Principals Page
Summer Newsletter August 2023
Principals Page, November 2, 2023
SPOTLIGHT: Parent Open House- Friday, November 10, 2023
SPOTLIGHT: We are excited to announce the return of our annual Open House. In an effort to provide an opportunity that is more inclusive for our parents/caregivers, we have re-imagined this year's Open House by extending the hours and scheduling parent/caregiver workshops throughout the event. In order to maximize the experience for all participants, we ask parents/caregivers to limit their individual classroom visits to 30-45 minutes. While we hope to provide you with a brief window into your child's typical school day, it is important to recognize that instruction, behaviors, and climate are all impacted by the uniqueness of the day.
Date/Time: Friday, November 10 from 9:30 am to 2:00 pm.
In addition to parents and caregivers having the opportunity to see a glimpse of a βtypicalβ morning in school, we will be offering a series of workshops tailored to meet needs and interests that have been identified through community feedback. Click here to view the workshops that will be offered throughout the day. The design of the day is to give parents flexibility to visit Beall at a convenient time. However, we do have some limitations to our schedule that we are asking all parents/caregivers to respect:
- Please limit individual classroom visits to 30-45 minutes.
- All parents/caregivers are asked to pre-register for the event by clicking here.
- We are unable to accommodate younger children in classrooms. We encourage families with babies or toddlers to work together to create an opportunity to visit classrooms. In previous years, parents have alternated watching each other's children (in the front hallway) to allow for short classroom visits without babies or toddlers.
- Parents/caregivers are welcome to join Beall students during outdoor lunch or recess only. Unfortunately, we must ask parents/caregivers to avoid the cafeteria and indoor recess in classrooms. (Parents/caregiver are invited to join a workshop during your child's lunch/recess blocks.)
- Parents/caregivers must sign-in and pick-up a Visitors Sticker upon arrival.
- Parents/caregivers of students in a preK program should look for specific information coming from their child's teacher.
Richard Montgomery High School is presenting the classic musical Hello, Dolly!
ππ
Richard Montgomery High School is presenting the classic musical Hello, Dolly! on November 10, 11, 17, 18 at 7:00 pm. We have a special opportunity for RM cluster families!
We are offering a $2 discount on every ticket (student/child and adult) for our Friday, November 17 performance for all RM cluster families! Please visit our website to purchase tickets, and enter the discount code RMCLUSTER2023 at checkout. We have many former Beall dragons involved in the cast, crew, and orchestra, and we would love to see our Beall families at the show!
Friday, Nov 10, 2023, 07:00 PM
Richard Montgomery High School
Remembrance and Reconciliation Lessons
All K-5 students will be participating in a special history program that help students learn about Montgomery Countyβs African American history. Students will learn about landmarks around Montgomery County that have ties to African American history.
Teachers leading these sessions have received professional learning to ensure lessons humanize African American history and are delivered with cultural competence, care, and compassion. Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) partnered with community members, Sandy Spring Slave Museum, Montgomery Planning, and Heritage Montgomery to create the historically accurate lessons. The content does not include graphic images of violence or derogatory language.
MCPS encourages parents and caregivers to talk with their students about the learning. Below is a link to help support conversations about race and racism.
Grades 3, 4 and 5 students and their parents or caregivers are invited to participate in the elementary changemakers workshop, during which community and student activists will help participants learn how to effectively challenge problems and inequities within their communities on Thursday, November 16 at 5:30 p.m. Register to attend.
The learning about landmarks is part of a larger program organized by the Montgomery County Remembrance and Reconciliation Commission who has called for this November to be a month of remembrance and reconciliation. The goal is to help residents grow their understanding of the full history of Montgomery County. The Commission on Remembrance and Reconciliation was established by the Montgomery County Office of Human Rights in 2019 to promote a better understanding of its history.
For your convenience, the lessons will be posted on the MCPS Social Studies webpage by November 1, 2023.
Coming Soon...Parent Teacher Conferences
Suggestions for Parent Teacher Conferences
Parent conferences are a great opportunity for home and school to learn from each other. When you meet with your childβs teacher later this month, take advantage of the time to ask questions that you feel will help you support your child at home. Here are a couple of tips to consider in preparing for the meeting:
- Be Supportive- We all appreciate the feedback we receive. If you feel something is working well, please be sure to share. We really do want to provide a successful instructional program for your child.
- Be Prepared- Think about what you would like to get accomplished during the meeting. Identify questions that will inform you of progress or curriculum. Share your concerns. Remember, meetings are usually scheduled back-to-back, so having things written down may help with pacing. Feel free to schedule another meeting or phone conversation if you run out of time.
- Be Positive- Think of ways to communicate questions or concerns that fosters a productive conversation. We know students are more successful when we work together.
Important Dates π
Coming Soon...
- November 3- Grade 1 & Grade 2 Fall Festivals
- November 7- Grade 5 Field Trip
- November 8- PTA Meeting
- November 10- Open House
- November 14- Picture Retake Day
- November 15- Grade 2 Field Trip
- November 16- PTA Dine Out Night
- November 20- Early Dismissal
- November 21- Early Dismissal
- November 22-24 NO SCHOOL
Safety Reminder
We request that all parents who pick-up or drop-off students at school identify safe routes for their children. We are very lucky to have 2 outstanding crossing guards near our front entrance. Please make sure that your children use the sidewalks and ONLY cross with the support of the crossing guards. In the afternoon, please avoid having your child cross Lynch street without this supervision. In the mornings, please avoid asking your child to get out of the car unless you are parked against the sidewalk. We also ask parents to lead by example and model safe access to and from school using all crosswalks and sidewalks. Finally, while we love seeing our four-legged friends accompany our students, we respectfully request that dogs remain off of school grounds. We recognize that most family dogs may be gentle and playful, however there are many students (and adults) who have a fear of dogs and the barking or sudden pull of the leash may become uncomfortable.
News from MCPS
Applications Open for Montgomery Virtual Academy
New this school year, students in Grades 2-12 can apply to the Montgomery Virtual Academy (MVA) during two admission periods in alignment with the MCPS Regional/Countywide School Application Programs. The first round will run from Tuesday, October 10 through Friday, November 3, 2023 and is for entry into the 2024β2025 school year, as well as the waitlist for Semester 2 of the current 2023β2024 school year. The second round, which will run from Friday, January 5 to February 9, 2024, is for the waitlist for the 2024β2025 school year.
The MVA is a full-time online learning environment that uses a blended instructional model that uses both synchronous (live) and asynchronous (independent) instruction
For more information, visit the MVA webpage.
PTA News- Upcoming Meeting & Scholastic Book Fair
Next PTA Meeting- Wednesday, November 8
Please join us for the next PTA Meeting on Wednesday, November 8 at 6:30 pm. This meeting will be virtual only.
Topic of Interest: When children's behavior seems unacceptable, it is often because they are struggling. We'll briefly explore understanding the why beneath their behavior, the importance of self-regulation, and the benefits of attachment based discipline and co-regulation. We welcome our very own Dr. Jaclyn Halpern, PTA membership chair and Licensed Psychologist and Clinical Supervisor to engage us on this subject, parallel to a training she conducted in August with some Beall staff.
Scholastic Book Fair runs from Friday, November 10 - Friday, November 17th. This is an amazing opportunity to replenish your home library, stock up on holiday gifts, while also benefiting Beall. The book fair is run entirely by parent/caregiver volunteers! We particularly need volunteers between the hours of 10:30 am and 4 pm. Please consider volunteering and look out for a sign-up coming soon. Questions? Contact Julianne Cardemil at jcardemil@comcast.net. (The bookfair is available to parents outside of the school day.)
It is not too late to join the Parent Teacher Association (PTA). The PTA supports Beall students in a variety of ways, including after -school programs, cultural arts programs, social activities, fundraising and parent workshops. The PTA also supports student learning by funding programs, technology and staff support. See their website for more information or registration forms.
Beall Vison Statement
A high-quality education is the fundamental right of every child at Beall Elementary School. Staff, children, parents and the community will form a multicultural learning environment which provides knowledge, skills and attitudes that will empower every student, every day to be successful.