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

We hope that everyone had a healthy and happy Thanksgiving with their families and friends.  The arrival of brisk weather signals the winter season and a reminder that students should come to school ready for time spent outdoors be it at the bus stop, dismissal, emergency evacuation, or recess.  Please contact Ms. Biegler, Ms. Williams, Ms. Nicewonger, or Ms. Stirling if we can support your family in any way to be ready for the cold months ahead. 

We congratulate our Lego Robotics Club on it’s first time participation in First Lego League’s regional tournament on November 19.  The competition included 3 teams from PBES competing in a robotics challenge as well as innovation project.  The “Potatoes and Carrots” Team brought home 2nd place in their division and will compete at the state tournament in Harrisonburg next week.  We are super proud of them and look forward to many years of success for our Robotics program.  A special thanks to the club’s sponsors Ms. Roberts and Ms. Edwards, as well as the parent volunteers that made this year’s participation in the FLL competition possible. 

We hope to see everyone at Bingo and Silent Auction Night! 

Please be sure to read all the Nest for information about: 

• December Counseling Lessons 
• PE Dance Performances 
• Giving Tree 
• Willy Wonka Jr. Production  
• PTO Silent Auction/Family Bingo Night 

Sincerely,

Steve Thorne and Monica Sobers

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Fresh Takes

December Counseling Lesson

Our counseling team will be delivering their required Body Safety lessons in the month of December. This Family Life Education (FLE) Body Safety lesson will be in your child’s classroom. In accordance with the Code of Virginia, the FLE program is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills to communication make informed, responsible decisions related to growth and development; and relationships; and emotional and social health. Although the FLE program is highly compatible with existing curricula and serves to enrich the educational experiences of students, FLE content may be considered sensitive. Therefore, parents/guardians may choose to opt their child out of this FLE instruction. Students opted out will be provided with non-punitive activities during FLE instruction. Parents/guardians should review the FLE objectives (listed below) pertaining to their child’s grade before making opt out decisions. If you would like to opt your child out of the lesson, please complete the form and return it to school. You may also email the counselors at [email protected] or [email protected].

 

PE Dance Performances

For our culminating dance project, we are inviting family members to come and watch the dance performances. Kindergarten through 2^nd grade students will be performing 10-12 dances from various cultures that they have learned throughout the dance unit. 3^rd grade through 5^th grade will be performing self-created group dances that incorporate dance steps/movements that they have learned throughout the dance unit as well as their own creativity. These will take place during the regular PE class that your child attends. The students have worked extremely hard over the course of the unit and would love to see you come in. The schedule below is subject to change if we have inclement weather. As space in our parking lot is limited, we ask that all family members ride together, if possible, to allow for safety in our parking lot and as many families as possible to be able to come to the performances.

Schedule

Student Absence Information

As we enter the second quarter, we would like to share some key information to help your student(s) stay strong through the colder months and on track to have a successful school year.

Cold/Flu season is nearing. View illness or injury exclusion criteria for more information on when your student could be sent home from school/School Age Child Care (SACC) or when you should keep the child home from school/SACC.

The second quarter contains many scheduled days off for students

· December 21 – January 1 – Winter Break

· January 15 – Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday

Missing 2 days a month, or 4 ½ days in a marking period, adds up to 18 days a year (10% of the school year) which is considered chronically absent. Students who attend regularly are more likely to stay on track, and we are here to support you!

Remember to report your student’s absences.

As a reminder, if your student is absent, please remember to contact us at 571-261-5309 or email [email protected] .

We want to express our gratitude to everyone who makes it possible for our students to come to school every day, on time, ready to learn.

 

Giving Tree 

It is that time of year again, our Annual "Giving Tree" is up and in the school lobby. Please consider taking a tag, purchasing a gift for one of our students who would not otherwise have gifts under their tree. The process is: 

• Take a tag 
• Write your name and the tag number on the clipboard in the office 
• Purchase a gift and return the unwrapped gift to school with original tag.  
• Gifts returned to school by December 15^th   

If you have questions, please email Mrs. Biegler ([email protected]) or Mrs. Nicewonger ([email protected]).  Thank you so much for your generosity! 

 

Willy Wonka Jr. Production

Piney Branch is proud to present “Willy Wonka Jr.” this year. The cast will include students from grades 3-5. Students will be cast in lead roles, speaking roles, and ensembles. Auditions will be held on Wednesday December 13th after school. A second round of auditions will be held on Thursday December 14th for specific roles by invitation. Due to productions limitations, it is possible not all students may be able to participate as actors in this production. Other opportunities will include art club (set design), stage and production crew, and performance greeters.  If your student is interested in joining, please see his information.

 

For Good Measure

 Attendance/Dismissal 

When you email your child’s teacher regarding their absence and/or dismissal changes, please include the office ([email protected]) just in case your child’s teacher has a substitute teacher.  Absences can be reported by calling 571-261-5309.  All changes of dismissal should be sent to your child’s teacher/office before 2:00 p.m. For the safety of our students, early dismissals need to take place before 3:15 p.m.

 

Watch D.O.G.S. is Back!!!! 

The Watch D.O.G.S need you!  Calling all dads looking to provide support at our school. The Watch D.O.G.S. program helps provide positive male role models for students, demonstrating by their presence that education is important. Meanwhile, you will provide an extra set of eyes and ears to enhance school security, reduce bullying, and provide a greater sense of campus safety allowing students and teachers to focus on learning and instruction. You will help by supporting lunch, recess, hallways, encore, and security around the school. Should you have any questions about this exciting program, please reach out to Jim Pawlak at [email protected] 

If you are ready to become a Watch D.O.G.S, follow the link to sign up! 

  

PWCS Food and Nutrition Updates 

Please continually check your child’s lunch account balance and pay any negative balance they may have.  Please avoid having a negative balance carry over week-to-week.  You can either send in a check or to pay online using My School Bucks. If you need to apply for free/reduced lunch, an application can be found on the PWCS Nutrition website. 

**All students are able to purchase milk for $1.00 to have with their home lunch.

**If you would like your child to be able to purchase a second lunch (at full price), please email our Cafeteria Manager, Mayra Merida, [email protected]. 

 

Accessing PBES Resources Outside of School 

You can access our PBES resources like Canvas, Office 365 and Clever from almost wherever you are. Please see the following help videos to: 

• Logging into PWCS Applications 
• Setting up a Canvas Parent Account 

 

One Warm Coat Drive

SCA is hosting a warm coat drive. As the weather gets colder, there are many members of our community who do not have a warm coat to wear. One Warm Coat is an organization who collects coats to distribute to members of our community who are in need of new or gently used warm coats. When you clean out your closets, and find you have coats that do not fit you or your children, please consider donating them to this cause. Attached is a flyer for One Warm Coat. Once again, thank you for supporting SCA and One Warm Coat. 

 

Mark Your Calendar/Upcoming Events

• December 1 – Silent Auction/Family Bingo Night 6:00-8:00 p.m.
• December 5 – Spirit Night @ Chipotle 4:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.
• December 15 – Giving Tree items are due
• December 18-20 PE Dance Performances
• December 21-January 1^st - School closed for winter break
• January 2 – School Reopens

 

PTO News

Please join us for a night of fun and games at the Bingo & Silent Auction Event held at Piney Branch on December 1st from 6:00pm-8:00pm. There will be multiple rounds of bingo with amazing prizes and a silent auction with a variety of awesome items to bid on.  

Please see the flyer for more details. We can't wait to see you there!

 

Spirit Night @ Chipotle

Join us at Chipotle for our Spirit Night on December 5th from 4:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.

 

Join the PTO 

Support our school and get free PBES swag by joining the PTO! Join online on our website! 

 

Please visit www.PineyBranchPTO.com for all information related to the PBES PTO.

*This Website (Webpage) is not managed, approved, or sponsored by the Prince William County Public Schools.

 

 

Community Flyers and Announcements 

Marsteller Math & Science Speciality Program

The Marsteller Math and Science Specialty Program is an interest-based program. To be eligible to apply, students must have earned at least a grade of B in Math and Science and Cs in all other classes. Additionally, students must have satisfactory conduct/effort grades and satisfactory attendance based on PWCS attendance regulations. Students must maintain these standards throughout middle school. Please check Marsteller’s website for additional details. 

Eligible rising 6th-grade students zoned for Marsteller MUST apply for the Math and Science Specialty Program if interested. There is no automatic placement without applying. Families apply for their students with the PWCS program’s online application. Students who are zoned to attend Bull Run, Gainesville, Nokesville, Parkside, Reagan, and Unity Braxton Middle Schools may be eligible to apply as transfer students. Families should check the PWCS find my school website to check school zones. Marsteller accepts 25 transfer students per year by lottery.  

Important dates: 

• Information Night: October 26 at 6:30 pm at Marsteller Middle School (Spanish translation will be available) 
• Information Night: January 11 at 6:30 pm at Marsteller Middle School (Snow date Jan 18) (Spanish translation will be available) 
• November 1st, 2023: Application opens. 
• February 1st, 2024: Application is due (Firm deadline - No late applications will be accepted) 
• Mid-Late February 2024 Program decision is released.
• March 5th, 2024: Program Acceptance is due if offered a seat (Firm deadline – seats will be dropped after this date) 

 

Email Kerry Adkins, program coordinator, at [email protected] with any questions