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

Tuesday, March 8, 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
Dear Families,
What a winter we are having. I am certainly looking forward to
spring and I am certain you are too! As we begin to plan for the upcoming school year we have received our preliminary allocations for
the 2016—2017 school year. We have a few gains in positions and
hours, and we did not lose any positions. I will continue to update
you with staffing changes.


Our ESL allocation has increased from a .8 to a .9. We are very
excited about this. This equates to 4.5 days of service for our students learning English as a second language.

This year we received .1 Academic Intervention position, which is
a new allocation for Stonegate (4 hours/week).
Science Fair, Tuesday,
March 8th, from 6:00 p.m.
to 7:30 p.m. in the APR

Spaghetti Dinner & Silent
Auction, Friday, March 11th,
from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
in the APR
Important Dates:

Our specialists (Art, Music and PE) have remained at a .9. This
means specialists will be at Stonegate 4.5 days a week and we are
very thankful!


Our reading initiative position has remained at a .9. This is very
important in order for us to keep 1st and 2nd grade reading classes small.
Grades 1 & 2 Music Night,
Tuesday, March 15th, at
7:00 p.m.

The instrumental music allocation has increased from a .3 to
a .4. Our instrumental music classes will be taught on two days.
Spring Pictures & Classroom Group Pictures,
Wednesday, March 16th

SGA, Chorus, Patrols, Etc.
Pictures, Thursday, March
17th

Grades 3 & 4 Music Night,
Tuesday, March 22nd, at
7:00 p.m.

Professional Day- March
24th -No School for Students

March 25th & 28th-Holiday
-No School for Students

March 29th-April 1stSpring Break-No School for
Students

Please have an amazing spring break and come back ready to end the
school year with a bang.
Variety Show Auditions,
Tuesday, April 5th, at 3:45
p.m.

PTA Meeting, Tuesday,
April 5th, at 7:00 p.m.
Your principal,

Reading Night,
Wednesday,
April 6th, at
6:00 p.m.


Classroom, Paraeducator, Lunch/Recess, Specialist, and NonClassroom Teacher positions remain unchanged.
We will be closely monitoring our student enrollment for the remainder of the school year and into the summer. Please look out for
a family intent form for the 2016-2017 school year. The form will
come home in backpacks on Friday, March 25th, and will ask parents to provide information regarding your plans for the next school
year. Our Leadership Team will be using this information to assist in
drafting the master schedule and to plan for the 2016-2017 school
year.
We appreciate everyone’s support and positive energy as we continue our efforts to meet our school improvement goals in the upcoming
year, and our long tradition of success and achievement!
Ms. Jones
1
FAMILY LIFE INSTRUCTION IN 5TH GRADE
Students in Grade 5 are scheduled for the comprehensive health education unit on Family Life
and Human Sexuality (FLHS) and Disease Prevention and Control (DPC). Instruction in these
units is designed to help students develop a foundation for making responsible choices and developing behaviors that will reflect respect for the individual and for others in the family and
community. Instruction on FLHS is scheduled to take place from March 21st—March 23rd and
April 4th—6th, 2016.
TESTING INFORMATION FOR MARCH
5th graders are preparing for the Science MSA. This state assessment is given over two
days in March. The dates that our 5th graders will be testing are: March 15th and 16th
from 12:30-2:30 p.m. Parents, if you could please work around these dates when scheduling appointments for your students, it would be greatly appreciated.
GIFTED AND TALENTED SCREENING
All parents or guardians of our grade 2 students should have received a SIPPI Parent Input Form in the mail. All new and rescreening students in grades 3-5 had the same form
sent home with their student. Please complete and return the questionnaire to
Stonegate as soon as possible. These forms are important for the school to have as we
use the information to make educational decisions regarding your child’s educational
programming for the next grade.
SPRING PICTURES
March 16th is picture day. Order forms will be coming home later this week. NEW THIS
YEAR: only students with their spring picture order form and payment will be photographed.
Classroom group pictures will be taken of all students. There are separate order forms for
classroom pictures.
SGA, chorus, patrols, etc. will be photographed March 17 th. Students will need an additional order form and payment for each group picture they wish to purchase.
VARIETY SHOW INFORMATION
The Variety Show will be held April 15th this year. Variety Show Auditions will be held
the afternoon of April 5th. More specific information will be sent home soon.
2
KINDERGARTEN ORIENTATION
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 Kendra Harris
at:
stonegatepta.membership@g
mail.com
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. Please call the school to
make an appointment. 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, consideration 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.
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.
3
READING NIGHT!
Reading Night has been scheduled for Wednesday, April 6th, from 6:00-7:30
p.m. The theme is "Read Around the World". Students should report for their
around the world adventure at 6:00 p.m. to get their itinerary, passport, and full
experience of the evening. There will be stories, crafts, recipes, games, door prizes and more. So, put this important event on your calendar and come out for an
evening of reading fun! Students who attend this event must be accompanied by
an adult.
ESOL PARENT NIGHT DATE CHANGE
Attention all ESOL Families: Please join us for Stonegate’ s first ever ESOL Parent Night on Wednesday, May 11th, 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!
COUNSELOR’S CORNER
Hello Parents,
Quick Reference to Frequently Called Numbers The ability to share is a life skill that serves us all and it is a skill that is
Child Find
(programs for children w/
disabilities)
301-929-2224
West Farm Bus Depot
301-879-1065
Early Childhood Education
(Pre K-2nd) 301-230-0691
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
4
best learned at a young age. I want to share an article that was shared
with me by one of my colleagues. It is a good read and I think you will
find it insightful. Enjoy!
http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/parenting/discipline-behavior/moralsmanners/11-ways-teach-your-child-share
Take Care,
Mr. Seward
Random fun fact about myself!
When I was a kid I thought it would be cool to take my father’s Queen
Album to school and do DJ tricks for my friends. As you can imagine my
father was not happy about that at all!
PRINCIPAL’S BOOK OF THE MONTH
Our March social-emotional theme is self esteem. The kindergarten through
second grade book is “Zero” by Kathryn Otoshi. “The Junkyard Wonders” by
Patricia Polacco 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.
Core Values
MARCH IS WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH
Every March, the country celebrates the accomplishments of women in American history. Even though these accomplishments go back a long way, most schools didn't start
focusing on women pioneers and their achievements until recently. Today, most colleges
offer classes in women's history and most schools teach kids about the many contributions women have made to our country. How did this shift come about?
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.
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.
International Women's Day Is Born
On March 19, 1911, a German woman named Clara Zetkin organized the very first International Women's Day. Inspired by American working women, the annual event took on
the causes of peace (in an effort to end World War I) as well as women's rights. Over the
years, interest in International Women's Day dwindled. It gained momentum again in
the 1960s, when the women's movement caused women to wonder why they weren't
included in the history books.
National Women's History Week Is Celebrated
By the 1970s, more female historians began to look back at the contributions of women in
history. In 1978, a California school district started Women's History Week to promote
the teaching of women's history. School officials picked the week of March 8 to include
International Women's Day. It was so popular that, in 1981, Congress passed a resolution
making the week a celebration for the entire country. The concept of studying women's
history continued to grow in popularity. In 1987, a group of women (supported by people working in museums, schools and libraries) asked Congress to expand the celebration. That same year, Congress declared the entire month of March National Women's
History Month.
BEN’S RUN
Your family is invited to a very special event sponsored by our school on Saturday, April
23rd. The family and friends of Ben Goldfogle are organizing the 6 th Annual Ben’s Run*, a
“Ben-a-fit” for Children’s National Medical Center (CNMC)-a 5 mile, 5K, or 1 mile run/walk
to raise money for CNMC’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders. The goal for our 6th
anniversary run is to raise $100,000.
This event is in memory of Ben, a Stonegate student who passed away in September 2009 at
the age of 11 after battling leukemia for more than six years. The event will support the
many area children who are fighting cancer and blood disorders, specifically to improve
outcomes from bone marrow transplants for children with high risk leukemia who received
chemotherapy treatment and have relapsed.
We are hoping that Stonegate students and their families will again turn out in support of
this terrific cause! The race(s) will begin and end at our school starting at 8:30 a.m. Registration for Stonegate ES students and their families is $20 per person, with a cap of $100 per
family.
5
PTA NEWS
Happy March Stonegate Families! We have been very busy in February and are expecting another
fun packed month! We are truly appreciative of all 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 any suggestions, concerns or comments at: Jennifer Willis [email protected]
and Melissa Labriola [email protected]
Looking forward to….
The Science Fair is Tuesday, March 8th from 6:00-7:30pm. Please join us in supporting and celebrating our Stonegate Scientists as we learn about their projects, demonstrations and experiments.
The Stonegate PTA annual Spaghetti Dinner and Silent Auction is Friday, March 11 th from 6:008:00 p.m. There will be great auction items, come and check it out! The spaghetti dinner is delicious, homemade and FREE! Bidding ends at 7:45 p.m.
Our next monthly general membership PTA meeting will be Tuesday, April 5, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. please join us in the media center! Mr. Seward, our school counselor, will join us and share information about the MCPS mandate for social emotional learning and what our school is doing to
support this mandate. Childcare for children 2 and up is provided.
Thanks...
Many thanks to Danielle Sodani and the many volunteers for another wonderful and educational
Multicultural Heritage Night! The exhibits, performance and food were amazing!
Many thanks to Kristin Gruen and all of her helpers for an excellent Family Science Night! We
learned new and exciting things about the Science of Music!
Many thanks to Jen Willis and Janet Paldao and the volunteers that spent so much time and effort
to make the book fair successful! The All for Books donations collected enabled us to donate a
book to more than 45 students and 15 books to the media center. A big thank you to The Page
Turner’s Book Club, a neighborhood book club, whose generosity allowed for the purchase of so
many books for our students.
We are so pleased to see the wonderful support given by family and friends to support your child's
reading and the PTA through the Read-a-Thon! It was a wonderful experience for the children!
Our students have been very busy reading and have raised over $8000 so far for our PTA through
the generosity of family, friends, and neighbors! Many thanks to Sue Koutsky for coordinating the
event!
Thank you to all the families who joined us at Chick-Fil-A – our first Spirit Night Fundraiser!
Thanks Maggie Conley for making it happen!
6
PTA NEWS CONTINUED
Thanks to Ms. Stefanie Bollock for the excellent information shared about Chromebooks and
Google Apps at our March PTA meeting.
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.
Interested in serving on the PTA board? Contact Danielle Sodani at [email protected], head of
the 2016 Stonegate PTA Nominating Committee.
Get your acts ready! Stonegate Variety Show tryouts are Tuesday, April 5th, from 3:30 p.m. - 6:00
p.m. More information will be coming home soon!
STAFF DEVELOPMENT NEWS
Marking Period 3 Interim Progress Reports
Marking Period 3 Interim Progress Reports were distributed on Friday, March 4 th.
All students in 1st-5th grade received a progress report. Kindergarteners did not receive an interim progress report, as kindergarten students receive report cards on a semester basis.
Students in grades 1-5 earned scores of ES, P, I or N. The grading codes for the Learning Skills
consists of DEM (demonstrating), PRG (progressing) and N (not yet). Because the interim report is sent out at the mid-point of the marking period, you may find that not all measurement
topics have been covered. Not to worry; they will be covered before the marking period ends.
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].
Revised Report Card Distribution Dates
Due to January’s blizzard, MCPS has adjusted the end date of marking period 3. Marking Period 3 will end on Friday, April 8th, which is one week later than originally scheduled. Marking
Period 3 report cards will go home on Friday, April 22 nd, which is also one week later than originally scheduled.
Marking Period 4 will not begin until Monday, April 11 th. This will allow for 41 days of instruction in Marking Period 3 and 48 days of instruction in Marking Period 4, which more
evenly distributes approximately 9 weeks of instruction into each of the marking periods.
Marking Period 4 report card distribution remains unchanged; report cards will be mailed
home on Monday, June 27th.
7
STAFF DEVELOPMENT NEWS CONTINUED
Chromebook Presentation Follow-Up
On Tuesday, March 1st, the PTA members in attendance at the March PTA meeting heard a
brief overview of the Google technology being used in 3 rd-5th grade classrooms. While the
Chromebooks available to all 3 rd, 4th, and 5th grade students make the technology easily accessible, the technology is not limited to Chromebook users. Anyone with a Chrome browser can
access many of the apps and extensions highlighted during the presentation.
Some apps that were highlighted include xtramath, Typing Club, and TumbleBook Library. All
apps (websites) can be added to your chrome browser via the Chrome Web Store (http://
chrome.google.com/webstore) by simply searching for the apps by name in the search bar. Furthermore, the Read & Write for Google Chrome extension can be downloaded in the Web
Store and offers point-and-click reading support for students.
MCPS NEWS
Today, the Montgomery County Board of Education submitted its Fiscal Year 2017 Operating Budget to County Executive Isiah Leggett and the County Council. The budget serves as a reflection of
our unwavering commitment to reinvest in our students so that we can ensure that every student is
well prepared for the future.
Over the last eight years, Montgomery County Public Schools has seen a rapid expansion in the
number of students enrolled but a contraction of the essential resources to serve them. Since 2009,
enrollment has skyrocketed by 12 percent, making us the 17th largest school system in the nation.
And this trend will continue. We project an additional 2,500 students to enroll next year. Yet, our
staffing has not kept pace. Cuts to funding have only allowed us to increase staff by just 3 percent.
This mismatched growth is particularly concerning given the increasing needs of our students.
Nearly 35 percent of our student body is eligible for free and reduced-price meals (FARMS), an increase of 16,407 students since 2009. Moreover, we have seen a 32 percent increase in students enrolled in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) during this same period.
In spite of these unprecedented changes, local funding for our schools has decreased—driven in no
small part by the Great Recession in 2008. As a result, the county government has required MCPS
to do more with less for nearly a decade. The result: the per-student spending by the county has decreased by $1,200 since 2009. MCPS has received increases in state aid to somewhat offset the loss
of county investment. But at a time when we need to be investing more to meet the growing needs
of our students, MCPS has been treading water.
We can no longer disinvest in our students and our schools. Any further cuts threaten to destabilize
our schools, which will put the future of our students, county, and economy at risk. We must provide our students with access to the opportunities and resources they need to succeed.
Our requested operating budget does just this. After the previous years of cuts, we are requesting
$2.5 billion, a $180.2 million increase from Fiscal Year 2016, to help strengthen the system’s foundation; reduce class sizes; expand efforts to address disparities in educational outcomes for African
American, Latino, and other historically disadvantaged student groups; and enhance college and
career readiness programs for all students.
8
MCPS NEWS CONTINUED
The budget targets investments to—
 Keep pace with the unprecedented growth and changing needs of our student population;
 Close the achievement gap with a focus on literacy and math skills;
 Reduce class sizes to ensure teachers can better support each student;
 Build the cultural proficiency of staff;
 Strengthen partnerships with the community and families to support students; and
 Ensure every student is prepared for college and career.
View the Budget and Make Your Voice Heard
It is through these investments that we will move beyond the status quo and provide a level playing
field for each of our students to succeed, regardless of racial background or socio-economic status.
During testimony before the Board of Education earlier this year, Montgomery County Council of
Parent-Teacher Associations President Frances Frost stated, “Although the administration of policies and of the schools is the professional duty of the Board of Education and MCPS, the results, failures, and successes affect us all.” She is right. The success of MCPS reverberates in every part of our
community, including local businesses.
“One of our greatest challenges in the information technology business is finding high-quality human
resources,” noted Brian A. Vaughn, President and CEO of ShipShape IT. “For having had the pleasure
of finding capable human resources through the Montgomery County Public Schools, I am extremely
thankful. It’s a diverse and highly educated group of students, which indeed helps address the dearth
of talent in this market.”
Fitzgerald Auto Malls Vice President Harold Redden agrees. “We depend on the students who graduate from MCPS to be our next generation of employees and entrepreneurs, innovators, and leaders.
If we want business to thrive in this county in the years to come, we must invest in our schools today.”
From parents to students to business leaders, we continue to hear from hundreds of community
members who believe that now is the time to reinvest in our students and schools. We know that
the county executive and County Council have been supportive of our schools over the years. Now,
we need them to join us and reverse the years of minimum funding increases. It’s time to stop disinvesting in our schools.
Now is the time to make your voice heard. Over the next several weeks, we are asking for your help
to ensure that the County Council knows that fully funding our budget is critically important to the
future of this county. Please write to the county executive and County Council, sign up to testify,
and contact your friends and neighbors to get involved today. Together, let’s make our voices heard.
Visit http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/budget17 for details about the requested budget and
resources to help you advocate.
Respectfully,
Michael A. Durso
President, Montgomery County Board of Education
Make Your Voice Heard
9
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).
10