Flower Valley Weekly Newsletter
Week of October 30, 2023
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No School for Students November 1st
Our FVES Vision
Dear Flower Valley Community,
Wow! The harvest festivities were so much fun, and we collected a ton of canned goods for those in need. Our students showed their school pride, enjoyed some fun, downtime together, and helped out our community. Thank you to everyone who supported this effort!
I do need to call on the support of our families. We have been seeing many incidents occur during recess, specifically with our students who are playing soccer. I did speak to the students about the concerns and how the behaviors we are seeing are not demonstrating the level of respect and kindness we expect at FVES. I am hopeful we will be able to continue allowing our students to play soccer at recess, but we need your help. If you would please talk to your child (if they play soccer at recess) to remind them that this is a time for fun, not competition, that would be helpful. It would also be helpful to reiterate how important it is to be inclusive of everyone and to just have fun while they are playing soccer. Some of our friends play competitively and know the rules, but not all of our friends know these same rules. They still want to be included in the fun. Even our students who know the rules can get into quite the arguments about soccer when they are at recess. We don't have referees or coaches like at club games, so it is important for students to remember that this is not a competition. Any help you can provide is greatly appreciated.
Finally, this week is Mental Health Awareness Week. We have several activities planned to support student and staff well-being, including a spirit week, mindfulness activities, and a therapy dog visit. Details are below.
Don't forget that there is no school for students Wednesday.
With Firefly Pride!
Dr. Fish
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Table of Contents
Resources Related to Our School Improvement Plan - Well-being
- Well-being
Upcoming Events
- Mental Health Awareness Week
- Parent Conferences
PTA Corner
- PTA Masquerade This Weekend
- Original Works
Information from Previous Newsletters:
- Transportation Information
Need a Chromebook for home?
- School Lunch
- ParentVue
- Health Information
FVES Parent Handbook
Resources Related to Our School Improvement Plan
Well-being
Upcoming FVES Events
Mental Health Awareness Week
FVES Family Open House
We are looking forward to welcoming all family members on this day, including all of our grandparents who may want to visit. Given we will have a large number of family members enjoying this opportunity, we will be developing a sign-up process to help ensure safety and ease traffic congestion throughout the day.
**Our classes will still be holding mystery reader and presenter opportunities for parents throughout the school year. This is also a nice opportunity for parents and grandparents to visit and interact with students when it isn't quite as crowded.
Parent Conferences
PTA Information
-Come join us for the PTA’s annual Masquerade Event on Saturday, October 28th from 5:30pm to 7:30pm featuring music, games, snacks, and giveaways! Costumes and creative attire are encouraged. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
-We are partnering with Original Works art-based fundraising! Students will create artwork that you then can have reproduced onto a variety of keepsake products. The products range from magnets to mugs and start at just $6.00. Complete details on the program were sent home in your child’s folder. Proceeds from the program will be used to support a variety of PTA programs. For more information on Original Works please visit their website at www.originalworks.com. Orders are due by November 3rd. Thank you for supporting this unique and creative program!
FVES Events
Mental Health Awareness Week: Week of October 30th
Family Open House: Date TBD
Winter Chorus Concert: January 23rd at 7PM
Winter IM Concert: February 1st at 7PM
Wellness Week: January/February
Kindness Week and Party: Week of 2/12 (party 2/14)
Reading Night: March 6th, 6-7:30
STEM Day: March 22nd
International Night: March TBD
PTA Sponsored Book Fair: April 15th-19th
PTA Sponsored STEM Night: April 18th, 5:30-7:30
Career Day: May 3rd
PTA Sponsored SAVERS Donation Drive: May 4th, 9:30-1:00
Field Days: May TBD
PTA Sponsored Carnival: May 19th, 2-5:00
Spring IM Concert: May 30th at Rockville High School at 7PM (tentative)
5th Grade Promotion: June 12th
5th Grade Fun Day: June 13th
FVES PTA Sponsored Restaurant Nights: Come Out and Support FVES and Enjoy a Meal
- Creek Lodge Bar & Grill- Wednesday, November 15th, 2023
- Leisure World Ledo’s - Tuesday, December 12th, 2023
- California Tortilla- Wednesday, January 24th, 2024
- Ema Rossi- Wednesday, February 7th, 2024
- Chuck E Cheese - Friday, March 15th, 2024
- Rockville Paisano’s - Tuesday, April 16th, 2024 and Wednesday, April 17th, 2024 from 11:00am-10:00pm
- Rockville Chipotle - Monday, May 13th, 2024
- Villa Maya - Wednesday, June 5th, 2024
Information from Previous Newsletters
Transportation Information: Bus Routes
Transportation information is on the school website and available here:
- Arrival Schedule
- Departure Schedule
- Department of Transportation Communication to Families (English Version)
- Department of Transportation Communication to Families (Spanish Version)
- What to Know about Riding the Bus (English Version)
- What to Know about Riding the Bus (Spanish Version)
- Link to Check Daily Status of Buses
Need a Chromebook for home?
You are receiving this message because this year, your child’s school is using a classroom cart model for Chromebooks. This means students use an assigned Chromebook while in school, but do not bring their Chromebook home each night. As we move into the winter months and plan for potential emergency closures, your child will need access to a device at home to engage in homework, interactive resources and potential virtual instruction. If your child does not have access to a personal or home computer, a parent or guardian should complete a form to request an MCPS Chromebook. The device will be checked out to your student and will be kept at home for the school year. The device will need to be returned at the end of the school year or sooner if your student is leaving MCPS for any reason.
To request a MCPS Chromebook for home use, please complete this form: Chromebook Form to Distribute to Families
Links:
School Lunch
Breakfast and hot lunches are served daily. Lunch menus can be accessed here. Your child will learn about their lunch schedule on the first day of school. The teacher will also let you know about snack time, especially if your child has an early or late lunch.
Breakfast is $1.30, and lunch is $2.55. To learn more about eligibility for Free and Reduced Meals (FARMS) and apply for FARMs, click here. Deposits into lunch accounts can be made by any student and can be made ahead of time via the MCPS online payment system, My School Bucks. Details about how to add money to your student’s account can be accessed here.
DFNS encourages all families with students enrolled at non-CEP schools to complete a Free and Reduced-price Meals Application. All meals are free for students who qualify for free and reduced-price meals.
Make ParentVue Work for You!
The Annual Verification process allows families to update contact information, collect important information about you and your student, including any medical, immunization, language preferences, and emergency information that school staff need to know. MCPS uses ParentVUE to collect this information electronically. Online registration is available now until October 20th.
ParentVue is where you are able to access your student's grades, attendance, test scores, schedules, and so much more. Please see the quick guides below to set your preferences and see where to access all of the information available to you.
There are online registration quick guides in several languages available to support you in this process.
English | Español | 中國人 | 한국인 | Français | Português | Tiếng Việt | አማርኛ
ParentVUE Quick Guides
English / español / 中文 / français / Português / 한국어 / tiếng Việt / አማርኛ
Health Information
If your child has Covid, it is important for them to remain home for 5 days after testing positive. Additionally, they must wear a mask for 5 days after returning to school. Families no longer need to self-report Covid; however, it is important to notify your child's teacher and the main office when your child is out sick.
If you have any questions regarding health related matters, you can contact Ms. Kalter at Marley_S_Kalter@mcpsmd.org.
Attendance Matters!
If your child is going to be absent, please notify the teacher and Mrs. Sintetos at Catherine_G_Sintetos@mcpsmd.org.
**Please remember that vacations are not considered lawful absences. Details regarding lawful and unlawful absences can be found here.
**For absences to be considered excused, a note must be submitted in writing or emailed to Mrs. Sintetos. This includes medical appointments.
We are here to serve & help you!
Our office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00AM to 4:30PM. Below are emails and phone numbers for the following departments:
Administration (240) 740-1780
Dr. Angie Fish, Principal – Angie_L_Fish@mcpsmd.org
Mrs. Kimberly Haden - Kimberly_D_Haden@mcpsmd.org
Main Office Staff (240) 740-1780
Ms. Nevine Peckoo, School Administrative Secretary – Nevine_A_Peckoo@mcpsmd.org
Mrs. Cathy Sintetos, Attendance Secretary – Catherine_G_Sintetos@mcpsmd.org
Counseling Office (240) 740-6680
Mrs. Jennifer Atanda - Jennifer_T_Atanda@mcpsmd.org
Ms. Nicole Bamberger - Nicole_M_Bamberger@mcpsmd.org
FVES Parent Handbook
Flower Valley Elementary School
Be bright! Be kind! Be you!
We inspire all children to become critical thinkers who are imaginative, adaptable, and collaborative. We strive to cultivate peaceful, life-long learners who contribute positively to the community around them.
Email: Angie_L_Fish@mcpsmd.org
Website: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/flowervalleyes/
Location: Flower Valley Elementary School, Sunflower Drive, Rockville, MD, USA
Phone: 240-740-1780
Twitter: @AngieFish_FVES