Diamond Gems Page 1 of 15 Message from the PTA President

Diamond Gems
hImer
December, 2014
Volume 4, Issue 4
Upcoming Events:
nd
December 2 – PTA
General Meeting, Media
Center
th
December 17 - Restaurant
Day, Jersey Mike’s –
10 am – 9 pm
th
December 24 - 31st – No
School, Winter Break
th
January 8 – Winter Choral
Concert – APR 7pm
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Diamond Gems
Diamond Elementary School 4 Marquis Drive Gaithersburg, MD 20878
“Excellence Through Effort”
Message from the PTA President
Dear Diamond Families
I want to discuss with you the season of giving, by spotlighting one of our own,
Mrs. Andrea Virga. There are so many great causes that are near and dear to
our hearts, across a broad spectrum of charities. I’d like to discuss a life lived
that exceeded any possible expectation that could have been applied.
A woman of great virtue which cannot be quantified, as she seeks to
work willingly with her hands. Girding herself with strength, she
strengthens her arms to extend her hand to the poor and needy.
Diamond had a Gem of a teacher in the late Mrs. Andrea Virga. Unfortunately
Mrs. Virga passed away in July of 2014, which was a great loss to the
Diamond ES Family. Andrea was very involved in community service and
devoted much of her time to helping others. She served her church by helping
the homeless and local area shelters. It was very fitting for the Diamond PTA
to re-name our annual coat drive in honor of Mrs. Virga. I want to go a step
further and discuss selfless acts of kindness and how they bring a little
sunshine one moment at a time.
Diamond Gems
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Many people don’t take the time to care or pause to lend a helping hand to someone who is in need. I
was at the local 7 Eleven, and a young man walked up as I was getting in my car, his speech wasn’t
clear at all, but his request was simple, “Sir would you happen to have two dollars so that I can catch
the bus?” My first inclination was, “No I do not,” but as the gentlemen walked away I blew my horn and
called him back. I immediately began to scrap up the loose change in my vehicle, in order to come up
with the two dollars; the gentlemen said thank you and walked directly to the bus stop. I guess we all
have inhibitions and vices’ that can stymie us from taking a moment to do something nice for another
human being. Andrea Virga had the gifts of Humility; which allowed her to be selfless, Foresight; which
allowed her to see past a person’s appearance and address the need, Ethical conduct; which allowed
her to always be at the ready when she heard the call, Service; which made her able to stand during
the most trying circumstances, Visibility; she didn’t require a spot light as her internal light always cast
an external light to those whom she extended herself too, but most of all to those who knew her best,
Wisdom of Understanding; this made Mrs. Virga amenable, understanding that things can change,
allowed her to make adjustments and continue the cause of Justice; which she wore proudly in her
heart, and Charity; her mantle of choice. Andrea will always be a pillar of light to the Diamond ES
Family.
In my closing I’d like to thank Kristy King and Carmel McGuire for the continued staff appreciation and
support. Heather Locraft and Katie Dyson for planning our restaurant nights. We had a successful
Scholastic Book Fair, good work to Shannon Glerum and team. I look forward to seeing as many of
you as possible at the upcoming Turkey Trot Fun Run!
Go Diamond Dolphins
Darwin D. Johnson
PTA President, Diamond ES 2014/2015
Cultural Arts
The PTA hosted a Cultural Arts Workshop for the Kindergarten class on November 20 – Incredible Insects! This
interactive workshop provided an introduction to arthropods (insects and their relatives), focused on diversity of
species and the importance of insects in the ecosystem. Hands-on experience with live specimens increases
students' comfort level with insects and their awareness of our surrounding environment, and examination of
preserved collections of exotic insects stimulates discussion of the variety of species and ecosystems. This was
an up-close and personal experience that demonstrates an important element of the biological environment in
which we live.
About the instructor: Kay Taub is an Entomologist and former Director of the Smithsonian Institution's Insect
Zoo. Over the past 25 years, she has taught insect classes to children for the Smithsonian's Resident Associates
Program, Audubon Naturalist Society, and in numerous public and private schools throughout the
Washington/Baltimore Metropolitan area.
Diamond Gems
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Diamond Elementary
Principal, Mr. Daniel Walder
Assistant Principal, Ms. Cathy Shinn
Administrative Secretary, Mrs. Dee Dee McCaffrey
Attendance Secretary, Mrs. Kim Irish
School Hours: 9:15 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
4 Marquis Drive
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
301-840-7177
www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/diamondes/
School Colors
Blue and yellow
School Mascot
“Finn” the dolphin
SGA Spirit Days!
December 5th – Diamond Wear
December 12th – Diamond Wear
December 19th – PJ Day (no slippers, please)
WINTER CHORAL CONCERT
Thursday, January 8, 2013, 7:00 p.m. in the APR
*SNOW DATE - Thursday, January 15th
Diamond Gems
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Let’s get to know Diamond’s Students & Staff !
December 2014 - We’re highlighting…
PTA
Diamond Elementary School
4 Marquis Drive
Gaithersburg, MD 20878
PHONE:
(301) 840-7177
-
Absences: Please call
the office, 301-8407177, to report student
absences.
WEBSITE:
http://www.montgomerys
choolsmd.org/schools/dia
mondes/
“Mrs. Jo Ann Davis”
What grade do you teach or what position do you have? Lunch/Recess
Have you ever taught another grade? If so, what? No
Where were you born? Brooklyn, NY
What was the name of your Elementary School? Polk Street ES
When you were in elementary school, what was your favorite subject? PE
Where did you go to college? Montgomery College
What is your favorite color? Yellow
What is your favorite sport to watch or to play? Football/Softball
What was your favorite childhood book? Good Night Moon
What is your favorite book?
What is your favorite hobby? Watching my kids play sports
Do you have a pet? If yes, what kind & what is the name? None, but I dog sit
What is your favorite food? Crabs
What is your favorite board game? Pretty, Pretty Princess
What is the name of your favorite restaurant? Joe’s Crab Shack
What is your favorite movie? Grease
“Travis Brown”
What is your name? Travis Brown
What grade are you in? 1st
Who is your teacher? Mrs. Mundy
What is your favorite book? The Duckling Gets a Cookie
What is your favorite food? Grapefruit
Do you have a family pet? If so, what kind? No
Do you have any brothers or sisters at Diamond? If so, how many and what grades are
they in? Yes, Holly, 2nd
How many people are in your family? 6
What is your favorite vacation location? Huntington Beach, California
Where would you like to visit? Florida
What is your favorite color? Blue and black
What is your favorite subject in school? Math
What is your favorite movie? Dolphin Tale 2
What is your favorite hobby? Playing sports
Do you play sports? If so, what? Basketball, flag football, and baseball
What is your favorite sports team? Seattle Seahawks
Do you play a musical instrument? If so, what? No
Where do you want to go to college? Brigham Young University
What do you want to be when you grow up? An ocean animal rescuer
Diamond Gems
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Diamond PTA Yahoo Group!
Get school and PTA information and news!
Join the Group by sending an e-mail message to:
[email protected]
All Parents are strongly encouraged to sign up! It’s FREE and easy and open to all Diamond
families and staff.
Be sure to include the following in your subscription e-mail:



Your First and Last Name
The First and Last Name(s) of your student(s) and the name of their Teacher(s)
Your student’s grade level
This information is needed for the PTA to identify you as a Diamond parent or guardian in
order to grant your membership request. Group membership is also available for Diamond staff!
Elizabeth and John Voung
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Attention Classroom Volunteers!
If you are interested in being a classroom volunteer, please sign
up with your child’s teacher. In addition, please email our
Volunteer Coordinator, Amy Galler - [email protected].
Diamond Gems
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DES Scholastic Book Fair
THANK YOU!
Thank you everyone that helped with the Book Fair this year. It's a huge job and it takes a lot of people to
make it work. Your efforts helped raise $3,693.21 in cash for the PTA and $279.65 in Scholastic
Dollars for our Library! Diamond students and parents raised $249.80 for All For Books. This money
allowed more DES students to enjoy books from the Fair and helped purchase new books for our library.
Scholastic will match this amount in books and donate them to two national non-profit
organizations: Kids in Distressed Situations, Inc. and Kids in Need Foundation.
Thank you Mrs. Gross and Mrs. Lentz for turning over the Library for this event and helping the students
create their wish lists. Below are the names of the student and parent volunteers who helped staff this
event:
Akansha Dave, Alisha Palez, Allison Fisher, Allyson Levine, Ananya, Anisha Sakena, Anna Dyson, Arya
Ghorpade, Brigitte Rowe, Chhaya Sharma, Chris Chimera, Christine Pettis, Cynthia Miller, Dhanvi
Vasavada, Elizabeth Fischer, Emer Daly, Gretchen Walters, Hadleigh Locraft, Heather Deland, Heather
Locraft, Holly Reed, Ivana Slattery, Jacob Levine, Jamie Howenstein, Jamie Melara, Jen Gormley, Joseph
Lubin, Kalyani, Kathryn Woodrow, Katie Dyson, Kristin Johnston, Kristina Wesselink, Laura Cole, Lauren
Reed, Manasi Agisgekar, Mary Kate Gutierrez, Matt Gormley, Matthew Van Bronkhorst, Max Johnston,
Melanie Mollica, Michelle Datlow, Micheal Yap, Miguel Rojas, Nazzi Kholdebarin, Orly Lopez, Sandee
Taggart, Shannon Phelan, Sydney Taggart, Stephanie Theeler, Sujatha Guruvayurappan, Susie Chung,
Tracey Park, Vandana Matrvadia, Vanny Soriano, Venkata Polavarapu, and Xin Xin Quan
Shannon Glerum, Book Fair Chair
Restaurant Day!! – Jersey Mikes in the Kentlands
Wednesday, December 17th 10 am – 9 pm (Lunch too!)
Diamond PTA gets a percentage of sales!
Diamond Gems
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Diamond Gems
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Staff Appreciation
We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the families that donated food and
time to feed the teachers and staff during Parent/Teacher Conferences on November 10 &
11. For the dinner on Monday, November 10, special thanks to the Brown family, the
Channa family, the Cole family, the Fisher family, the Hollingsworth family,
the Howenstein family, the Lakhiani family, the Phelan family, the Ponce family,
the Rojas family, the Szuchyt family, the Waterman family, the Wesselink family, and
the Zimet family.
For the dinner on Tuesday, November 11, special thanks to the Brown family, the Cortes
family, the Gormley family, the Kim family, the Phelan family, the Smith family, the Theeler
family, the Wesselink family, the Zangmeister family.
Also, we appreciate the generosity of families that have donated $5 gift cards. We will be
starting monthly drawings for Diamond staff beginning in December. We hope to continue
the drawings through June so please feel free to donate gift cards at any time during the
school year.
Interested in joining the PTA Staff Appreciation Committee? Email us
at [email protected].
Kristy King and Carmel McGuire
PTA Staff Appreciation Committee
GIRLS ON THE RUN!
Congratulations to the Diamond ES Girls on the Run team for completing
the 5K with all the other teams in Montgomery County on Sunday,
November 16. We are so proud of you! Haley Anderson, Divya Bakshi, Emi
Bernal, Kiana Enecio, Bella Hanson, Maddie Lubin, Anjali Marfatia, Luna
Montesinos, Emily Nieto, Brianna Niles, Kailie Park, McKenzie Phelan, Maria
Sizova and Hannah Walters. Thanks to coaches Paul Phelan, Shannon
Phelan, Linda Hallwig, Kelly Serlo, and Myra Cruz!
Diamond Gems
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Diamond Gems
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11/15/2014
PTA
2014/2015 Diamond Elementary PTA Calendar
Note: Dates and Events are subject to change.
December 2014
Day
Date
Time
Tuesday
TBD
Wed Wed.
2
TBD
24 31
7:00 PM
TBD
All Day
Event
PTA General Meeting, Media Center
Restaurant Night – TBD
NO SCHOOL – Winter Break
January 2015
Day
Date
Time
Thur - Fri
Wednesday
Monday
Tuesday
TBD
Friday
1-2
14
19
20
TBD
30
All Day
9AM – 10AM
All Day
All Day
TBD
7:00 PM
Event
HOLIDAY – New Year’s Day – No School
Principal’s Coffee
HOLIDAY – Martin L. King, Jr. Day – No School
NO SCHOOL – Professional Day
Rockville Town Square – Ice Skating Fundraiser!
Family “Finn”-Go Night
February 2015
Day
Date
Time
M-F
Tuesday
Friday
TBD
Monday
Friday
Friday
2 – 20
3
13
TBD
16
20
27
All Day
7:00 PM
7:00 PM
TBD
All Day
AM
1:00 PM
Event
Kids Helping Kids Food Drive
PTA General Meeting, Media Center
Family Fun Night – Valentine’s Dance, All-Purpose Room
Restaurant Night – TBD
HOLIDAY – Presidents’ Day – NO SCHOOL
Last Day of Kids Helping Kids Food Drive
Early Release
March 2015
Day
Date
Time
Friday
TBD
Friday.
6
TBD
27
7:00 PM
TBD
All Day
Event
PTA EVENT – TBD
Restaurant Night – TBD
NO SCHOOL Professional Day
Diamond Gems
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April 2015
Day
Date
Time
M-F
Tuesday
TBD
Friday
3 - 10
14
TBD
24
All Day
7:00 PM
TBD
8:15 – 8:45 AM
Day
Date
Time
Tuesday
Fridays
Tuesday
5
1&8
12
TBD
Friday
Thursday
Monday
TBD
15
21
25
7:00 PM
8:15 – 8:45 AM
8:30AM 9:45AM
TBD
8:00 – 8:45 AM
7:00 PM
All Day
Event
Spring Break – NO SCHOOL
PTA Budget Meeting, Media Center
Restaurant Night – TBD
Dol”Finn” Dash Training
May 2015
Event
PTA General Meeting. Media Center (Elections)
Dol”Finn” Dash Training
Muffins for Moms, All-Purpose Room
Restaurant Night – TBD
Dolphin Dash! – Back of school - Fields
Curriculum Night – All Grades!
HOLIDAY – Memorial Day – No School
June 2015
Day
Date
Time
Wednesday
TBD
Friday
3
TBD
12
8:30am
TBD
1:00 PM
Event
Volunteer Gathering – Media Center (Breakfast Reception Wednesday)
Restaurant Night – TBD
EARLY RELEASE - LAST DAY OF SCHOOL
Updated 11/19/2014
Go to www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/diamondes/PTA for
updates
Diamond Gems
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2014 - 2015
PTA Executive Committee and Chairpersons
Executive Committee
President
Name
Email
Darwin Johnson
[email protected]
VP – Fundraising
Kristina Wesselink
[email protected]
VP – Community
Stephanie Theeler
[email protected]
Treasurer
Chris Chimera
[email protected]
Secretary
Shannon Phelan
[email protected]
PTA Committee
Chairperson
Email
After School Activities
Valerie Holford
[email protected]
Annual Fundraiser
Kristina Wesselink
[email protected]
Back to School Social
Abbe Arnold
[email protected]
Book Fair
Shannon Glerum
[email protected]
Box Tops & Labels for Education
Shannon McKenna
[email protected]
Cultural Arts
Mary Jo DiBernardo Emard
[email protected]
Curb Appeal
Karen Rogers
[email protected]
Diamond Gems Newsletter
Kristin Johnston
Allison Fisher
Sarah Lang
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Directory
Cynthia Miller
Kristin Johnston
Drcyn74yahoo.com
[email protected]
Dol”Finn” Dash & Training
Julie Sabag
[email protected]
Donuts for Dads
Muffins for Moms
Family Fun Finn-Go Night
Allyson Levine
Mary Kate Gutierrez
Abbe Arnold
Nazzi Kholdebarin
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Family Fun Movie Night
Sandee Taggart
[email protected]
Family Fun Valentine’s Dance
Fifth Grade Picnic
Heather Locraft
Allison Fisher
Abbe Arnold
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Foreign Language: Language Stars
Brigitte Rowe
[email protected]
Food Drive
Sarah Lang
Liz Pilloff
Kristin Chu
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Jennifer Gormley
[email protected]
Girls on the Run
Paul Phelan
[email protected]
Group Piano
Rocio Paul
[email protected]
International Night Chair &
Co-Chair
Nazanin Kholdebarin
Reza Emtiaznoori
[email protected]
Diamond’s Marquee
Giant A+ Bonus Bucks & Target—Take Charge
of Education
Giant Bulletin Board
Diamond Gems
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PTA Committee
MCCPTA Delegates (2)
Chairperson
Email
Rick Chimera
Shannon Phelan
Brooke Bernal
Shannon Phelan
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Parents’ Night Out
Heather Locraft
Katie Dyson
[email protected]
[email protected]
Northwest Cluster Rep.
Principal’s Coffee
Quince Orchard Cluster Rep.
Rick Chimera
Jaime Craig
Elizabeth Vuong
Mary Jo DiBernardo Emard
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Nominating Committee Co-chairs
OPEN
Restaurant Night
Heather Locraft
Katie Dyson
[email protected]
[email protected]
Room Parent Coordinator
Eileen Heaps
[email protected]
Turkey Trot Fun Run Fundraiser
Liz Pilloff
Brigitte Rowe
[email protected]
[email protected]
Special Needs Representative
Fatma Sabri
[email protected]
Spirit Wear
Liz Pilloff
Holly Reed
[email protected]
[email protected]
Staff Appreciation Chair
& Co-Chairs
Kristy King
Carmel McGuire
[email protected]
UNICEF
Nisha Manikoth
Jaime Howenstein
[email protected]
[email protected]
Volunteer Coordinator
Amy Galler
[email protected]
Andrea Virga Winter Coat Drive
Nazzi Kholdebarin
[email protected]
Yahoo Group Moderators
Elizabeth Vuong
John Vuong
[email protected]
[email protected]
Membership
Updated 11/19/2014
www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/diamondes/PTA
Email [email protected] if you are interested in any of the above openings
Diamond Gems
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Diamond Gems
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