Cunningham Park Named Certified Wildlife Habitat

On Saturday, October 3rd, Cunningham Park was awarded Wildlife Habitat status for the Butterfly Garden located directly outside the front of the school. This is a very prestigious award which comes from the National Wildlife Federation in Reston, VA.  It is earned by providing an environment that supports native flora and fauna.

                         
In order to achieve Wildlife Habitat status, our school had to provide a space for birds and insects, such as bees and butterflies, to eat, drink, nest and raise young. We have done that by adding native plants and bushes to our Butterfly Garden which provide a food source as well as a safe place to nest. We provided a safe environment by building both a butterfly and a bird house. We'd like to sincerely thank Greg Pompelli for making these additions and Yumi Coyte for painting them. There is also a water source from a bird bath that was installed.

Achieving this honor has taken the hard work of the PTA Buildings and Grounds Committee three years to complete under the dedicated and creative leadership of Kathy Coles and Yumi Coyte! We are very excited and pleased with the results! The community at Cunningham Park
has also continued to beautify the grounds by adding mulch, small plants, and bushes. A local Daisy Troop and Cadette Troop 2263 will be planting spring-flowering bulbs within the next few weeks. Additionally, local Girl Scout Troop 3521 dedicated a stepping stone that they made for the garden.

Many, many thanks to the following contributors:

. Merrifield Gardens, who donated mulch and over $600 worth of plants/flowers
. Lawns Ltd. , Mr. Plante, one of our CPES parents, who donated hours of his time and
                         many of his tools for the cleanup
. Sheets Wholesale, who donated the cedar posts for both bird/butterfly houses
. Ruth Denby, former Vienna resident, whose many lovely plants grace our school grounds
. Tyson's Service Corporation, who donated many plants from a current work site for
                                                        use on our property

Make sure that you take a peek at how lovely the grounds look! We couldn't have done it without all of you!

Kathy Coles
Building & Grounds Committee

Fairfax Budget - Upcoming Events

The budget forecast for FY2011 (next school year) is looking dismal and FCPS is facing several significant cuts to make up for a $100-200 million shortfall.  FCPS invites you to attend a Community Dialogue session to share your feedback on impacts of recent budget reductions and potential solutions to close the FY2011 budget gap on:

 Sunday, November 14, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
   Kings Park Library
   Sherwood Regional Library
   George Mason Regional Library
  

Hallowingo - Great Fun for All

This well attended evening was full of Bingo, costumes, prizes and food.  Giggles and laughter rang from every corner. More pictures.

National Walk to School Day

Many CPES families and staff members participated in the recent “National Walk to School Day” on Wednesday, October 7. This was a great way to show our support of reducing fuel usage and protecting the environment – while at the same time having some fun and getting some exercise! The streets in our neighborhood were lined with smiling faces wearing our Cunningham Park colors as both students and staff came together in the united effort.

Power Up At Home

Fill It Up
Pour water at different levels (1/3 cup, 1/2 cup, 3/4 cup, and 1 cup) into four different glasses.  Ask your child:
      Which glass has more water?
      Which has less?
      How many glasses of water do you estimate it will take to fill a large container?

For older children, do activities using different-shaped containers that hold the same amount of water.

Recent Character Assembly

The CPES student body recently experienced a wonderfully energized lesson in the six pillars of character.  Skits, songs and dances explained the meaning of each of the six pillars.  Catchy tunes will remain in the minds of all those how attended the show.