Shady Grove Matters ~ A Message from the Principal ~

Shady Grove Matters
SHADY GROVE
MIDDLE SCHOOL
8100 Midcounty Highway
Gaithersburg, MD 20877
"We must always go the
second mile. When we go
the first mile, we simply
do what is required of us.
It is when we go the second mile that excellence
is achieved and minor
miracles happen."
V O L U M E
6 ,
I S S U E
This year we Expect Excellence in
All We do! By covering all the bases
of success in academics, guiding
the growth of the adolescent learner, and keeping students and staff
in a safe and conducive environment that celebrates diversity, we
ensure that all students will have
the tools to be successful in the
future.
September
October
1 - Advanced HS Information
Night
Call SGMS
Main Office
301-548-7540
Mr. Edward Owusu
Principal
Ms. Shella Cherry
Assistant Principal
Mr. Clark Montgomery
Assistant School
Administrator
Content Specialist
Mr. Nick Chupka
Literacy Coach
Mr. Rob Ferrante
Social Studies
Ms. Tama Hobbs
Science
Ms. Cristina Maynard
RTSE ED Cluster Services
Ms. Jennifer Miehle
RTSE LAD
Ms. Jennifer Sadara
Resource Counselor
Ms. Laura Schrader
Math
Ginny Singhaus
PE/Arts/Technology
Ms. Rebekah Young
English
S E P T E M B E R
3 ,
2 0 1 4
~ A Message from the Principal ~
-Deborah McGriff
4 - School Picture Day
Back-to-School Night
(7:00 p.m.)
9 - PTSA Meeting
(6:00-8:00 p.m.)
11– Grade 7 Awards Assembly
12 - Grade 8 Awards Assembly
Cluster Night Football
17 - FLHS/DPC Parent Info.
Meeting (Grade 6&7 - 6:457:30 Media Center)
(Grade 8 - 7:45-8:30 - Media
Center)
19 - Back to School Dance
24 - Early Release
(Dismissal: 12:10 )
29-Oct. 3 - Outdoor Education
1
Dear Shady Grove Families!
our habits. Our habits become
our values. Our values become
our destiny. ~Mohandas K.
(Mahatma) Gandhi (1869 - 1948)
I look forward to seeing you at
Back to School Night on Thursday, September 4, 2014.
Welcome back!
Please enjoy reading about all the ~Edward Owusu
wonderful things that will be going
on in and around Shady Grove
Middle School. In closing, I leave
you with a quote that resonates true
within all of us. If we believe that
our future is shaped by how we
treat and prepare our most vulnerable and impressionable human
beings, our children, then our destiny will be all the better.
Welcome back! It is my distinct
pleasure to welcome you to the
2014-2015 academic school year.
Our mission is simple: Prepare
students today for success tomorrow. At Shady Grove we do
this academically, socially, and
behaviorally. I hope you will join us
in this mission as we require your
assistance. You have entrusted us
with the special gift of your children ―Our beliefs become our
and we need your help to deliver on thoughts. Our thoughts become
this special gift.
our words. Our words become
our actions. Our actions become
A Message from Ms. Cherry
Greetings & Happy New Year!
My name is Shella Cherry and
it is with great excitement that
I join the Shady Grove Middle
School Family to serve the
students, families, and community as the sixth grade administrator. Since this summer, I
have enjoyed meeting students and parents, visiting families
in their communities, and welcoming students back to
school. I have taught middle school and high school Social
Studies and have recently served Francis Scott Key Middle
School as a World Studies teacher and administrator for 16
years. I have two children, a three year old daughter and a
five year old son who is a kindergartener in MCPS. For the
first time I am an MCPS administrator and parent!
Each morning I greet the students in the halls and remind
them of their daily purpose, “Practice like a champion - Act
like a champion!” I ask our students to enter the school and
their classrooms on time, prepared with a focused purpose
to learn and the winning mindset that they will be better
students today than they were the day before. I have high
expectations for students to act in a smart and safe manner,
treat one another with kindness, work hard, and give their
personal best.
Collaboration is vital and I look forward to working with you
and your student this year. Should you have any questions
or concerns, please feel free to contact me by phone or
email ([email protected]). It is my hope that
together, our students will build on their academic strengths
and social skills to prepare for success in high school, college, and beyond.
I’m looking forward to a great year!
~Shella Cherry
Assistant Principal
Welcome Back: Greetings and Salutations to the Beginning of A "New" School Year
As a member of the Shady Grove Middle School Administrative team and the professional staff, I am
honored to have this opportunity to introduce myself to those family members who are new to our school,
to reacquaint, to sustain, and to establish a positive working relationship with all of our staff, students,
parents, and school community. I am please and bring you greetings for a successful 2014-2015 school
year. I would also like to welcome a new colleague, Mrs. Shella Cherry, to our administrative team. I
have really enjoyed working with her this summer and look forward to working with her throughout the
school year.
I am excited about returning to Shady Grove Middle School for a second year. While I am starting my
twenty- third year in the field of education, I often ask myself where has the time gone. I actually remember my first year of teaching in South Carolina at Pine Ridge Middle School. To this very end, I still
maintain communication with many former students, who now have children who are in middle school
students; as a matter of fact, one of my former students whom I taught in eighth grade and who is my
neighbor, shared with me that his own son is starting seventh grade this year. It's hard to believe it because I remember teaching Evan, a former student, in eighth grade, my first year of teaching. Before you
know it, eighth graders, this year will be over before you start it; however, with start of a "new"year, one
has the opportunity to set goals. These goals may vary from academic, social, and emotional learning opportunities. What goals have you set
for yourself? One of my goals is to continue to pursue my doctoral studies; another is to monitor and to maintain my health. Finally, I plan to
just enjoy life and have fun.
As the new school begins, this is the start to an end for the 8th graders. It will be a year of transformation, transition, and decision-making.
You will be making decisions about high school. For some of you, you will be applying to magnet and signature programs. Other of you will be
making decisions about whether you will continue to purse public or private education; that is, of course with your parents' involvement. You
will decide if you will be pursuing an academic pathway that will prepare you for college and/or career readiness. Many of you will continue
your secondary education at Magruder High School. Whatever your chosen path is make sound decisions and set your goals high. For those
of you who are already taking advanced level courses, I am very proud of you.
Remain safe, healthy, actively engaged in learning, study, engaged in positive activities; such as, sports, clubs, organizations, and engaged
in community service. Remember as one writer Marie Williamson stays in her work" our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate; our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure." In your time, you have the power to determine your own destiny. The choice is yours;
make a great school year.
All the best,
Clark Montgomery, M.Ed.
*SAVE THE DATE*
October 1, 2014 at Shady Grove Middle School
Advanced High School Information Night
Hear information from administrators and staff from:
Poolesville High School,
Magruder High School, and
Richard Montgomery High School
This is a great time to learn about the Magnet, Special, and IB programs at these fine schools.
Magruder Cluster
Family Football Night
Shady Grove - Mill Creek Towne, Candlewood, Flower Hill
Redland - Sequoyah, Cashell, Resnik
FREE Pre-Game Activities
Face Painting
Pom-pom and Noisemaker Crafts
FOOTBALL PASSING CONTEST
Cluster school champions will compete in a football passing
contest to win the Magruder Cluster Cup for their school.
CLUSTER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHORUS
A combined elementary schools chorus will sing our National
Anthem.
Magruder vs. Wheaton at MHS
Friday, September 12
Pre-Game fun begins at 5:30 pm
Kick-off is at 6:30 pm
Game tickets are FREE to any student wearing spirit wear (clothing
with the logo of a cluster school) and accompanied by an adult.
Tickets are $5.00 for adults; $3.00 for students not wearing cluster
spirit wear; $1.00 children; free for preschool aged kids.
Sponsored by your school and your PTA/PTSA.
Staff Spotlight:
Ms. Shella Cherry, Assistant Principal
Ms. Lara Frashure, Media Specialist
For the first edition of Staff Spotlight, we would like to highlight and welcome two new
staff members, Mrs. Shella Cherry and Mrs. Lara Frashure. Mrs. Cherry, our new Assistant
Principal, comes to us from Francis Scott Key Middle School where she spent the last sixteen years of her career, eight years teaching social studies and eight years serving as
Assistant School Administrator and Assistant Principal. She earned her BS in Geography
with a minor in Secondary Education from James Madison University, her MS in Education,
Secondary Curriculum and Instruction for Social Studies from Old Dominion University, and
lastly, she completed her Administrative & Supervisory Certificate Program from Hood College. Mrs. Cherry has coached numerous high school teams including varsity field hockey
and varsity lacrosse. Mrs. Cherry’s commitment to her students and players can never be
questioned: at seven months pregnant, she could still be found on the field coaching and
officiating! Originally from Newport News, Virginia, Mrs. Cherry now lives in Clarksburg
with her husband and two children, Maddox who is five and Mila who is three. She enjoys shopping, watching reality
TV and spending time with family and friends. Please join us in welcoming Mrs. Cherry to the Shady Grove family.
Next, we would like to introduce Mrs. Lara Frashure, our new media specialist. Ms.
Frashure grew up in the Derwood community where she attended Candlewood ES, Redland MS, and Magruder HS. She has a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from University
of Maryland, a master’s degree in Environmental Sciences from Johns Hopkins University and a master’s degree in Library Science from University of Maryland. Although
new to Shady Grove MS, she has a wealth of experience having served previously as
the media specialist at Rock Terrace School, a secondary special education school in
MCPS. Before becoming a media specialist, she was an environmental scientist and
got to travel to a lot of really great places like Hawaii, California, and Antigua. Then,
she worked at a biotechnology company, helping them stay in compliance with FDA
regulations; a job she found to be quite boring. Before having children, she was also a
SCUBA instructor. Mrs. Frashure lives in Derwood with her husband, two amazing kids, two crazy cats and a hyper
dog. She is a Girl Scout troop leader, sings in a choir at her church, spends a lot of time doing community service and
travels as much as possible. She has played in a handbell choir for over 30 years. Her hobbies include cooking, hiking, camping, crocheting, and of course… reading! Please stop by the media center and welcome Mrs. Frashure!
News from the Social Studies Department
The SGMS Social Studies department welcomes students and parents to what is expected to be an exciting
school year. Some familiar faces return to teach your children, along with a new face to the 6 th grade. Mr.
Chris Hull will be teaching 8th grade US History. He will be joined once again, by Ms. Kathy Dalkiewicz who will
be sharing her time with the 7th grade. Mr. Rob Ferrante will also be teaching 7th grade World Studies along
with Ms. Dillon Grenham. Ms. Grenham will be teaching 6th grade as well, along with the newest addition to our
department, Ms. Marla Goldberg, who joins the SGMS family after completing her internship through University
of Maryland at Blair High School. Ms. Goldberg is replacing Mr. Aaron Barnett who departed SGMS in body,
but not in spirit, to run the Social Studies department at Roberto Clemente Middle School.
News from the 8th Grade Team
A Fresh Start
The 8th grade team is delighted to be working with all of our students. As a team, we closely monitor the
achievement of each and every child. Our goal is to ensure that every 8 th grader is successful and prepared for
high school before they leave Shady Grove. To do this, we will be working closely with students who demonstrate academic difficulties. This support will involve a number of interventions including 1:1 mentoring, homework club, CT rotations, parent contacts/ conferences, and a number of other individual and group interventions. We are committed to serving all our students the best possible education.
As a team, we ask for the support of families to ensure that all students succeed. We know and understand
how challenging this can be, especially when folks work multiple jobs, work in the evening, and have other
family & professional responsibilities. We all share one common goal, the success of your children at Shady
Grove. How can you help support your child’s academic success? Here are some suggestions:
Check Edline regularly
Check planners daily
Ensure your child is completing their homework
Ensure your child is studying for upcoming tests & quizzes
Ensure your child seeks help when confused about assignments, concepts, skills, etc.
Stay in touch with the school
The success of the students at Shady Grove is our highest priority as professionals and your highest priority as
parents and guardians. Let us work together to guarantee their success!
Please feel free to contact any of your child’s teachers if you have any concerns around their academic success.
Submitted by Mr. Hull
Teacher: Advanced US History 8
SHA DY
GROV E
MA TT ERS
Welcome Back!!
The seventh grade teachers are gearing up for the start of another productive school year. We have organized our classrooms,
prepared for our college field trip, added new events to our calendar, and have created rigorous lessons for our students.
We want
to ensure that your children are receiving a top notch education, while enjoying their time as seventh graders at Shady Grove Middle
School. Our teachers are extremely dedicated and willing to go above and beyond their call of duty to ensure that their students’ are
academically successful.
Our annual college field trip will take place in October. We will be visiting three different colleges to give our students an opportunity
to witness what a higher educational institution offers. In the past, the college field trip has been a success and we want to continue
to provide this opportunity to this years’ seventh grade class. More information will follow in weeks to come. In the meantime, if you
have any questions about the field trip, please do not hesitate to contact the seventh grade Team Leaders Ms. Deb Jorge at [email protected] and/or Ms. Chanda Stephens at [email protected].
We look forward to a wonderful school year!