Greenwood ES Weekly Update

September 20, 2024

Hello Greenwood Families,

As we enter the fourth week of September, we remind you that next Tuesday is Picture Day and next Friday is an early release day, with dismissal at 12:55 p.m.

We hope to see you at the PTA Movie Night tomorrow night!

Please find this week's updates below.

Warmly,

Mrs. Seidel and Mrs. Sinon

Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month is a wonderful opportunity to honor and celebrate the diverse cultures, histories and contributions of Hispanic communities. From Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, we embrace this rich heritage by spotlighting the achievements and traditions of students, educators and staff members who trace their roots to Spanish-speaking countries in North and South America, the Caribbean and around the world.

With more than 34 percent of MCPS students identifying as Hispanic or of Hispanic descent, this month serves as a meaningful reminder of the vibrant cultures within our school. It's a time to recognize and appreciate the unique perspectives and contributions of Hispanic individuals in our community.

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month not only enriches our understanding and appreciation of different cultures, but also fosters a sense of inclusion and community within our educational environment.

PTA Movie Night is Tomorrow!

Join us on the blacktop for the showing of Kung Fu Panda 4 at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow, Saturday, September 21! See you there!

Picture Day is on Tuesday, September 24!

Forms were sent home this week for Picture Day on Tuesday. Please reach out to Mrs. Ostrinsky, attendance secretary, with any questions at Susan_A_Ostrinsky@mcpsmd.org.

Holiday Giving Project

Holiday Giving Project

Online Google Referral Form

Due: Monday, October 21

The Holiday Giving Project has provided Thanksgiving and December holiday assistance to low-income households for over 30 years. A network of social workers, school counselors, and human service professionals refer families in need of assistance. Local non-profits, faith-based organizations, and public agencies serve Holiday Giving recipients, as donations are available. If you and your family are in need and would like to be referred for possible assistance for the holiday season, please complete this google form or consent form that was sent home to families. While a referral is not a guarantee of assistance, the Project helps as many families in need as donations allow.

El Holiday Giving Project ha brindado asistencia durante las fiestas de Acción de Gracias y diciembre a hogares de bajos ingresos durante más de 30 años. Una red de trabajadores sociales, consejeros escolares y profesionales de servicios humanos derivan a familias que necesitan ayuda. Las organizaciones locales sin fines de lucro, las organizaciones religiosas y las agencias públicas prestan servicios a los destinatarios de Holiday Giving, ya que hay donaciones disponibles. Si usted y su familia lo necesitan y desean que los recomienden para una posible asistencia durante la temporada navideña, complete este formulario de Google o formulario de consentimiento que se envió a las familias. Si bien una remisión no es garantía de asistencia, el Proyecto ayuda a tantas familias necesitadas como lo permitan las donaciones.

Can you help the yearbook club?

As you know the Greenwood Yearbook Club takes a lot of pictures throughout the year but we have found that our pixels are out of date! Yearbook Club is looking for donations of old cell phones or tablets, preferable Android and within the past 4 years. They will only be used for their camera and uploading the photos onto the Yearbook website while connected to Wi-Fi. Any donations are greatly appreciated. With any questions, please reach out to Alycia_n_Wepasnick@mcpsmd.org, our staff coordinator.

MCPS Student Handbooks on MCPS Website

Handbooks and guidelines developed for students of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) have been revised for the 2024–2025 school year to address Board of Education (Board) policies and MCPS regulations amended and revised over the 2023–2024 school year, and comply with updated guidance from the Maryland State Department of Education.

Updated online versions of A Student’s Guide to Rights and Responsibilities, the Student Code of Conduct in MCPS, Guidelines for Respecting Religious Diversity and Guidelines for Student Gender Identity are available on the MCPS website at the link below.

Student Rights and Responsibilities -Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD | Montgomery County Public Schools | Rockville, MD

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is committed to a safe, welcoming school environment where students are engaged in learning and are active participants in the school community because they feel accepted and valued. To this end, all students should feel comfortable expressing their gender identity, including students who identify as transgender or gender nonconforming.

montgomeryschoolsmd.org

Registration Now Open for Saturday School

Registration for the George B. Thomas Sr. Learning Academy, Inc., also known as Saturday School, is open for the 2024–2025 school year. Saturday School provides K–12 academic support programs in math and English/Language Arts.

The mentoring and tutoring program in Montgomery County will begin classes on Sept. 28 in nine locations, and also will provide a virtual option. The curriculum is aligned with MCPS and is taught by certified teachers. The locations are: Montgomery Blair, Albert Einstein, Paint Branch, Springbrook, Wheaton, Gaithersburg, Clarksburg, Rockville and Northwest high schools. The annual cost is $85; $40 for families eligible for Free and Reduced-price Meals (FARMs).

Registration for Saturday School, Grades 1–12 is here (English) and here (en Español). Kindergarten registration is here (English) and here (en Español). For an additional cost of $150 for a five-week session, Saturday School also offers classes in Coding and Robotics (English) and here (en Español).

Call 301-287-8980 for general information.

Will you be our Greenwood ES NAACP Representative?

We are seeking a Greenwood representative to the Montgomery County NAACP Parents' Council. We believe strongly that representation on the council is critical, so we'd greatly appreciate your consideration. If you are interested, please contact Mrs. Seidel at Jennifer_A_Seidel@mcpsmd.org.

"The Purpose of the Parents' Council is to provide a forum through which interested citizens may offer assistance, guidance and support to African-American parents and students of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) to pursue the highest quality education possible through encouragement, information sharing, positive motivation, critical evaluation and advocacy."

Further information: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uVFD_F5LzX02xb0muvUKrSz5DiZRsSXd/view?usp=sharing

Greenwood PTA

Monthly Meetings 7 - 8 p.m. in the Media Center Meetings include votes on budget and schedule items as well as a Q&A with the principal and PTA president.

sites.google.com

School Hours

Instruction starts promptly at 9 a.m.

Please be sure to have your students at school prior to 9 a.m., so they can unpack, eat breakfast, and prepare their materials. Student drop off begins at 8:40 a.m., and all students will enter through the front doors of the school. Students who arrive after 9 a.m. will be marked tardy and will miss the start of instruction. Please help us to ensure that every Gator is here and ready for a great day before that 9 a.m. start time!

One final note, please do not leave students unattended on school grounds prior to 8:40 a.m. to ensure the highest level of safety and security for each student. Staff are not outside to provide supervision until 8:40 a.m.

Student Absences

Please call the front office prior to 9:00 a.m. when a child is absent for any reason. If you call prior to office hours, you may leave a message with your child's name, teacher, and the reason for the absence. You can also send an email to your child's classroom teacher and Mrs. Ostrinsky, our attendance secretary, at S usan_A_Ostrinsky@mcpsmd.org. Upon return, please send a note from home about the absence.

Please help us to maintain health and safety for all by keeping children at home when illness is suspected, when a communicable disease has been diagnosed, or when lice nits have been found. A physician's note is required after five consecutive days of absence.

Absence Policy

- AM absent, if student arrives more than 2 hours late

- PM absent, if student leaves more than 2 hours early

- 1/2 day absence, if students are absent for more 2 hours during the school day

absence

- Full-day absence, if students are present for less than 2 hours of the entire school day

absence

Our school day begins promptly at 9 a.m., and students must be unpacked and ready for instruction. If your child arrives after 9 a.m., please escort your child/children into the building to sign them in.

Arrival and Dismissal

School hours: 9:00 a.m. - 3:25 p.m.

Two-hour delay: 11:00 a.m. - 3:25 p.m. (no recess)

* *Bus routes would shift by two hours* *

On a two-hour delay, doors open at 10:40 a.m.

Early release days: Dismissal is at 12:55 p.m. (no recess)

Arrival and Dismissal Procedures

The school doors open at 8:40 a.m. to welcome our students. Instruction begins promptly at 9:00 a.m.
Students who arrive after 9:00 a.m. will be marked tardy and will need to be signed in by a parent or guardian in the main office. Please do not drop off students at the front door at any time.
Students may eat breakfast in the All-Purpose Room, then head to their classroom to begin instruction at 9 a.m.
Dismissal begins at 3:25 p.m.

Changes to Dismissal Plans

Please note that changes to dismissal should happen prior to 3:00 pm to ensure there is

enough time for the messages to be relayed to the teachers and dismissal teams. Please

communicate any changes with your child's classroom teacher and our attendance secretary, Mrs. Ostrinsky. Please be aware that teachers may be not be checking email during instruction. As a result, it is very important for the front office (240-740-3420) to be made aware of any change in dismissal routine by 3 p.m.

Walkers

Walkers will be dismissed first daily.

Car Riders

Students who will be routine car riders will be given a family number card that will need to be displayed in the car window nearest the car loop line. Students will exit to the car loop when their number is called to be reunited with their family vehicle at that time. Please pull up to the end of the walk to maximize the number of cars we can load safely with adult supervision and keep the line moving quickly.

Car Loop

Please enter the car loop by turning RIGHT into the loop from Gold Mine Road. Please DO NOT turn left into the lot. Please go around the block so you can turn RIGHT into the loop. This helps us to ensure the safety of our walkers who have to cross at the car loop!

Please remain in your car, as our staff will assist those students who need assistance. Additionally, please know that staff can not buckle children into car seats. Please teach your children how to do so, or please pull forward into a parking space to do so, to avoid holding up drivers behind you in the loop.

Bus Information and Bus Rider Safety

Bus Information

Bus routes for the 2024-25 school year will be posted on the MCPS website in August at the link below. We will continue to use colors to identify the route numbers, and we will communicate those colors matched with bus routes with all families prior to the first day of school. Please contact the Randolph transportation office at 240-740-2608 with questions about bus transportation, routes, and times.

Bus Rider Safety

Please meet students at the bus stop at the end of the day to ensure your child's safe return from school on the bus. If you are not able to meet your child at the stop, please make other arrangements for your child to get from the stop to the home safely.

In the event you or your designee are running late or are otherwise unable to get to the bus

stop, please call the school as soon as possible to have your child held at the school for pick-up. Please call the front office 240-740-3420 before 3 p.m.

We encourage you to review the school bus rules with your child if they are a bus rider so they

are aware of the expectations. Those rules can be found at https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/departments/transportation/rules/a_parents_role.pdf

Please understand that safe student transportation is a joint responsibility. Please remind

your child to look for you before leaving the bus. We look forward to a safe and successful

school year.

Guest Bus Riders

Students may ride only their own bus to and from school. Students are not permitted to

ride to school or to home from school with friends on any other bus.

Bus Routes, Bell Times, and Bus Depots by School: Department of Transportation - Montgomery County Public Schools | Montgomery County Public Schools | Rockville, MD

montgomeryschoolsmd.org

Annual Notice for Directory Information and Student Privacy

Families who prefer to keep their child's directory information out of the student directory should complete the "Directory Information Withholding" section of the ParentVUE annual verification of information online registration. Families may also complete and submit MCPS form 281-13-Annual Notice For Directory Information and Student Privacy.

This form must be returned to the school by September 12, 2024.

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/forms/pdf/281-13.pdf

ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org

Breakfast and Lunch

Meal prices:

There are no changes in meal prices this school year and students who qualify for reduced-price meals will continue to receive meals at no cost. Funds can continue to be added to student meal accounts at no charge by bringing cash or checks directly to the Greenwood cafeteria manager, Mrs. Frias.

Prepayments on student meal accounts can be

made through www.MySchoolBucks.com; note the increase from $1.95 to $2.49 per transaction for the 2024-2025 school year.

• Breakfast: Regular price: $1.30 (All levels)

• Lunch: Regular price: $2.55 (Elementary), $2.80 (Middle and High School)

Breakfast

Breakfast is served from 8:40-8:55 a.m. in the cafeteria.

Lunch Room Seating

All students have assigned seats for lunch where seating includes an allergy-free

table. Please be sensitive to student allergies in your child's classroom

and work with the classroom teacher to support any event or activity that

includes food.

Menus

Our dietitians focus on balancing many aspects of menu planning to provide healthy, tasty meals to our customers.These include regulations established by the United States Department of Agriculture, food safety, cost, preparation, storage, seasonal availability, Healthy Guidelines for Americans, and donated government food.

montgomeryschoolsmd.org

Free and Reduced Meals Applications are NOW OPEN! Apply today!

Apply online NOW so students receive free meals on the first day of school!

Households meeting identified federal income standards are eligible for free school

meals. MCPS encourages all families who may be eligible, to apply.

To receive this benefit, a new FARMS application must be completed every school year.

Please submit the online FARMS application through www.MySchoolApps.com.

Students who qualify for reduced-price meals will receive meals at no charge!

Students use their MCPS ID number when receiving a meal, so confidentiality is maintained and no child is overtly identified as receiving free or reduced-price meals.

Meal Payments - Division of Food & Nutrition Services - Montgomery County Public Schools, Rockville, MD | Montgomery County Public Schools | Rockville, MD

Division of Food and Nutrition Services > Meal Payments/FARMS New for the 2024-2025 School Year 60 MCPS Schools will operate under the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). Students enrolled at these CEP schools may receive breakfast and lunch at no cost regardless of household income. A list of the participating schools can be found here.

montgomeryschoolsmd.org

Health Room Staff and Health Information

Greenwood Elementary School's health room is staffed by the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services with a full-time health technician, Ms. Teresa Edwards, and an assigned nurse, Ms. Angela Niemiec.

MCPS schools follow guidance from the CDC, state & local health departments. We strongly recommend, if your child has a fever, diarrhea, vomiting, or other symptoms of illness, that you keep your child home from school.

Required Childhood Vaccinations for Preschool Programs and Schools

The Annotated Code of Maryland (10.06.04.03) requires all Maryland students new to Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) and those entering Grade 7 provide documentation of required, age-appropriate vaccinations or a medical or religious exemption. This documentation is required within 20 calendar days from their date of admission.

Important Dates:

● Monday, August 26, 2024: Students must provide documentation of required vaccinations or a permitted exemption as explained above by the first day of school or their date of admission.

● Monday, September 16, 2024: Students who have not provided documentation of the required vaccinations by this date (or 20 calendar days from their day of admission) must be excluded from school until such documentation is provided.

Hard copies of the vaccination records are to be submitted to the Greenwood ES School Health Services health room staff.

More information:

https://health.maryland.gov/phpa/OIDEOR/IMMUN/Pages/back-to-school-immunization-requirements.aspx

Chromebook Information

Every student will have a chromebook at Greenwood ES for use during the school day.

MCPS will loan a chromebook for home use for those families whose students do not have access to a personal or home device. Families may make this request through this form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdDNdqO31soXKLffjcEzgVQ9C2Z2koPm6ifKm7-K77e44ZhAg/viewform

Staff at central office will monitor the requests through the form submissions, will prepare a device, assign it to the student, and will deliver it to the school. The school will distribute it to the student. The home use device is to be kept at home. Requesting the device implies consent of use in accordance with MCPS policy (IGT-RA) and acknowledgement that the Chromebook, software, and issued peripherals are owned by MCPS.

User Responsibilities for Computer Systems, Electronic Information, and Network Security can be found online. Montgomery County Public Schools retains the sole right of possession of the Chromebooks. The Chromebooks are loaned to students for educational purposes for the academic year. MCPS administrative staff retain the right to collect and/or inspect Chromebook hardware or software at any time including via electronic remote access.

More information:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-nfeYkPGdgXdetCwTu2_eM_3XkUZgGCf/view?usp=sharing

Cell Phones, Smart Watches and Other Personal Mobile Devices May NOT be used during the school day

MCPS regulation COG-RA prohibits elementary school students from using personal devices (phones, smart watches, etc.) during the school day. Personal devices(phones, smart watches, etc.) may only be used before or after the student day. Students will be asked to keep these devices in their backpacks during the school day. It is advised that students keep such devices at home, if possible.

RESPONSIBILITY/LIABILITY

MCPS will assume no responsibility or liability for loss, theft, or damage to a device or for the unauthorized use of any such PMD.

Please find the policy in its entirety on the MCPS Website.

Montgomery County Public Schools

ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org

Birthdays! We love birthdays!

We love birthdays at Greenwood, and each day on our GGTV morning program, we announce those who are celebrating, and students are invited to come to the office for a birthday pencil. While we do not do any formal in-school birthday celebrations with food or other items, we do make sure that each student feels special on their special day. We do ask that birthday party invitations be sent outside of school, and unfortunately, due to federal privacy issues, we can not provide class lists or contact information.

Restorative Practices

As we maintain our focus on individual student needs and growth, we will continue to focus on restorative practices. Restorative practices focus on building and maintaining relationships, collaboration, and community between students, staff, and families, affording the opportunity to prevent harm and resolve conflict peacefully, as well as the opportunity to change behaviors and grow.

Volunteers

Volunteers

To afford students the opportunity to settle into the new school year and develop classroom communities, we will begin welcoming volunteers in October. Further details will be shared closer to October.

Montgomery County Public Schools requires school volunteers and partnership agencies to complete certain compliance measures in order to volunteer within our school district.

Online Recognizing Child Abuse and Neglect Training via their myMCPS Classroom/Canvas account
Background check-dependent upon the type of volunteer service, per the Volunteers regulation

Only volunteers who have met these requirements will be able to volunteer. MCPS will notify the school via list of the completion and submission of these items. The system takes 24 hours after completion to update, so please complete all steps at least 24 hours prior to volunteering. We will not be able to have you volunteer in the building or on field trips until the items are completed and submitted, and the verification shows in the system 24 hours after completion.

Volunteer - Montgomery County Public Schools, MD | Montgomery County Public Schools | Rockville, MD

As a community, we are mindful of our shared responsibility to create safe, nurturing environments for our students. MCPS is grateful for your commitment and partnership. Below are answers to frequently asked questions to help clarify volunteer training and background check requirements. Who can be a volunteer?

montgomeryschoolsmd.org

Bullying and Harassment

Bullying, harassment (including sexual misconduct and sexual harassment), intimidation, hazing, incidents of hate-bias, and concerning issues involving student gender identity are not tolerated in MCPS. We are committed to ensuring our students feel safe, valued, and respected in our schools. Please see the multiple ways you can file a report below.

How You Can Report

Dates to Remember

Saturday, September 21

PTA Movie Night, 7:30 p.m. Greenwood Black Top (Kung Fu Panda 4)

Tuesday, September 24

School Picture Day

Friday, September 27

Early release day, Dismissal at 12:55 p.m.

MCPS 2024-25 School Calendar

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/calendar/

Contact us

Email: Jennifer_A_Seidel@mcpsmd.org
Website: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/greenwoodes/
Location: 3336 Gold Mine Road, Brookeville, MD, USA
Phone: (240) 740-3420
Twitter: @GES_Principal