Friday Updates
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Upcoming Events:
October 26th-29th: Red Ribbon Week/Mental Health Awareness Week (More information below)
October 30th: Fall Festival Class parties and parade starting at 2:00 p.m.(more information below)
November 4th: English Language Arts and Math Virtual Curriculum Presentation 6:00-7:30 p.m.( more information below)
November 7th: Skate Night
November 11th: Open House (more information below)
November 19th- Multicultural day (more information below)
November 23, 24, and 25- Early release (12:55)
Reminders and Upcoming Event Details
Red Ribbon / Mental Health Awareness Week: October 26-29, 2026
Dear Bethesda Families,
Red Ribbon / Mental Health Awareness Week will be celebrated at B.E. October 26-29, 2026. At Bethesda Elementary, students will be participating in activities throughout the week promoting healthy choices leading to a positive life. Students will also be provided an opportunity to dress up following these dates and theme days:
We look forward to an informative and productive Red Ribbon / Mental Health Awareness Week. Please keep the lines of communication open within your family- the best prevention starts early and starts at home!
Here are some additional resources for families:
www.RedRibbon.org; Adult Pledge; https://lockyourmeds.org/ ; Parent Flyer; MCPS Mental Health Services
https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/mental-health/fair/
Respectfully,
Mrs. Moreland Mrs. Robinson
School Counselors, Bethesda Elementary
Fall Festival Parade
On October 30th, we will have our annual Fall festival Parade at 2:00 p.m.. Students may bring Halloween costumes to school and will change before the parade. Please do not include any fake weapons with the costumes. Families can watch the parade from the sidewalk outside the front doors or virtually on Zoom. Families are not permitted to enter the building after the parade unless of have pre-registered to support the fall festival classroom parties. Please email your child's teacher if your family does not celebrate Halloween and your child will participate in a separate activity during the parade.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://mcpsmd.zoom.us/j/86933349214?pwd=bWP1FKFPJroVjlSPJ9faPxVpA6TLL4.1
Meeting ID: 869 3334 9214
Passcode: 158972
Virtual Curriculum Night
On November 4th from 6:00-7:30 p.m. we will be having a virtual curriculum night. The presentation will consist of a 45 minute presentation each of reading and math to share information about what a reading and math lesson can look like and the components of the lessons.
The presentation will be virtual only on Zoom. We hope to see you there!
Join Zoom Meeting
https://mcpsmd.zoom.us/j/83931167676?pwd=kCz8AFzHgosgh5BBJbXVQ8Ympvn6vH.1
Meeting ID: 839 3116 7676
Passcode: 806594
Open House
Open House will take place on November 11th from 9:00-11:00 a.m. This is a time for you to step into your child(ren)'s shoes and be a part of their school day! Engage in a lesson, take part in a project, participate in discourse, you can do it all!
Schedule:
9:00-9:30- Meeting in the cafeteria for all caregivers. Everyone should enter through the doors by the cafeteria
9:30-11:00- Families can go to classrooms. If you have more than one child, switch classrooms at your own discretion.
Everyone must exit at 11:00 so we can start the lunch shifts. Due to space capacity, we are not able to accomodate siblings that do not attend BE.
Multicultural Day November 19th-Volunteers Needed!
BE will host our annual Multicultural Day featuring a Parent Social, Parade of Flags and Classroom presentations.
Schedule/Location:
8:45 – 9:15 AM Parent Coffee Social (Playground)
9:00 – 9:15 AM Parent Volunteers Mandatory Check In (Front Office)
9:20 – 9:40 AM Parade of Flags – Students walk through the playground and back through the front doors to “Hello to All the Children of the World” (Can be viewed in person or on Zoom)
9:45 – 10:10 AM 1st Classroom Presentation (Volunteers Only)
10:15 – 10:40 AM 2nd Classroom Presentation (Volunteers Only)
Classroom Presentations – Two Parent Volunteers for each class in each grade to share cultural presentations. Two time slots - 9:45 – 10:10 AM and 10:15 – 10:40 AM
PLEASE SIGN UP BY Friday, November 13!
Volunteers are encouraged to complete the MCPS volunteer training
Parade of Flags Zoom Information
Join Zoom Meeting
https://mcpsmd.zoom.us/j/82398618242?pwd=EFWSn0nutbUaJKaCr2ClMoOGyxf1OD.1
Meeting ID: 823 9861 8242
Passcode: 061508
PORTRAITS ARE NOW ONLINE!
You should have received an email from Freed Photography with a link to your child’s gallery.
If you have not received a link, please contact support@freedphoto.com or (301) 652-5452
Did you know? School photos are a fundraiser for your school!
ParentVUE App Update
A recent update has been made to Parent VUE, and older versions of the app are no longer supported. It is important to upgrade to the latest version that works with your device and uninstall the outdated app. To do this, visit the App Store or Google Play to download or update your ParentVUE app. Parents can view a brief instructional video available on YouTube for assistance.
This Week's Resources
Recap of Family Information Events this Fall
As we come close to the end of the 1st quarter, we wanted to do a recap of the parent engagement/information events we have had so far this year in addition to what is coming soon.
New Family/Kindergarten Orientation
Open House (Sneak A Peek)- Meet your child's teacher and see the classroom
Back to School Night
All About BE NightComing Soon- English Language Arts and Math Virtual Curriculum Night November 4th 6:00-7:30 p.m.
- Open House November 11th 9:00-11:00 a.m.
PTA Roar Report
PTA Updates
Welcome to the 2026-27 school year! The BE PTA is excited for another year of community events, enrichment, classroom support, teacher appreciation, fundraising and family engagement.
Curious about all of the exciting events upcoming this school year? Bookmark the 2026-27 BE PTA Events Calendar here!
❄️⛸️ Glide into Fun at Skate Night -- Sat 11/7, 6:30-8pm ⛸️❄️
Reminder!! Get ready to lace up and hit the ice at our annual Skate Night at Cabin John Ice Rink on Saturday, November 7th from 6:30 to 8:00 pm!!
We’ll be skating, having fun, and maybe even spotting a surprise teacher or two.
The cost to skate is $14 per person, and skate rentals are $8. Only those who skate need to pay. All tickets must be purchased in advance.
Bring your friends and classmates, your energy, and your best skating moves!
**Scholarships are available to cover costs. Please reach out to Mrs. Moreland or Mrs. Robinson if interested.**
Tickets are limited, sign up here:
https://bepta.membershiptoolkit.com/store/22169
Hope to see you on the ice!
Jill Tauber, Skate Night Coordinator
UPLOAD YOUR YEARBOOK PICTURE SUBMISSIONS!
To access the Share Photos link in Pictavo, BE’s new yearbook provider, visit BuyTheYearbook.com and find your school, or enter Bethesda Elementary's school code: 5521132-2701.
Click the purple "Share Photos" button and then click "Upload Photos". Once you select an image to upload from your computer, you're prompted to enter the name(s) of those in the picture.
NOTE - Pictavo is a new yearbook provider. Last year, Bethesda Elementary used Momento. Therefore, the process may look a little different on the Pictavo platform.
Counselor's Corner
COUNSELING DEPARTMENT INFORMATION
Ms Moreland: Grades K, 1, 3, and 5
Ms. Robinson: Grades 2 and 4
Attendance Update
Parents/Caregivers,
Every month this school year I will update families on student attendance. In September we had 9.45% chronic absenteeism. Chronic Absenteeism is when a student is absent from school for any reason for 10% or more of the days that the student is enrolled in school. The reason we focus on attendance at Bethesda Elementary is because Chronic Absenteeism is linked to learning and growing in school. Please take a look at what families can do to have consistent attendance: Attendance Presentation
Every month we hold classroom raffles to recognize students who attend 90% or more of the days in the month.
Additionally, we are displaying trophy posters on classroom doors for the top 5 attendance classes of the month. Congratulations to the following homeroom classes for their excellent attendance in September:
- Ms. Aron, 2nd grade: 99.15%
- Ms. Levine, 4th grade: 98.7%
- Ms. Szarko, 4th grade: 98.67%
- Ms. Dalton, 2nd grade: 98.57%
- Ms. Zanchuck, 3rd grade: 98.52%
Thank you for your support in improving student attendance as we begin year with high attendance.
Counselor Pantry
The BE School Counselors have a Food Pantry which stocks items to provide snacks for our students in need during the school day. If you would like to donate, please see the wish list here for a list of items needed.
Social Emotional Learning Books
Bethesda Elementary has a great selection of Social Emotional Learning books that were donated by parents & the PTA. These books are checked out to families for 1 week. We are looking to enhance our collection. Please consider donating a book from this Wish List so that families can benefit all year long. Thank you in advance for your generosity.
Click here to check out books from the SEL library to use at home for 1 week.
Year- Long Resources:
NEW Absence Reporting System
NEW in 2026-2027: Families are asked to submit absence information directly through ParentVUE. Here are Quick Guide information and video for reference.
Grade-Level Newsletter Links
Back To School Night Presentations
Parent Volunteer Orientation and review of Emergency Response Procedures Resources
Thank you to families to attend the Parent Volunteer Orientation 10/7/26 at Bethesda Elementary. Here are the resources that were shared:
Volunteer Video; Volunteer Slides; Emergency Preparedness. We appreciate our volunteers!
2026-2027 School Code of Conduct
The MCPS Student Code of Conduct has been revised for the 2026–2027 school year. This document outlines expectations for student behavior and the consequences for violating various policies, regulations and rules. The focus is on helping students learn from mistakes, repair harm and rebuild trust.
English | Spanish | French | Chinese | Vietnamese | Amharic | Korean | Portuguese
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/family-resource-center/#healthcareaccess
New Family Virtual Information Night Slides
Below are the slides shared during New Family Orientation Night
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1fnppmPPI2p4q_MnXxL8qwZFws1SIrDL_4L_vBWw2OXE/edit?usp=sharing
Also a reminder that cars may not park on Mooreland circle or Clarendon road to pick up at walkers. Families who are walking only may be picked up on Mooreland Circle. If you are driving, please use the car rider pick-up line.
Parent Square Quick Guide for Parents translations
Parent Volunteer and Safety Training Information
School Volunteer Training: Video; Slides; MCPS Volunteer Information
Safety Training: Emergency Preparedness Quick Guide, Parent Child Reunification form
Inclement Weather and Operating Status
Operating Status Descriptions
This is the full list of systemwide weather-related and operating status options for Montgomery County Public Schools and provides guidelines related to school status and activities during certain emergency conditions and identifies the various levels of personnel. More info about how MCPS Weather Decisions are Made can be found here.
Stay Connected to MCPS
VISIT the MCPS homepage.
CALL 240-740-3000. Staff take calls from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, in English and Spanish (240-740-2845). Visit the AskMCPS website
READ news and information sent via email and text message and on the MCPS News page.
FOLLOW the MCPS social media pages:
x.com/mcps / facebook.com/mcpsmd / instagram.com/mcps_md facebook.com/mcpsespanol / x.com/MCPSEspanol / instagram.com/mcpsenespanolSIGN UP for emails and text alerts and make sure your ParentVue information is up to date.
WATCH the MCPS cable channels Comcast 34 (1071 HD), Verizon 36 or RCN 89
ADDRESS:
Bethesda Elementary7600 Arlington Road, Bethesda MD, 20914
(240) 204-5300
INTERNET/SOCIAL MEDIA:
WEBSITE: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/bethesdaes/
TWITTER: @Bethesda_ES