PATRIOTS’ PRESS January 2012

Hugh Mercer Elementary School Marjorie R. Tankersley, Principal “A Foundation of Excellence” mtankersley@cityschools.com 2100 Cowan Boulevard Barbara N. Donaldson, Assistant Principal Fredericksburg, VA 22401 bdonaldson@cityschools.com Phone: (540) 372-1115 Fax: (540) 372-6753 Sandra P. Gillenwater, Administrative Assistant Web: www.cityschools.com sgillenwater@cityschools.com

A MESSAGE TO THE PARENTS

Dear Families and Friends- You can certainly feel the season’s spirit as you walk the halls of Hugh Mercer! The children are unusually happy and upbeat this week. We just completed a very successful canned food drive for needy families. Mrs. Cobey headed up this worthwhile effort, and we collected over 600 cans. The two highest count classes won a cookie decorating party. That honor goes to Mrs. Cobey and Mrs. McKinney. We also completed our Holiday Door Decorating Contest. This was lots of fun! The winners at each grade level are as follows: Kindergarten – Ms. Stapleton (First Place) and Ms. Sillas (Honorable Mention); First Grade – Ms. David (First Place) and Ms. Thomas (Honorable Mention); Second Grade – Mrs. Cobey (First Place) and Mrs. Lewis (Honorable Mention). Wednesday we will have our traditional Holiday Sing-Along followed by holiday parties. Then we will send our children home to you to enjoy the holidays. In those moments when you have a break from the hustle and bustle, please take time to talk to your children, read to your children, listen to your children read to you, and just share some good times with them. Remember, the most precious gift you can give your

child is the gift of time. They are little and willing to listen now. That probably won’t be the case in a few years. Take advantage of this valuable time. After what we hope are very happy holidays, your children

will return to us on Tuesday, January 3. We will ease into the new year with no special events that first week. Our regularly scheduled School Board meeting will take place on Monday, January 9 in the James Monroe lecture hall. Hugh Mercer after school programs will resume on Tuesday, January 10. The highlight of the month will be our Math-Science Night, which will be held Thursday, January 12 from 6:00 to 7:30 P.M. at the Bragg Hill Family Life Center. We are very excited about the magical evening and hope that many of you will join us. In celebration of Martin Luther King Day, we will not have school on Monday, January 16. Wednesday, January 25 will be our monthly Proud Patriot Celebration to be held in the cafeteria. This event is for the student chosen from each classroom who has done well both academically and behaviorally throughout the previous month. Friday, January 27 will bring the second nine-weeks grading period and the

semester to a close. In an effort to allow our teachers adequate time to report all grades, we will have a Teacher Workday on Monday, January 30, so there will be no school that day. The following day, Tuesday, January 31, we will hold Parent-Teacher Conferences throughout the day. You will have an opportunity to sign up for those conferences after the holiday break. We hope by setting aside an entire day for parents to come in, many more parents will take advantage of this opportunity and meet with their child’s teacher. Conferences will begin at 8:30 A.M. and will end at 3:00 P.M. There will be a break from 12:00 to 1:00 P.M. for lunch. School will not be in session on this day.

Your children have worked hard, and their teachers have worked hard to prepare meaningful yet interesting and fun lessons to enhance the enjoyment of this wonderful time of year. Our wish for you is that you share some quality family time and get a heavy dose of rest and relaxation. Sincerely, Marjorie R. Tankersley Principal

JINGLE BELL JOG WINNERS Congratulations to the following Jingle Bell Jog winners: First Grade: 1st Place: Sarah Rigual and Jack Bowles 2nd Place: Ahzadara Scott and Luke Dumont 3rd Place: Zoe Battle and Zachary Horn 4th Place: Sydney Hakanen and William Payne 5th Place: Bryelle Jackson and Edgar Del Cid Second Grade: 1st Place: Grace Maynard and Joe Hardy 2nd Place: Yasmin Deane and Jayden Williams 3rd Place: Brianna Denson and Reece Healey 4th Place: Katie Fidler and Tyler Pettis 5th Place: Kaya Walker and Ryelan White

NOTICE

The next meeting of the Special Education Advisory Committee is scheduled for Wednesday, January 11 at 7:00 P.M. at James Monroe High School. All persons with an interest in special education are welcome to attend. If you have a special need for accommodations, please contact Brenda Carr at 372-1127. The next meeting of the Gifted Advisory Committee is scheduled for Wednesday, January 25 at 3:00 P.M. at Lafayette Upper Elementary School. During this meeting, the gifted education teachers from Lafayette will be describing their programs. Anyone with an interest in gifted education is welcome to attend. If you have a need for special accommodations, please contact Brenda Carr at 372-1127.

WINTER WEATHER PROCEDURES

School Closings: When Fredericksburg City Public Schools are closed due to inclement weather, an announcement will be placed on the TV and Radio stations listed below. On days when FCPS are closed, have a delayed opening, or dismiss early due to weather conditions, the TV/radio announcement will state Fredericksburg City Schools. Frederick County, the surrounding counties of Stafford, Spotsylvania, etc., and private schools (Fredericksburg Christian, Fredericksburg Academy, etc.) are separate school divisions whose inclement weather schedules may vary from FCPS.

TV Stations Radio Stations Channel 4 Channel 6 Channel 8 Channel 9 Channel 18

WFVA (FM 101.5) (AM 1230) WFLS (FM 93.3) WGRQ (Q96) WVBX - The Vibe (FM 99.3) WGRX (Thunder104.5) WWUZ – Classic Rock (FM 96.9)

School personnel cannot individually notify parents when schools are dismissed early due to

inclement weather. You are encouraged to listen to the local radio stations or check our web site.

When schools are closed, all school-related events or activities are cancelled.

BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB (The Boys and Girls Club follows FCPS’ inclement weather

schedule.)

If school is closed for weather reasons, the Boys & Girls Club is closed. If school dismisses early for weather reasons, the Boys & Girls Club is closed. If after school programs are cancelled for weather reasons, the Boys & Girls Club is

closed.

Delayed Openings due to inclement weather will be announced on the TV and Radio stations listed above. School hours on delayed opening days are as follows: (Buses will arrive at their designated stops 2 hours later than usual.)

Hugh Mercer 10:35 – 3:15 P.M.

Lafayette 10:25 – 3:15 P.M.

Walker-Grant 9:40 – 2:40 P.M.

James Monroe 9:45 – 2:45 P.M.

RISE/STARS 10:30 – 2:00 P.M.

Preschool 11:00 – 12:30 P.M.

Head Start 10:40 – 2:10 P.M.

School closings and delayed opening information will be posted on the school’s web site (www.cityschools.com) and www.fredericksburg.com. Sign-up for email/text alerts of school closings, delayed openings, or early dismissals! Early dismissals due to inclement weather will be announced on the radio stations listed above and posted on the school division internet site. Schools will be dismissed in the following order:

1. James Monroe High School 2. Head Start and Preschool 3. Walker-Grant Middle School 4. Lafayette Upper Elementary School 5. Hugh Mercer Elementary School