Ashburton Elementary School

Ashburton Elementary School
6314 Lone Oak Drive, Bethesda, MD 20817 * 301-571-6959
PRINCIPAL’S NEWS
February 2016
Dear Parents/Guardians,
After a long week of snow closings, we are ready to be back in school and move forward with the third
quarter of instruction. The administrative staff came to work several days and planned for rescheduled
and new activities. We appreciate our building service staff even more than usual; they dug, shoveled,
plowed, and dug some more to get our footage of sidewalks cleared and safe. The county plows piled the
corners high with snow as they cleared the streets (making digging out a challenge) and the school system
plows got stuck more than once in our parking lots which added additional complications for our staff.
When you see Mr. Brock, Mr. Wright, Mr. Chen, Ms. Blanco and Ms. Murdock, please thank them for
their hard work and dedication to getting our school ready for students and staff to return.
As we still have the possibility of more winter weather coming our way, I encourage you to be prepared:
make sure that you know how to find out about early releases or delayed openings and have conversations
with your children about what to do in case of an unplanned early release. An additional resource for you
to get texts or emails directly about school closings (and other local information, such as traffic delays) is
Alert Montgomery alert.montgomerycountymd.gov. Looking out your window may not tell you about
conditions in other parts of the county, which impacts school buses. Please update your contact
information with your child’s teacher and the school office.
Calendar:
Additionally, on the delayed opening students MAY NOT be
dropped off until 10:40 a.m.
I would like to recognize Ashburton students for working hard
throughout the first semester. Please take time to review your
child’s report card in order to set goals for the rest of the year.
Report cards will be distributed on February 10th.
There are many events planned for the coming month and some
that have to be rescheduled. We will hold Family Math Night at
a later date as staff need more time to plan for this fun family
event. The PTA’s Bingo Night is rescheduled for February 19th.
Valentine’s Day parties will be held on February 12th. Room
parents assist the teacher in planning the Valentine’s Day parties,
which will be held from 2:00- 3:00 p.m. Please see the note on
the following pages regarding Valentine’s Day and the parties.
We are celebrating Black History Month in our classrooms in a
variety of age-appropriate ways.
February 2, 9, 16 or 23- Dine Out with
Ashburton at Not Your Average Joe’s (you
may go any Tuesday in February)
February 12- Valentine’s Day Parties @
2:00 p.m.
February 15- President’s Day Holidayschools closed
Feb. 16-19- No PEP Classes; Home Visits
February 19- Rescheduled PTA’s Bingo
Night- 6:30-8:00 p.m,.
February 26- Early release at 12:35; PTA’s
Staff Appreciation Luncheon
March 7- PTA Meeting
March 11- International Festival
Looking forward, on March 11th, we will have our International Festival. We celebrate the many
cultures at Ashburton with displays, presentations, and tasty food from more than 40 countries that are
represented at Ashburton. The committee has been busy planning and recruiting families to participate.
We want as many countries involved as possible; please see the information from the PTA chairs about
the event and how to participate.
We have started our process for enrollment next year for our future kindergarteners and articulation for
our fifth graders moving on to middle school. Our Kindergarten Orientation will be held on May 5th
and 6th for all children who will turn 5 by September 1, 2016. Please call the school office to set up an
appointment or email Marney Jacobs at [email protected]. Also, please encourage
neighbors with pre-school aged children to contact us. Kindergarten parents, please note that your
children will not have school on those two dates. The fifth graders are beginning their articulation process
and will be signing up for next year’s classes soon. There will be a parent meeting at North Bethesda
Middle School on February 4th from 7:00-8:00 p.m.
I hope to see you at many of our events throughout the month of February.
Sincerely,
Greg Mullenholz, Principal
The Transfer Process-- Change of School Assignment and Special Programs
Montgomery County School policy states that students are assigned to public schools based on their place of
residence or in accordance with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and are expected to attend their
assigned school. To attend a different school, the student must document a unique hardship or fall within
one of the exempt categories. (MCPS Policy JEE and Regulation JEE-RA)
Students are to attend their home schools based on primary residence (where you sleep at night) unless
there is a documented hardship and an approved Change of School Assignment (COSA). Students with IEP’s
may be assigned to a school with an appropriate program to meet the child’s needs.
If a family moves mid-year and it is in the best interest of the student to remain in the current school for the
rest of the year, a COSA must be filled out at the time of the move. Preference to remain in the original
school is considered. We have the forms in our school office or they are available on the MCPS website.
Completed forms are turned in to the new home school.
The form for requesting a change of school assignment for school year 2016-2017 is available now. To make a
request to attend a school other than your home school, you need to document unique hardship (not just
childcare needs) or have one of the exemptions listed on the COSA Information Booklet.
Please communicate with the school administration if you move, have special living circumstances, or need
help with this process. We must have your legal residence documentation on file for all students.
To apply for one of the language immersion programs please see the MCPS website for information and an
application. Paperwork for enrollment must also be submitted.
Valentine parties will be held on February 12th from 2:00-3:00 p.m. We will provide parents with
class lists (or numbers of students) so that each child can bring a card for each classmate. We also ask
that snacks be as nutritious as possible and be very careful about food allergies! Your room parents and
classroom teacher will be organizing the class party. If your child does not celebrate Valentine’s Day,
Mrs. Gillespie will send home information about an alternate activity. Please do not bring balloons in for
students as they are not allowed on the bus.
Kindergarten Orientation will be held on May 5th and May 6th!
Happy Valentine’s Day to all who celebrate it!
Please pass the word to neighbors and pre-school aged children who will be 5 years old by September 1,
2016. Prospective parents should call the office to set up an appointment for the orientation. Parents will
have an opportunity to meet staff and complete registration paperwork, and most importantly children will
have a fun introduction to the classrooms. Parents may call the school 301-571-6959 or email Marney Jacobs
at [email protected] to set up an appointment.
+Current kindergarten students will NOT have school on May 5th and 6th.
National School Counselor’s Week- February 1-5
We have the best school counselor, Mrs. Andrea Gillespie! During this national recognition week, consider
taking the time to thank Mrs. Gillespie with a card or letter for all that she does for our students and families.
Our PTA has testified to the Board of Education about our counselor ratio in such a large school that we need
additional counseling support. Currently most elementary schools have one school counselor. There are
several high-impact schools with additional support. We are asking for more due to our large enrollment, as
are the other very large elementary schools. If you write or meet with Board of Education members, County
Council or state delegates, please mention our need.
Meanwhile, let’s celebrate Mrs. Gillespie as an amazing example of a counselor who serves the diverse needs
of our school with such dedication, warmth, and knowledge. She is a leader at our school, among her peers,
and truly an asset to the Ashburton community.
When your child is absent, please call the office at (301) 571-6959 by 9:30 a.m. to let us know. Otherwise,
we will call you at home or work to ensure safety of all children. You may use the Quicklink from the
Ashburton website to “Record an Absence”. Or email [email protected] and the classroom
teacher, which will be considered as official notification.
PEP Newsletter
This month, PEP will
finish up its “Awesome
Animals” thematic unit
and begin Unit 5:
“Imagine It, Make It.”
During unit 5, children
will learn how
imagination and creativity shape our
world. Students will explore art, dance,
dramatic play, building, and music. Unit
5 sub-themes are:




Week 1:
Week 2:
Week 3:
Week 4:
Using My Imagination
Tools We Use
Things We Build
Art All Around Us
Math Focus: Numerals, quantity,
patterns, size concepts
Reading Focus: Identifying and
producing rhyming words, making
predictions, retelling stories
Please keep an eye out for more
detailed newsletters which will be sent
home to individual PEP classes. Also, as
always, additional free resources,
including “BookFLIX” video books,
downloadable theme books, and “Fun
With Clifford” online games, can be
found through the Big Day for PreK
“Family Space” website.
NOTES & REMINDERS:


There is no school for PEP students
the week of February 15th –
February 19th.
There is no school for PEP students
on February 26th.
Thank you for your continued support!
The PEP Team
February Happenings in
Kindergarten
We hope everyone stayed safe during the
blizzard and was able to enjoy the snow days!
We have a lot of fun events this month in
kindergarten. We will be having our class
Valentine’s Day Party on Friday, February 12th,
from 2-3pm. You will be receiving more
information about the party from the Room
Parents. We plan on celebrating the 100th Day
of School this month. Please look out for more
information regarding that special day.
Kindergarteners will receive report cards for the
first semester of school. Students will be
bringing home their Data Notebooks as well.
Please review your child’s progress and then
return the Data Notebooks promptly to school.
Thank you for your continued support!
First Grade News
Dear First Grade Families,
It is already February! We hope
our first graders enjoyed the snow and
their week off school. We are excited to
be back and wanted to let you know
some of the exciting things that will be
going on in school this month.
This month we will be learning
about our earth and where we are on
the map. We will study earth’s natural
and human made features along with
continents and oceans. In math we will
be studying measurement and learning
to measure various objects using
nonstandard units of
measurement.
We are finishing up
M-class testing and will
get back to back to meeting with our
reading groups consistently. We will
have our Valentine’s party soon so
please stay tuned for information on
your child’s class party! Later in
February students will also get a
chance to celebrate the 100th day of
school. It’s going to be an exciting
month!
Thank you for your continued
support. We look forward to another
exciting quarter in first grade!
Sincerely,
The First Grade Team
Second Grade Town News
Hello second grade parents! We are
happy to be back into the swing of things after
our unexpected week off. We’re busy catching
up on what we missed as we dive into quarter
3. This month we learn about technology and
how it changes over time. We’ll be exploring
important inventions and
inventors and how they
changed the way we work,
live and play. February also
brings our annual Valentine’s
Party, held on February 12th.
Please contact your child’s
teacher if you’d like to help out with this fun
event.
Third Grade Newsletter
Hello, February! Third graders will hit the
ground running to start the 3rd marking period.
We are looking forward to our second field trip
February 10th to the Discovery Theater at the
National History Museum to view a spectacular
performance that blends chest-pounding
drumming and foot-stomping leaps and steps
from the African
American dance
troupe, Soul in
Motion. We are also
looking forward to
celebrating
Valentine’s Day during class parties on the
afternoon of February 12th. While the
mathematical focus this marking period is
fractions, please continue to review
multiplication and division facts at home. In
writing, students will begin to learn persuasion
strategies to write a persuasive paragraph on a
notable person or place. Families may see these
persuasion techniques tried out at home! As
always, please contact your child’s teacher if
you have any questions!
News 4 You
How quickly time flies! We have
already begun the third marking period!
As we head into the second half of the
school year, we want to remind you of a
few things. Look for weekly TQ charts to
come home on Fridays. Please discuss
goals with your child and the progress
they make on a weekly basis. The TQ
chart should be returned to school the
following Monday with a signature!
Students are beginning to work on their
Media Messages projects! They will be
lookout for a field trip form at the end of
analyzing cereal commercials for
the month. We will be going to Annapolis
advertising techniques such as celebrity,
in March!
bandwagon, humor, and plain folks. They
will learn how to use WeVideo on their
Chromebooks to create their final
presentation for this project.
Headphones/earbuds are a must for this
project. We are very excited to use this
new app with the students and are looking
forward to seeing the end results!
We wanted to remind you how
Please be sure you are restocking
your student’s school supplies. Many
students come to school without a pencil!
Having the necessary school supplies is
part of being prepared for learning each
day! We are also in need of some
classroom supplies. If you are at the
store and would like to donate, please
help us stay germ free by purchasing
important it is for every student to be
some Clorox wipes, hand sanitizer, liquid
proficient with his/her basic math facts
soap, and tissues! Thank you in advance!
of all four operations. Basic facts are the
foundation of many years of math that lie
ahead. We are trying to emphasize the
importance of fact mastery now because
when your
student
Thank you,
Mrs. Brenner, Ms. Ewing,
Ms. Greco, Ms. Leiser,
Mrs. Weaver, and Mrs.
Wloszczowski
starts 5th
grade, it is
assumed all
facts are
mastered.
Students are starting their
chemistry unit in science, which begins by
focusing on weather! What a drastic
change we have seen in our weather
patterns from warm days over winter
break, to nearly 3 feet of snow in
January! Students will be working on
tracking the weather data in February.
We will see how the weather models pan
out for the rest of the month! Be on the
FIFTH GRADE’S NEWS
While parents and students are learning
about all the possibilities of what middle school
will bring to their lives, we are excited about
diving into the second half of the fifth grade
curriculum. We are enjoying the current writing
project in which the students are following up on
their last endeavor with opinion writing. This
round, they are doing research about another
country and writing about the possibilities for
our taking a sabbatical in that country. While
none of us is going, it is great to see the effort
they invest in learning about another country and
then reading what they have discovered and
recommended. No doubt, you’ll want to see
what they advise!
In science, they will be exploring even
more distant locations, again only virtually, as
they begin their explorations of astronomy, what
makes our place in the universe so special and
what makes up all of the celestial bodies beyond
Earth. Naturally, the Sun and its vital role as a
source of light and heat energy get a lot of
consideration, as does the moon. If you aren’t
one already, be prepared for becoming a star and
moon gazer. There
is so much to
observe in the
nighttime and even
the daytime sky.
In social
studies, we are wrapping up our investigations
of the rights and responsibilities we enjoy in
America. They continue to share lots of great
ideas about civic duties, which are particularly
poignant as our Presidential primary season is
gaining momentum. It is great to hear the value
they place on not simply being voters, but on
being informed voters. Before we shift away
from due process and other Constitutional
protections, the fifth graders will have the
opportunity to discuss the application of those
principles with Officer Guilday of the
Montgomery County Police Department, who
will offer a fascinating perspective on police
work, as she leads a class discussion. We shall
then shift to learning about land use and
development, understanding the role of
infrastructure construction and natural attributes
in the development of cities and other
communities.
We hope that you are continuing to track
our math and reading curricula through the online newsletters. In summary, we are working
with fractions and their operations throughout
the month in math 5. In the compacted
curriculum, the students are working with
negative and positive numbers and absolute
values. In reading, we are focusing on Langston
Hughes’ poetry, analyzing the poems for
elements such as rhythm, alliteration, and
figurative language. The students are
determining the meanings of the poems, in
consideration of those elements. They also are
practicing changing the point of view and
applying knowledge about Hughes’ life from the
biography Coming Home, to understand the
poems’ meanings.
Reading
Welcome back from a snowy January!
Hopefully, students made some creative
snowmen outside and read some wonderful
books inside. According to the National
Education Association, having students “read a
lot is one of the crucial components of
becoming a good reader. Young readers need to
become practiced at recognizing letters and
sounds. The only way to get good at it is to
practice.” Continue to set aside at least 15
minutes per day when your child can read or be
read to. In the immortal words of Dr. Seuss,
“The more that you read, the more things you
will know. The more you learn, the more places
you’ll go.”
In January, we started a fun Reading
Contest for students called “Look Who Grew Up
to Be a Reader!” Staff members have submitted
photographs of themselves as a child, along
with the title of their favorite book growing up.
Students have the chance to guess who the
staff member is and winners are chosen at
random from among all correct entries. There
has been much buzz and excitement over this
contest as we see photographs of Ashburton
staff as young children…who all grew up to be
readers! Check out the bulletin board across
from the cafeteria to see the adorable
photographs.
In February, we will be beginning a
program called “Reading is Snow Much Fun!”
Each student will receive a snowflake template
on which they will be asked to write about a
book that they would recommend to others.
They should decorate and cut out the snowflake
and return it to their teacher. Snowflakes will
be posted and ALL students who complete the
snowflake will receive a prize…along with a
chance to read their book recommendation on
AETV if they are interested. We hope to see
many snowflakes returned. Thank you for all of
your support! ~Anita Elaraj, Reading Specialist
parents of interested students. Parents must
sign to indicate whether or not they want their
child to be considered for the patrol force.
•
Ms. Campbell then meets with the
fourth grade teachers for input on academic
and citizenship concerns that might impact a
child’s selection. Some students may be
recommended for a waiting list at this point and
are reevaluated by their 5th grade teacher at
the end of the first grading period in the fall.
•
Candidates are sorted into walker and
bus route groups. Ms. Campbell meets with
small groups of bus riders to determine the
stops where each student gets on and off the
bus. She also explains that pure numbers or bus
stop location may decide who gets chosen to be
a patrol, so not everyone will be selected.
So Your Child Wants to Be A Patrol
So Your Child Wants to Be A
Patrol
If you have a fourth grader,
chances are you are hearing a bit about the
selection of safety patrols for next year. To
dispel rumors and demystify the process, Patrol
Advisor Ashley Campbell offers this description
of how the safety patrol force is chosen.
•
In March/April, 4th graders are
surveyed about their interest in serving as a
patrol. Most say “yes”. They note how they get
to school (walk or bus, and which bus route) as
well as why they wish to be a patrol.
•
In April/May, Ms. Campbell sends a
note containing the patrol pledge home to
•
An official application is sent home to
those making the final “cut.” Starting with a
smaller group in the spring, and adding students
after the new school year begins works best.
There are always children moving out of the
Ashburton community and new ones coming in
over the summer. Changes in bus schedules or
routes can also alter plans made in the spring.
•
New patrols are trained toward the end
of their 4th grade school year. If all goes
according to plan, they serve as patrols during
the last few days of school.
•
If you have further questions about the
patrol selection process, please contact Ms.
Campbell. [email protected]
PEP PILOT OPEN
HOUSE
Ashburton Elementary School
February 16, 2016
9:30 am – Room #110
We are looking for typically developing three and four year old children from
the Ashburton community to attend the 2016 – 2017 PEP PILOT (Providing
Inclusive Learning Opportunities for Threes and Fours) program. If you are
interested in enrolling your child please come to our open house to have your
questions answered. This is also a good opportunity for prospective students to
meet the PILOT teachers and explore the classroom setting. Applications will be
available at open house.
PTA Insider – Feb 2016
UPCOMING EVENTS (Feb 2016)
Feb 12: Classroom Valentine’s Day parties 2:15 – 3:00 pm
Feb 15: President’s Day, School Closed
Feb 26: Early Release, Dismissal at 12:45 pm
Feb 2, 9, 16, 23: Every Tuesday this month, Dine Out at Not Your Average Joe’s
News from our President and PTA Board
Dear Ashburton Families,
Welcome back to school...again! Snowzilla 2016 really knocked us out, but true to form with
this crazy weather we are now enjoying 60 degree temps. Who knows what February will
bring?!
One thing is for sure - February is full of important hearings, meetings, and the start of the
Roundtable process, so please read below for more information on how you can get
involved. We have had to change the dates of both Bingo Night and Family Math Night due to
the snow, and we are working hard to reschedule those events as soon as possible. We will let
you know via the listserv once we have new dates for those two popular events.
February 9th is the County Council hearing on the CIP budget. The County Council provides the
funding for CIP projects and Ashburton’s addition is on the line - we need to pack the room to
show support not only for our addition, but for all the projects in our cluster. Please plan to
attend the hearing and wear green to support the WJ cluster.
County Council Hearing
Feb 9th from 7-9pm
Third Floor Hearing Room
100 Maryland Avenue
Rockville, MD 20850
Please note that in order to gain as much community involvement as possible, we have changed
the dates of our upcoming PTA Meetings for March and April, as noted below, to better coincide
with the Roundtable schedule:
March 7 - NEW Date for PTA meeting 7pm - 8pm
April 13 - NEW Date for PTA meeting 7pm - 8pm
PLEASE PLAN TO ATTEND THESE NEW PTA MEETINGS. This will allow parents to give
feedback into the Roundtable process. As you all know, last fall, the acting Superintendent
announced the convening of a Roundtable to discuss possible long-term solutions to the overcrowding problems at all of our cluster schools. The Roundtable is comprised of two
representatives of each cluster school, who will meet with MCPS staff and others over the course
of the next 4 months to evaluate the pros and cons of various solutions to solve our cluster's
enrollment challenges from the elementary to the high school level. Ashburton's representatives
on the roundtable are me (PTA President) and Sindhu Blume (PTA Board member). The goal of
the roundtable is to look for long-term solutions for the future. As a reminder, Ashburton is
scheduled for an addition in 2019 to relieve our over enrollment in the long-term and the
Roundtable will not address short-term capacity problems.
Below is a link to the roundtable schedule:
http://gis.mcpsmd.org/roundtablepdfs/WalterJohnsonCluster_RoundtableRevisedScheduledDates
.pdf
All meetings are open to the public to observe, although discussion is limited to Roundtable
members. MCPS informed us that at the end of each meeting there will be brief time for Q&A
from the public. MCPS will post information following each Roundtable meeting to this page:
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/planning/roundtable.aspx
Scroll down to the Walter Johnson Cluster Roundtable and all documents will be posted there.
I can't tell you how many people stop me in the hallways at school, at the playground, at
Starbucks, and ask me "what are we going to do about all this development and all these
kids?" This is your chance to speak up. MCPS is using this Roundtable process to gain
community feedback about how to solve the over-crowding problem. Please participate. We are
a large community at Ashburton and it is important that we hear from MANY different parents
regarding proposed solutions so that all voices are heard.
Finally, I want to remind everyone of our dine out this month as it is different than most other
dine outs. You may dine out EVERY Tuesday in February at Not Your Average Joe’s and a
portion of the proceeds comes back to our PTA! Pick one Tuesday -or four - and enjoy a night
out to benefit your school! Thanks to our dineout chair, Michelle Notley, for setting up these fun
nights out.
Have Fun...Make Memories... Get Involved.,
Laura Chace
Ashburton PTA President on behalf of the PTA Board
New PTA Website and Listserv –Please go to www.ashburtonpta.org to join the new site and listserv for the
Ashburton PTA. Once you register on the new site you will be automatically signed up for our new listserv. The
next step is to click the "Join the PTA" tab at the top to join the PTA online.
We will be posting ALL important information on this new site as we get started with the school year, including
calendars, lunch menus, after school activities, event information and more. Don't miss out visit www.ashburtonpta.org today!