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Garrett Park
Elementary School
PTA Newsletter February 2015
IMPORTANT Dates February
African American Heritage Month
2 – 5 National School Counseling Week
2 & 3 Hearing and Vision Screening – all K
students and students new to MCPS
3
PTA Meeting, 6:30 p.m. APR
4
Grade 5 Field Trip to see “Mockingbird”
Kennedy Center
Last day of Session 1 Clubs Run by Garrett
Park staff
5
Grade 5 Parent Registration Information
Night, 7:00 p.m. Tilden M.S., gym
9
Class Photos
11
Day 1, Session 2 Clubs Run by Garrett Park
staff
13
Valentine’s Day Parties, 2:15 p.m.
GPES Education Foundation Sweetheart
Dance, 7:00 p.m. APR
14
Valentine’s Day
16
HOLIDAY – President’s Day – School and
Offices Closed
18
Grade 2 to go see “Petite Rouge, A Cajun
Red Riding Hood” Adventure Theater
Day 2, Session 2 Clubs Run by Garrett Park
staff
20
Family Movie Night, 6:30 p.m. APR
23 Grade 3 Recorder Concert, 2:10 p.m. & 2:40
p.m., 7:30 p.m. APR
25
Pennies for Patients Assemblies for all
students APR
Day 3, Session 2 Clubs Run by Garrett Park
staff
27 EARLY RELEASE DAY Students dismissed at
1:00 p.m.
Grading and Planning Day for Teachers
March 2 Hearing and Vision Screening – all K
students and students new to MCPS
Inside
Letter from PTA President . . . . . . . . . . . 1
International Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
PTA Events & Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Principal’s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Counselor’s Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Greetings Garrett Park,
I hope everyone is staying warm and the children are having a great
school year!
As I mentioned in the December newsletter, this is my last year
on the Garrett Park PTA board. There will be at least four open
positions on the board for the 2015-2016 school year, which are:
President, First Vice President (Membership), Second Vice President
(Communications) and Recording Secretary. According to the PTA
bylaws, officers can only hold the same position for two consecutive years and we each are in our second year.
Now is the time to contact any or all the board members to gain
perspective on the roles and responsibilities of PTA officers. In
addition, we will need to form a nominating committee for the
upcoming elections that will be held at our May 5 meeting. This
committee of three people will be the contact and organizer for
the elections. This will require minimal time to do and I will provide
more information and guidance to those who are interested.
As always, we are here if you have any questions or suggestions.
Sincerely,
Andrea Caruso
PTA President
Stay Informed with the PTA!
• Sign up for the PTA Listserv: Send an email with “Subscribe” in the subject line to [email protected]
• Visit us on the PTA Website—gpespta.org, “Like” Us on Facebook, and Follow Us on Twitter!
Garrett Park Elementary School | 4810 Oxford Street, Kensington, MD 20895
301-929-2170 | www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/garrettparkes/ (school website) | www.gpespta.org (GPES PTA website)
Garrett Park Elementary School * PTA Newsletter | February 2015
Are you proud of your unique heritage? Do you have talent to share from another culture? If you answered “yes” to any of the above, then please consider participating in Garrett Park
Elementary School’s 30th Annual International Night on Saturday, March 14, 2015 from 69pm at the school on 4810 Oxford Street (Kensington, 20895). Our tremendously diverse student community is what makes this event so fabulous year after
year. Last year, over 40 countries were represented!! The more families that participate, the
more successful the evening will be. Choose to represent your country by participating in one or more of the following activities:
Country Heritage Display – Families share their cultural heritage showing
handicrafts, dolls, tourist photos, stamps, flags, coins, books, writings and/or
games/activities for students to do. Many families also provide foods unique to their
countries for sampling (the PTA provides water). International Dress Parade – All children may participate in this popular parade, and
may choose to wear traditional dress from their country. Students parade through the
hallways with flags representing their countries. Cultural Performance – Students have the opportunity to perform! In the past,
students have participated in solo or group folk dances, demonstrations, recited poems
in their country’s language, played musical instruments, etc. This is your child’s
chance to shine, so sign up soon – number of performances will be limited! To represent your country, please complete the attached registration form and send it to GPES
in your student’s folder or email it to Jean Horan at [email protected]. Then, we will
contact you to confirm your participation and answer any questions. If you decide not to represent your country this year, then please simply attend as a world
traveler. You are guaranteed a night of fun and excitement! Thank you, and we look forward to another successful International Night!! International Night 2015 Coordinators:
Gerilee Bennett ([email protected]) Mom of Mina (4th/Vogel) & Bertie (1st/Atkinson & Down) Cara Jackson ([email protected]) Mom of Finn (1st/Atkinson & Down) Jean Horan ([email protected])
3rd Grade Para Educator 2
Garrett Park Elementary School * PTA Newsletter | February 2015
2015 GPES INTERNATIONAL NIGHT REGISTRATION FORM
Saturday, March 14th, 2015
6:00 - 9:00pm
Garrett Park Elementary School
4810 Oxford Street (postal address for GPES, Kensington, MD 20895)
International Night is Saturday, March 14th! Represent your ancestral country and share your unique cultural heritage with our
school community! Last year, over 400 parents and children attended. This is the most popular event of the school year!
Our ever-popular international dress parade and student cultural performance returns! Children are encouraged to wear
traditional dress and/or perform music, dance, poetry, etc. from their countries. Please let us know what you can do!
Please complete this form and return it to your child’s class by Friday, February 20th, 2015. Questions? Contact Jean Horan
([email protected]). Si necesita un formulario en español, por favor escriba a Angélica Ramírez ([email protected]).
============================================================================================
Child(ren) Name(s) & Teacher(s)__________________________________________________________________________
Parent Name(s): ___________________________ Phone Number: ______________ E-mail Address: ____________________
Please check the activities that you wish to participate in:
1)______ We would like to reserve table space to represent our country for the Country Heritage Display (check all that apply):
______ Display items, e.g., handicrafts, dolls, tourist photos, stamps, flags, coins, books, writings, or games/activities.
______ Provide food from the country (no alcoholic beverages allowed for display/consumption; food must be
accompanied by a posted list of ingredients).
Please provide a question unique to your country that students will try to answer when visiting your table:
__________________________________________________________________________________________
2) ______ We would like to participate in the USA table and provide the following:
Food: __________________ Items: _________________ Specific State/Territory, if applicable:__________________
3)______ My/our child(ren) would like to participate in the International Dress Parade and will represent:
____________________________ (name of country-costume not required)
4)______ My/our child(ren) would like to participate in the Cultural Performance and would like to perform:
Music: ______ Dance: ______ Poetry: ______ Song: ______ Other: ____________________________
Selection title: ____________________________ (Please limit selection to 3 MINUTES or less.)
Note: Performance rehearsal will occur on Friday, March 13th from 6-8pm. You must be at rehearsal to perform at event.
4) ______ I/we would like to volunteer to help:
______Decorate – Display posters and murals in GPES during the week of March 1st (during school hours).
______Set-up – Assist with table set-ups in classrooms (Friday, March 13th 4-6pm)
______Cultural Performance – Assist with music, coordination of performances, introductions, etc.
______Welcome Team – Greet families/issue programs during Saturday, March 14th event (6-6:30pm).
______Clean-up – Reset classrooms, remove posters from halls, etc. (9-10pm).
5) ______SSL Hours: I/we have a middle school/high school student who would like to volunteer to earn SSL hours.
Name(s): ______________________ Phone Number: ______________ E-mail Address: ____________________
3
Garrett Park Elementary School * PTA Newsletter | February 2015
Thank you for Volunteering
A big thank you to our Garrett Park students, and their
families and friends who volunteered at the MLK Day of
Service at Bethesda North Marriott Conference Center.
We had over a hundred GPES volunteers on record! Your
eagerness to serve our community was beyond imagination
and truly embodied the spirit of Dr. King’s life and legacy.
We hope that the experience was as personally rewarding
to you as it will be for the many who will benefit from your
service.
With thanks,
GPES NAACP Parents’ Council Representatives & Garrett
Park Corps/Community Service Committee
“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you
doing for others?’”—Martin Luther King, Jr.
FREE PTA SPONSORED EVENTS
Family Indoor Movie Night
Come join us for a FREE GPES PTA sponsored
event “Family Indoor Movie Night” in the APR
from 6:30PM to 8:30PM on Friday, February 20,
2015! A family friendly movie, popcorn and water
will be served! Pizza will be available for purchase
and it will be first come first served.
March FREE events
International Night on Saturday, March 14th
from 6PM - 9PM
Make Toys for Needy Dogs on Friday, March
20th from 6:30PM - 8:30PM.
4
Please log
your volunteer
hours.
WANTED:
PTA TREASURER
GPES PTA is looking for
someone new as the next
Treasurer!
If you like spreadsheets,
checks and helping sustain
the efforts and finances of the
Garrett Park ES and its PTA,
then this job is for you!
As Treasurer, a board position
on the GPES PTA, you’ll get
the inside scoop of what’s
happening at the school and
with the PTA, and can play a
role in nearly everything the
PTA does!
Interested candidates can let
Tracy Jacobs know that they
are interested as soon as
possible so they can become
acquainted with the various
duties during the second
half of the year.
Contact Tracy at
tracy.m.jacobs.rhia@gmail.
com to offer your skills and
time for the 2015-2016 year.
UPComing PTA
MEETING DATES
February 3, 2015
May 5, 2015
Garrett Park Elementary School * PTA Newsletter | February 2015
5
from the Principal
students for their winter concert performances. Our musicians performed
for students during the day and for
parents the same evening. We loved
seeing the many talents of our students.
Dear Parents/Guardians:
School Closings or Early Release Days
School will be closed on Monday, February 16 in order to observe President’s
Day. On Friday, February 27, there is an
Early Release Day where students will
be dismissed at 1:00 p.m. in order for
teachers to update grades and work on
lesson plans.
February Highlights
This month, our 2nd graders will take
a field trip to Adventure Theater in
Glen Echo to watch Petite Rouge, A
Cajun Red Riding Hood. Second graders have explored different versions
of Little Red Riding Hood, looking at
the stories from different cultures and
different perspectives. Our 5th graders
will take a field trip to the Kennedy
Center to watch the play, Mockingbird,
adapted from the award-winning novel
of the same name by Kathryn Erskine.
5th graders have been determining
the theme of a drama, including how
characters in a drama respond to challenges. They have also been studying
how a series of scenes fit together
to provide the overall structure of a
particular drama. All students will
participate in Valentine’s Day parties
on the afternoon of Friday, February 13.
Also, the GPES Education Foundation
will be hosting a Sweetheart Dance that
same evening. We hope you are able
to come show off your dance moves at
this fun event!
Hooray to our 4th and 5th
Grade Chorus and Instrumental Music Students!
Hats off to our 4th and 5th grade chorus as well as our instrumental music
National School Counseling
Week
The week of February 2 is National
School Counseling Week. Please be
sure to share your appreciation with
Mrs. Schnaue who is our only counselor helping to meet the needs of all
staff, students and their parents at our
school!
PARCC Night for Parents on
Monday, February 2
MCPS is hosting a PARCC Night for
parents to share information about the
Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC)
assessments that students in grades
3-5 will be taking in the spring. The
informational session will cover what is
being assessed, what the data will mean
for your child, and how MCPS is preparing students for success on these new
tests. You will be able to try your hand
at a PARCC test item or two and pick up
grade-level information and resources.
The following is informational about
the meeting:
Monday, February 2, 2015
Montgomery Blair High School
51 University Boulevard East, Silver Spring
6:30 p.m.—Resource Fair
7–9 p.m.—Program and Breakout Sessions
Hearing and Vision Screening
Hearing and vision screening will automatically be conducted for all kindergarten students and students new to
Montgomery County Public Schools free
of charge. Dates include Monday, February 2; Tuesday, February 3 and Monday,
March 2. If you do not want your child to
be screened, please contact Ms. Lindsey
Shaw, health technician, at Lindsey_A_
[email protected] or at 301-929-2170.
Class Pictures
We will be taking Class Pictures on
Monday, February 9. Order forms will
be sent home with students.
Water Bottles Available During School Lunch
Small water bottles are now available as
an option to milk as part of the school
lunch. Kids can also buy these water
bottles as an a la cart item for $.50.
Kindergarten Orientation
– No School for Current Kindergarten Students!
Kindergarten Orientation will be held
on Wednesday, April 29, Thursday, April
30 and Friday, May 1. 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, 2015, are
eligible to attend Kindergarten during
the 2015-2016 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 and upon submission, parents will be notified of a
Kindergarten Orientation day and time
slot. More information to come.
(continued on next page)
Garrett Park Elementary School * PTA Newsletter | February 2015
Valentine Sweetheart Dance
Come show us your fun dance moves
at the Garrett Park Elementary School
Education Foundation’s Valentine
Sweetheart Dance on Friday, February
13. More details to come.
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 2 - April 1, 2015. 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 contact me. Also, non-Englishspeaking 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.
Please Follow the Correct Traffic Pattern in our
School’s Parking Lot
When entering our school’s parking lot,
please remember to stop at the stop
sign and always turn right even after
hours.
Nursery School Parking LoT
Parents should not use the nursery
school parking lot when visiting Garrett Park. It is a private lot reserved for
nursery school purposes.
MCPS Contingency Calendar
for 2014-2015
If MCPS has to make up instructional
days in the 2014–2015 school year due
to emergency closings, MCPS will follow the already approved contingency
calendar for the 2014–2015 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. MCPS will not open on
holidays, reduce spring break or cancel
negotiated professional days.
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—
•
5 days—the school year will be
extended by one day to Monday,
June 15, 2015;
•
6 days—the school year will be extended by two days to June 15 and
June 16, 2015;
•
7 days—the school year will be
extended by three days to June 15,
16 and 17, 2015;
•
8 days—the school year will be
extended by four days to June 15,
16, 17 and 18, 2015; and
•
9 days—the school year will be
extended by five days to June 15, 16,
17, 18 and 19, 2015.
6
You can find the school contingency
calendar online at http://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/calendars/.
Plan Ahead for the 2015–2016
School Year
The Board of Education has set the
calendar for the 2015-2016 school year.
Classes will begin on Monday, August 31,
2015, and are scheduled to end on Friday, June 17, 2016. Spring Break will run
from March 25 to April 1. The calendar
is available in seven languages–Amharic,
Chinese, English, French, Korean, Spanish and Vietnamese—and can be printed
or downloaded to a computer or
mobile device. To see the calendar, visit
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.
org/info/calendars/future/.
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): 301279-3673
Garrett Park Elementary School * PTA Newsletter | February 2015
•
•
•
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.
Coming Soon: 18th Annual
Distinguished Service to
Public Education Awards
Do you know any individuals (including
students), groups, and organizations that
have made outstanding contributions to
public education in Montgomery County?
If so, consider nominating them for a
Distinguished Service to Public Education
Award! The Montgomery County Board
of Education established the awards, now
in its 18th year, to recognize and show
appreciation for exemplary contributions to public education and to MCPS.
Nomination forms will be available online
at http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.
org/boe/community/awards/. Completed nomination forms will be due in
February.
7
Board of Education Blog Posts
The Board of Education (BOE) regularly
updates its blog with timely news and
information. Recent topics have included the Teacher Diversity Workforce
Initiative, the upcoming operating budget hearings, and the 2015–2016 school
calendar. To read the BOE blog, visit
http://news.montgomeryschoolsmd.
org/mcps-board-of-education-home/.
clothing for families in need
All items can be sent to my attention
•
woman’s size XL clothes for a
grownup and a younger adult
•
woman’s size 8.5 and 10 shoes – 8.5
for a upper elementary aged girl, 10
for an adult – we need tennis shoes
for the size 8.5 girl
Wish Lists for Staff
All items can be sent to my attention
•
men’s size 12 shoes (dress and tennis shoes)
•
hand and toe warmers for staff on
outdoor duties
•
men’s socks (dress and regular) that
fit a size 12 foot
•
solid or seasonal print tablecloths
(Halloween, Valentine’s Day, etc.)
you can part with to be used as the
background for our news reporters
on GPTV
•
men’s size large shirts including
oxford shirts
•
men’s size 32/33 waist, 34 length
khaki pants (blue, black & beige)
and jeans
•
girl’s size 14-16 clothes
•
socks for a girl with an woman’s
sized 8.5 foot
•
little girl’s sized 1-2 shoes (regular
and tennis) and socks
•
little girl’s size 8 t-shirts and
clothes
•
clothes and toys for boys and girls
aged 6 months to 3 years old
•
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
The staff and I look forward to seeing
you at the many upcoming events.
Respectfully,
•
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.
Elaine Chang-Baxter