Shady Grove Matters
September 18, 2023
From the Principal's Desk
Welcome to Fall SGMS community! We are busy with our third week of school! I hoped all the families that celebrated Rosh Hashanah enjoyed connecting with families and their larger faith communities. This week I encouraged caregivers to begin having discussions about grades with their children. It is essential that we monitor academic performance in order for students to remain focused. On Thursday, October 5 your student will receive interims, which provide you with feedback about how they are performing academically. Our goal is to help our students to reach all of their goals!
Thank you and have a wonderful week!
September - October 2023
September Upcoming Events:
Friday, September 15th - Hispanic Heritage Month begins
Wednesday, September 20 - FLHS Committee Meeting
Friday, September 22nd - Early Release Day
Monday, September 25th - Non-Instructional Day (No School for Students & Teachers)
Wednesday, September 27th - FLHS Family Meeting
Friday, September 29th - Back to School Dance (3:00-4:15 pm)
October Upcoming Events:
Filipino American Heritage Month
Monday, October 2nd - Picture Day
Thursday, October 5th - Q1 Interims Available in StudentVue/ParentVue
Friday, October 6th - Pride Time
Monday, October 9th - Professional Development Day (No School for Students)
Thursday, October 19th - Family Dinner Night (6:00 pm-8:00 pm)
Tuesday, October 31st - End of Quarter 1
GOOD INFORMATION TO KNOW
About Us
7:50 am - Building Opens to Students
7:50 - 8:10 am - Breakfast Available
8:15 am - Class Starts
3:00 pm - Dismissal
Location: 8100 Midcounty Highway Gaithersburg, MD 20877
Phone: 240-740-1440
MAP Testing
Fall MAP Testing
On September 27 and September 28, we will begin our Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment school wide for the fall season. Students will take their assessment during homeroom which will be extended to accommodate the testing block. We will have a modified bell schedule on both days and students are expected to report to school on time. Students will take the Math assessment (MAP-M) on Wednesday, September 27th, and the Reading assessment (MAP-R) on Thursday, September 28th.
Parents, please remind your child to get a good night sleep and to charge their Chromebook each night.
If you have any questions about MAP testing, please contact Ms. Elizabeth Merino, Assistant Principal – Elizabeth_J_Merino@mcpsmd.org.
After School Activities
After school activities will begin in a few weeks on Tuesday, October 3, 2023, and conclude for the year on Thursday May 9, 2024. Students can sign up for activities in the cafeteria during their grade level lunch, the day before the activity meets. An after-school snack is complimentary to all students staying after school for an activity. The list and description of the activities offered in the fall session, instructions on how to sign up, and bus routes will be presented to students during Homeroom next week. Students who are staying after school will participate in a supervised activity from 3:00 – 4:15pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and/or Thursdays. Buses depart from SGMS at approximately 4:30pm. Students should get on the activity bus, get picked up, or walk home by 4:30pm each day. Staff supervision can NOT be guaranteed past 5pm. We look forward to engaging, enriching, and having fun with students!
SGMS PTA REFLECTIONS 2023-2024
National PTA Reflections Program - ENGLISH
Do you enjoy art, music and dance or have an interest in writing, producing films and taking photos? Then join us and have fun unleashing your inner artist with PTA Reflections! This year’s theme, “I am Hopeful Because…” calls for your own unique interpretation through the arts. Email sgmsptareflections@gmail.com for submission guidelines and an entry form today and return by November 10, 2023. For inspiration, visit the Reflections virtual art gallery and learn more about prizes and scholarships at PTA.org/Reflections/Awards.
National PTA Reflections Program - SPANISH
¿Te gusta el arte, la música y la danza o te interesa la escritura, producir películas y tomar fotografías? ¡Entonces, únete a nosotros y diviértete liberando a tu artista interior en PTA Reflections! El tema de este año es “Tengo Esperanza Porque…”. Retira las pautas de presentación y el formulario de inscripción hoy mismo en sgmsptsreflections@gmail.com. Fecha límite para las presentaciones es 10 de Noviembre. Si buscas inspiración, visita la galería virtual de arte de Reflections y conoce más acerca de los premios y las becas en PTA.org/Reflections/Awards.
MCPS Reminds Families to Apply for Federal Meal Assistance Program
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) reminds families enrolled in the Free and Reduced-price Program (FARM) during the last school year to complete an application this year to continue receiving benefits. Students previously enrolled in the FARM program will receive the meals for the first 30 school days or until a 2023-2024 application is processed.
Parents with questions about the Free and Reduced-price Meals program may find more information on the MCPS website here or call the Division of Food and Nutrition Services at 240-740-7400. Another option is to contact DFNS via email at DFNSOffice@mcpsmd.org.
COVID-19 Outbreak Measures and Vaccine News
As new cases of COVID-19 increase locally, we have seen outbreaks occurring in multiple schools across the county. Temporary outbreak precautions for individual classrooms where COVID-19 is spreading rapidly helps prevent spread to vulnerable individuals and to the rest of school. Check out the FAQ page for more information about how outbreaks are managed. The newly approved COVID-19 updated vaccine will be available in our area in the next few weeks. For information about COVID-19, influenza and RSV vaccine availability, refer to Vaccines.Gov.
MCPS to Host Girls’ Summit
The district is inviting all MCPS families to the Girls’ Summit on Saturday, Oct. 21 at Clarksburg High School. This event will provide informative workshops geared towards middle and high school girls on a variety of current topics. Join us for a chance to network, participate in fun activities, learn valuable skills and enjoy a fashion show presented by White House Black Market celebrating diverse body types!
Sessions will be provided in English and Spanish, and will be organized by grade level. Student Service Learning (SSL) hours will be available for students. Topics and activities will include:
Healthy relationships/dating violence
Social media use and mental health, including cyberbullying
Self-esteem
Identifying symptoms of depression and anxiety
Healthy eating and body image
Music therapy, Zumba and Kaiser Permanente spin bikes for art therapy
Narcan kits will be distributed and training will also be available.
Share Your Feedback on the 2024–2025 School Year Calendar
MCPS is seeking the community’s feedback as it works to finalize the 2024–2025 school calendar. Please complete this survey to share your input.
Your feedback represents an important component of the development process. MCPS will consider educational interests, operational needs, mandated school closures by state law, compliance with minimum instructional days and credit hour requirements, inclement weather and other emergencies, staff professional days and early release days, alignment with assessment schedules and more.
Earn SSL Hours and Fulfill Graduation Requirement
All Montgomery County Public Schools students must earn 75 Student Service Learning (SSL) hours to graduate from high school. Middle school and high school students should continue earning SSL hours towards this state graduation requirement by engaging in SSL opportunities during the 2023-2024 school year, including traditional in-person opportunities and select virtual/remote opportunities that follow the SSL guidelines posted on the MCPS SSL webpage
Register and Verify Your ParentVue Information
The Annual Verification process allows families to update contact information, collect important information about you and your student, including any medical, immunization, language preferences, and emergency information that school staff need to know. MCPS uses ParentVUE to collect this information electronically. Online registration is available now until October 20th.
We have online registration quick guides in several languages available to support you in this process.
English | Español | 中國人 | 한국인 | Français | Português | Tiếng Việt | አማርኛ