Bannockburn Star Newsletter March 2013 edition

Bannockburn Star Newsletter
March 2013 edition
Dear Bannockburn Parents,
March has quickly come upon us and we are half-way into the third marking period. Our students have been working very hard and we are very proud of their efforts. When you are visiting the school please take a moment to
view the wonderful student work displayed on the classroom hallway bulletin boards to get a sense of the wonderful
work our students are producing. As a means to keep you informed about your child’s progress as we reach the
mid-way mark of the third marking period, teachers sent home interim reports on February 25th for any child that
currently has a C or below in any subject area, an N in any subject area, and/or there are teacher concerns about
work study habits. If you have specific questions or concerns about the interim report process, please contact your
child’s homeroom teacher.
During the month of February, students and staff enjoyed a variety of activities from our classroom Valentine’s Day
parties, Career Day, and a cultural arts assembly. A big thank you goes out to our Career Day parent volunteers.
Our 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students really enjoyed hearing about the wonderful careers of our parent community.
We have several events taking place during the month of March, such as Read Across America Day, various gradelevel field trips, PTA-sponsored Fun Run and our March PTA meeting which will be held on March 5th at 7:00 p.m.
Please note the important dates listed on the next page and add to your family calendars.
If you have any questions, please contact me at 301-320-6555 or email at [email protected]. On behalf
of the staff, I would like to wish you and your children a safe and relaxing spring break!
Sincerely,
Daniel Walder
Principal
1
Important March Dates
1st: Read Across America Day (Dr. Seuss’ Birthday)
5th: PTA Meeting 7:00 pm in the media center
4th & 5th: MSA Reading Assessment– Grades 3 & 4
6th & 7th: MSA Reading Assessment– Grade 5
8th & 11th: MSA Math Assessment– Grades 3 & 4
12th & 13th: MSA Math Assessment– Grade 5
14th-19th: MSA Assessment Makeups (if needed)
15th: 4th grade fieldtrip to Mount Vernon and BES Spirit Day
16th: PTA sponsored Bannockburn ES Fun Run at 9:00 a.m. on the BES playground area
17th: Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!!
21st: 5th grade fieldtrip to Air and Space Museum
22nd: End of Third Marking Period
25th– April 1st: Spring Break– No School for staff and students
April 2nd: Teacher Professional Day– No School for students
April 3rd: students return to school from spring break
Maryland School Assessment Standardized Testing Dates and Information for Grades 3-5 :
3rd and 4th Graders:
MSA Reading– Monday, March 4th and Tuesday, March 5th
MSA Math– Friday, March 8th and Monday, March 11th
5th Graders:
MSA Reading– Wednesday, March 6thth and Thursday, March 7thth
MSA Math– Tuesday, March 12th and Wednesday, March 13th
No homework will be given the evening before testing. Encourage your child to rest well and eat a satisfying breakfast prior
to the testing. STUDENTS MUST BE ON TIME!!! All students are expected to be at school by no later than 9:20 a.m.
Please schedule any appointments around the testing window to ensure your child can do his/her best. If a student arrives
after the testing has started, they must wait in the main office until there is a break in testing. Students will makeup that particular section they missed another day. Please communicate to your child that they have been working hard all year and
they are prepared for this test.
The tips below include helpful information for parents about MSA.
1. The test includes both selected response (multiple choice) and constructed response (BCR).
2. Some students may become anxious. It is important that students express their anxiety, understand that it is normal,
and use positive self -talk to support success.
3. Students should make sure to answer all parts of all questions – there is no penalty for an incorrect answer.
4. All students must be assessed so it is important to understand the testing calendar.
5. Students should arrive on time to school each day, ready to work hard, stay engaged, and do their best! There is a limited window for make ups.
We know the students will try their best and encouragement from home will only increase their achievement! Thank you for
all you do for your children!
2
Kindergarten Orientation
Are you planning to enroll your child in Kindergarten for next school year? In order to enter Kindergarten for the
2013-2014 school year, your child must be five years older on or before September 1, 2013.
Kindergarten Orientation is scheduled for Thursday, April 25, 2013 and Friday, April 26, 2013. Please call the
school office and speak with Mrs. Ford to schedule a registration time. In addition, please provide us with information regarding your child’s name, date of birth, gender, your family’s home address, home telephone, work telephone, and email address. After receipt of this information, you will receive a packet of information regarding Kindergarten Orientation in late March.
We would appreciate it if you would pass this information along to any friends or neighbors who may have children
eligible to enter Kindergarten next fall. In addition, we look forward to meeting you and your incoming kindergarten child at the Kindergarten Orientation on either Thursday, April 25, 2013 or Friday, April 26, 2013.
Application and Selection Process for Elementary Foreign Language Immersion Programs
If you are interested in having your child attend the Elementary Foreign Language Programs, the immersion lottery
process application dates are from February 1st to April 12th. Parents may participate in the immersion lottery
process using the Elementary Immersion Interest Form. The form and directions will be available on the Montgomery County Public Schools website at
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/specialprograms/admissions/immersion.aspx at our school’s main
office or by calling the Division of Consortia Choice and Application Program Services at 301-529-2040.
Student Transfer Application Season Ends April 2nd: Montgomery County parents and families who have
circumstances which requires a change in school assignment for their children may begin the process during the
transfer season, which will be held from February 1 through April 2, 2013.
Students are expected to attend their home schools, but in certain circumstances, a change in school assignments
may be approved. The transfer process begins in the home school, where the parents may request an assignment
change form. For more information about the transfer process, please contact Mrs. Ford in the main office or refer
to the attached link: http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/transfers/ChangeSchoolAssignment-English.pdf
Volunteering Confidentiality Guidelines
We would like to remind our parents about an important guideline pertaining to volunteers in the school. Confidentiality is of the utmost importance as you volunteer at the school. As you volunteer, you may have access to
student papers and you may observe student learning styles and behaviors throughout your volunteering times.
Please understand that any information regarding students (documentation, academics, behaviors) is strictly confidential and is not to be shared with family members, friends, or others in our school community. If you are working with a student or small group of students, of course you are free to share your observations with the students’
teachers, as such information is important to the teacher in programming for instruction.
Health Room News
We are in desperate need of extra clothing for the Health Room. When students have bathroom accidents, spill or
get muddy, we like to have a change of clothing in the Health Room so we don’t have to call parents to come and
bring one in. Our supply is very depleted. We need all sizes (from K students through 5th graders.) The greatest
need is for pants, but shirts are also appreciated. When you are going through all your children’s outgrown clothing, please consider donating to the BES Health Room.
3
Science Fair for Grades 3-5
Each year our students in grades 3-5 participate in the Science Fair experience. Each student is directed to independently identify a testable question (title of the experiment), create an hypothesis, and then conduct the experiment by following the well-designed procedures. Well-designed procedures include identifying an experimental variable, dependent variable, materials needed, listing the step-by-step procedures, and conducting the
experiment with at least three trials. The Science Fair will be held on April 18th at 7 p.m. Please refer
to the Science Fair Project packet that was already sent home with each student. If you have any questions,
please contact your child’s homeroom teacher.
Parent Engagement Survey
MCPS will be conducting a parent engagement survey, beginning on March 1, that will focus on parent and guardian perceptions of their child’s school and education. The information provided will help our schools better understand your involvement in your child’s education and improve connections between schools and families. A
random sample of families at all grade levels in each MCPS school will be asked to participate in the survey. If you are selected, the information will be sent directly to your home with instructions on how to complete
the survey. The survey will be available March 1 through May 24, 2013. The survey is translated into six languages: Amharic, Chinese, French, Korean, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Families will receive the survey in the language they have indicated is spoken at home. Please see attachment with additional information about the Parent Engagement Survey.
Join the Conversation! Community Dialogue on Academic Success to Take Place on March 2
Montgomery County Public Schools is holding its first Community Dialogue on Academic Success on Saturday,
March 2, 2013. This event, which will focus on African American students, is the first of several activities that
have been planned to engage the MCPS community in a conversation about minority student performance in
MCPS. The event will be held from
8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the People’s Community Baptist Church, 31 Norwood Road in Silver Spring. The event is
free and open to MCPS parents, staff, students, and community members who want to work together to help
African American students prepare for college and the workforce. Come learn about innovative strategies and
programs at work in our schools that help students succeed and help create a framework for increased academic
achievement for African American students in MCPS. For more information and to register online, visit
www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/familycommunity/minoritystudentdialogue/ .
Community Meeting on the MCPS Strategic Plan Set for March 5
Montgomery County Public Schools will hold a Community Meeting on the Strategic Plan—Our Call to Action: Pursuit of Excellence—on Tuesday, March 5, 2013, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the auditorium at the Carver Educational
Services Center, 850 Hungerford Drive in Rockville. MCPS is in the process of revising the plan and would like to
hear your thoughts on how the school system can update the plan and ensure that all students are equipped with
the skills and resources they need to thrive academically and socially. The event is free and open to the public.
Free childcare (ages 4 and up) and interpretation services will be provided. Please contact the Office of Community Engagement and Partnerships at 301-279-3074 if you have any questions.
Community Days with Superintendent Starr
Superintendent Starr will hold his next Community Day event on Monday, March 11, in the Northeast Consortium and Sherwood cluster. A flyer with information in six languages will be sent to schools in those clusters by
Thursday, February 28, and should be sent home with all students. The evening Town Hall meeting will be held at
James Hubert Blake High School.
4
From Our School Counselor
Elizabeth Whiting
Career Day
Career Day was held on February 8th. All 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders received an individualized schedule for the three speakers they would hear that morning. In the weeks prior to February 8th, lessons on multiple intelligences and exploring interests were presented in each classroom. Stu-­
dents were able to select at least one and often more of the speakers they would hear on Career Day. Students enjoyed moving around the school to different classrooms, being in mixed groups of 3rd 4th and 5th graders, and hearing about a variety of occupations.
A big thank you to our brave speakers. All presenters said it was a pleasure to speak with our stu-­
dents who asked many questions: Dr. Matthew Ammerman-Neurosurgeon;; Jonathan AltmanSoftware Engineer/Entrepreneur;; Salvatore Amodeo-U.S. Diplomat/Policy Trade Advisor on Bio-­
technology;; Katy Hatcher-Environmental Protection Specialist;; Joe Horton-Real Estate/
Construction;; Andrea Joseph-Photographer;; Jason Kaplan-FBI Agent;; Todd McIntyreEnvironmental Scientist;; Jonas Wechsler-Diplomat/ U.S. Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Oper-­
ations
March is Honesty Month
The ethic/value of the month at Bannockburn is Honesty. As all of you know by now, March is the month of the Maryland School Assessments also known as the MSA's. Teachers are talking to stu-­
dents about doing their own work and keeping their eyes on their own papers as well as other as-­
pects of honesty. Honesty is certainly more than not cheating on tests and far more complicat-­
ed. Children see adult contradictions in the "Honesty is the best policy" refrain. Little things like not correcting the mistake of the ticket seller who mistakes your child to be younger than he looks or not returning the 50 cents in extra change you receive send a message you may not want to send. Grandparents who accept the senior citizen discount even though they are not quite old enough confuse children who tend to see things as either yes it is right or no it isn't. Adults of all ag-­
es have a responsibility to model what they teach and accept the consequences of honest behavior.
Second grade will have the Character Education bulletin board in the front hall this month.
Smiling
Testing time can be stressful for students. The teachers and I have been talking with students about test taking skills and calming strategies in preparation for these tests. I found that the Wall Street Journal had an interesting article on February 26, about the benefit of smiling. Dr. Sarah Pressman co-author of a study published in the journal Psychological Science in November said their study found a steeper decline in heart rate and a faster physiological stress recovery when facial muscles were engaged in a smile. Others studies were also discussed. Stress reduction is of course only one benefit from smiling. 5
March 2013 Math Newsletter for Grades 4 through 5
Math 4 News!
Gree ngs from the 4th grade math team! We have begun Unit 4, in which students will be able to mul ply any whole number by a 2- or 3-digit factor, divide any whole number by a 1digit divisor, es mate products to determine the reasonableness of answers, and es mate and determine elapsed me. The students are con nuing to prac ce basic fact fluency (adding, subtrac ng, mul plying, and dividing one digit numbers with speed and accuracy). Fact fluency is essen al for success in this unit. Any prac ce at home with basic fact knowledge is beneficial. ~Thanks for your support, Mrs. Obstgarten
Math 5 News!
During February, Grade 5 math students worked diligently to complete a very long Unit 3 as-­‐
sessment. Hats off to all students for their hard work in preparing for this assessment! The end of February and the start of March brings us to the start of Unit 4. We’ll be studying vari-­‐
ous types of graphs, plots, and tables and their uses. We’ll also be using measures of central tendency (mean, median, and mode) to draw conclusions about a set of data. Addi onally, we’ll be analyzing graphical representa ons of data to determine their reliability. Fi h-grade math students should con nue to prac ce their basic mul plica on, division, addi on, and subtrac on facts. Please encourage students to con nue to be using XtraMath at home to prac ce their basic facts. This will con nue to aid them with every concept! ~Happy Spring, Ms. Mar nez, Mr. Madsen, and Ms. DelGuercio
Math 6 News!
In Math 6, we will con nue our unit on geometry. We are currently studying polygons, in the second half of Unit 3B. We will be focusing on area of different polygons and circles. The unit 3 geometry assessment will be shortly before spring break! ~ Mrs. Haigh 6
Parent Engagement Survey
Montgomery County Public Schools
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Parent Engagement Survey?
The parent engagement survey is a new survey that focuses on parents’ perceptions of their child’s
school and education. The information you provide will help schools better understand families’
engagement in their children’s education and improve connections between schools and families. It
should take about 10 minutes to complete the survey.
Who will participate in the Parent Engagement Survey?
A random sample of families at all grade levels in each school will be asked to participate in the survey.
What does random sample mean?
Each family has an equal chance of being selected to take the survey. A sample streamlines the collection
of information by reducing the number of surveys (and postage costs) while ensuring that a full range of
opinions are included.
Why is it important to answer the survey?
We want to make sure that we have heard from everyone in the sample so that we have a full and
complete picture of parent opinion about each school.
When is the survey available?
March 1–May 24, 2013
How do families participate?
Families in the random sample will receive information sent directly to their homes on how to complete
the survey. The information contains the website address and a password. Translated surveys will be sent
directly to families. A paper survey in English will be available upon request.
Why is a password necessary?
The password ensures that only families with children in the school answer the survey about the school.
All answers are completely confidential and reported together with the answers from other families in the
school. Families and students are not identified.
What can families do if they do not have a computer with Internet access?
They can go to their child’s school and ask to use a computer.
They can go to the local library.
They can go to the MCPS Division of Family and Community Partnerships, Room 50,
850 Hungerford Drive, Rockville, Maryland, (Monday–Friday, 7:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.).
A paper copy is available upon request at 301-279-3848.
Is the survey translated?
The survey is translated into Amharic, Chinese, French, Korean, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Families who
typically receive translations will receive a translated survey in the mail.
Questions? Please contact Mrs. Cynthia L. Loeb, Office of Shared Accountability, at 301-279-3848, or
via e-mail at [email protected]
7