Cedar Grove Friday Flash
February 12, 2021
Dear Cedar Grove Families,
As you have likely heard, MCPS will start to bring back small groups of students to schools in specific special education programs beginnng March 1. Additional student groups in kindergarten through third grade are currently scheduled to return to in-person learning and will be phased in beginning March 15. Fourth and fifth grade students will return by April 6. Families who selected virtual-only on the Family Preference Survey will remain virtual. Please take some time to read the MCPS Spring 2021 Recovery Guide, which will provide you with an overview of the district’s plans for virtual and in-person learning experiences; extracurricular activities and athletics; operations, safety and logistics; and more. The guide can be viewed here. We are continuing to develop our model and plan for Cedar Grove students, and we will communicate more specific information within the next few weeks.
We are pleased to share that MCPS is planning a variety of summer programs for elementary, middle and high school students. Programs will be focused on helping students accelerate learning following this unprecedented school year, with a focus on mathematics, literacy and preparing for the next grade level. More information is available here.
As a reminder, students who have not yet completed the Benchmark Interim 2 Assessment will be taking this assessment within the next two weeks. Your child's teacher will provide you with the specific dates for when this will occur. This assessment is the District Level assessment according to the MCPS Evidence of Learning framework that monitors all student progress including instructional strengths and needs. This is not graded nor does it impact your child's report card. It assesses students’ reading and writing progress through the first three units of the Benchmark Advance curriculum. Please provide a quiet place for your child to work and make sure he or she attends the testing sessions. Parents should not assist with any test questions or alter any student responses to maintain fairness, security, and validity of the assessment.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Mr. Derby and Mrs. German
Classroom Monitors Needed!
MCPS is looking for adults to support the supervision of students. If you know any adults with a high school diploma/GED who would be interested in monitoring students at $15.72 per hour, please encourage them to apply to be considered for the position of classroom monitor. Duties include monitoring classrooms of teachers who are providing virtual instruction to students in the building and supporting in-person teachers. Please note that Cedar Grove will need classroom monitors; however, we cannot guarantee where individuals will be assigned. Interested individuals need to apply on:
Student Transfer Application Season Underway
Montgomery County parents/guardians who wish to request a Change of School Assignment (COSA) for their children from their home school may begin the process during the transfer season that began on February 1. All COSA requests must be submitted no later than April 1, 2021. More information is available here.
Bulk Meal Boxes Available for MCPS Families
The Division of Food and Nutrition Services is providing bulk box meals to help accommodate the schedules of working parents and meet the needs of MCPS students. DFNS will distribute boxes on Tuesdays (3 Day Meal Box) & Fridays (4 Day Meal Box) at two designated locations. More information can be
found here.Spirit Days - Still to come!
We hope your children wore white to help create that blizzard at Cedar Grove and wore red yesterday to celebrate the Lunar New Year and Valentine's Day! Our next spirit day will be Friday, February 19 and it is Mustache Day (just hide the Sharpies!). As always, feel free to take pictures of your spirited students and email them to Mrs. Hirschhorn! Remember to check out the February Media Events Calendar as well as our Web calendar to keep you in the loop for the events happening in February!
March Book Madness 2021!
March Book Madness is coming soon! This is an annual celebration of reading that copies the NCAA March Madness -- bracket and everything -- only with books! Students can start "reading" the books by going to Mrs. Hirschhorn's Virtual Media Center. They just need to click on a book cover and listen to the read aloud. And yes, as in past years, we have guest readers! Starting March 1, we will be making online ballots available every Tuesday to vote on a selection of the bracket and narrow down our favorite books for the championship game!
Korean Language and Culture Program
The Korean Language and Culture Program hosted annually by Clarksburg Elementary School will be going virtual this Spring. The program is a free, after-school celebration of Korean language and culture, but is attended by a diverse student population. The program is scheduled to begin on Thursday, March 4 and be held on most Thursdays from 4:00-5:00 p.m. The program is open to students in Grades K-5. To register or learn more about the program, please click on the following link: https://sites.google.com/mcpsmd.net/clarksburgesclubklcp/home.
County Launches Food Access Survey
The Montgomery County Food Council launched a short 8-question COVID-19 Community Food Access survey seeking input from residents to guide Montgomery County food security initiatives in 2021. Residents’ feedback on how the County can best serve our communities and improve food access during and after the COVID-19 pandemic is essential to informing program implementation, policy development, and future funding priorities. The deadline for survey responses is Wednesday, March 17, 2021. Please click here to take the survey.
Holds to Go at Cedar Grove ES - Update
To promote a safe Holds to Go program, the media center has been using a “curbside” distribution system and we appreciate how you have been participating. Just as a reminder:
- If you received an email letting you know that your holds to go are ready for pickup, please come by on Wednesday between 1 and 4 PM.
- Please have your child’s last name clearly printed, with the child's grade, in very large print to show to the staff member as you drive up to the table.
- Once we recognize the student's name, the staff member will place the books on the table for you or your student to pick up.
- Please place your library returns in the box marked "returns" on the table.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may present however, we believe that together, we can maintain a safe environment for everyone while continuing providing this service to our students. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact Mrs. Hirschhorn.
Tech Tips and Reminders
From Mrs. Hirschhorn, Media Specialist
Again, we have a packed month ahead of us full of spirit days, read alouds, and other highlights. To help you, here is the February Media Monthly. As always, I'll be updating it on a regular basis, so please make sure you check back often.
Art, Music, and PE Newsletter
Parents, each month our Arts team will share a newsletter that will provide you with what grade level students are doing in their classes.
Here is the February Art, General Music, Instrumental Music, and PE Newsletter!