Back to School Newsletter
New Market Elementary: Home of the Wolves
Message from Administration
Dear NMES Families,
We are looking forward to a fabulous 2023 - 2024 school year at New Market Elementary! Welcome back to our returning families and warm greetings to our new families. This Back to School Newsletter contains important and helpful information to help everyone have a strong start to the new year. Thank you for your support!
As shared in our Summer Newsletter in early June, we closely monitored our enrollment numbers. As a result of lower than anticipated enrollment in Kindergarten, we have made some staffing shifts. These shifts allow us to best meet the needs of our students. See the section "2023 - 2024 NMES Staffing Information" below.
To ensure a smooth school year for you and your child(ren), be sure to read our NMES Parent Handbook. Our Parent Handbook outlines procedures that are helpful for all families. Our Parent Handbook is linked in this newsletter.
We look forward to seeing everyone at our Open House event on August 21! Our front doors will promptly open at 2:30.
Dr. Lockard - Principal
Mrs. McGaha - Assistant Principal
Important Beginning of 2023 - 2024 School Year Dates
- Thursday, August 10: Emails sent to families through Schoology informing classroom teacher assignments (emails will be sent after 4:00pm on this day)
- Thursday, August 17: Teachers return to work
- Monday, August 21: Walking and Wheeling Wolves kick-off event at 2:00 on the blacktop (see details below)
- Monday, August 21: Open House for PK - 5 from 2:30 - 3:30
- Wednesday, August 23: First day of school for students in grades 1 - 5 (Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten students have staggered start days)
- Friday, August 25: PTA Yahoo/Boohoo event at 5 West Cafe from 9:00 - 11:00 (see details below)
- Monday, September 4: Schools closed in observance of Labor Day
- Tuesday, September 5: Primary Back to School Night from 6:00 - 7:30 (parents only - no childcare provided)
- Wednesday, September 6: Intermediate Back to School Night from 6:00 - 7:30 (parents only - no childcare provided)
- Monday, September 18: Picture Day
Walking and Wheeling Wolves
NMES Students & Families:
We are excited to kick-off our new Walking & Wheeling Wolves program - a collaboration between NMES, the PTA, and the New Market Green Team. This program encourages students to walk and wheel to and from school through regular programming, participant recognition, and special events.
We invite everyone to our kick-off event on August 21, 2023, at 2:00-3:30pm on the black top and playground area of New Market Elementary School. This will be in conjunction with NMES Open House so be sure to stop by and pick up participation information and visit with the community partners in attendance.
Here are some helpful tips for our event:
- Practice your path! We are encouraging all NMES families to practice their walking or wheeling routes to school for Open House. This is a great opportunity to time out your morning commute before the first day of school. Plus, NMES students can earn up to 2 BINGO squares before school starts! At our kick-off event you can pick up a map of routes to school and learn about easy Park & Walk locations to reduce traffic.
- Bring your helmet! Safe Kids Frederick County will be on site to provide information on correct wear and assess fit of your helmet.
- Arrive early! The W&W Wolves Kick-off event starts 30 minutes prior to Open House. The first 20 NMES students to attend can pick out a FREE hat or a FREE umbrella as a thank you for attending!
- Dress for the weather! It will be hot, so be sure to dress for the weather and bring water. To help all our NMES families stay hydrated we will have complimentary strawberry lemonade from Prospect Pantry!
- Pick up your participation packet! Stop by the PTA and Green Team table to pick up your starter pack for Walking & Wheeling Wolves. NMES students will get a reusable bag, pedestrian/bicycle maps and route descriptions, and a BINGO card.
- Visit with our Community Partners! Be sure to visit the different tables of our partners for this event. They will have extra goodies and great information including safety tips for our NMES students.
- RSVP to our event on Facebook! We will be providing more updates on our event through our New Market Elementary PTA Facebook page. Be sure to follow along!
We can't wait to see you at our kick-off event and get started on a great year!
Click HERE to view the flyer.
Walking and Wheeling Wolves Kick-Off Event
Join the PTA on the blacktop at 2:00pm - 3:30pm for the Walking and Wheeling Wolves kick-off event! The PTA and community partners will share information about pedestrian and bicycle safety as well as give away goodies. Be sure to join us!
Monday, Aug 21, 2023, 02:00 PM
93 West Main Street, New Market, MD, USA
Bus Rider Information
The FCPS Department of Transportation is providing the following information to families in preparation for students who are routed for a bus:
- Read the information about FCPS Bus Transportation: https://www.fcps.org/transportation
- Click on "Bus Stop Information" on the right hand side of this webpage: https://www.fcps.org/transportation
- Bus Stop information will be available to families on Saturday, August 12. Initial information will be available.
- If your child will be riding a bus, view the following bus safety with them and review our NMES Bus rules (linked in this newsletter) to ensure a safe and enjoyable bus ride to and from school: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krjV77DsOHo
Cafeteria Information
Visit the FCPS Food and Nutrition Services website for helpful information: https://www.fcpsnutrition.com/
For elementary students, the 2023 - 2024 prices are:
- Breakfast $1.60
- Lunch $2.65
Breakfast and lunch are free to students who qualify for free and reduced meals. The application to apply for free and reduced meals is included above.
Milk purchased a la carte (not as part of a meal) will cost $.60.
PTA Information
Jane Monier - PTA President
Claire Cawthon - PTA Vice-President
Kim Bicknell - PTA Secretary
Jessica Smith - PTA Treasurer
Link to the NMES PTA website: https://newmarketpta.memberhub.com/
Be on the look-out for information from our wonderful PTA at the start of the year!
PTA Yahoo/Boohoo
All NMES parents are invited to attend! Val and Chris Vinson, NMES parents and of Val and Chris Homes, are sponsoring this fun event. Come and meet other NMES parents and enjoy some coffee. See you there!
Friday, Aug 25, 2023, 09:00 AM
5 West Cafe, West Main Street, New Market, MD, USA
Personal Electronic Device Guidelines
Students may only use their electronic devices (including cell phones and smart watches) before or after school in a non-disruptive manner. They must be silenced and stored (out of sight) for the entire school day, except for approved instructional or medical use.
2023 - 2024 NMES Staffing
We are pleased to share that we are fully staffed for the upcoming school year!
- Pre-Kindergarten: Mrs. Vogel
- Kindergarten: Mrs. Heller, Mrs. White, Mrs. DeVan
- First Grade: Mrs. Kocher, Mrs. Lethbridge, Mrs. Bender, Mrs. Dwyer
- Second Grade: Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Ruch, Mrs. Shuman
- Third Grade: Ms. Goldstein, Mrs. Rawlett, Mrs. Imboden, Mrs. Schaffer
- Fourth Grade: Mrs. Woozley, Mrs. Henry, Mrs. Kueberth, Ms. Johnson
- Fifth Grade: Ms. Cooley, Mrs. Hardy, Mrs. Trakas, Mrs. Noffsinger
- Front Office: Dr. Lockard, Mrs. McGaha, Ms. Wilks, Ms. Main
- Custodians: Mr. Frazier, Ms. Abarca, Mr. Cromwell, Mr. Horner, Ms. Martin
- Guidance: Mrs. Carl and Mrs. Blake
- Specials: Mrs. Ewen, Mrs. Reynolds, Mrs. Anspach, Mrs. D'Onofrio, Mrs. Woods, Mr. Simpson, Mrs. Siderius
- Special Education: Mrs. Matthews, Mrs. Vidt, Mr. Bannister, Mrs. Schwartzman
- Special Education Instructional Assistants: Mrs. Reifer, Mrs. Harris, Mr. Farley, Mrs. Bonenberger, Mrs. Myers, Mrs. Johnson
- Instructional Assistants: Mrs. Coccia (PK), Mrs. Thurston, Mrs. Noblick
- Specialists/Intervention Team: Mrs. Tortolani, Mr. Purgason, Mrs. Knight, Mrs. Evich, Mrs. McCullough
- User Support Specialist: Ms. Esslinger
- Resident Substitute: Mrs. Ragan
- Instrumental Music: Mr. Hinkley and Mr. Berry
Staffing News:
- Mrs. Hortie, special education teacher, accepted a Teacher Specialist position with the Department of Special Education. Join us in wishing her all the best!
- Mr. Lindsay Bannister joins us as a special education teacher. Join us in welcoming Mr. Bannister!
Volunteering at NMES
We encourage and welcome volunteers at NMES! Please consider volunteering your time to support our school. During Back to School Night events, teachers will have Volunteer Sign-Up information. To be a volunteer in any FCPS school, you must register as a volunteer and complete the online training. Click HERE to be taken the FCPS website to register and complete the training. Thank you and we look forward to seeing you at NMES!
New Faces at NMES: Mr. Simpson
Mr. Brice Simpson (part-time music teacher): "I hold my undergraduate degrees in Music Education and Horn Performance, as well as a Master of Arts in Teaching from Frostburg State University. I am a horn/trumpet player who is passionate about all things music, and the value of arts education. Aside from music, I love to play tabletop games, exercise, and spend time outdoors. I am eager to team up with Mrs. Woods to teach music at New Market Elementary School!"
New Faces at NMES: Mrs. McCullough
Mrs. Erin McCullough (part-time Intervention Teacher): "Hello, I am Erin McCullough and I will be joining the New Market Elementary team this year as a math intervention teacher. This will be my 23rd year with FCPS during which I have served as a classroom teacher in second and fourth grades, intervention teacher, and math specialist, at both Lincoln Elementary and most recently Valley Elementary. I am a Frederick County native and attended New Market Middle School on my path through the Linganore feeder pattern so this area is close to my heart and has contributed to my success. I look forward to giving back to the New Market community in my role as an intervention teacher in which I can use my professional learning in math content to collaborate with staff and provide students specialized instruction tailored to meet individual needs.
My husband and I chose to settle down in Adamstown, giving us the chance to stay in Frederick County while making his commute to Northern Virginia a bit easier. We have two teenage boys who both attend Tuscarora High School and are competitive swimmers. We are very proud of the boys for their commitment to academics and their sport which takes a great deal of time, including 5 AM practices several times a week. On weekends when we are not at a meet, we enjoy getting some time to relax and spend some down time together. I am excited about getting to know the New Market students, staff, and families this school year!"
New Faces at NMES: Mrs. Noblick
Mrs. Kelly Noblick (Instructional Assistant): "Hello New Market Elementary School! My name is Kelly Noblick and I am so excited to be starting as the new Instructional Assistant at NMES. Last year I was privileged to be a substitute for FCPS, and I found myself completely drawn to accepting any position at NMES for a large part of the school year. It will be fun to walk back in and see familiar faces, meet new ones, and be part of this amazing team. The last four years I have worked at a local preschool teaching a two-year-old class. I am a graduate of Salisbury University and worked for Wells Fargo for 10 years before staying at home with my two children. I am looking forward to instructing and supporting the students and staff at NMES in my new position. I have a daughter (just graduated from NMMS) and son (just graduated from NMES), so we will be spread out between these 3 wonderful Linganore schools. My amazing husband works for the Frederick Sherriff’s Office. I love to spend my free time supporting my daughter at cheer and cross country and my son at travel baseball. I serve at my local church and love spending time relaxing at the beach and camping with family and friends. I am delighted to be part of the NMES team, and I am looking forward to a great year ahead!"
New Faces at NMES: Ms. Foster
Ms. Laura Foster (Multilingual Education Teacher):"I am entering my sixteenth year as a professional educator. I am excited be serving our Multilingual Education students (previously known as EL students) at New Market Elementary! I specialize in individual and small group instruction and have a passion for highlighting and celebrating my students’ unique differences in cultural backgrounds. When I am not at school, I enjoy spending time with my three children, reading, and trying new recipes!"
Note: Mrs. Johnson (SEIA) and Mr. Bannister (Special Education Teacher) are also new to NMES. We will feature these two staff members in an upcoming newsletter.
School Safety Drill Information
The safety of our students and staff is top priority. During the first couple of weeks of school, we plan to practice the safety drills required by Senate Bill 1265, the Safe to Learn Act. Establishing protocols for the required safety drills is important to do at the beginning of the year. We will practice the following safety drills in an appropriate way with our students:
- Fire Drill (We are required to complete eight fire drills with three being completed within the first 45 days of school.)
- Lockdown
- Evacuation
- Reverse Evacuation
- Severe Weather
- Drop, Cover and Hold
- Shelter in Place
- Active Assailant (Avoid, Deny, Defend)
The beginning of the school year involves learning routines and expectations so it makes sense to practice our safety drills during this time of establishing school and classroom routines.
New Market Elementary
Email: Steven.Lockard@fcps.org
Website: https://edu.fcps.org/nmes/
Location: 93 West Main Street, New Market, MD, USA
Phone: 240-236-1300