Welcome Back
We are excited for the 2018-2019 school year!
New Changes at "The Forge"
There are a few staff changes for the upcoming school year. Based on the projected enrollment for the upcoming school year, we will have four homeroom sections in 1st grade and three in kindergarten. As a result, Ms. Thomas has moved from kindergarten to join the 1st grade team. Para-educator, Ms. Gingerich, has accepted a kindergarten teaching position at Stoneleigh Elementary and will not be returning to RFES. We wish her much success in her new school placement. Finally, with Ms. Bowers not returning to RFES, Ms. Lark will now be teaching 3rd grade. Ms. Manley, from Gunpowder Elementary, will join the 5th grade team in her place. While at her former school, Ms. Manley was instrumental in Gunpowder becoming a Green School. Her expertise in environmental awareness and intermediate teaching experience will make her an outstanding addition to an already amazing staff!
This year Rodgers Forge will join the other 45 BCPS elementary schools by offering the Passport Program for Second Language Acquisition. The Passport Program launches conversational Spanish instruction in grade 4 to give students time to graduate proficient in a second language. The Passport approach combines weekly face-to-face instruction for 30 minutes with an online, self-paced program. Passport teachers have traveled, studied, and lived abroad, and bring a wealth of experience to the classroom.
For more information, can click on the link below.
http://www.bcps.org/academics/secondLanguageAcquisition.html
"New" Parent Meet and Greet
Thursday, August 30, 2018
6:00-7:30
Cafeteria
Any parent brand new to RFES is invited to join the administrative team and the PTA for an FAQ session and school tours. Special invitations will be mailed out to our new families!
"Sneak a Peek at Your Seat"
Friday, August 31, 2018
2:30-3:30
Families are invited to visit their children's classrooms, meet the teachers, and pick up school supplies if ordered through 1st Day School Supplies.
Information regarding homeroom assignments and school supplies were sent home with your children in June. The school supply list is also located on the Rodgers Forge website @ http://rodgersforgees.bcps.org
First Day for Students in Grades 1-5
Tuesday, September 4, 2018
School opens for students in grades 1-5 on Tuesday, September 4th. Students may want to show their school spirit by wearing our school colors, which are red and white! Doors open for the children at 8:45 a.m. and school begins at 9:00 a.m. Students will enter the doors by the cafeteria on the right side of the building. There is a grassy area outside of the cafeteria doors where families may wait for the bell to ring before and after school. A drop-off lane on Dumbarton Rd. is also available in the morning if you will be driving your child to school. Please drive through the lane marked with cones to drop-off your child. Bus riders enter through the main entrance. Dismissal begins at 3:30. This new dismissal time reflects the 5 additional minutes added to the school day for all Baltimore County Public Schools.
Gradual Entrance for Kindergarten Students
Baltimore County Public Schools requires every kindergarten student to be assessed using a BCPS Math Assessment and DIBELS Letter Naming and First Sound Fluency subtests. These assessments are designed to determine entering students’ skills and abilities, as well as their needed supports. Each child will be assessed individually on Tuesday, September 4th OR Wednesday, September 5th. During these dates, each student will be assigned a 30 minute assessment session appointment. There will be NO formal kindergarten instruction on these dates. Your child will only visit their kindergarten classroom during their scheduled date and time for assessment purposes. Upon arrival, please check-in with the Kindergarten Assistant, Ms. Dinsmore, in the front lobby for the testing session. It is imperative that you arrive on time for your child’s scheduled assessment appointment.
ALL kindergarten students will attend their first full day on Thursday, September 6th. Kindergarten students should enter through the doors at the far left side of the building by the staff parking lot. The school day begins at 9:00 a.m., however, the kindergarten doors will be open for arrival at 8:45 a.m. Dismissal of all kindergarteners will be at 3:30 p.m. We ask that parents model the safe crossing of Dumbarton Road and Stevenson Lane by using the designated crosswalks. Crossing guards will be on-duty to ensure safety.
"Back to School Night"
Tuesday, September 4, 2018
6:30 pm
Classrooms
Parents are invited to “Back-to-School Night” on Tuesday, September 4th. This is the same night as the 1st day of school. Upon arrival, parents are to report directly to their child’s classroom. The evening will begin at 6:30 p.m. with Volunteer Training. The administration and PTA will share updates for the upcoming school year at 7:00. Following these announcements, teachers at every grade level will present informational sessions. There will be two rotations during the evening to offer parents with multiple children at RFES a chance to meet all teachers and visit each classroom.
Follow Us
We look forward to working together to provide a positive and productive learning experience for all students at Rodgers Forge Elementary. If you have any questions prior to opening day, please call the school office at 410-887-3582.
As we count down to the opening day you can follow us on Facebook and Twitter @missyfanshaw or @RodgersForgeES to be updated on the latest events at school.
Enjoy the remainder of the summer vacation!