THE PATRIO TS’ PRESS April 2014

Hugh Mercer Elementary School “A Foundation of Excellence” www.cityschools.com

Marjorie R. Tankersley, Principal mtankersley@cityschools.com Barbara N. Donaldson, Assistant Principal bdonaldson@cityschools.com Sandra P. Gillenwater, Assistant Principal sgillenwater@cityschools.com

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Families and Friends, It looks like spring has finally arrived! Our brutal winter has been hard on everyone, especially the children. In one day, out the next, a delayed opening after that; it has been very disruptive to our instructional program. Please help us by giving your children extra support at home. Our teachers have to teach a lot in a shortened time period, and we want to be sure that topics and skills are covered to the point of mastery for your children. If you see areas of weakness or concern, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher to learn what you can do together to help your child. April promises to be warmer and busier. Our third quarter grading period ends on April 1 and report cards will go home on April 11. Once again, we will be doing the St. Jude’s Math-A-Thon, with special meaning for us this year as our own first grade student, Josh Hardy, continues to recover at St. Jude’s. Our St. Jude’s Math-A-Thon runs from April 3 through April 30. We are all excited about our Kindergarten Enrollment and Registration Day, which will take place from 9:00 to 11:00 A.M. and again from 5:00 to 7:00 P.M. on Tuesday, April 8 in our cafeteria. This is an earlier date than in the past since we are coordinating our events with all the other Smart Beginnings schools in the Fredericksburg region. Please let any friends or neighbors who have rising kindergartners know about this exciting event. The children will all have an opportunity to meet Ready Freddy the Frog. This is a fun and celebratory event to which the whole family is invited.

The same evening as kindergarten registration, we have planned our April PTA meeting. This will give many parents a “two-fer,” two events at Hugh Mercer wrapped into one visit. The PTA meeting will be held at 6:30 P.M. in the library. Our PTA is a wonderful group of dedicated parents and teachers who help our children and staff in many ways. They bring us outstanding assemblies several times each year; they provide special lunches, dinners and treats for our staff ; they sponsor Spirit Nights at McDonald’s, Chick-Fil-A and other local venues; and they offer volunteer opportunities such as the Holiday Gift Shoppe and Book Fairs to parents. It is a wonderful way for new parents to get to know other parents. We encourage as many of you as possible to join us at our April PTA meeting. We are all looking forward to our first grade musical performance, which will take place on Thursday, April 10. Mrs. Horn will present this performance to the student body in the morning and again for an encore program to families and friends 6:00 P.M. On Friday, April 11, our PTA will sponsor a Wacky Hair event. We anticipate a variety of styles and colors that day! It should be fun for everyone. April is Math Appreciation Month, and once again we will have a Math Door Decorating Contest. We have some amazingly creative teachers here, and events like this often encourage the most reluctant math students. The Door Decorating Contest will run from April 14 through 18. That same week, we will hold both of our Spelling Bees. These have been postponed

several times due to snow. Our second grade Spelling Bee will take place at 1:30 P.M. on Monday, April 14. Our first grade Spelling Bee will be at 9:30 A.M. on Tuesday, April 15. Both will take place in the gym. Our P.E. Department does such a great job helping to encourage good fitness habits. One thing they do is sponsor fun runs for each grade level throughout the year. It will finally be our kindergartners’ turn on Monday, April 14. The Bunny Hop will be held at 3:45 P.M. on Monday, April 14 at the front of the school. This is just the most fun to watch because the children enjoy it so much! The last scheduled Parent/Teacher Conferences for the year will run from 4:00 to 6:00 P.M. on Tuesday, April 15. If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s progress, please be sure to sign up for a time during this evening. It is SO important that parents work together with the child’s classroom teacher to ensure success for the child. Friday, April 18 will be our monthly Patriot Fun Day AND “Wear a Number Day.” Now, I will take a moment to brag on our kids. As you know, we are a school of over 900 healthy children who do the things kids do. You also know we have this thing called Patriot Pride. Not only has our staff fully embraced the belief that through mutual respectful behavior,

everyone is happier and more successful, but so do our students. During the month of March, only 5 of our 900+ could not participate in Patriot Fun Day. And it’s tough to achieve that! If a student gets more than one discipline referral, he/she does not participate. And we have almost NO repeaters! We are just SO proud of your children and their outstanding behavior throughout the year!!! Thank you for your support. Our long-awaited Spring Break is April 21 through 25, and Hugh Mercer will be closed. To finish the busy month of April, your three administrators will experience the death-defying experience of having a BMX bike rider ride over the tops of our heads while our entire student body witnesses this feat. This will take place at 1:30 P.M. on Monday, April 28 on the blacktop behind the school. Our students earned this “reward” by participating in our annual fund raiser. As always, I thank you for your continued support! Sincerely, Marjorie R. Tankersley Principal

NOTICE OF MEETING

The Special Education Advisory Committee’s next meeting is April 9 at Lafayette Upper Elementary School. The DisAbilities Resource Center will review ID waivers. Additionally, the 2014 – 2015 Annual Special Education Plan will be reviewed. Anyone with an interest in special education is invited to the meeting. If you have a special need for accommodations, or would like to formally address the committee, please contact Donna Watts at 372-1127.

CONGRATULATIONS, SUPER STUDENTS!

VSBA NORTHEASTERN REGIONAL FORUM ART CONTEST: Congratulations to Mia Herrera, whose artwork was selected for entry into the Virginia School Board Association’s Northeastern Regional Forum Art Contest. For her achievement, Mia will be recognized at the School Board meeting being held on April 7.

PENNIES FOR PASTA: We collected pennies for pasta and raised

$448.31 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Mrs. Salamon’s

class won a catered Olive Garden lunch for collecting the most

donations ($119.09). Ms. Clausen’s class came in second place

($90.02) and won a popsicle party.

COMMUNITY AND SCHOOL

WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Breakfast Buddies: The Breakfast Buddy Program encourages community members to eat

breakfast at school with a targeted child on a regular basis (once weekly or bi-weekly) to mentor and develop a meaningful relationship that could positively impact the student for the rest of his/her life. If you are interested in participating or finding out more information, please contact Mrs. Sandy Gillenwater (Assistant Principal) or Mrs. Libba White (Guidance Counselor) at 372-1115.

Dads Who C.A.R.E. (Character Building, All-Star Attitudes, Role Models, Encouraging

Success): Thank you to the Daily Dads who volunteered during the month of March: Dwayne Wyatt and Stephen Tate.

Adopt-A-Classroom: Thank you to Susan Sompayrac for being an Adopt-A-Classroom

sponsor to Mrs. Flanagan’s and Ms. Saunders’ first and second grade classes. St. Jude Math-A-Thon: The St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Math-A-Thon kick-off is

April 3. This is an education-based fund raising program that benefits St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which treats children battling cancer and other diseases free of charge. Participating in the Math-A-Thon teaches students the importance of helping others and helps improve their math skills. Participants collect donations from family and friends to be contributed to St. Jude and will also receive a math fun book to complete. The class with the most donations will receive a pizza party. Second and third place winning classes will receive a popsicle party. Additional information will be sent home with your child. Contact Mrs. Kathy Weller at kweller@cityschools.com if you have any questions.

Calendar of Events

April 1 End of 3rd Grading Period

April 3-30 St. Jude’s Math-A-Thon

April 8 Kindergarten Enrollment & Registration Day (9 – 11 AM or 5 – 7 PM)

April 8 PTA Meeting (6:30 PM) - cafeteria

April 10 1st Graders’ Concert (9:30 AM & 6 PM)

April 11 Wacky Hair Day (PTA Spirit Day) Report Card Distribution

April 14 – 18 Math Door Decorating Contest

April 14 Spelling Bee (2nd Grade) – 1:30 PM

April 14 Kindergartners’ Bunny Hop @ 3:45 PM

April 15 – 17 Kindergartners’ Field Trip to Ferry Farm

April 15 Spelling Bee (1st Grade) – 9:30 AM

April 15 Parent/Teacher Conferences (4 – 6 PM)

April 18 Patriot Pride Fun Day & Wear a Number Day

April 21 – 25 NO SCHOOL (Spring Break)

April 28 BMX Show (All School) – 1:30 PM

LEARNING IS FUN AT HUGH MERCER!

INDOOR FIELD DAY The P. E. department organized grade level Indoor Field Days at The Field House. Thank you to John and Penny Wack, facility owners, for sponsoring our fun field trip!

POWHATAN PRESENTATION The Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation brought living history museums to second grade classrooms. Students used replicas of Powhatan Indian tools, clothing, and resources to experience the life of a Native American tribe that once lived in the coastal region.

SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER VISITS HM FCPS School Board member, Mrs. Patricia Green, visited our school this winter. Shown here, Mrs. Sandy Jones’ kindergartners share their reading skills with her. FUN FACT! Did you know that Mrs. Green once taught middle school English and Drama classes at the original Walker-Grant Middle School that now houses the Boys and Girls Club? She did!

PERFECT ATTENDANCE Congratulations to the following students, who had perfect attendance for the month of February: KINDERGARTEN:

Bresli Acevedo, Brooklynn Adams, Ghazi Alanazi, Rodolfo Andino-Martinez, Jonathan Andrade, Sujad Alemy, Hansel Cedeno, DeAvion Allen, William Alverez, Edwin Alvarez-Benitez, Oscar Argueta Reyes, Hadi Attie, Alivia Austin, Nicholas Battista, Charles Battiste, A’meira Battie, Nathan Bayton, Kameon Belsches, Aaron Berrios Ramirez, Darrien Bland, Kraig Bolte, Maddox Bond, Kalie Bonilla-Osorio, Ramyah Bonner, Michael Bowens, Michael Bridgeman, Zyion Brooks, Christian Brown, Tylaysia Brown, Ameena Brown, Kira Bugge, Katelyn Burns, Chloe Bustie, Ryan Butler, Sidney Byrd, Zavion Carey, Axel Garcia, Samuel Fuertes, Amelia Carter, AnnMarie Casey, Kaylee Valle, Krystal Mendoza, Hansel Cedeno, Corinne Chapman, Ava Chasen, Mary Claire Hart, Conor Clarke, Allison Chicas, Luis Colon, Jaiyanna Cook, Cameron Cubbage, David Cunningham, Elijah Davis, Amari Day, Leah Deane, Mia DeAngelo, Bonnie Delgado, Breanna Dempsey, Christopher Edwards, Jaiden Edwards, Grayson Escueta, Brandon Estrada, Serenity Farrell, Jonathan Farias, Ethan Foley, Gael Garcia, Timnite Gebreegziabher, Evan George, Kayleigh Gomez, Chrisopher Iturbe, Marco Vasquez, Je’Veon Gowdy, Dominic Graham, Marelli Guadarrrama, Finn Hardwick, Autumn Heiston, Emily Fernandez, Brodie Herrera, Mia Herrera, Nasir Holmes, Alyssah Housey, Danniel Jackson, Nathan Jackson, Obani Jackson, Liliana Jahnke-Aragon, Jay’viana Pettit, Javien Jimenez, Damir Johnson, Jahzell Johnson, Laniya Johnson, Tyler Johnson, June Jonas, Dylan Joy, Jordon Juggins, Donald Kearsley, Kilyn Khanna, Miranda Kline, Jayiah Long, Mike Lopez Barradas, Ari Lucas, Jerry Machado, Camila Maldonado, Dvid Martinez Reyes, Jerry Marquez Machado, Camila Maldonado, David Martinez Reyes, Jerry Marquez Machado, Mackenzie McAllister, Liam McCormick, Evangeline McFarland, Emma Micks, Andres Migeul Francisco, Jayden Mitchell, Brianna Mitchell, Jacob Michail, Emran Mohammad, Madisyn Montgomery, Mary Muldrow, Mariana Murcia, Jerome Murphy, John Myles-Mills, Evelyn O’Brien, Kaitlyn O’Daniel, Genesis Ortega Cuevas, Kelvin Ortiz-Funez, Gabrielle Ott, Oneil Oussantidja, Madison Panholzer, Dreonn Parker Borwn, Vincent Phan, Ciara Pompilio, Kyleigh Pinkney, Kimberly Portillo Hernandez, Jaidan Pressley, Niyanna Queen, Jonatan Ramirez Ortega, Liam Rensink, Kenneth Reyes-Bonilla, Jaquan Reynolds, Tyteiona Reynolds, Ashley Reza Hernandez, Soloman Rigelhaupt, Maelee Ritchie, Juvenal Rivas, Karen Rivas Reyes, Julio Rivera, Allison Rodenberg, JaNiyah Ross, Luke Rossi, Holly Rowland, Desiree Scott, Ka’Leeyha Scott, Finch Shewfelt, Sarita Sims, Alyssah Smith, Wyatt Smith, James Snyder, Reece Snyder, Melvin Soto Lechuga, R=Brianna Stanley, Niya Stevenson, Ray Stitt, Arwin Sydnor, Amaziana Taimanglo, Doneal Taylor, Jordyn Taylor, Indya Terrell, Malchai Terrell, Liam Thomas Rensink, Haidyn Thompkins, Marcell Thompson, Mason Thompson, Michaela Thornton, Xavier Tinnermon, Kiondre Toney, Kristian Toney, Curon Torres, Xeo Torres, Malik Turner, Paige Turner, Milton Valiente Lopez, Griffin Van Zandt, Yoanni Vanegas, Amiya Vannorman, Elizabeth Vezina, Mikayla Vezina, Camryn Walker, Jaiyia Walker, Tailyah Watson, J’Myiah White, Elijah Wilson, Richard Yang (NOTE: Aaron Berrios Ramirez was inadvertently omitted from the January Perfect Attendance list.)

FIRST GRADE:

Raegan Adgerson, Monis Ahmad, Mohammed Almuslimawi, Luis Alvarado Zamora, Orlando Alvarez Benitez, Jr.. Brianna Alvarez Lopez, Eber Amaya Guevara, Merlin Andrade Lovo. Justin Andreoni, Adonai Annor, Ashly Arana. Garbiela Arredondo-Bravo. Autumn Ashton. Nadia Avila. Lavyeska Barrera Camacho. Jayley Beer. Tyler Belance. Claire Berendino. Keanan Berry. Jackson Billingsley. Katherine Blalock, Jaqueline Bonilla Alvarez. Michael Bonilla. Ava Brewer. Justin Michael. Kendra Brewer. Justin Brewton. Lorenzo Brooks. Abigail Brown. Damien Brown, Jaylen Brown. Kameron Brown. Lance H. Brown. Nevaeh Brown, Jeremiah Buckner, Nicholas Butler, Cival Burton. Makenzie Burton, Cedric Byers, Azhari Byrd, Keira Byrne, Michael Carella, Addison Cornett, Rhett Coulon, Sophia Coulon, Cameron Cressman, Elkin Cruz, Joshua Cruz Diaz, Savanna Daley, Aleasecia Davis, Destin Davis, Ethan DeAngelo, Peter Descorbeth, Adianylis Diaz, Michelle Diaz, Christian Diego Juan, Alexandra Dominguez, Jordan Dominguez, Johnathan Doud, Maggie Dougherty, Charles Edson, Moses Evans, Addison Everett, Sammara Ferguson, Karisma Ferreira Santos, Nathaniel Fowlkes, Miska Fnu, Aaliyah Fox-Carter, Kobe Freeman, De’Sean French, Raven Furrow, Rebekah Furrow, Samuel Gertner, Elvis Gomez. Maria Gomez-Gutierrez, Victor Gonzalez, Anthony Granados Arenivar, Jamari Greenhow, Tess Groom, Emerson Guevara Santos, Jamison Healey, Addison Heasley, Aleah Henderson, Brissia Hernandez-Luis, Jefferson Hernandez-Nunez, Alyssa Herrera, Katherine Hooks, Joseph Hooks, Duncan Hoosier, Tre Hope, Addyson Hough, Arianna Housey, Jin Huff, Azarah Humphrey-Hester, Sanaa Ingram, Jared Jackson, Tristan Jackson, Jeyren Jimenez, Jacoby Johnson, Rasheed Johnson, Raymond Johnson, Eleanor Jurlando, Queen-Zaria Kirkman, Grayson M. Lane, Oliver Lane, Vivian Lau, Brooke Layton, Toby Levin, Jeremiah Lewis, Walter Linsner, Jennifer Lopez, Nicole Lopez, Tana Loving, Elyass Mahgoub, Logan Maiden, Hannah Malin, Ryan Marquez, Desmond Maul, Grant May, Carlos McClain, Russell McFadden, Jaden McKoy, Aaron McVade, Rosario Medina, Oscar Mejia, Cecilia Mellinger, Antonio Mendoza Chen, Nevaeh Milsap, Taija Minor, Dinita Misidor, Janelle Mkhail, Inti Mooney-Guerra, Tristan Morales, Emerson Moriarty, Keyonna Murphy, Ismael Nicolas Hernandez, Brittany Orellana, Luis Ortega Bazan, Chase Pack, Isabel Para, Zamihrah Parker, Malachi Parker, Ameyah Parson, Yash Patil, Emma Pedersen, Nathaniel Perrin, Ty’Kori Pettus, Christy Pham, Yoselin Pineda Valiente, Jayden Pratt, Iyanna Preston, Aja Roberts, Aiyana Robinson, Lola R. Rodriguez, Ariana Rodriguez, Molly Rathgeb, Samantha Recinos, Baxter Reed, Quinton Reed, Elizabeth Reyes, Aiyana Robinson, Camiya Robinson, Dezaun Robinson, Makhia Robinson, Gabriela Rosario Pellot, Joseph Rose, Ishmael Ross, Jasmine Ross, Tamya Ross, Grace Rouzer, Madelyn Rowe, Marium Saleem, Kevin Samayoa Melendez, Darian Samuel, Axel Sanchez, Javier Sanchez Valiente, Julio Sanchez-Menjivar, Mahki Sands, Yasmin Santos, Alyssandra Serrano, Nadia Shalaby, Talan Simms, Jakya Sims, Theodore Smalley, Alyssa Smith, Iyana Smith, Kendrell Smith, Kaeden Stettler, Alivia Teri, Gabrielle Thurman, Isaiah Torres, Melei Turner, Jaice Tyler, Elijah Tyree, Justin Urban, Isabelle Valentine, Brooke Walters, Olivia Warren , Samim Wellezadi, Tyra Wester, Walter Williams, Jocelyn Wright, Caprice Wright, Tyauna Wright, Jaice Tyler, Te’Ron Woolen, Lei Yang, Simon Young, Ruben Zarate, Andrea Zavala

SECOND GRADE: Gustavo Abraham-Reyes, William Aguilar Gonzales, Mahmood Alemy, Maniyah Alston, Maria Alvarado Zamora, Nabil Amir, Jordan Austin, Alicia Bailey, Brooke Baldwin, Joseph Barrera, Isaac Battista, Mihaila Baylor, Breanna Bell, Keila Berrios-Ramirez, Mia Beverly, Payton Billingsley, Diara Bonilla, John Brindley, Jayden Broach, Shayfah Brooks, Aria Bryant, Aliviyah byrd, Samiya Campbell, Zymerra Carey, Andres Carranza, Scarlett Castillo-Tejada, Jackson Clarke, Carley Coghill, DreQuan Coleman, Brianna Collins, Deshawn Comfort, Jeremiah Cousins, Emma Davis, Julius Davis, Kiaerstin Davis, Anna Deigado, Olivia Delgado, Nicole Deza, Nicholas Deza, Dieego Diego Juan, Aiden Duncan, Alyssa Edwards, Reanna Ellis, Jordan Fleming, Angel Flores De Leon, Kennedy Flynn, Timothy Ford, Avery Foresman, Malakai Francis, Donovan Frost, Amelia Garman, George Garzon Martinez, Jason George, Samuel Gertner, Oscaar Gonzalez, Erin Hancock, Teagan Hardwick, Khalil Harris, Ivan Hedgepath, Bianca Hernandez Alvarez, Daniel Hernandez, Victor Herrera, Makenna Hine, Jariah Johnson, Jose Juarez Barrios, Zulfigar Juda, Regis Keddie, Josselyn Kilby, Piper Kingsley, Grant Kornegay, Margaret Lacy, Stephanie Landaverde Rivas, Miles Landeck, Alyssa Layton, Jamaal Lewis, Jayde Lewis, Zanaya Lightfoot, Nickolas Logan, Tyrelle Lucas, Abigail Lyles, Justin Maldonado, Henry Malin, Phoeboe Martin-Cole, Ana Martinez, Ty McDonald, Noel McFee, KeShawn McLaughlin, Gabriel Mellinger, Michelle Midy, Janiyah Milken, Logan Miller, Blake Morin, Isaac Morris, Patrick Mozingo, Nasir Muhammad, Regina Ndihokubwayo, Terrenah Newman, Neema Niyokuri, Brendan O’Brien, Cameron Olson, Kasper Olson, Kirstyn Orange, Jonathan Ortiz, Zaryah Parker, Krisha Patel, Guadalupe Perez Nino, Essynce Pierce, Jocelyn Pland, Delphine Pomeroy, Sabrina Portillo-Marin,Jacori Preston, Cristina Reyes Saenz, Isaac Roboinson, Lilyan Rose, Alaijah Royster, Jeremy Cotaquispe, Carlos Santos, Nathan Scharf, Adriannah Scott, Destiny Scruggs, Darrin Sever, Kayla Shepard, Brianna Smith, Marcus Smith, Maosn Smith, Amera Stephens, Marrion Stevenson, Locke Strejcek, Symphoni Swain, Jaxon Taylor, Ava Thorpe, Nathaniel Tremper, Leah Turner, Agnes Tusenge, Benjamin Valentine, Karla Valle Rivera, Aburee Van Wey, Anthony Vargas Gonzalez, Zoeie Voje, Isaiah Walker, Zarius Ward, Xazyvion Watson, Ryan Westendorf, Montel Wilson, Lily Yager