Side Navigation

The Nest

 pbes logo

   June 1, 2022

Piney Branch ES - Kind, caring, courageous cardinals who soar.

A note from Mr. Thorne and Ms. Sobers . . .

Parents and Guardians,

This week is already full of amazing things happening here at Piney Branch. We kicked off our short week with an awesome K-2 Field Day. Thank you to all of our volunteers, and a special thanks to Mr. Shelatz and Mrs. Swekosky for a day full of sweat, laughs, and fun!

Last night, the 5th grade Strings students wowed us with their final performance of the year. We continue to be amazed with the hard work and talents of our students. Thank you to Ms. Howell for helping our students realize their love of music and perform like rockstars!

And this morning our Kindergartners made us proud with their performance at the cookie social. We are so proud of how far our youngest cardinals have come over this school year.

We continue the rest of this week with SOL retakes and we look forward to ending this week with our field day for our 3rd -5th graders.

Warm regards,

Steve Thorne and Monica Sobers

Fresh Takes

Field Day (3rd-5th Grade) We look forward to our coming field day for Grades 3-5 on 6/3.  We thank the many volunteers for the eagerness to sign-up and support our event.  We have a full day of fun prepared for our students including an afternoon of great activities involving water.  Sneakers or athletic closed toed water shoes are required for field day.  Students should dress appropriately in clothes that can get wet and muddy. Shorts and t-shirts are required as well.  **For the safety of our students, spectators are not permitted at the Field Day Event**

Spring SOLs – Grades 3-5 Scores for Spring SOLs will be posted to ParentVUE in June.  If you have general questions about SOL testing, please visit the PWCS Testing Website  Our Expedited Retake window begins on June 1. Students who score 375-399 are eligible to retake the SOL with parent consent. If your child is eligible to retake his/her SOL(s), we will contact you.

For Good Measure

Family Life Education (FLE) for Grades 4 and 5 The PWC School Board requires all schools to implement the FLE Program in accordance with the Code of Virginia and the Virginia Department of Education’s FLE Guidelines and Standards of Learning for Virginia Schools.  More information can be found here on PWCS website.  

  • 4th Grade FLE Program will take place on 6/9
  • 5th Grade FLE Program will take place on 6/10

Any questions should be directed to your child’s classroom teacher.

Online Tutoring Available to all PWCS Students Free of Charge PWCS has partnered with Paper to provide K-12 students with unlimited tutoring, 7 days a week—at no cost to families. Students can get help with their homework, receive feedback on their writing assignments, or ask questions about any academic subject. Experts are available to assist students with any subject or content area via a secure, chat-based platform.  Tutors are currently available to help students in English, Spanish, French, and Mandarin.

Medication Pickup Please remember to pick up all medications from the clinic before dismissal on June 15th. Any medications left in the clinic after dismissal on the last day of school will be disposed of. Thank you

KG Registration 2022-2023 The online registration process for the 2022-23 school year is now open.  Once the registration is processed the registrar will reach out with any missing documentation that is needed and/or an in-person verification appointment.  Proceed to the Registration Process Information webpage to register for the 2022-23 school year. 

Class Requests for 2022-2023 While we remain focused on closing out the school year successfully, we also start to look ahead and plan for the coming 2022-2023 school year.  While we do not accept or honor parent requests for specific teachers, we happily accommodate requests for the characteristics of a teacher your child would most benefit from, as well as students to pair and separate your student with. Please email Mr. Thorne these requests directly.

5th Grade Promotion Save the date for our 5th grade promotion ceremony for June 13, 2022 at 10:30am.  The event will occur in-person, and we will make a virtual stream available.

The end of year brings many amazing events to celebrate our 5th graders’ time here at Piney Branch and we want you to save the dates!  We also want to start several new traditions at Piney Branch including throwing a 5th grade celebration following our promotion ceremony.  We look forward to celebrating your students.  More information will follow as we near the events.  We will also live-stream promotion for family members to attend virtually.

Summer School Registration The online summer school registration is open now until June 15, 2022.  This program provides opportunities to improve necessary skills through interactive and engaging activities. Current 2021-22 students Grades K-5 are eligible to attend. Students will receive instruction in language arts, mathematics, and social skills. 

Ms. Monique Harrell-Watford will be the Summer School Principal.  She currently is the Administrative Intern at Chris Yung.  Instructional registration videos have been made in English and Spanish to assist parents and guardians with registration.

Camp Invention Camp Invention is returning to Piney Branch this summer! We are excited to bring this opportunity back to our community; last year’s camp was a HUGE success!

Camp Invention will be June 27th to July 1st at Piney Branch Elementary School in Bristow VA. 

During this program, young innovators (aka campers in grades K-6) will:

  • Dive into cutting-edge ocean research as they create a habitat for their robotic fish, including a newly designed and patented aquatic plant, and then make a splash with unique bio-inspired innovations!
  • Combine Art and STEM to paint an immersive experience in NIHF’s The Attic where children experiment with chemistry, materials science, and a robotic artist to inspire creativity and innovation.
  • Go on a vacation beyond Earth’s atmosphere to engage in science-rich activities inspired by the latest discoveries on distant planets, asteroids, and moons.
  • Zigzag through physics, engineering, and gaming know-how to build a mega marble machine that shows how math, motion, and mass can turn science into a marb-elous experience.

Only at Camp Invention can children find inspiration from inventors, including National Inventors Hall of Fame Inductees, whose inventions have changed the world! We expect to have a full camp very shortly and I don’t want any of our interested families to miss out. invent.org/mylocalcamp  See flyer for more information.

PWCS Summer Art/Music Enrichment Information PWCS will be offering a Summer Art Enrichment Program “Creativity in Action” from July 11th-July 22nd from 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at Pattie Elementary School.  See flyers for more information, including tuition and transportation. 

PWCS Summer Art Enrichment/Performing Arts Enrichment and Registration Form 

Mark Your Calendar/Upcoming Events

  • June 3rd – 3-5 Field Day
  • June 3rd – Magic Night
  • June 13th – 5th Grade Promotion – 10:30am
  • June 15th – Last Day of School (dismissal begins at 12:25)

PTO Events

Sprout Supply Orders Get your back-to-school shopping done in minutes and never leave home with the offi­cial Piney Branch Elementary back-to-school supplier. The exact, teacher approved supplies for every grade level are just a couple clicks away! School Code: PBES001

Skip the trip and the crowds at the store. Order with Sprout to enjoy FREE school delivery and have your student’s supplies waiting for you at school before the first day of class. Enjoy your summer, Sprout has you covered!

Don’t miss out!! Deadline is June 21st See flyer for more information.

Order Your Yearbooks! Get your Piney Branch Yearbook today!  Yearbooks are available for presale and will be mailed directly to your home upon completion.  The pricing is as follows:

Softcover:  27.00  Hardcover: 37.00

You are able to purchase an additional 4 pages for you to personalize for $5.00.  Order your yearbook today!

Should you have any questions, please contact: [email protected]

Magic Night Magic Night with Jay Mattioli is scheduled for June 3rd -- DON'T MISS IT!  Doors open at 6:30pm; show starts at 7pm

PTO 2022/22 We are currently searching for PTO committee leads for the 2022/23 school year! Please email the PTO at [email protected] if you’re interested!

PTO Grade Level Representative The PTO is looking for grade level representatives for next year. If you’re interested in being a grade level PTO representative, please attend our meeting tonight or email the PTO at [email protected]  

PBAC

The Piney Branch Advisory Council is made up of representatives from each neighborhood in the Piney Branch School boundary.  All parents are invited to attend, but voting rights are reserved for the community representatives.  The team will review the school vision and mission and provide input and guidance to administration and continuous improvement planning team. 

The Piney Branch Advisory Council wants to thank those that have participated in our monthly meetings throughout the school year.  We look forward to meeting you in the 22-23 school year. 

Community Flyers and Announcements

MVM Training Summer Basketball Camp MVM Training will be holding a summer basketball camp.  They have four sessions scheduled for MVM Training Summer Basketball Camp this year. The main focus of camp will be creating a fun and competitive environment for everyone, where each and every player improves and develops their game throughout the week. Every day at camp we will have dedicated time for multiple 5-on-5 live action games, drills and skill development, and competitive team competitions for prizes. The dates of those sessions are below.  See flyer for more information.

Session 1: June 20th – 24th Session 2: June 27th – July 1st Session 3: July 25th – 29th Session 4: August 8th – 12th

Camp Information Date and Time: See session dates above and camp runs from 9 am to 3 pm daily Cost: $225 per athlete, per session Before and After Care: $50 per session. Will start at 7:45 am each morning and end at 4:15 pm each afternoon Lunch: All campers are welcome to bring their own lunch each day and we will also offer lunch options for purchase every day to each camper Location: K Sports Complex - 10050 Pennsylvania Ave, Manassas, VA 20110 Attendees: All boys and girls in grades 2 through 12 All who are attending, please bring your own ball and a mask

Cedar Run Track Summer Camp The Cedar Run Track Club is a new track and field program organized by the track coaches from Gainesville, Battlefield, and Patriot high schools where kids of all ages and abilities develop their skills and abilities in all disciplines of the sport. Whether you are looking for a new sport that challenges and encourages your child, seeking specific coaching in a specialized discipline like hurdles and jumps, or just looking to improve your speed and endurance for another sport, this program will help you achieve your personal goals. Register. See flyer for more information.

Kids Get Fit Summer Fitness Camp Jr. Jazzercise Camp is for boys and girls who love to dance and move. We’ll learn about health, fitness, and confidence through choreographed dances and team building activities. No dance experience needed! Camp leaders are licensed school teachers and certified Jazzercise instructors. Register here. See flyer for more info.