Weekly Firefly Newsletter

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Welcome to the new school year! The FVES team has been working diligently to prepare for the arrival of students, and the school is buzzing with positive energy and excitement. Our building services team has been busy making the school and the grounds shine like new; our cafeteria staff are busy making sure we have breakfast and lunch ready for our students; and our main office team is always here to greet you and answer any questions you may have. All of our teachers and support professionals have been creating inviting places that make all students feel welcome and valued and developing instructional lessons that will help build a sense of community and provide the academic rigor all of our students deserve.

The heart of Flower Valley is our community. We are a family dedicated to providing every student an exceptional educational experience, while also focusing on their well-being and their celebration of themselves as individuals and as a part of this amazing community. We are thrilled to welcome our families back into our building to nurture our sense of community. It truly takes all of us coming together to make this an exceptional experience for all of our wonderful Fireflies. We are ready and eager to see all of our Fireflies light the way Monday morning!

With Firefly Pride!

Mrs. Fish

• School Hours
• School Supplies
• Chromebook Reminder
• Arrival and Dismissal
• School Meals, FARMS, and My School Bucks
• Curriculum Corner: Benchmark, Eureka,
• ELD Corner
• Instrumental Music
• Back to School Night
• Visitors
• School Cash Online
• Covid Protocols
• Attendance Information
• Helpful Resources
• PTA Corner
• Save the Date
• School Contact Information

Our school day begins promptly at 9:00am. All students should be in the building and in their classrooms ready to start the day at this first bell. Students arriving after 9:00am will be marked tardy. The school day ends at 3:25pm. It is an MCPS expectation that families be ready to receive their students at that time. Please be ready and waiting for your student at the bus stop beginning at 3:25pm.

4th and 5th grade students need to bring their Chromebooks to school Monday, fully charged. If there are any issues with the Chromebook, please notify Holly Callen at Holly_M_Callen@mcpsmd.org or Kendra LoBosco at Kendra_L_LoBosco@mcpsmd.org.

Students who are car riders are required to be dropped off in the car rider loop. Please do not drop students off on the side of the street. This is for the students' safety. The bus loop in front of the school is for buses only between the hours of 8:30-9:15am and from 3:00-3:45pm. The car loop can begin to be accessed at 8:35 am. Staff will arrive on duty at 8:40 am. Students must not exit their car until a staff member is on duty. All parents will receive the Traffic Circle Safety Guidelines and blue car rider name tag on Monday, August 29. Information about Bus Routes can be found on the FVES webpage here. Please remember to bring a little extra patience with you to the car rider line for the first couple of weeks of school.

Beginning school year 2022-2023, students who qualify for reduced-price meals will not be charged for lunch - meaning that students who qualify for reduced-price meals will eat for free! To learn more about eligibility for Free and Reduced Meals (FARMS) and apply for FARMs, click here. Deposits into lunch accounts can be made by any student and can be made ahead of time via the MCPS online payment system, My School Bucks. Details about how to add money to your student’s account can be accessed here. Menus can be accessed on our school website.

Benchmark: Benchmark Advance resources were built to support the College and Career Ready Standards for Literacy. Key instructional practices include regular practice with complex text, using text evidence in reading, writing, listening and speaking, and building content knowledge.

Really Great Reading's programs are evidence based, teaching students the key skills they need to become efficient and accurate decoders, which ultimately leads to their success not only in word identification, but also in comprehending what they read.

Eureka Math: Eureka Math is designed to support students in gaining a solid understanding of concepts, a high degree of procedural skill and fluency, and the ability to apply the math to solve problems in and outside the classroom. Each lesson that students engage in is an extension of previous learning and foundational to future learning. Eureka Math also provides a high level of rigor for all students as they pursue deep, authentic command of mathematical concepts.

MCPS has a dedicated website which has support for each Eureka module in every grade level. Here is a Eureka Math support page for families. You will need to create an account to access the family resources called "tips for parents." "Homework Helpers" are tips for parents that are included with each homework assignment in the Math Succeed (HW) book.

Please check your child’s folder for and complete your student’s “Notification of Placement in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Program" form.

Instrumental Music is offered to all 4th and 5th grade students. Students will attend an assembly about the program during the first week of school. Our Instrumental Music teacher, Mrs. Kanowith, will be sending home more information about how to register for class and the date for our Informational Parent Meeting soon!

Back to School Night will be September 7th from 6:30-8:30. Detailed information can be accessed here. We look forward to seeing you!

Anyone visiting FVES must sign in at the main office and bring identification with them. Individuals interested in volunteering should contact Mrs. Atanda at Jennifer_T_Atanda@mcpsmd.org.

A warm welcome back to school from the FVES PTA! To stay up-to-date on PTA activities, please join the PTA listserv. Contact Joyelle Dominique, PTA president, at president@fvespta.org to join the listserv. Visit the PTA website at www.fvespta.org for information on becoming a member and to learn more about the spiritwear we have available for purchase this year. Spiritwear is only available for purchase until Friday, September 16, so buy now!

MCPS transitioned to a new online payment system called School Cash Online as its preferred method of payment for all school-related fees, except for meals. Detailed information about how to register can be accessed here.

MCPS is encouraging all students to test prior to the first day of school. Only positive test results need to be reported using the MCPS COVID-19 Reporting Form. Individuals who have a positive COVID-19 test should report their positive result and follow CDC guidelines for isolation. Details regarding the MCPS back to school Covid safety protocols can be accessed here.

August 29th: First Day of School

September 5th: No School

September 7th: Back to School Night (6:30-8:30)

September 9th: PTA Sponsored Back to School Picnic (5-7:00)

September 14th: Early Release Day

September 26th: No School for Students

September 30th: Early Release Day

If your child is going to be absent, please email Mrs. Sintetos at Catherine_G_Sintetos@mcpsmd.org or call the office at 240-740-1780. A note regarding the absence should be given to your child's homeroom teacher. if your child is going to be arriving late, you need to bring your child to the main office and sign them in. If you will be picking up your child early, please let Mrs. Sinteots and your child's homeroom teacher know.

FVES Letter to Families

School Supplies

School Website

MCPS Community Messages

Parent Handbook

Our office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Below are emails and phone numbers for the following departments:

Administration (240) 740-1780

Mrs. Angie Fish, Principal – Angie_L_Fish@mcpsmd.org

Ms. Angela Castillo, Assistant principal - Angela_M_Castillo@mcpsmd.org

Main Office Staff (240) 740-1780

Mrs. Padma Radhakrishnan, School Administrative Secretary – Padma_Radhakrishnan@mcpsmd.org

Mrs. Cathy Sintetos, Attendance Secretary – Catherine_G_Sintetos@mcpsmd.org

Counseling Office (240) 740-6680

Mrs. Jennifer Atanda - Jennifer_T_Atanda@mcpsmd.org

All Staff Directory

Be bright! Be kind! Be you!

We inspire all children to become critical thinkers who are imaginative, adaptable, and collaborative. We strive to cultivate peaceful, life-long learners who contribute positively to the community around them.

Email: Angie_L_Fish@mcpsmd.org
Website: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/flowervalleyes/
Location: Flower Valley Elementary School, Sunflower Drive, Rockville, MD, USA
Phone: 240-740-1780
Twitter: @AngieFish_FVES