Terraset PTA Blog

Back to School Night: Monday, 12th September

2011-09-01T14:47:00.000-07:00

With school kicking off, Back to School night is one of the most important nights of the year. You get to meet the teacher for the first time, see the classroom, and fuel your child’s enthusiasm for school‒setting the tone for a positive year ahead!

Your time with the teacher is QUICK, typically only 30 minutes, so use these tips to get the most out of this important (and fun) evening.

Back to School Night Tips

Get a sitter. If your school doesn’t provide child care, arrange for a babysitter. Back to School Night is usually for parents, not kids.
Arrive early to get a parking spot and make it to the room on time.
Ask questions that are pertinent to the entire class such as homework expectations, parental support needed during the year, or questions related to upcoming class projects or units of study. Questions about your child’s circumstances or special needs should be addressed privately with the teacher.
Think about what kind of volunteer job you would like to have this year. If you’re extra busy, opt to be a classroom reader or help with a weekend activity like the school garden or a fundraiser. Do you have a more flexible schedule? Consider a weekly volunteer spot helping with math stations or art projects. Those who like to plan parties and coordinate people will make a perfect Room Mom. Have a special skill to share like computers, music or science? Tell the teacher that you’re willing to pitch-in for an enriching year! Remember the specialist teachers -- art, music, PE, spanish -- need help too!
Bring an open mind. The same qualities that make the teacher great with kids don’t necessarily make her great with adults. Your teacher may be nervous with an entire room full of parents. Be patient and understanding as you listen to the year’s game plan.
Find your child's desk and leave a note. Your child will squeal with delight when they find a friendly note from Mom or Dad the next morning. Think something simple like, “It was fun meeting your teacher. I know you’ll have a great year!”
Exit swiftly. Tomorrow is a school day and as much as they loved meeting you, your children’s teachers would appreciate getting home and getting ready for the next day.

Back to School Night strategies for parents with multiple kids in the same school

Divide and conquer. Split up the classroom visits.
If an older sibling had the same teacher, consider visiting another time to check in.
Watch the clock. Divide time evenly between classrooms.
If you’re going to miss a teacher or can only visit briefly, send the teacher a quick email explaining why and ask for copies of handouts shared with parents.

Based on an article from http://livesmart.usaweekend.com/

Investment in Summer Learning Programs Can Stem Students' Cumulative Learning Loss

2011-06-15T19:36:00.000-07:00

The loss of knowledge and educational skills during the summer months is cumulative over the course of a student's career and further widens the achievement gap between low- and upper-income students, according to a RAND Corporation study issued June 13, 2011.

The study confirms that students who attend summer programs can disrupt the educational loss and do better in school than peers who do not attend the same programs.

"Despite long-term efforts to close the achievement gap between disadvantaged and advantaged students, low-income students continue to perform at considerably lower levels than their higher-income peers, particularly in reading," said Jennifer McCombs, study co-author and a senior policy researcher at RAND, a nonprofit research organization. "Instruction during the summer has the potential to stop summer learning losses and propel students toward higher achievement."

The study, commissioned by The Wallace Foundation and conducted by RAND Education, is the most comprehensive research on summer learning to date. Using extensive analysis of existing literature combined with field research, the study examines student summer learning loss and gain, the characteristics of effective summer learning programs and the costs associated with such programs.

It also gives specific recommendations on how school districts can overcome barriers to establishing successful programs.

"It is becoming increasingly clear that the conventional six-hour, 180-day school year is insufficient to give many disadvantaged students the education they deserve," said Nancy Devine, director of communities at The Wallace Foundation. "This long-awaited and timely RAND study, 'Making Summer Count,' confirms the disproportionate impact of the 'summer slide' on low-income students, and suggests that high-quality summer learning programs, though challenging to develop, are a promising path forward."

Researchers find that not all summer learning programs provide equal educational benefits to students. Moreover, many programs suffer from low attendance. Researchers find that students experience the most benefits when the summer programs include individualized instruction, parental involvement and small class sizes.

Despite the clear benefits from these programs, according to the study, many school districts question the cost-effectiveness of summer learning programs and a significant number have discontinued them as a result of budget cuts.

While a day of summer instruction costs less than a day of instruction during the school year, summer learning programs are an additional cost. The researchers found that cost is the main barrier to implementing and sustaining summer programs.

"One way school districts can make summer learning programs affordable and more effective is by partnering with community-based organizations," said co-author Catherine Augustine, a senior policy researcher at RAND. "They are often less expensive than school district staff, and they offer enrichment opportunities that are often similar to those experienced by middle-income youth during the summer — such as kayaking or chess, for example — that encourage students to enroll and attend, both of which are critical to program effectiveness."

Researchers make several recommendations for school districts and community leaders to plan and develop summer learning programs, including:

•Invest in highly qualified staff and early planning. The more-successful providers developed well-structured programs that attract students to enroll and attend, and they recruited quality, dedicated staff with time to devote to planning and programming.
•Apply "best practices" to summer learning programs, such as providing smaller class sizes, getting parents involved, giving individual instruction and promoting maximum attendance.
•Give strong consideration to partnerships, which enable the creation and sustainment of high-quality voluntary summer learning programs. Various organizations offer different sets of resources and skills that can bolster a summer learning program. Partners may include community-based organizations, private summer learning providers, and city and local governments.
•Think creatively about funding sources, such as hiring AmeriCorps members and hiring teachers who need administrative hours as summer-site coordinators. There are more than 100 funding sources that can support summer learning programs.
Researchers also recommend that policymakers at the federal, state and local levels continue funding summer learning programs, and clarify the extent to which existing funding sources can be allocated toward summer programs.

"Summertime offers an opportunity to help bridge the achievement gap and the opportunity gap," McCombs said. "Summer learning programs can give students the chance to master material they did not learn in the previous school year, prevent learning loss, propel learning gains and provide low-income students with enrichment opportunities similar to those experienced by their middle-income peers."

The full report, "Making Summer Count: How Summer Programs Can Boost Children's Learning," is available at www.rand.org and www.wallacefoundation.org.

RAND Education, a division of the RAND Corporation, is a leader in providing objective, high-quality research and analysis on educational challenges that is used to improve educational access, quality and outcomes in the United States and throughout the world.

Does Your Elementary Schooler Hate to Read?

2011-04-28T14:19:00.000-07:00

Does Your Elementary Schooler Hate to Read?
6 Solutions to Inspire Reading
by Ann K. Dolin, M.Ed.
Source: Educational Connections Inc.

Many parents of reluctant young readers have tried rewarding, cajoling, and sometimes in the end, giving up simply because their child refuses to read for pleasure. So, what's the trick to get your child to open up a book? The first thing you need to know is that reading comes in all forms, not just in the traditional books that the school has suggested.

Be a Detective
The first step is figuring out what interests your child. Does your son love baseball? Looking at stats on baseball cards and reading the brief descriptions of each player is definitely reading. And so are the articles contained in Sports Illustrated for Kids. Once you get your child hooked, take it one step further by finding related books on the subject. For your baseball-loving boy, consider one of the books in the Matt Christopher series. He's a great author who writes engaging, easy-to-read books about every sport imaginable.

Delve Into a Series
Even the most reluctant readers will latch on to a series such as Diary of a Wimpy Kid or will engage in the short passages of The Guinness Book of World Records. It's important not to worry so much about whether or not the book is a classic or even good literature. The point is to get the child reading. And quite often, when a child enjoys a book, he'll seek out the next book in the series or another title by the same author.

Reread a Favorite Book
Interestingly, comprehension and fluency are boosted when the student reads books slightly below his current reading level. If your child tends to gravitate towards easier books, allow him to do so. Moreover, students improve their reading fluency when they read a passage or book three times. Repeated readings help with automaticity, not just at that time, but down the road as well.

Use the 5 Finger Rule
Some parents often make the mistake of choosing a book for their child that is just above grade level. If you're not sure if the book is too difficult, use the five finger rule. If your child mispronounces five or more words on one page, the book is too hard. If he misses four words, reading will be a challenge, but can be done. In this case, it's wise for the parent to read two pages, the child to read one, and so on. Children will find more enjoyment in reading when you use this 2:1 ratio. If only two or three mistakes are made, the book is at the child's interest level and is a-okay. And when your youngster can read an entire page perfectly, the book is likely a bit too easy, but for some very reluctant readers, that is perfectly fine.

Unplug the Electronics
The last step to getting your child to read is to carve out time each evening for reading. That means turn off the television, put down your Blackberry, and have your child put away his cell phone, Nintendo DS, or whatever draws his attention. Even fifteen or twenty minutes before bedtime is enough time to instill the love of reading.

Relax and Read without Criticizing
During this time, lie down in bed with your child or children, relax, and read aloud. Take turns, laugh together, and enjoy the moment. As much as possible, do not correct your child's mistakes unless they detract from the meaning of the story. As soon as kids feel pressured or judged, they're less willing to read. When your child begins to associate reading with evening relaxation and the fun of delving into a page-turning book, he'll be more likely to read independently and for pleasure later on.

Ann K. Dolin, M.Ed., is the founder and president of Educational Connections, Inc., a tutoring, test prep, and consulting company in Fairfax, VA and Bethesda, MD. In her new book, Homework Made Simple: Tips, Tools and Solutions for Stress-Free Homework, Dolin offers proven solutions to help the six key types of students who struggle with homework. Numerous examples and easy-to-implement, fun tips will help make homework less of a chore for the whole family. Learn more at anndolin.com or ectutoring.com.

We helped to "Build the Reef" at Terraset!

2011-04-21T05:44:00.000-07:00

There were many wonderful things to do at this year's Earth Day Carnival, but one of the most lasting was to join in the "Build the Reef" project offered by two wonderful artists, Karen Mullarkey and Ursula Griessel, from the League of Reston Artists.

They have described all at Me, Upcycled. We hope they can join us again next year!

Parents: What if your child is a bully?

2011-04-19T06:19:00.000-07:00

Connect for Respect is National PTA’s New Initiative that Provides Parents with Tools to Combat and Help Prevent Bullying

ALEXANDRIA, VA. (March 10, 2011) – National PTA® today launched Connect for Respect—a bullying prevention campaign. Today’s launch coincides with the White House Conference on Bullying Prevention. National PTA will join the President and First Lady the Department of Education, and the Department of Health and Human Services at the event with students, parents, teachers and others. The conference will bring together communities from across the nation to talk about working together to prevent bullying.

From describing what bullying is, to how to ensure your child doesn’t become a bully, PTA offers five tip sheets on bullying prevention and more at www.PTA.org/bullying. The site also shows PTA leaders how to create a Connect for Respect event and how to advocate for policies and practices that create a safe school climate for all children.

“PTAs have always played pivotal roles in creating a safe school and community climate but it’s time to step it up because bullying is not just happening on playgrounds anymore. It’s happening everywhere; online, via text, and on social networks. And parents may not know that it’s happening or what to do about it,” said Charles J. “Chuck” Saylors, National PTA President.

National PTA will urge its five million PTA leaders and members to get involved in bullying prevention in their communities by hosting a Connect for Respect event and sharing new resources with parents about bullying, like what to do if your child is a bully.

“Even one child being bullied is one too many. That’s why we created Connect for Respect, to help address the issue and help our grassroots take action on it. By working together, educators, parents, concerned citizens, business leaders, advocates and community members can support the implementation of bullying prevention programs, reinforce bullying prevention messages, and advocate for bullying policies to be implemented.”

About National PTA
National PTA® comprises millions of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of parent involvement in schools. PTA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit association that prides itself on being a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for public education. Membership in PTA is open to anyone who wants to be involved and make a difference for the education, health, and welfare of children and youth.

Additional Reading
Signs your child may be a bully

Eat Right with Color!

2011-02-26T21:48:00.000-08:00

CHICAGO - When it comes to food and nutrition, even the most knowledgeable parents can use help making sure their children are eating healthy meals. Each March, the American Dietetic Association celebrates National Nutrition Month®, and this year's theme, "Eat Right with Color," encourages parents to take time to make sure their children are getting all of the nutrients they need to grow and thrive. The good news is that shopping, cooking and eating healthfully have just gotten easier with assistance from www.kidseatright.org, a new website from ADA and its Foundation.

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee recently reported that children, teens and adults have diets deficient in dietary fiber, vitamin D, calcium and potassium, and the Kids Eat Right campaign calls for increased attention to the alarming nutrient deficiencies in children's diets.

"Weight is not the only measure of good nutrition and health. Any child — whether they are of normal weight, overweight or obese — can be undernourished," says registered dietitian Dr. Katie Brown, national education director for the American Dietetic Association Foundation.

"Quality nutrition requires a total diet approach that goes beyond calorie counting alone, to focus on including those nutrients critical for a child's healthy growth and development," Brown says. "This year's National Nutrition Month theme is a great reminder for parents to focus on that total diet approach by including a variety of foods and colors in every meal, every day."

Brown offers the following guidance for helping your kids "Eat Right with Color":

Give kids whole-grain cereals for breakfast, kid-friendly "white" whole-wheat bread for sandwiches, crunchy whole-grain crackers for snacks and whole-grain pastas for dinner.

Eat more fruits and vegetables at every meal. At breakfast, enjoy fresh or frozen berries on cereal, slices of melon or a glass of 100 percent orange juice; at lunch, serve baby carrots or sliced apples; for dinner, put brightly colored vegetables at the center of every plate.

Most young people in America are not getting enough calcium or potassium. Fortunately, it's easy to consume the three daily dairy servings children and teens need. Try an 8-ounce glass of low-fat milk with breakfast, lunch and dinner; yogurt parfaits for breakfast or an after-school snack; or string cheese for an on-the-go energy snack.

Getting enough protein at every meal and snack helps kids feel satisfied after eating. Start their day with egg or bean burritos. For snacks, provide peanut butter or sliced deli meat.

Designed around a SHOP, COOK and EAT theme, the Kids Eat Right website provides parents with practical tips, articles, videos and recipes from registered dietitians to help families shop smart, cook healthy and eat right.

Interactive kids games for National Nutrition Month will be available, including:

Sudoku: Tackle these popular puzzles using food rather than numbers.

Word Search: Find the words that represent the bold and vibrant colors associated with eating right!

Rate Your Plate Quiz: Find out how you rate when it comes to making daily meal choices.

Whether speaking with a registered dietitian about essential nutrients and healthier cooking, or visiting http://www.kidseatright.org/ for tips and recipes, Kids Eat Right provides families with knowledge as well as ideas and tools to transform their eating behaviors.

Little Creature Finds a Safe Place At Terraset!

2010-09-01T19:17:00.000-07:00

A team of people were weeding in the Terraset Butterfly Garden this evening, trying to get things tidy in anticipation of Open House at 2:30pm tomorrow. We are very happy to confirm that the garden has become exactly the safe environment for plants and small creatures we had hoped it would.

Rising 1st graders Amia, Julia and Jack were very excited when they found this baby box turtle in the garden. We are guessing that it is only a month or two old, and given that it is so small, it was most likely born in the garden. That suggests there must be other turtles in the garden too! It seems we are providing exactly the protective habitat these little creatures need!

Designed by one of our members, the garden has been established and maintained by our children, staff, and parents. The Butterfly Garden was created with the support of the National Wildlife Federation’s Schoolyard Habitats® Program and provides enriching and interactive educational opportunities that foster enthusiasm in the school's students and educators alike.

We Have Just the Place to Sit!

2010-08-30T17:59:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, a group of hardworking friends of Terraset gathered on the school roof to make their mark! A beautiful new seating area has now been established for our children. The kids will be able to go there with their teacher to discuss, observe and explore plant life cycles, the role of insects in a garden, issues of urbanization, how to tell the time using shadows… there’s so much potential now that we have our new outdoor classroom.

With Lorin Randall as the project manager and Mark Shoff as his right-hand man, about 15 adult volunteers, five high school community service volunteers, and nearly ten K-4 Terraset kids (in addition to two future students) made a fantastic contribution. At 8am we started digging… we were still digging at 10am! The digging had virtually finished by 11am, but then we started carrying! Carrying #21A gravel, carrying blocks, carrying sand, carrying #57 gravel, carrying blocks, carrying more gravel, carrying pavers…. There was a lot of carrying. But there was a lot of leveling too! Leveling blocks, leveling sand, leveling pavers… but how sweet it is to see the result!

You can read a little more about our day at RestonPatch

Fortunately we got to eat too! Ledos provided pizza for all the workers! A big thanks to them! And the PTA kept up the water, Gatorade and fruit!

As we were getting close to the finish, we realized we were short of #21A gravel so a quick call to Chris Worhurst at Merrifields Garden Center and 30 minutes later we had what we needed.

There is still a little extra to do with the paving and we need to install a bench. But more importantly, we still have some cleanup to do. There is quite a bit of dirt we will need to relocate and there is a patch of grass we will cut (because we had our materials there, the custodial staff could not cut it on Friday). We will also do some grass re-seeding and plantings behind the retaining wall to provide additional shade. But, hopefully, it will all be done before Open House.

If you go to Open House, don’t forget to go up to the butterfly garden and check out the new area! You’ll enjoy the view. If you are there at about 3:30pm, your kids could help to spread a few wildflower seeds… then they would be able to leave their mark too!

We Have Powdery Mildew--YIKES!

2010-08-15T18:59:00.000-07:00

From Kim Lowther, Chair Grounds and Natural Connections

Hi Garden Buddies!

This is a call to arms for our pumpkin patch! Unfortunately it’s not as simple as weeds—we have a powdery mildew situation which is very common and very difficult to get rid of on pumpkin plants. Currently we have 23 pumpkins that are fist size or better and have a fighting chance but if we continue to lose leaf cover on the vines to rot we won’t grow any more pumpkins. So here is the plan.

I did some research on an organic gardening web forum,
http://forums2.gardenweb.com/forums/load/organic/msg072039386315.html, where I found a "baking soda method" and a "milk method" to treat all the vines (every bed has this problem). I will try both methods! If you have any other suggestions please send them my way.

I’ll try to keep the plants alive so the kids starting school can at least see all the pumpkins that we grew. However, if the pumpkins start to rot I will pick them and keep them dry at my house then, perhaps we can display them in the display case at Terrasest’s entrance when the kids come back to school.

Hope every one is enjoying the last vestiges of summer!!

Look Out for Deer Poop!

2010-08-06T18:59:00.000-07:00

From Kim Lowther, Grounds and Natural Connections Chair

I wanted to let everyone know that I’m keeping track of the yellowing leaves on some of the pumpkin plants to make sure it isn’t a disease or nutrient deficiency. I am including a website that shows pictures of leaves that are diseased or deficient in nutrients: http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/publications/cucurbitproblemsolver/leaf. I also found a website that gives suggestions to avoid powdery mildew that may form on the leaves in times of abundant rain and humidity, such as we have had lately: http://www.pumpkinnook.com/howto/disease.htm. One thing to note, is that watering is recommended during the morning or day so that the leaves have time to dry out or watering just around the base of the vine.

I did see some deer poop on Monday but haven’t noticed any major chewing on blossoms or leaves (I’m more concerned about the deer eating the blossoms that develop into pumpkins—if you see the new growth pumpkins starting to disappear, let me know. I can cover the plants with netting, which may help).

So far we have at least several pumpkins growing large and green and at least three gourds. I hope we have at least thirty pumpkins and gourds when all is said and done. The rising first graders will definitely get to see the “fruit” of their labor come this fall—YAY!

Lastly, I’m removing the diseased tomato plant—it isn’t growing any more flowers and any that did grow did not pollinate. So I’m going to pull it out completely. The cherry tomatoes are growing like gang busters so please feel free to pick and eat when it’s your turn to take care of the garden.

Hope you're having a wonderful summer!

We have Pumpkins!

2010-08-06T18:53:00.000-07:00

From Kim Lowther, Gounds and Natural Connections Chair

Hi Garden Buddies!

The pumpkin patch is growing like crazy! I went by and did some grass cutting around the beds so the pumpkins have a place to spread out without getting weed wacked or cut by any of the maintenance staff. So far, so good! I did count about 10, or more, little pumpkins already growing and also many new tiny ones starting to grow at the end of the vines. I also discovered that the pumpkin plant I planted by the stairs is growing gourds! I can’t wait to see how many pumpkins and gourds we get by next fall—maybe we can have a PTA raffle for the Kindergartners that helped plant them last year—I’m sure we can come up with some creative way to give them out!

Thank you everyone for all your hard work. The garden is doing great. I did put another fertilizer treatment on the plants that will absorb slowly when it rains so I hope this helps with continued health and growth over the next few months as the pumpkins develop. It was organic. I also saw a few weeds beginning to pop up at the edges of the beds so keep your eyes open for any new tiny plants poking their way through the soil (they had extraordinarily long tap roots, so they must of grown from the grass that we rototilled before we planted the beds).

We also have lots of cherry tomatoes starting to grow so help yourselves as they get ripe. I think the tomato plant that is growing large tomatoes is diseased. The stem is not looking healthy and it is just now starting to grow flowers—which is very late. So I have removed some of the branches that look particularly bad and left the ones that had flowers—we’ll have to see if these grow any tomatoes.

Lastly, I want to ask everyone’s opinion on eradicating some of the wild milkweed that we have. It’s taking over everywhere there is space. At first I was thinking we could confine it to just the corner where it is most prevalent, but now I’m thinking maybe we should try to remove it all together so we don’t keep having the issue of it spreading out so much. If you are not sure which plant I mean, it has a red stem and slender green leaves and grows seed pods that are long and slender and hang down from the branches—we did have one I left where I planted the gourd plant but I pulled it for fear that it would take over where the gourd plant should grow. Anyway, if you have an opinion, I would love to hear it.

Hope everyone is having a great summer!!

2010 Terraset Earth Day Carnival

2010-05-24T17:33:00.000-07:00

The 2010 Terraset Earth Day Carnival was a great success! Enjoy the slideshow!

Celebrate Earth, Celebrate Terraset.

2010-04-12T19:31:00.000-07:00

With Earth Day celebrations all around the country, Terraset remembers its “earthy” beginnings and celebrates too!

April 12, 2010 (Reston, VA): Terraset Elementary School’s Earth Day Carnival is back and will be even bigger and better this year. Scheduled for Sunday, April 25, this fun-filled, inexpensive, family event promises enjoyment for people of all ages. Held at Terraset Elementary School in Reston, (Ridge Heights Rd, off Soapstone Drive), the Carnival seeks to highlight Earth Day while bringing together its students (both present and past) and their friends and families. Terraset (meaning “set in the earth”) was built using an energy-conscious design over thirty years ago, hot on the heels of the original Earth Day in 1970.

The Earth Day Carnival will feature a variety of affordably priced rides, games and prizes. There will also be a Silent Auction, Cake Walk, and Tie Dying. Other offerings include non-profit groups and service clubs information tables and an array of convenience foods ranging from pizza and hot dogs to popcorn and other snacks.

Hosted by the Terraset PTA and Terraset family volunteers, the proceeds raised from the event will go towards Terraset’s educational supplies, afterschool programs and technology needs.
Discounted pre-paid carnival tickets are now available. Buy three tickets for $1 if pre-paid, or two tickets for $1 at the door. Typically, you will need 2-3 tickets for food, 1-2 tickets for games, and 3-5 tickets for rides.

The Earth Day fun kicks off at 11:30am with the Terraset Kool Katz 5k -- a 5k (or 1k if you prefer) Family Fun Run through the trails of Reston. A Silent Auction begins at 12 noon just as the Carnival is opening. Sponsored by Potomac Running Store, Whole Foods and Terraset PTA, this great day of family fun is one you won’t want to miss!

For more information, email terrasetpta@comcast.net or contact Traci Waller at 703-391-0206.

Board of Supervisors vs. School Board

2010-01-07T12:20:00.000-08:00

So who do we contact - Board of Supervisors or School Board?

What a great question! I hope I can do it a bit of justice, from a long-term resident perspective.

The [Fairfax County] Board of Supervisors (BoS) and the School Board (SB) are both elected bodies. The BoS runs as party-affiliated (Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent) while the SB does not. It used to be (back in the '80's and before) that the BoS appointed the SB and there was a much more "cooperative" nature to their relationship, but at the expense of fully and fairly representing the needs of the residents as elected officials do.

In good times, everyone is happy and only vieing for a chunk of the overflowing 16" pie of tax revenues. In bad times, it is a more "every interest for itself" mentality and the boards often seem contentious, because they are -- everyone needs a bite from the proverbial pie that, in this budget cycle, has shrunk from a 16" to a 12" very tart apple variety.

While the Board of Supervisors' support for the school budget is essential, it is not the first step in the process. If you look at the FCPS Budget calendar (see http://fcps.edu/news/fy2011.htm) there is a page of notes that outlines the timeline. While making your opinions known to the BoS members isn't a bad idea (and you could send them a cc: of the letter you send to the Superintendent and School Board members), they are not very interested in expending any political capital on the school budget issue until they have to in March. They are hoping that the SB will take some of the heat and only put forth a budget that is responsive to the current lack of revenues.

But, hopefully, the SB members will see that they have the support of the community and essentially "pass the buck" to the BoS by supporting a fully-funded, needs-based budget.

Letters to Dr. Dale, the Superintendent, and to the SB will provide them with the political support they need to make the difficult decision to request a fully funded budget. Imagine, what incentive would either board have to support such a budget in such a tight revenue year it if there was not a broad, grass-roots effort to do so?

Very often you will hear the argument made by any/all elected officials that less than 25% of the county's households have children in school, so why should they focus solely on the needs of those residents above the others? (And, by the way, voters between the age of 25-45 have the WORST voting record in this county next to 18-25 year-olds (particularly for coming out to vote for local officials -- Board of Supervisors, School Board). So, looking at the demographics, what political purpose is served if the BoS members worry more about the schools than they do the police, roads, parks or other county services that voters are interested in?

Fair is in the eye of the beholder.

One of my [new] arguments against this mentality is: how much revenue do the families in this county generate? Maybe we don't have the most significant impact on real estate taxes, but without our incomes going into the economy I doubt, very seriously, that this county would be what it is today (for better -- schools -- or for worse -- traffic).

The best way to ensure that the county address the needs of the school system is to focus on contacting the Superintendent and SB at this point. Make sure they know you support them, and try to get everyone (especially those that do not have children in schools, but support school funding to ensure the best possible quality of our neighborhoods) to provide encouragement for a fully-funded, needs-based budget. Without it we are sunk. And, for added impact, cc: your BoS member; the members at large; and the Chair, Sharon Bulova; on any correspondence sent in support of a fully-funded, needs-based budget being put forward by Superintendent Jack Dale.

Sincerely,

Kathryn Culbertson
Parent to two FCPS students - Kilmer MS and GC Marshall HS
Currently serving as GC Marshall Band Parent Organization Vice President
Former FCPS Elem. Teacher: Kent Gardens Elem. '04-07; Louise Archer ES '07-09
Wife of Langley HS Physics Teacher estraordinaire, Rob Culbertson
GC Marshall Graduate '83

See FY 2011 Budget Information Sheet for email addreses of BoS and SB members.

FCPS Budget Cuts - are you willing to share the burden?

2009-11-19T18:25:00.001-08:00

Have you been following the discussion about FCPS budget cuts for the 2010-2011 school year?

Fairfax County is expecting a shortfall of $315.6 million in its budget.
This means that Fairfax County Public Schools is expecting a shortfall of at least $176 million
As a result, FCPS is considering the elimination and/or reduction of many programs and services.

Many advocacy groups have formed to urge the retention of these programs. However, the groups are now realizing that they do not want to argue against one another for the preservation of one program at the expense of another. Rather, they are starting to realize that what is really required is a solution that preserves the funding of these programs on an ongoing basis.

On September 25, 2009, the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority reported that, in 2008, median household income was over $107K per year and stated "Fairfax County ranks number one for household income level among large U.S. counties." (Source: http://www.fairfaxcountyeda.org/print/1234)

At the budget discussion meeting on Saturday, November 14th 2009, at Sherwood Hall Library, there was much discussion about how to avoid these proposed, drastic, eliminations of programs. The bottom line seems to be raising taxes. Generally, the group was more than willing to pay higher taxes.

I understand the current property tax rate in Fairfax County is $1.04 per $100 value of a property i.e. for a house worth $100k, the owner pays $1040 in property taxes. Indeed, the projected value of one penny in taxes for FY2011 is $18.1million (Source: http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/government/budget/county-fiscal-outlook.pdf). Therefore, it seems that a 27 cent increase in taxes, suggested as a possible tax raise in several forums, could more than eliminate the county budget shortfall. If that would maintain the current programs in the schools and support our public agencies, it should be considered. Apparently, an 11 cent tax hike keeps most tax bills equivalent to last year (given the fall in our property values), so an additional 16 cents probably won’t send us bankrupt.

I have read that there needs to be seven votes from the Board of Supervisors to pass a tax increase. If you agree with the thrust of this post, please contact your Board of Supervisors Representative and encourage them to support this essential revenue raising strategy.

One other point that needs to be taken into account: 70% of Fairfax County residents do not have children in the school system. In order for more funds to flow to the schools, a majority of taxpayers need to recognize the value of a strong school system. These people also need to be convinced to support a tax increase.

So , have you asked your neighbors, co-workers, relatives? Will they call the budget hotline and say "I don't have kids in the schools, but I'm okay with a tax increase to get us through this crisis"?

The ideas presented in this post have been drawn from the Fairfax Parents Discussion Group

PTA Our Child - October/November 2009

2009-10-26T11:11:00.000-07:00

Online Edition - October/November 2009 PTA

GRACE Art

2009-10-11T06:16:00.001-07:00

I am a GRACE Art docent, a volunteer position in the school. I started doing it last year when I received an email saying Trevor's 2nd grade class had no GRACE Art volunteer and would I be interested. Well, it sounded cool, but I am certainly no art expert and the whole thing seemed a tad daunting. Teach art to 2nd graders? Doing the art project sounded simple enough, but actually having a lesson plan tailored at a 6th grade level and teaching it at a second grade level? I have no college degree, I'm not a teacher. I'm always up for a challenge, though, so I decided to give it a try.

Let's just say I loved it! Ariel came with me and together we taught Trevor and his classmates about an artist, or an art style. I got to know the kids in Trevor's class, and I got to peek in on his teacher and how she taught in those few moments before and after I was in the class. At the end of the year, the kids all made pictures and told me what they liked best about GRACE Art. It surprised me at how much they remembered. In fact, (ok, I'll be admitting how horrible my memory is here), they remembered some art projects that Trevor had to refresh my memory on. I'll just say how I felt in a typical me sentence: It was so way cool!

Consequently, I was eager to teach GRACE Art this year. Neither Trevor nor Rachael's classes had docents so I ended up teaching both their classes. I just went this past week to teach Trevor's class about Piet Mondrian. I'm always very nervous when I go in. Public speaking, even to a classroom full of 8 year olds, has never been my forte. I get nervous, I forget what I am going to say and I speak too fast. But the wonderful thing about kids? They don't seem to notice. They get a change in their routine and they get to do an art project. That's my favorite part of the lesson. Getting out the paints and letting them create something to take home. By the time they were done last week, they had all created art that looked remarkably like Piet Mondrian's famous pieces.

I can't wait until I get to teach Rachael's class at the end of the month. GRACE Art is easily my favorite volunteer opportunity at the school. I enjoy everything I volunteer with, but there is something special about getting to know all the kid's classmates and doing something tangible with them that they can take home. If anyone has time to commit to teaching their child's class, GRACE is very rewarding. It doesn't take that much time. In fact, I spend probably 2 hours a month on GRACE Art. I spend some time looking over the curriculum at home in my spare time, then some time looking over the art cart in the school and one hour in the class teaching. The lesson plan is emailed to me every month. The art cart is by the library and contains everything I need to supplement the lesson. It has posters of art done by the artist and everything needed for the art project. I have never had a problem finding a time to teach and the teachers are very accommodating. Teaching something to kids might sound daunting to you, but it's not nearly as difficult as I thought it would be. The kids are always excited to see me and are ready participants in the lesson. And they never know that, until I received the lesson plans, I didn't actually know that it was Piet Mondrian that did that art with the blocks of color.

School days are here again!

2009-09-18T07:40:00.000-07:00

“So, guys, what’s your favorite part of school?” It’s the evening of another hectic day and we’re piled in the car, heading out to eat because I seem to have missed that window of opportunity to cook dinner before Little League. Letting the kids run out their energy with friends on the playground after school is much more fun than meal planning and execution.
“Recess!” cries Rachael.
“Dismissal!” shouts Trevor. It’s a running joke with us, so we all laugh before I reply, “No, really. What do you think you will like most this year?”
“Oh, you’re interviewing us for that PTA blog thing, aren’t you?” Trevor knows me. He knows I love any volunteer opportunity that lands in my lap. I’m not always one to actively seek out volunteer work, but I never say no when asked.
Volunteering is such a fulfilling thing to do. I always feel like I don’t have enough time in a day, but I always find time to fit in one more thing. Whether it’s putting books back on the shelf every week in the library for Mrs. Stanmyer, or helping kids run an obstacle course for a couple hours during field day or even something like teaching GRACE Art- a recurring activity that gets me directly involved in my childrens’ education, there is always something available for those who wish to help their school. Some of the activities, like this one I am doing now, can be done at home in those few moments of spare time. That few spare hours we have here and there really go a long way to help the school and they always appreciate it. And, most of all, I love doing it.
But the point of this post wasn’t actually to talk about volunteering. It was to ask my children what they liked about school and what they are looking forward to doing this year. My son, the third grader, the consummate cynic, sometimes has a tough time finding the positive in things. It’s an activity we work on a lot. So he had to spend a few minutes thinking before he replied. “Reading. I really like reading time in class.” Personally, I think he’ll have a good year this year. He’s learning responsibility, he has a bit more homework than last year but he is taking charge and getting it done and really feeling pride in that fact. He’s been maturing so much this past summer- really branching out on his own with his likes, dislikes and opinion.
What about my first grader, Rachael? What does she like in school? “Well…. “ Now Rachael has to choose between everything because she likes just about everything at school. She loves art, Spanish, centers… everything. First grade is a new thing for me because I homeschooled my son for first grade and so I’m not sure what to expect from Rachael this year. It will be a surprise and adventure for both of us and I’m really looking forward to it. I know she is. She feels so much older in first grade than she did in K. Starting the “grades” is such a leap for them into the adventures of homework and responsibilities.
“Cutting and gluing!” exclaims Ariel, who’s 4 years old, “I love cutting and gluing at school!”
“Shh! Ariel! You’re not at Terraset you’re in preschool!” admonishes her big sis. Poor Ariel, so I feel she needs a mention in this Terraset blog. She’s not here yet, but she will be soon enough to embark on the adventure that is Kindergarten and start her journey like her older siblings have. She’s looking forward to it.
All in all, I have to say our first week back at school was a success. Everyone (myself included) likes their teachers, I’m looking forward to spending time helping the school and supporting my childrens’ education. It’s going to be a good year.

It's That Warm-and-Fuzzy Feeling!

2009-09-13T11:41:00.000-07:00

I am enjoying the rare opportunity to do what I want for as long as I like. Katie and James have gone to see grandma for the weekend! So many things to choose from! I could go to the gym, watch a movie, read a book, clean the house—which is desperately needed, or go shopping. I don’t have to please anyone but me. The funny thing is, my choice is to work on some of the things I need to do for the PTA. Why is that? What is so compelling about this organization?

I often hear myself saying “I’ve become my mother!” She too was very active in my school’s parent association when I was a kid. At the time I didn’t think anything of it. It just was. Then, as a young, childless adult, I took great pleasure in making fun of the PTA moms. Next, my career took over and I just didn’t have time to joke about, let alone think about, what I could be doing to help in my community. Then, I had Katie… and everything changed! Now, I can’t imagine not making the time to help.

I have to acknowledge that I enjoy the luxury of not working fulltime outside the home. Indeed, my parttime work is in the school system. So, my mind is firmly grounded in the world of education. But even so… there is something about “working together to enhance the educational experience of our children” that is very appealing. I feel like I am making a difference. When I look at all the things the PTA does, I realize that as a group we are certainly making a difference. Imagine the school without: after school programs; scholarships for kids-in-need to attend those after shool programs; math superstars; the school assembly series; or GRACE Art. And then there are all the big events: Bingo Night, the carnival, the silent auction… they are not just about raising money, they also help to promote a great sense of community in the school—they are fun!

So, I guess the answer to my question is “it feels good!” You can get addicted to being a part of the PTA because of the warm-and-fuzzy feeling you constantly have from knowing that what you are doing matters. So, join in! You’ll find plenty of things that need to be done. You don’t even need to go to the school if you don’t want to. Many things can be done at home. Just send someone an email and get started. You deserve that warm-and-fuzzy feeling too!

Whole Foods Great Friend of PTA

2009-08-13T11:22:00.000-07:00

Whole Foods have been a great friend to Terraset PTA this past year. They have supported our carnival, fun run, donated items to the school, and held an exhibition of our children's artwork. they certainly deserve our thanks. How great it was to see this on the Reston Whole Foods Community board over summer. The artist is our own Mrs. Wehle!