The Green Valley Gazette
Jan. 12, 2023
Letter From the Principal
Greetings, GVES Community.
I hope that each of you and your loved ones are well. I also hope that your 2023 is off to fantastic beginnings! Each new calendar year offers us time to reflect on the past year, and it also inspires us to focus on embracing new opportunities. The return from winter break has been a blessing - seeing all of the smiling faces and feeling the amazing energy from both students and staff. We are blessed to be part of such a strong community. That strength is interwoven into the fabric of our Green Valley culture.
We welcomed Valerie Powell as our new Assistant Principal last week. Ms. Powell is a wonderful addition to our GVES family. She has hit the ground running with grace, as she has already made excellent strides in a brief amount of time with both students and staff. We had the opportunity to greet every classroom so that our students can start to get to know Ms. Powell. If you see Ms. Powell around the building, please say hello and wish her our best! She is excited to join our Green Valley community. Her passion to serve our students is already quite evident.
With the start of term three this month and the addition of Ms. Powell, it is a perfect opportunity for us to reconnect with each other. Ms. Powell and I will be implementing Town Halls by grade level to touch base with our students and staff. We are excited to kick off the new term celebrating our successes and setting a renewed focus and purpose for the second half of the school year.
At this week’s Board of Education meeting, the Board appointed me as Principal at Green Valley. I am honored to join the team! I just want to express my sincere gratitude, and that I am excited for our journey together. I am looking forward to serving, learning, and growing together.
We are together. We are united. We are one.
Ms. Powell and I also look forward to scheduling Meet & Greet opportunities later this month to further connect with families. Stay tuned for specifics! We will be sharing information for families in the coming week. Thank you for partnering with our team to help our GVES school community achieve our very best. Green Valley is a special place because of the people, and our team will continue to provide our students with the excellence that they each deserve on a daily basis. We will continue to actively engage with our families and provide timely updates to ensure clarity for all of our families and community members.
We wish each of you our very best in 2023!
Warm regards,
Max Fletcher
Principal
-------Mark Your Calendar------
Jan. 16: No School
Jan. 30: 100th Day of School
Feb. 6: Spirit Night at Chipotle on Bennett Creek Ave.
Feb. 15: 2-hour Early Dismissal
Feb. 20: No School
March 22: No School
April 7-14: Spring Break
April 21: Golf Tournament
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Recognizing our Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Award Recipient
Congratulations to Ivy Shuster, fifth grade, for representing our Green Valley community at the 33rd annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration! This year’s theme was Stick with Love. Hate is Too Great a Burden to Bear.
During the event, a student from each FCPS school was recognized as their school’s King Award recipient. Students were selected by their school based on their demonstration of positive leadership qualities, characteristics of Dr. King and of the Character Counts! Pillars: Responsibility, Caring, Fairness, Trustworthiness, Citizenship and Respect.
Ivy is an exceptional student and she represents our school community with grace, dignity, and honor. Congratulations, Ivy! You make us proud.
This Month's Watch D.O.G.S. Winner Is...
Be a WatchDOG -- We Need You
Step 1: Complete the WatchDOGS Volunteer Form.
Step 2: You will receive an email confirmation to the email you list on the form.
Step3: Show up and give out some high fives and fist bumps to the students.
Any questions email gveptapresident@gmail.com.
Be Sweet to Teachers
The GVES PTA is organizing sweets and treats for GVES staff to have on Monday, Feb. 6, and Tuesday, Feb. 7. Sign up to help: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b044daba92eabfc1-treats#/
Lookout for Classroom Sign-Ups
Valentine's Day classroom parties for K-2nd grades will be on Feb. 13. Valentine's Day classroom parties for 3rd-5th grades will be on Feb. 14.
Each teacher will be sending out signup genius' for their classrooms, so be on the lookout! Thank you in advance for your donations to make your children's classroom parties a success!
Guidelines for Attendance Changes
Please make sure you are sending attendance changes to Greenvalley.es@fcps.org.
- Late Arrivals: If your child arrival past 9 a.m., be sure you walk them into the building and sign them in. If they arrive after 9:30 a.m., you will receive an automated call from our central office.
- Absences: If your student is absent, please email the day-of to Greenvalley.es@fcps.org. However, you can still expect to receive the automated call from FCPS Central Office.
- Dismissals: We do NOT allow dismissal changes after 2 p.m., so please make sure you plan accordingly.
- Early Pick-Ups: If you are picking up your student prior to regular dismissal, please make sure you are inside the building by 3 p.m. If you arrive past 3 p.m., you are welcome to wait in the car rider line.
Earn Cash Back & Donations While Shopping
Stay Connected
Here are ways to ensure you're getting the latest news and updates from GVES:
- Find Out First E-mails - We use the email address you provided when your student enrolled to send out information. If that email address changes, please email the school (greenvalley.es@fcps.org, also listed in the About Us info below) to update your information.
- PTA Website - This provides information about upcoming PTA events and activities, membership and volunteer opportunities, current and previous editions of this newsletter, and more. Bookmark it today! https://gvespta.memberhub.com
- 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
About Us
Email: GreenValley.ES@fcps.org
Website: https://education.fcps.org/gves/home
Location: 11501 Fingerboard Rd, Monrovia, MD 21770, USA
Phone: (240) 236-3400