News from the Nest
November 8, 2023
A note from Mr. Thorne and Ms. Sobers . . .
PBES plans on cramming a whole lot into this very short week! Students came back ready to learn today and have been working hard on activities to honor our Veterans on Thursday during our Veteran’s Day celebration. We thank all of our active-duty military families and families of veterans for their service and dedication to our country. We also thank our military connected staff members and committee for their ongoing support of this community, which helped PBES be honored as a Purple Star School. Please remember, PWCS is closed on Friday for Veterans Day.
Please be sure to read all the Nest for information about:
- Absences/Dismissals
- 3rd Grade: CogAT Testing
- Code Orange Preparation
- PTO Silent Auction/Family Bingo Night
- Middle School Specialty Programs
Sincerely,
Steve Thorne and Monica Sobers
Fresh Takes
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.
3rd Grade: CogAT Testing
This fall, the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT®) will be administered to third grade students in Prince William County Public Schools (PWCS) as part of the universal screening process for Gifted Education. We want to take this opportunity to provide you with some information about this test and why it is administered. CogAT is designed to appraise the cognitive development of students. More specifically, it intends to measure a student’s learned reasoning abilities developed through both in-school and out-of-school experiences. Results from CogAT will be used in combination with other classroom achievement information to assist teachers in understanding the learning strengths and needs of each individual student. The purpose is to help design the most effective instructional plan for each student so that all perform to the best of their ability. The CogAT is given in three sections and will be administered at Piney Branch on November 15, 16, and 17.
The best way to prepare your student for this test is to simply encourage them to do their best. When results are available, a copy of your student’s scores will be shared with you. If you have further questions about CogAT testing at Piney Branch, please contact Ms. Sobers [email protected].
Code Orange Preparation
Teachers will be surveying parents during conferences to understand families’ needs for devices in the event of a Code Orange Emergency response day.
Code Orange is one tool, like Code Red, and 2-hour late arrivals, which PWCS may deploy should an emergency dictate its need. As communicated by PWCS, Code Orange will require simultaneous live virtual instruction attendance and interaction.
Please consider how your family will successfully engage in Code Orange:
- Do they currently need daily availability of the PWCS student device?
- Will they only need availability of the student device only when Code Orange is a possibility?
- Will all of your children have access to a device simultaneously?
- Do you refuse to have your student transport their device?
- Is software such as Zoom, Clever, Canvas, Lexia, and Dreambox available on personal, non-PWCS devices?
For Good Measure
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:
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
- November 9 – Wear Red, White & Blue to honor our Veteran’s
- November 10 – Veteran’s Day (schools closed)
- November 15-17 – 3rd Grade CogAT Testing
- November 16 – PTO Meeting
- November 18 – Spirit Night @ Haymarket Iceplex (6:00p.m.-7:30p.m.)
- December 1 – Silent Auction/Family Bingo Night (more information to come)
- December 5 – Spirit Night @ Chipotle (4:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.)
PTO News
**Update/Extended Deadline--PTO Silent Auction/Family Bingo Night
Please join us for a night of fun and games at the Bingo & Silent Auction Event held at Piney Branch on December 1st from 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. There will be multiple rounds of bingo with amazing prizes and a silent auction with a variety of awesome items to bid on.
In addition to donations from local businesses and community groups, we are asking our families to donate items, as well. Each grade level has been given a theme. Need ideas for your grade level theme? **Deadline for donations has been extended** Donated items can be sent into school through November 17th. Please let your child’s teacher know the item is for the PTO Auction.
PTO Meeting
Please join PTO in the PBES library or via Zoom for our next PTO meeting on November 16, 2023 @ 6:30 p.m.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 827 1236 5993
Spirit Night @ Haymarket Iceplex Fundraiser
Come out and Ice Skate! PTO will be hosting a FUNdraiser on November 18th from 6:00-7:30 p.m. at the Haymarket Iceplex, 15155 Washington Street, Haymarket, VA. Please present flyer at time of purchase.
Square 1 Art Fundraiser
Coming home to you soon will be your child's custom catalog for the Square 1 Art fundraiser. Get a head start and start ordering keepsakes and gifts featuring your child's art online NOW, if you like!
Simply search for your child's art using Art Search, and enter state, school name, and your student's name. Your student's art and code will appear, and you may order!
Order by: 11/21/2023
Upload additional art if you like, using Art Upload! Thank you for supporting our school!
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
Parkside World Language Info Night
Parkside Middle School will host an information night on November 16th from 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. for 5th grade students and their parents. The meeting with be held in Parkside Middle School’s library. Any questions can be directed to Erica Maibeth at [email protected].
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