🌱 Patch AM: How a Winchester elementary is turning parents into reading coaches

What's up Winchester! Let's start this morning right by getting caught up on what's going on around town. Keep reading to stay in the loop. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

• How a Winchester elementary is turning parents into reading coaches
• Which Winchester utilities worker just earned Employee of the Year?
• How a new tax deal could reshape downtown Winchester’s Cameron Square

Also on today's calendar: Serenity Service and 9 more events.

📸 Have a great pic of holiday decorations from around Winchester? Post it to Winchester photos of the day! ☃️ 🟢-🟠-🟣-🔴-🟡-🔵 ☃️

Today's riddle: The doctor told me to drink carrot juice after a hot bath. - Did it help? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Wednesday: Not as cold, with a high of 50 and low of 25 degrees.
• Thursday: A p.m. shower in places, temps: high: 45, low: 39.
• Friday: Windy; cooler in the p.m., with a high of 47 and low of 24 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Quarles reading program builds kindergartners' vocabulary (winchesterstar.com) — Parents at Winchester’s Garland R. Quarles Elementary are joining a 12-week bilingual reading program that sends kindergartners home each week with a new book and vocabulary strategies. Led by a Shenandoah University grad student, the effort aims to boost young readers’ word skills and confidence by teaming teachers with families in both English and Spanish.
   

2. Winchester Names Utilities Technician Employee of the Year (thewinchestergazette.com) — Winchester has honored Utilities Maintenance technician Andrew “Dewey” Barton as the City’s 2025 Employee of the Year for his reliability, strong work ethic, and upbeat attitude. City leaders are encouraging residents and coworkers to congratulate him, noting his habit of arriving early, staying late, and boosting morale. The Winchester Gazette also invites locals to subscribe for more Winchester and Frederick County updates.
   

3. After 7 years, Cameron Square development 'ready to roll' (winchesterstar.com) — A long-delayed upscale apartment and retail project on North Cameron Street is finally set to break ground, with construction targeted for early 2026 and completion by 2027–28. Winchester’s Economic Development Authority approved a revised 15-year tax-abatement deal for the required public parking garage, which now heads to the city’s Finance Committee and City Council for a final decision.
   

4. What It Means for a High School Graduate to Be ‘AI-Ready' (edweek.org) — Winchester Public Schools is already posting a new “AI-ready” graduate profile on the walls of John Handley High School, signaling a push to teach students how to use AI thoughtfully. The national ISTE+ASCD framework emphasizes skills like problem-solving, research, communication, and synthesizing information with AI, which Winchester’s superintendent sees as a purposeful entry point for students and teachers.
   

5. Graham Barham Named 2026 Country Music Party Headliner (thewinchestergazette.com) — Winchester’s Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival has tapped rising country artist Graham Barham to headline the 2026 Malloy Toyota Country Music Party, with Spencer Hatcher as special guest. The May 2 show at Shenandoah University’s Wilkins Athletics & Events Center will be cashless, follow a new clear-bag policy, and is offering early-bird tickets through December 31.
   

📸 Around Winchester

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Winchester

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

Thursday December 18

• Business after Hours Mixer | The George Washington - A Wyndham Grand Hotel
  The George Washington - A Wyndham Grand Hotel , 103 E. Piccadilly Street , Winchester
  5:30 pm
• Rotary Club of the Northern Shenandoah Valley
  Region's 117 (Skyline Room) , 180 Bald Eagle Dr , Lake Frederick
  6:00 pm
• Serenity Service
  2161 Brucetown Rd, Clear Brook, VA, 22624
  7:00 pm
• Antique Silver & Brass Restoration Services: THURSDAY 10-4
  6830 Elm St, Suite 9, McLean, VA, 22101
  10:00 pm

Friday December 19

• Gift Ideas at Eugene B. Smith Gallery
  Eugene B. Smith Gallery
  10:00 am
• Esports Open House
  The Youth Development Center , 302 South Loudoun Street , Winchester
  6:30 pm
• Big Hair, Bright Lights & Spank the 80's
  Backseat Events , 114 Full House Drive , Winchester
  8:00 pm

Saturday December 20

• Bitcoin Brunch
  Water Street Kitchen , 2 S Loudoun St , Winchester
  10:00 am
• Author Event: Cassandra Medcalf
  The Winchester Book Gallery , 7 N Loudoun Street , Winchester
  11:00 am
• Author Event: Beka Wueste - My Side of the World and Other Tales of Death
  The Winchester Book Gallery , 7 N Loudoun Street , Winchester
  2:00 pm

Sunday December 21

• "Silent Was The Night" A Christmas Cantata
  Emmanuel United Methodist Church, 2732 Martinsburg Pike, Stephenson, VA, 22656
  3:00 pm

Wednesday December 24

• Christmas Eve Service
  2732 Martinsburg Pike , Stephenson
  7:00 pm

📣 Winchester Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Winchester PatchAM possible:

• Light of Lotus Massage Therapy — (540) 335-5258
  Mobile massage therapy
• FREE Water Testing - JR Snider Water Care & Plumbing — (703) 454-8921
  JR Snider – Your Local Water Care & Plumbing Experts
• Sparkling Squad — (550) 327-8233
  Cleaning services
• Sparkling squad — (154) 032-7823
  Cleaning services
• Plumbing Services | No Dispatch Fees | AllTech Services — (703) 495-3466
  No Dispatch Fees for Plumbing Services!

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• The crash on westbound VA-7 at 0.1 miles west of I-81 in Frederick County has been cleared.
  6:37PM on Dec 15: All westbound travel lanes on VA-7 at 0.1 miles west of I-81 in Frederick County are closed due to a crash. (Nextdoor )
• I’m looking for someone to come to me and help groom my ragdoll cat.
  She is very friendly but I can’t trim her for alone. Any suggestions? I’m not taking her to a groomer. Will pay. Her fur is long and thick and I need… (Nextdoor Mount Pleasant)

• Tractor Supply Company posted a job opening for Team Member in Winchester. Apply here.
• Kraft Heinz Company posted a job opening for Capri Filler Operator-4 in Winchester. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Winchester here.

Ok Winchester! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I don’t know. I can never finish drinking the hot bath!
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

👉 Help make Patch AM better

• Help us grow by suggesting local news sources.
• Shape this newsletter with your feedback.
• List items for sale or services offered

We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what’s happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.

Share to NextDoor     Share to Facebook