NEWSLETTER QUICK LINKS:
Next Week - 4/12-21 - Happy Spring Break
R.E.A.L. Term Spring Co-Ops - The List
OBX #2 - NOVA Wild & Lake Fairfax 4/22
PSAT & SAT - Opt-In/Opt-Out of Spring Exams: 4/24
5th Annual GWCS Palooza - 5/2
Weekly Song Recommendations with Amelia
Coyote Cafe Info & Menu - Thursday Lunch - Pizza+
Ask Charley! - Technology Support
Pro-Tip: Blue Letters = Links - Happy Clicking!
MONDAY, APRIL 14
No School - SPRING BREAK!
TUESDAY, april 15
No School - SPRING BREAK!
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 16
No School - SPRING BREAK!
THURSDAY, APRIL 17
No School - SPRING BREAK!
FRIDAY, APRIL 18
No School - SPRING BREAK!
MONDAY, APRIL 21
No School - SPRING BREAK!
GWCS ONLINE EVENTS CALENDAR - UPDATED DAILY
R.E.A.L. Term Spring Co-Ops Update…
tHE lIST!
Congratulations to all our participating juniors and seniors who started their internships on Tuesday, April 8th. This is an exciting opportunity for them to gain valuable real-world experience in their areas of interest.
2025 Internship Placements:
Rock of Ages Music - Alexandria
Bond's Escape Room
Children's Science Center
Frying Pan Park
IvyRehab
Customized Legal Internship with Joe Parisi
Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture
Our Stomping Ground
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
Adams-Greene Funeral Home
Audrey Moore Senior Center
VCA Animal Hospital
Customized Internship focused on pursuing a Tattoo Artist Apprenticeship
We are excited to hear about their experiences and progress throughout the 4th quarter!
Questions? CONTACT:
Mrs. Dwyer
dwyerk@gwcommunityschool.com
OBX #2
NOVA Wild & Lake Fairfax Park Adventure!
April 22, 2025 (the day we return from Spring Break!)
DESTINATION: NOVA Wild
and Lake Fairfax Park
On Tuesday, April 22nd the OBX crew will be headed to NOVA Wild for a wild and wonderful animal experience! Get up close with fascinating creatures, learn about conservation efforts, and maybe even feed a few friendly faces.
After our safari-style fun, we’ll stroll over to Lake Fairfax Park for a picnic lunch and a hike —with a chance to do a little geocaching along the way!
About:
Meet at GWCS: 9:00 am Sharp! (Go directly to school - NO GYM)
Pickup at GWCS: 3:15 pm
Wear: Dress for the weather: Wear comfortable walking shoes, long pants, and layers you can adjust throughout the day.
Bring: Bag lunch and refillable water bottle. Coolers will be available for your lunch bags.
Transportation: School Van & Cars
Questions? Contact:
Mr. Connelly
connellytp@gwcommunityschool.com
Thank you to The GWCS Foundation!
You Are Invited to a Planning Meeting…
for Teacher Appreciation Week shhhhhhh
Via Zoom on Wednesday, Apr 22, 2025 at 12:00 Noon
Hello Parents and Friends of GWCS!
Let’s get together to plan and brainstorm how we can show appreciation for our AWESOME teachers and staff. Teacher Appreciation Week is from Monday, May 5 through Friday, May 9. In the past, we have provided treats and/or gifts each day.
Currently, we are planning a Take-Home-a-Dinner for Thursday 5/8 where a family provides a meal for a teacher to take home. On Friday 5/9 there will be a catered lunch; so this leaves us with Monday 5/5, Tuesday 5/6, and Wednesday 5/7 to plan more special things for our wonderful teachers!
Hope you can join me on a Zoom call on Wednesday, April 22 at noon. Zoom access information below - click to view. Thank you!
Sharon Lin
GWCS Parent Volunteer
sjchen27@cox.net
-
Topic: Parent Planning Meeting for Teacher Appreciation Week
Time: Wednesday, Apr 22, 2025 12:00 PM Eastern Time
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87272464968?pwd=pzYzhUsCA5MSuuXJ3atZ6gfqIWOdEW.1
Meeting ID: 872 7246 4968
Passcode: 894008
---
One tap mobile
+13017158592,,87272464968#,,,,*894008# US (Washington DC)
+13052241968,,87272464968#,,,,*894008# US
---
Dial by your location
• +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
Meeting ID: 872 7246 4968
Passcode: 894008
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcRvm4CxJ
Spring PSAT & SAT Day:
OPT-IN or OPT-OUT Today!
attention all GWCS students!
What You Need to Know:
All GWCS 8th, 9th graders have been signed up to take the PSAT 8/9 Exam
All GWCS 10th graders have been signed up to take the PSAT 10 Exam
All 11th and 12th graders have the option to take the SAT Exam
ALL STUDENTS should opt-in or opt-out of the spring SAT/PSATs by clicking the button below.
GWCS uses the results of the PSAT for underclassmen to identify students' academic strengths and weaknesses, and then uses this data to strengthen the GWCS curriculum.
What if you’re NOT scheduled to take an exam? Stay tuned for more details about test-day as we get closer to April. GWCS covers the cost this year.
Questions? Contact:
Mr. Goldie
goldiera@gwcommunityschool.com
Graduation Planning Meeting: Round Two!
Friday, April 25 at 12:00 pm
Join us for the next round of graduation planning on Friday, April 25th at 12:00 PM in Alexa’s Classroom. We’ll keep the planning rolling as we work together to shape an unforgettable graduation day. Whether you’ve been involved or are just jumping in, we’d love your ideas and energy.
Ledo’s pizza will be served, so bring your appetite and your creativity!
Please RSVP (by Thursday, April 24th) via the SignUpGenius button below so we know how much to order.
Graduation 2025 ~ Come One, Come All!
save the date: Saturday, June 7, 2025 at 11:00 am
All Students & Parents Encouraged to Attend!
Mark your calendars for this year’s GWCS Graduation Ceremony on June 7th, 2025, at 11:00 AM at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial. All GWCS students and parents are expected to attend. Celebrating our seniors’ achievements is a community effort, and your presence makes the day even more meaningful.
Every time you attend our graduation ceremony, you gain a deeper appreciation for what this milestone represents—both for the graduates and for your own student when their time comes. The attendance of the entire GWCS community gives our seniors a heartfelt and supportive send-off in true community style.
All guests should be seated by 10:45 AM to ensure a smooth start. Keep an eye on the WYNK for volunteer opportunities to help make this day truly special.
Let’s come together to honor our seniors and celebrate their success!
Weekly Song Recommendations…
with Amelia
Hello, this is Amelia Schmutz! I am a junior at GWCS, and I write this section of the WYNK on song recommendations. I hope you enjoy. Feel free to talk to me at school or email me your top recommendations and favorite songs for a future WYNK.
MY
RECOMMENDATION
“One Step Closer” – Linkin Park
Linkin Park’s “Hybrid Theory” is truly a masterpiece. With huge hits like “In the End,” “Crawling,” and “One Step Closer,” make this album unforgettable. The way Linkin Park perfectly mesh tantalizing vocals, catchy guitar, and deep rage makes their music flawless.
“One Step Closer” was originally called “Shut Up” since the bridge is “Shut up when I’m talking to you!” “It [the bridge of “One Step Closer”] said, 'Hello, we are going to crush you.'" Chester Bennington said. Chester’s mom thought the bridge was funny because "shut up" was a "bad word" in their house when he was a kid.
"When we were recording it, (producer) Don Gilmore was really drilling me and Mike (Shinoda) about lyrics, and it had gotten to the point where we had rewritten some songs 30 times! I remember walking into the control room, handing Don the lyrics and he grabbed them, passed them in front of his face without even looking, handed them back to me, and told me to do it again. I lost my f****ing mind, thinking, 'This guy's a f****ing maniac!' But that kind of inspired the lyrics - 'I cannot take this anymore. /I'm saying everything I've said before. /All these words make no sense,' and the chorus, 'Everything you say to me takes me one step closer to the edge.' - it all came from that frustration…” Chester's said in an interview Kerrang! on January 29, 2011. His raw frustration makes “One Step Closer” an immensely, toweringly, memorable song.
GWCS RECOMMENDATION
“Us and Pigs” – SOFIA ISELLA
Recommended by Shayna
At just 18 years old, SOFIA ISELLA has emerged as one of the leading social critics of her generation within the music industry. Her raw, disconcerting, and energetic music blends elements of industrial electronic music with Sofia’s powerful vocals. Her background as a classically trained musician, immerses listeners in a unique musical experience and “Us and Pigs” highlights that. Drawing inspiration from her personal observations of the world, alongside her fascination with dark and at times horrific imagery. Her lyrics challenge societal issues like sexism and internet addiction, while picturing a future for those who have historically been marginalized from mainstream narratives.
When talking about “Us and Pigs” Sofia said it was “Different every time. I chuck some stuff around. Rip the walls off. Shatter the windows. Claw my face off. Usual stuff, I won’t bore you with the details. I like my words, usually, I love starting with them and building the rest of that or starting with production and top lining. But even when I do that, I can also pull words I previously wrote and insert them in. ‘Us and Pigs’ started that way for instance. I was bored free writing by a poolside and out of nowhere I started a new paragraph and wrote the concept for the second verse “Pump us full of [redacted], put us in a barn. /Us and pigs on a Mississippi farm.” I reread it, scared myself, and put the phone down. Later on, I was at the piano and I pulled the words from that free write and inserted it into the little waltz I was playing on the piano.”
NEW RECOMMENDATION
“Raven” – Tamino
Tamino released his new album “Every Dawn’s a Mountain” on March 21, 2025. “Raven” is an absolute masterpiece. Combining orchestral, gargantuan vocals, and middle eastern elements makes Tamino’s music so perfect. The song is also clearly inspired by Edgar Allen Poe’s poem “The Raven.” Especially the lyric, “My only, guiding me nevermore.”
If you love Radiohead, which you all know I do, you must listen to “Every Dawn’s a Mountain” by Tamino! It comes pretty darn close and that is very difficult thing to do! Just ask Muse…
TECHNOLOGY ISSUES OR QUESTIONS?
CHARLEY IS HERE TO HELP!
QUESTIONS? CONTACT:
Charley Petty
GWCS Intern
pettyca@gwcommunityschool.com
https:/tinyurl.com/askcharley
SHOW YOUR COYOTE SPIRIT…
ORDER GWCS SPIRIT WEAR TODAY!
PARENT PORTAL (pw=gwcscoyotes)
WYNK NEWSLETTERS (pw=gwcscoyotes)
COYOTE WEB (status reports, grades, attendance...)
