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Dear Rock View Families,

This week at Rock View, we participated in Start with Hello, an initiative from the Sandy Hook Promise organization that encourages students to reach out, connect, and include others. Throughout the week, our students were reminded of the power of kindness, greeting each other with smiles, and noticing when someone may need a friend. It was wonderful to see our students practicing empathy and building connections that make our school community stronger.

As the principal of Rock View, my heart has been touched by how our community comes together to support one of our teachers during a very difficult time. The care, compassion, and thoughtfulness shown by students, staff, and families has been truly moving. Seeing everyone lift each other up, offer comfort, and provide encouragement reminds me how strong, united, and caring our Rock View family really is.

We are grateful for your continued support and partnership in fostering a school community that values kindness, connection, and compassion.

Warmly,

Ms. Batista

Testing Updates
We are nearing the end of our fall assessments in K–5, including MAP, DIBELS, and KRA. Our students have been working so hard to show us what they know, and we are incredibly proud of their effort and perseverance! These assessments give us valuable information about each child’s strengths and areas for growth, and as a school, we use this data to guide our instruction and ensure that every student gets the support and challenges they need to thrive.

Volunteers Make a Difference
MCPS welcomes volunteers! Our schools are stronger because parents, caregivers, and community members step in to help. Whether it’s chaperoning a trip, coaching, or lending a hand in the classroom, volunteers make a real difference for kids. At the same time, nothing matters more than keeping every child safe. That’s why we require all volunteers to complete the required training—and some volunteers must also complete a fingerprinted background check, including:

• Volunteer coaches

• Grade 6 Outdoor Education

• Overnight or extended day field trip chaperones (returning after 7:00 p.m. or out-of-area/state)

• Volunteers working 1:1 with students unsupervised

For more information about being a volunteer with MCPS, visit these websites

• Volunteer Information

• Application Form

• Child Abuse and Neglect Training

• MCPS Background Screening Office (for criminal background checks)

~AP Helse

STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics. It's an approach to learning that encourages children and adults to explore, discover, and solve problems using creativity and critical thinking. By combining the technical skills of science and math with the creativity of the arts, STEAM helps learners build a well-rounded understanding of the world and prepares them for future opportunities in a wide range of careers. Each Month, Rock View’s S.T.E.A.M Committee will be sharing STEAM focused ideas to support family engagement in activities at home or in the community. We will still have our annual STEAM NIGHT in February!

Fall is a great time to explore the natural world around us! Many researchers believe that spending more time in nature can help children be more confident and more creative. It has physical and mental health benefits for the whole family.

Check out these great nearby options:

Walking Trails:

Rock Creek Trail

Matthew Henson Trail

Brookside Gardens

Nature Centers:
Brookside Nature Center

Croyden Creek Nature Center

Rainy Day? No problem!

Visit Robinson Nature Center to learn about space in their planetarium or explore their indoor nature exhibit.

• ParentVUE is the parent portal for MCPS. It’s your secure window into important information about your child’s education—attendance, class schedules, grades, report cards, enrollment, athletic registration, and more. ParentVUE also links to MyMCPSClassroom, where you can see class materials. Available online and as a mobile app, ParentVUE is the Parent Portal that serves as the primary home-to-school communication vehicle.

If you need technical support please visit this link https://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/parents/tech-info-support/

Hi Rock View Families,

We have had a great first month of school here at The View! Your students have already been learning new skills, making new friends, and even advocating for themselves by asking for help from the counselors when they need it. Ms. Davis and Ms. Miller have enjoyed visiting every classroom to meet all of the classes, and we are so excited to have a great school year working with your students!

~Ms. Miller and Ms. Davis

All You Need to Know for Lunch
The Free and Reduced-price Meals (FARMS) application is available for the 2025–2026 school year. A new FARMS application must be completed every school year. Meals are free for students who qualify for the program. Only one application is needed for all students in a household. Learn more.

Visit the Department of Food and Nutrition and Services webpage for information on breakfast and lunch menus and how to add money to your child’s account through MySchoolBucks.

Starting January 1, 2025, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) will transition to MealViewer as the primary platform for accessing school lunch menus. PDF menus will no longer be available, but MealViewer offers a user-friendly experience with real-time updates, item-specific nutritional and allergen information, and optional features like food ratings, a nutrition calculator, and a favorites list. Menus can be viewed through the MealViewer app on Android or iPhone or via a browser—no sign-in is required. The link to Rock View's menu is provided below.

https://schools.mealviewer.com/school/RockViewES

Stronger Background Checks, Fingerprinting and Badging Underway

The safety of our students and staff always comes first. The recent report from the Montgomery County Office of the Inspector General made clear that background check procedures had not been as strong or consistent as they needed to be. We agree with those findings, and we are acting quickly to correct these issues and catch up. This work has begun across the district. Here’s what we’re doing:

• Re-Fingerprinting Staff Hired Before 2019: All will be enrolled in RapBack, the FBI’s continuous background monitoring system, ensuring ongoing safety checks, not just one-time clearances.
  
  

• Clearing CPS Checks: With support from MCPS and the Department of Health and Human Services, dedicated teams are processing any yet-to-be done Child Protective Services clearances quickly through a new electronic system.
  
  

• Re-Badging Staff: Updated badges are being issued through multiple mobile badging teams and printers.

Every employee, contractor and volunteer will receive a new badge displaying the “Security Certified” image. This visible marker will confirm that the individual has successfully completed the updated clearance process.

This work began Sept. 8 in the Paint Branch cluster, following the completion of all Special Needs schools last week. With 211 schools across MCPS, resources have been surged, including multiple fingerprinting stations and additional staff support, to complete this process by mid-December.

For the future, improvements in our processes will allow MCPS to keep pace with new hires, new volunteers and contractors so that everyone working with our students, and alongside each other, is “MCPS Security Certified.”

It’s important to know that every staff member, contractor and volunteer currently working with students has already passed a criminal background check. No one has unsupervised access to students without clearance.

MCPS will report progress on this work to the Board of Education at its business meeting in September, and again before the Montgomery County Council’s Audit Committee on Sept. 26.

MCPS is proposing a transformative new model for our local and regional programs, launching in the 2027-2028 school year. This vision marks a fundamental shift from a model of scarcity to one of abundance, ensuring all students have direct access to the outstanding opportunities they deserve.

Our goal is clear: Maintain what works, and build a more equitable and accessible future for all. Read more.

Informational One-pager

The MCPS community is invited to participate in upcoming public information meetings for the reopening of Charles W. Woodward High School boundary study and the opening of Crown High School and the expansion of the Damascus High School boundary study. In these sessions, the next round of proposed boundary options for the 2027-2028 school year will be presented, including accompanying maps, articulation patterns, data tables and an interactive map tool. MCPS will also share surveys for each boundary study so that attendees can provide meaningful feedback after exploring the options and accompanying resources. See the opportunities to attend a virtual or in-person session.
MCPS Boundary Study webpage

Phone: 240-740-0920

Address: 3901 Denfeld Ave, Kensington, MD 20850

Principal- Kilsys Batista, kilsys_c_batista@mcpsmd.org

Assistant Principal- Tyvae Helse, tyvae_helse@mcpsmd.org

Admin Secretary- Nancy Morin, nancy_L_morin@mcpsmd.org

Website: montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/rockviewes/