The Green Valley Gazette
December 13, 2018
Dates to Remember
GVE News
Letter from the Principal
Dear Green Valley Community,
Hope this finds you well and that you enjoyed the Thanksgiving break. Since the break we have been quite busy here at GVES in our instructional program as we move through the 2nd quarter of the school year. I am proud of the accomplishments of all of our students. As the calendar year comes to a close, it is a great time for all of us to celebrate the growth we see in our children.
Recently we celebrated our outstanding results from Race for Education. With the leadership of the PTA, close to $40,000 was raised to support many facets of the instructional program. Thank you for your support!
We also celebrated our students at our Quarterly PBIS assemblies. Congratulations to students who were recognized with special awards. Kudos to our GVES chorus. They put on an amazing show on December 11, 2018. Please join me in congratulating the students and Mrs. Deavers for excellence in our choral program! More congratulations go to our honors band students. These students have been selected to perform with other honors band students throughout FCPS: Sophia Kling-Flute and Zander Rosales-Trombone. A final congratulations to Brynn Gorman who was nominated for the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Award.
In the next few sections, I would like to share with you some important guidelines and expectations for car safety at GVES. These guidelines and expectations are shared in an effort to improve our processes and help our entire community be aware of expectations during the arrival and dismissal process. I want to thank you in advance for reviewing each of these and employing them when using our car rider line. Remember that the safety of our children is everyone’s responsibility and a top priority for us.
I appreciate your time and attention to all of the safety information posted. I value your partnership and willingness to join us in doing everything we can to enhance student learning. With that being said, I want to take a moment to wish you and your family a very happy holiday season. I hope that your winter break is full of rest, relaxation, and fun times with family and friends.
Yours in teaching and learning,
Giuseppe
Dr. Giuseppe Di Monte
Principal
General Arrival/ Dismissal Guidelines
- No students shall be left at school prior to 8:30 AM without a staff member present.
- Students arriving at school via private vehicle prior to 9:00 AM will be dropped off at the back of the school by the sidewalk. Staff members will be stationed at the back sidewalk to receive arriving students from 8:30AM - 9:00AM.
- Private vehicles will not be allowed to park in the back lot between 9:05 AM – 4:00 PM because students will be using that area for recess and PE.
Car Rider Drop Off In The Back Lot
Safety is the first priority when using the back lot for drop off. The following expectations are in place to ensure of that.
- All students who are being dropped off must stay in their car and exit onto the side walk.
- If your child is walking in from the middle area where cars are parked, AN ADULT MUST BE WITH HIM/HER.
- If you need more time to settle your child or to gather his or her belongings, please park in the middle area of the parking lot.
- Please be patient as you are waiting in the line. DO NOT DRIVE AROUND THE OTHER CARS. If you cannot wait, then have your child ride the bus.
- Remember that the safety of the children is our TOP PRIORITY.
Car Rider Dismissal
- Parents who are picking students up will remain in their cars and make a loop around the back playground to the front stop.
- Students will be escorted to their vehicle by a staff member.
- Your child will need to enter the car on the right side and quickly be seated and buckled.
- In order to ensure the safety of all children and maintain security, there must be a car rider pass displayed on your visor in the front window of the car for a student to be released.
- Car rider passes can be obtained by completing the Car Rider Pass form available in the front office.
- If your child is a car rider frequently, please complete the form to request a car rider pass.
- If your child is rarely a car rider, please call the front office on the day you need your child to be picked up and we will create a car rider pass for your child. As a courtesy and to ensure proper dismissal we ask that you give us a call before 3:15pm.
Finally, when parking out front, please remember to use the designated cross walk area in the front of the school when you are walking from the parking lot to the school during the arrival or dismissal process.
Appropriate Child Restraint Requirements
Recently we had a police officer visit our school to do random checks for car seats. This is simply routine and used to better educate communities on the importance of proper safety restraint in vehicles for children and adults. This can occur at any time throughout the school year. Here is some information for your review:
Recommendation: All children under the age of 13 should ride in the back seat for safety. Never place a rear-facing car seat in the front seat with an active air bag.
Booster seats (typically for children under 4' 9") -- a booster seat correctly positions the seat belt by “boosting” the child so the lap and shoulder belt fit properly. The lap belt should be low and tight across the hips and the shoulder belt should fit cross the chest and not rest against the neck or face. Proper belt fit is very important. Booster seats can have high back (for use in vehicles with no head restraint) or no back/backless (for use in vehicles with head restraints).
Lap/Shoulder Belts (for adults and older children) – A lap/shoulder belt is a seat belt secured to the framework of a seat or car and fastening across the lap and shoulder of a driver.
Looking for Holiday Gift Ideas for GVE Teachers?
Save the Date - Spirit Night at Skate Frederick - March 24th!
Volunteer or Chaperone Info on the PTA Website
As a reminder, anyone volunteering or chaperoning will be required to take the volunteer training and return the required paperwork.
Please log onto the PTA website and click on the volunteer tab. You will then find three links that include the training information and paperwork that is needed. PTAVolunteer
If you have any questions regarding this process, please contact:
gveptavolunteercoordinator@yahoo.com
Stay Up-to-Date
Here are ways to ensure you're getting the latest news and updates from GVE:
- Find Out First E-mails - There has been a change with the way you sign up for "Find Out First" messages. We use the email addresses that you provide us when your student enrolls. If that email address changes, please notify us so that we can update your information.
- PTA Website - The GVE PTA has created a new website for parents and caregivers! The website, which is updated frequently, 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
FCPS and Community News
A Message from Student Services Department: Attending a School Outside Your Attendance Area
Dates for applying to attend a school outside the usual attendance area are January 2nd - March 1st*.
FCPS will post the out-of-district application online on January 2nd in the section For Families and Students at www.fcps.org. Those needing assistance may call 240-236-2493 after January 2nd. Schools projected to be over capacity in the coming school year are closed to out-of-district students. FCPS will post the list of restricted schools online in December. For details, please see the updated Assignment and Transfer of Students Regulation 400-15.
*In the prior version of the regulation in place last year, the application window was April 1st - May 31st. In 2019, FCPS will post applications January 2nd, due by March 1st.
Gift Wrapping Fundraiser for Urbana High School
When: Thursday, Dec. 20th from 5-8pm
Where: Urbana High School Auditorium
Cost: Free, but donations are welcome. All proceeds go to Four Diamonds (Penn State Children's Hospital for Pediatric Cancer Patients)
**There will be crafts and other kids activities**
If You Shop on Amazon, Shop through AmazonSmile
If you shop on Amazon, might as well do it where it benefits GVE! Shopping on AmazonSmile is just the same as shopping on Amazon! The only difference is when you shop on AmazonSmile, Amazon will donate a certain percentage of your eligible purchases to GVE PTA. It's simple and at no cost to you.
Simply go to smile.amazon.com and select "Green Valley Elementary School PTA" and Amazon will donate a small percentage to our PTA from eligible purchases. Add a bookmark to smile.amazon.com to make it even easier to return and start your shopping at AmazonSmile. Please help raise funds for our school PTA when you shop this season!