Additional PES Information
Arts Integrated Model School
Birthdays
Chinese Immersion Program
Clothing/Appropriate Dress
Dismissal Procedures
Field Trip/Collection of Money
Free/Reduced Lunch Program
Homework Policy
Inclement Weather Delay
Lost and Found
Mustang Mail
PTA Programs and Activities
Tutoring
Arts Integrated Model School
Potomac ES is one of three MCPS arts integrated model schools. Through professional development opportunities, teachers learn to integrate various art forms into their daily instruction. Staff members participate in training at the Kennedy Center and the Maryland Arts Teacher Institute. Additionally, drama and dance artists in residence work closely with the teachers and also perform in the school for students.
Teachers plan lessons, units, and grade level experiences with the arts leadership team, which includes the art teacher, music teacher and physical education teachers. For example, students in 3rd grade participate in a program called “Creating Original Opera.”
Students in 4th and 5th grades create museums based on content area objectives. The Museum in Progress (MIP) program guides students in the development of museum curator skills to design, install and interpret artifacts for an exhibition in their school, based upon curriculum concepts. After researching a concept, students create and collect artifacts to illustrate the concept. Students install the artifacts, host an opening and conduct tours for the school community.
Birthdays
Classes will celebrate birthdays on a monthly basis. Please check with your child’s teacher or room parent to see when the party will be held and if you can bring items to include in the celebration.
Additional PES Information
Chinese Immersion Program
Since 1996, Potomac ES students have had an opportunity to participate in a Chinese Immersion program. In this internationally renowned program, the students study reading and language arts in English and learn math and science in Chinese. Parents may select this program for their kindergarten and 1st grade students and the students remain in the program throughout the elementary years. The program continues in middle school and high school through a tailored language program at Herbert Hoover MS and Churchill HS.
Our Chinese Immersion program teaches the standard Montgomery County Public Schools curriculum. Children acquire Mandarin Chinese naturally in the classroom setting as they participate in hands-on learning experiences that are directly related to learning the MCPS curriculum.
In our increasingly interdependent world, parents realize that there are many advantages to knowing two languages. Chinese Immersion offers a unique opportunity for children to acquire a high level of proficiency in Chinese at an early age in a natural learning environment.
Clothing/Appropriate Dress
Children should be dressed in a manner that is appropriate for the weather. They should bring a warm coat with them during winter months as students will have outdoor recess whenever weather permits. They should not wear clothes that cannot be dirtied as some projects they will do may involve messy materials. They should wear proper-fitting shoes and it is recommended that they wear sneakers on P.E. days. Flip-flops and other loose-fitting shoes should not be worn to school.
Dismissal Procedures
Walkers and car-riders go directly to the All Purpose Room (cafeteria) when they are called for dismissal. Cars should pull up in the car-pool lane and display their car-pool number. This number was provided to each family at the beginning of the school year. When their number is called students will be dismissed through the car-pool entrance. Bus riders will be dismissed directly from their classrooms by bus number as their buses arrive. Bus arrival times will vary according to traffic conditions.
Field Trip/Collection of Money
Any funds turned into school for payment of field trip fees, room fees or other expenses should be in the form of a check made out to “Potomac Elementary School”. This is to prevent students from carrying large amounts of cash with them to school.
Additional PES Information
Free/Reduced Lunch Program
Information about the MCPS Free/Reduced Price Meal System (FARMS) program and application forms are available in the school office. Please note that access to this program is handled on a yearly basis and applications must be submitted each year for admission to this program.
Homework Policy
A homework assignment should be made as an extension or follow-up of clearly defined school and classroom activities. Homework assignments of this type help pupils to become self-directing in their development. They provide pupils with activities that may be used to reinforce and enhance the school experience. Students are not expected to ‘self-teach’ new skills, nor are parents expected to teach new skills in order for their child to complete homework assignments.
The purpose of homework is to ensure that each student has the opportunity to practice, reinforce, and/or extend the skills and concepts taught during the instructional day. The purpose of homework may be to:
Strengthen basic skills
Extend and reinforce classroom instruction
Stimulate and further interests
Provide opportunities for independent work
Provide a way in which parents can monitor the student’s learning activities
Develop initiative, responsibility, self-direction and organizational skills.
The time allotted to homework should increase gradually from grade to grade. The following is a list of approximate daily time allotments for homework.
Grades K-2 15-30 minutes
Grades 3-4 30-45 minutes
Grades 5 45-75 minutes
Parents are permitted and encouraged to assist their child with homework. If a child’s homework is consistently too difficult or exceeds the recommended time allotment, parents are encouraged to communicate with the child’s teacher so that modifications to the assignments can be made. If you have questions about homework or if you would like to receive a complete copy of the Homework Policy, please contact the teacher or the school office.
Additional PES Information
Inclement Weather Delay
Normal school hours are from 9:15 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. When there is a one or two hour delay due to inclement weather, school will start at 10:15 a.m. or 11:15 a.m. On those days the bus schedule will also be shifted one or two hours. Register for MCPS Quick Notes to receive notification of school schedule changes at www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/quicknotes.
Lost and Found
The Lost and Found is located in the All Purpose Room. Parents are encouraged to periodically check the collection to retrieve any lost or misplaced items. Items not claimed will be donated to charity twice a year.
Mustang Mail
Potomac ES PTA uses an e-mail/messaging system through YahooGroups to communicate to its membership. All members are encouraged to sign up with the system to receive timely information about the school and notices of events and activities at the school. To subscribe, send an email to .
PTA Programs and Activities
The Potomac ES PTA is a volunteer organization which works to enhance the educational experience for our children. We operate a large number of programs around the school, ranging from before-school and after-school programs to clubs to celebratory events and fundraiser, all aimed at supporting the school and enriching the school experience for your child(ren). If you would like to participate in these activities, you are encouraged to contact the VP of Programs or one of the other members of the Executive Board to find out how you can help!
Tutoring
MCPS regulations prohibit any teacher from tutoring children attending the teacher’s base school at any time, whether during the school year, summer recess or during the holiday periods.