SHADY GROVE MATTERS WEEKLY UPDATE
November 5, 2023
The Administrator's Corner
Greetings Shady Grove families. It’s officially November, and there is a lot happening! As we enter the time of year where friends and family gather and celebrate the season, we would like to acknowledge Native American and Alaska Native Heritage Month. This month we will have early release days on Monday, November 20th and Tuesday, November 21st. There will be no school for students and staff on Wednesday, November 22 - Friday, November 24 for Thanksgiving break. November is also Remembrance and Reconciliation Month, where students will have the opportunity during their Social Studies class to build a better understanding of Montgomery County’s history in relation to African Americans. Attention all 8th grade families, the deadline for applying to MCPS High School “Lottery” and “Criteria” based special programs has been extended to Wednesday, November 8th . On Thursday, November 9th our 7th grade students will go on a college tour field trip. The evening of Thursday, November 9th all 6th grade families are invited for an Outdoor Education Open House of the Smith Center. We welcome all of our caregivers to join us for our annual Open House which will be held on Friday, November 10th. Veterans Day is Saturday, November 11th and we would like to thank all military Veterans for their service. All students will take part in our annual Turkey Trot during their PE classes on Thursday, November 16th. Shady Grove will hold Parent-Teacher conferences on Monday, November 20th from 1:00 pm - 6:30 pm. Last but certainly not least, please make sure to check out our school fundraiser for the fall which is school spirit wear. A portion of the sales come back to Shady Grove for us to use for various programs and events. That is all for now #TimberwolfNation! Wishing you all a fantastic week!
~Ms. Merino
November - December 2023
November Upcoming Events:
Native American/Alaska Native Month
Wednesday, November 1st - Grading & Planning Day (No School for Students)
Thursday, November 9th - Report Cards Distributed
Monday, November 20th - Early Release Day
Tuesday, November 21st - Early Release Day
Wednesday, November 22nd - Schools and Offices Closed
Thursday, November 23rd - Schools and Office Closed (Holiday)
Friday, November 24th - Schools and Offices Closed (Holiday)
December Upcoming Events:
Tuesday, December 12th - Orchestra Winter Concert (7:00 pm)
Wednesday, December 13th - Band Winter Concert (7:00 pm)
Monday, December 18th - Quarter 2 Interims in ParentVue
Friday, December 22nd - Pep Rally
Monday, December 25 - Holiday (School System Closed)
Tuesday, December 26-Friday, December 29 - Winter Break (No School for Students and Teachers)
January Upcoming Events:
Monday, January 1st - Holiday (School System Closed)
Tuesday, January 2nd - Non-Instructional Day (No School for Students and Teachers)
Fall Fundraiser – School Spirit Wear
Shady Grove Middle School’s fundraiser this fall is a School Spirit Wear sale! The spirit wear online store is officially open and will close on Friday, November 17th.
All items purchased will be delivered directly to Shady Grove for distribution the week of December 18th and right in time for winter break. A portion of each item purchased will come back directly to us here at Shady Grove. We use these funds to support various activities, programs, and events.
So please check out the our school store before it closes and if you have any questions, please feel free to email Ms. Merino.
To All 6th Grade Families:
Please join us Thursday, November 9th at 6:30-7:15pm for a tour of the Smith Center! You will meet Outdoor Education Teachers as well as Shady Grove staff members. You will be able to ask questions and tour the facility. Please contact Emily Matusek, Outdoor Education Coordinator at Shady Grove, if you have any questions. We look forward to seeing you there!
8th Grade Families: HIGH SCHOOL SPECIAL PROGRAM APPLICATIONS
The deadline for applying to MCPS High School “Lottery” and “Criteria” based special programs has been extended. The new deadline is Wednesday, November 8th . Please review the links below for details regarding high school opportunities outside of attending Magruder HS. Applying for these programs does NOT mean you must accept and attend. However, if you don’t apply by this deadline, you will not have the opportunity at later date. Please note that bus transportation is provided to these high school programs.
To view which programs your child qualifies for log into your StudentVue/ParentVue account:
- At the bottom of the left-hand menu, select “Documents”
- The first document on the list is titled High School Program Eligibility Letter
- You will see a letter with your name and address.
- All programs you are eligible to apply for will be listed here!
If you have any questions, please contact:
Ms. Tran – 8th Grade Counselor
Ms. Hendrix – Academic Opportunity Coordinator
ACCESS for ELLs Individual School Reports [ISR]
The 2023 ACCESS for ELLs ISRs are going to be mailed home this upcoming week. ISRs contain scale scores and proficiency levels of the 4 language domains: Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing. Additionally, they contain the scale scores and proficiency levels in the composite categories of Oral Language, Literacy, Comprehension and Overall. Further information for parents including a Parent Guide of the ACCESS for ELL’s Understanding Your Child’s Scores document are found on the MCPS website on the “MCAP” page under the title ‘Parent Guides’: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/mcap/.
MAGRUDER is taking 8th graders to Italy!
Italy - Spring Break - with Dr. Schwinn with EF Tours
TWO SPOTS LEFT!!!!
Details and Sign-up HERE
Now only 2 slots left before wait list is started
Contact Dr. Schwinn with any questions at schwinns@mcpsmd.org
This trip is not sponsored by, or affiliated with, Montgomery County Public Schools.
Montgomery County Career Advisory Program (MoCo CAP)
Dear MCPS Families,
Here is what is happening at MCPS this week. Get information about mental health awareness week, how you can share your insight on the FY 25 Operating Budget tonight and at an upcoming forums, some bright spots this week and more!
GOOD INFORMATION TO KNOW
7:50 am - Building Opens to Students
7:50 - 8:10 am - Breakfast Available
8:15 am - Class Starts
3:00 pm - Dismissal
Shady Grove Middle School
Principal: Dr. Alana Murray
Asst. Principal: Ms. Jennifer Cooper
Asst. Principal: Ms. Elizabeth Merino
Website: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/shadygrovems/
Location: 8100 Midcounty Highway Gaithersburg, MD 20877
Phone: 240-740-1440