Dr. Ronald E. McNair ES News
Summer of the 2022-2023 School Year - August 24
Dear Families,
It is hard to believe next week will be the start of the 2023-2024 school year. We are so excited to hear student laughter in our building. Our staff is eager to welcome them all on Monday, August 28. We invite everyone to attend our K-5 Sneak Peek on Friday, August 25 from 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm. If you are new to Dr. Ronald E. McNair ES, we encourage you to join us from 2:00 pm - 2:45 pm for our New Family Orientation.
It is exciting to finally open the Dr. Ronald E. McNair ES addition. This journey has been 5+ years in the making. As there are some finishing touches needed to complete the project, be on the lookout for information on dates with opportunities to view the new spaces. Our staff members will be available on the first day of school and throughout the first week to help students find their way. Details for our new arrival and dismissal procedures are further down in the newsletter. We look forward to seeing everyone at 9:05 a.m. or no later than 9:25 a.m. on Monday, August 28.
This newsletter will serve as our final summer newsletter. The Aug 8 newsletter with good to know school information and the school supply list can be found here.
As mentioned in the last newsletter, at Dr. Ronald McNair ES, we strongly believe that fostering positive family partnerships is crucial to the success of our students. Together, teachers, students, parents, and guardians form a tight-knit Dr. RMES family and play an essential role in creating a supportive and positive environment that nurtures our school's success. We sincerely value your support as your student embarks on a journey of learning and personal growth in the classroom throughout the year.
Our primary goal remains to provide a high-quality educational program for your child. We remain fully committed to your student's success. Our staff theme reflects our vision of empowering students to become compassionate, independent, lifelong learners, as well as, embracing the idea of evolving and improving ourselves. At Dr. REMES, we are "Bee-coming an improved version of ourselves"!
Please remember that the change in the administrative team also brings a change in how Dr. Ronald E. McNair ES will be led this school year. Mrs. Jessica Graber has joined our staff as a principal intern and will be working closely with Mrs. Moses, our principal. Principal interns are experienced administrators who have been chosen to undergo a year of intensive preparation for future leadership roles in the school system. During her internship, Mrs. Graber will be taking on many of the responsibilities of an assistant principal while shadowing and learning from Mrs. Moses. As part of her training program, there will be a six-week period, from December 1 through January 26, where Mrs. Graber will assume full responsibility for the school. During this time, Mrs. Moses will temporarily be away on a short-term assignment. Mrs. Moses is delighted to have the opportunity to serve as a mentor and trainer, and she firmly believes that our school and community will provide an excellent environment for Mrs. Graber's growth as a future principal. We appreciate your support and understanding during this transition, and we are confident that this new leadership dynamic will contribute to the continued success of our school. In line with this, you will notice that Mrs. Graber will be taking the lead in many of the events and activities that were previously overseen by Mrs. Moses.
Throughout the year, we look forward to meeting the new, and reconnecting with returning, community members. We encourage families to get to know each other so they can build new friendships and support each other as the need arises.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email both Mrs. Moses (Sherilyn_R_Moses@mcpsmd.org) and Mrs. Jessica Graber (Jessicabay_Graber@mcpsmd.org) or by calling 240-740-6830.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Sherilyn Moses, Principal
&
Mrs. Jessica Graber, Principal Intern
For Kindergarteners
Please be sure to send your child to school wearing a name tag each day for the first week of school.
Be sure to include…
- Your child’s Name
- Your child's Teacher & Room Number
- Your child's way home (walker & who is picking up your child OR bus rider - include bus number/color OR BarT OR Day Care Van
STUDENT ATTENDANCE:
If your child is going to be absent or late for school, please call the school at 240-740-6830 to notify us.
Absences:
Parents should keep children at home when illness is suspected, a communicable disease has been diagnosed, or lice nits have been found. The child must bring a note from home upon his/her return. After five consecutive days of absence, a physician’s note is required. Parents will receive an attendance call for students who are absent without notice.
This upcoming school year students will be unenrolled after 10 consecutive unexcused missed school days. This is a change from previous years where this occurred after 15 consecutive unexcused missed school days.
Tardies:
Students who are not in their classroom by 9:25 a.m. are tardy. All students who are tardy must enter with an ADULT, who will sign them in at the office and receive a pass to enter the classroom. Please do not drop your child off if they are late without walking him/her into the office.
Recording attendance:
Attendance in Montgomery County Public Schools is recorded in accordance with the Maryland Student Records System Manual by the Maryland State Department of Education.
- Students will be recorded as AM Absent if they arrive at school more than two hours late.
- Students will be recorded as PM Absent if they leave school more than two hours early.
- Students will be recorded as either AM Absent or PM Absent if they are absent from school for more than two hours, but less than four hours during the school day.
- Students will be recorded as Full-Day Absent if they are present for less than two hours of the school day.
- Students will be recorded as Full-Day Present if they are present for more than four hours of the school day.
MEDICATION AT SCHOOL:
It is often necessary for students to receive medication during the school day. In order to accommodate this need, we ask that you read the following guidelines:
- The school is prohibited by law from administering medications to students without the parents’ or guardians’ written authorization AND a physician's statement.
- Students are not permitted to give themselves any medication.
- If your child requires short-term medication that must be taken during school hours, you should arrange to come to school to administer it.
- For long-term medication, ask the office for a copy of MCPS FORM 525-13 which outlines the procedures to be followed. Parents and physicians give authorization for school personnel to administer medication via this form. A parent must bring the medication to the school, properly labeled by a pharmacist (medication bottle must be labeled to coincide with physician's medication order). The first day's dosage of any new prescription must be given at home.
- Under no circumstances will either the health tech or school personnel administer a medication brought to school by the child without form 525-13 being on file.
Medical form link: http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/forms/pdf/525-13.pdf
All physicians’ orders for medications given in school will be reviewed by the public health nurse and the school medical advisor.
Healthy students are expected to attend school every day. Your child is required to stay home if he/she is running a fever (100.4 degrees or higher). He/she must be fever free for 24 hours, without medication, before returning to school. Runny noses, common tummy aches and allergies usually do not require a student to miss a day of school.
If your child does become ill at school, he/she will be sent to the health room and our Health Technician will assess the illness. The Health Technician will call parents of students who present with fever, vomiting, extreme pain, and/or head injuries. Together, you will determine if your child needs to leave school. If that is the case, we ask that you pick your child up immediately.
PROCEDURE FOR A CHANGE IN THE WAY A STUDENT GOES HOME:
If a student’s plans require a change from their normal dismissal (e.g. play date, child care changes), the change must be made in writing to the homeroom teacher and front office. Please state your child’s name, the name of the individual they should be dismissed with, the date the change is occurring and your signature.
In the event of last minute changes to a student’s dismissal plans, please call the main office prior to 3:00 p.m. All students will be dismissed via their normal plan unless we have been notified of a change. Please arrange your child’s transportation home so that it is consistent. It is difficult for a child to remember where they are to go on a particular day if the routine changes daily.
Students are not to call home from the school to make after school plans.
Any adults who come to school to pick up a child early will be asked to show documentation to verify identification and ensure student safety.
The front office will have quiet hours between 3:30 and 3:50 where students will not be called down for early dismissal.
Bus Information
Bus information from the Transportation Office is linked below. Please carefully read the letter from the Division of Transportation and the route schedule for Dr. McNair Elementary. Be sure you and your child know your child’s assigned route number and bus color. As a general rule, children should be at their bus stop ten minutes before and remain there at least 10 minutes after the time the bus is scheduled to arrive. If the bus does not arrive within this time and the child has no other way of getting to school, please call the school office. You may also contact Clarksburg Transportation at 301-353-0955.
Only students who live more than one mile from the school, as determined by MCPS, are permitted to ride the county school buses. Bus safety rules and proper behavior will be reviewed with the students by staff. Students who violate bus rules may have their bus riding privileges denied temporarily or permanently. Please note that parents are responsible for supervising their own children at the bus stop in the morning. Patrols are not responsible for supervising students at the bus stop in the morning.
Students who do not regularly ride the bus may occasionally have the need to do so. In order to receive permission to ride the bus that day, a student must have a written note from a parent to the child's homeroom teacher.
BUS DROP-OFF
To ensure your child’s safe return from school on the bus, please meet him/her at the bus stop. We must stress the importance of a parent, or other responsible adult, being at the stop to receive the child or making other arrangements for your child to get from the stop to home safely. In the event you or your designee are running late or are otherwise unable to get to the bus stop, you should have a contingency plan.
According to the Department of Transportation, bus operators will let all children off at the bus stop, including pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students, even if there is no adult there to greet the child. When the bus pulls up and many students get off, there is no one-to-one matching of students to parents. Please understand that safe student transportation is a joint responsibility. Please remind your child to look for you before leaving the bus.
Any problems with the bus itself, the driver, or the bus stops should be directed to the Division of Transportation (301-353-0955). Parents should have contingency plans for early closings and late openings. Children should know where to go and whom to call if they are unable to get to school by bus as usual.
Letter from Transportation:
Breakfast & Lunch
Link to MCPS Cafeteria Information –
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/foodserv/menus/cafemenus.aspx
Breakfast
Breakfast is served in the McNair cafeteria from 9:05-9:20 a.m. The cost of breakfast is $1.30. Breakfast is an option that is available to all McNair students and can be utilized on a drop-in basis. Those students who are eligible for free/reduced meals are entitled to a free breakfast. Please see the link above for more information.
Lunch
The 2022-2023 lunch prices remain the same as last year.
- The cost of full price lunch will be $2.55.
- Milk purchased by itself is 60¢.
- Only students in grades 3-5 are permitted to purchase snacks from the cafeteria. The cost of snacks varies by item.
To buy breakfast and/or lunch, a student must have money in their account or cash in hand. We understand children, at times, forget their lunch money. Children who forget lunch, or are short money, can still receive a school lunch. Parents will receive written communication regarding their children's lunch account when the balance becomes low.
We also ask parents to please notify the school cafeteria and nurse regarding any food restrictions.
Free and Reduced Meals
Please complete the application online if you and your family would like to apply for free/reduced meals. There will be a few hard copies available in our main office, if needed. If your child qualifies for reduced lunch, they will not be charged for meals.
Food Sources from Outside the School
MESSAGES DURING THE SCHOOL DAY & CONTACTING STAFF
Please do not call and ask to speak to your child during the school day or come to the office to have your child called from the classroom so you may speak to him/her. Children will not be interrupted during instructional time. Kindly leave a message for your child with the office staff before 3:00 p.m. and someone will deliver the message.
Teachers and staff members will be happy to answer your questions and/or meet with you regarding any concerns you may have. In order to maximize instructional time, teachers will only be available to speak by telephone before or after the student day. Calls for teachers should be made between 8:50 a.m. - 9:10 a.m. and 3:55 p.m. - 4:10 p.m.
However, the most effective way of reaching a teacher is through email. All Dr. McNair staff members’ email addresses are on the Dr. McNair website. Feel free to call the main office if you cannot locate an email address.
Staff members will make every effort to return calls/emails within 24 hours from when they are received. If you would like to schedule a meeting/conference with a teacher, please contact him/her directly via email. If you need to schedule a meeting with the principal or assistant principal, please call the Administrative Secretary at 240-740-6830.
Grades K - 5 Back To School Night
Thursday, Sep 21, 2023, 06:30 PM
Ronald McNair Elementary School, Hopkins Road, Germantown, MD, USA
BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS:
We know your student's birthday is an important day for your family. As a school, we will celebrate your student's birthday by announcing their name on the Dr. McNair Morning Show and asking them to come to the office to pick up a birthday pencil.
- Parents are not allowed to send in party decorations, cupcakes, cake, candy, trinkets, or treat bags to celebrate their student's birthday. Please do not ask your child’s teacher to bend these rules.
- Birthday party invitations may be distributed at the end of the school day under the supervision of the homeroom teacher.
- School staff members are not allowed to give out student addresses or contact information.
DRESS CODE
At Dr. Ronald E. McNair Elementary, we want our students to always dress for success. We request our students dress modestly and appropriately for the school environment.
Therefore, we have implemented the following dress code. Students will wear:
- clothing that is appropriate for the weather
- sneakers on days when they have PE class
- clothing that is appropriate for their scheduled activities (e.g. art days, field trips, etc.)
Students may NOT wear:
- hats in the building*
- bandanas
- clothing that allows their undergarments to be seen
- clothing that displays inappropriate language, messages or pictures.
Students who are found in violation of our Dress for Success guidelines will be required to call their parent for a change of clothing.
- Encourage your child to show his/her spirit and wear red, white and blue or McNair Wear on Fridays.
* Hats, caps, hoodies, and bandanas are not to be worn in the school/classrooms. Students may wear them to school, but should remove them once they have entered the building. Hats, head dresses, and caps are only permitted for religious or medical reasons and special activities such as spirit week, skits, etc.
HOMEWORK
Homework is one of the many learning activities in which students engage; its purposes should be to:
- Extend learning and/or provide practice in applying concepts initially presented in the classroom
- Provide opportunities for independent work
- Strengthen concept and skill development
- Develop initiative, responsibility, self-direction and organizational skills
Homework expectations will be explained to parents at Back-to-School Night. Students in grades 3-5 will have preprinted assignment books.
George B. Thomas, Sr. Learning Academy - Saturday School
Dr. Ronald E. McNair ES
Email: sherilyn_r_moses@mcpsmd.org
Website: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/ronaldmcnaires/
Location: 13881 Hopkins Road, Germantown, MD, USA
Phone: 301-353-0854
Twitter: @RonaldMcNairES