Timberwolf Times October 12, 2026

Welcome to the 2026-2027 School Year.

Dear Timberwolf Families,

As Reminder, please note, Monday, October 12, 2026 will be a Teacher Professional Development Day. Students will not have school this day. I encourage them to read at home.

The most important thing families can do to support reading is to spend time talking, reading, and learning together. Reading for just 15–20 minutes a day, asking questions, discussing new words, and showing that reading is valued at home can make a significant difference in a child's success in school and beyond.

Our School Hours are 9:20– 4:00 pm.

The U.S. Department of Education named T. Clay Wood Elementary School a 2024 National Blue Ribbon School.

We had 39 families who completed our Start-of-School-Year Survey. Families rated the overall start of school 4.90 out of 5, student enjoyment 4.64, and student belonging 4.79. We are especially proud that families described our school as welcoming, organized, communicative, supportive, and inclusive. Parents reported that children are excited about school, connected to teachers and peers, and benefiting from positive classroom communities.

Families also gave us helpful next steps. These include making classroom communication more consistent, providing clearer information about assessments and at-home learning, sharing more information about gifted education and student services, increasing access to virtual and volunteer opportunities, supporting friendship development and anxiety, and reviewing the structure of Back-to-School Night. We appreciate both the celebrations and the constructive feedback, and we will use the responses to make the family experience even stronger.

You said: You appreciate the school’s strong communication, but you would like more consistent information about weekly learning, homework, reading expectations, assessments, and ways to support learning at home.

We did: All teachers are sending home a weekly newsletter/update that has upcoming information on the following schedule.

· Kg teachers send out their newsletter on Fridays

· 1st grade teachers send out their newsletter on Fridays

· 2nd Students write a weekly letter to go home on Friday

· 3rd grade Teachers send home their newsletters on Friday

· 4th grade Teachers send home their newsletters on Friday.

· 5th grade: -Smith/Warren: send home their newsletters on Monday West/Jenkins send out their newsletters on Friday Van Gelder sends out her newsletter on Sunday

Services

You said:
You would like clearer information about gifted education, speech services, specialized supports, and how families access these programs.

We did:
We have added information to our website for gifted education and about specialized services – Gifted, MTSS, Special Education,

Back-to-School Night

You said:
You want Back-to-School Night to provide more time with teachers and less time listening to information that could be shared in advance.

We did:
We are reviewing the format to prepare for next year to consider other options to share the PWCS required school information before the event when appropriate, allowing more of the in-person time to focus on teacher introductions, classroom learning, questions, and meaningful family-teacher connection.

Family participation

You said:
Working families would benefit from virtual options, advance notice, and more equitable access to Parent Teas and Volunteer Opportunities.

We did:
Upcoming Parent Teas will be virtual and we will continue to alternate between in person and virtual. We encourage any families who cannot volunteer in person to reach out to their child's teacher to suggest ways they can help virtually or from home. Advisory Council/PTO alternate between in Person (3 times a year) and ZOOM (6 times a year)

New-administrator introductions

You said:
Families of students receiving specialized services would appreciate earlier opportunities to meet new administrators and establish a relationship.

We did:
We added an introductory video introducing our new assistant principal, Mrs. Bushey to the Timberwolf Times. Please see link for a brief Introductory video - Meet our new AP - Mrs. Bushey

Belonging, friendships, and anxiety

You said:
Children generally feel a strong sense of belonging, but some students need help developing friendships, managing anxiety, or feeling connected to adults and peers.

We did:
For any students that scored 3 or lower for belonging, etc, we connected students and their families to school counselors to proactively support students. We also implemented monthly student voice opportunities shared with each classroom.

Student enjoyment and academic challenge

You said:
Most children enjoy school, but some students need additional challenge, more individualized support, or help overcoming frustration with reading and writing.

We did:
During grade level CLT team meetings we plan for both support and extension. Teams will continue monitoring whether students receive appropriately challenging grade-level work, targeted scaffolds, and opportunities to make meaningful choices in their learning. Please reach out to your child's teacher for specific support and ideas.

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1.Timberwolf Talk Parent Tea - Save the Date - Next Meeting - November 13, 2026 - Meet our Parent Liaison, Mrs. Riley and how she can support families at home. This will be on ZOOM.

2. Kg and Pk Bus up - Reminder: Pk and Kg students who do not have parent, guardian, or other authorized individual at the bus stop for pick up, when required, will be transported back to their attending school.

3. Literacy Night October 27, 2026 at 6 p.m. -7:30 p.m. -📚✨ Join Us for Literacy Night! ✨📚

Calling all readers, families, and book lovers! Come celebrate the joy of reading at our School Literacy Night—an evening filled with books, games, family fun, and exciting prizes!

📖 Shop the Book Fair and discover your next great read!
🎲 Play literacy games designed for students in grades K–5!
🗺️ Complete a Reading Passport as you explore the evening’s activities!
🎟️ Enter to win! Students who complete their Reading Passport can choose a raffle to enter for a chance to win a special prize!

Bring the whole family and join us for an evening of reading, learning, laughter, and fun! We can’t wait to celebrate literacy with you!

Come read, play, explore, and WIN at Literacy Night! 📚🌟

Our Next Advisory Council and PTO Collaborative Meeting will take place Thursday, October 22, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. on ZOOM. Please email Dr. Buchheit (me) at buchhear@pwcs.edu if you would like to attend and I will send you the ZOOM link for the meeting.

To see the Agenda and past minutes, please visit this link : https://tclaywoodes.pwcs.edu/be_involved/advisory_council

If you need interpretation/translation services, please reach out to Mrs. Riley at rileys@pwcs.edu at least a week before the meeting.

Transportation’s Late Bus Notification web page is now available for parents and schools. The page will list buses that will take 15 minutes or more to start their run.

https://www.pwcs.edu/support_services/bus_transportation/bus_delays.

We’re excited to invite you to our upcoming Scholastic Book Fair. Hosted by our staff, this event is an opportunity for students of all ages to build their home libraries and further their love of reading. As always, all purchases benefit our school.

Student Shopping:

Monday, October 26th-9:30-3:30

Tuesday, October 27th- 9:30-3:30

Wednesday, October 28th- 9:30-3:30

Thursday, October 29th- 9:30-3:30

Family Shopping:

Tuesday, October 27th- 5:00pm-7:30pm

Forms of payment-

-cash

-eWallet

-checks made out to TCWES

-credit card

Our Book Fair offers eWallet, a safe and secure alternative to cash. Simply create a free account to add funds and/or invite family and friends to contribute so your child can select their own books. Any unused funds can be spent at The Scholastic Store Online or to fund a future eWallet.

If you can’t make it to the Fair, then shop at our school’s Online Book Fair. All orders ship directly to your home, and shipping is free for book orders over $35. Your online orders will also benefit our school.

Visit our Book Fair homepage to learn more and get started with eWallet and online shopping:

https://www.scholastic.com/bf/tclaywoodelementaryschool

We’re excited to celebrate our love of books together at the Book Fair. We look forward to seeing your child there!

Happy reading,

Mrs. Rice

Librarian

riceml@pwcs.edu

We are excited to announce our upcoming Book Fair, which will be held on October 26th-29th. This event is a wonderful opportunity for our students to explore new books and foster a love for reading. To make this event a success, we need your support.

How you can help:

1. Volunteer- We need volunteers to help set up, assist students during the book fair, and pack up afterward. If you are available to volunteer, please sign up using the link below-

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090C4AA4AF2AA5F94-66445187-fall

1. Donate items: We also need donations of the following items to ensure a fun and exciting book fair for our students-

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/J20JCP49BWYL?ref_=wl_share

Thank you for your continued support and dedication to our school community. We look forward to seeing you at the Book Fair!

Monday, October 12, 2026- Day -

• No School for Students

Tuesday, October 13, 2026 - Day 2

Wednesday, October 14, 2026 Day 3

Thursday, October 15, 2026- Day 4

Friday, October 16, 2026 -Day 5

• Kg field trip

Our new school hours are 9:20 am - 4:00 pm. Doors open at 9:10 am. Students Tardy at 9:20 am.

All dates are subject to change – please monitor your email).

• October 9 - Timberwolf Talk - Supporting your students at home in Reading, Math and using Technology
• October 12 - No school for students - Teacher Professional Development Day
• October 15 - Earthquake Drill
• Oct. 21 - National Apple Day - PTO Apples for staff
• Oct. 22 - PTO/Advisory Council, 6:30 p.m on ZOOM - email me at buchhear@pwcs.edu for ZOOM link.
• Oct. 26 - Oct. 30 - Book Fair
• Oct. 27 - 5pm - 7:30 p.m - Book Fair Family Night
• Oct. 27 - 6pm - 7pm - Literacy Night
• Oct. 29 - National Coffee Day - PTO appreciation for Staff
• Oct. 30 - End of 1st quarter -
• Oct. 30- PTO Costume Bingo - 5:30 pm.

Parents/guardians can report a student’s absence directly through ParentVUE by following these steps:

1. Log in to ParentVUE using your ParentVUE account.
2. Select your student if you have more than one child enrolled in PWCS.
3. From the menu, select Attendance.
4. Select Report an Absence.
5. Choose the date(s) your student will be absent.
6. Select the reason for the absence (Pre-arranged absence).
7. Add the reason for the absence in notes section.
8. Attach a doctor's note or document if you have one.
9. Review your information to make sure everything is correct.
10. Click Submit to send the attendance notification to the school.
11. You should receive confirmation that your attendance request was submitted.

Reminder: Please submit attendance as soon as possible when your child will be absent or tardy. If you have questions or need help accessing ParentVUE, please call us (703-594-3990).

All student iPads are already protected by AppleCare, provided by PWCS at no cost to families. AppleCare covers accidental damage to the iPad and charger.

Families may also choose to purchase Securranty device insurance for $29.95 per year. At our school, this optional insurance is most beneficial if an iPad or charger is lost, misplaced, or stolen, since these situations are not covered by AppleCare. Depending on the age of the device, the replacement cost of an iPad can range from $85 to $285.

In short: You do not need to purchase Securranty to protect against accidental damage. It is an optional additional layer of protection against the cost of replacing a lost or stolen iPad or charger.

For coverage details or to enroll, visit securranty.com/pwcs.

Please click on this link to see the 2026-2027 School Supply Lists by Grade Level.

In addition, if you would like to donate any school supplies to our school, Mrs. Caynor, our school social worker, Mrs. Riley, our Parent Liaison, and our school counselors are collecting items for students who may not have school supplies at our school. Some of the items they are looking to collect:

• -Pencil boxes and a few pencil pouches
• -1 subject spiral notebooks
• -composition notebooks
• -1 inch binders
• -Plastic folders with center prongs (red, blue, yellow and green)
• -Kids' scissors
• Markers

If you do want to donate supplies, please send it in care of Mrs. Riley or Mrs. Caynor or one of our school counselors. Thank you.

Once you complete your child's Back to School Packet in ParentVUE, you can access the Bus information for your child in ParentVUE. You do have to complete the Back to School Packet first.

Bus Schedules are online – you can access from our school and county website. Your student’s specific bus information can be found in ParentVUE under the Student Information Tab. See this link for information on how to access the Hub: -Info about the Hub

Bus schedules will be available in ParentVUE and StudentVUE. In anticipation of the first day of school,

I encourage you to download the New Bus tracking App: EZ A2B - Bus Tracking App

This new app allows you:

• View student bus stop information
• Get notified when the bus gets close to the bus stop
• Receive notifications about bus delays

Once the Back to School Packet is completed, check back often in ParentVUE, as changes to bus stops and times may occur up until the first day of school.

Changes will take place all summer long and we recommend checking for any changes up and including the first day of school on August 18, 2025. It is a good chance bus times/bus numbers/routes could change, please check.

Transportation’s Late Bus Notification web page is now available for parents and schools. The page will list buses that will be late 15 minutes or more to start their run. Please use this link to monitor buses. Bus Delays Website

Please contact the Transportation Department if you have any questions - 571-402-3940

Our Prince William County School Transportation Department continues to update and implement some tools to help us all when it comes to buses. I have included some helpful links below that are now on their PWCS Transportation Webpate. I believe these will help families throughout the school year. Please take a moment to check these out.

1. The main Transportation Website - most of the below links can be accessed from this site: PWCS Transportation

2. Delayed Bus Page will inform you of any buses that are expected to arrive at least 15 minutes late. Delays will be removed after 12pm for morning runs and after 5:30 pm for afternoon runs. Bus Delay Site

3. EZ A2B Bus Tracking APP - See real-time map location for students' buses and get push notifications when the bus gets close by - New Bus tracking App: EZ A2B - Bus Tracking App

4. Looking for your student's bus schedule? Remember it is located in the Hub which you can access in your ParentVUE account -

5. Transportation Contact for T. Clay Wood (PWCS Western Area Transportation): trns-westernbusroutes@pwcs.edu or 571-374-6593

Some additional Reminders:

• Bus route information can change in the beginning of the school year due to student enrollment and The Hub offers parents and students the ability to receive the most up-to-date bus information.

• Bus schedules will not be emailed to parents/guardians and due to security reasons, we will not post bus routes to our website.

• Please note, buses may be arriving later than expected during the first few days of school while bus drivers are learning students, routes, and families. If your entire bus has not arrived, please be patient.

I hope this information is useful and will help you have a great start to your school year.

However, please note, Route Managers cannot make any changes if the new stop meets the new criteria.

Please use this link to monitor buses.

https://www.pwcs.edu/departments/transportation/bus_delays

We will communicate as much as possible using our school website and Canvas. Please bookmark our web site https://tclaywoodes.pwcs.edu/ and check it frequently. We will also communicate through email using the email address that you have provided and is in the system. Please make sure this email address is up to date and correct. We will send home by email upcoming dates and important information. It is important that we have your correct email address. You will also want to be sure to allow your email provider to accept email from T. Clay Wood ES including from me by adding the following to your Contact Lists– buchhear@pwcs.edu and from NoReplyTCWES@Pwcs.edu. You should also add your child’s teacher’s email too.

Each student will receive a Timberwolf Folder. The Timberwolf Folder is also our Parent Handbook. It outlines many of our school Procedures and Policies. Please take a moment to review the folder about important information related to Attendance, Dress Code, bringing items to school, and so much more.

Every Timberwolf Student will receive our New Timberwolf Magnet in their folders for your car. The magnet captures our theme for the year: “T. Clay Wood Timberwolves are Awesome, Amazing, and Always Learning"

Please review The PWCS CODE OF BEHAVIOR

Link to Family Life Education objectives and Opt out - You can also use opt out form to opt out of social media posts

Family Life Objectives and OPT out forms

Please take time to read over our school wide Quality Leader and Learner School Wide Expectation Plan – “Building a Positive School Community” with your student. The plan outlines our expectations and responsibilities for all members of our school community. I will send the plan out in another email. You can also access the link by clicking on Building a Positive School Community link here.

Please review the 2026-2027 Calendar

You can also subscribe to the PWCS Calendar. To learn how, you can go to this PWCS Site and then follow the directions - How to Subscribe to the PWCS School Calendar

Prince William County Schools have made some changes to the Attendance Regulation .

Please review the updated PWCS Regulation 724-1

All trips taking place during the school year will be marked unexcused.

PWCS is increasing communication to our parents and students around the importance of attendance- a critical indicator of success. Attending school every day helps our students build a solid foundation for their future in school and in life.

These strategies include an attendance management system that carefully tracks attendance and ensures that parents are notified in a timely and consistent manner. Our goal is to connect with parents quickly so that we can remove any barriers that families face in getting students to school on time, every day.

You may receive a letter regarding your students’ attendance in the mail. Please understand that these notifications are to bring awareness on how much school has been missed this school year. We pledge to partner with you to find solutions and resources to support your student. If you feel that you have received the letter in error or have questions, please contact T. Clay Wood Elementary.

We understand there are unavoidable illnesses or other times when your child should remain at home. We also know that absences add up quickly, and that “showing up” is critical to your child’s success in school and in life.

Together, let’s create a culture of showing up. Our students stand to benefit the most from this!

Thank you for your continued support.

It is the responsibility of parents and guardians to see that their child attends school regularly and on time every day. Research tells us that the best learning takes place during the interaction of the teacher and child during class discussions. Children who are not in school each day miss important educational opportunities and learning experiences. Simply making up the missed work does not begin to take the place of actual class attendance.

Students who enter class tardy are disruptive to classroom instruction and can have a challenging time getting into the classroom routine. The same holds true for students who leave early. We urge you to schedule medical and other appointments so that they do not conflict with class time.

Parents/guardians should accompany late-arriving students into the building and follow

school sign-in procedures. Elementary students should not arrive at school on their own after the regular arrival period has ended

It is important to note that Prince William County policy states that: “students in kindergarten through grade eight, who miss ten or more days of school for the year, excused or unexcused, and who have completed little or no make-up work may be considered for retention.” In addition, we are required to notify our Attendance Officer in cases of excessive absences.

All trips are unexcused. The principal can NOT excused family trips.

For students with three consecutive absences or ten total absences due to illness, a physician's note may be required.

Please send a note or letter in advance to the teacher and the principal informing the school of your plans. Teachers are not required to provide assignments in advance. We would encourage students to read, keep a written journal and practice math facts while out of school. Students can complete make up assignments when they return.

If your child is absent, please call the school Attendance Line at 703.594.3992 or email cwes-timberwolf-attendance@pwcs.edu. This is for your child’s safety. If you do not contact the school, it will be necessary for the school office to contact you. Students with excused or unexcused absences are allowed two days for every day of absence to make up work. Students are responsible for making up work when they are absent.

Students are marked unexcused if parents do not call the school to inform us that their child is out.

For students who have missed a number of days of school, have been tardy a number of times, or have a number of early dismissals, letters to parents will be sent informing them of the number of missed days or days tardy from school.

Thank you for your cooperation and support.

Birthdays are special and significant milestones in each student’s live and we understand the importance of recognizing these special days. We also want to encourage school wide health and wellness, avoid sharing of food items, protect students with serious life-threatening food allergies, and minimize the loss of valuable instructional time. To accomplish these four goals, please review the following guidelines that will be in effect this year.

1. Invitations to students' birthdays (or other celebrations) are not to be distributed in class unless each student is invited.

2. We will recognize all students on the morning announcements.

3. All students will receive a birthday recognition from the office and administration such as a birthday pencil or a birthday book mark.

4. We recognize that parents and families often want to recognize their children’s birthdays during the school day. However, since PWCS Schools discourage students from sharing food or beverages during meal or snack times, we have suggested other types of healthy and creative options. Please make a choice from the list below. You may choose only one option. To celebrate my child’s special day, we would like:

• The class to enjoy 5-10 extra minutes of recess;
• A homework pass for one homework assignment;
• To donate a library book in my child’s name (Send in $15 check to librarian made out to TCWES. A name plate and birthday message will be put in book.);
• To send in a non-food item or token for each student in class (Example: Pencils, bookmarks, stickers, erasers, games, etc.)

There are no expectations or requirements that families send in anything above for their child’s birthday. We just wanted to give some options to our families since we are following PWCS Regulation 275-1 which discourages students from sharing food items.

You can still recognize your own student with a birthday cupcake by sending in just one birthday cupcake for your own child to enjoy during lunch time. If you still do want to send in birthday cupcakes/treats, please coordinate with your child’s classroom teacher 2-3 days in advance. This time will allow the teacher to coordinate with our school nurse and also find an appropriate time to pass out the treat.

Drop off and Pick Up - When dropping your students off in the morning, please drive all the way around to the front of the drop off area in front of our school. Please do not allow students to exit your vehicles until staff members are outside. If you will be picking your students up frequently, please come into our office to sign up for a car pick up tag. You can get a tag on August 20,2026 during the Open House Meet and Greet and Orientation times or on August 21, 2026 during PK and KG Open House. If you choose to park in the parking lot, you will need to park your car and walk your student to the cross walk

Parents/guardians should accompany late-arriving students into the building and follow

school sign-in procedures. Elementary students should not arrive at school on their own after the regular arrival period has ended

.

Please drive carefully and obey the posted speed limits around our parking lot and the neighboring streets. Please pay close attention to posted speed limits and reduced speed limits during the start and ending of our school day and Patriot High School’s day. There are many students and families driving in our two parking lots and around these neighborhoods. Please be extra careful and follow all signs and cones and directions. Please do not enter the parking lot through the exit lane. Car drop offs and pick up should enter through the T. Clay Wood Entrance and not through Patriot HS.

• · Car riders will enter the car riding line at the entrance of our school. The line may be long. But if you are in the line before 9:15 am your student will be able to get in before 9:15 am on most days.

• · Please do not enter through the exit lane in order to bypass the line going into the school. It is dangerous and not legal.

• · Please do not enter Patriot Parking Lot to get into the car pick up/drop off line unless you are coming in to park in the parking lot.

• · When dropping off, you will want to stay in the car drop lane in front of our building. We have blocked off the lane so that it is just one lane, so our students do not have to cross over in front of any cars.

• · If you want your student to walk in, you can park your car in a parking spot and walk your student to the crosswalk. You cannot drive in the main parking lot and have your child jump out of the car or create a separate drop-off lane within the parking lot. It is too dangerous to have a student walk in the parking lot without an adult.

• · Families parking should park in the main lot to walk their students to the crosswalk or the front door. Please do not park in the side parking lot behind our school. (Unless the main lot is full). The reason is we do not have staff supervision on that side of the building and our preschool and self-contained students are dropped off on that side of the building directly to their teachers. In the afternoon, day care vans pick up from this area.

• · Morning Preschool students who are driven to school will be dropped off by door 2.

• · Please also drive attentively to protect our students, staff, and visitors. We have cars, buses, vans, high school drivers coming in from all different directions. Please be sure you are carefully paying attention and not doing anything that can distract you from driving.

• · When picking up your student, please wait in the car lane. We are allowed to have families wait in the car lane if the driver stays with his or her car.

• · Please follow the posted speed limits.

Please note at some point Prince William County Department of Transportation have turned on the Speed Zone Cameras on Kettle Run Road. Speed limit is 25 MpH during arrival and dismissal times of both T. Clay Wood and Patriot HS.

Please always be vigilant when driving around our school. We have our students, staff, and families walking into the parking lot or driving into and out of the parking lot as well as the young and new drivers entering and leaving Patriot HS. Please avoid distracting driving activities and please follow the speed limit carefully.

When entering the school parking lot, please enter through out entrance only and please do not by pass the cars entering to enter through our exit lane. Please do not enter through Patriot HS entrance.

When dropping students off you must either use the car lane or park in a parking spot. Please do not enter the parking lot and just open the door to let your students out. We only have supervision for students at the cross walk and along the car drop off lane. When parking to drop off students, please part in the front parking lot.

Thank you for your attention to these safety measures.

PWCS Meal Payment information including prices for Lunch and Breakfast

If you have questions, please contact the Food and Nutrition Department at 703-791-3151. They are excited to share that the Food and Nutrition is launching a revamped, student-driven menu for 25-26 featuring crowd favorites (like popcorn chicken) as well as new student-inspired dishes (butter chicken is one example). They hope that students and families will enjoy the new menus!

Click here to see the PWCS link to the lunch Menus - PWCS Lunch Menu Link and her for meal prices (or see below).

Free and reduced breakfast and lunch are free to those who qualify for Free and Reduced

Families can apply to receive free and reduced-price school meals online.

Free and Reduced Price Meal Applications were mailed by the School Division to families with children registered in Prince William County Public Schools. If you did not receive an application, please contact School Food and Nutrition Services at 703.791.7314 or your school. You may also complete the application electronically. Visit the School Division Web site at https://pwcsnutrition.com/index.php?sid=0408101731444083to access the electronic application.

Student:

Breakfast - $1.80

Lunch - $2.80

A La Carte Prices:

Milk - $1.00

Bottle Water - $1.00

Cookie - $1.00

Packaged Snack - $1.00

Side Dish - $1.50

Strawberry Shortcake -$2.50

Condiment - .$0.30

Adult

Breakfast - $2.95

Lunch - $5.05

If your child needs to take over the counter or prescription medicine at school, the parent/guardian must bring in the medicine in the original bottle/container for him or her and fill out the medication form. Students cannot carry most medicine to school with them or keep it with them while at school. We cannot administer any medicine without the appropriate forms filled out. Please see our school website or call our school nurse, Mrs. Ousley at 703.594.3990 for more information. Our school nurse will be able to take medications and forms on August 20, 2026 during Orientations and Open House Meet and Greet times for 1st-5th graders or August 21, 2026 for Preschool and Kindergarteners

At T. Clay Wood Elementary School, we love to have visitors and volunteers every day. To help ensure the safety of our students, visitors to Prince William County Schools are expected to report promptly to the school’s main office when entering school buildings. Visitors and volunteers will be asked to provide a valid government issued photo identification. There are no exceptions. Every visitor to our school must bring with them a photo id. Visitors will then be issued a temporary identification badge. We will not permit any visitor or volunteer into the building without this identification. Our main goal is to ensure the safety and security of our students and staff at school.

Please do not arrive early and ask to pick up your child unless you have an appointment. Instruction continues until students are dismissed. If you need to pick up your child for an appointment, please notify your teacher and school office at cwes-timberwolf-attendance@pwcs.edu and plan to arrive 15 minutes prior to dismissal. Please park and report to the office. Please do not leave your car unattended in the pickup line. All parties picking up a student from the office must show a photo ID. Please do not make changes to your child’s dismissal time after 3:30 p.m. Anyone other than parent/guardian must have prior written approval to pick up a student even if listed on the emergency card. Please arrive by 3:30 p.m. to pick up your child from school.

If a situation occurs which makes it necessary for your child’s transportation home to change, please send in a note with your child in the morning giving clear directions as to how your child should go home at the end of the day. Only a parent/guardian can change their child’s transportation plan for any given day. A note from the parent must be received by the office AND the teacher before noon that day indicating the change. This is for the safety of the children and will alleviate any confusion at the end of the day.

If it is necessary for a student to ride a bus home other than the one he/she is normally assigned, a bus pass is required and must be approved by the office. A note must be sent to school indicating the bus number that the child should ride and a phone number to verify the information. Thank you for helping us ensure the safety of all our students.

PWCS Cell Phone is off and away!

This year, Prince William County Public Schools took a bold and research-based step forward by

adopting the new Cell Phone-Free Education Policy. Beginning in August 2025, all schools will

implement a bell-to-bell policy that limits cell phone use during the instructional day. This

decision, shaped by community input and a successful pilot across 33 schools, is rooted in a

shared goal: creating classroom environments where students are fully present—mentally,

emotionally, and socially. The student-created slogan, “Stop the scroll, take control,” reminds us

that this policy is about empowerment, not restriction. It is about reclaiming focus, restoring

meaningful human connection, and giving our students every opportunity to thrive. For more

information, I invite you to review the PWCS FAQ page. We are grateful for your engagement

and look forward to continuing this important work together

CELL Phone-Free Education Policy -

https://www.pwcs.edu/news/2024/12/cell_phone_free_education_policy_adopted

T. Clay Wood procedures for Cell Phones and Smart Watches will remain similar as in past years:

Cell phones are off and stored away during the school day.

• All functions within personal wireless communication devices must be silenced and stored away during the school day.
• Dual-purpose watches may be worn at school, but wireless/cellular features must be turned off during the school day (e.g., must be placed in airplane mode). If students choose to use their watches as a cell phone, then these will also need to be put away while at school.

FAQ - https://www.pwcs.edu/parents/wireless_device_use/index#faqs

Students are not allowed to wear or bring AI enhanced glasses to school. -PWCS Guidance for AI-enabled glasses

Learn How PWCS plans for weather cancellations - https://www.pwcs.edu/about_us/closings/index

In the event of inclement weather, power failure or any situation in which we are faced with an early closing of our school; we will activate our Automated Auto Dialer Calling system to inform our parents of the early closing. We will send out both a phone message and email message with the early closing information. Please make sure your phone number and contact information is updated. We will also place this information on our school website, Facebook and Twitter sites.

Kindergarten teachers will contact their students’ parents to confirm dismissal.

If schools close early, the SACC program will not open. Parents of students who attend SACC will be contacted by our SACC staff. Parent of SACC students should have an Emergency Back-up Plan.

When school does close early, we will send your children home via their regular dismissal method for that day, unless we hear differently from you.

Please contact the school office immediately in case of a change to their dismissal procedures.

Please feel free to coordinate times to volunteer in the classroom with your child's teacher. Teachers and students appreciate our volunteers. Thank you again for everything you are doing to help us build our Positive School Community. I want to formally invite all parents to become involved in your child’s education at T. Clay Wood Elementary School. It has been shown that strong parental involvement and interest in education is a crucial factor in student success. There are many ways to volunteer at T. Clay Wood Elementary School as well. Joining the PTO or Advisory Council, helping out in your child’s classroom, volunteering in the library, working at our Welcome Table Counter and chaperoning field trips are just a few of the many, many ways you can become a part of our Community of Leaders and Learners. Please review the regulation on volunteering: Regulation 511-10 Please always bring your photo identification.

In order to limit interruption to the teaching and learning environment and protect instructional time, if you drop off forgotten lunches, homework or materials, we will ask you to leave these in the front office. We will inform the teacher who will pick it up at a more convenient time. We want to thank you in advance for your understanding of this procedure and hope you know that our only intent is to maximize your children's instructional time.

Here are the preliminary scores. We were also higher than the average scores in our school division in all areas.

• 88% pass rate in 3rd grade Reading
• 95% pass rate in 3rd grade Math
• 87% pass rate in 4th grade Reading
• 85% pass rate in 4th grade Math
• 86% pass rate in 4th grade History
• 87% pass rate in 5th grade Reading
• 89% pass rate in 5th grade Math
• 80% pass rate in 5th grade Science

We are excited to contiue our partnership with Rooted In Education (RIE), a Haymarket-based 501(c)3, to sponsor the newest location in their Fare Harvest Community Garden network. RIE is passionate about providing access to enriching educational opportunities and fresh food so that all children may share their talents and passions to inspire our communities.

In July, we will have the garden will open on the weekend for community members to pick their own fresh vegetables and food. There will also be open hours during the week after school is out - please see the information in Rooted for Education Facebook page for dates the Community Garden will open. We are happy to be able to work in partnership to help give back to our community.

Lots of plans to incorporate the garden into the 24-25 school year to offer enriching learning opportunities for our students are underway! In the meantime, we encourage you to check them out at @rootedineducation on Facebook and Instagram for updates about educational programs and harvest updates at our T. Clay Wood garden and surrounding locations.

Back to School Information from our School Nurse, Mrs. Ousley.

• Kindergarten and new students will need Physical and Immunization records on file prior to the first day of school or they will not be allowed to start school on the first day.

• Returning students who are missing any of the required immunizations, will not be able to start the first day of school without proof of the immunizations.

• For students that require medication or health treatment plans please note that we need a new health treatment plan for the new school year.
• All over the counter medications must be unopened and a medication authorization form must be filled out by the Parent/ or guardian. Prescription medication must be in the original container with the pharmacy label and a medication authorization form must be filled out by the physician. Please do not send medication in with your student, an adult must drop it off to the office per PWCS policy.

You may drop off medications/health treatment plans starting Thursday, August 14, 2025 for the new school year.

Clinic Wish List

• Boys/Girls underwear
• T-shirts
• Pants/shorts with elastic waist
• Socks
• Select a size paper towel
• Tissues
• Dixie cups
• Snack size zip lock bags

The T. Clay Wood Statement of Civility

At T. Clay Wood Elementary School, we remind all our stakeholders to remember the 3 B’s:

1. Be Safe

2. Be Kind and Respectful

3. Be Responsible and Ready to Learn

Please take responsibility for the energy you bring into your school!.

Thank you for always being kind and respectful to all our staff members, adults, and children in our building.

We all may get frustrated from time to time, especially when it comes to our own children and students.

However, we believe all schools should be places where mutual respect is practiced and reinforced.

We strive to promote an environment in which all members of the school community treat each other with courtesy & respect.

Disrespectful, rude, and abusive behavior or language is unacceptable and creates an unsafe environment.

Any person who exhibits unacceptable behavior may be directed to leave the premises.

Unacceptable behavior includes but is not limited to:

Using loud and/or offensive language, displays of temper, speaking in an insulting or demeaning manner, through personal actions, spoken words, pictures, email, social media messages, in writing, or threatening or trying to intimidate office , professional, and administrative staff, students, parents, visitors, and other members of the school community.

Our People are People Too! – Your words and behavior matter!

It is also important to remember that our students are always watching and learning.

We want our students to learn to be respectful and kind even when frustrated, worried, upset, or disagreeing.

At T. Clay Wood, Everyone cares deeply about your children and our students!

Please treat Everyone with Respect!

Our library circulation system provides the option for parents to restrict access to specific titles in circulation in our school library, if they choose that option for their child. While the school shall make reasonable efforts to ensure that the student is not provided with access to such materials, it is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to ensure that the student understands the restriction and does not attempt to access the materials.

If you are interested in restricting specific library titles for your student(s), please visit the “Parent Library Controls” webpage for more information. See link here: Parent Library Controls Webpage

Restriction of library materials using the “Additional User Type” is a parent's responsibility. Librarians and school administrators can provide access to the link but cannot provide support within the system.

All Students in Prince William County Schools will be issued an iPad. Families are responsible for any damage to the IPAD

Also this is a good time to remind all families to always know what your students are doing when they are on the internet, using devices to complete their school work, using social media, texting with friends, or playing online games. We continually are reminding our students about appropriate and acceptable use of technology. I encourage all parents and guardians to regularly check what their students are doing on the internet and while using technology -(school devices, gaming systems, home devices, phones, etc). Just as you monitor where your children go in person, I encourage you to monitor where they go on the internet.

I would also encourage all families to consider adding parental controls on their personal devices that students use. If you have any questions about student devices, please feel free to reach out to Mr. Taylor, our Instructional Technologist at TaylorBi@pwcs.edu. Thank you.

Cell Phones and Watches with text/calling capabilities

Phones - Reminder: If students bring in phones to school they must remain in their backpack and turned off. Please let all your family members know not to call your elementary school student during the day. If you need to change dismissal, please let our front office know by calling 703.594.3990.

Over the last couple of years, we have seen an increase in students using watches to text during the instructional school day. In order to preserve instructional time, students are not permitted to text, on a phone or watch, during the school day.

If you need to relay a message to your child during the school day, please call the front office.

Please refer to the Parent Handbook regarding the use of Cell Phones (which includes calling and texting on watches). It states, "If cell phones are brought to school, they should be turned off and kept in book bags during the school day."

Students may continue to wear the smart watches but calling should be turned off. Our Elementary school students should NOT be receiving messages (or calls) during the school day. If students misuse the watch by sending or receiving calls and/or messages, taking pictures or videos, or making recordings, playing on games or searching the internet, etc.; the teacher will need to have the student put the watch in their backpack similar to a cell phone or another device.

We thank you for your support in ensuring our students are focused on the learning process while at school. We want to be sure watches, phones, other devices are not used to distract from the learning environment or used in a way that is not appropriate for school. I appreciate all our parents and guardians taking the time to have these conversations with their children prior to allowing their students to come to school with a cell phone, smart watch, or other device.

Phones and watches can be removed if students are using them in ways that are distracting or not appropriate to their learning or the learning and safety of other students.

Phones - Reminder: If students bring in phones to school they must remain in their backpack and turned off. Please let all your family members know not to call your elementary school student during the day. If you need to change dismissal, please let our front office know by calling 703.594.3990.

Also I recommend that all parents and guardians turn off the Air Drop feature on their Iphones. I have heard of students at secondary schools air dropping inappropriate photos into all phones that can receive airdrop and then other students accepting those photos. You can turn this off on your students' device.

This year all of our students are being issued iPads. Each iPad comes with AppleCare already purchased to cover physical damage to the device or charger. Make sure to report any physical damage (cracked screens, frayed chargers, etc) to your child’s teacher ASAP so that it can be repaired using AppleCare coverage. AppleCare does not cover total loss of the device, however. If you would like to purchase additional insurance for total loss or theft of the device or charger, please consider the IPAD Insurance. It is for a minimal cost. If you are interested, please reach out to Mr. Taylor at taylorbi@pwcs.edu Insurance is valid for 1 year from the date of purchase and must be purchased prior to damage/loss of the device. While physical damage to your child’s iPad will be covered through AppleCare, if you choose not to purchase additional coverage, you may be financially responsible in the event of loss/theft of your child’s iPad, in accordance with PWCS Device Handbook, Section 7.1.

A Prince William County School of Excellence

“A Community of Leaders and Learners Achieving Excellence”

10600 Kettle Run Road; Nokesville, VA 20181

Andrew Buchheit, Principal - buchhear@pwcs.edu

Jessica Bushey, Assistant Principal StraigJ@PWCS.EDU

“A Community of Leaders and Learners Achieving Excellence”

School hours: 9:20 am – 4:00 pm

(Office hours: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.)

SCHOOL SCHEDULE

Doors Open: 9:10 a.m.

Students tardy after: 9:20 a.m.

Dismissal: 4:00 p.m.

School Phone Number: 703.594.3990

School Fax Number: 703.594.2653

Attendance Email: cwes-timberwolf-attendance@pwcs.edu

Attendance Phone Line:– 703.594.3992

Motto: “I seek to make a POSITIVE DIFFERENCE AT SCHOOL”

Website: http://tclaywoodes.schools.pwcs.edu

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TClayWoodES

Twitter #TimberwolvesRock

Email: buchhear@pwcs.edu
Website: https://tclaywoodes.pwcs.edu/
Location: 10600 Kettle Run Road, Nokesville, VA, USA
Phone: 703.594.3990
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TClayWoodES