Dear Flower Valley Community,
The first week of school was AMAZING! I hope your children all had a wonderful time getting to know their teachers, reconnecting with one another, and beginning their learning for the year.
I was fortunate to be able to begin lunch bunches with students this week, and, boy was that fun! We talked all about what students like about school, what they like to do outside of school, how old their parents are (LOL), and all sorts of fun things. I also asked one of my groups of students to choose the background for this week's newsletter, and they chose ice cream. They are hoping that this will inspire their parents to take them out for ice cream this weekend. :) Lunch bunches are a great time for me to get to know our students better in a more relaxed setting. My goal is to be able to have lunch with as many students as possible throughout the year.
Thank you all for your wonderful children! I feel so fortunate to be able to fill our school with such truly magnificent children.
Don't forget there is no school Monday in recognition of Labor Day. I hope you all have a restful weekend and are able to enjoy time with family and friends.
With Firefly Pride!
Dr. Fish
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We love celebrating our staff and students at FVES! One way we do this is through peace tokens and Principal Peace Certificates. Staff give out peace tokens to students who have demonstrated respectful, kind, and peaceful behaviors, and then every Friday 6-8 students per grade level are highlighted for Principal Peace Certificates. This recognition is determined based upon the peace tokens students receive throughout the week. The students who receive Principal Peace Certificates are celebrated on the Friday morning announcements from Dr. Fish and Mrs. Haden. They get to come to the main office for a little treat such as a pencil, eraser, bracelet, etc. It is a very special time for our students. :)
We also recognize staff who demonstrate these qualities via our Golden Marigold Award. The Golden Marigold is described below. This year, we will be including students in the Golden Marigold as well. Our first student Golden Marigold will be celebrated next Friday.
We would like to provide families with information about how we keep everyone safe at Flower Valley! We will be having a safety week October 21-25 when we will be reviewing everything with students through the week. Here are some sample slides that we use to guide discussions with students. In addition to the procedural drills, we do take special care and concern for how we approach emergency drills and understand they may impact students differently. Therefore, we have trained staff available to provide students emotional support, as needed.
The State of Maryland COMAR regulation 13A.02.02.04 requires all public schools to perform emergency drills. The following drills shall be conducted annually with staff and students:
- Fire Drill/ Evacuation (5 per year)
- Directed Evacuation
- Reverse Evacuation
- Bus Evacuation
- Severe Weather Shelter
- Earthquake drills (drop/cover/hold)
- Shelter
- Lockdown (more in depth information provided to staff only)
- Parent/Child Reunification (PCR) (staff only)
More in depth information about each type of drill, including sample scripts can be found in our Parent Handbook.
Back to School Night is Thursday, September 12th from 6:30-8:30PM. We invite you to visit your child’s teacher and learn about the resources available to students and families.
Food trucks will be at Flower Valley starting at 6:00PM, so bring the family to enjoy dinner together.
Resource Fair in the All Purpose Room: 6:30-8:30PM
Preview Grade Level Curriculum Materials
FVES PTA
NAACP Representative & Hispanic Parent Liaisons
Restorative Approaches
Counselor’s Table: No Place for Hate, Sanford Harmony, Peacemakers, Volunteers
Kids After Hours
MCDOT
Preview Community Organizations and Clubs
*Meet Our Parent Community Coordinator (Media Center - Support with ParentVue, School Cash Online, MySchoolBucks, and Other MCPS Forms)
Classroom Visits: 6:45-8:20
We are hoping to create a flexible and community responsive evening for you to get to know your child’s teacher and to learn more about Flower Valley and the resources available to you and your child.
Your child’s teacher will send a sign-up sheet for one of three sessions. All sessions will include the same information.
Classroom Session 1 - 6:45-7:10
Classroom Session 2 - 7:20-7:45
Classroom Session 3 - 7:55-8:20
With school starting, our students may be experiencing an increase of stress due to the instructional and social demands school can bring. Below are a few ways to support their well-being after a long day at school.
7 ways to help your kids decompress
Establish (or reestablish) routines. Giving children structure they can depend on, whether it’s a consistent after-school caregiver, a set homework time each day, or the same story before bed each night can help them understand what to expect, giving them a sense of security.
- Pay special attention to food and sleep. When children are overwhelmed or depleted, they need to refill their reserves with enough sleep each night and a variety of healthy, nutritious foods each day. Parents and caregivers can prioritize these wellness cornerstones for their children.
Listen. Sometimes it’s hard for children to find the words to express their worries. As a loving parent or caregiver, you may want to offer advice to your child, but often the best thing you can do—especially at first—is listen.
- Have fun. Making time to play can help your children (and you!) deal with stressful seasons of life. Spend a few minutes blowing bubbles together after dinner, head to a park on Saturday morning, or put on some upbeat music as you all tidy up before school. Investing a few minutes each day in lighthearted play can help everyone feel more positive overall.
- Practice deep breathing. Breathing deeply helps trigger the body’s relaxation response—the natural antidote to stress. Try “box breathing” with your kids:
Breathe in for a count of four
Hold your breath for a count of four after you inhale
Breathe out for a count of four
Hold for a count of four after you exhale Take care of yourself. Walking, practicing gratitude, doing something for someone else, staying hydrated are just a few ways to take care of yourself.
- Laugh together. Put on a funny movie or a family-friendly comedy album. Humor can help relieve stress.
https://blog.walgreens.com/community-stories/7-ways-to-help-kids-de-stress-and-decompress.html
PTA Sponsored Back to School Picnic and General membership Meeting: September 6th, 5-7:00PM; Membership Meeting at 6:00PM on the Playground
Back to School Night: September 12th, 6:30-8:30PM
Fall Pictures: September 24th
PTA Sponsored Fun Run: TBD
PTA Sponsored Book Fair: October 14th-17th, during School Hours
Math Night: October 17th, 6-7:30PM
Fall Open House: TBD
PTA Sponsored Masquerade Festival: October 26th, 5:30-7:30PM
Fall Festival and Parade: November 1st
Picture Retakes: November 8th
PTA Sponsored Game Night; November 16th; 6:30-8:30PM
Winter Chorus Concert: TBD
Winter IM Concert: January 27th, 7:00PM
Wellness Weeks: TBD
Kindness Week and Party: Week of February 10th (party 2/14)
Yearbook Groups and Candid Pictures: February 19th
PTA Sponsored STEM Night: February 20th, 6:30-8:30PM
Spring Book Fair: March 3rd-7th
Read Across America Week: Week of March 3rd
Reading Night: March 6th, 6-7:30PM
PTA Sponsored Staff vs. Parents Basketball Game and Silent Auction at RHS: March 15th, 4:00-6:00PM
STEM Day: March 21st
PTA Sponsored Mulch Drive (Ends April 5th)
Career Day: April 11th
Spring Individual and Class Pictures: April 28th
International Night: April 28th, 6:00-8:30PM
Field Days: May TBD
PTA Sponsored SAVERS Donation Drive: May 3rd, 9:30-1:00PM
PTA Sponsored Carnival: May 18th, 2-5:00PM
Spring IM Concert: May 19th, 7:00PM
5th Grade Promotion: June 12th (Students arrive at 5:00; program begins at 5:30PM.)
5th Grade Fun Day: June 13th
-PTA Sponsored Back to School Picnic is next Friday, Sept. 6th, from 5:00pm-7:00pm. We will also have a PTA general membership meeting at 6pm. Come join us :)
*Please note- Membership meetings are open to all and childcare and dinner will be provided at all in-person meetings this year starting in October!
PREORDER your pizza for dinner at the picnic by Weds, Sept 4 (We will have a limited amount of pizza to sell at the event, but we will likely sell out).
-It's a new school year & time to renew your annual PTA membership! https://tinyurl.com/JoinFVESpta Key benefit: Updating your info while signing up allows PTA to sponsor an online directory! Gain access with membership. Every person makes a difference, so please contact president@fvespta.org to join in and help. There's no wrong way to PTA! Go to https://fvespta.membershiptoolkit.com/ to learn more or sign yourself up for the Listserv, WhatsApp or our social media.
Flower Valley Elementary School
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