Linda M. Jones, Principal Jennifer Till, Assistant Principal THE STONEGATE SPLASH

Friday, February 5, 2016
Linda M. Jones, Principal
Jennifer Till, Assistant Principal
The Principal’s Message for
Stonegate Families
Stonegate Elementary School
14811 Notley Road
Silver Spring, MD 20905
THE STONEGATE SPLASH
A MESSAGE FROM MRS. JONES
January certainly ended with a bang! It brought us The Blizzard of 2016 or
should I say, Jonas. It was truly a great time for families to bond and have fun in
the snow. This week we worked very hard to get students outside for outdoor
recess so they could enjoy the fresh air. However, I would like to remind families
that the county does not clear our blacktops or fields. It is the responsibility of
our building services to clear this area (blacktop) and we have limited equip-
Important Dates:
ment. As soon as the blacktop areas were cleared and safe, students had the opportunity to enjoy themselves. Thank you for your support and understanding.
The Montgomery County Board of Education has identified a finalist for the position of superintendent of schools—Dr. Jack R. Smith, who is currently the

Chick-Fil-A Restaurant
Night Thursday, February
11th beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Valentine’s Day Parties
Friday, February 12th,
from 2:15 p.m.-3:15 p.m.

No School, Monday, February 15th-President’s Day
Holiday

Family Science Night, Friday, February 19th, from
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in
the APR

Book Fair, Monday, February 22nd through Friday,
February 26th

Read-A-Thon, February
22nd-March 4th

Multicultural Heritage
Night, Thursday, February
25th, from 6:30 p.m. to
8:00 p.m in the APR

Early Release, Friday, February 26th, at 12:55 p.m.

Black History Month Program, Monday, February
29th, from 6:30 p.m. to
7:30 p.m.

PTA Meeting, Tuesday,
March 1st, from 7:00 p.m.
to 8:00 p.m. in the media
center
interim state superintendent of Maryland schools and former superintendent of
schools in Calvert County Public Schools in Prince Frederick, Maryland.
Dr. Smith has extensive experience working at the state level leading the Maryland State Department of Education’s Office of Teaching and Learning, and over
three decades experience as a teacher and school and central office administrator
in the United States and Asia. His particular strengths include supporting effective instructional programs, budgeting, systems thinking, return on investment
analysis, and efficiency and effectiveness in operations. Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Smith has earned a reputation for encouraging and helping
school-based staff to learn and use innovative strategies to promote the success
of children in the classroom.
Community engagement was a crucial part of the search for the superintendent
of schools. Dr. Smith met with a community panel of Montgomery County stakeholders, assembled by the Board president, to provide feedback to Board members and help them arrive at a decision on the appropriate candidate. In the coming weeks, a contingent of the Board will be in touch with stakeholders and Dr.
Smith’s colleagues. Based on the outcome of this feedback, contract negotiations,
and obtaining state approval, the Board plans to hire Dr. Smith as the next superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools effective July 1, 2016.
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MARKING PERIOD 2 REPORT CARDS
Have You Joined The PTA?
It’s not too late; you can
still join the PTA today and
become a member of an organization that works for
our children at the national,
state, and local levels. The
PTA is instrumental in
planning activities for parents, teachers, and students
and serves as an organized
voice to the School Board to
express our views. Questions?
Please contact:
Please contact the Membership Committee Chair Kend r a
H a r r i s
a t :
stonegatepta.membership@
gmail.com
SIGN UP TODAY!
MCPS currently communicates emergency or system
wide changes through various media, including the
MCPS website, MCPS ITV
Channel 34, QuickNotes
email service, Twitter, a recorded emergency information
telephone line, and local media outlets. Alert MCPS adds
the ability to communicate via
text messages delivered to
electronic devices such as cell
phones and personal data
assistants. This service provides messages in English and
Spanish. You can subscribe to
Alert MCPS by signing on to
the Alert Montgomery website
at
https://
alert.montgomerycountymd.
gov.
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Due to the multiple snow days, the distribution of Marking Period 2 report cards has
been delayed to Wednesday, February 10th. All students will receive a report card. Kindergarten report cards will share information about a student’s progress during the first
semester (marking periods 1 and 2).
Please visit the following website to learn more about how to read your child’s report
card: http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/grading/report-cards.aspx
Any questions related to grading and reporting can be directed to Stefanie Bollock,
Stonegate’s Staff Development Teacher and Grading and Reporting Representative, at 301
-989-5668 or [email protected].
SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT TEAM MEETING
The School Improvement Team meeting originally scheduled for Monday, February
8th, has been changed to an Instructional Leadership Team meeting. Therefore, only school
staff will attend the meeting. The School Improvement Team meeting will be rescheduled
for a future date when more data is available.
Any questions can be directed to Stefanie Bollock, Stonegate’s Staff Development Teacher,
at 301-989-5668 or [email protected].
PARCC NIGHT RESCHEDULED
Due to disruption caused by the recent blizzard, PARCC Night for Parents that was
scheduled for Monday, February 1, at Richard Montgomery High School has been cancelled. Instead, MCPS will present a webinar on Wednesday, February 10, from 7 to 8 p.m.
During the webinar, staff will provide an overview of PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) assessments, as well as information on upcoming changes for the 2016 administration of the tests. In addition, information will be
shared to help parents understand their children’s score reports from the spring 2015 administration of the PARCC tests. Parents will have an opportunity to ask questions, and
foreign language interpretation will be provided. Instructions for accessing the webinar
will be posted on the MCPS website at www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org by Friday, February 5. If you are unable to watch it live, a video recording of the webinar also will be
posted on the website. Visit www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/parcc/ for more
information about the PARCC assessments.
ATTENTION SCIENCE SHARKS!
The Science Fair is coming soon. Applications are available from your teacher or on the school website
after February 9th. Return your application by February 23rd. Complete your project for the fair which
will be held on March 8, 2016. Students of all grades are encouraged to participate. You may enter an
experiment, collection, or demonstration. We are looking forward to seeing many wonderful science
projects carried out by Stonegate students! Please contact the PTA representative, Linda Morris,
[email protected] with any questions.
READ-A-THON IS COMING!
Our annual read-a-thon will be February 22 through March 4! During these two weeks, students will
record their home reading sessions using the online system at read-a-thon.com. Parents, relatives, and
friends can sponsor readers and donate money. Our goal is to raise money for educational programs and
equipment for our school. More information will go home the week of February 15th, including instructions on how to access the online system (or use a paper recording method), how to make donations,
and how to support and promote reading. Students raising money during the read-a-thon will be able
to “shop” for prizes online and all students participating in the read-a-thon will get to attend a superfun celebration assembly with Ms. Jones! Let’s go for 100% participation and make this the most successful read-a-thon ever!
SAVE THE DATE FOR FAMILY SCIENCE
It's almost here! Family Science Night will be held on Friday, February 19th, from 6 to 8 p.m.! This
year’s theme is “The Science Behind the Music.” Bring the family and explore how biology, physics, chemistry, and psychology are used to create and appreciate music! There will be a prize for the class
with the most students attending, so get your kids to Science Night! We are still looking for volunteers
to help at the event...if you are available, please contact Kristin Gruen at [email protected]. See you there!
PRINCIPAL’S BOOK OF THE MONTH
Our February social-emotional theme is seeing another’s perspective. The kindergarten through second grade
book is “Big Al” by Andrew Clements. “Henry and the Kite Dragon” by Bruce Edward Hall, is our third-fifth
grade book. Parents are encouraged to check out the Book of the Month from the local library to read and discuss it at home.
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Core Values
Mission Statement
Stonegate's mission as
a caring community is
to foster the growth of
life-long learners by
communicating high
expectations and
standards through respect, flexibility, and
collaboration.
We were reminded what a great community we live in as we witnessed and participated
in acts of service to our neighbors as we dug out of the record-breaking snow last month.
Now that we have survived Snowzilla we look forward to an exciting second semester
packed full of wonderful PTA activities! We kick off the semester with some of our favorite events like the Winter Dance (tonight!), Family Science Night, Multicultural Heritage Night, the Book Fair, and Read-a-thon. We are also introducing restaurant Spirit
Night Fundraisers. Our first Spirit Night will be Thursday, February 11th, at the Tech Rd.
Chick-fil-A. (See below for more information.) We are grateful for the time and energy
that our event chairs and volunteers put into making our activities great! We are always
looking for more volunteers to help with events and activities. Middle school and high
school students are often welcome to earn SSL hours. We encourage you to join us in
participating in our school community. Please contact us with suggestions, concerns or
comments at: Jennifer Willis [email protected] and Melissa Labriola
[email protected]
The PTA is the voice of our children. Come and be a part of that voice!
Don't forget to visit our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter!
Thanks...

Many of our winter session after school activities have begun! Thank you Jessica
Ryan for coordinating our after school programs and bringing some new after school
activities to Stonegate. Some programs still have space! For more information check
out the PTA section of the website or contact Jessica Ryan
([email protected]). Remember, financial assistance is available.

Big thanks to Rene Amador & Scott Weikert, our January Watch DOGS!

A super thanks to the chairs of our Super Hero Winter Dance, Tracey Linck and
Maggie Conley! The dance is tonight, February 5th, 2016, at Blake High School, from
6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale at the door for $5.00. Looking forward to a
fun night for everyone!
Vision Statement
The Stonegate Community will be committed to a multicultural learning environment that motivates
and supports all learners to achieve their
greatest potential. We
will collaborate respectfully to develop a
standard of excellence
that promotes high
expectations for all.
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Announcements…

Join us in showing Stonegate Spirit by wearing Stonegate Spirit wear every Friday!
Spirit wear can be purchased in the Shark Shack on Wednesday and Thursday
mornings from 8:40 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. or email Jessica Brauer [email protected] or
Maggie Conley [email protected] for more information.

The Stonegate PTA annual Spaghetti Dinner and Silent Auction planners are looking
for auction items. Please contact Charisse Scott [email protected] or
Molly Thomas [email protected] with donations by March 4th.
PTA Continued…
Calendar:
5

Chick-fil-A Spirit Night is Thursday, February 11, 2016. Stonegate Elementary School PTA will earn
20% of purchases when a flyer is shown or Stonegate is mentioned! Join us from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00
p.m. at the Tech Rd. Chick-Fil-A. 12289 Tech Rd. Silver Spring, MD 20904. Tell your friends, family,
and neighbors!

Day of Action in Annapolis is February 15th, 2016. Make sure ALL of Maryland’s public schools stay
strong and appropriately funded - join MCCPTA and representatives from PTAs across the state for
a day of action in Annapolis in support of public education. Questions? Contact at Charisse Scott
at [email protected] or MCCPTA at [email protected].

Family Science Night is Friday, February 19th, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Kristin Gruen is looking
for adult and high school student volunteers. Contact her at [email protected]. SSL hours available.

The Feelin’ Groovy Book Fair is almost here! We will be open during Family Science Night and
Multicultural Heritage Night and school hours on Monday, February 22nd –Friday, February 25th.
Sign up to volunteer! http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0c4ea4a72fa6f85-stonegate

Stonegate Elementary School Read-a-thon is back! Read and record your minutes from Monday,
February 22nd thorough Sunday, March 4th.

Multicultural Heritage Night is Thursday, February 25, 2016 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the APR.
If you are interested in sharing part of your culture (food, art, dance, language, fashion, or music)
please contact Danielle Sodani at [email protected]. Volunteers still needed. SSL hours available
for middle and high school students.

Our next monthly general membership PTA meeting will be Tuesday, March 1, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. please join us in the media center! Our guest speaker is Ms. Stefanie Bullock, staff development
teacher at Stonegate ES. She will be sharing information about Chrome Books and Google Apps and
how they are used in the classroom and can be used at home. There will also be information on how
students are monitored on the Chrome Books.
ESOL PARENT NIGHT
Attention all ESOL Families: Please join us for Stonegate’ s first ever ESOL Parent Night on Wednesday
April 27th, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. You will learn about the ESOL program here at Stonegate, meet other
ESOL families, learn how to help your child at home, and enjoy a pizza dinner on us. We hope to see you
there!
SGA NEWS
Beginning on Monday, February 8th, Stonegate students will begin their Pennies for Patients program sponsored by the SGA. This program benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. LLS is the world’s largest
voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research and providing education and patient services. They exist to find cures and ensure access to treatments for blood cancer patients.
Students will be given a collection box to take home to collect change and dollar bills to help this
cause. We will be collecting as a school throughout the month of February. The class that collects the
most money will win a prize, although our primary focus is to help the LLS in doing more research to find
cures. Keep your eyes and ears open for our fun fundraising ideas this year in addition to the collection
boxes.
KINDERGARTEN ORIENTATION
We will host our annual Kindergarten Orientation on FRIDAY, April 29th, from 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. for
families with students who will be 5 years old ON OR BEFORE SEPTEMBER 1, 2016. A letter with additional information is currently being developed and will be sent home within the next few weeks. Kindergarten Orientation focuses on creating a stress-free, informal experience for parents and incoming students.
During orientation, parents will have an opportunity to meet teachers, complete registration, and learn
briefly about the kindergarten program. Students will have an opportunity to work on kindergarten related
tasks and to meet other incoming peers. Classes WILL BE cancelled for current kindergarten students
in order to accommodate the orientation day. Please make arrangements for your kindergarten student that day.
Please note that Early Entrance to Kindergarten (EEK) applications will also be accepted for children who
will be five years of age between September 2 and October 15, 2016. According to MCPS policy, considera-
tion will NOT be given for children with birthdates beyond October 15. There will be NO appeal process for children with birthdates beyond the October 15 window.
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EMERGENCY CLOSURE OF SCHOOLS
How are the decisions made to close school, delay openings or close early?
Closure of Schools: When schools are closed, all school and community activities
are canceled, including athletic practices and events. Private day care providers in
schools may elect to stay open if the administrative offices are open. In extreme conditions, the administrative offices may be closed.
Delayed Openings: If schools are closed or delayed, the announcement is made no
later than 5:00 a.m. (or the night before if possible). Schools may open two hours
late, and all operations, including bus transportation, are delayed by two hours from
the regular schedule. Stonegate doors would open at 10:40 a.m.
Quick Reference to
Frequently Called
Numbers
Child Find
(programs for children w/disabilities)
301-929-2224
West Farm Bus Depot
301-879-1065
Early Childhood Education
(Pre K-2nd) 301-2300691
Food and Nutrition
Services
301-840-8170
General Info
(MCPS Call Center)
301-309-6277
Hispanic Hotline
301-230-3073
Homework Hotline
(Channel 52)
301-279-3234
Weather Info
(Late opening/early
closings)
301-279-3673
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Early Dismissal: If schools are closing early, the announcements are made by 11:00
a.m. Schools may be closed 2.5 hours early, and all operations affecting dismissal of
students, including bus transportation, will be activated 2.5 hours earlier than the
regular school closing time. Stonegate would dismiss at 12:55 p.m.
DRESSING FOR THE WEATHER
During the winter months we never know what the weather may bring. When it is
32 degrees or warmer students will have outdoor recess. We not only take into
account the actual temperature, but also the wind chill. Please be sure your child is
dressing appropriately for the weather. Children should bring jackets, gloves,
scarves, and hats to ensure they are warm. Thank you for your support as we continue through these unpredictable winter months.
SAFETY IN THE CAR CIRCLE
If you are a parent who drops their child off at school in the car circle, please be sure
you pull all the way up to ensure a smooth and orderly arrival. Patrols and adults
will direct you on when to move forward and when it is safe for your child to exit
the car. We encourage you to please be patient during car rider arrival. Students
should not be getting out of cars until they are in front of the school. Thank you for
your cooperation and support in ensuring Stonegate arrival and dismissal is safe.
February is Black History Month in which we celebrate African-Americans’ achievements and contributions to
the country. Although some chapters of the national story are famous — such as the one centered on Jackie
Robinson’s debut as the first black Major League Baseball player — others are less well-known:
1. Black History Month started in 1926. The observance was proposed by Carter Godwin Woodson, an author
and historian, as Negro History Week. It expanded in the 1970’s.
2. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was founded in 1909. It’s now considered
“the nation’s oldest, largest and most widely recognized grassroots-based civil-rights organization,” according to
its website.
3. The U.S. isn’t the only country to celebrate Black History Month. Canada also observes it in February, while
the U.K. recognizes it in October.
4. There are more than 45 million African-Americans living in the U.S., according to Census Bureau data. That’s
about 15 percent of the nation's population.
5. There are more than 2 million black veterans.
6. By 2060, the black population is forecast to make up almost 18 percent of the U.S. population.
7. The first black NBA player was Earl Lloyd in 1950. He played for the Washington Capitals and was inducted
into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame more than half a century later, in 2003.
8. African-Americans were responsible for the invention of 3D graphics, blood banks, gas masks, potato chips
and Super Soaker water guns, according to HowStuffWorks and the Atlanta Black Star.
9. One out of every four cowboys in the 1800s was black, CNN reported.
10. The 114th Congress, the current one, is the most diverse ever. Forty-six House and Senate members are black,
according to the Pew Research Center.
11. The first black U.S. senator was Hiram Revels in 1870. The day he officially joined Congress, “visitors in the
Senate galleries burst into applause as ... [he] entered the chamber to take his oath of office,” according to the
Senate website.
12. President Barack Obama proclaimed February to be Black History Month, writing that as the nation observes it, “we recognize these champions of justice and the sacrifices they made to bring us to this point, we honor the contributions of African-Americans since our country’s beginning, and we recommit to reaching for a day
when no person is judged by anything but the content of their character.”
8
NUTS AND BOLTS
Attention Parents:
We are in need of volunteers for recess and donations of kickballs, jump ropes, and basketballs. Please contact Mrs. Till at (301) 989-5668 if you are interested in donating equipment or volunteering. Any time you can provide would be appreciated! In addition, we would
appreciate any donations of new or gently used but greatly loved games that you may have around
your home to use for indoor recess. The students especially enjoy the following games and they are
great for indoor recess play: Uno, Yahtzee, Chess, Trouble, Sorry, Connect Four, and Memory. We would also
appreciate donations of puzzles and building blocks of any size. Please send your donations to the
school office. As always, thank you for your support!
Saturday School is Underway!
Saturday School offers tutoring and mentoring in reading/language arts, mathematics, and test-taking
skills for students in grades 1-12 that reside in Montgomery County. It takes place Saturday mornings
from 8:30 to 11 a.m. at 12 high school centers. There is fast and easy registration online for the
2015/2016 school year. Follow this link to the Saturday School Registration page: http://
www.saturdayschool.org/programs/enroll.shtm.
Lost and Found
Please label your child’s clothing with their first and last name. We have a large number of lost and
found items without labels.
Homework Hotline Live
Ask teachers for help Mondays from 6:00 p.m.-9:30 p.m. and Tuesday-Thursdays 4:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. on
MCPS TV's Homework Hotline Live (HHL). Watch teachers here as they work with you to solve homework problems. To ask your question: From 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, call 301-2793234 (STILL THE BEST--talk directly with a teacher). Tweet Us @AskHHL, Text HHL 724-4275445, send an E-mail to [email protected], or post a message on the HHL Facebook wall.
Homework Hotline Live has been helping students for 30 years. It is a service of Montgomery County
(Maryland) Public Schools. In addition to this website, HHL can be viewed in Montgomery County on
cable TV (Comcast 34, Verizon FIOS 36, RCN 89).
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MCPS NEWS
Parent Academy
Winter 2016 Parent Academy
The MCPS Parent Academy is back with an exciting lineup of free workshops for parents! Parent
Academy workshops give parents useful tips and tools to support their children’s success in and out of
school. A wide array of topics will be covered during the winter session, including college and career
planning, helping teens manage stress, literacy, the MCPS operating budget, recognizing child abuse
and neglect, and much more. All of the workshops are free and are held at schools and locations
throughout Montgomery County. Childcare and interpretation services are provided. To see the
schedule of workshops and to register, visit montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/parentacademy/.
Sesión de Invierno 2016 de la Academia Para Padres
La Academia para Padres de MCPS está de vuelta con una alineación interesante de talleres gratuitos
para los padres! Los talleres de la Academia para Padres dan a los padres consejos útiles y herramientas
para apoyar el éxito de sus hijos dentro y fuera de la escuela. Una amplia gama de temas serán
cubiertos durante la sesión de invierno, incluyendo planificación universitaria y de carrera, ayudando a
los adolescentes a manejar el estrés, alfabetización, el presupuesto operativo de MCPS, reconociendo el
abuso y la negligencia infantil, y mucho más. Todos los talleres son gratuitos y se llevan a cabo en escuelas y otros lugares alrededor del condado de Montgomery. Se proporcionan servicios de guardería e
interpretación de lenguajes. Para ver el calendario de talleres y para registrarse, visite montgome
yschoolsmd.org/departments/parentacademy/
Library Link
Library Link—Connecting Students to Adventure, Exploration and Excitement
Montgomery County Public Schools is partnering with the Montgomery County Public Libraries to
launch Library Link, a new countywide initiative aimed to ensure every child enrolled in school has
access to a library card. This program is part of the national ConnectED Library Challenge, led by the
Institute of Museum and Library Services, a federal agency supporting libraries. With 21 branches
across Montgomery County, libraries have millions of books, magazines, movies, and more for children
to borrow. Libraries also serve as digital hubs to connect students to Internet resources, and offer important tools such as test preparation materials, electronic databases, world language materials, and
quiet spaces for children to do homework. You’ll hear more about Library Link in the coming months.
Library Link-Conectando Estudiantes con la Aventura, Exploración y Emoción
Las Escuelas Públicas del Condado de Montgomery se han asociado con las Bibliotecas Públicas del
Condado de Montgomery para lanzar Library Link, una nueva iniciativa en todo el condado que tiene
como objetivo asegurar que cada niño matriculado en la escuela tenga acceso a una tarjeta de la biblioteca. Este programa forma parte del desafío nacional Conectados a la Biblioteca, dirigido por el Instituto de Servicios de Museos y Bibliotecas, una agencia federal de apoyo a las bibliotecas. Con 21 sucursales en todo el Condado de Montgomery, las bibliotecas tienen millones de libros, revistas, películas, y
más para que los niños pidan prestado. Las bibliotecas también sirven como centros digitales para
conectar a los estudiantes a los recursos de Internet, y ofrecen herramientas importantes, tales como
materiales de preparación para evaluaciones, bases de datos electrónicos, materiales de lenguajes del
mundo, y espacios tranquilos para los niños puedan hacer los deberes. Usted escuchará más sobre Li10
brary Link en los próximos meses.