Cedar Grove Friday Flash
December 13, 2019
Dear Cedar Grove Families,
We would like to commend our students in instrumental music and chorus for their excellent performances last Tuesday evening at Clarksburg High School. We truly appreciate the support of our families of the music program here at Cedar Grove. Many thanks to instrumental music teachers John Gillenwater and Ryan Kieft, general music and choral teacher Cheryl Smoker-Arellano, and accompanist Kara Phillips for their hard work and efforts to provide us with a wonderful night of great music.
Parents, please note that interims will be available for viewing on the Parent Portal on December 18, 2019. If you have any difficulty accessing the portal, please contact the main office for assistance.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Mr. Derby and Mrs. German
Breakfast with Santa
Clarksburg High School’s Annual Breakfast with Santa will be held on Saturday, December 14th from 9:00 until 11:00 a.m. in the café. There will be pancakes served, games, crafts, music, face painting, a Holiday Gift Shop and more! The cost is $5.00 for students and seniors, $8.00 for adults, and kids under three eat free. Cash will only be accepted.
Damascus High School Presents A Charlie Brown Christmas
It’s that time of the year again! The Damascus High School (DHS) Drama Club is presenting A Charlie Brown Christmas on Wednesday, December 18th. There will be two separate shows at 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. The program time is 30 minutes, and general admission is $5.00. If you have any questions, please contact Steve Kachadorian at steven_r_kachadorian@mcpsmd.org
Annual MCPS-MCCPTA Mental Health and Wellness Forum
The 3rd Annual MCPS-MCCPTA Mental Health and Wellness Forum will be held Saturday, January 11, at 1:00 until 5:00 p.m. at Wood Middle School, 14615 Bauer Drive, Rockville, MD 20853. All families, secondary students, elementary students (with guardians), teachers, staff, administrators, and community members are welcome.
Please click on the link below for additional information. The online registration form is available at: https://bit.ly/2P0P3iw.
Save the Date for Around the World Night!
Around the World Night will take place on Friday, January 31, 2020. Please click on the link to Register for a table and/or for the fashion show . This form is due to your child's teacher by January 10, 2020. Thank you.
Calling All Scientists!!
Our Science Expo will be coming up on February 26th, and we are looking for anyone who has a science background or works in the field of science that may be interested in acting as a Visiting Scientist during the night of the Science Expo. You would be able to visit with our Young Scientists and talk with them about their projects and provide feedback.
If you are interested, please email Teresa Cornell at Teresa_M_Cornell@mcpsmd.org
Winter Weather: Stay Informed
Winter weather is coming soon. MCPS offers numerous ways for parents to learn about school closures, delayed openings, and early dismissals due to inclement weather.
- AlertMCPS: Subscribe to AlertMCPS
- Receive text messages or emails from MCPS during weather-related emergencies and other major events that impact school system operations. Parents can also sign up to receive alerts specific to their child’s school.
- MCPS homepage: www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org
- MCPS cable channels: Comcast 34, Verizon 36 or RCN 89
- Recorded information: 301-279-3673
- Ask MCPS: 240-740-3000
- Staff takes calls from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Mondays through Fridays, in English and Spanish.
- Twitter: twitter.com/mcps
- Local radio and TV stations
- Please make sure emergency contact information on file at your child’s school is up to date.
Visit www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/emergency/sources.aspx for more information on how to receive MCPS emergency information.
Maryland Report Card
The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) has released the 2019 accountability report card for every school in the state of Maryland. The 2019 Maryland Report Card for Cedar Grove can be found at this link: [https://reportcard.msde.maryland.gov/Graphs/#/ReportCards/ReportCardSchool/1/E/1/15/0703/
The report card for Montgomery County Public Schools can be found here.
The Maryland Report Card is designed to evaluate school success in several ways, measuring state test results in English Language Arts and math; postsecondary readiness; progress of English learners in achieving English language proficiency; graduation rate; and students with access to and earning credit for a well-rounded curriculum.
It is important to note that additional performance indicators have been added to the 2019 Maryland Report Card. For elementary and middle schools, the Academic Progress indicator now includes student performance on the state science tests for Grades 5 and 8. The School Quality and Student Success indicator now includes the results of the Maryland School Survey, a survey of students and educators. In addition, on each Report Card, there is now an indication as to whether a school improved its performance on each indicator, compared to the previous school year.
Below are a few resources to help you understand the Maryland Report Card:
· MCPS Video – Understanding the Maryland Report Card
As Superintendent of Schools Jack Smith shared last year, while the Maryland Report Card does provide important information about our schools, it provides a limited view of the progress of our more than 165,000 students.
To better understand how our schools are serving all of our students, MCPS has developed an Equity Accountability Model that provides a more detailed and focused report of school success. The Equity Accountability Model uses multiple and frequent measures of students’ progress to determine if a school is meeting the needs of ALL students, with a special emphasis on reducing and eliminating disparities in student achievement.
We are in the process of analyzing our Maryland Report Card so we can celebrate our successes and make plans to improve any areas not yet at the desired level. We will keep you updated as more information becomes available.
From Mrs. Hirschhorn, Our Media Specialist
Please click on the link below for this month's Media Monthly. You may also access the Media Monthly on our school website. This will provide you with some great information and available resources.
From Mr. Jansson, Our PE Teacher
Please click on the link below to view Mr. Jansson's monthly PE newsletter!