NEWSLETTER QUICK LINKS:
Next Week 10/5-13
What I’m Diggin’ ~ Flags!
School Portrait Day Rescheduled 10/17
Gettysburg Movie & Tour Rescheduled 10/17 & 18
Camping Trip Reflections
College Fairs - PWCS 10/9 & 17
College Fairs - FCPS 10/20, 21, 22
Weekly Song Recommendations with Amelia
Operation Spring Break - Covert Help Needed!
School Spirit Wear by Rokkitwear
Pro-Tip: Blue Letters = Links - Happy Clicking!
SATURDAY, OCT 5
Coyote Robotics with Mr. Lindner from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
monday, OCT 7
Regular class schedule - First Period Gym thru Dismissal from 8:00 am - 3:15 pm
GWCS Foundation Meeting at GWCS at 9:30 am
Amazing Days during 7th Period
Theatre Elective with Mr. Goldie from 3:30 - 4:30 pm
TUESDAY, OCT 8
Regular class schedule - First Period Gym thru Dismissal from 8:00 am - 3:15 pm
Coyote Cafe during lunch (info)
Office Hours during 7th Period
WEDNESDAY, OCT 9
Regular class schedule - First Period Gym thru Dismissal from 8:00 am - 3:15 pm
What’s Happening Wednesdays during 7th period
Art Club with Ms. Albert from 3:15 pm - 4:30 pm
Robotics with Mr. Lindner from 3:15 pm - 4:30 pm
PWCS College Fair from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm (info)
THURSDAY, OCT 10
Regular class schedule - First Period Gym thru Dismissal from 8:00 am - 3:15 pm
Kings Park Library talk by Ashley Alford during 7th period Office Hours - All Students
History in Movies with Mr. Goldie from 3:30 pm - 6:00 pm
FRIDAY, OCT 11
Regular class schedule - First Period Gym thru Dismissal from 8:00 am - 3:15 pm
Amazing Days during 7th Period
Dungeons & Dragons Club with Hartly from 3:15 pm - 5:00 pm
SATURDAY, OCT 12
Coyote Robotics with Mr. Lindner from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
GWCS ONLINE EVENTS CALENDAR - UPDATED DAILY
What I'm Diggin' this Week…
FLAGS!
Flags. Me? I never knew more than a handful of flags. Then Dokota came along and changed everything! He was my first vexillologist. He left flag drawings and notes lying around for others to find. Then I bought a full set of world flags (Miniature; we are not recreating the Hall of Nations, KC) and Nathaniel and Aung helped me hang them all the way around the new-new wing. Then I found out that Peter can identify all of the world flags (states and territories) as quickly as most people can identify their own phone numbers. That resulted in me buying the full deck (260 members) of world flag flashcards so we could all play with them and get to know them a little better, with an outside chance that this will further a course of understanding for the rest of the world and its people. Just a head’s-up, if you’re about to delve into vexillology, Chad and Romania are going to be tricky!
Mr. Goldie
goldiera@gwcommunityschool.com
Every week in the WYNK a staff or faculty member will share with us something they are ‘diggin’! It may be a music artist, a museum, a hobby, a book, a tech tool, a current event, a recipe, a game, a fun fact… you name it - we dig it!
Ready, Set, SMILE!
PORTRAIT DAY RESCHEDULED FOR:
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17TH
NO 1ST PERIOD GYM ON PORTRAIT DAY!
EVERHYONE SHOULD ARRIVE AT GWCS BY 9:00 AM
Michelle Bosch of BoschStudios Photography is an award-winning lifestyle photographer that has been serving Northern Virginia, Maryland, and DC for over 14 years. She was voted "Best Photographer" by Northern Virginia Magazine in 2017, has over 100 Five Star Ratings online and, fun fact: she's no stranger to the GW Community School. She's been photographing our graduations for the last 14 years!
Please be sure to check her out at www.boschstudios.com and follow her on Facebook and on Instagram.
SCHOOL PORTRAIT INFO:
On Thursday, October 17th, Michelle will be taking student and staff portraits outside of GWCS! Each staff member and underclassmen will receive roughly 2-4 minute time slots along with two poses and two black & white digital images, along with a student ID. Each senior will receive roughly 5-10 minute time slots along with four poses and four black & white digital images, along with a student ID.
NEW PORTRAIT DATE: Tuesday, October 17, 2024
COST: Underclassmen fee - $45.00 (2 poses) payable to GWCS
Seniors - $75.00 (4 poses) payable to GWCSDUE: Wednesday, October 16, 2024:
(1) PAYMENT: Cash or check payable to ‘GWCS’
(2) SIGNATURE FORM: Please make sure to read this picture day agreement carefully as it contains important information! Complete and return it to school with payment.
INCLUDED: Anyone that signs up will receive hand crafted images that can be downloaded through an online gallery at no additional cost. Images may be posted online and printed as desired. All students will receive one professionally printed student ID card.
EXTRAS: The option to purchase additional images may be available if the opportunity presents itself. Touch-ups and photos in color also available for purchase.
SENIOR PROPS: Seniors, this is your time to shine! You're welcome to bring a prop that represents you or bring something that you like - an instrument, a basketball/soccer ball/baseball bat, your dog, your favorite book, etc. Please no more than two outfits though, in the interest of time!
PHOTO TIPS:
Neutral colored tops photograph very well, as well as outfits that don't wrinkle easily. Avoid neon colors, patterns and tops with letters or characters on them.
Make sure your hair is brushed and bring your best smile! This will be a fun, quick and painless process!
ATTENTION JUNIORS: You will be staying afterschool for the very very very long Gettysburg movie so bring comfy clothes if you are extra spiffy for photos.
Attention GWCS Juniors…
NEW DATES!
GETTYSBURG MOVIE & TOUR
“Every fall, the GWCS junior class heads north to Gettysburg. It is not truly analogous to Lee’s march on Gettysburg in 1863, but we mention it. Of course, we ride on highways through rolling hills and arrive in good condition and good spirits in less than three hours, and Lee’s troops arrived after a forty-day March, but still, the similarities are undeniable.”
~ Richard Goldie 2016
FORMS:
Tuesday, October 15, 2024
Gettysburg Permission Forms Due
MOVIE:
Thursday, October 17, 2024
2:30 pm - 7:15 pm
Watch the really, really, really, really long Gettysburg movie
GWCS Café. Dinner will be provided.
Note - This is also Portrait Day - bring comfy movie clothes to change into.
TOUR:
Friday, October 18, 2024
Gettysburg Tour Day
Depart GWCS at 6:00 am sharp!
Return to GWCS at 4:00 pm-ish
COST:
FREE! Tour, cyclorama, food and transportation all paid for by the GWCS Foundation.
Feel free to bring some extra $$$ for snacks/souvenirs though!
Mental Health First Aid
with Melanie kantor, lcsw
We are so excited to be partnering with Melanie Kantor, LCSW, who will be working closely with our staff this year. We’ve had a wonderful relationship with Melanie for some time, and I’m happy to share that she is now officially consulting with us. Melanie will be offering guidance on best practices for keeping students engaged in the classroom, providing professional development for us, and holding workshops for students on important topics in "mental health first aid.”
Title: Mental Health First Aid
Date: Friday, October 18, 2024
Time: 2:15 pm - 3:15 pm
Who: GWCS students & staff will attend during 7th period ‘Amazing Days’. This is the first of many workshops with Melanie.
Note: Juniors will be at Gettysburg for this first workshop with Melanie.
Camping. Camping, camping, camping…
Why is camping so much fun?
We left school early. That’s always nice.
The trip to Burke Lake Park is quite short. That’s nice.
Lot’s of GWCS families loaned us tents and chairs and lanterns and tiny, pitchforks for roasting marshmallows and every necessity that camping requires. That was nice.
We worked together to set the camp. Tents over here, tents over there. Choosing the right firepit, building the canopies to fend-off the rain, and stowing our gear safely and snuggly to free us up for other endeavors. That was also nice.
We played in the field near the camp. Frisbee and football and wiffleball for all. The hurricane rains backed-off in the afternoon and all was clear. That was so nice.
We ate dinner around the campfire. We broke out the camp-chairs. We talked and talked for several hours. Our conversations ranged from ghost stories to travel tales to terrible puns. We laughed and ate snacks and stoked the fire. That was really nice.
At midnight we went on the traditional midnight hike; Which has never taken place at midnight before this year. We walked across the park in the cloudy darkness all the way to the edge of Burke Lake. We stood in silence and listened to the lake and the leaves and the sound of a distant owl and took a moment to connect with nature. So perfectly nice.
Being together in a setting unlike any other that being enrolled in school could possibly provide, we relaxed and lived completely at peace, even if only for a little while. That was especially nice.
Smores.
Mr. Goldie
Reflecting on 2024 All-School Burke Lake Camping Trip
September 27-28, 2024
goldiera@gwcommunityschool.com
Tis’ the Season…
Check the WYNK each week for upcoming College Fairs!
October 9 - PWCS
October 17 - PWCS
October 20 - FCPS
Details below.
College Fair #1
Date: October 9, 2024
Time: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Location: Hylton High School, 14051 Spriggs Road, Woodbridge, VA 22193
College Fair #2
Date: October 17, 2024
Time: 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Location: Osbourn Park High School, 8909 Euclid Avenue, Manassas, VA 20111
The PWCS College Fairs are hosted by the Virginia Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (VACRAO) and will partner again with StriveScan. Students are not required to register ahead of time but may choose to register prior to or on the day of the event to easily share contact information with college representatives using a personalized QR code. There is no cost to register for the event. Below is information if you choose to register–strongly encouraged, but not required.
CLICK HERE for College Fair details! Students/Parents/Counselors/Professionals are encouraged to register at StriveFair.com.
CLICK HERE to watch a video and learn all about Strive Scan!
LOOK TO THE FUTURE…
Big College Fair at GMU’s Patriot Center
COLLEGE FAIR #3
Date: Sunday, October 20, 2024
Time: 4:00 pm to 6:30 pm
Location: Eagle Bank Arena at George Mason University, 4500 Patriot Cir, Fairfax, VA 22030
Register for the College Fair
The College Fair is designed to connect high school students with opportunities in postsecondary education. It is one of the largest College Fairs in the region. It features 200 colleges and universities from around the nation as well as representatives from the U.S. Service Academies. Each year the College Fair draws thousands of students and their families.
PLUS TWO EVENINGS OF…
VIRTUAL POSTSECONDARY sessions!
Dates: Monday, October 21, 2024, and Tuesday, October 22, 2024
Times: Sessions are at 5, 6, and 7 p.m.
A two-night virtual event featuring live sessions each night!
Learn how to be better prepared for the next chapter of your educational journey.
Prior registration is not required. All students and their families are welcome to participate in one or all of the virtual sessions. The virtual session links will be published here one week before the start date.
Weekly Song Recommendations…
with Amelia
Hello, this is Amelia Schmutz! I am a junior at GWCS, and I will be writing a section of the WYNK on song recommendations. There will be three sections:
My Recommendation (any time period)
GWCS’s Recommendation (what’s your jam?)
New Recommendation (something new and different)
I hope you enjoy. Feel free to talk to me at school or email me your top recommendations and favorite songs.
My Recommendation:
“Present Tense” – Radiohead
There is something so pure about “Present Tense.” It has a sweet samba beat and soft, gentle guitar which radiates a feeling of love and desperation. Lead singer Thom Yorke sings of being in a relationship and pushing away the present tense as a relationship falls apart and becomes more hostile. The lyrics change from, “Or all this love will be in vain" to "or all this love has been in vain.” Thus, switching from the past tense to the present tense.
I also want to add that my dad plays this song beautifully on the guitar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPAZV8y4B44
GWCS’s Recommendation:
“Just like Heaven” – The Cure
Recommended by Mr. Goldie
I think everyone can relate or appreciate “Just like Heaven.” To quote frontman Robert Smith, “It's about hyperventilating – kissing, then falling to the floor." The joyful beat and rhythm will make you want to get up out of your seat and dance like no one’s watching. The song captures the fresh and overwhelming feeling of being in love. The chorus being “You/ Soft and only/ You/ Lost and lonely/ You/ Just like heaven.” After listening, you will have a huge smile on your face. All together this makes the perfect love song.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xmf5ct3rOSc
New Recommendation:
“Rivers” – Joel Lyssarides and Georgios Prokopiou
Joel Lyssarides is a Swedish jazz pianist. Lyssarides just released a new album “Arc & Rivers” with Georgios Prokopiou on September 27, 2024. “Rivers” is an orchestral piece played on the piano by Joel Lyssarides and on the bouzouki by Georgios Prokopiou. The bouzouki is a Greek musical instrument that belong to the lute family. The piano flows perfectly while the bouzouki is played in a sort of flamenco-like style. Together these two instruments create a serene sound that is phenomenal to listen intently or to just play in the background.
ATTENTION: GWCS PARENTS & GUARDIANS
Ask and you shall receive!
A NEW FACEBOOK GROUP FOR YOU!
Click the coyote above to go to the GWCS Parents/Guardians FB Group
At Back-to-School Night there was a discussion about the possibility of creating a Facebook Group for current GWCS parents and guardians to share resources about topics that might support all. Shoutout to Rachel Albert for taking the lead and creating a private space for GWCS parents on Facebook. Take a moment right now to join the private Facebook group for GWCS Parents/Guardians. This is different from the public 'page' that GWCS currently has on FB. This is an interactive group for parents.
ABOUT: This Facebook Group is a place to talk about all things school and out of school related with other GWCS parents/guardians. For example: Looking for someone who lives in your area to carpool? Looking for a cool summer program? Wondering about Driver’s Ed? Share community service opportunities.
JOIN: Go to Facebook and search for “GWCS Parents/Guardians” then request to ‘follow’ this group. Within a few days you will be accepted and can begin reading and contributing.
QUESTIONS or NEED HELP? CONTACT:
Rachel Albert
GWCS Parent & Administrator of the GWCS Parents/Guardians Facebook GroupEmail: thealberts1@mac.com
Call: 703-201-0252
Just in case you missed it…
CLICK HERE for the GWCS
Parent Volunteer Form
Operation Spring Break '25: Agents Needed!
This is a covert call for a select few brave parents willing to go beyond the ordinary. We’re assembling a small, elite team to gather critical intel on potential international destinations for Spring Break '25. Your mission: survey the terrain, assess interest, and report back. Travel experience preferred, but curiosity and resourcefulness are key. Discretion is paramount. Do you have what it takes to be part of this covert op? Time is ticking.
Contact Axela Nedraw to receive your briefing and prepare for the mission.
Email: wardenac@gwcommunityschool.com
Support Your School & Enjoy Pizza!
REMEMBER to bring CASH to school every TUESDAY to buy a slice of pizza, a snack, and/or a drink! Stash a $5 in your backpack right now while you’re thinking about it. All of the Coyote Cafe PROCEEDS will be used for school supplies, activities, and special events such as the annual SPRING PALOOZA!
SHOW YOUR COYOTE SPIRIT…
ORDER GWCS SPIRIT WEAR TODAY!
PARENT PORTAL (pw=gwcscoyotes)
WYNK NEWSLETTERS (pw=gwcscoyotes)
COYOTE WEB (status reports, grades, attendance...)
