School news

Brooke Point High
Vera Bradley Bags, Henn Baskets and more prizes can be won at the Brooke Point Athletic Booster's Bingo on Wednesday, May 21. Proceeds will go towards a new gator. Brooke Point's doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and bingo starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Concessions and raffles too! Contact Melanie Sampson at 540-220-6156 for more information.

— Deb Johnson

Garrisonville Elementary
Garrisonville Elementary celebrated National Mathematics Awareness Month by highlighting for students and parents the important role mathematics plays in our world. Students created posters to show how different jobs require mathematics and how their family uses math outside of school. Winners of the poster challenge were Brennan Rhodes, Kol Bergstrom, Riley Croce, Ariel DeVall, Ally DeVall, Marcelle Vickory Green, and Keysi Velasquez.

Classes competed in a school-wide problem solving challenge in which they had to explain and represent the mathematical thinking they used to find a correct solution. The classroom at each grade level with the greatest participation was chosen to display the "problem solving champs" banner outside their door.
Math month culminated with a Math/Science & Technology Night for families. Teachers prepared samples of inquiry-based activities in which questions were posed for families to investigate. The evening offered parents an opportunity to experience how questions can be a powerful learning tool to strengthen the critical thinking skills of their children in mathematics and science.

— Kim Gilby

Ferry Farm Elementary
On April 26 the PTA sponsored a one-mile fun run after the Spring clean-up. Fifty-three students, along with parents and siblings, participated and each student received a participation medal. This was Principal Ann Lewis' last Fun Run as she is retiring at the end of this school year.
Ferry Farm also had 95 students participate in The Great Train Race in Fredericksburg on Sunday. Twelve students out of 10 age groups finished in the top ten.

The fifth grade students performed for parents on History Night, May 8 in the school cafeteria. The students performed the following History Revue: Physical Regions, Native Americans, Explorers, Colonial Regions, Revolutionary War, Branches of Government/Constitutional skit, Moving West, Suffrage, Slavery/Abolition, Civil War, and Reconstruction.

— Janet Smoot

Head Start
Head Start's reading racer promotion event has ended and it was a success. Parents were encouraged to read to their child at home, and volunteers came into the classroom and read to the students. Each class had a goal of 100 books read, and a school wide goal of 1,200 books read within two weeks. All classes received ice cream treats for a job well done.

Head Start will host a family picnic at Brooks Park on Saturday, May 17, from 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m., located off Butler Road at Shelter A. All Head Start families and friends are invited to attend.

Head Start families are invited to a graduation and award ceremony for Family Literacy Night, May 19 at 5 p.m.

Kara Gardiner, the Nutrition Educator from the Virginia Cooperative Extension Agency, will present LEAP nutrition lessons to the Head Start students May 20 and 22 from 9a.m. - 11 a.m.

— Alice Thompson

Stafford Elementary
Our Dolphin Before-School Chess club had a high spirited tournament recently! The Gold Medal went to Fourth Grader, Zachary Martin; the Silver Medal went to Fifth Grader, Mason Williams and the Bronze Medal was shared by Fifth Grader, Joseph Marti and Fourth Grader, Sam Wilcox. The last Chess Club meeting was a celebration breakfast with a presentation of the medals.

The results from the final Wordmasters Challenge; from Third grade first place was awarded to Dorothy Castelly: Joey; Heindrichs placed second, Mohammed Almeflehi and Brendan Foster third. The Fourth grade challenge winners were Sam Wilcox, Kristen Nunnally, Zachary Martin, and Kaitlyn Commes. Laura Sweet was the first place winner for the 5th grade.

Seventy-one readers qualified for the second annual Reading Sleepover held on May 2. The children all had a wonderful time sleeping at the school. There were plenty of prizes, lots of pizza and ice cream sundaes.

— Suzie Ludwig

Winding Creek Elementary
School Focus teache. Roxanne Fields, announced the winners of the final Math Problem Solving Contest. First place winners with perfect scores are: Nick Ekanger, Reese Holland, Eric Menser, Clay Miller and Ethan Roberts.

— Martha Ross