Weekly update for March 14, 2025

Dear CES friends and families:

Happy Pi Day! National π Day is celebrated today, March 14 (3/14) around the world, which is also Albert Einstein's birthday. Pi is the symbol used in mathematics to represent a constant — the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter — which is approximately 3.14159. If you would like to learn more about resources to share with your students about this math concept, please let us know.

I am excited to share about a new partnership we have formed with the Fairfax County Police Department. They have a community engagement initiative named the "Lunch Buddy Program" and they have agreed to spend time with us at Columbia ES! Starting next week, officers will visit schools to have lunch with students, providing a fun and relaxed way to build positive relationships between law enforcement and the young members of our community. It’s a great way for students to interact with officers outside of emergencies, fostering trust, mentorship, and a sense of community. I hope our students enjoy getting to know the people behind the badges, and that they get to learn about giving back to their community. Please reach out to me directly with any questions you may have.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Take care,

Mike Astudillo

Proud Principal

Columbia Elementary School  

PTA Meeting

Our next meeting is this coming Tuesday, March 18th in the library. There will be a zoom link for those who would like to join virtually. We will be discussing Teacher Appreciation Week. April 28- May 2. Please join us.

PTA Wish List 

We have a spring full of events ahead of us. Please see our wish list that includes things such as concession stand supplies, bookmarks for Read-a-thon, paper bags for school use, and items to stock the teachers lounge. Items do not have to be purchased from Amazon. Feel free to purchase elsewhere and drop it off in the front office. Thank you!

Online Spirit wear Store is Live

Students, family and staff can now order spirit wear all year long. You can click HERE to order your gear.  

Upcoming

3/26 Family Night Out – Jets Pizza: Order HERE

Art to Remember Fundraiser

Don’t forget about our Art to Remember fundraiser that is going on now through March 25th! Orders can be placed online at https://arttoremember.com/school/Z2PHTL. You can purchase personalized gifts customized with your child’s art and many for less than $15. Also feel free to share your child’s code with extended family and friends. If you have any questions, please reach out to our Art teacher, Michelle McKenna mbmckenna@fcps.edu.

No olvides nuestra recaudación de fondos “Arte de Recuerdo” que está en marcha hasta el 25 de Marzo. Los pedidos pueden ser hechos en línea en  https://arttoremember.com/school/Z2PHTL.

Puedes comprar regalos personalizados con el arte de tu hijo(a); y muchas opciones por menos de $15. También, siéntete libre de compartir el código de tu hijo con familiares y amigos.

Si tienes alguna pregunta, por favor contacte a nuestra profesora de Arte, Michelle McKenna mbmckenna@fcps.edu.

Ms. Wondmagegne Published in National Mathematics Journal!

We are delighted to share that Ms. Mhret Wondmagegne, our 2nd grade teacher, has co-authored an article published in the March 2025 issue of Mathematics Teacher: Learning & Teaching PK–12, a publication of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). This is a significant accomplishment, and we congratulate Ms. Wondmagegne on this honor! Read all about her accomplishment on the Columbia website!

Specials Spotlight FLES & STEAM with Srta. Alba During the third quarter, students had a chance to use Ozobots for the first time this year! They incorporated both coding and the Spanish language. The topics for Kindergarten, first graders and second graders have been animals and they have enjoyed talking about them and learning the movements that go along with each one! In third grade, students have learned about definite and indefinite articles in Spanish.  In fourth grade, students learned about 3D shapes and made an impossible cube using keva planks.  Fifth graders learned about force and motion and did a ball run to demonstrate their learning.