Cedar Grove Friday Flash
November 20, 2020
Dear Cedar Grove Families,
As the Thanksgiving holiday next week draws near, we would like to express how truly grateful we are for the opportunity to serve you and your children, and we are so thankful for the support from our families and for the amazing teachers and staff that we have here at Cedar Grove. Although the holidays may look different for many this year, we wish you well and hope you enjoy your time with family and loved ones.
Due to the upcoming shortened week, you will not be receiving a newsletter next Friday. You can expect the next newsletter on Friday, December 4.
Mr. Derby and Mrs. German
Cedar Grove Boxed/Canned Food Drive
December is the month of giving. And it is so important to remember families who need our support. What better way to do that than to have one of our famous Cedar Grove Boxed/Canned Food Drives! And we CAN do this safely! Throughout the month of December, we will be accepting donations of any of these items. You can drive by the school and drop them off or you can drop them off when you come pick up your Holds to Go. There will be a container in the front of the school that will be monitored and brought into the building every evening. All of your donations will go to Damascus HELP, which is in dire need of your support. At Cedar Grove, we keep saying "Kindness is Contagious," and we know that our Cedar Grove families live that every day. Thank you for your support and your participation.
IMPORTANT—Complete the Parent Preference Survey by December 3
MCPS hosted a virtual conversation on Thursday, November 12 on the plan for students to return to in-person learning beginning January 2021. If you missed the conversation, you can watch it here. MCPS leaders answered questions about the plan and the parent preference survey.
The Parent Preference Survey launched Wednesday, November 11 and the responses will play a critical part in our planning for the return of students.
IMPORTANT THINGS TO NOTE:
• We will move forward with our return plan only if health metrics are met.
• We understand this is a difficult decision to make given that details on what in-person learning will look like are yet to be determined. We are asking parents/guardians to make a selection now because the number of students who want to return and other information shared through the survey will help inform the design of the in-person instructional model, the number of school buildings we can open, and scheduling. This one-page guide was developed to help parents/guardians determine what works best for their specific family circumstances.
• Our planning also is dependent on staff availability. Staff members have been asked to submit their requests for leave or accommodations based on qualifying health concerns or dependent care needs. Staffing numbers will impact the way we provide in-person instruction and could vary from school to school. For example, your child’s teacher may qualify for an accommodation and may not return to the school building, but will continue to provide instruction virtually. If you opt for your child to return to in-person learning, it is possible that your child may not have that specific teacher in the building.
• On Friday, November 6, we shared that families who select the in-person experience (which still will include some virtual components) can change to the all-virtual model at any time. Families that select the all-virtual option only can change their selection based on availability and unique circumstances.
• The safety of our students and staff is our top priority. All students and staff who are in school buildings will be required to follow our COVID-19 safety protocols. This includes, but is not limited to, the use of face coverings, physical distancing of classroom desks, hand-washing and sanitizing, health screening protocols, and enhancements to Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning systems, where needed.
• Families can expect to receive more information about their school-specific plan and instructional model in January.
• Available seats on school buses will be limited in alignment with safety protocols and we may not be able to provide transportation for all families who request it.
Equity Hubs Open to MCPS Students
The Children’s Opportunity Fund and the Black and Brown Coalition for Educational Equity and Excellence are coordinating low-cost child care and distance learning support for MCPS students at facilities across the county. Priority is given to low-income, kindergarten through Grade 5 students, and students needing additional assistance with virtual learning. Learn more at EquityHubs.org or by telephone at 240-200-4999.
Please Be Sure to Sign Up for ParentVUE!
ParentVUE is the brand new, powerful, single location for all information about how your child is doing in school. ParentVUE is also a new tool we use to stay connected with you.
When you are logged into ParentVUE you can:
See your child’s schedule.
Check your child’s grades (and report card).
Check your child’s assignments.
Send a message to your child’s teacher.
Update your contact information
If you haven’t yet activated your account, please be on the lookout for an email and/or a notification via U.S. mail because soon, we will send you a new activation letter. Once you’ve received your activation letter simply visit www.MCPSParentVUE.org to activate your account. You can also view this ParentVue Overview.
If you have already activated your ParentVUE account, you will not receive a notification because you are already enjoying the benefits of ParentVUE.
If for some reason you do not receive your notification in the coming weeks, please do not hesitate to contact us.
CREATING A NEW SCHOOL SONG! 🎵💚
Good afternoon, Cedar Grove Bears!!
It's hard to believe it is November already, right? This year has brought so many unknowns, as you know, new ways of living, working, and learning in every aspect of our lives, including this great big NEW world of Virtual Learning. Along with it's many challenges, when we take pause and think about all we can be grateful for, there are many....our health, families, friends, colleagues, and community. Specifically for us as a school community, our Cedar Grove family is a meaningful piece of our lives...past, present, and future. Although parted by distance right now, our "Bear" hearts and spirit are together forever!!
In the spirit of feeling thankful, we'd like to create a new Cedar Grove school song! With input from staff and students, this song will be a way to build community and feel connected now and for many years to come!
STUDENTS - We would love YOUR input in our school song. You will find the short School Song Survey here. This is an opportunity for you to provide your ideas about what makes Cedar Grove such a special place. We'd love to hear from you!! Please complete and submit your responses by Wednesday, November 25.
Thanks so very much for taking the time to contribute your ideas!!! I can't wait to see our School Song come together!
Warmly,
Mrs. Cheryl Arellano
Holds to Go at Cedar Grove ES - Updated Information
Our next Holds to Go pick up date is Wednesday, November 18 from 1 - 5 PM. Please remember to call the number in your Friday confirming email, or call the school, when you arrive. We will bring your holds out to you.
There will not be a Holds to Go on Wednesday, November 25.
We will be back in business on Wednesday, December 2. We hope you have a wonderful, safe Thanksgiving Break!
Mrs. Hirschhorn, Media Specialist
Tech Tips and Reminders
From Mrs. Hirschhorn, Media Specialist
Our first week of November may have been short for our students, but we still held our holds to go and we welcomed Mrs Kim back! Please bookmark the November Media Monthly which, as always, is loaded with information for our community, including videos, the November Media Events calendar, and so much more. Although the Media Monthly is shared to anyone with a link, many of the resources are bound to the mcpsmd.net access. This is for proprietary reasons because I share a lot of copyright materials and resources that are limited to educational platforms such as mcpsmd.net. Have a great weekend!
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. Please click on the link below for the November newsletter. The link may also be found on our school website.