Cedar Grove Friday Flash
October 27, 2017
Dear Cedar Grove Families,
Parent/Teacher conferences are coming on either November 10, 17, or at a time that is arranged between teachers and parents. If you have not scheduled a conference yet, please contact your child's teacher to set up a meeting time. This is a valuable opportunity to hear about how your child is doing in school and to ask questions. The following link will take you to an MCPS website page that will help you prepare for your conference, including before, during, and after conference tips and general and specific questions you can ask the teacher.
Halloween can be a fun and exciting evening for children, but there are also some very scary statistics regarding safety that you may not know. Kids are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than any other day of the year; only 1/2 of parents talk to their kids annually about Halloween, although 3/4 report having Halloween safety fears; only 18% of parents use reflective tape on their children's costumes (Safe Kids Worldwide). Please ensure your child's safety by walking on sidewalks or paths. Cross streets at a crosswalk and at traffic signals. Give your child a flashlight, glow stick, or attach reflective tape so he or she is more easily seen in the dark. Please talk with your child about Halloween safety so that it is an enjoyable and safe night.
Please join us in welcoming Ms. Hannah Srour to the Cedar Grove Elementary School family. Due to the large number of students in third grade, we were allocated another teaching position. Ms. Srour will begin teaching her third grade students on Monday, November 13. In the meantime, she is in all of the classrooms and is getting to know all the children in third grade.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Mr. Derby and Mrs. German
Idling Cars and Health Concerns
There have been some concerns voiced by parents about idling vehicles at school bus stops while waiting for the bus to arrive as well as in the school parking lot while waiting for children to meet parents at the car circle after dismissal. When vehicles are kept running, students are exposed to the exhaust fumes, which is a health concern. Maryland state law prohibits vehicle idling for more than 5 consecutive minutes, and drivers can be subject to a fine.
Parents, please help to alleviate health risks to our students by turning off your car when waiting for the bus to arrive or while waiting in the school parking lot for your child. If you choose to keep your car running while waiting, please distance your car and park away from the children. For afternoon pickup, parents should also shut down the engine while waiting in school parking lot. Thank you for understanding this concern and being sensitive to the health of our students.
The Montgomery County Pedestrian Safety Education team has added a new addition: a Pedestrian Safety Zebra! This special zebra assists Montgomery County residents in teaching safe walking and driving practices including waiting for the walk signal before crossing the street, crossing at the crosswalk, and not looking at phones while walking or driving. Unfortunately, the zebra does not have a name that can be pronounced by humans and your help is needed to come up with a nickname. In exchange for a fabulous name, the zebra will be awarding one lucky winner a $100.00 VISA gift card! To enter your zebra nickname, enter your contact information and zebra name using the link below. The contest ends November 10, 2017.
http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/DOT-PedSafety/zebra-contest.html
Karp Haunted House
A former CGES student, Jonah Karp, has turned his family's garage into a haunted house and is opening it up to children 12 and under on October 27, 28, and 31, 2017 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. If you would like more information, please see his Facebook page using the following link. https://www.facebook.com/events/294510247728317/?ti=icl
Recall Notice
Last year at our Scholastic Book Fair, slap bracelets were available for purchase, and we received notification that they have been recalled by Studio Fun International, Inc. as the metal band may wear through the fabric covering of the bracelet, posing a laceration hazard. The product name is Trolls: It's Hug Time Children's Storybooks. For more information, please call 800-489-3402 or visit their website at www.studiofun.com.
Adventure in Science
Saturday School is available at NIST, Urbana, Lockheed, and NIH for students 8 years old and up. Please see the link below for more information. http://www.adventureinscience.org/about-us
If you are interested in Adventure in Science, read the “About Us” section at www.adventureinscience.org. If you want to volunteer, think about possible topics you might teach and send your contact information to Ed Max (eemax68@gmail.com).
Enrollment for children is completed for this year, but will be open for the 2018-2019 next spring, as announced at www.adventureinscience.org/ais-registration. Fill out an application to get a reminder on when the application opens again.
School Based Flu Clinics
Injectable Flu Vaccines will be offered at school clinics for children ages 3 to 18 years old on November 9, 2017 from 1:30-4:30 pm. The school locations are John F. Kennedy High School, Northwest High School, and Rockville High School. You can make an appointment at the link below or call 311.