The Green Valley Gazette
March 12, 2020
Letter From the Principal
Dear GVES Families,
GVES is planning a Friendship Spirit Week for next week (March 16th - March 20th.) K-2 Students will participate in a lesson on a story called "Ouch" and students in Grades 3-5 will participate in a Friendship Escape Room. The objectives and purposes of these lessons is to help students find ways to demonstrate kindness, accept and celebrate differences, and make a difference for others. We will celebrate Friendship all week. See below for a schedule of how students can further participate with the following spirit days and challenges:
Monday, March 16th - Being Kind is no Sweat - Wear Sweats
Daily Challenge - Sit by someone new today
Tuesday, March 17th - We’re All in This Together - Wear GVE Spirit Wear or Green
Daily Challenge - Give someone a compliment today
Wednesday, March 18th - Friendship Rocks - Dress Like a RockStar
Daily Challenge - Learn Something New About Someone Today
Thursday, March 19th - Dreaming of a Kinder World - Wear PJs
Daily Challenge - Invite Someone New to Play at Recess
Friday, March 20th - Friendship Comes in Many Colors - Wear Your Favorite Color
Daily Challenge - Do Something Nice for a Teacher
AUTISM AWARENESS-Wear Blue on April 2nd.
Here is another opportunity to show school spirit and build awareness! Wear blue on April 2nd to show GVES pride, support of understanding, and acceptance for people with autism.
Kindergarten Registration:
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
Coronavirus COVID-19 Information:
FCPS is committed to the health and safety of our students and staff. We are working closely with the Frederick County Health Department, the Maryland Department of Health, and the Maryland State Department of Education to monitor the status of COVID-19. To keep our community informed on this matter, we post related information and updates online at www.fcps.org/update. You are encouraged to visit the FCPS site for answers to frequently asked questions and information about actions you can take to promote good health. In addition to the FCPS COVID-19 web page, check the following reputable sources to avoid spreading misinformation:
https://health.frederickcountymd.gov/CivicAlerts
http://www.health.maryland.gov/coronavirus
http://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov
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!
Yours in learning,
Dr. Giuseppe Di Monte & Mrs. Hannah Feldman
Kids Heart Challenge!
Remember - all funds online or offline must be turned to Mr. Baer in the KHC envelope by Friday March 13th, 2020. All questions about the Kids Heart Challenge needs to be directed to Mr. Baer preferably by email at clint.baer@fcps.org.
LHS Fashion Club
https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/37991
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 being rescheduled - the new date will be announced soon!
Jersey Mikes Spirit Night is 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
Here are ways to ensure you're getting the latest news and updates from GVES:
- 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...
3/12 - Family Bingo Night; Doors Open at 6:15 PM – Bingo Begins Promptly at 6:45 PM
3/16 - Kindergarten registration begins
3/25 - The Great Science and Social Studies Fair
4/3 - Movie Night! (Movie TBD)