The Panda Periodical
09/21/26 - 09/25/26
Frederick Douglass Elementary School
Melissa Maestle, Principal
Shane Campbell, Assistant Principal
Frederick Douglass Elementary School
100 W. Cedarmeade Ave.
Winchester, Va 22655
ph. 540-662-7656
📅 Upcoming Important Dates 📅
September
Week of September 21st - September 25th
9/23 - Boosterthon Fun Run
October
Week of October 5th - October 9th
10/09 - End of 1st Nine Weeks
10/09 - Movie On The Lawn Night
Week of October 12th - October 16th
10/12 - No School - Teacher Work Day
Week of October 19th - October 23rd
10/22 - Parent Teacher Conferences
Week of October 26th - October 30th
10/26-10/29 - Red Ribbon Week!
10/28 Fall Picture Make-Up Day
10/30 Book Character Dress Up Day
Highlight of the Week
Happy Sunday, Pandas! This past Wednesday, we kicked off our most exciting fundraiser that only happens ever two years—Boosterthon—with an incredible, high-energy school-wide assembly! Our students were excited to get the fundraiser started and our amazing staff was fully decked out showing their support.
This year’s Boosterthon theme is the Global Kitchen Club! 👨🍳🌎 While raising funds, our students are also learning about character traits like patience, generosity, creativity, reliability, and adaptability by exploring global cultures through recipes.
We have a massive goal this year, and we need your help to reach it before our grand finale: The Fun Run on Friday, September 25th! To celebrate the end of Boosterthon, students will be running laps around the playground behind the school, cheering each other on, and showing their Panda PRIDE.
Here is the breakdown of our goal and the EPIC prizes:
🎯 The Goal: Raise $15,000 to support our school programs, resources, and celebrations
🐺 The Student Prize: If we hit our $15,000 goal, EVERY single student will receive a FREE entry ticket to The Great Wolf Lodge!
🟢 The Ultimate Motivation (SLIME TIME!): If we reach our goal, Principal Maestle and Mr. Campbell will be SLIMED in front of the entire school!
How you can help us get there:
💻 Register: Head to MYBOOSTER.COM and sign your student up (it's free and quick!). Here are directions in case you want to also pay via cash or check.
💌 Share: Use the site to share your student's pledge link with family and friends via text, email, or social media.
📣 Cheer: Keep encouraging your student as we work together to crush our goal before the big run! If you want to see what your students are learning at school with this, you can check out this link!
Let’s make this the best Boosterthon yet, Pandas. We only have until Friday, so let's get sharing! 🐼💚
FDES News
The Power of the Night Before!
As we settle into the middle of September, the back-to-school adrenaline is wearing off, and getting out the door at 7:30 AM can suddenly feel a lot harder!
Did you know that a successful school morning actually starts the night before? When students are rushed or overtired in the morning, it often leads to late arrivals or unexpected absences. By establishing a calm, consistent evening routine, you can help your student wake up feeling refreshed and ready to tackle their learning!
Try these 3 quick tips tonight:
The Backpack Check: Have your student pack their backpack, choose their outfit, and set their shoes by the door before they brush their teeth.
The Tech Curfew: Turn off tablets and TVs at least 30 minutes before bed to help their brains wind down.
Protect the Sleep: Elementary students need 9 to 12 hours of sleep each night to maintain a strong immune system and a sharp mind!
We know that every family’s evening schedule is different, but finding a consistent routine that works for you is one of the best ways to protect your student’s instructional time. Let’s have a great, well-rested week at Frederick Douglass Elementary!
Bring on the Books! Launching Our New Reading Challenge
We are thrilled to introduce a fun new library initiative designed to keep our young readers turning pages and bringing their books back on time. Starting this school year, students in 1st through 4th grade can earn exciting rewards for reading and returning all of their library books.
How it works:
Check out, read, and return 15+ books during the semester
Earn a FREE book to keep forever, plus another prize!
Zero lost books: Students must return every single book they check out to qualify for the reward.
Two chances to win:
Semester 1: August through the week before winter break.
Semester 2: January through the end of May (book counts reset in January, giving everyone a fresh start!)
Our goal is to foster a love for reading while teaching responsibility and keeping our library shelves stocked for everyone. Encourage your child to track their checkouts, enjoy their stories, and return every book promptly so they can build toward their reward!
Reporting When Your Student is Absent
We have updated our method for reporting student absences to make it more streamlined for our families! Moving forward, all absences will need to be reported directly through the PowerSchool Parent Portal.
Here is a quick guide on how to use the new system:
How to Report an Absence:
Step 1: Sign in to the PowerSchool Parent Portal, choose your student's name at the top, and select "Attendance Monitor" on the left side of your screen.
Step 2: On the "Report Attendance" tab, click the button that says "Report New Attendance."
Step 3: Choose the absence date or range of dates.
Step 4: Indicate whether the student will miss the full day or part of the day.
Step 5: Select the reason for the absence, provide a brief explanation, and click Submit.
A Few Important Notes:
Advanced Notice: You may report a planned absence up to 20 days in advance.
Late Notice: If you forgot to notify the school, you may submit an absence for up to the previous 3 days.
Website Updates: The links on our school website have been updated to direct you straight to the portal!
Language Options: Manual translations are currently available on the form, and automatic translation services will be added very soon. We have also attached a Spanish guide for our bilingual families!
Please reach out to the main office if you have any questions or issues logging into your PowerSchool account.
Update on Reporting Absences
Attention Parents and Guardians:
We are aware that some families are having trouble submitting absences through the new attendance reporting tool in the PowerSchool Parent Portal. We are working with the software company to fix the issue.
If you are having trouble submitting an absence, please try:
- Updating your current web browser, or
- Using Google Chrome as your web browser.
Grade Level Quarterly Newsletters
WPS News
WPS Communication Update
We know your schedule is busy, so we’re making it easier to track WPS events. We have launched a live Division News page that captures school and community events in real-time.
Visit the WPS Division News Page
This link is your go-to for dates, deadlines, and division-wide announcements. Be on the lookout for the bi-weekly division newsletter for even deeper dives into community happenings!"
During the 2026 general election, voters in the City of Winchester will be asked if an additional general retail sales tax not to exceed 1% be levied in the City. Revenue from the tax could only be used for qualifying capital projects involving the construction or major renovation of public schools serving the City of Winchester. Join us to learn more during a town hall co-hosted by the City of Winchester and Winchester Public Schools!
Keeping Our Pandas Safe Online: The Securly Home App
Securly Home App
We are excited to highlight the Securly Home App for parents/guardians of 3rd and 4th grade students. The Securly Home App is a powerful, free tool designed to give you visibility and control over your child's school-issued device outside of school hours.
With the Securly Home App, parents/guardians of 3rd/4th grade students can:
Monitor Activity: View a real-time Activity Feed of your child's online activity on WPS issued devices.
Manage Content: Use the "Rules" tab to block specific websites or toggle entire content categories on or off.
Pause the Internet: Temporarily disable internet access on your child’s WPS issued device at home.
Set Schedules: Create custom offline schedules to automatically disable the internet, helping your child take a healthy break from screens.
Securly Home will NOT override any division rules or policies. For example, all WPS-issued elementary Chromebooks are automatically locked from 9 PM to 6 AM.
Here are some link and guides to help you get started with the Securly Home App:
Securly Home App on Google Play
Securly Home App Walkthrough (English)
Securly Home App Walkthrough (Spanish)
Securly Home App FAQs (English)
Securly Home App FAQs (Spanish)
When creating a Securly Home App account, please use the email address you provided in PowerSchool.
If you do not see the features listed above, please uninstall and reinstall the Securly Home App.
If you need assistance with setting up your Securly Home App, please contact Kelly Carey at carey@wps.k12.va.us.