The Dolphin’s Tale The bi-weekly principal’s newsletter of Travilah Elementary School

The Dolphin’s
Tale
The bi-weekly principal’s newsletter of Travilah Elementary School
Susan J. Shenk, Principal
March 11, 2016
Issue #13
March Women in History Month
11
7:00 – 8:30pm
13
17
23
4:30 – 8:00pm
24
25
Grade 5 MSA Science
PTA Movie Night Minions! – AP Room
Beginning of Daylight Savings time – move clocks forward
one hour
Grade 1 Mad Science Magnets
Flyer distribution Day
Grade 4 to Croydon Creek Nature Center
Grade 5 to Baltimore
PTA Fun Night – Sky Zone in Gaithersburg
No School for students – Professional Day
No School - Spring Break begins
April
4
5
7
8
11
13
19
20
22
23
26
27
28
29
7:00 – 8:00pm
7:00 – 8:00pm
6:00 – 8:00pm
9:00 – 1:00pm
7:00 – 8:30pm
School Resumes
PTA meeting – Media Center
Grade 5 Family Life Parent Meeting
3rd Marking Period ends
4th Marking Period begins
Individual Spring Portraits
New Kindergarten Parent meeting
Cultural Arts – Interact Story Performance
Report Cards Distributed
PTA Spring Clean Up!
Holiday – Primary Election Schools and Offices closed
Grade 5 to Philadelphia
Take Your Child to Work Day
Talent Show
Last day prior to Spring Break – Wednesday, March 23
School resumes Monday, April 4
Visit our website! http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/travilahes/
School Phone: 301-840-7153
School Attendance Line: 301-670-8223
School Fax: 301-670-8230
Visit the PTA website! http://www.travilahpta.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
TRAVILAH IS A VERY BUSY AND EXCEPTIONAL SCHOOL COMMUNITY! -There have been many
exciting activities at Travilah. Our STEM Fair was amazing! We had over 200 students participate this year. It was
so impressive to see all the hard work and creativity our Travilah students (and families) have. Thank you also for
supporting Jump Rope for Heart. It was a huge success and once again, shows the generosity of our Travilah
community. More info about the results and prizes from Mr. Jarczynski are in this newsletter. Thank you to PTA
for the amazing Cultural Arts presentation Adventures with Raptors. Students and staff loved it! We were happy to
see the parents who came to our presentation at the PTA meeting on Small Group Instruction in Reading. We
appreciate that you continue to be partners with us in the education of your children. Hopefully, we will see many
families tonight at the PTA movie night tonight. The big movie is Minions! It should be lots of fun! This is the
last Dolphin’s Tale prior to Spring Break. Last day for students will be Wednesday, March 23rd. School will
resume on Monday, April 4th. I hope you will be able to enjoy some well-deserved rest and relaxation, and some
extra special family time. Thank you for your continued support and for trusting us with your children and their
education. Remember to change your clocks Saturday night – move them one hour forward prior to going to
bed!
PRINCIPAL’S WRITING WALL – Each week students’ writing is displayed on the Principal’s Writing Wall.
All students will be featured at least once during the year. The following students’ work was highlighted during the
week of March 4, 2016.
Second Grade: Mrs. Facine’s class – Chloe Ayissi-Etoh, Blake Briskman, Sanjay Shah, Maia Hendriksson,
Avery Wagner, Urielle Ngako
Ms. Bock’s class – Ally Ahn, Caitlin Dexter, Anthony Hall, Max Sun, Eric Huang, Valkyrie Ison
Mrs. Newcomer’s class – Aaron Kulvatunyou, N’Tony Kalala, Mackie Noble, Alma Pratt, Isabella Langlee,
Cameron Cowen
Fifth Grade: Mrs. Egan’s class – Arjun Sofat, Lily Edell, Rebecca Katz, Liam Graham, Zara Okudo, Adriana Cruz,
Akshara Raju, Lunah Schleret, Charles Kim, Ramya Shankar, Danny Solis, Lyndsie Lewis
Mrs. Singal’s class – Shayyan Ahmed, Christina Cao, Charles Makobongo, Bethany Vasquez, Aydin Erkan,
Ella Lizondo, Allison Yu, Roshan Khan, Saatchi Barochia, Humza Sehbai, Ruth Dai, Ishani Tyagi, Will Greene,
Pratyusha Mandal, Michelle Hsiung, Abraham Labban, Julianne Yao
Ms. Clarke’s class – Tommy Arata, Franklin Ayissi-Etoh, Molly Baer, Chris Castelli, Angelina Hermosilla-Roman,
Laura Hernandez, Brando Hsu, Rory Kerns, Ben Kleinman, Evan Lewis, Christy Li, Dylan Zhang
REPORT CARD DATE CHANGES – With the loss of instructional days caused by emergency weather closures,
MCPS has revised the dates for the end of the third marking period, the distribution of the third marking period
report cards, and the start of the fourth marking period. As a result, the third marking period will end on Friday,
April 8, 2016, and the fourth marking period will begin on Monday, April 11, 2016. Report Cards will be
distributed on Friday, April 22, 2016.
KINDERGARTEN ORIENTATION - Our Kindergarten Orientation is scheduled for May 4th and 5th. Children
who will be five years old on or before September 1, 2016 will be eligible to enter Kindergarten in August 2016. If
you have a child who will be entering Kindergarten next fall, please complete the attached form and return it to the
school office. Please pass this information on to your neighbors and/or friends. We will also be having a Parent
Orientation meeting on April 19, 2016 from 6:00 – 8:00pm. This meeting is for parents only and will include time
for registration, time to meet with the school nurse and discuss medical forms, a tour of the school, and an
information session. Just a reminder, there will be no Kindergarten classes for currently enrolled Kindergarten
students for the two days of Kindergarten Orientation as the teachers and classrooms will be involved in the
orientation.
SPECIAL EDUCATION PARENT INVOLVEMENT SURVEY - Parents or guardians of children receiving
special education and related services will be mailed the Maryland Special Education Parent Involvement Survey
from the Maryland State Department of Education, Division of Special Education/Early Intervention Services during
the week of February 1. Parents are asked to complete the survey and return it in the postage paid envelope by April
30, 2016. The Survey may also be completed online. Please look for details in your survey packet. Your feedback
will help guide efforts to improve special education and related services in your local school system. Your voice can
make a real difference for your child and many other children across the state of Maryland. To learn more, please
visit https://www.mdparentsurvey.com.
PREKINDERGARTEN AND HEAD START - Important information for parents of four year olds or soon to be
four year olds: Montgomery County Public Schools offers free Prekindergarten and Head Start programs for
families whose child would be eligible for free or reduced lunch (FARMS). If your child will be 4 years old on or
before September 1, 2016, you may be eligible! After March 14, applications for fall 2016 will be accepted. You
may apply at Rocking Horse Road Center, 4910 Macon Road, Rockville, MD, Monday through Friday, 9 am to 4
pm. Additional registration events are offered at community locations and there are evening and Saturday
registrations scheduled. Please call 301-230-0676 or check www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org for more information
about where to apply and what to bring with you.
JUMP ROPE FOR HEART 2016 - Jump Rope for Heart turned out to be an excellent fundraiser this year.
Travilah raised $8,306.74 for the American Heart Association! The event was held on Friday, February 19th. We not
only raised lots of money for a great cause but we had fun doing it. The money that we raised will go to the fight
against heart disease and strokes. We will be planning our PE Popsicle Party in late April. All students who raised
over $50.00 will be invited. The date will be scheduled after spring break. The thank you gifts will come in after
spring break. All thank you gifts will be passed out as soon as they arrive. Congratulations to Vikram Reddy for
being the top fundraiser at Travilah!! Jump Rope for Heart could not have been a success without the dedication of
our students, staff and parents. I’d like to give a special thanks to Susan Winson for helping to organize the event.
I would also like to thank: Carolyn Briskman, Lynn Grainger, Eunkyung Han, Padma Arun, Sonal Shah,
Kate Shiflett, Amy Bennett, Jessica Somwaru, Zenobia Campbell, Bita Safai, Debbie Rothbard and my mom,
Mary Ann Jarczynski for helping out the day of the event.
Thanks,
Mr. Jarczynski
FIFTH ANNUAL TRAVILAH MOVES - Mark your calendars! Sunday, May 3rd 2:30-4:30
It is sure to be a great event for the entire family.
The Travilah PTA is happy to announce that TRAVILAH MOVES - our fifth annual Fun Run and Wellness Day -will be held at the school on Sunday, May 1 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. TRAVILAH MOVES will once again be a
major community event, and we expect over 400 children and adults to participate and enjoy the festivities.
TRAVILAH MOVES will include a one-mile Fun Run and a shorter Dolphin Dash for younger children. In
addition, health and fitness organizations from our surrounding community will hold demonstrations, offer classes,
provide information, and distribute promotional items. The primary goal of TRAVILAH MOVES is FUN! Each
child who registers for the event and participates on May 1st will receive the free event t-shirt and will be eligible to
for a wide variety of raffle prizes.
Registration forms will be coming home in backpacks soon. Please fill them out, sign them, and return them to the
school as soon as possible.
The Travilah Moves committee of volunteers is currently gathering corporate sponsors to cover the cost of the event
so that it will be completely free to all who participate. We are also gathering demonstrators, food and drink
donations. If you have interest in helping with the preparation in advance or helping on the day of the event, please
feel free to contact Sue Potts at [email protected].
PTA FUNDRAISER - Travilah Elementary School is inviting you to participate in a unique fundraiser to “Pave the
Way” for our students. Leave a lasting legacy by purchasing a paver to be permanently displayed and remembered
forever. Each paver that you sponsor may honor you, your student, a teacher or staff member, former student, a
family member, friend, local business or anyone! The pavers will be etched with your custom inscription and placed
within the landscaping around the circle, in front of our school.
All of the proceeds from this fundraiser will go to our PTA.
Please submit orders before Friday, April 15, 2016 for spring 2016 installation.
For more information please visit the PTA website or contact:
Erinn Foster at 301-370-4502 or mail to: [email protected]
CHANGE OF SCHOOL ASSIGNMENT FOR FY17 - Montgomery County parents/guardians 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 through April 1, 2016. Except for students in the Northeast
Consortium (NEC), Downcounty Consortium (DCC), and Middle School Magnet Consortium (MSMC) areas,
students in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) are assigned to a school on the basis of their place of
residence or their Individualized Education Program (IEP) and are expected to attend their home school. Assignment
changes for students from one school to another are permitted under the following limited circumstances:
 Younger sibling wanting to attend the school of an older sibling in the regular/general program, if the
older sibling will be attending the requested school the following school year, absent a boundary
change;
 A continuation in a feeder pattern from middle to high school, except when affected by boundary
change, application program acceptance, or Consortium Choice guidelines;
 When a family moves within Montgomery County, preference to remain in the original school will be
considered to complete the current school year only;
 A documented, unique hardship situation.
The transfer process begins in the home school, where parents/guardians may request the Change of School
Assignment (COSA) Information Booklet that contains the COSA form, describes the process, and provides useful
information. The COSA booklet is available in schools and online at
www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/transfers. The booklet will be available in both English and Spanish. Exempt
countywide programs that do not fall under the transfer guidelines are listed in the information booklet.
There is a different process to access the elementary language immersion programs. Full information and copies of
the elementary Immersion Interest Form are available at all elementary schools and online at
www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/specialprograms.
For information about assignments for students residing in the NEC, DCC, or MSMC areas, please contact the
Division of Consortia Choice and Application Program Services at 301-592-2040 or visit the website at
www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/schoolchoice.
For more information about the transfer process, parents/guardians are encouraged to contact the principal at their
home school. Non-English speaking students and parents/guardians who may require assistance may contact ASK
MCPS to get the information they need by telephone at 301-309-MCPS (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 who call the ASK MCPS telephone line and identify their language will
have their questions answered through a telephone interpreter.
SPRING BREAK AT MONTGOMERY COLLEGE - Montgomery College Workforce Development and
Continuing Education Youth Programs - Don’t miss this unique opportunity to get a taste of what we have planned
for our Summer Youth Camps by experiencing some of our most popular technology programs during your spring
break. SPRING BREAK AT MC! REGISTER NOW! This one week technology program offered for students,
ages 8 – 14 and grades 9 – 12. The program is held from Tuesday – Friday, March 29 – April 1, 2016 on the
Germantown campus of Montgomery College. Courses offered are Code Breakers, Minecraft Designers, and
Fundamental Programming Concepts using Python. These classes fill very quickly, so register NOW! For additional
brochures or registration information, contact YOUTH PROGRAMS at 240-567-7264 or 240-567-7917 or access
brochure online at: http://www2.montgomerycollege.edu/departments/wdce/youthpdf/springbreak.pdf
Assistencia en Español Disponible
MONTGOMERY COLLEGE SUMMER CLASSES - SUMMER 2016 YOUTH PROGRAMS Courses for
students in grades K - 12 held on all three campuses, Germantown, Rockville and Takoma Park/Silver Spring. There
are over 200 exciting full- and half-day courses that cover a wide range of topics, like art, music, science, math,
writing, sports, robotics, study skills, engineering, woodworking, cooking, debate, technology, and so much
more. The summer program runs for an eight-week period from June 27 – August 19, 2016. So, if you are
interested in doing something really different and fun this summer, REGISTER NOW online, by fax, by mail, or
come to the Rockville Campus, Campus Center, Room 220. Classes are filling quickly, so register NOW!! WE
REALLY HAVE IT ALL!!! For registration information, access our website at:
http://cms.montgomerycollege.edu/wdce/youthsummerbrochure.html or contact YOUTH PROGRAMS office
at 240-567-7264 or 240-567-7917.Asistencia en Español Disponible.
PLAYGROUND SUPERSTARS – Weeks of February 22, 2016 – March 4, 2016 are:
Grade 5: Charles Makobongo, Christian Vande Krol, Katie Bowman
Grade 4: Natasha Thamungruxsat, Coby Pinto, Michael Purring
Grade 3: Joey Song, Paige Euler, A.J. Shiflett, Tyler Coapstick
Grade 2: Mackie Noble, Cameron Cowen, Michelle Liu
Grade 1: Linda Wang, Diane Liu, Quinn Lam-Vu, Hannah Goren, Erin Eo, John Chu, Sophia Greenwald,
Elena Katz, Nathan Leitan
Kindergarten: Dalyan Celestin, Chris Ngako, Max Dates, Hasti Sobhani
P.E. CLASS OF THE WEEK – Week of February 29, 2016 Congratulations to Mrs. Hart’s class!
P.E. STUDENT OF THE WEEK – Week of February 29, 2016 Congratulations to Mikaela Ngo in
Mrs. Perel’s class!
P.E. CLASS OF THE WEEK – Week of March 7, 2016 Congratulations to Mrs. Knoblach’s class!
P.E. STUDENT OF THE WEEK – Week of March 7, 2016 Congratulations to Calvin Hanway in
Mrs. Egan’s class!
SPECIAL DOLPHIN TALES THANK YOU TO:
 Bita Safai, Rachel Dorfman and Nina Dorfman for organizing the PTA Movie Night!
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