Eagle Eye September 11, 2015

Eagle Eye
A Biweekly Publication of Rock Creek Valley Elementary
October 23, 2015
From the Administration
September 11, 2015
What is Happening?
October
23- Family Fun Night
(Bingo)
28- Student Picture Day
30- Halloween Parade and
Parties @ 2:30
November
2- No School for Students
3- Peace Assembly
3- PTA Meeting
6- Family Dance
11- Early Release
(Parent Conferences)
12- Early Release
(Parent Conference)
25- Early Release
26 -No School
(Thanksgiving Break)
27- No School
(Thanksgiving Break)
We hope everyone has been enjoying this beautiful
fall weather! Parents are always asking us what they
can do at home to best support their child. Our best
response is to take time and ask your child questions.
Having children of our own, we usually know the
answer to the the most popular question, “what did
you do at school today?” Although their answer
(“nothing”) might drive us crazy, know you are not
alone However, there are many other great
questions we can ask and get a great response. As you
take a family walk or sit at the dinner table, ask your
child questions that make them use their critical or
creative thinking skills such as:





What do you think?
Why do you think that?
How do you know this?
Can you tell me more?
What questions do you have about …..?
It is important to give children time to think prior to
jumping in with a follow up or asking another
question. Some students might need three, five, or
seven seconds of think time prior to responding.
Although it is hard, give it a try and you will hear
wonderful responses.
Have a great weekend!
Kevin Burns and Gregg Baron
Important Information
Red Ribbon Week is Here
October 26th to October 30th Rock Creek Valley will be celebrating the 2015 RED RIBBON
campaign co-sponsored by the Maryland Alliance for Drug-Free Youth and MCPS Safe and
Drug-Free Schools. Red Ribbon Week is a time when we think about our responsibility to stay
drug-free and make healthy and safe choices.
Our students will be participating in the following spirit day activities during this important
week:
Monday October 26th: “Wear Red!” students & staff wear red to show you support healthy
choices!
Tuesday October 27th: “Love Yourself!” students will wear pajamas to school to show the
importance of caring for themselves and getting proper sleep!
Wednesday October 28th: “Let’s Move Day!” Students will complete a physical “challenge”
(for example: 100 jumping jacks; 100 toe taps; walking in place for 3 minutes) to keep their
body active!
Thursday October 29th: “Healthy food= Healthy Body!” students will write in their classes
about eating healthy food!
Friday October 30th: “We pledge to be healthy!” students & staff will sign a school wide
pledge to make safe and healthy choices!
Halloween at RCV
On October 30th at 2:30, we will have our annual Halloween parade followed by classroom
parties. Our parade will take place on the back blacktop so feel free to join us and get some
pictures and videos If weather impacts our ability to be oudoors, the parade will take place
in the gymnasium.
RCV Auction
Our original scheduled date for the auction has been rescheduled from November 20 to
February 19. We are in need of some intersersted parents in joining our planning committee.
Can’t join the committee, we also need volunteers to support the decisions of the committee.
Please see the flyer sent home today with your child.
Read-a-thon Fundraiser
"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places
you'll go." — Dr. Seuss
Our PTA is excited to announce the beginning of the Read-a-thon fundraiser. The fundraiser is
intended to promote reading while raising money for our school. Each student has a personal
Read-a-thon webpage they can share with family and friends to sponser them and raise
money. We encourage all students to participate so they can log their minutes read and
support our school.
Sign Up for the 2015 School-Based Flu Vaccine Clinics
Flu season is upon us. There are simple steps you and your child can take to stay healthy and
help prevent the flu. That includes getting a yearly flu vaccine. The Montgomery County
Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will conduct free nasal spray flu vaccine
clinics (FluMist) in November for children 18 and under at many MCPS schools. On Monday,
November 2, 2015, flu clinics will be held at John F. Kennedy, Richard Montgomery, and
Seneca Valley high schools from 9 a.m. to noon. No classes will be held on that day because it
is a professional day for teachers. These clinics will be open to any school-aged child. All MCPS
elementary schools will host a flu clinic on either Wednesday, November 11, or Thursday,
November 12, 2015, following early dismissal of students on those days. All clinics are free, but
registration is required due to limited vaccine supplies. For more information, visit the DHHS
website at http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/flu or call 311.
Fall 2015 Parent Academy is Under Way!
The MCPS Parent Academy is back with an exciting lineup of free workshops for parents. The
2015 fall session is under way and includes sessions on choosing the right college, teen
substance abuse, religious diversity, special education, cybersafety, and more. All workshops
are free and are held at schools and locations throughout Montgomery County. The schedule
of workshops is
available at www.mcpsparentacademy.org
Strengthening Communications with Spanish-speaking Families
MCPS has launched new multimedia tools that will enable Spanish-speaking families to more
easily engage with schools and the district. The new resources include a redesigned website; a
mobile app; and a Facebook page, all in Spanish. The redesigned website features new content
as well as an expanded amount of information that had previously been available only in
English. A new series of videos—Consejos para Padres—provides helpful tips for parents
delivered by Spanish-speaking MCPS staff members. Other video highlights include Momentos
Informativos, which provide news and information about MCPS, and Guia para Padres, videos
that help parents understand and navigate the school system. The videos will be available on
the website and on MCPS TV, as well as on social media sites, including YouTube, the
MCPSEspanol
Twitter
feed,
and
the
new Spanish
Facebook
page
(www.facebook.com/mcpsespanol). The videos also will be available on the new Spanish
mobile app, which can be downloaded from the Apple store and Google Play. For more
information, visit www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/es/.
Our Vision
We are committed to providing a safe and caring learning community where staff work
together proactively to motivate and engage all students to put forth their best effort in order
to achieve success.
Our Instructional Focus
Teachers will provide daily small group opportunities for students to demonstrate their
understanding of content and academic language by incorporating instructional strategies
focused on background knowledge and interaction.