Monocacy Newsletter
Quarter 1 August 2019
Monocacy Gator Families
Your child is the most precious gift and my number one priority. We will work closely with you to ensure that your child's academic, behavioral, social, and emotional needs are being met. I hope to see each of you at our Block Party from 5:30pm - 7:00pm on Thursday, August 29th. A strong home-school partnership is essential for the success of our students, school, and community. I encourage you to have open and frequent communication with your child's teacher, and I am also available for support at anytime.
This year we will continue the successes we have experienced over the past three school years. In addition we have added a social-emotional learning program to our curriculum for all grades PreK-5th. PATHS (Promoting Alternative THinking Strategies) is the program we are using. The program was piloted in 9 of our classrooms last year with resounding results. Social-Emotional IQ is now rated as a greater predictor of future success than IQ. Through the program we will build and teach students about the various emotions, strategies to assist with the emotions they are feeling, and provide students with greater self awareness. The program resulted in huge declines in behavior incidents, physical aggression, and improved academics in the 9 classrooms where it was implemented last year. We expect to see even greater results this year. More information on the program will be provided throughout the school year with some home-school options to complete with your child. Lessons will be taught twice a week for 30 minutes.
We are also looking for additional opportunities for our accelerated and highly able students to participate in. Please stay tuned for additional information. The results of our perceptual survey indicated that this was an area to focus on, and we will be addressing by increasing the programs offered to our students.
Our PBIS program has been retooled this summer. Students will no longer move their clips based on their behavior. Instead we will send communication each week on how your child is progressing in their work completion, ability to work collaboratively, problem solving, and in following directions via the Thursday Folder. Please check the Thursday folder weekly for important updates and information. Students will be recognized for their positive behaviors earning Gator Gold tickets to be used for various rewards, as well as the opportunity to receive a Positive Office Referral. I know our students will be Respectful, Responsible,and Relentless and look forward to celebrating their accomplishments with you.
I look forward to a Fantastic Year!
Troy Barnes,
Principal
Monocacy Elementary
240-236-1400
Mark Your Calendars
September 4th: Kindergarten Staggered Start, Pre K Home Visits
September 5th: Kindergarten Staggered Start, Pre K Home Visits,
September 6th: All Kindergarten Students Report to School, Pre K Staggered Start
September 9th: Pre K Staggered Start, 5:00 - 7:00pm GTJHS: EL Night
September 10th: All Pre K Report to School
September 17th: 5:00 - 9:00pm PTA Chipolte Night, Compost Assembly for Students during Day, 6:30pm PTA General Meeting
September 20th: School Closed
September 24th: Grade 3 Harvest Assembly
October 1st: Picture Day, PTA Treats for Staff
October 2nd: Walk to School Day w/Assemblies
October 8th: 2 Hour Early Dismissal, 11:30 - 1:00 Coal Fire PTA Restaurant Night
October 9th: Schools Closed
October 21st - 25th: PTA Spirit Week
October 23rd: Conference Day (Title I Conference Cafe), 12:30 - 3:30 School Day (breakfast served, no lunch)
October 24th: PTA Fall Bash During School Day, Conference Day (Title I Conference Cafe), 12:30 - 3:30 School Day (breakfast served, no lunch)
October 25th: Conference Day, 8:30 - 12:00 School Day (breakfast and lunch served)
October 28th: Book Fair Week
November 1st: PTA Goodies with Grandparents, Book Fair Ends
November 5th: PTA Treats for Staff
November 7th: End of Quarter 1
November 8th: No School
School Health Room
Here are a few indicators to keep your child home from school in order to prevent the spread of illnesses and to help your child have a speedy recovery:
Temperature over 100 degrees, Vomiting, Diarrhea, Undiagnosed rash or skin infection, Lice (any nit)
Students will need to stay home from school for 24 hours after the last episode of vomiting, fever, diarrhea, and/or lice infection. This will help to decrease the spread of germs to other students and help your child have a full recovery. Please call the health room with any questions concerning your child's health (240-236-1379).
Dismissal Procedures
For Bus Delay Information: Please go to: https://apps.fcps.org/transdelay/
For Bus Route Information: Please go to: https://www.fcps.org/transportation/bus-stop-information-online
2) Walkers exit through the doors by the Pre-K classrooms. It is recommended that all Pre-K through 1st grade students have a responsible adult walk with them to and from school.
3) Car riders are dismissed through the gym doors. Please follow the traffic patterns when picking up your child. Cars are being stopped at the thick white line and we are loading 9 cars at a time. Once cars arrive, the child's name is being sent to the gym for the student to exit. It is imperative that all students listen for their names to expedite the process.
4) We will not be able to dismiss students after 3:10 from the front office. Students who are dismissed before 3:30 are marked as missing part of the school day. Please adhere to this procedure as it helps to ensure a quicker, safer, and smoother dismissal process allowing for us to account for all students. If you have a change in dismissal for your child, please call the office at 240-236-1400 by 3:00pm if you were not able to send a note with your child to school. Please do not send via email (in the event the recipient is not at work that day).
Attendance
Make sure that your child is ready for school every morning and is here before 9:00am. Doors open at 8:30am and every student is offered breakfast in their classroom.
If your child is absent due to an illness, please contact our child's teacher for make-up work and send a signed parent/guardian letter or note from a physician. You may also email a note of absence to Mrs. Kaleo at ashley.kaleo@fcps.org.
Lawful and/or Unlawful absences will result in a note/phone call home after 3. When a child misses 10% of the school year this is considered excessive and requires additional supports between the home and school.
We appreciate your help in getting your child to school every day and on time.
Free and Reduced Meal Applications
Be sure to:
Fill out the form completely
Send it back to school as soon as possible
You will receive a letter in the mail telling you of your status. You are required to pay for lunches or send a lunch from home until you complete the form and it has been processed. Food services takes approximately 8-10 days to process applications.
Completing these forms is VITALLY important for our school to maintain our Title I status and to receive funding to support our school and your child. Our Title 1 status and funding is determined by the September 30th date! Please complete the form even if your child is not receiving lunch from the school. If you have questions, please contact Mrs. Arnold at 240-236-1400.
Reminders/Important Information
Arrival/Dismissal: Students arriving late to school must be signed in by the parent or guardian. Please note that the building opens for students at 8:30am and students are marked tardy at 9:00am. It is important to make sure your child arrives at school on time. Students leaving early will only be released to parents or individuals noted on the school emergency card. Please bring proper identification when picking up your child. Students will not be released after 3:10pm. Please wait in the car rider or walker line for your child to be released at dismissal time (3:25pm).
Bus Riders: Please make every possible effort to arrive at the bus stop five minutes prior to the scheduled pick up time. This ensures an on time arrival to school and keeps the buses running on time as well. Please check out the bus information link at www.fcps.org to receive bus stop and bus delay information.
Thursday Folders: Sent home every Thursday and will contain information from the teacher, school, and PTA. The Thursday folder will also indicate your child's work habits for the week. Please review the information and send the folder back to school.
Stay Updated: Join Find Our First, a free email subscription service to receive the latest news and information from MoES and FCPS. To join go to, www.fcps.org/fof/moes. Follow us on Twitter: @MOES_Principal and @MonocacyElem.
Pre K and Kindergarten Students: Bring a bag of clean clothes in case of emergencies and update as your child's size and the season changes.
Breakfast: Free of charge to all students. Available daily from 8:30am - 9:00am in the classroom.
Meal Accounts: https://frederickcounty.schoolcashonline.com/. Please sign up online to check your child's balance and to add money to their lunch accounts.
Safety Message from FCPS: Please review with your child. "It is unlawful for students to possess or use any weapon on school property. Students who have or use a weapon on school property will be suspended from school and the police will be notified of the incident. A weapon is any object designed to harm another physically or an object which in used in a way that can physically harm another. This school is committed to providing each of you with a safe environment and we will do all we can to carry out that responsibility, including, if necessary, conduct searches of student desks/cubbies." We have a very safe school that is weapon free and will remain weapon free. The information shared above is mandatory for all schools to share. Thank you for your support.
Raptor System: All FCPS facilities use a system that will check a database for all visitors against the registered list of offenders and those who are not allowed to trespass on school grounds. This is an added feature to help our students and staff to be safe. All visitors will be asked to show identification. The identification will be run through the Raptor System to only check against the registered list and no-trespass list. If identification is not presented we will have to check your name and date of birth manually. Information is only kept in the FCPS system. After the first visit, we will be able to search for your name manually. All visitors are expected to where a badge or sticker identification while on school grounds.
Parent Volunteers
Livewell Frederick
- 5- Eat 5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day
- 2- Limit recreational screen time to two hours or less*
- 1- Be physically active at least 1 hour a day
- 0- Drink more water, 0 sugary drinks
*No screen time under the age of 2
Title I
Information regarding your child's grade level curriculum and how parents can best support their child at home will be shared at the Block Party. Copies of these presentations are kept in the office if you were unable to attend.
The Title I brochure will be distributed during our Block Party. If you would like an additional copy or didn't receive one, please let you child's teacher know and we will send a copy home.
An information meeting will be scheduled once our school receives the 2019 ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) report card. During this meeting we will share our school's performance on state and local assessment measures as well as our SIP (School Improvement Plan) goals.
Students in 4th and 5th grades will receive their PARCC reports from the state of Maryland in the first Thursday folder. Please review these reports with your child and contact the school if you have any additional questions.