The Panda Periodical

Melissa Maestle, Principal

Shane Campbell, Assistant Principal

Frederick Douglass Elementary School

100 W. Cedarmeade Ave.

Winchester, Va 22655

ph. 540-662-7656

September

Week of September 14th - September 18th

9/15 - Fall Picture Day

9/18 - Yard Party Bingo Family Night

There will be a fire drill this week.

Week of September 21st - September 25th

9/23 - Boosterthon

October

Week of October 5th - October 9th

10/09 - End of 1st Nine Weeks

10/09 - Movie On The Lawn Night

Week of October 12th - October 16th

10/12 - No School - Teacher Work Day

What a fantastic Friday to be an FDES Panda! Today, our students were treated to a special visit from the Kona Ice truck, and the kids had an absolute blast picking out their favorite colorful flavors to celebrate a huge school-wide accomplishment.

But this sweet treat wasn't just a random surprise—it was hard-earned! We celebrated today because our school community crushed our recent goal:

• 97.32% Attendance Rate! From August 27th to September 9th, our students consistently showed up and were ready to learn.

Showing Up Makes the Difference

We want to send a massive thank you to our students for giving it their all, and to our parents and families for getting them here. When students are in their classrooms every day, they aren't just building their reading and math skills; they are building lifelong habits of responsibility.

Remember, we can only host these amazing, school-wide celebrations when we have our students in the building! Let’s keep this incredible momentum going so we can continue to learn, grow, and celebrate together.

• Every Day Counts: Regular attendance is the single most important factor in a student's academic success.

• Let's Keep It Up: Let's work together to crush our next attendance goal. If we keep coming to school every day, who knows what our next big surprise might be!

Way to go, Pandas! Let's make next week just as great. 🐼

Come one, come all! Make plans to join the fun as we host an evening of food, community, and BINGO out in the FDES "Front Yard." Every student will receive a free book, and every BINGO winner will get to choose a special item from our prize station!

Mark Your Calendars:

• Date: Friday, September 18th

• Food: 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM

• BINGO: 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM

• Get ready to show off those smiles! Fall Picture Day for Frederick Douglass Elementary School is scheduled for September 15, 2026.

  Physical order forms have been sent home with students!

  How to Order Your Photos:

  • Order Online (Recommended): Families can order online at www.strawbridge.net. Buying online gives you access to more background options, the ability to build your own package, and free personalization or digital downloads with select packages! Simply enter the online code printed on your child's physical form.

  • Pay by Cash or Check: If you prefer, you can place your payment directly in the envelope attached to the form and return it to the school.

  • Exact Change Only: If you are paying with cash, please enclose the exact payment, as the photographers cannot make change.

  • Checks: Please make all checks payable to Strawbridge Studios.

  
  

We are thrilled to introduce a fun new library initiative designed to keep our young readers turning pages and bringing their books back on time. Starting this school year, students in 1st through 4th grade can earn exciting rewards for reading and returning all of their library books.

How it works:

• Check out, read, and return 15+ books during the semester

• Earn a FREE book to keep forever, plus another prize!

• Zero lost books: Students must return every single book they check out to qualify for the reward.

Two chances to win:

• Semester 1: August through the week before winter break.

• Semester 2: January through the end of May (book counts reset in January, giving everyone a fresh start!)

Our goal is to foster a love for reading while teaching responsibility and keeping our library shelves stocked for everyone. Encourage your child to track their checkouts, enjoy their stories, and return every book promptly so they can build toward their reward!

Our highly anticipated PTO Boosterthon is almost here! Since this exciting fundraiser only happens every other year, we are pulling out all the stops to make it our best one yet.

Our Goal & Impact We are aiming to raise $15,000! All funds raised will go directly toward providing enriching, hands-on experiences for our Pandas through field trips, assemblies, and new technology.

Mark Your Calendars

• Kickoff: September 16, 2026

• Event Day: September 25, 2026

An AMAZING Incentive! We have a spectacular partner this year: Great Wolf Lodge! If we hit our school-wide goal, Great Wolf Lodge is generously contributing a FREE Water Park Day Pass for EVERY registered student!

How to Help Today: You can get a head start right now. Head over to mybooster.com to sign up, share with family and friends, and donate today!

As the weather begins to shift, we are entering the season of fall allergies and seasonal bugs.

Did you know? Last fall, over 76% of all absences early in the year were caused by minor illnesses.

We want to partner with you to keep our classrooms healthy while also protecting every single day of learning! It can be tricky to know when to keep your student home and when to send them in.

When to Stay Home:

• A fever of 100.4°F or higher.

• Vomiting or diarrhea within the last 24 hours.

• A contagious illness (like strep throat, pink eye, or Hand/Foot/Mouth disease) that has not yet been cleared by a doctor.

When to Come to School:

• Minor sniffles, a runny nose, or a mild allergy cough.

• Mild fatigue or a headache, as long as they are fever-free.

• They have been completely fever-free (without the use of medicine) for 24 hours!

Remember, under Virginia state guidelines, even excused medical absences count toward a student's total missed days. If your child is just feeling a little under the weather with minor sniffles, we encourage you to send them in! Our wonderful school nurse is always here to keep an eye on them and will call you if they need to head home.

Thank you for helping us keep our school healthy, safe, and learning!

We know our FDES Pandas have some amazing toys, trading cards, and stuffed animals that they love to play with. It is completely natural that they want to bring these fun items to school to show their friends!

However, we have noticed an increasing number of toys making their way into our classrooms lately, and it is becoming a significant distraction. When toys are out during the school day, it makes it difficult for students to focus on their learning and stay engaged in their lessons. Additionally, bringing toys to school always carries the risk that a beloved item might get lost, traded, or accidentally broken, which often leads to unnecessary heartbreak.

To help us maintain a focused and positive learning environment, we kindly ask for your partnership with the following:

• Keep Toys at Home: Please remind your student that toys, trading cards, gadgets, and stuffed animals should stay safely at home.

• Morning Backpack Checks: Take a quick peek inside your child’s backpack before they head out the door in the morning to make sure no extra toys have snuck in!

• Special Events: If a teacher hosts a specific "Show and Tell" or a special reward day where items from home are allowed, they will communicate those instructions directly to you. Otherwise, the general rule is to leave toys at home.

Thank you so much for your support in keeping our classrooms distraction-free so our Pandas can do their best learning!

We love seeing our FDES Pandas enjoy their favorite meals from home! To help lunchtime run smoothly and ensure every student has enough time to eat, we have a quick favor to ask regarding our cafeteria microwave.

Currently, we have one microwave available for student use. Lately, we've noticed an increase in meals being brought from home that take several minutes to heat up. Because our lunch periods are short, long wait times at the microwave mean some students are running out of time to actually sit down and enjoy their food!

To be respectful of all our hungry Pandas, please keep the following guidelines in mind when packing a hot lunch:

• Keep it Quick: Please only send items that require a quick zap of 30 seconds to 1 minute to reheat.

• Consider a Thermos: If your student loves a hot meal like soup, pasta, or chicken nuggets, packing their food in a pre-warmed, insulated thermos is a fantastic way to keep it hot until lunchtime without needing the microwave at all!

• Prep at Home: If a meal requires longer heating, consider heating it fully at home in the morning and using thermal containers to keep it warm.

Thank you for your understanding and for helping us show Panda PRIDE by being mindful of everyone's time in the cafeteria!

We have updated our method for reporting student absences to make it more streamlined for our families! Moving forward, all absences will need to be reported directly through the PowerSchool Parent Portal.

Here is a quick guide on how to use the new system:

How to Report an Absence:

• Step 1: Sign in to the PowerSchool Parent Portal, choose your student's name at the top, and select "Attendance Monitor" on the left side of your screen.

• Step 2: On the "Report Attendance" tab, click the button that says "Report New Attendance."

• Step 3: Choose the absence date or range of dates.

• Step 4: Indicate whether the student will miss the full day or part of the day.

• Step 5: Select the reason for the absence, provide a brief explanation, and click Submit.

A Few Important Notes:

• Advanced Notice: You may report a planned absence up to 20 days in advance.

• Late Notice: If you forgot to notify the school, you may submit an absence for up to the previous 3 days.

• Website Updates: The links on our school website have been updated to direct you straight to the portal!

• Language Options: Manual translations are currently available on the form, and automatic translation services will be added very soon. We have also attached a Spanish guide for our bilingual families!

Please reach out to the main office if you have any questions or issues logging into your PowerSchool account.

Attention Parents and Guardians:

We are aware that some families are having trouble submitting absences through the new attendance reporting tool in the PowerSchool Parent Portal. We are working with the software company to fix the issue.

If you are having trouble submitting an absence, please try:

• Updating your current web browser, or
• Using Google Chrome as your web browser.

We know your schedule is busy, so we’re making it easier to track WPS events. We have launched a live Division News page that captures school and community events in real-time.

Visit the WPS Division News Page

This link is your go-to for dates, deadlines, and division-wide announcements. Be on the lookout for the bi-weekly division newsletter for even deeper dives into community happenings!"

As part of our commitment to online safety, ourdistrict uses Securly to filter and monitor school-issued devices. Through the free Securly Home App, parents gain direct insight into their student’s digital activity and can manage internet access at home.

What You Can Do with the Securly Home App

• View Web Activity: See real-time feeds of web searches, visited sites, and YouTube video history.
• Customize Home Rules: Pause internet access or block specific categories (like social media or gaming) on school devices outside of school hours.
• Safety Alerts: Receive notifications if flagged online searches indicate potential safety or mental health concerns.

How to Get Started

1. Download the Securly Home app from the App Store or Google Play Store.
2. Log in using the primary email address you have on file with the school.
3. Open the app to view your student’s dashboard automatically.

You can learn more about the Securly Parent Portal at this https://www.wps.k12.va.us/departments/technology/securly-parent-portal.