The Glade Gazette

October 8 - Fall Bus Evacuation - morning bus runs

October 12 - PTA Spirit Day - Playa Bowls

October 14 - Picture Day

PTA Board Meeting

October 16 - Schools closed

October 21 - Unity Day - Wear and Share the color orange

October 23 - PreK Parent Meeting & PTA Trunk or Treat

October 26 - Schools closed

October 28 - 4-hour late arrival, P/T Conferences

October 29 - 4-hour late arrival, P/T Conferences

October 30 - 3.5 hour Early Dismissal, P/T Conferences

FALL PARTIES will be held on November 6th. More information will be shared when we get closer to the event. All volunteers must have their volunteer trainings before the party.

Happy Fall, Glade Families!

As we see the colors changing around us, fall is a wonderful reminder that change brings opportunities for growth. We are excited about the learning and growth happening across Glade and look forward to all that this season will bring.

We want to encourage families to make regular attendance a priority. Each day of school provides valuable opportunities for students to learn, practice new skills, build relationships, and grow. Our instruction has become increasingly rigorous, engaging, and purposeful, and our teachers are using ongoing assessments to better understand student learning and adjust instruction to meet students' needs.

We are also excited to share that our School Improvement Plan is complete and will be shared with families soon. This plan reflects our goals and priorities for continuing to strengthen teaching and learning and support the success of every student.

We are especially looking forward to seeing our families at Parent-Teacher Conferences! These conversations are a wonderful opportunity to celebrate your child's progress, discuss their growth, and partner together around their continued success.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support. We are proud of the progress our students and staff are making and look forward to sharing many more successes with you throughout the year! Together, we grow. Together, we succeed.

Gladefully, Mrs. Ivanova and Mrs. Hamilton

Frederick County Public Schools is committed to helping every student become a successful reader. In October 2024, the Maryland State Board of Education adopted the Maryland Comprehensive PreK–3 Literacy Policy, which requires schools to provide families with clear information about their child’s reading development and any additional support they may need.

As part of this process, students in Kindergarten through Grade 3 will participate in the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) reading screener at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year. These screenings help teachers monitor students' reading development, identify students who may benefit from additional support, and make informed instructional decisions.

Beginning in the 2026–2027 school year, Student Reading Improvement Plans (SRIPs) will be developed for students in Kindergarten through Grade 3 who meet the state criteria.

• A student will receive a SRIP if they score Well Below Benchmark on DIBELS reading screener administered at the beginning, middle, or end of the school year.

• For students who qualify based on their beginning-of-year DIBELS results, the SRIP will be reviewed with families during parent-teacher conferences on October 28, 29, or 30.

• If your child scores well-below benchmark during the middle or end-of-year screening, the SRIP will be initiated at that time. You will have an opportunity to review the plan and provide any feedback or questions.

• Families will be able to access the SRIP through EdPlan, a secure platform used by Frederick County Public Schools to share resources related to student support plans.

• The SRIP will outline the student's identified reading needs and the supports that will be provided. It will include information about the additional reading support the student is receiving, including the frequency and duration.

• Teachers will continue to monitor your child’s progress and update the SRIP as needed to ensure the support provided continues to meet your child’s individual reading needs.

• For all students in kindergarten through Grade 3, DIBELS screening results will now be printed on the bottom of the report card for each screening window.

• Students who score not well-below on the reading screener, may also receive intervention, if appropriate, but are not required to receive a SRIP.

We value our partnership with families and are committed to ensuring every student receives the instruction and support needed to become a confident, successful reader.

Hi Glade Families! October is all about BELONGING! Classroom lessons in October will emphasize acceptance and inclusivity, using the Little Spot of Feelings book series by Diane Alber. We will discuss what it means to belong, and how we can help others feel like they belong.

As a school, we will celebrate UNITY DAY, the signature event of National Bullying Prevention Month, on Wednesday 10/21. This is a day when we can come together to send a visible message of building commUNITY through kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. The call to action is simple: WEAR AND SHARE THE COLOR ORANGE! This vibrant statement becomes a conversation starter, showing support for students who have been bullied and for bullying prevention. For more information, check out the National Bullying Prevention Center: https://www.pacer.org/bullying/nbpm/unity-day/.

In September, classroom lessons included introductions and reminders about what “school helpers” Ms. Gordon and Ms. Leahy do and how to ask for support. In grades PK-1 and L4L, we focused on recognizing, naming, and managing feelings. In grades 2-5, students participated in a fun (and messy) lesson about using our words to spread kindness and thinking before we speak. In the intermediate grades, we also read Taco Falls Apart, written by Brenda S. Miles and illustrated by Monika Filipina. This playful tale allows students to learn how our thoughts, feelings, and actions are all connected, and how to challenge unhelpful thoughts.

Looking ahead, we will continue visiting classrooms and supporting students as they build their coping skills, study habits, and sense of belonging within our school community! Please do not hesitate to reach out to us with any concerns or questions.

• School Counselor (all grades)

• Lauren Gordon

• Lauren.Gordon@fcps.org

• Behavior Support Specialist (all grades)

• Kim Leahy

• Kimberly.Leahy@fcps.org

For families wondering:

• What Do School Counselors Do???

• School counselors work alongside teachers and parents to help students develop socially and emotionally, and to help remove barriers to learning!

• This may look like:

• Classroom lessons teaching social skills, how to take care of strong feelings, study skills, etc.

• Small group counseling

• Short-term individual counseling

• Consultation with parents and teachers

• Community resource referrals (including longer term therapy services)

• Schoolwide programming (Kindness Week, etc.)

• What Do Behavior Support Specialists Do???

• Behavior Support Specialists work as part of a team to help students develop positive behaviors and succeed in school, and work with all staff to create a safe, supportive learning environment where every child can thrive.

• This may look like:

• Classroom regulation support

• Check-In/Check-Out program

• Small group intervention focusing on self-regulation, social skills, classroom expectations, or other behavioral needs

• Individual behavior coaching

• Collaboration with families and school staff to implement effective strategies

• Support for students during challenging situations and transitions

K: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1xDrUWgQ0G3rciitoc0aDwNFXe_7G5xLa/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=108692546803620854611&rtpof=true&sd=true

1: https://canva.link/t9j1j8u453sh4ft

2: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mJvY262qZ_Fth2Dyw7ghKv8rf65z21mr/view?usp=sharing

3: October Newsletter.docx

4: https://canva.link/4di1hsji4x4o6m8

5:https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1iwb9Rvgex76ssUyGNaaU8hcZIFuYgzLjO5UHfiDUlE8/edit?usp=sharing

Quaretrly Specials Newsletter: https://canva.link/m1lgrl58koe43ny

Standby Guardianship offers a parent or guardian the ability to nominate another person, called a standby guardian, to take care of their children in the event of mental incapacitation, physical debilitation, or an adverse immigration action. Completing the Parental Designation and Consent to the Beginning of Standby Guardianship is a first step for parents in taking actions to protect their children. Information on Immigration can be found on the MSDE website at https://marylandpublicschools.org/about/pages/dsfss/immigration.aspx. However, Standby Guardianship is an important, protective option for all parents to consider. For more information about Standby Guardianship, please see the link here.

Free and Reduced Meal applications expired on September 30th. You must renew the Free and Reduced-price Meal Benefits application each year.

We strongly encourage ALL FAMILIES to fill out a 2026-2027 Free and Reduced-price Meal Benefits application (apply online at https://linqconnect.com/main) even if you do not plan for your student to receive free or reduced meals from the cafeteria. Schools with high levels of families qualifying for meal benefits, can receive additional financial support (including additional teaching staff, funding for tutoring, bus transportation for tutoring services and other grant based funding).

All adults must complete the multi-step volunteer training for all field trips, class parties, field day, and volunteering in the classroom. This process takes multiple days to complete. Please be proactive and complete the training now. You must renew the training every year!

At the end of SY25-26 we started practicing a school-wide dismissal, where all students were either dismissed or were at their dismissal location by 3:40 pm. Glade will continue with this practice for SY26-27 to ensure staff can meet their contractual planning time and prepare for the next day.

NEW!!! To allow for a safe and smooth dismissal, the Front Office will be closed for visitors between 3:20 and 3:40 pm every day. No students will be dismissed from the Front Office during this time.

WALKERS: Only students who live or whose childcare provider is within 1.25 miles or less from Glade will be dismissed as walkers.

CAR RIDERS: You can drop off your child between 8:30 and 8:55 am and pick them up after 3:30 pm. While the dismissal line may appear long at times, our staff works efficiently to ensure a quick, safe and smooth process, and the line typically moves quickly. To ensure efficiency, please make sure students are entering and exiting the car on the sidewalk side and have their materials ready.

BUS RIDERS: Buses depart in two loads, A & B. A loads leave Glade no later than 3:35 pm and B loads leave around 3:45-3:50 pm. Occasional delays will be communicated with affected families via School Messenger. School buses are considered an extension of the school building and all rules and regulations apply accordingly. Students are expected to abide by the Student Code of Conduct while riding on an FCPS bus for any purpose. Per FCPS policy, students can only ride their assigned bus. Students cannot invite friends to ride home on thier bus.

Any changes in your child's dismissal or transportation home needs to be shared with the front office before 2:30 with either a note, phone call or email to Glade.ES@fcps.org. If there's an emergency, and you have to make a change after 2:30 pm, please CALL the office. If you email the teacher only and they are absent, nobody will get that information. Thank you.

Beginning Wednesday, August 19, FCPS will implement updated expectations for student use of personal communication devices. Under the new "off and away, bell to bell" expectation, students at all grade levels must keep cell phones, smart watches, and other personal communication devices out of sight and not in use during the school day.

Permitted Student personal mobile devices uses:

a. Students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and Section 504 Plans:

• Use of personal mobile devices must be permitted where included in a student’s IEP, Section 504 Plan, or where required by law.
• The IEP and/or Section 504 teams for a student with a documented disability should collaborate to consider the need for the device to support the student’s needs and should provide educational and/or assistive technology supports as appropriate.
• The need for the device will be reviewed at the student’s IEP or Section 504 review meeting as needed. Student with Documented Health/Medical Needs.

c. Statutory Extenuating Circumstances. School administrators may grant exceptions Regulation 118-01 3 of 5 for students to access their personal mobile devices:

• To access language translation tools to ensure educational equity for multilingual students when FCPS-issued technological devices are not available or sufficient for this purpose; or
• For the purpose of meeting caregiving responsibilities, as approved by a school principal.

• Parents may request an exception for their children to use personal mobile devices during the academic school day as listed above.
• Requests must be made to a school administrator, and, must include supporting documentation.

a. Communications from Students to Parents: Students must use school-based communication tools and methods (e.g., phones in the main school office, their classroom, or other centralized location) to communicate emergency or non-emergency needs with parents.

b. Communications from Parents to Students

• As student devices are required to be off, in airplane mode, or school mode while on school grounds, parents are encouraged to refrain from calling or texting their child’s personal mobile device during the academic school day.
• Parents are encouraged to use school-based communication tools and channels to communicate family-based emergencies and non-emergencies during the academic school day.
• If a child contacts their parent during school hours via a personal mobile device, parents are encouraged to reinforce responsible student technology use expectations and remind their child to focus on learning.

All absences require a parent note or they will be marked unlawful. Be sure to include the child’s first/last name and teacher name. Even if you have called the school to report an absence, we still require a note upon returning to school. You may print one off - ABSENCE NOTE or email a note to GES.Attendance@fcps.org

You can support maintaining our perfect attendance by sending your healthy child to school each day on time. Instruction begins at 9:00 every morning and ends at 3:30 pm.

VACATIONS - Per Board of Education Policy 430-02 Student Attendance, Absences for students who take trips during the school year will be considered unlawful. However, these absences will not be considered as truancy, for a maximum of 5 days, per school year, with prior written notice to the principal or designee. Students shall be permitted to make up missed classwork, homework and assessments missed while absent. Email written notice to GES.Attendance@fcps.org

You can also support by planning vacations around the FCPS calendar and State Assessments.

State assessments are tentatively scheduled for:

MISA - Grade 5 - April 5-14, 2027

MSTAR Reading (formerly MCAP) - Grades 3-5 - April 15-30, 2027

MSTAR Math (formerly MCAP Math) - Grades 3-5 - May 3-21, 2027

• Address change: Please provide a new proof of residency (a copy of a property tax bill, gas bill, electric bill, water/sewer, cable bill or a signed current lease/rental agreement; NO phone bill or mortgage statements).
• Custody change: If there is a change in child custody, please make sure you share that information with your child’s teacher and the office. It is extremely important that a copy of the court document be delivered to the school and placed in the child’s permanent record folder. Should the school not have this documentation, we have no recourse but to release your child to either parent upon request.
• Cafeteria: Students packing lunches must provide their own condiments and utensils. FCPS requires Food and Nutrition to track and report all their supplies. We cannot turn students down if they request a meal or snack. You can put restrictions on their account by emailing food.service@fcps.org.
• Weapons: Possession of any firearm or other weapon by a student on school property is strictly forbidden. This also includes look-alike weapons. The penalties for violation are detailed in the Discipline section of the FCPS handbook. Please remember it is a serious offense to possess a weapon of any kind on school property.

Website: https://education.fcps.org/ges/

Location: Glade Elementary School, 9525 Glade Road, Walkersville, MD, USA
Phone: tel:227-203-1700
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/GladePTA