Timberwolf Times -September 1, 2025

Dear Timberwolf Families,

Can you believe we are already finishing the 2nd week of school?

As a reminder, Friday, August 29 and Monday, September 1, 2025 are school holidays and PWCS will be closed for the Labor Day Weekend.

Wednesday, September 3, 2025 will be a Day 0. We will begin our PTO Boosterthon fundraising program.

Thursday, September 4, 2025 - at 6:30pm - our PTO and Advisory Council meeting will take place in the Art Room. Everyone is invited.

• Please remember to complete your Back to School Packet (information Below)..
• Please review changes to the County Attendance Policy and Regulation.
• Information about transportation and bus apps are also below.

Dr. McDade's August 25, 2025 letter:

We truly do Everything Better Together as a Community of Leaders and Learners Achieving Excellence.

Our Theme this year: "Our Students, Our Future: Growing Tomorrow's Leaders Today!"

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

Sincerely,
Dr. Andrew Buchheit, Principal

1. Our 2nd Lock Down Drill - September 10, 2025 -. During a lock down drill, classroom doors are locked, and lights are turned off in the classroom. Students move away from the any windows and remain silent during the duration of the drill.

Kindergarten and Preschool students will not participate in the first two lockdown drills. However, they will participate in any lockdown drills after January.

We are required to practice two lockdown drills during the first 20 days of every school year. All PWCS schools shall also conduct one additional drill after the first 60 days of the school year and one during the 2nd semester of school.

Kindergarten students shall be exempt from mandatory participation in the first two lockdown drills but shall participate after the first 60 days in the drills.

Throughout the school year we will practice a variety of drills in order to make sure all our staff and students know what to do in case of a real emergency. We will practice fire drills, additional lock down drills, tornado drills, earthquake drills as well as other types of drills.

We explain these drills as a way for us all to know what we need to do in case of a fire or emergency and as an extra layer of protection and security similar to homes which have more than one lock on their front door and to make sure all students and teachers are always safe at school. If your students has any concerns with any of these drills, please let your child's teacher and/or one of our school counselors know so they can follow up with your child.

Please understand that Prince William County Public Schools requires each school to participate in these drills for the safety and protection of all our students, staff, and visitors.

I have included the link to the PWCS Crisis and Emergency Information Webpage which provides additional information – https://www.pwcs.edu/departments/risk_management___security_services/crisis_preparedness/index

As well as the link to PWCS Regulation 401.01-2 Crisis Management Readiness - https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/pwcs/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=BKF3TF08698D

The safety of our students and staff is always our highest priority.

Thank you for your support.

The Back to School Packet is available in ParentVUE for parent/guardians to complete starting the evening of August 5. All parent/guardians should have received an email on August 5 with instructions on how to complete the packet. The packet will need to be completed by the deadline of September 12, 2025.

Having trouble with logging into ParentVUE or completing the Back to School Packet? Then please reach out to Ms. Colon, our Parent Liaison at 703.594.3819 or colons@pwcs.edu

Having up-to-date emergency contact information for our families is vital. We need all families to complete the annual Back to School Packet. Until this packet is complete, parents/guardians will be unable to access important information in ParentVUE to start the new year (including student schedules and bus information). If you do not have an active ParentVUE account, please call our office. For questions about ParentVUE, please contact the Help Desk at 703-791-8826.

The Annual Back to School Packet, where parents/guardians can review emergency cards, update contact information, and complete annual policy reviews and acknowledgments, will be available in ParentVUE on August 6. All families should complete the Back to School Packet before the start of the school year if possible. The information you provide will allow school staff to ensure your student's safety this school year.

1. Log in to the ParentVUE app or the ParentVUE website using your ParentVUE user name and password.
2. Once logged in to ParentVUE, click the Online Records button at the top of the screen.

Find clear instructions by clicking this link then clicking Instructions - https://www.pwcs.edu/parents/backtoschool/index

Please contact the T. Clay Wood office to speak with Mrs. Baker or Ms. Colon at 703.594.3990 if you need assistance or do not have an active ParentVUE account.

Click on the pictures below for more information.

Parents/guardians in Prince William County Public Schools receive a daily email of student-selected library materials checked out, renewed, or returned by their student each day.

These automated emails are sent to the primary parent/guardian email address, which is the first emergency contact designated by parents/guardians in the Annual Back to School Packet, ensuring you stay informed about your student’s reading activities. This feature will be activated for all PWCS students.

If the student does not check out, renew, or return a book on that day, no email will be sent.

In addition, the PWCS library management system allows parents to connect to their child’s school library catalog through an “Additional User Type” and designate restrictions on student-selected library materials.

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

Please visit the Parent Library Controls webpage for more information.

Our Next Advisory Council and PTO Collaborative Meeting will take place Thursday, September 4, 2025 at 6:30 pm in our Art Room.

If you need interpretation/translation services, please reach out to Ms. Colon at colons@pwcs.edu at least a week before the meeting.

We hope you had a wonderful first few weeks of school, it was our pleasure meeting most of you in person at the recent school events. Thank you for your donations to stock the teacher's lounge to kick off the new year, please bring additional donations to your respective Back to School night in September - we will have a collection wagon at our table again.

Thank you to those who have already become a T Clay Wood PTO Member! You still have time, please join here: Membership.

Boosterthon is coming up quickly, it's our biggest event of the year and registration is OPEN! Our fundraising goal this year is $40,000 for playground upgrades, if we meet our goal our student body will get to see Dr. Buchheit KISS A PIG!

During this fundraiser, families can earn donations online to help reach our school goal, and on the final day (September 11), all students will participate in our Fun Run to celebrate. Please support our fabulous school by registering at: https://mybooster.com, 'like' and follow T Clay Wood PTO on Facebook for fundraising updates and a sign up genius if you would like to come cheer on your student during their specified run time.

Thank you for supporting the PTO mission of enriching the learning opportunities and environment of T. Clay Wood Elementary School,

Julia, Lauren, Crystal, Beth, Kate, Amelia & Lara

T. Clay Wood Elementary School will be administering the Virginia Language and Literacy Screening System (VALLSS) to ALL1st and 2nd graders. Additional students identified across multiple data points in grades 3, 4, and 5 will also be tested.

The testing window for grades 1-5 opens on September 2nd. Testing will continue throughout the month of September. (Kindergarten will not begin until late September – details to follow at later date).

Upon completion of all testing, a letter will be sent home with your child to explain testing in more detail and summarize student results. For more information, visit the Virginia Literacy Partnerships website and click on the tab “Families +”.

Please feel free to contact your child's classroom teacher or Cailyn West, T Clay Wood's Reading Specialist, at westcm@pwcs.edu if you have any questions about VALLSS testing, procedures, or which students will be tested.

Monday, September 1, 2025- Day -

No School --Labor Day Holiday

Tuesday, September 2, 2025 - Day 1

Week 3 begins - Wahoo!

Wednesday, September 3, 2025 - Day 0

Day 0

PTO Boosterthon Fun Run

Thursday,, September 4, 2025- Day 2

6:30 pm - PTO/Advisory Council Meeting in the Art Room.

Friday, September 5, 2025 -Day 3

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

• Thursday, September 4, 2025- First PTO and Advisory Council Meeting at 6:30 pm in Art Room.
• Wednesday, September 10, 2025 - Lockdown Drill for 1st-5th graders
• Boosterthon Fun Run Day
• Monday, September 29, 2025- 3rd/4th/5th Back to School Night, 6:30 pm
• Tuesday, September 30, 2025 - Kg/Preschool/1st/2nd Back to School Night, 6:30 pm
• Friday, October 17, 2025-- PTO Costume Bingo

If you have any concerns about the transportation - please fill out this form - it links to transportation department.

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.

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

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

Key Points:

• Mandatory ID Checks: Daily ID checks will continue.

• KG Authorization Forms: Verification via KG Authorization forms remain in place.

• No Guardian Situations: KG students without a guardian or proper ID will continue to be returned to school.

• Front Bus Seats: KG students will still be assigned seats at the front of the bus.

• Enhanced Student Identification:

  • Backpack tags will continue to be used for student identification.

  • Lanyards labeled “PWCS Kindergartener” will be provided to schools. KG students will wear these lanyards home each day, and teachers will write the school name and student ID# on them. In the morning, guardians should ensure students wear the lanyards for the bus ride to school. Teachers will store the lanyards during the day for reuse in the afternoon.

  • In case a KG student is dropped off without a guardian, CPS will be contacted.

Communication and Training:

• Driver Communication: Translation cards will be provided for drivers.

• Training: Additional training will be given to Bus Drivers and Bus Attendants.

A quick review of the procedures and best practices:

Transportation:

• Before the first day of school, BLUE KG tags and lanyards will be bulk delivered to each elementary school. Bus drivers, equipped with route sheets listing assigned students and grades, will receive additional training.

• Each school day, drivers will check for lanyards or backpack tags as students board, seating KG students at the front. Authorized IDs will be verified before releasing KG students. If no guardian or ID is present, the student will be returned to school. Drivers will contact Dispatch for updates to authorization forms.

Schools:

• Before the first day of school (or on the first day before dismissal), BLUE KG tags will be affixed to kindergarteners’ backpacks. KG authorization forms will be distributed on the first day.

• Each school day, teachers will place lanyards on KG students for the bus ride home. Lanyards should be part of the classroom dismissal process and removed each morning after arrival at school. Schools may choose to bring KG students to the bus separately or identify them during boarding. Substitute drivers will receive authorization forms for their routes, and updated forms will be given to regular drivers as guardians provide new information. Schools will collaborate with families when students are returned due to no guardian at the bus stop.

Guardian Procedures:

• Before the First Day of School: Parents or guardians should complete the attached kindergarten authorization form and return it to the school. This form lists individuals authorized to pick up their student from the bus. Guardians must update the form whenever there is a change.

• Each School Day: The guardian or authorized individual should meet the bus at the designated stop in the morning and afternoon. Proper identification must be presented to the driver each afternoon. Additionally, lanyards should be placed on KG students for them to wear on the bus to school.

Consistently following this procedure is crucial for the safety of our KG students

• 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.

Front Office Volunteer – Making Every Day Brighter!
As a front office volunteer, you play a vital role in creating a welcoming and organized environment for students, families, and staff. From greeting visitors with a smile to helping with daily tasks like sorting mail, and assisting with student check-ins, your support helps the school run smoothly. Your presence brings warmth, efficiency, and a helping hand to the heart of our school community. Thank you for being a part of the team that makes every day a little easier and a lot more joyful! You can sign up using this link:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E044BA9A622A3FA7-57833409-welcome

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 Securranty supplemental coverage for $29.95. 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.

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.

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

https://www.pwcs.edu/academics___programs/science___family_life_education/family_life_education

Please review the 2025-2026 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 see the PWCS Attendance Link

Here are some updates for 2025-26

Revisions were made to Regulation 724-1- Attendance, Absences, Excuses, and Tardies

Key updates include:

• Schools may require a doctor’s note when a student misses three consecutive days or a total of 10 days during the school year due to illness.
• Family trips or absences related to travel are unexcused absences.
• Students are considered chronically absent if they miss 10% or more school days in a school year. Both excused and unexcused absences count towards chronic absenteeism.
• Students are expected to make up all missed assignments and assessments for both excused and unexcused absences.

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.

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.

.

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

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.

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

Click here to see the PWCS link to the lunch Menus - PWCS Lunch Menu Link

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.

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 3:30pm. 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 pm 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.

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. If you choose to park in the parking lot, you will need to park your car and walk your student to the cross walk.

Drive Carefully - 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.

Please note at some point Prince William County Department of Transportation will look at turning 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.

earn 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.

• 90% pass rate in 3rd grade Reading
• 91% pass rate in 3rd grade Math
• 86% pass rate in 4th grade Reading
• ·90 % pass rate in 4th grade Math
• 81% pass rate in 4th grade History
• 86% pass rate in 5th grade Reading
• 91% pass rate in 5th grade Math
• 85% pass rate in 5th grade Science

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Registration is open - you start the process online click on the appropriate link:

• Kindergarten Registration or
• New Student 1st -5th grade Registration

Please contact our school registrar, Mrs. Baker, at 703.594.3990 or at bakerkl@pwcs.edu

• 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

Next PTO Meeting, September 4, 2025 at 6:30 pm

Art ROOM

Your TCWES PTO has a lot of fun events and projects planned for the year. Come see what this year holds in store for the PTO! Email tclaywoodpto@gmail.com for more information!

President: Julia White

Vice President: Lauren Bell

Treasurer: Beth Feliciano-Rivera

Asst. Treasurer: Kate Case

Secretary: Crystal MacCallum

Directors: Amelia Hunter & Lara Warren

Join the PTO – No Meetings, No Volunteering Required (but we highly encourage your support)!
Purchasing a PTO membership is one of the easiest ways to support our school. Your membership amount goes directly toward events, programs, and resources that benefit every student. There’s no commitment of your time—just a simple way to show support for our kids and our school.

Join today and make a difference!
(PTO membership link: https://www.tclaywoodpto.com/membership.html)

Families can also donate snacks and drinks to our teachers. These items will be used to stock the teacher lounge.

(Donations link: Teachhttps://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/508054FA4AC2BA6FE3-teacher)

Our nurse’s clinic would also greatly appreciate donations of ziplock bags, individual tear away paper towels, and elastic band underwear for boys and girls. Please deliver any donations to the front office.

If you haven't already, please 'like' our Facebook page for the most up to date information as we navigate through the new school year together.

Your PTO will have a table set up at the upcoming back to school events!

Please visit our table to:

• introduce yourself,
• check out what we have to offer,
• and enroll in your new 2025-2026 school PTO membership!

If you haven't already, please 'like' our Facebook page for the most up to date information as we navigate through the new school year together.

Our Next Advisory Council and PTO Collaborative Meeting will take place Thursday, September 4, 2025 at 6:30 pm in person in the Art Room.

If you need interpretation/translation services, please reach out to Ms. Colon at colons@pwcs.edu at least a week before the meeting.

2025-2026 Advisory Council for T. Clay Wood

• John Podkowka - Chairperson
• Danielle Miller - Vice Chair
• Crystal MacCallum - Secretary

• Su Welsh - Kettle Run/Shaeffer Lane -Parent Representative
• Jeffrey Stevenson - New Bristow Village –Parent Representative
• Isabella Yearwood - Highland Village – Parent Representative
• Rina Stapp - Tartan Hills – Parent Representative
• Jina Kang - Student Resource – Parent Representative
• Jessica Grant - At Large (principal appt)- Parent Representative

• Open - Kettle Run/Shaeffer Lane Parent Alternate
• Rebecca Ciavolella -New Bristow Village –Parent Alternate
• Kelsey Fisher Highland Village – Parent Alternate
• Jen Farag Tartan Hills – Parent Alternate
• Lisa McFaddin Student Resource Alternate
• Stephanie Berg Duffey - At Large - Parent Alternate

• Melissa Podkowka - KG/1st grade - Staff
• Andrea Hanover - 2nd/3rd grade - Staff
• Marie Schumann - 4th/5th grade - Staff
• Danielle Miller - Sped/ESOL/Gifted - Staff
• Meredith Rice - Encore/Resource - Staff
• Samari Colon - Classified – Staff

• Jen Farag - Superintendent’s Advisory Council
• Ada Armstrong - Alt Superintendent Advisory Council

• Melissa Yuditsky - Assistant Principal
• Paul Johnson - Administrator Intern
• Andrew Buchheit - Principal

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!

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

Melissa Yuditsky, Assistant Principal yuditsml@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: http://tclaywoodes.pwcs.schoolfusion.us/
Location: 10600 Kettle Run Road, Nokesville, VA, USA
Phone: 703.594.3990
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TClayWoodES
Twitter: @AndrewBuchheit