Hello Kindergarten parents!
This is our first newsletter for the year, and within it you will find some important information. This newsletter will give you a glance at what topics will be covered in our classrooms this week in every subject area. Also, it will provide you information on the sight words of the week and other important things happening at school
Week at a Glance
Monday, September 11
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Tuesday, September 12
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Wednesday, September 13
·Instrumental Music parent information meeting, 6:30
Thursday, September 14
·Farquhar M.S. Back to School night
Friday, September 15
·Spirit Day
·LFI Community Outing
COMING UP
· Sept. 19th- Gr. 1-5 Back to School Night
· Sept. 21st- No school for teachers and students
· Sept. 26th- PTA sponsored Cultural Arts assembly, 9:15 & 10:00
· Sept. 28th- PTA sponsored Back to School Picnic
· Oct. 3rd- Student Picture Day
What We Are Learning This Week
Sight Words
Please work with your student to ensure that they know each of our kindergarten sight words this week!
· the, and
· Last week we covered the words: I, a
Reading
This week in reading, we will be able to:
· Confirm understanding of a text read aloud by answering questions about key details
· Follow words from left to right, top to bottom, and page by page
Writing
This week in writing, we will be able to:
Conventions of Written Language:
· Produce complete sentences in shared language activities
· Describe familiar people, places or things with prompting and support
Expressions of Thoughts and Ideas:
·Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to narrate a single event
Process:
· Add drawings or other visual displays to provide additional detail
· Recall information from experiences
Math
This week in math, we will be able to:
Counting and Cardinality:
· Count to determine the total number of students present
· Count a set and create an equivalent set
· Apply one-to-one correspondence and cardinality to count a set
Measurement and Data:
·Classify objects by the attributes they share
·Classify objects by the attributes they share and do not share
Social Studies
This week in Social Studies, we will be able to:
Civics
· Identify and describe responsibilities in the classroom and at home.
Need to Know/Reminders
Welcome Back Stonegate Families
We had a great first week back and we were thrilled to see our Sharks back in action and ready to learn!
Back To School Resource Bank
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/stonegatees/news/index.aspx?id=494174
A quick reminder…
In your child’s backpack last week, you received important information and homework for parents. Please read, complete and return the following important formsby Monday, September 11th, to help ensure the safety and well-being of your child(ren):
·White Emergency Card Sheets
·PCR Authorization for release Form
·Free and Reduced Lunch Form
·Parental Privacy Form
·Stonegate Chromebook Policy
·MCPS Pest Management and Asbestos Notices
School Hours
Our official school hours for all students K-5, are 9:00 a.m. - 3:25 p.m. (6 hours, 25 minutes, the instructional day for students).The bell rings at 8:55 a.m., the time at which all students should be present. All students will attend school for a full day beginning the first day of school, Tuesday, September 5th, 2017. Daily attendance and punctuality are very important to school success. Please make every effort to ensure your child is present andON TIMEevery day. Students arriving at 9:00 a.m. or after will be considered tardy.
Afternoon Dismissal Procedures
Each Stonegate family received 2 copies of their assigned numbers which should be visible and displayed on the dashboard on the passenger side of the car. Two staff members and two patrols will be stationed at the car circle to call out the numbers of the cars via walkie-talkie to the staff members in the school monitoring the car riders. Students whose parents/guardians park their car and walk to the front of the school to pick up their child will be considered walkers.
Instrumental Music Information Meeting-September 13th, 6:30 p.m., in the Media Center
The meeting is open to 4thand 5thgrade families. We will discuss instrument suitability, rental cost, scheduling, performances, expectations, and parent questions. Your attendance is not mandatory for your child to participate in the program. I look forward to meeting you and to a successful school year. Please detach and return the bottom half of the student sign-up form to school as soon as possible. Questions, contact me at,or by phone at 301-989-5668. Thank You!
Student Rights and Responsibilities and Code of Conduct
In order to ensure a safe, productive and positive learning environment, MCPS publishes two documents that help students, parents, and staff understand school rules and regulations; the expectations for student conduct; and the possible consequences for violating the rules.A Student’s Guide to Rights and Responsibilitiesis an overview of the rights and responsibilities students enjoy in MCPS and a summary of the laws and regulations that affect students. TheMCPS Code ofConductprovides an overview of discipline procedures and protocols and the range of consequences students could face for violating various policies, regulations, and rules. The guide also discusses the MCPS philosophy to discipline. All families received a copy of these documents and are encouraged to review them with your child(ren). The documents are available online atwww.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/students/rights/.
Derechos y Responsabilidades y Código de Conducta de los Estudiantes
Para poder asegurar un entorno de aprendizaje productivo y positivo, MCPS publica dos documentos que ayudan a los estudiantes, a los padres y al personal a entender las reglas y reglamentos escolares; las expectativas de conducta para los estudiantes; y las posibles consecuencias de violar las reglas. LaGuía de Derechos y Responsabilidades de los Estudianteses un resumen de los derechos y responsabilidades que gozan los estudiantes de MCPS y una síntesis de las leyes y regulaciones que afectan a los estudiantes. El Código de Conducta de MCPS
Provee un resumen de los procedimientos y protocolos de disciplina y la gama de consecuencias que los estudiantes podrían enfrentar por violar las diversas políticas, reglamentos y reglas. La guía también explica la filosofía de MCPS en cuanto a disciplina. Todas las familias recibieron una copia de estos documentos y se recomienda que los revisen con sus hijos. Los documentos están disponibles en línea, ingresando a:www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/students/rights/.
Back to School Night
Back-to-School Night for all families is scheduled for Wednesday, September 19, 2017 starting 6:00 p.m. We are having one back to school night this year and we are not having a general meeting. A flyer is coming home this week with more information.
Families will have an opportunity to meet teachers and staff, visit homeroom classrooms, and join the PTA. We will offer a grading and reporting session with our staff development teacher Stefanie Bollock.
Learn What’s New About Your Child’s Report Card
MCPS has updated the elementary report cards based on feedback from parents/guardians, teachers, and administrators to provide you with a more accurate assessment of your child’s progress. The changes are designed to clearly convey student learning and provide additional information about learning skills or work habits.
Changes to the report cards and grading scale include:
·A, B, C, D in Grades 2–5.
·Kindergarten students will get a report card four times (instead of twice) per year.
·Includes overall subject grade (in addition to the end-of-year average and measurement topics per marking period).
·Includes reporting of key learning skills.
For more information on report cards and the grading and reporting process, visithttp://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/grading/report-cards.aspx.
Conozca Lo Nuevo del Boletín de Calificaciones de Su Hijo/a
MCPS ha actualizado los boletines de calificaciones de las escuelas elementales basándose en comentarios y sugerencias de los padres/guardianes, los maestros y los administradores, a fin de proveerle a usted una evaluación más precisa del progreso de su hijo/a. Los cambios están diseñados para transmitir claramente el aprendizaje de los estudiantes y proveer información adicional sobre las destrezas de aprendizaje o los hábitos de trabajo.
Los cambios a los boletines de calificaciones y la escala de calificaciones incluyen:
·A, B, C, D en los Grados 2–5.
·Los alumnos de Kindergarten recibirán un boletín de calificaciones cuatro veces por año (en vez de dos veces).
·Incluye una calificación total por materia (además del promedio de fin de ciclo escolar y los temas de medición por período de calificaciones).
·Incluye informe de destrezas clave de aprendizaje.
Para más información sobre los boletines de calificaciones y sobre el proceso de calificaciones e informes, visitehttp://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/grading/report-cards.aspx.
Stay Informed withMCPSQuickNotes
MCPSQuickNotesis a bimonthly newsletter that provides MCPS families with important news and information about MCPS programs and activities, plus emergency information.MCPS QuickNotesis offered in seven languages: English, Spanish, French, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Amharic. Visitnews.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/to read the latest edition.
Manténgase Informado/a con QuickNotes de MCPS
QuickNotes de MCPSes un boletín informativo que se publica dos veces al mes y provee a las familias de MCPS noticias e información importantes sobre los programas y actividades de MCPS, además de información de emergencia.Quick Notes de MCPSse ofrece en siete idiomas: inglés, español, amárico, chino, coreano, francés y vietnamita. Visitenews.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/para leer la última edición.
Global Children’s Center
We are pleased to welcome back Global Children’s Center to the Stonegate community and they are honored to serve the children, families, and staff at Stonegate Elementary. Global Children’s Center is our before and after care program and they will begin their program on the first day of school. Global will begin at 6:30 a.m. until the start of school and then after school until 6:30 p.m. They are still registering, so please visit their website to register athttp://www.globalchildrenscenter.com/.
Clothing To Cash Recycling Program
Clothing to Cash® is a program that collects New and Used Clothing, Shoes, Sheets, Towels, (all Textiles) and pays the school 10 cents for every pound collected. The program is operated entirely OUTSIDE and will be located in the school parking lot, where students, parents, staff and the community can drop off items throughout the year. They have state of the art photo quantity sensors installed in each bin that report 3 times daily to prevent overflow and allows the company to schedule service as needed (no other companies use this technology). They empty the collection bin, weigh the contents to determine our school earnings and pays our school monthly. The average school (500 - 1000 students) will earn $1000- $2000 yearly if each student would donate just one 13-gallon kitchen size trash bag yearly!! Add in parents, sibling, relatives, neighbors, and staff and Stonegate’s earnings could really increase. Several schools earned over $300.00 last month alone. The flyer was sent home last week. Please support this program!
Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS)
Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a proactive approach to establishing the behavioral supports and social culture needed for all students in a school to achieve social, emotional and academic success. Attention is focused on creating and sustaining primary (school-wide), secondary (classroom), and tertiary (individual) systems of support that improve lifestyle results (personal, health, social, family, work, recreation) for all youth by making targeted misbehavior less effective, efficient, and relevant, and desired behavior more functional.
Stonegate is excited to be kicking-off PBIS this year. Many of our behavior practices were and have been PBIS oriented. We have worked very hard over the summer to refine our positive supports for students. Our Expectations are:
Be Respectful Be Committed
Be Responsible Be safe
George B. Thomas Saturday School
Saturday School Helps Students Succeed
The George B. Thomas, Sr. Learning Academy, Inc. kicks off its 2017–2018 season of Saturday School on Saturday, September 9. Saturday School is a low-cost tutoring and mentoring program that provides a sixth day of learning and helps MCPS students enhance their mastery of core academic subjects. Students who are in need of additional academic support can attend sessions at one of 12 locations across Montgomery County. Registration is $40 for students who receive Free and Reduced-price Meals System (FARMS) services and $70 for non-FARMS students. Visitwww.saturdayschool.org/for more information. A flyer was sent home.
La Escuela de los Sábados Ayuda a los Estudiantes a Alcanzar el Éxito
La Academia de Aprendizaje George B. Thomas, Jr., Inc. (George B. Thomas, Sr. Learning Academy, Inc.) comienza su temporada 2017–2018 de la Escuela de los Sábados, el sábado, 9 de septiembre. La Escuela de los Sábados es un programa de tutoría a bajo costo que provee un sexto día de aprendizaje y ayuda a los estudiantes de MCPS para que mejoren su dominio de las materias académicas básicas. Los estudiantes que necesitan apoyo académico adicional pueden asistir a sesiones en uno de los 12 lugares en todo el Condado de Montgomery. La inscripción cuesta $40 para estudiantes que reciben beneficios del Sistema de Comidas Gratis o a Precio Reducido (Free and Reduced-price Meals System–FARMS) y $70 para estudiantes que no reciben FARMS. Visitewww.saturdayschool.org/para más información.
New Season of Homework Hotline Live!
For 32 years,Homework Hotline Live(HHL) has helped tens of thousands of students in kindergarten through Grade 12 by offering free after-school homework help from MCPS teachers. HHL uses the internet and cable TV to offer students live one-on-one homework help.When HHL is on TV, students can phone in questions and see and hear the teachers while working through problems together.
HHL kicked off its 2017–2018 season on September 6 by offering homework help online.Homework Hotline Liveon TV will start Tuesday, September 26 from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. on MCPS-TV. Students can call HHL for help from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays or submit online questions from 4:30 to 9:00 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, and 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Mondays. During the TV broadcast, all questions will be answered on-air. Questions submitted at other times will receive an online response.
Visitwww.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/itv/hhl/for more information.
Nueva Temporada de la Línea en Vivo para Ayuda con las Tareas (Homework Hotline Live!)
Durante 32 años,Homework Hotline Live(HHL)ha ayudado a miles y miles de estudiantes, desde Kindergarten hasta el Grado 12, ofreciendo después del horario escolar ayuda gratuita de maestros de MCPS para hacer las tareas. Por Internet y por televisión por cable, HHL ofrece a los estudiantes ayuda individual en vivo para hacer las tareas. Cuando HHL está en el aire, los estudiantes pueden hacer sus preguntas por teléfono y pueden ver y escuchar a los maestros mientras juntos trabajan en los problemas.