Dear Chameleon Families and Friends,

WELCOME to a new school year at Garland R. Quarles Elementary School (GQES), home of the Chameleons! 

Our vision is to be:

A Thriving Literacy Community in a STEM school. (STEM is Science Technology Engineering Mathematics).

Our mission is:

Chameleons RISE (Raising Intentionality by Strengthening Expectations).

Our behavior expectation for all is to:

 BE KIND!

The GQES faculty and staff is committed to providing a supportive learning environment where all learners thrive by developing literacy skills as well as a deep understanding of content while emphasizing kindness, empathy, compassion, and caring. All decisions filter through our school’s vision and mission. Our goals are to focus on improving overall student academic performance, student attendance, and student behavior.  We do this best when we all cooperate and collaborate together.   

You may know, we have four recesses every day at GQES!!! According to the American Association of Pediatrics, free play is a fundamental component of a child’s normal growth and development (Ginsburg, K.R., 2009). Researchers Pasi Sahlberg and William Doyle have studied 700 articles published in peer-reviewed educational, medical, and scientific journals that have formed the basis for their book, LET THE CHILDREN PLAY. In their research, they noticed rising obesity, declining mental health, increasing stress, growing disengagement in school, and lack of life satisfaction. They also noticed the overprescription of drugs to deal with childhood problems that may be caused by a variety of cultural and social stresses, including the lack of intellectual and physical play (Sahblerg, P. & Doyle, 2019, p. 37). Therefore, we celebrate learning through play, daily! 

Recently, there is even more research on the benefits of a play-based childhood in comparison to a ‘phone-based’ childhood.  This research is based on Jonathan Hait’s best-selling book, THE ANXIOUS GENERATION: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness.  When children freely play (as in recess), they learn to lead play with peers, handle their emotions, take turns, work out conflicts, play fairly, and have fun together, and sometimes children may take risks when playing and fall or get a bruise.   According to the National Institute for Play, “Attunement forms the foundation of later emotional self-regulation.  Children who are deprived of this joyful, mutually trusting social experience often face emotional difficulties and exhibit erratic behavior in their later years.  They can have difficulty forming healthy attachments as adolescents and as adults, they may be less able to cope with unexpected challenges, regulate emotions, make sound decisions when risk is involved or learn to deal effectively as they enter into more and more complex social interactions (Hait, p.56).  

At GQES, we EMPOWER our staff, our community and our partnerships to help our students and families!  We create a safe and orderly environment where we make changes to better serve our students and families.  We review data on race, ethnicity, and gender regularly.  We support innovative ideas and make adjustments based on data.  

We believe a team approach between students, teacher, parent, administration, and specialists, while working with community resources is the best for all!  We emphasize POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS and HIGH EXPECTATIONS every day at GQES for everyone.  Maximizing our school’s culture through collaboration is how we empower others!!!

It is my distinct pleasure to serve as Principal at Garland R. Quarles Elementary School. Thank you for taking an interest in our school and community! Please contact our school at 540-662-3575 if you have questions or you can contact me on my school’s cell phone at 540-974-5903. Stay safe and stay well!

With gratitude,

Joanie Hovatter

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Sources: 

Ginsburg, K.R; American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Communications; American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health. The importance of play in promoting healthy child development and maintaining strong parent-child bonds. Pediatrics. 2007; 119 (1): 182-191. 

Hait, J. (2024). The anxious generation: How the great rewiring of childhood is causing an epidemic of mental illness.  New York: Penguin Press.  

National Institute of Play. (n.d.). Attunement Play. www.nifplay.org/what-is-play/types-of-play/attunement-play.

Sahlberg, P. & Doyle, W. (2019). Let the children play. New York, NY: Oxford.