The Green Valley Gazette
February 27, 2020
Letter From the Principal
Dear GVES Families,
It’s that time of year again! We will begin to hand out packets for Kindergarten registration on Monday, March 16, between the hours of 10:00am and 2:00pm. Children must be 5 years old on or before September 1, 2020. When you come in for a packet, we can confirm the school your child will be attending and then provide you with a packet of information and forms to complete. If you have any questions, please contact Kim Schaub at 240-236-3402. Please bring your child's birth certificate and immunization record, along with proof of residency in the form of a utility bill (electric, water, or gas), tax bill, or a signed lease agreement. We encourage you to register early as current registration numbers affect our staffing.
We are offering special evening hours on the following days::
April 7 - 4:00pm – 7:00pm
April 30 - 4:00pm – 7:00pm
Information from the Health Room:
With Spring right around the corner, we have started thinking about seasonal allergies, asthma, and lice.
Spring is a time when children want to be outside. It is also a time when seasonal allergies can make them feel miserable. Some steps you can take to reduce allergy symptoms are: keep windows closed, wash bedding regularly, have them shower and wash their hair before going to bed and administer medication as recommended/prescribed by your child’s health care provider. Sometimes children who have seasonal allergies also suffer from asthma attacks.
Asthma is an inflammatory condition of the bronchial airways. Control of asthma attacks is very important. Some children take a daily medication to help prevent asthma attacks. Other children have an inhaler they use before exercise or as soon as they experience any of the symptoms of asthma. An inhaler is often indicated for persistent coughing, shortness of breath, chest tightness or wheezing. Controlling asthma and allergies will allow your child to run, play, sleep soundly and do well in school.
Early identification helps with preventing the spread of head lice. Although this is a fairly benign childhood malady and more of an annoyance than a genuine health threat, we need to be vigilant to help prevent the spread of lice. Head lice are an equal opportunity parasite. There is no relation between their presence and a person’s hygiene, socioeconomic status or living condition.
An infestation can result from a brief contact with a host by simply borrowing a comb.
• Head lice are tiny insects that live on the human scalp and hide in the hair.
• Nits are the eggs lice lay on the hair shaft near the scalp. They are difficult to remove from the hair shaft and look like tiny pieces of rice.
• Sharing hats, helmets, combs, brushes, all aid in the spread of lice. Lice do not fly, jump or hop.
• Head lice cause a scalp to itch and when you examine the scalp it is common to find redness particularly around the nape of the neck and behind the ears.
We ask that you routinely check your child’s head. If you find head lice or something you are not sure of please do not hesitate to contact the health room for guidance. We do ask that you properly treat your child with a lice killing shampoo and remove any nits. Please accompany your child to the health room the next morning to be rechecked prior to going to class. Although it is difficult to prevent head lice, with your cooperation, we can minimize the spread of these annoying critters. Enjoy springtime! If you have any questions, please contact your school nurse.
Hearing and Vision Screening will take place on March 5, 2020 and March 6, 2020 for all students in kindergarten, 1st grade and new enterers to Maryland public school system. Maryland State Law mandates this screening. Parents/guardians who have an objection to this screening based on the tenets and/or practice of their church or religion must submit a request for their child to be exempt from screening. All written requests must be submitted to the health room by March 4, 2020. Please make sure if your child wears glasses or contacts that they have them on the screening days. If you have any questions please contact the health room at 240-236-3404.
State Testing Information: Our 5th grade students will participate in MISA (State Science Testing) testing the week of March 23rd. There are four test sessions and each session is about 60 minutes long. The following is the schedule for our testing session. March 23rd and March 24th from 9:15-10:15 and 1:30-2:30. MCAP testing (our new state test) will begin at the end of April for 3rd-5th graders. As we get closer to the testing dates, parents will be informed with more specific information regarding schedules for their child’s class. As we plan the testing schedule, our goal is to minimize the impact of the assessment on regular routines and class times. Our students did their very best last year and we expect to see improvement again this school year. You can help your child do their best on the assessment by ensuring they get a good night sleep the night before, eat a healthy breakfast that morning, and arrive to school on time.
Remember our goal is to teach children the prerequisite skills needed to think analytically, to express their ideas and to solve problems, while instilling honorable character for the 21st century world. This approach supports the growth of well-rounded students, which is evident by the consistent high performance our students achieve on a variety of measures. Our vision statement captures our goals for student achievement best; we are here to nurture life-long learners. Although assessments are important, they are just one measure of achievement. We are fully confident that our teachers have prepared our students to achieve at high levels today and every day and that our students are ready to do their best and nothing less and show giant pride!
FCPS Sponsored Summer Camps: Please take a moment to review the attached documents for opportunities for your child to be involved in Spanish Immersion Camps (2020/2021-Grades 4 and 5) and/or World Languages Camps (2020/2021-Grades 2 and 3).
Dr. Giuseppe Di Monte & Mrs. Hannah Feldman
Magnet Nominations:
Magnet nominations will be accepted at all FCPS elementary schools and at Central Office from January 24-Febuary 28, 2020. Please note that visits to the magnet sites are not available until a student is offered a placement in the program. To better inform your decision-making, please read the Elementary Magnet Program brochure and other literature provided. Anyone desiring additional information may contact FCPS Supervisor of Advanced Academics, Dr. Jessica Reinhard, 301-696-6891.
Magnet Brochure:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Qr7o23rOzYD-ltGr40ZW3lBP2tg6glqG
Magnet Application/Nomination Flyer:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YYwv_E5BtehreYq33ZFhUCCrQeiGxcnz8w8YB06cPsI/edit?usp=sharing
The Great Green Valley Science and Social Studies Fair!
It's not too late for your child to enter a project in the Great Green Valley Science & Social Studies Fair! A simple question about the way something works, or something noticed or observed can turn into an amazing project! Or, pick a topic you are interested in learning more about and do a Social Studies Project! Simply request a yellow project entry form from your child's teacher, or email Ms. Murrill directly at dana.murrill@fcps.org. Send in the form to your child's teacher ASAP, and the approved form will be returned to them shortly after. Completed projects will be due on Wednesday, March 25th and displayed at the fair, right here at GVES, that evening. Display boards will be available beginning Tuesday, March 3rd--please purchase through School Cash Online and pick up at the school store. We can't wait for this amazing event where we will display our learning and learn from each other! Thank you for your participation!
Fifth Grade Celebration
Get Ready to Dance!
GVES PTA DANCE
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28TH at 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Cost is FREE for PTA members or
$3 per child (including siblings) for
non-PTA members.
Snacks & beverages will be available for purchase.
Join us and show off your best dance moves!
A responsible adult is required to stay with their child throughout the dance.
Kids Heart Challenge!
Dear Parents/Guardians,
February is national heart awareness month and we introduced the Kids Heart Challenge(KHC) last week in PE. This fundraiser benefits the American Heart Association (AHA) and is completely voluntary. The fundraiser helps provide money for research and medical expenses for those in need. Not only does the AHA provide thank you gifts to students, it also gives our school credits to US Games to get new equipment. Every student was given the opportunity to take a packet if interested. The KHC packets provide all the information needed for registering online, how to earn thank you gifts and how to use AHA online resources. You may start fundraising immediately, but all funds online or offline must be turned to Mr. Baer in the KHC envelope by Friday March 13th, 2020.This year AHA/KHC teamed up with the Washington Wizards and kids that raise $50 dollars can get a free ticket to select Wizards games. All questions about the Kids Heart Challenge needs to be directed to Mr. Baer preferably by email at clint.baer@fcps.org.
This summer, make camp entertaining AND educational!
Calling ALL Dads, Grandfathers, Uncles, and Father Figures!
We’ve had a great start to our W.A.T.C.H. Dogs Program! The students love having a WATCHDog in the building, however after Winter Break our volunteers have slowed to only one WATCHDog a month. We would love to increase the presence for the remainder of the year. Please email Hannah Feldman at Hannah.feldman@fcps.org to get on the schedule if you are able to volunteer as a WATCHDog. No prior experience necessary!
Upcoming GVES Spirit Nights!
Chuck E Cheese Spirit Night is March 20 - Have fun with friends while earning money for our school!
Jersey Mikes spirit night has been rescheduled. It is now April 14th from 10:00AM - 9:00PM at the Mt. Airy location. Delicious food for a great cause!
Lost Rings Located...
Stay Up To Date
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- Find Out First E-mails - We use the email addresses that you provide us when your student enrolls to send out information. If that email address changes, please notify us so that we can update your information.
- PTA Website - This provides information about upcoming PTA events and activities, membership and volunteer opportunities, current and previous editions of this newsletter, and more. Bookmark it today! http://www.greenvalley.my-pta.org/
- PTA Facebook Page - Stay informed about PTA events, activities, and school information by liking the Green Valley Elementary School PTA Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/GreenValleyESPTA
Join Us!
Upcoming Events...
2/28 - School Dance from 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
3/4 - 2 Hour early dismissal
3/12 - Family Bingo Night; Doors Open at 6:15 PM – Bingo Begins Promptly at 6:45 PM