The Gator Gazette
June, 2023
Can you believe June is here? The 22-23 school year seems to have flown right by us, and though a very full and wonderful year, we just have a couple of weeks of school left. From Town Hall meetings to field day to grade five celebrations, the short month of June provides an opportunity for all of us to finish the year on a positive note. As a staff, we have appreciated every day we've spent with your children, and we thank you for trusting us to care for them academically, socially, and emotionally. We are so very proud of the growth of our students in so many ways this year. We end this year celebrating the gift of each and every child who enters the doors of Greenwood ES.
Warmly,
Mrs. Seidel and Mrs. Sinon
June is Pride Month!
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/10mL9bynXnw8x2WvRBSLiY_v2QxaccFq5Pu-ootRIczU/edit?usp=sharing
Field Day is Coming!
We will be hosting Field Day on Monday, June 5, with a rain date of Tuesday, June 6. This event will only be open to volunteers to ensure adherence to volunteer protocols, since events will be held inside and outside of the building. Please be sure to fulfill the requirements for volunteering by Thursday, June 1, to be able to participate. Though we love your little ones, we do ask that volunteers not bring younger children to the event.
Students are encouraged to wear their class colors (see below) as part of our field day celebration.
We look forward to an opportunity to enjoy some fun on field day!
Are you volunteering for Field Day? Remember to complete Volunteer Training THIS WEEK!
Volunteers
Effective 5/1/23
Given interim advances in COVID-19 prevention and management and the evolving COVID-19 landscape, starting May 1, 2023, COVID-19 vaccination attestation will no longer be mandatory for volunteers. Starting May 1, 2023, COVID-19 vaccination attestation will no longer be part of the onboarding process for new or renewing volunteers. Volunteers will still need to meet all other requirements and screening criteria to support school activities.
Montgomery County Public Schools requires school volunteers and partnership agencies to complete certain compliance measures in order to volunteer within our school district.
Online Recognizing Child Abuse and Neglect Training via their myMCPS Classroom/Canvas account
Background check (dependent upon the type of volunteer service, per the Volunteers regulation and FAQ)
We'd love more shade for field day! Can you help us out?
Do you have a canopy you'd be willing to bring and set up/take down on field day? Please complete this form if you would be willing to set up/take down and allow us to use your canopy on the field. We'd welcome any size canopy (10X10; 10X12), as we are looking to offer shade at different points on the field. At this time, we have three canopies, but we would certainly welcome many more. We appreciate your help!
Staffing Updates
Additionally, we will say farewell to the following staff members who will be leaving MCPS at the end of the school year: Mrs. Elizabeth Kitts-Moasser (Miss Betty), paraeducator, and Mrs. Linda Kosiorowski (Miss Linda), PEP paraeducator. We wish Miss Betty and Miss Linda all the best on their next steps in their journey. Finally, Mrs. Megan Falzarano will be taking an extended leave of absence for the 2023-24 school year, and we will send her off at the end of the year with best wishes as well.
In the August issue of the Gator Gazette, we will share all of the information about the 23-24 Gator staff. In the meantime, we wanted to give you an opportunity to connect with and send best wishes to these wonderful members of our team as they move beyond the hallways of Greenwood Elementary School. How fortunate we've all been to have had them on our Gator team!
Articulation for the 23-24 School Year
As we articulate for the 2023-24 school year from now through August, our goal is to create balanced and equitable classes. Parents and families may share input about their child's learning style as we plan for class groupings using the form linked below. Please note that requests for teachers will not be considered, as students are placed in classes based on their educational profile. Completion of this form is not required, but if you have information to share about your child, we welcome your submission of this form through Friday, June 16, at 4:00pm.
Supply Lists for 23-24 School Year
23-24 Kindergarten Registration
Do you have student who will be coming to Kindergarten for the 23-24 school year? Kindergarten Registration is OPEN! Details can be found at the link below.
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/enroll/kindergarten.aspx
Do you have questions about kindergarten registration for the 23-24 school year? Mrs. Carroll has all of the answers! Reach out to Mrs. Carroll at Sandra_L_Carroll@mcpsmd.org.
PTA Update
Hello Gator Family!
Thank you for all the help, hard work, and donations you have given to the PTA! Because of you, our students and school have had a great year.
We will take a short break for the summer, after our June meeting, and look forward to working with you next school year.
Be safe and have fun!
Sincerely,
Amin Salaam
Greenwood PTA President
Step 1:
DONATIONS OR MEMBERSHIP
https://greenwoodpta.memberhub.com/store
Step 2:
Please also join MemberHub to receive PTA communications:
Interested in Being PTA Vice President or Spirit Wear Coordinator?
The PTA is looking for anyone interested in running for open board seats for the upcoming school year. This is an opportunity to ensure that the PTA continues to serve our students and the school. It's an opportunity to give back.
The open positions are Vice President (Serve out the rest of the current term: 1 year) and Spirit Wear Coordinator.
Please email Kathleenbachiochi@gmail.com if you are interested or have questions about these positions.
School Hours
Student drop off begins at 8:40 a.m., and all students will enter through the front doors of the school. Students who arrive after 9 a.m. will be marked tardy and will miss the start of instruction. Please help us to ensure that every Gator is here and ready for a great day before that 9 a.m. start time!
One final note, please do not leave students unattended on school grounds prior to 8:40 a.m. to ensure the highest level of safety and security for each student.
Student Absences
Please call the front office prior to 9:00 a.m. when a child is absent for any reason. If you call prior to office hours, you may leave a message with your child's name, teacher, and the reason for the absence. You can also send an email to your child's classroom teacher and Mrs. Carroll, our attendance secretary at Sandra_L_Carroll@mcpsmd.org. Upon return, please send a note from home about the absence.
Please help us to maintain health and safety for all by keeping children at home when illness is suspected, when a communicable disease has been diagnosed, or when lice nits have been found. A physician's note is required after five consecutive days of absence.
Absence Policy
- AM absent, if student arrives more than 2 hours late
- PM absent, if student leaves more than 2 hours early
- 1/2 day absence, if students are absent for more 2 hours during the school day
absence
- Full-day absence, if students are present for less than 2 hours of the entire school day
absence
Our school day begins promptly at 9 a.m., and students must be unpacked and ready for instruction. If your child arrives after 9 a.m., please escort your child/children into the building to sign them in.
Arrival and Dismissal
School hours: 9:00 a.m. - 3:25 p.m.
Two-hour delay: 11:00 a.m. - 3:25 p.m. (no recess)
* *Bus routes would shift by two hours* *
On a two-hour delay, doors open at 10:40 a.m.
Early release days: Dismissal is at 12:55 p.m. (no recess)
Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
The school doors open at 8:40 a.m. to welcome our students. Instruction begins promptly at 9:00 a.m.
Students who arrive after 9:00 a.m. will be marked tardy and will need to be signed in by a parent or guardian in the main office. Please do not drop off students at the front door at any time.
Students may eat breakfast in the All-Purpose Room, then head to their classroom to begin instruction at 9 a.m.
Dismissal begins at 3:25 p.m.
Walkers will be dismissed first, followed by car riders.
Students who will be routine car riders will be given a family number card that will need to be displayed in the car window nearest the car loop line. Students will exit to the car loop when their number is called to be reunited with their family vehicle at that time. Please pull up to the end of the walk to maximize the number of cars we can load safely with adult supervision and keep the line moving quickly.
Please remain in your car, as our staff will assist those students who need assistance. Additionally, please know that staff can not buckle children into car seats. Please teach your children how to do so, or please pull forward to do so, to avoid holding up drivers behind you in the loop.
If you need to park to help your child enter the building, please park in the main parking lot, unless you need the ADA Handicap Accessible spaces in the loop. Please use the sidewalks, and please do not cross in front of the cars in the car loop.
Bus riders will be dismissed as the buses arrive.
Please note that changes to dismissal should happen prior to 3:00 pm to ensure there is
enough time for the messages to be relayed to the teachers and dismissal teams. Please
communicate with your child's classroom teacher as well as Ms. Sandra Carroll any changes, however, please be aware that teachers may be not be checking email during instruction. As a result, it is very important for the front office (240-740-3420) to be made aware of any change in dismissal routine by 3 p.m.
Bus Information and Bus Rider Safety
Bus Information
Please contact the Randolph transportation office at 240-740-2608 with questions about bus transportation, routes, and times.
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/transportation
Bus Rider Safety
Please meet students at the bus stop at the end of the day to ensure your child's safe return from school on the bus. If you are not able to meet your child at the stop, please make other arrangements for your child to get from the stop to the home safely.
In the event you or your designee are running late or are otherwise unable to get to the bus
stop, please call the school as soon as possible to have your child held at the school for pick-up. Please call the front office 240-740-3420 before 3 p.m.
We encourage you to review the school bus rules with your child if they are a bus rider so they
are aware of the expectations. Those rules can be found at https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/departments/transportation/rules/a_parents_role.pdf
Please understand that safe student transportation is a joint responsibility. Please remind
your child to look for you before leaving the bus. We look forward to a safe and successful
school year.
Guest Bus Riders
Students may ride only their own bus to and from school. Students are not permitted to
ride to school or to home from school with friends on any other bus.
Breakfast and Lunch
Meal prices:
Breakfast—$1.30
Lunch—$2.55 (Elementary), $2.80 (Middle and High)
Beginning this year, students in Maryland who qualify for reduced-price meals will not be charged for breakfast or lunch meals!
FREE AND REDUCED-PRICE MEAL APPLICATIONS
Apply online NOW so that benefits will be in place when school starts! Families who meet certain federal income standards are eligible for free or reduced price meal benefits. All children use their MCPS ID number at the register so confidentiality is maintained and no child is overtly identified as receiving free or reduced-price meals.
Only one application is needed for all students in a household. A new application must be completed for any family requesting assistance this school year.
**The online application is now open for families to submit applications. www.MySchoolApps.com. **
For more information and How-To videos visit the Food Services website: www.montgomeryschools.org/departments/food-and-nutrition/meal-payments/#FARMS
Breakfast is served from 8:40-8:55 a.m. in the cafeteria.
All students have assigned seats for lunch where seating includes an allergy-free
table. Please be sensitive to student allergies in your child's classroom
and work with the classroom teacher to support any event or activity that
includes food.
Menus and Food Services information:
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/food-and-nutrition/menus/
Low and Unpaid Balance Notification from MCPS Food Services:
The MCPS school nutrition programs provide nutritious meals to children during the school day. In order to serve healthy, high-quality meals to all children, we must make sure we are financially secure. You play a key role in this effort, and are responsible for purchases made by your child in their school cafeteria. As parents/guardians, MCPS wants to ensure that you are notified when student cafeteria accounts are low and/or go into a negative balance. All are expected to pay.
The following efforts will be utilized to ensure that low or unpaid meal balances are addressed by you in collaboration with your school:
- If your student has a low or negative balance, a Cafeteria Account Statement will be sent home weekly to all parents at the elementary level and biweekly at the secondary level.
- When a negative balance exceeds $10, a Connect-Ed message will be sent weekly from the school level and biweekly from the Division of Food and Nutrition Services to you to ensure communication and updates.
- When a negative balances rises to the level of $20 or more, a school administrator, school counselor, pupil personnel worker, or parent community coordinator will contact you by phone to discuss the negative balance and to determine a method of repayment. If a method of repayment is not possible at that time, then the school will work with you to apply for FARMS services.
Central Office support will entail the following:
If your child's growing negative balance is concerning you, your child may be eligible to receive Free or Reduced-Price meals. You may apply online at MySchoolApps.com or complete a Household Application for Free and Reduced-Price Meals, available from your child's school.
MySchoolBucks.com is a service for parents/guardians to make prepayments to your child's cafeteria account for breakfast, lunch, and a la carte meals via the Internet with a credit/debit card. This service is offered as a convenience for interested families.
MENU PLANNING
Our dietitians work diligently to balance many aspects of menu planning — regulations established by the United States Department of Agriculture, food safety, cost, preparation, storage, seasonal availability, Healthy Guidelines for Americans and donated government foods — to provide healthy meals that are acceptable to our customers.
In addition, we collaborate with manufacturers and develop specifications to provide foods that not only taste good, but also are lower in fats and sodium. New products are tested periodically with student groups and, if results are positive, the products are introduced on menus for all students.
Sometimes, foods, such as whole grains, are not particularly acceptable to students, but recognized as highly beneficial and healthy. In these instances we will try different forms of the product, believing that, over time, students will become more accustomed to having these foods as a regular part of their diets.
MCPS menus are planned in cycles during the school year. Different menu items may be offered for a specified period of time and then replaced with new offerings. This allows us to increase the variety of foods offered during the year.
Need to pay for an upcoming field trip? Use School Cash Online Today!
Register for SchoolCash Online today
It’s fast, easy & free
Activate an account today so you will be notified via email and pay for your child(ren)’s school activity fees online. This is NOT an account for cafeteria funds, but rather for field trips and other events with fees.
Why register?
· 24/7 shopping convenience
· Secure, contactless & easy-to-use
· Receive email notifications as new items are available for purchase
· Manage all of your child(ren)’s school activity fees from a single account
· Check your account history at any time
· View & print receipts as needed
· Eliminates the need for your child(ren) to carry cash
How to register
· Go to https://mcpsmd.schoolcashonline.com/ and click Register.
o Enter your first name, last name, email address, and create a password
o Select a security question
o Select Yes to receive email notifications (note that you will not receive any promotional emails)
· You will receive a confirmation via email. Check your Spam folder if you don’t receive it.
· Use your email address and password to log in to your account.
How to add children to your account
· Sign in to SchoolCash Online: https://mcpsmd.schoolcashonline.com/.
· At the top of the page, navigate to My Account.
· From the dropdown menu, select My Students.
· Click to add a child:
o Type your school board name.
o Choose your school from the list.
o Enter your child’s details.
o Click Confirm.
How to make a payment
· Select the item which you would like to purchase & click Add to Cart.
· Once you have finished adding items to your cart, always review the cart.
· Click Continue to make a payment.
Health and Safety
Greenwood Elementary School has a full-time Health Technician, Ms. Carmen Byrum who is licensed as a CNA through Maryland Department of Health. Ms. Colleen Stickell, RN, is our assigned nurse. We will continue following guidance from the CDC, State & local health departments, and MCPS for the upcoming school year. We strongly recommend, if your child has a fever or other COVID-like symptoms, please err on the side of caution and DO NOT send your child to school.
Please see MCPS updates, as of 9/16/22 and 8/25/22, sent to all families:
Cell Phones, Smart Watches and Other Personal Mobile Devices
A personal mobile device (PMD) refers to any non-MCPS-issued device used to send or receive data via voice, video, or text. Mobile phones, e-readers, tablets, personal computers, smart watches, or other devices equipped with microphones, headphones, speakers, and/or cameras are all considered PMDs.
While students may possess PMDs on MCPS property and at MCPS-sponsored activities, they may not turn them on until the end of the school day for independent use; with the following exceptions:
■ Elementary Schools: Allowed before or after the student day; prohibited for instructional use, during lunch and recess periods, and between classes/transitional time.
Students riding to or from school or school-sponsored activities on MCPS or commercially chartered buses may use PMDs, as long as such use does not impact the safe operation of the bus and is compliant with this and other related MCPS regulations.
RESPONSIBLE USE GUIDELINES COG-RA
By using the MCPS network with a PMD or MCPS-owned device, students agree to adhere to the following Student Responsible Use Guidelines:
A. Students will use the MCPS network productively, appropriately, and for school-related purposes and will avoid using any technology resource supplied by either the district, the student, or the student’s family in such a way that would disrupt the activities of other students and staff members.
B. Students will use email and other means of communication (e.g., Twitter, blogs, wikis, podcasting, chat, instant-messaging, discussion boards, virtual learning environments) responsibly.
C. Students will give acknowledgment to others for their ideas and work.
D. Students will keep personal information (including home/mobile phone number, mailing address, and user passwords) and that of others private.
E. Students will report inappropriate use of technology immediately.
F. Students understand that MCPS administrators will use regulations and policies (e.g., MCPS Regulation IGT-RA, User Responsibilities for Computer Systems, Electronic Information, and Network Security) to deem what conduct is inappropriate use, if such conduct is not specified in this regulation.
G. Students understand that all MCPS equipment, the MCPS network, and the student’s MCPS network account are the property of MCPS that must be used for educational purposes only and can be monitored, logged, and archived.
H. Should students violate Board policies or MCPS regulations or rules, students understand that the consequences of their actions could include suspension of computer privileges, disciplinary action (as set forth in the Student Code of Conduct and related regulations), and/or referral to law enforcement.
RESPONSIBILITY/LIABILITY
MCPS will assume no responsibility or liability for loss, theft, or damage to a device or for the unauthorized use of any such PMD.
COG-RA At-a-glance:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eowlLog5Wly9828YtyFwRXF_wySghvAF/view
Please find the policy in its entirety on the MCPS Website:
Bullying and Harassment
Bullying, harassment (including sexual misconduct and sexual harassment), intimidation, hazing, incidents of hate-bias, and concerning issues involving student gender identity are not tolerated in MCPS. We are committed to ensuring our students feel safe, valued, and respected in our schools. Please see the multiple ways you can file a report below.
Dates to Remember
**Wednesdays are College Colors Days, and Fridays are Greenwood Spirit Days!
June, 2023 (PRIDE Month)
Friday, June 2
- Town Hall Meetings (Wear Greenwood spiritwear or colors.)
Monday, June 5
- Field Day
Tuesday, June 6
- Field Day Rain Date
- PTA Meeting, 7 p.m., APR and Zoom
Wednesday, June 7
- Grade Five Field Trip: Main Event
Thursday, June 15
- Grade Five Promotion, 6 p.m., Sherwood High School
Friday, June 16
- Last Day of School for Students, Dismissal at 12:55 p.m.
- Grade 5 Clap Out at 12:45 p.m.
Contact us
Email: Jennifer_A_Seidel@mcpsmd.org
Website: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/greenwoodes/
Location: 3336 Gold Mine Road, Brookeville, MD, USA
Phone: (240) 740-3420
Twitter: @GES_Principal