🏰✨ Our 3rd and 4th graders stepped back in time today with a trip to Medieval Times! ✨🏰

Students cheered on their knights, experienced a bit of history up close, and made memories that will last a lifetime — from jousting tournaments to majestic horses and falcons. 🐴🦅. It was a magical day full of adventure, learning, and fun! 📸✨#GWESProud #FieldTripFun #MakingMemoriesTogether

🎉☀️ Field Day Fun at GWES! ☀️🎉 June 6, 2025

Our annual Field Day was a HOME RUN thanks to Ms. Figueroa, who planned every detail to perfection! ⚾🏃‍♀️💫 From relay races to water games, each station brought smiles, laughter, and friendly competition.

A huge THANK YOU to all of our incredible volunteers—you made the day run smoothly and helped create lasting memories for our students. 💙💛

The sunshine, teamwork, and joy made it a day to remember. Just look at these happy faces! 📸

#GWESFieldDay #GratitudeInMotion #FunInTheSun #TAGCenterJoy #GWESProud

🍧❄️ Kona Ice Day at GWES! ❄️🍧

Today was extra cool at Glenarden Woods as every grade level got to enjoy a refreshing snow cone, thanks to a special visit from the Kona Ice truck! 🎉

We are so grateful to our incredibly generous GWES PTA for treating our students to this fun and tasty experience. Your continued support brings so much joy to our school community! 💙💛

#GWESPTARocks #KonaIceDay #CoolTreatsForCoolKids #TAGCenterFun

Hear ye, hear ye! Our Medieval Times Symposium is here!

This Thursday begins our two-day school-wide showcase of learning as we bring the Middle Ages to life! From castles and catapults to knights and knowledge, students are ready to share their incredible work.

**Families are invited to attend Thursday, 5/29**

**10:00–11:00 AM** and **2:00–3:00 PM**

Come explore the projects, performances, and presentations that highlight our yearlong journey through medieval history!

Check out the slides below for more details about each event. We can't wait to welcome you!

#GWES #MedievalSymposium #ShowcaseOfLearning #TAGExcellence

Our 5th Grade Knights Take on Medieval Times!

Today, 5/22, our fifth grade students stepped back in time for an unforgettable adventure at Medieval Times! From cheering on knights in shining armor to learning about medieval history and culture, our students were fully immersed in the excitement of the tournament. It was a fun and educational experience that brought their learning to life in the most thrilling way!

🌍✈️ Day 4 of Teacher Appreciation Week:Tourist Takeover! 🧳🕶️

Today, GWES took a trip around the world—without leaving the building! 🗺️🎒 Our amazing teachers and students dressed like tourists to celebrate our staff in style. Hawaiian shirts, leis, sunglasses, floppy hats, and travel tees were everywhere! 😎

So far it’s a day full of smiles, laughter, and #GWESPride as we show our appreciation for the teachers who go above and beyond every day. 💙

📸 Check out the fun in the photos—we definitely packed joy for this trip! ✨

April Student of the Month Celebration – Leadership in Action! 🎖️

Today we honored our April Students of the Month for showing outstanding leadership in and out of the classroom. These students set a positive example, take initiative, and uplift others every day. We are so proud of their efforts and the way they shine as role models in our school community. Congratulations to all of our honorees!

We are #GWESProud of you! 💙🐯💛

🐛🦗 Crunch Time in 4th Grade! 🦗🐛

After reading about adding bugs to your diet, Mrs. William's 4th graders took their learning to the next level by tasting real edible crickets! 👀🍽️ Some were brave, some were hesitant, but all were curious about this unique protein-packed snack!

This hands-on experience sparked amazing discussions about nutrition, sustainability, and cultural food practices around the world. 🌍✨ Check out their reactions! 📸😲 #EdibleInsects #HandsOnLearning #BraveTasteTest #GWESProud💙🐯💛

Why this activity was chosen for our Gifted Learners: 

This activity is a perfect example of an engaging, inquiry-based learning experience that supports the unique needs of gifted learners in several ways:

🔬 Real-World Connections & Critical Thinking

Gifted learners thrive when they can apply their knowledge to real-world scenarios. By reading about edible insects and then tasting them, students engaged in experiential learning, deepening their understanding of nutrition, sustainability, and global food practices. This makes learning meaningful, relevant, and thought-provoking.

🌍 Interdisciplinary Learning

This activity bridges science, social studies, and literacy by combining research, discussion, and hands-on experience. Gifted students often enjoy making connections across subjects, and this experience encouraged them to think about how food choices impact health, the environment, and different cultures.

🧠 Inquiry & Open-Ended Discussion

Rather than just reading about the topic, students engaged in higher-order thinking by questioning, analyzing, and forming opinions about alternative protein sources. Gifted learners benefit from activities that allow them to explore, ask "what if?" questions, and consider multiple perspectives.

🤔 Choice, Autonomy & Risk-Taking

By allowing students to decide whether or not to try the crickets, this activity honored student autonomy and personal comfort levels—an important aspect of gifted education. Encouraging students to step out of their comfort zone in a safe and supportive environment fosters intellectual curiosity, confidence, and adaptability.

🗣️ Communication & Collaboration

Tasting the crickets sparked rich discussions, where students had to express their thoughts, justify their reasoning, and respectfully consider different viewpoints—all essential skills for gifted learners.

This activity wasn’t just about eating crickets—it was about exploration, discussion, and expanding perspectives, making it a fantastic learning experience for gifted students! 🦗✨

🏀🎓 March Madness College & University Shirt Day! 🎓🏀

Our students and staff showed their unstoppable school spirit today by rocking their favorite college and university gear! 👕💙💛 Some even repped their top March Madness teams with pride! 🏆🏀

Check out these amazing snapshots of our future scholars and athletes embracing the excitement of higher education and sports! 📸✨ #MarchMadness #CollegeSpirit #GWES

On March 17th, our 4th grade gifted students participated in an engaging in-school field trip called Loaves of Fun. This hands-on experience brought mathematics to life through the art of bread making! As students measured ingredients, followed precise steps, and observed real-time chemical changes, they deepened their understanding of measurement, fractions, and sequencing—all within a real-world context. The experience offered our gifted learners a unique opportunity to apply critical thinking, collaborate with peers, and connect academic concepts to everyday life in a meaningful and memorable way.

Third graders in Mr. Doran’s class combined math and creativity! 📚➕🎨 After reading a math-themed book, students showcased their understanding by choosing a project from an activity menu. Some created posters or collages illustrating key math concepts, while others designed comic strips to teach what they learned. Some wrote their own fiction books inspired by math ideas, while others built math dictionaries with terms, visuals, and real-world examples. A few even developed unique projects of their own!

Their work highlights the fun and creativity that math can bring to storytelling and real-world connections! ✨📖🔢 #MathMeetsCreativity #MathLiteracy #GiftedEducation

Ms. Peter’s students explored the Six Thinking Hats to understand different ways of thinking. They selected their top two thinking preferences, and the teacher grouped them based on their #1 choice. Using the Thinking and Planning Mat, each group analyzed fossils through their assigned thinking lens, recorded their insights, and presented their findings. A class discussion followed, highlighting how different thinking styles led to unique perspectives on fossils and their environments. 🤩

🔬 Science Standard: 3-LS4-1 – I can analyze and interpret data from fossils to provide evidence of the organism and the environment in which they lived long ago.

🎨😊 Weepul-Inspired Emotions in 5K & 5C! 🎭🎨

Our 5th graders in 5K & 5C got creative by designing their own weepul-inspired emoticons! 🎉 Using shapes and colors to represent different emotions, students explored how facial expressions and design elements can convey feelings.

From joyful yellows to calm blues and fiery reds, each creation was a unique reflection of emotions in art! Amazing work, 5th graders! 🖍️💙💛 #GWESCreativity #EmotionsInArt #WeepulInspired

💌✨ Spreading Love Across the USA! ✨💌

Mrs. Fominaya’s class participated in a Pen Pal Valentine’s Day Exchange, "Spreading Love Across the USA!" ❤️📬 Together, they composed one special letter about Glenarden Woods and sent copies to 24 schools across the United States.

The response has been amazing! So far, they’ve received letters from New York, California, South Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and more! 📍 Each response is marked with a heart on a map outside the classroom, showing just how far their message has traveled.

This project is a fantastic way to explore geography, letter writing, and the power of connection! 🌍💙 #SpreadingLove #PenPals #WritingConnections #GWESLoveAcrossTheUSA

 🎭✨ 2nd Grade Blacks in Wax Museum! ✨🎭 2/28/25

Today, our 2nd graders brought history to life with their Blacks in Wax Museum presentations! 🎤📜 Dressed as influential African Americans, students shared their research and embodied the legacies of trailblazers, leaders, and changemakers who have shaped our world. Their hard work and dedication truly shined, making this a powerful and inspiring experience for all who attended. 💫👏🏽 Check out these incredible moments from the event! 📸 #BlackHistoryMonth #BlacksInWax #LivingHistory #GWESCelebratesBlackExcellence

Today wrapped up our STEM Fair, and what an inspiring showcase it was! 🚀 Our 4th and 5th graders amazed us once again with their innovative projects, demonstrating curiosity, problem-solving, and creativity. Parents had another chance to explore the fantastic displays and celebrate our young scientists' hard work.

A huge thank you to our students, families, and staff for making this event such a success! 👏🏽 We can’t wait to see what next year brings!

Check out some more of the incredible projects below! 📸🔍 #GWESSTEMFair #FutureScientists #STEMinAction #HandsOnLearning

Today, 2/25 our 4th graders had an incredible opportunity to explore history up close with the Sankofa Mobile Museum! The exhibit focused on the historic Ridgeley Rosenwald School, highlighting its vital role in African American education during the early 20th century. Students engaged with powerful stories, artifacts, and discussions that brought history to life.

A huge thank you to the Sankofa Mobile Museum team for this unforgettable experience! 🙌🏽 #GlenardenWoods #SankofaMobileMuseum #RidgeleyRosenwaldSchool #BlackHistoryMatters #4thGradeExplorers

We had a #MagnificentMonday (2/24) at Glenarden Woods celebrating second quarter honor roll recipients in third and fifth grades. A special thank you to all of the #GWESProud parents who joined us in person and on live stream! We would like to also thank all of the hard-working students and teachers that put in the work so students could obtained this success! 💙🐯💛

We had an absolutely #FantasticFriday (2/21) at Glenarden Woods celebrating our 2nd quarter honor roll recipients in 2nd and 4th grades. A special thank you to all of the #GWESProud parents who joined us in person and on live stream! We would even like to thank all of the hard-working students and teachers that put in the work so students could obtain this success!

We are looking forward to celebrating third grade 2nd quarter honor roll recipients at 10:00am on Monday, February 24th and celebrating 5th Grade second quarter honor roll recipients at 2 PM on Monday, February 24th.

Our GWES students were full of love and spirit today! ❤️🩷 Thank you to our amazing families for making this Valentine’s Day extra special. Your kindness and support mean the world to us! Wishing everyone a wonderful and relaxing 3-day weekend! 💙🐯💛#GWESProud #ValenstinesDay

February 13th: Today was the 100th day of School! We had so much fun! Check out a few activities such as dressing like you are 100, wearing celebratory shirts, completing 100 seconds of Math, and 5th grade celebrating being 1,000 days smarter! 😍

Our GWES Science Bowl team won today!!! They competed against Kenilworth ES and won 355 to 145! Wow!!!! 🤩Outstanding job! We are #GWESProud of you!!! 💙🐯💛

2/3/25: Today was Day 1 of our Black History Month Spirit Week! Students dressed to impress to represent Black excellence and the rebirth of Black Wall Street! 🖤❤️💛💚 (I only got a few pictures today as I have been focusing on TAG Continuity for our 5th Grade families.) I’ll try harder tomorrow to capture all of the amazing HBCU outfits! 😍

Day 2 of our Black History Month Spirit Week was all about HBCU pride! 🏫✨ Students showed up in their favorite HBCU colors and apparel, representing these historic institutions with outstanding school spirit! 🖤❤️💛💚 #BHM #HBCUPride #SpiritWeek

Day 3 of Black History Month Spirit Week was all about honoring Black Heroes! ✨ From Rosa Parks to Black Panther, Mae Jemison to Simone Biles, our students showed up in incredible ways to celebrate African American scholars, activists, leaders, pioneers, and superheroes! 🖤❤️💛💚 Check out these amazing looks! #BHM #BlackHeroesDay #pgcpsbhm25

Day 4 of Black History Month Spirit Week: 'I HAVE A DREAM, MLK Pajama Day'! 🌙✨ Students got cozy in their favorite PJs as we honored Dr. King's dream and legacy. A perfect day to reflect, learn, and celebrate! 🖤❤️💛💚 #BHM #MLKPajamaDay #DreamBig

We wrapped up our GWES PTA sponsored Black History Month Spirit Week with Unity Day! 🖤❤️💛💚 Students and staff showed their pride, representation, and togetherness by wearing red, black, green, and yellow. What an incredible week of celebration and learning! 🎉 #BHM #UnityDay #GWESproud

January 30th: Principal for the Day! 

Congratulations to Rylan B for winning Principal for the Day! A special thank you to the GWES PTA for holding this raffle back at the Fall Festival this year. Rylan enjoyed taking care of all of Mr. B’s tasks for the day! What a #GWESProudPrincipal moment!

Last week, our 5th graders in 5C tackled a Document-Based Question (DBQ), analyzing historical sources to answer: What was Harriet Tubman’s greatest achievement? They examined risk, the number of people she helped, and the time involved to form evidence-based conclusions. A powerful discussion honoring a true hero! #History #CriticalThinking #TAG

1/28/25. How Do Gravity and Mass Affect Motion?

Fourth-grade students explored how gravity and mass influence motion through an engaging investigation. They identified the independent, dependent, and controlled variables, made predictions, and conducted experiments to measure how far their skiers or bobsledders traveled down a ski slope.

A special thank you to the TAG Office for providing the LEGO Brick Q Motion Kits that made this hands-on learning experience possible! 😍🎉

January 14th is World Logic Day! Since teamwork and cooperation are the character traits of the month, for World Logic Day, Ms Mackowiak’s students addressed a conundrum about world leaders and the qualities they believe the leader should posses. Students used logical thinking and reasoning skills to share with teammates and the class. Results were impressive as well as their reasoning! #GWESProud! 💙🐯💛

January 9th is National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, and we wanted to take a moment to thank our incredible School Resource Officer, Officer Taylor, for his dedication, kindness, and commitment to keeping our school safe. Officer Taylor is a valued part of our Glenarden Woods family, and we appreciate all he does to support our students and staff every single day. Please join us in showing our gratitude by dropping a comment below to share your appreciation and kind words for Officer Taylor! #GWESProud #ThankYouOfficerTaylor #LawEnforcementAppreciationDay 👮🏾🚓🚨

Who knew we would get 3 weeks off for Winter Break?  ❄️😂 (Not me!) 😂❄️

But here we are!  #SnowDays! January 6th - January 9th! 

On the last day before break, our 5th Grade SGA officers put together a sugar cookie decorating activity for all of 5th grade today! As you can see from the pictures, they all had an incredible time. A special thank you to Mrs. Greco-Foster and Mrs. Craig for assisting the SGA.’s initiative.

12/17 was Day 3 of the SGA”s “Countdown to Winter Break Spirit Week!” We wore holiday headgear. Oh the smiles, were everywhere!😍 I absolutely love our #GWESSpirit! 💙🐯💛

12/18 was Day 4 of the SGA‘s “Countdown to Winter Break Spirit Week!” Everyone enjoyed wearing their pajamas and bringing their stuffed animals to school. Looking forward to ending the week strong in our GWES spirit wear! See you all tomorrow in our blue and yellow.! 💙🐯💛

12/10: Spotlight on Ms. Crenshaw’s 2nd grade RELA classes: The Emotional Word Game from the William and Mary curriculum is a dynamic activity that helps students expand their emotional vocabulary and improve their ability to recognize, express, and understand emotions. In this activity, second graders explored a variety of emotion words, connecting them to real-life scenarios, facial expressions, and tone of voice. They participated in discussions and creative role-playing to express how they might feel in different situations, using the words in meaningful contexts. The game encouraged collaboration and reflection, allowing students to share their ideas and experiences while fostering empathy and emotional awareness. This activity not only enhances emotional intelligence but also strengthens communication skills, aligning beautifully with the William and Mary curriculum’s focus on developing the whole child. 💙🐯💛

12/2-Today was Day 1 of #InclusiveSchoolsWeek2024. We wore red in support for students with physical disabilities such as needing to use wheelchairs or walkers. At GWES, we celebrate equity and inclusion to promote understanding of all the differences that make us unique individuals! 💙🐯💛❤️

12/3 -Today was Day 2 of #InclusiveSchoolsWeek2024. We wore green in support of students with disabilities that include our senses such as hearing, taste, smell, seeing, and touch. These children could be blind, deaf, or have no sense of taste. At GWES, we celebrate equity and inclusion to promote understanding of all the differences that make us unique individuals! 💚💙🐯💛💚

12/4 -Today was day 3 of #InclusiveSchoolsWeek2024. We wore blue today in support of students that struggle with anxiety. Blue is a calming color and helps regulate mood. At GWES, we celebrate equity and inclusion to promote understand understanding of all the differences that make us unique individuals! 💙💙💙💙💙

12/5 - Today was day 4 of #InclusiveSchoolsWeek2024. We wore Gold/Yellow to raise awareness for Neurodiversity; students whose brains work in different ways such as ADHD, Autism, and Dyslexic students. At GWES, we celebrate equity and inclusion to promote understand understanding of all the differences that make us unique individuals! 💛💛💛💛

12/6- Today was day 5 of #InclusiveSchoolsWeek2024! We wore our GWES swag to show our school spirit because we are all better together and one school family! 💙🐯💛 What an incredible week we had understanding of all the differences that make us unique individuals! 💙🐯💛

12/3- 🎉 Shoutout to our amazing 5K and 5C students for creating a student-driven Chess & Checkers Lunch Bunch! 🧠♟️💬 This optional group is more than just fun—it’s a social and mind-expanding experience. Even students new to the games are joining in to learn from their peers. #Leadership #CriticalThinking #TAGmazing 💙🐯💛

Today, 11/26 was all about celebrating our amazing Glenarden Woods staff and the upcoming Thanksgiving break! Nothing says gratitude, like pies, hot apple cider, and seeing everyone take a moment to relax and enjoy. Wishing everyone a restful and well-deserved Thanksgiving break- you’ve earned it! 💙🐯💛