Panda Pride Community Newsletter
Principal's News - January 2021
Happy New Year, Parkway Pandas!
-Mrs. Bell
FCPS Celebrates the Legacy of Dr. King and Black African American History Month
The 2021 Dr. Martin Luther King Celebration is now airing on FCPS TV/Channel 18.
Tune in to see Parkway student Reily Phan, representing our school.
The Legacy of MLK
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
-MLK
Martin Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929. The son and grandson of Baptist ministers, he attended college becoming a minister upon graduation. Dr. King earned his doctorate degree from Boston University in 1954.
From 1954-1968 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most influential advocates for civil rights. Dr. King promoted change through peaceful methods by organizing boycotts and other forms of protest, he travelled more than 6 million miles and spoke more than 2500 times to audiences in support of civil rights.
During his fight for civil rights, Dr. King was arrested upwards of 20 times, his house was bombed, his life was threatened, yet he persevered.
In 1963 Time Magazine recognized Dr. King as it’s “Man of the Year”. In 1964, at the age of 35, Dr. King was the youngest man to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Upon being notified of this award, Dr. King chose to donate the $54,123 to continue the fight for civil rights. His “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” and “I have a Dream” speech bear witness to the struggle for freedom and equality.
In 1968, Dr. King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee.
The first proposal to honor doctor King’s birthday was presented four days after his assassination; however, it took until 1983 before the date was recognized as a federal holiday and 32 years after his assassination for all 50 states to make the day a state holiday.
The Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Jan. 18, 2021, marks the 26th anniversary of the passage of the 1994 King Holiday and Service Act that created a national day of service that celebrates the Civil Rights leader’s life and legacy. Observed each year on the third Monday in January as “a day on, not a day off,” MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities.
FCPS is dedicated to fostering an environment that is welcoming and affirming for all students. As we strive to Reach, Challenge, and Prepare our students for success in a diverse global society, it is essential that we acknowledge, honor, and celebrate the diverse ethnic and racial identities, heritages, cultures, and perspectives of all members of our local, national, and global communities. BAAHM affords us an opportunity to make visible our commitment to a high quality and inclusive education for all students.
African American History Month or Black African American History Month?
Founders of the month, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, refer to February as Black History Month. The Library of Congress and Presidential Proclamation refer to February as African American History Month. With this in mind, FCPS uses Black African American History Month.
Recognition of Black History Month/Origins
In 1915 a gathering of African Americans observing the 50th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation was held in the city of Chicago. From this event that drew thousands of black Americans from across the country, grew what is today designated as Black History Month. A young black scholar, Carter G. Woodson, was one of the participants at the Chicago event. Woodson traveled from Washington, D.C. to Chicago to participate as an exhibitor in the observance. Having received a doctorate degree from Harvard University just a few years before, Woodson championed the promotion of black intellectuals and black history. At the conclusion of the Chicago gather, Carter G. Woodson, joined with two other participants of the event in creating the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History an organization committed to promoting the achievements of blacks and highlighting their scholarly works. In 1925 Woodson encouraged the organization to take up the mantle of not only creating the knowledge of the black past, but also of publicizing this knowledge. In February 1926 Woodson sent a press release publicizing what would be the first nationally organized Negro History Week.
Woodson chose February because of the birthdays of two great Americans who played a prominent role in shaping black history, Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Many communities across the country already celebrated the birthdays of both men. Woodson hoped to expand on these traditional observances. Ultimately, his goal was to move away from the celebration of individuals and instead focus on the entirety of the black community and all the individuals within it that contributed to its advancements. Today the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History still serves in its capacity to promote the history and achievements of black/African Americans. As the organizer of the national observance of Black History Month, the ASNLH holds annual commemorative events, sets a theme each year for the February observance, and provides educational resources to the public, making Carter G. Woodson’s vision a reality. This year’s theme for Black History Month is “The Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity”.
Planning for the Hybrid Instructional Model - Updates and Info
Due to worsening trends in health metrics, Frederick County Public Schools is delaying its plan to implement a hybrid learning model.
If FCPS does not see positive trends in data by later this month, the implementation of the hybrid model will be delayed again with teachers returning Wednesday, February 10, and students returning Monday, March 1. In this scenario, Wednesday, February 17, and Wednesday, February 24, will be asynchronous learning days.
This week, FCPS released a dashboard that will communicate the number of total COVID-19 cases in the school system and break down the data by school. The data will provide important context for families during the transition to the hybrid model. FCPS will also continue to monitor health metrics daily and consult with the Frederick County Health Department. This feedback will guide future decisions.
At PES, we have continued to plan for a successful transition to Hybrid, regardless of the start date. Based upon the number of students opting for each model (Full Virtual or In-person Hybrid), each grade level will have a Full Virtual Teacher and a Hybrid Teacher, with the exception of our current multi-grade classes, where some additional adjustments will be made to support instructional needs.
This model of instruction has been vetted and proven effective by FCPS teachers who have extensive experience with concurrent teaching. In this model, students who opted to remain fully virtual will be grouped together, as will students who opted for in-person hybrid. As the survey indicated, this means that there will be some changes in teacher assignments. Our staff is already hard at work designing opportunities for teachers and students to work collaboratively while we remain in fully virtual learning, so that if a child is assigned to a new teacher when the hybrid model begins, they will have had opportunities to meet and interact with their new teacher and classmates. In addition, we will offer Hybrid Orientation sessions in the weeks leading up to the change, where parents and students can learn more about hybrid learning.
Student schedules will be adjusted when the Hybrid model begins. Most changes will be to lunch, recess, and specials times, as we now need to stagger lunch and recess times, as we traditionally do when students are in the building.
Families will be notified of the following changes within 2 weeks of the determined Hybrid start date:
*Teacher assignment (if changed)
*Schedule
*Hybrid Cohort Assignment (Cohort A attends Monday and Tuesday, Cohort B attends Thursday and Friday, all instruction is virtual on Wednesday)
As we continue to navigate this most challenging and unprecedented school year, I remain grateful for the support, patience, and flexibility you each have demonstrated as we work to design a positive learning experience for our students. Please know that whatever the future brings, our staff stands ready to provide continued support and care for our Pandas!
Young Authors Update
PTA News
Thank You Teachers & Staff
We appreciate the extra work our teachers and staff are putting into this school year! Last month, we surprised the teachers and staff with gift cards to Frederick Coffee Company and this month we are sending them into the holiday break with a sweet treat from Baked by Bean, a small business operated by Parkway parent Caitlin VanSant!
Volunteer Opportunities
Interested in volunteering to lead or help with a Parkway PTA event? Send us an email at ptaparkway@gmail.com.
Amazon Smile Program
AmazonSmile is a simple way for you to support the Parkway PTA every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added benefit that Amazon will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to the Parkway PTA. Please go to smile.amazon.com to learn more about the program and to choose the Parkway PTA as your preferred charitable organization.
Parkway Family Directory
Don't forget to check the Parkway Elementary family directory to make sure your contact information is updated.
Next PTA Virtual Meeting - Tuesday 2/2 @ 6:30 PM
-Our school psychologist, Ms. Courtnay Hatcher, will join us for a special presentation We hope you can attend!
Looking Ahead
Wednesday 1/27 ~ Teacher Work Day - No Virtual Instruction
Wednesday 1/28 ~ Teachers return (Scenario 1)
Tuesday 2/2 ~ Virtual PTA Meeting @ 6:30 PM
Monday 2/15 ~ No School - Presidents Day
Tuesday 2/16 ~ First day of in-person hybrid (Scenario 1)
Wednesday 2/17 ~ Teachers return (Scenario 2)
Monday 31/ ~ First day of in-person hybrid (Scenario 2)
Parkway Elementary School
Email: nicole.bell@fcps.org
Website: https://education.fcps.org/pes/
Location: 300 Carroll Parkway, Frederick, MD, USA
Phone: 240-236-2600
Twitter: @NicoleRae_FCPS