CMS Weekly Newsletter Vol. 1

Dear Gaithersburg Elementary School Families,

Welcome to the 2026-2027 school year! I hope you and your family have enjoyed a wonderful summer filled with rest, fun, and time together. As we prepare for another exciting year at Gaithersburg Elementary, I want you to know how excited our entire staff is to welcome our students back to school.

At GES, we remain committed to providing every student with a safe, supportive, and engaging learning environment where they can grow academically, socially, and emotionally. We look forward to partnering with you throughout the year to help every student reach their full potential.

I would also like to invite all our new incoming kindergarten to Transition Day on Monday, Aug 24, from 8:55-3:25. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to:

• 👋 Meet their teachers
• 🏫 Explore the building
• 😊 Make friends
• 📚 Begin the school year with excitement and confidence

We look forward to seeing many of you there! Thank you for entrusting us with your children. Together, we will make this an outstanding school year. Welcome back, and let's make it a great year at Gaithersburg Elementary School!

Sincerely,

Your GES Community School Team

Claudia, Brandi, Sylvia, Michael, Matthew

📅 Back to School Fair: Saturday, August 22, 2026

📅Transition Day: Monday, August 24, 2026

📅First Day of School: Tuesday, August 25, 2026

📅Community Cafe: Friday, September 4, 2026

📆Labor Day Holiday (No School): Monday, September 7, 2026

📅 Family Market: Monday, September, 14, 2026

📆1/2 Day for Planning/Grading: Friday, September 18, 2026

📆Non-Instructional Day (No School): Monday, September, 21, 2026

Instructions for Parents/Guardians Only

A ParentVUE account is needed to access and complete the Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect training. If you have already activated your ParentVUE account, refer to the support guide linked above and follow the steps below:

1. Login to: https://md-mcps-psv.edupoint.com/PXP2_Login_Parent.aspx
2. Go to the “Parent Resources” tab
3. Navigate to “myMCPS Classroom”
4. Click on the “Resources” folder
5. Click the link for “Volunteer Training”
6. Enroll, go to, and complete the training course.

If you do not have a ParentVue account, you will need to activate your ParentVUE account in order to access the training, Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect. To activate your ParentVUE account, please contact your child’s school and request a ParentVUE activation letter. This letter has a unique key assigned to you that will allow you to create an account that is linked to all of your children in MCPS.

Need help with ParentVUE? Answers can be found in the ParentVUE Support Guide and on the MCPS Digital Backpack webpage.

Prekindergarten and Head Start Fall Registration Now Open
Prekindergarten and Head Start registration for the 2026–2027 school year is open online. Free prekindergarten is available to income-eligible families with children who will be 3 or 4 years old by Sept. 1, 2026. Parents can apply online or in-person at community locations during March. Families may also visit the Prekindergarten/Head Start office at 4910 Macon Road in Rockville, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
For more information on free programs located in public and private settings, visit the MCPS Prekindergarten/Head Start website or call 240-740-4530.

Translated Guides Available:

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