Location: 811 Northmont Blvd, Danville, Va. 24540

Phone: 434-354-0112