The Falcon News

Who’s in the boat?!

Happy Monday, Falcon Family!

Last week was an extremely busy and productive week. With the start of after-school clubs, our FRES Community Forum, PTA General Meeting #1, and Back-to-School Night, our staff did a wonderful job bringing the energy and remaining flexible.

Below, you will find a link to our parent feedback form regarding SY26-27 Back-to-School Night. Please take a few moments to share what you enjoyed and provide suggestions for how we can continue to improve. Your feedback is valuable and will help us make future events even stronger.

SY26-27 Parent Back-to-School Night Feedback

Below, will also find a list of questions and admin responses from our Community Forum. Thank you to all the parents that showed and provided feedback.

Have a wonderful Monday, Falcon Family! Remember, the difference between a good day and a bad day is your attitude. Go Falcons! 🦅

We’re all in the boat!

-Dr. Williams

• Question: Can we have Mr. Leaman (AP) come and speak at the forum?
• Response: He will :be presenting at our next Community Forum (Winter). He was also available to meet families at our Back-to-School Night.
• Question: How can we get communication out in a more timely manner?
• Response: We are bringing back our weekly standing meeting between Dr. Williams and our PTA Board/ Officers. The meeting will be held on Friday mornings. Part of the meeting will consist of reviewing community questions, suggestions, and concerns. The goal is you will have a valuable resource in our PTA to help ensure you are well informed and your concerns are heard.
• Question: Is Open House on October 12th? The Flyer says October 10th.
• Response: Open House is on October 12th. The flyer has been corrected. You can expect a flyer with specific information (times) coming soon.
• Question: Can parents come into the book fair during Open House?
• Response: Yes
• Question: Can ILT consider allowing students to join their parents at our Back-to-school night (moving forward)?
• Response: Dr. Williams will share this feedback with the ILT. We also have a Back-to-School Night Parent feedback form (see below). Feel free to share what you enjoyed most and your suggestions on ways we can improve the event. Thank you in advance for your feedback.
• Question: What are the expectations for School Newsletters?
• Response: A schoolwide newsletter goes out each week. Grade level newsletters are expected to go out weekly as well.
• Question: Can teachers include updates about Science, Social, SEL in their weekly newsletter?
• Response: This request will be shared with our ILT for review.
• Question: Can we add the FRES event schedule to the school website?
• Response: Administration will get with our webmaster to see if we can get it added.

We get it, mornings can be hectic. Alarm clocks don’t cooperate, shoes disappear and sometimes getting everyone out the door deserves its own trophy. But being in school really does matter.

Every day in class is another chance to learn something new, see friends, connect with teachers and keep moving forward. And those “just a day here and there” absences? They can add up fast.

Missing 10% of the school year, 18 days, is considered chronic absenteeism. That’s not good.

MCPS is a great place to be; it’s a place to belong. We want your student here, connected and part of our school community every day.
Need help?

Sleeping in is great. But you know what else feels pretty good? Getting ahead. Saturday School is gearing up for another year of learning, confidence-building and extra academic support for MCPS students. With certified teachers, support aligned with the MCPS curriculum and locations across the county, it’s a Saturday morning well spent.

Opening ceremonies are Saturday, Sept. 19, and registration is coming up—so don’t forget to get your student signed up!

Learn more about Saturday School and register

Here’s one school form that’s worth a few minutes of your time. If your family may qualify for Free and Reduced-Price Meals (FARMS), apply! There’s no stigma, no special lunch line and no reason to hesitate. A student’s eligibility is confidential, and students receiving free meals use the cafeteria just like everyone else.

Best of all, you only need one application for all MCPS students in your household, even if they attend different schools.

It’s quick. It’s confidential. And it could make a real difference for your family. Don’t count yourself out, take a few minutes and see if you qualify.
Apply for FARMS and learn more

As students continue learning with Amplify Desmos Math, families have resources available to help stay connected to what students are learning and support that learning at home.
The Amplify Desmos Math Caregiver Hub provides families with information about the curriculum, what students are learning and simple ways to encourage mathematical thinking outside the classroom. Even asking questions such as, “What did you learn in math today?” “How did you figure that out?” or “How do you know your answer makes sense?” can help students explain their thinking and build confidence.

Remember to visit the Caregiver Hub throughout the year for resources and ideas to support your student’s growth as a confident and capable math learner.

• Visit the Parent Hub in English:
  https://mcpsmd.info/ParentHubEnglish

• Visite el Centro para Padres en español:
  https://mcpsmd.info/ParentHubEspañol

MCPS has updated its Grading & Reporting guidance to provide students and families with clearer, more timely information about assignments, grades and academic progress.
The goal is simple: clear expectations, timely communication and strong academic support so students know what is expected and families have the information they need to help.
See the One-Page Guidance here.

This year, we are implementing a sign in/check out for students that is already being used in secondary schools. This new system is called KioskVUE and will make for an easier and more efficient way of keeping track of a student's attendance.