MoES Parent Newsletter
August-October 2021
Gator Families
Our teachers, support staff, custodians, front office, health room, bus drivers, cafeteria staff, and instructional leaders continue to do a phenomenal job creating warm and welcoming learning environments for our most precious gifts, our students. I am amazed by the staff's ongoing commitment, work ethic, and drive to do what is best by each and every student.
We are One Team One Goal. An instrumental part of this team is you! We need you and your support throughout the year to make this the BEST year possible for each and every student. It isn't always going to be easy, there will be roadblocks in our way, but together we will accomplish our goals by helping each child reach their maximum potential.
I appreciate your, respect you, and we are in this together.
Sincerly,
Troy Barnes
240-236-1371
MoES Coin Drive
Our MoES Coin Drive kicked off August 19th and will run through August 31st. Please donate what you can: loose change, bills, checks made out to Monocacy Elementary School. The money collected during this timeframe will help to support our school Positive Reinforcement system providing field trips, assemblies, and incentives to our wonderful Gators. It will also provide a means to continue purchasing school supplies throughout the school year.
Top 3 classes will earn the choice of:
*Pizza Party
*Ice Cream Party
*Extra Recess with Mrs. Roche and Mr. Barnes
Thank you for your Support!
Calendar of Events
August
August 25th: PTA Restaurant Night @ ChipotleAugust 19th - August 31st: MoES Coin Drive
September
September 1st 6:00pm in MoES Media Center: PTA Meeting
September 3rd 9:30am Band Recruitment Show for 4th and 5th Graders
September 6th: No School
September 7th: No School
September 9th: 2:30 - 3:15 Virtual NED Show Assembly
September 16th: No School
September 20th: PTA Green Envelope Kick Off
September 23rd: 2 Hour Early Dismissal (1:30pm)
September 24th: 3.5 Hour Early Dismissal (12:00pm)
September 28th: Picture Day
October
October 1st: PTA Movie Night @ 7:00pm
October 8th: PTA Movie Night Rain Date
October 12th: 4 Hours Late (12:30pm): Parent Conferences
October 13th: 4 Hours Late (12:30pm): Parent Conferences
October 14th: 3.5 Hour Early Dismissal (12:00pm): Parent Conferences
October 15th: No School
October 25th: End of Quarter 1
October 26th: No School
October 29th: PTA Fall Festival
Maintaining the Health and Safety of the Entire School Community
FCPS has provided clear guidance to administrators regarding COVID-19 mitigation strategies. This guidance is found in the Administrator Handbook and is updated regularly based on current recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Maryland Department of Health (MDH), and the Frederick County Health Department (FCHD). The guidance document addresses universal and correct wearing of masks, physical distancing, handwashing and respiratory etiquette, cleaning and maintaining healthy facilities, and contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantine.
Health and Safety Strategies
After reviewing the guidance from CDC, AAP, the Maryland Department of Health, and working in close collaboration with the officials from the Frederick County Health Department, FCPS will be requiring face coverings for all students and staff inside our school buildings. This requirement allows us to support two priorities:
Preserve in-person instruction for our students
Prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our schools and community
Masks will be made available to those students and staff who need them (including on buses).
The safety of students and staff are the first priority for FCPS. As indicated by the CDC, daily cleaning and disinfecting of school buildings should be sufficient to remove potential viruses that may be on surfaces. Custodial teams will place special emphasis on frequently-touched surfaces in their daily cleaning and disinfecting protocols. Examples of high-touch surfaces include: pens, counters, tables, doorknobs, handles, stair rails, elevator buttons, desks, keyboards, phones, toilets, faucets, and sinks. If a school has had a sick person or someone who tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 24 hours, the spaces they occupied will be cleaned and disinfected. To facilitate effective disinfecting, each school has been provided an electrostatic backpack sprayer, and each secondary school will also receive one misting machine to facilitate the disinfecting in large areas, including physical education and athletic spaces. FCPS Custodial Services Office will ensure adequate provision and distribution of cleaning supplies, EPA approved disinfectants, and microfiber cloths.
Ventilation
Maintenance has modified the ventilation schedules such that the occupied mode begins two hours prior to staff arrival and continues through the end of the school day. Staff may not open doors and windows due to security and health concerns. Maintenance procured and installed upgraded filter media (i.e., MERV-13) in air-handling equipment, where existing air-handling equipment will accommodate such media, as recommended by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers in response to COVID-19.
Hand Hygiene
Good hand hygiene— regular handwashing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or using an alcohol based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not readily available—reduces the spread of germs that can cause illness, especially if done at key times throughout the day. FCPS installed an additional 1,800 dispensers to extend the current installation of alcohol-based hand sanitizer to every classroom, and hand soap is readily available at sinks throughout each school. Hand washing is still the preferred method of cleaning hands, but hand sanitizer is available for when hand washing is not possible. Proper hand washing and hand sanitizer usage will be reinforced by staff with students, and time will be built into the day for washing hands.
While FCPS will begin the 2021/2022 school year fully operational with all student access, both adults and students will be required to wear face coverings while indoors in order to support the health and wellbeing of every school community member. The Superintendent will periodically review health metrics to determine when and if this requirement can be relaxed.
Safely Transporting FCPS Students
With the return of all students to five day a week instruction, physical distancing is not an option for school buses. Therefore, traditional bus routing and student load counts will be utilized. However, there are several protocols that will be implemented to promote safety for the students and the drivers. Students must wear face coverings at all times when on a school bus, and drivers and assistants are required to wear face coverings at all times when students are on the bus. Face coverings are also required to be worn by federal order on school buses. FCPS will supply face coverings for students and staff who need them.
Assigned seating will be used to promote clear expectations, support contact tracing, and to reduce student contact. Ventilation will be increased by utilizing the roof hatches and windows. FCPS will continue to monitor local, state, and federal guidelines related to safe transport of students and will modify protocols, if needed. Families will also be encouraged to drive or walk their children to school, if possible, to reduce the number of students on buses. Each driver will be provided a spray bottle filled with an EPA approved disinfectant and cleaning cloths. Bus drivers will clean high touch surfaces on their buses after morning and afternoon routes using the provided cleaning products. Special cleaning emphasis is placed on seats, handles/railing, and window controls. Training and instruction on cleaning protocols has been provided to drivers and ongoing efforts will be monitored by transportation supervisors.
Important Note About Student Information Cards
This communication via Find Out First went out on August 17th from FCPS.
IMPORTANT! Tomorrow, Wednesday, August 18, parents/guardians will receive an email from FCPS NoReply. This email will provide instructions on how to use the secure online portal to provide updated student information for the coming school year. This online process replaces the paper Student Information Cards of the past.
When you receive this important email, please take a few minutes to review and complete the online form as soon as possible.
Sample Email Heading - Be on the lookout for..
From Address: FCPS NoReply-noreplyregistration@powerschool.com
Reply-To Address: FCPS NoReply-noreplyregistration@powerschool.com
Subject: Student Information Form
September Testing
This September students who are currently in 4th and 5th grade will participate in the Fall Session of MCAP. Students will take the test in both Math and English Language Arts.
Testing will take place first thing in the morning and will run from approximately 9:15 to 11:15.
5th Grade Student
Date for TestingSubject AreaTesting Time
September 20
ELA
1 70-minute session
9:15- 11:15
September 21
ELA
1 70-minute session
9:15- 11:15
September 22
Math
2 30-minute sessions
9:15-11:15
4th Grade Students
Date for TestingSubject AreaTesting Time
September 27
ELA
1 70-minute session
9:15- 11:15
September 29
ELA
1 70-minute session
9:15- 11:15
September 30
Math
2 30-minute sessions
9:15-11:15
Breakfast, Lunch, Supper Program, and Free and Reduced Meal Application
We need your help: If you qualify or believe you may qualify PLEASE complete a Free and Reduced Meals Application. This is imperative to our school as we are identified as a Title I school with more than 50% of our students receiving Free and Reduced Meals. In order to continue to be a Title I school receiving funds to lower student-teacher class ratios, provide technology, and other additional instructional supports we need these forms completed and submitted. If you have any questions or need a paper copy (one sent home with letter from me at beginning of the year), please contact Andrea Arnold, our amazing Community Liaison.
The 2021-2022 online meal benefits application is now available! Click the "My School Apps" button fill out the online application.
OR
Complete the 2021-2022 paper meal benefits application application and return it to your child's school or the Food Service Office.
Click a PDF link below to print a paper version
Arrival and Dismissal
Walkers arrive at the back door by the field.
Car Riders are dropped off at the back of the building by the gym. Following the staff directions are crucial to maintaining the safety of those on duty and our students.
Bus Riders are dropped off at the front doors.
The front of the building cannot be used for drop off or pick up between 8:30 - 9:00am and 3:15pm - 4:00pm. This lane is strictly for busses.
FCPS has a shortage of bus drivers and is doing their very best to transport students safely and in a timely manner. Several busses are running behind schedule with their PM pick up and drop off times. Please be patient as we fill these vacancies.
Change of Dismissal: Contact the front office before 3:00pm (240-236-1400).
Car Rider: We are moving as quickly as we can to load your child safely into their car. We begin dismissal at 3:25pm with students reporting to the gym. Cars then begin loading as soon as students arrive to the gym. Pick up is required before 3:55pm. Staggering your arrival time for dismissal will lead to a quicker pick up, less time in traffic, and avoiding a build up on Hayward Road. We have a tremendous number of cars already lined up on Hayward before 3:25pm. Consider arriving at 3:40, 3:45, or 3:50. This will help to eliminate the traffic build up and will provide you with less time waiting in traffic.
Congratulations
Monocacy Elementary School Gators
Email: troy.barnes@fcps.org
Website: https://education.fcps.org/moes/
Location: 7421 Hayward Road, Frederick, MD, USA
Phone: 240-236-1400
Twitter: @MonocacyElem