Mustang Message - March 21, 2025
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We are a community of learners... thriving in a diverse world!We are a family.
We are capable.
We are caring.
We all belong!
Fifth grade students working to build a strong electromagnet.
Important Dates
March 31 NO SCHOOL: Eid-al-Fitr
April 1 NO SCHOOL: Teacher Workday
April 14-18 NO SCHOOL: Spring Break
Specialist Spotlight - Literacy
Helping Your Child Become a Confident Writer:
Writing is an essential skill that helps children express their thoughts and share their ideas with the world. As a parent, you can support your child’s writing journey by creating an encouraging and structured environment at home. Beyond fostering creativity, it is also important to help with the practical aspects of writing—spelling, brainstorming, organizing ideas, and refining their work. Here is how you can help your child develop strong writing skills with both creative and logistical support.
- Encourage Creative Expression
Give your child opportunities to write freely without worrying too much about grammar or structure at first. Encourage them to author stories, poems, or journal entries about topics they enjoy. You can start with fun writing prompts, such as:
- “If you could visit any planet, which one would you choose and why?”
- “Write a story about a talking animal and its best friend.”
- “Describe your dream adventure in a magical land.”
Let them explore ideas without constraints and remind them that there’s no “wrong” way to start a creative piece.
- Help with Brainstorming and Idea Organization
Children often struggle with getting started because they do not know what to write about or how to structure their thoughts. Here is how you can help:
- Ask guiding questions: If your child is stuck, ask open-ended questions like:
- “What would happen next in your story?”
- “How does your character feel in this situation?”
- “What problem does the main character face, and how do they solve it?”
- Create a mind map: Draw a central idea in the middle of a paper and branch out into different related thoughts. This visual approach helps children organize their ideas before writing.
- Use a story structure guide: If your child is drafting a story, outline the key elements: beginning (introduce characters and setting), middle (conflict or challenge), and end (resolution). This prevents the frustration of getting lost mid-story.
- Support Spelling and Vocabulary Growth
Children often hesitate to write because they are afraid of spelling mistakes. Instead of correcting every error as they write, try these approaches:
- Encourage phonetic spelling: If they do not know how to spell a word, let them try sounding it out. Later, you can go over corrections together.
- Help them break words down: If they ask how to spell a word, break it into syllables and ask if they can recognize smaller words within it.
- Make spelling fun: Use word-building games like Scrabble, magnetic letters on the fridge, or apps that reinforce vocabulary in a playful way.
- Make Writing a Daily Habit
Incorporate writing into everyday life so it feels natural and purposeful:
- Write grocery lists together: Have them sound out and write words like “apples” or “milk.”
- Encourage letters and notes: Suggest they write a note to a family member, a thank-you letter, or even an email.
- Keep a shared journal: Take turns writing entries in a notebook about daily activities, which helps reinforce sentence structure and storytelling.
- Read Together and Discuss Writing Styles
Reading and writing go hand in hand. When children read a variety of books, they absorb new vocabulary, sentence structures, and storytelling techniques. Help them engage with texts by:
- Pointing out descriptive words: “How does this author make the setting feel real?”
- Noticing sentence variety: “See how this sentence is short and exciting, but this one is long and detailed?”
- Encouraging retelling: Ask them to summarize a story or rewrite it with a different ending.
- Guide Them Through the Editing Process
Once your child has written something, help them refine it without making them feel discouraged:
- Read it aloud together: This helps them hear where sentences might be unclear.
- Ask improvement questions: “Is there a better word for ‘big’ here?” “What would make this sentence more exciting?”
- Use a checklist: Teach them to check for capital letters, punctuation, and proper spacing. A simple checklist can make self-editing feel more structured.
- Provide a Writing-Friendly Environment
Create a dedicated writing space with supplies like notebooks, colorful pens, sticky notes, and a dictionary. A quiet and comfortable area makes writing feel like a natural and enjoyable activity rather than a task.
- Use Technology to Make Writing Fun
Typing on a computer, using speech-to-text tools, or creating digital stories can add excitement to writing. Try:
- Story-making apps: Tools like Storybird allow children to create illustrated stories.
- Speech-to-text programs: If they struggle to write, encourage them to dictate their thoughts first.
- Typing practice games: These help them develop speed and confidence in digital writing.
- Offer Positive and Constructive Feedback
Encouragement is key to building confidence. Instead of focusing only on mistakes, praise their creativity and effort:
- Use “I love how…” statements: “I love how you described the dragon’s cave!”
- Encourage revision as part of the process: “Great first draft! Now let us make it even stronger.”
- Lead by Example
Let your child see you writing—whether it is a shopping list, an email, or a journal entry. Talk about why writing is important in your life, and they will be more likely to see its value in theirs.
Helping your child become a confident writer is not just about correcting spelling and grammar—it is about nurturing creativity, developing organization skills, and making writing an enjoyable part of their daily life. By guiding them through brainstorming, spelling, structuring, and refining their work, you will set them up for success as they grow into strong, expressive writers.
BMP Readathon Fundraiser
March is National Reading Month, and we want to celebrate in a big way by helping our school/PTA raise funds! The Readathon will begin on March 10th and continue until April 10th. What can you do to help?
1- REGISTER YOUR STUDENT.
Every student that is registered enters their class for a chance to win free breakfast! Registering is completely free.
Simply go here:
Register or re-register to your parent dashboard and complete their website by uploading a picture of your child.
School identifier: 654425910e331
2- Make an online donation if you would like to
3- Share your child’s page amongst family, friends, and social media
Our total school goal is to raise $5,000 which will go towards fun events at the school for our students and our teachers, support for our classrooms, assistance with class field trips, and any upgrades we can help with during our school’s renovation.
Additionally, the CLASS that raises the most money will get to choose a prize (a lunch, an extra recess, an ice cream party, an extra “whatever you want” PE class, etc.).
Thank you for your continued support of our school, your student, and commitment to the success of our school and community!
Bren Mar Park PTA
[email protected] email with any questions
Help and Resources for Infants, Toddlers, and Their Families
Are you concerned about your infant, toddler, or preschool-aged child's development? Resources are available if your child exhibits difficulties in one or more of the following areas:
- communication,
- fine and/or gross motor skills,
- self-help skills,
- problem solving
- attention skills
Learn more about typical developmental milestones.
The Infant & Toddler Connection of Virginia (ITC) is the state’s early intervention system for infants and toddlers (0-36 months) with disabilities and their families. ITC provides evaluations and services for children who have developmental delays or medical conditions that may affect development. Parents are encouraged to contact ITC at 703-246-7121 to share their concerns.
Early Childhood Child Find is the process of identifying children with potential special education needs between the ages of 20 months and 5 years (children must be two by September 30).
FCPS Early Childhood Identification and Services (ECID&S) offers a free referral process to identify potential developmental delays or disabilities. Special education services are provided for all children who are found eligible through the referral process. Parents are encouraged to contact 571-423-4121 with questions or to make a referral.
✨ Helping students meet the criteria for kindergarten readiness is Goal 1 of the Strategic Plan.
Free quality half-day preschool program. An inclusive program for children with disabilities between the ages of 3 - 5 years old offered through Fairfax County Public Schools.
Know a BMP Staff Member Who CARES?
The FCPS CARES Program allows the community to recognize FCPS employees who go above and beyond! We invite you to submit a story below to acknowledge the great work of a BMP employee or group of employees who should receive recognition.
Submit an FCPS CARES today!
Here is what you need to know:
- Submissions are entered through StaffConnect. Select “I want to submit a(n)” and scroll to “FCPS Cares Submission.” The report will use the word “incident,” which is a generic term for all submissions, regardless of type.
- A notification email, with the submission text included, will be sent to the recipient(s) and copied to the recipient's supervisor(s).
- All submissions will be posted to our FCPS CARES webpage and shared via other FCPS news outlets.
Order online at:
https://www.barksdalestorefront.com/store/event_login/?ac=0036558PAN
Order code: 0036558PAN
What to expect on picture day
- When an order is placed online, the parent/guardian will receive a camera pass via email. This can either be printed or texted to the student and brought to picture day. The photographer will photograph the printed camera pass along with the student.
- If a student is not able to print their camera pass, that is not a problem. We will match up the student to their order manually in the production process.
- A parent may order from the flyer up until 24 hours after picture day. After 24 hours, the online ordering access may close. This will allow our imaging team to "Pull" all orders submitted and match them with the students photographed.
- When pictures are returned to school, all students that purchased pictures will receive their prepaid package. Any student that was photographed but did not order a package, will receive a "Proof" (PX) of their picture that was taken on picture day.
All proof packages offer parents a second opportunity to order prints. All orders are subject to shipping and handling costs of up to $8.50 and will be shipped directly to home.
Summer Learning Camps
Registration will be available soon for summer camps offered by Fairfax County Public Schools for all students. Career and Technical Education (CTE) camps and Institute for the Arts (IFTA) camps will be held in July at Lake Braddock Secondary School from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bus transportation will be available from select FCPS middle and high schools. Registration begins for these programs on Monday, March 10, and ends Friday, June 6.
Tech Adventure Camp (TAC) is a week-long exploratory camp designed to allow current K-5 students to explore activities in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math), culinary arts, health, trades, and business and marketing areas. Watch this video about CTE camps.
E-IFTA is a weekly arts camp for students in grades 2-5 who love to sing, dance, act, perform, make, and create. Students take part in four daily classes related to dance, music, theater, and visual art. They work with FCPS fine arts teachers who create fun and engaging classes.
For more information, see the Summer Learning page.
No summer programming will be offered at Bren Mar Park, including Rec-PAC, due to the construction. SOAR summer programs, by invitation, will be hosted at Weyanoke Elementary School.
Getting to Know Your BMP Staff
Arden Sperty, ECCB Teacher
Hello! This is my third year teaching and at BMP. I came to teaching as a career change after 15 years as a cardiac technician. I earned my Master’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education from George Mason University.
In my free time I enjoy bicycling, watching, and feeding the inhabitants of my fish tank, and spending time with my family.
6344 Beryl Road, Alexandria, VA 22312 | Main Office: 703-914-7200
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