Vienna Elementary

A few weeks ago, PreK3 had a fun-filled Pet Day! Parents sent in adorable pictures of their children’s pets, and the kids got to show off some truly unique animals with their creative names for their furry (or feathered) friends. - Maverick brought in his dog, Rocko. - Micah shared his dog, Zoey and cat Killona. - Matthew introduced us to his three cute rats: Marshmallow, Graham crackers,, and Toasty. - Zayne showed off his two dogs, Reece Puff and Brutus. - Brooklyn proudly presented her dog, Creed, and her chicken, Rosie. - Tatum talked about her lovely dog named Remi. It sounds like everyone had an amazing time celebrating their pets in PreK3! A big thank you to all the families for sharing these wonderful moments!

Wear your "HOUSE" t-shirt tomorrow, Friday, March 14th.

One of our two second grade teachers, Mrs. Susan Thomas, introduced an incentive with her class called Candyland, like the classic board game. Student progress is tracked in DCPS programs called “Amplify Boost” and “iReady”. Disney Candyland was voted on for the reward and every Friday is “Disney Day”. The hard work of these students is truly inspiring! Their excitement of all of her students as they strive for success is heartwarming, and Mrs. Thomas hopes they enjoy this incentive as much as she does. ❤️ Congratulations to Abdiel, Allison, Gracie, and Adalynn, as they were the February winners.

The Vienna Parents Association recently supplied our teachers with essential items, including Ziploc bags, wipes, paper towels, and hand sanitizer. Throughout the school year, they have also provided us with treats such as candy, chips, coffee, hot chocolate, various sodas, and more. Thank you, VPA, for taking such great care of us!

Spread the word!! The VPA is having a Mobile Spirit Night at Chick-Fil-A in Cambridge on Tuesday March 11th from 5:00-8:00 p.m. All you have to do is order Chick-Fil-A on the mobile app and 20% of proceeds from ALL mobile orders during that time will go directly towards the VPA!

Our "Stand Out Students" for February! These extraordinary students are celebrated for their remarkable qualities, which could include academic achievements, positive attitudes, athleticism, active participation, making good choices, demonstrating leadership, showing kindness, helping others, taking responsibility, and serving as exemplary role models. Join us in applauding their exceptional accomplishments! Please note that students Nasybah Safadi and Mia Laureska were unavailable for the photo.

** Special Message for Vienna Elementary School 5th grade students and families. ** Our 5th-grade students will participate in the Maryland Integrated Science Assessment from Monday, March 10, through Thursday, March 13. Parents, please ensure students arrive at school on time and leave electronic devices at home. Thank you for your support!

**FREE Family Workshop and Local Resource Fair** Join us at Vienna Elementary School on Tuesday, March 11th, for a special event! **Resource Fair: ** 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM Local organizations will be available to provide information about services that may benefit your family. **Workshop: “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families” ** 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM Facilitated by Franklin Covey, this workshop is open to all families, including parents, guardians, grandparents, and caring adults. **Topics to be Addressed: ** - Building a nurturing family culture - Making time for family activities - Effective communication - Utilizing the strengths of every family member - Investing in your family relationships **Dinner Provided: ** Millie’s Road House will be providing dinner for attendees. **Additional Resources: ** Take-home materials and a participant guide will be provided. Minary’s Dream Alliance will offer childcare during the event. **Questions: ** Call 410-943-3775 ext. 1913 or email hughesco@dcpsmd.org. **Registration: ** Click the link here to register: http://bit.ly/4hRqlfj

Let’s take a moment to celebrate our social worker, Mrs. Connar Winn, and her intern, Ms. Lindsay Ray! Mrs. Winn and Ms. Ray are wonderful at providing emotional support to our students! They work closely with students individually and in groups, helping those struggling with behavioral challenges that can impact their learning. In addition, Mrs. Winn and Ms. Ray also host group sessions to encourage social and emotional growth and build important skills and strategies to resolve conflict. Furthermore, Mrs. Winn and Ms. Ray are great at organizing school and community events and attending meetings to ensure our students get the resources they need to succeed. They are truly amazing! Thank you both for all that you do!

Wear "HOUSE" t-shirts tomorrow, Friday, March 7th, 2025. Also, Students will have an early dismissal at 12:45 PM for Parent-teacher conferences. ** Appointment times have been sent home for the conferences. **

Read Across America Day is celebrated on March 2nd in honor of Dr. Seuss's birthday. The PreK 3 students celebrated this event on Monday, March 3rd, which also aligns with Transportation Week in their class. To make the celebration extra special, Ms. Joy Bradshaw, our dedicated PreK 3 teacher, invited her father, Mr. Carlton Bradshaw, to read “Marvin K. Mooney, Will You Please Go Now?” to the class. He wore a fun Dr. Seuss hat that made story time even more delightful! During the reading, he asked the students, “What would you like your mode of transportation to be?” The students came up with some creative answers, including bird, jet, elephant, and camel. Thank you, Mr. Bradshaw, for taking the time out of your day and spend time with us! Happy reading, everyone!

Violence Can You Prevent It? A 2-hour Introductory violence prevention course based on the book "Violence Can You Prevent It?". Instructors Phil Whitelock and Rebecca Redmer. RTC (Risk, Threat, and Crisis Management) Date & Time: March 7, 2025, 1 - 3 pm North Dorchester High School Address: 5875 Cloverdale Road, Hurlock, MD 21643 Click the link to Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/rtc-violence-prevention-intro-courses-3794123 This 2-hour course is open to all who want to attend and learn more about how we can prevent violence in our schools. This is an interactive, discussion-based course that teaches applicable skills that everyone can utilize to prevent violence. The seven topics covered are: What is Violence, Why We Choose Violence, Everything is Communication, Is Violence Communication? Self-Awareness, Breaking Trajectories, and Leveling Up. The seven personal development skills covered are; Stay versus Grow, Self-Assessing Your Emotions, Self-Regulation, Disengaging, Limiting Our Auto-Pilot Responses, and Confidence. Come join us and become part of the solution to prevent violence in our schools and society. Together we can all make a positive impact on changing the negative outcomes and consequences of violence. We hope to see you there. This event is NO COST to you and is being paid for and sponsored by North Dorchester High School. “Anything can happen to anyone, anywhere, anytime... train accordingly.” -Phil Whitelock, CEO

Due to the anticipated weather conditions below we are dismissing students 2 hours early. All after-school activities will be cancelled as well.

Spread the word!! The VPA is having a Mobile Spirit Night at Chick-Fil-A in Cambridge on Tuesday March 11th from 5:00-8:00 p.m. All you have to do is order Chick-Fil-A on the mobile app and 20% of proceeds from ALL mobile orders during that time will go directly towards the VPA!

The reward movie trip to Cambridge Premium Cinema was an absolute delight! We had a fantastic time watching "Dog Man" instead of "Ralph Wrecks the Internet," and it completely exceeded everyone’s expectations. Our experience at the cinema was simply wonderful. We munched on delicious popcorn and sipped drinks while sinking into cozy recliners. It melted our hearts to see the students so wrapped up in the film—two of them even held hands! It was adorable to watch another pair of girls share a seat together. The staff at Cambridge Premium Cinema were so friendly and warmly invited us back for more fun. Our students demonstrated impeccable manners, using “please” and “thank you” throughout the event. They truly deserved this lovely experience, and we couldn’t be proud of them. Mrs. Price always reminds the students, “When you can be anything, be kind,” and our visit to the theater was a beautiful reflection of that message. A huge thank you to Cambridge Premium Cinema for their amazing hospitality and to Mrs. Connar Winn for organizing this wonderful outing. Let’s keep spreading kindness and joy in our community!

Our wonderful School Resource Officer, Randy Bowman, is retiring, and we are really going to miss him! Officer Bowman has been an amazing role model and has built strong relationships with our students. His cheerful fist pump greetings in the morning have become a beloved tradition, making everyone feel safe and welcomed as they arrive at school. Officer Bowman's commitment went beyond just keeping us secure; he loved spending lunchtime with our younger classes, helping create connections and build trust. As a special thank you, we surprised him with a plaque featuring the latitude and longitude of Vienna Elementary School, so he’ll always know how to find his way back to us. Plus, with the help of Mrs. LeMire, our Media Specialist, our students got creative and made appreciation cards filled with their beautiful drawings of him. Thank you, Officer Bowman, for all the ways your positivity and kindness have strengthened our school community. We wish you the best in this exciting new chapter of your life. Enjoy your time relaxing on your boat!

Mrs. Diffenbach's and Mrs. Carroll's first-grade classes embarked on an exciting two-week journey to explore wild and endangered animals. Each student selected an animal to study, diving into the resources from the ARC (American Reading Company) core books to create informational text booklets. Their research uncovered fascinating details about the animals’ physical characteristics, life cycles, habitats, and food chains. The students combined their findings into a beautifully illustrated book that showcased their creativity and hard work. They were then allowed to share their books with other classes, engaging fellow students through their reading. A heartfelt thank you to Mrs. Diffenbach and Mrs. Carroll! Their dedication to guiding these first graders in mastering the art of writing is genuinely commendable. Inspiring young learners to express their knowledge on paper is no small feat! This project has shown that learning can lead to meaningful and lasting experiences when it is intertwined with enjoyment!

On Thursday, February 13th, Bedtime in a Box night was a resounding success, with amazing participation from our school community. It’s a fantastic opportunity to kickstart healthy habits early! A heartfelt thank you to all the parents for being so involved, Our PreK3 Teacher, Ms. Joy Bradshaw, and Mrs. Julie Lewis, Supervisor of Early Childhood Education. Each box was thoughtfully filled with age-appropriate books, bath essentials, a towel, bath toys, a toothbrush and toothpaste, cozy pajamas, a beloved stuffed animal, an alarm clock, a Teach My Learning Kit, and a convenient routine log for kids. Let’s embrace this special time to establish a consistent routine that nurtures healthy, educated children. Bedtime in a Box is proudly brought to you by the Improving Education organization.

**FREE Family Workshop and Local Resource Fair** Join us at Vienna Elementary School on Tuesday, March 11th, for a special event! **Resource Fair: ** 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM Local organizations will be available to provide information about services that may benefit your family. **Workshop: “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families” ** 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM. Facilitated by Franklin Covey, this workshop is open to all families, including parents, guardians, grandparents, and caring adults. **Topics to be Addressed: ** - Building a nurturing family culture - Making time for family activities - Effective communication - Utilizing the strengths of every family member - Investing in your family relationships **Dinner Provided: ** Millie’s Road House will be providing dinner for attendees. **Additional Resources: ** Take-home materials and a participant guide will be provided. Minary’s Dream Alliance will offer childcare during the event. **Questions: ** Call 410-943-3775 ext. 1913 or email hughesco@dcpsmd.org. **Registration: ** Click the link here to register: http://bit.ly/4hRqlfj

Reminder: We will be traveling to Cambridge Tomorrow, Friday, February 28th, from approximately 9:00 – 11:45 a.m. for the reward field trip at the Cambridge Premium Cinemas in the Walmart Shopping Center. Don’t forget to wear your “HOUSE” colors tomorrow!