April Newsletter
New Market Elementary: Home of the Wolves
Message from Administration
Dear NMES Families,
It is hard to believe that we are in our final quarter of instruction for this school year. Below are some updates and reminders from the front office:
- We anticipate the county will soon share the official last day of school for students through central messaging. Our teachers will also include this information in their communications once it is released.
- Following Spring Break, there will be a little over thirty days of school remaining. We ask for everyone to aim for strong attendance and make the most of the final weeks of instruction.
- State testing for grades 3, 4 and 5 will begin the week we return from Spring Break. See the section below for specific dates, times and ways to support your child.
- We thank everybody who provided feedback on our NMES vision. We want our vision statement to reflect the hopes and desires from our staff, our students and our families.
- Our PTA has several events planned for May. Be sure to check out the PTA section in the newsletter for information and ways you can help.
- Be sure to check out the Walking and Wheeling Wolves section of the newsletter to learn about the exciting program coming to NMES in the 23-24 school year.
Dr. Lockard - Principal
Mrs. McGaha - Assistant Principal
Important April Dates
*Week of April 3: Adopt-A-Wolf Spirit Week
- Monday, April 3: NMES Wolves are the best - Wear your NMES spirit gear
- Tuesday, April 4: "Paws and Read!" - Each class will read a book about wolves and receive a bookmark
- Wednesday, April 5: NMES is wild for Alawa - Wear gray or animal print in honor of adopted wolf
- Thursday, April 6: NMES wolves howl with delight - Students will sing our school song during morning announcements and participate in a virtual field trip to meet Alawa, our adopted wolf
*MCAP testing for grades 3, 4 and 5: April 18 - April 28 (see more details in state testing section)
- Monday, April 3: Grade 1 field trip to the ESSL
- Tuesday, April 4: Quarter 3 report cards issued (MCAP individual student reports from Spring 2022 testing will be included in report card envelopes for grades 4 and 5 students)
- Tuesday, April 4: PTA meeting in the cafeteria from 7:00 - 8:00pm
- Friday, April 7 - April 14: Schools closed for Spring Break
- Monday, April 17: Mrs. Smith and Mrs. Shuman's classes field trip to the ESSL
- Tuesday, April 18: Mrs. Johnson and Mrs. Ruch's classes field trip to the ESSL
- Friday, April 28: Mid-term for quarter 4
- Friday, April 28: 2-hour early dismissal (dismissal starts at 1:25pm)
Registering for School for 2023 - 2024
Enrollment for the 2023-2024 school year has opened. You may register your student by visiting our online enrollment portal, PowerSchool, by clicking here for English or clicking here for Spanish. If you need to transfer your student for the 2023-2024 school year, please reach out to the transfer school to set up an enrollment meeting. If you have any questions, please contact Sarah Main at sarah.main@fcps.org or 240-236-1300.
Walking and Wheeling Wolves
Coming August 2023! The Walking & Wheeling Wolves - A PTA, NMES, and Town of New Market sponsored program that celebrates walking and biking to and from school. As the program plans are being developed we want your feedback. Specifically, the PTA wants to learn how your child(ren) get to and from school and why this works best for your family. Please click the link below to take our short 8 question survey.
State Testing
Our students in grades 3 - 5 will participate in state testing. The following state assessments will be administered:
Grade 3 Testing Schedule:
- Tuesday, April 18: MCAP ELA (pm session)
- Wednesday, April 19: MCAP ELA (pm session)
- Friday, April 21: MCAP ELA (pm session)
- Monday, April 24: MCAP ELA (pm session)
- Tuesday, April 25: MCAP Math (am and pm sessions)
- Wednesday, April 26: MCAP Math (am and pm sessions)
Grade 4 Testing Schedule:
- Tuesday, April 18: MCAP Math (10:30 testing time)
- Wednesday, April 19: MCAP Math (10:30 testing time)
- Monday, April 24: MCAP ELA (10:30 testing time)
- Tuesday, April 25: MCAP ELA (10:30 testing time)
- Wednesday, April 26: MCAP ELA (10:30 testing time)
- Thursday, April 27: MCAP ELA (10:30 testing time)
Grade 5 Testing Schedule:
- Tuesday, April 18: MCAP Math (am and pm session)
- Wednesday, April 19: MCAP Math (am and pm session)
- Thursday, April 20: MCAP ELA (pm session)
- Friday, April 21: MCAP ELA (pm session)
- Tuesday, April 25: MCAP ELA (pm session)
- Wednesday, April 26: MCAP ELA (pm session)
You can help your child in several ways to prepare for the state assessments:
- Ensure prompt arrival and full-day attendance on testing days
- Keep smart watches and cell phones at home on testing days as students are not permitted to have these during testing
- Provide a healthy breakfast
- Plan for a good night's sleep before each day of testing
- Build your child's confidence by giving them positive messages
We appreciate your support!
Adopt a Wolf
The PTA has adopted a wolf, Alawa, from the Wolf Conservation Center in honor of our amazing NMES Wolves! Over the last several weeks, students have been learning about Alawa and wolves in media. On April 6th, all classes will meet Alawa on a virtual field trip with the Wolf Conservation Center! To celebrate our excitement, we are having a Wolf Spirit Week! Check out these fun events:
- Monday, 4/3 NMES Wolves Are the BEST! Wear your NMES Spirit Wear!
- Tuesday, 4/4 "Paws" and Read! Each class will read a wolf story in class and the PTA donated pawprint themed bookmarks for every student!
- Wednesday, 4/5 NMES Is Wild for Alawa! Wear grey or animal print for our adopted grey wolf, Alawa!
- Thursday, 4/6 NMES Howls With Delight! We will sing the school song together over morning announcements and meet Alawa on virtual field trips.
You can keep the students' excitement at home by visiting Alawa's live enclosure cam at https://nywolf.org/meet-our-wolves/webcams/webcam-ambassador-wolves-zephyr-alawa-and-nikai/.
Media Center Update from Mrs. Siderius
Book Fair Thank You
Thank you to all of the NMES families for supporting our spring book fair! We are so grateful for all of the amazing volunteers who donated time to help our students. We also appreciate the families who shopped! The media center receives 25% of the profits to support author visits, new technology, new books and more!
Optional Choice Board
April is a time to celebrate poetry, nature and more! Learn about the diverse holidays in April with our optional choice board at https://bit.ly/NMESAprilBoard. If you need any help with passwords or websites, please email our media specialist, Mrs. Siderius, at jennifer.siderius@fcps.org.
Maryland Special Education Parent Involvement Survey
Attention Families of Special Education Students
All parents or guardians of children ages 3 to 21 who are receiving special education and related services through their local school system are invited to participate in a survey. The purpose of the survey is to determine how well your child’s school is partnering with you and promoting parent involvement in your child’s education. Your feedback will help guide efforts to improve special education and related services in your local school system. The Survey is anonymous so please do not write any personally identifiable information. Click HERE to access the survey. The survey closes on May 19. We appreciate your feedback!
PTA Information
PTA Spring Fundraiser:
NMES PTA will be hosting their annual Spring Change fundraiser. You will be receiving flyers home the week of April 3rd and the fundraiser will take place April 17- April 21. So many incentives to come including the top grade and top class. We have so many fun plans to include pizza parties and a special event with Dr. Lockard. As always, we appreciate your support.
Our Spring Fling Dance will take place on Friday, May 5 starting at 6:00pm. We need volunteers for this event. Parents/Guardians are required to attend the Spring Fling Dance with their child. Here is the link to sign up to help with this fun event: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409084eaea72ba5f49-spring#/
Upcoming PTA Meetings
May 4
7:00 pm in the school cafeteria.
For information about our NMES PTA, please visit our website at www.nmespta.com
April Schoology Tip for Families
April Fool’s Day, Arbor Day, National Poetry Month and Dolphin Day….what do all of these have in common? They all occur in April! Each month of the year is filled with diverse and interesting holidays! Your child can learn more about these holidays with our optional choice boards to keep them engaged in personal interests! The choice boards are found in their Schoology Media Course and on our website.
To find out more, you can follow these steps:
Navigate to your child’s Schoology Account
Open their Media Course (blue icon with a book)
Click on updates
Scroll down to the announcement with this month’s choice board
Happy reading and learning!
Schoology Resources for Parents/Guardians
- FCPS Schoology Page for Students and Families https://www.fcps.org/student-services/schoology
- FCPS Schoology YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGATg8OciCItdUiqHJyHHrA
- FCPS Schoology Troubleshooting Guide https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OJWzxwXeSumMlev5Ac8_-B0aaKhW5_ofMvuRO3a1pws/edit?usp=sharing
- How To View Grades in Schoology https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HG9UQhjKp3gqu7lj6zJJoPNuALXpsY8GGseM5Gu-yX0/edit?usp=sharing
Helping our Young Wolves
To support our Young Wolves still at home, we are sharing an idea to aid their development.
Build your little one's brain by getting them to help with the laundry. Encourage them to take the lead by collecting and sorting the dirty clothes. Ask them what comes next. Breaking tasks like laundry down into steps is one way to help your little one develop focus and self-control.
Thank you, Volunteers!
The Russell Family recently organized a group of families to volunteer and work on sprucing up our NMES grounds. The small but mighty group worked on Saturday, March 25 around our school. We are so appreciative of everyone who helped and took the time to care for our school. We have the best families and appreciate the support!
Lost and Found Items
We have accumulated a large amount of clothing in our Lost and Found area. If your child is missing an item then please encourage them to visit our Lost and Found area. Any remaining items will be donated at the end of the school year.
Security Reminder
Learning @ Home Days
As you may know, Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) has been approved by the Maryland State Department of Education to implement up to three virtual instructional days in lieu of systemwide closure during inclement weather. While not necessarily the first option, the Learn @ Home days provide FCPS flexibility in responding to various weather emergencies. In developing the FCPS plan, our goal is to: mitigate disruption to learning mid-year; minimize additional days that often need to be added at the end of the school year; and keep students connected to learning in the event of an extended closure.
Instructional Activities: All assignments will be independent and self-paced (asynchronous). You can expect approximately 20-30 minutes per subject area that students can complete at a time that works for them or the household. Assignments and activities will be review and practice, not new content. In many cases, students will have choice in selecting the instructional activity. Please note that the design of these instructional days does not require students to follow a typical school or “live” virtual schedule.
All assignments will be posted in Schoology for grades 3 - 5 for digital access or for a copy of printed packet that will also be available.
Assignments will include instructional activities aligned to the curriculum, as provided by FCPS.
Grades PreK-2: The default format for PreK–2 is a printed packet, which will be sent home with your child on Thursday, January 19.
Grades 3-5: FCPS Chromebooks will be distributed as requested prior to the implementation of a Learning @ Home Day. Assignments will be posted in Schoology. Printed packets will be available if requested by student or parent/guardian.
Attendance: Students will be counted as “present” by logging into Schoology on the virtual learning day or turning in assignments upon return to school. Students who were unable to access the instructional activities during the Learning @ Home Day will be provided with additional time.
- Support: During a Learning @ Home Day, should you have questions regarding any of the instructional activities your child’s teacher will be available via email or by calling 240-236-1300.
Click HERE to view a FCPS graphic outlining the purpose of Learning @ Home Days.
NMES Front Office Hours
Our NMES Front Office hours for the 2022 - 2023 school year will be 8:30 - 4:00 Monday - Friday. Our front office phone number is 240-236-1300. If you call between these hours one of our front office staff will be able to assist you. If you call before or after these hours there will not be staff available.
FCPS Bus Delay Information
New Market Elementary
Email: Steven.Lockard@fcps.org
Website: https://education.fcps.org/nmes/
Location: 93 West Main Street, New Market, MD, USA
Phone: 240-236-1300