PES Community PANDA Report

• Thursday, October 2 - School Closed for Students
• Friday, October 3 - Crazy Hair Day
• Monday, October 13 - Parent Teacher Conferences (School opens 4 hours late - doors open at 12:30pm)
• Tuesday, October 14 - Parent Teacher Conferences (School opens 4 hours late - doors open at 12:30pm)
• Wednesday, October 15 - Parent Teacher Conferences (School closes 3.5 hours early - dismissal begins at 12:00pm)
• Friday, October 16 - School Closed for Students
• Friday, October 24 - PANDA Pacer DAY
• Monday, October 27 - End of Quarter 1
• Tuesday, October 28 - School Closed for Students
• Wednesday, October 29 - Start of Quarter 2

Dear Parkway Panda Families,

Happy October! As the leaves change, our students are settling into strong learning routines, and the energy in our halls is fantastic. This month we’ll continue to focus on two big priorities: growing great readers and writers, and building a kind, safe school community where every child feels seen and supported.

You can help at home by reading together for 15–20 minutes most nights, talking about new vocabulary, and asking your child what they’re curious about in class. Consistent bedtime routines and on-time arrival also make a big difference—thank you for partnering with us on attendance and readiness.

October brings several special moments:

• Parent–Teacher Conferences: These conversations help us celebrate growth and set goals together. If you need to reschedule your time, please contact Ms. Vause (227-203-1380).

• Safety & Belonging: We will continue to practice our safety drill (fire drill) this month and continue teaching our “PANDA PRIDE” expectations— positive attitude, respect, initiative, determination, empathy.

As always, if you have questions or need support, please reach out. We’re grateful for your partnership and proud of the hard work our students are showing each day. Parkway is a special place because of our families, staff, and—most of all—our incredible Pandas.

Yours in Education,

John Ridenour, Jr.

Principal

We heard through the grapevine that it’s time for our Panda Pack to Fall into mindfulness!

Here are a few quick mindful tips to help teach your kiddos at home:

1.) Mindful Walks: Take a short walk and encourage students to pay attention to the sounds around them, the feel of the wind on their skin, or the sights of plants and insects.

2.) Glitter Jars: Have children create and shake a jar with glitter and watch the glitter slowly settle.

3.) Mindful Coloring: Allow your children to focus on the colors and patterns as they color, creating a calming activity.

4.) Five Senses "I Spy": Play "I Spy" in the classroom or on a walk, but focus on sounds (what do you hear?), smells, sights, tastes, or feelings (what do you feel on your skin?) to promote present-moment awareness

5.) Breathing Hands: Spread one hand like a star. Use a finger on the other hand to trace the outline of the "star hand," taking a deep breath in as you trace up and a breath out as you trace down the other side of each finger.

A quote: Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.

-Ms. Gaudaen & Ms. Crouse

We are hosting virtual

information sessions on:

October 7 at 5 PM- Meeting Link

October 14 at 6 PM- Meeting Link

October 21 at 7 PM- Meeting Link

Contact:

SpecialEducation@fcps.org if you require accommodations to access a session.

Here’s how to access i-Ready at home:

written directions / video directions

1. Using your child’s FCPS credentials, log into Chrome.

2. Sync the Chrome browser so your child's profile and bookmarks show up.

3. Open FCPS Bookmarks

*If you have questions about your child's log-in credentials, please contact their classroom teacher.

FCPS implemented the Student Code of Conduct last year to ensure all students have a safe and supportive school environment. The goal of the Student Code of Conduct is to ensure all students, staff, and families have a clear understanding of our commitment, how we will respond when challenges arise, and how our support is clear and consistent across all schools.

In every classroom, students are expected to adhere to the following expectations:

• Positive Attitude
• Respect
• Initiative
• Determination
• Empathy

Please take a moment to reinforce with your student these expectations; together we can ensure that each and every student reaches their full potential.

We are excited to inform you that Frederick County Public Schools offers SchoolCash Online as our preferred method of payment for all school fees, including everything from field trips to fundraisers. Our SchoolCash Online page can be found here: https://frederickcounty.schoolcashonline.com/.

Register now!

Registering for your free SchoolCash Online account takes less than two minutes! Visit https://frederickcounty.schoolcashonline.com/ and click Register.

Should you encounter any difficulties, please contact the SchoolCash Online parent help desk by visiting schoolcashonline.com/Home/Support.

• Convenient and Easy to Use--Available 24/7
• Safe-avoids having students carry cash and checks
• Saves Time--shows payments & order history in one place

To access the FCPS school meal app, go to the parent portal at http://linqconnect.com/ where you can:

- Apply for meal benefits (FARM)

- View menus, meal prices and a la carte prices

- Add money to student accounts

- Transfer funds between students

- View student meal transactions

- Set low-balance notifications

Website: https://pes.sites.fcps.org/
Location: 300 Carroll Parkway, Frederick, MD, USA
Phone: (227) 203-1380