Procedures for the First Day of School

August 2017

Dear Daly Families,

Welcome to the 2017-2018 school year! We are excited about the upcoming year at Daly Elementary School. We hope that you and your children have had a safe and pleasant summer and are eagerly awaiting the challenges and opportunities of the upcoming school year. If you are new to our school, we hope you will see that Daly Elementary is a special place for children to learn and grow. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to help you become more comfortable with our wonderful school. Everyone here at Daly Elementary looks forward to working with you and your children to make this a wonderful learning experience for your child.

I am pleased to inform you that Daly ES has been chosen by MCPS as a training site for future administrators. As a result, Mr. Michael Burd has been assigned to Daly as the principal intern. Mr. Burd has been an assistant principal in the county and brings a wealth of experience to our school. After winter break, for six weeks, Mr. Burd will assume the duties of the principal and I will go to another MCPS school to assist the intern at that school. I will return to Daly ES in mid-February.

A calendar of school events will be distributed with the first newsletter; however we would like to highlight a few important dates that you will not want to miss. An Open House is scheduled for September 1, 2017 from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. Our Kindergarten Back- to- School Night will be August 31, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. This is a time for you and your child to meet his/her teacher and see the classroom. We will mail postcards to all students welcoming them back to school and informing them of their class assignments the week of Aug. 21st.

Procedures for the First Day of School

On the first day of school, students in first through fifth grade will go to their classrooms. Students in kindergarten will line up outside the main entrance with their teacher. Patrols and staff members will be available to help direct students to classrooms. At 9:05 a.m., students will enter the building. Your child should walk directly to class. We ask that parents do not drop off students before 9:05 a.m. throughout the year. We do not have staff available to supervise students before that time. We also ask parents to assist with supervision at the bus stops throughout the school year.

The first day of school is September 5, 2017. The daily schedule is listed below.

Daily Procedures

Arrival Procedures:

Morning Arrival

Adults will be on duty starting at 9:05 a.m. The doors will open at 9:05 a.m., and students will enter the building and report directly to their classroom. After 9:25 a.m., students are considered tardy and must report to the main office for a tardy slip. For safety purposes, please do not have your child arrive at school before to 9:05 a.m., as there will be no adult supervision available before that time.

Procedures for Cars (Parent drop-off and pick up)

We have a designated drop-off and pick-up area for students arriving by car. Parents should enter the driveway to the parking lot area and proceed to the right, following the traffic flow. Please have all materials ready so that your child can exit the car swiftly, and traffic can continue to flow smoothly. Patrols and staff members will be stationed along the zones to assist. Please do not get out of the car as it stops the flow of traffic. Adults and patrols will be on duty daily to assist students during arrivals and dismissals.

If you will be picking up your child in a car, you will need to complete the attached Car Rider Registration form. You will be assigned a number that must be displayed or visible to a staff member at pick-up time. As parents enter the parking lot, your child’s number will be called into the building, and your child will meet you at the pick-up area.

Dismissal Procedures:

Children walking to school will exit the main doors, the same doors used in the morning. Children riding a bus will exit through the main doors, the same doors used in the morning, and walk directly to their bus.

Procedures for Children Walking to School

Children walking to school must enter using the main entrance and walk to their classrooms. Students in fourth grade will enter through the main entrance and proceed to the portable classrooms.

MCPS staffing allocations are based on projected enrollment. In some cases, it may become necessary for staffing changes to occur in schools if enrollment comes in below projection and doesn't justify the staffing that was allocated. If there is a need to make an adjustment in staffing based on actual enrollment, we will do our best to minimize the impact of these necessary adjustments. We will keep you informed and alert you of any changes that may occur at our school.

Lunch Information

All schools in Montgomery County use an automated system for purchasing lunch and milk called School Nutrition Accountability Program (SNAP). Please see the attached information regarding school lunch payments and lunch costs. A prepayment form is attached if you wish to deposit funds into your child’s lunch account.

Application Process for Free and Reduced-priced Meals

The application for the Free and Reduced-price Meals system (FARMS) is a household application. Parents and guardians will need to submit just one application that lists all the children in their household who attend Montgomery County Public Schools.

Attendance

The following changes in recording attendance in Montgomery County Public Schools were implemented in accordance with the Maryland State Department of Education.

• Students arriving after 9:25 a.m. will be recorded as tardy.
• Students will be recorded as A.M. Absent if they arrive at school more than one hour late.
• Students will be recorded as P.M. Absent if they leave school more than one hour early.
• Students will be recorded as either A.M. Absent or P.M. Absent if they are absent from school for more than one hour during the school day.
• Students will be recorded as Absent for a full day if they are present for one hour or less of the school day.

If your child is going to be absent, please call the office or send in a note to the office indicating the reason for the absence.

LUNCH/RECESS SCHEDULE

EARLY DISMISSAL LUNCH TIMES

Lunch Periods Time

Grades 1 and 2 11:00 – 11:30 a.m. NO

Grades 3 and 4 11:35 – 12:05 p.m. RECESS

Grades K and 5 12:10 – 12:40 p.m.

DELAYED OPENING LUNCH SCHEDULE (2 HOUR DELAY)

Lunch Periods Time

Grades 1 and 2 11:40 – 12:10 p.m. NO

Grades 3 and 4 12:15 – 12:45 p.m. RECESS

Grades K and 5 12:50 – 1:20 p.m.

School Supplies

A list of school supplies by grade level is posted on our school website that your child will need for school; any additional supplies needed will be shared by classroom teachers during the Open House and on the first day of school.

Back-to-School Night

We hope that you will join us for this important evening, as you will hear information about your child’s upcoming school year, what he or she will be learning, and meet the classroom teacher. The dates and times for Back-to-School Night are listed below

August 31, 2017 Kindergarten 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

September 12, 2017 Grades 1-5 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Home/School Communication

Students will bring home a folder every Wednesday, called “Wednesday folder.” Please review, empty and return this folder the next day. The school parent newsletter is jointly created by individuals from the school and PTA to provide you with important information. This newsletter, as well as the grade-level newsletters, is published on the first Wednesday of each month and students bring them home in their Wednesday folders. All newsletters will be posted on the school website. We use the MCPS connect-ed phone messaging system frequently to relay important school news. Please notify the office if your phone number has changed.

PTA Membership

The PTA (Parent Teacher Association), welcomes new members. There are many committees to which you can lend your voice in order to help Daly Elementary continue to grow and flourish. The PTA has enclosed an informational letter and membership form and will be available to answer questions or enroll you as a member at Open House on September 1, 2017 and Back-to-School Nights on August 31, 2017 for kindergarten students and on September 12, 2017 for students in Grades 1-5. Please stop by the PTA table and join the PTA!

Daly Website and Twitter:

Please visit our webpage for more information from our administration, staff, and PTA:

You can also follow Mrs. Dietz on Twitter:

Sincerely,

Mrs. Nora Dietz

Principal

Mr. Michael Burd

Principal Intern