Garrett Park E.S. February 2016 Newsletter

Garrett Park E.S.
February 2016 Newsletter
From the Principal
Dear Parents/Guardians:
School Closings or Early Release Days
This is a reminder that school will be closed on Monday, February 15 in order to observe President’s Day.
On Friday, February 26, there is an Early Release Day where students will be dismissed at 1:20 p.m. in order
for teachers to update grades and work on lesson plans.
February Highlights
This month, we celebrate African American Heritage Month. We also honor Mrs. Sarah Catucci, our school
counselor. The first week of February was National School Counseling Week. Please be sure to share your
appreciation with Mrs. Catucci who has done a fantastic job hitting the ground running as a new counselor to
our school.
We have many fun events coming up for our students. All students will participate in Valentine’s Day
parties in their classrooms on Friday, February 12 from 2:45 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. The same evening, the
GPES Education Foundation is hosting a dance which starts at 7:00 p.m. This month, all students will also
get to participate in a mobile science lab in-school field trip. In partnership with the Montgomery County
Government and the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation, our students will be able to engage in
environmental science investigations which focus on agriculture. Students will be able to practice science
and engineering skills while learning about seeds and plants, foods we eat, healthy snacks and
environmentally friendly products.
Our kindergarten students will learn about dental health and what a dentist’s job entails thanks to our guest
presenter, Dr. Andrew Horng.
Our second graders will participate in an in-school field trip called “The Sky Tonight” in which students can
explore a planetarium. They will identify observable properties and physical features of the moon and the
sun. Students will also learn about the current evening sky, prominent constellations, moon phases, visible
planets, and significant astronomical events in the days and weeks ahead. This in-school field trip will give
students an opportunity to experience a visual representation of the space concepts they will be learning
about this marking period.
Our third graders will perform a Recorder concert for grades K-2 students as well as parents.
Looking ahead on March 1, the 4th graders will have an in-school field trip with Chesapeake Critters. The
fourth grade has been learning about ecosystems this quarter. They have learned how ecosystems influence
each other, how one habitat is different from another, and how an organism’s survival is tied to its
characteristics. Students have also learned how human activities can effect an ecosystem. The presentation
will provide students with a hands-on experience where they will be able to see and touch live animals from
our local ecosystem, the Chesapeake Bay. Students will also examine charts and graphs to identify why the
Bay is important ecologically and economically.
Thanks for A Great Movie Night!
A big thank you to Dawn Harris and Beth Morgenstern for hosting the January 8 GPES Movie Night! It was
an incredible turnout. Many families came out to enjoy “Rio” and a pizza dinner.
Special Kudos to Some Patrols
Mr. Drill and Mrs. Russ, patrol sponsors, would like to recognize the following students for going beyond
their daily patrol duties: Jack Melton, who helped a child who was at a bus stop by himself, and the
following patrols who all performed their carpool duties even though they were not required to when posts
were canceled due to cold weather: Isaac Malka, Leo Pahuja, Leah Stievater, Lucas Alexander Moak,
Kendall Harris, and Delia Fritz. Thanks to these patrols who performed above and beyond the call of duty!
National School Counseling Week
The first week of February was National School Counseling Week. If you have not had a chance to
recognize Mrs. Catucci, please be sure to share your appreciation. She is our only counselor helping to meet
the needs of all staff, students and their parents at our school!
PARCC Webinar for Parents
In place of the PARCC Night for Parents which was cancelled due to the blizzard, a webinar will be offered
on Wednesday, February 10, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 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. For more information and instructions on how to access the webinar, please visit
www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/parcc/.
Kindergarten Orientation – No School for Current Kindergarten Students!
Kindergarten Orientation will be held on Wednesday, April 27, Thursday, April 28 and Friday, April
29.
ON THESE THREE DAYS, THERE WILL BE NO SCHOOL FOR CURRENT
KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS in order for our kindergarten teachers to be available to meet all incoming
kindergarten students. Unfortunately due to increased enrollment and the number of parents interested in
pursuing early entrance to kindergarten last year, we need to host kindergarten orientation for three full days.
Last year, staff was spread very thin with our reserving just two days.
All students, who will be five years old on or before September 1, 2016, are eligible to attend Kindergarten
during the 2016-2017 school year. Kindergarten attendance is mandatory. If your child is eligible for
kindergarten enrollment, but you do not want your child to attend kindergarten, an enrollment waiver form
must be completed. The enrollment waiver forms are available in the main office.
We will soon be publishing a form for parents to complete to register for Kindergarten Orientation.
Student Transfer Application Season
Montgomery County parents who wish to request a Change of School Assignment (COSA) for their children
from their home school may begin the process during the upcoming transfer season, February 1–April 1,
2016. The transfer process begins in the home school where parents may request a COSA form and the
Change of School Assignment Information Booklet that describes the process and provides useful
information. The booklet can also be found online at www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/transfers. For
more information, please contact the Division of Consortia Choice and Application Program Services at 301592-2040.
There is a different process to access elementary language immersion programs. Full information and copies
of the Elementary Immersion Interest Forms are available at all elementary schools and online at
www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/specialprograms. Grade 5 students currently enrolled in
immersion programs should submit a COSA if they wish to continue in the immersion program at the
middle-school level.
For more information about the transfer process, parents/guardians can feel free to call our office. Also, nonEnglish-speaking parents/guardians who may require assistance may call 301-309-6277. Telephone operators
who speak English and Spanish are available from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Parents
who speak languages other than English or Spanish should let the person who answers know. The person
will then arrange for an interpreter.
MCPS Will Follow the Following Contingency Calendar for 2015-2016
If MCPS has to make up instructional days in the 2015–2016 school year due to emergency closings, MCPS
will follow the already approved contingency calendar for the 2015–2016 school year. MCPS will add days
onto the end of the school year, unless a waiver is granted by the Maryland State Department of Education.
The contingency plan, indicating when days will be made up if the number of emergency closings exceeds
four days, is as follows. If the school year is disrupted by emergencies and schools are closed—




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5 days—the school year will be extended by one day to June 20, 2016;
6 days—the school year will be extended by two days to June 20 and June 21, 2016;
7 days—the school year will be extended by three days to June 20, 21 and 22, 2016;
8 days—the school year will be extended by four days to June 20, 21, 22 and 23, 2016; and
9 days—the school year will be extended by five days to June 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24, 2016.
You can find the school contingency calendar online at http://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/calendars/.
Winter Weather: Stay in Touch with MCPS
Winter weather is here. MCPS offers numerous ways for parents to learn about school closures, delayed
openings, and early dismissals due to inclement weather.

AlertMCPS
Receive text messages or emails from MCPS during weather-related emergencies and other major
events that impact school system operations. Parents can also sign up to receive alerts specific to their
child’s school. Subscribe to AlertMCPS at
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/emergency/alertmcps.aspx
 MCPS homepage
www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org
 QuickNotes email news service
Subscribe at http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/quicknotes/subscribe/
 MCPS cable channel
Comcast 34, Verizon 36 or RCN 89
 Recorded information (English and Spanish)
301-279-3673
 Ask MCPS
301-309-6277. Staff take calls from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Mondays through Fridays, in English and
Spanish.
 Twitter
http://twitter.com/mcps
 Local radio and TV stations
Visit http://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/emergency/ for more information.
MCPS Launches Teacher Workforce Diversity Initiative
MCPS has launched a new initiative to increase the diversity of its teacher workforce. The Teacher
Workforce Diversity Initiative includes strategies in four key areas: recruitment, selection, retention, and
internal talent development. Through this initiative, MCPS hopes to recruit and retain high-quality teachers
that reflect the diversity of its student enrollment, including teachers of color and others with backgrounds,
skills and experiences that are underrepresented in the current workforce, such as those who are multilingual.
To
learn
more,
visit
the
new
TeachMCPS
website:
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/careers/inspire/ and read the news release:
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/press/index.aspx?page=showrelease&id=3667.
Staff Wish Lists – All items can be sent to my attention
~ hand and toe warmers for staff on outdoor duties
~ solid or seasonal print tablecloths (Halloween, Valentine’s Day, etc.) to be used as the background for our
news reporters on GPTV
~ different colored or shaped “strings of light” for our TV studio productions
~ new or gently used indoor recess games
~ new or gently used sneakers for the PE teachers to have available for kids who forget their
sneakers
~ plastic bags for the health room
~ non-perishable snacks – many teachers are in need of non-perishable snacks that they can store
in case kids forget to bring snacks or simply cannot afford them
~ coffee, tea and hot cocoa Keurig cup donations for our Keurig machine in the staff lounge
~ napkins, forks, knives, spoons, coffee stirrers, plates (any size/color/design) for our staff
lounge
~ donations to support our After School Clubs – checks can be made payable to “Garrett Park
ES” with “After School Clubs” in the memo line.
The staff and I look forward to seeing you at the many upcoming events.
Respectfully,
Elaine Chang-Baxter