Weekly Jaguar Newsletter
Week of September 13 - 17
About Us
Email: Karen_Y_Bryant@mcpsmd.org
Website: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/ssims/
Location: 313 Wayne Avenue, Silver Spring, MD, USA
Phone: (240) 740-2750
Twitter: @SSIMSPrincipal
Table of Contents
Adjusted SY22 Bell Schedule (featuring a 4th lunch block)
Heath & Safety Corner
MCPS Virtual Academy
Important Dates to Remember
Annual Notice for Directory Information and Student Privacy.
Chromebook Management
Heath & Safety Corner
Weekend Backpack Food Program for Children
Purple Line Updates
Traffic Loop Tips
ParentVue
Past Newsletter Links
Internationally Speaking, with Principal Karen Bryant
Dear Silver Spring International families,
How is it only the end of the second week of school? Feels like we've been back for three months already! 😆 What does it feel like for you?
This week, students received their brand new MYP-themed Student Planners (Agenda books). As an International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IB MYP) school, we are thrilled to deepen our global connections with this tool. These were a special purchase for our students this year and one way we want to contribute to the re-socialization process that connects children to their school, their courses of study, their peers, their teachers and supportive adults, and to a variety of skills sets (Approaches to Learning - ATL) that will serve them as they go about conducting themselves as active, positive, contributing members of our collective learning community.
That was a pretty long sentence to say: these planners are an important part of your child's daily experience. 😁 Students should carry them daily. Parents and Caregivers can make it a habit to talk with their child about how they are using it; ask to see how they've recorded their assignments, taken notes, etc. It is a tool to support student learning, growth, and achievement. Check it out!
Lunch updates: As shared in last week's newsletter, we are moving from a 3-lunch model to a 4-lunch model to better accommodate students in providing safe, comfortable eating locations. Our target date to begin the new lunch schedule is now Wednesday, September 15th. While your child's lunch time may shift, it will not significantly impact the overall academic bell schedule. See adjusted bell schedule below.
Volunteers - UPDATE: Schools received an update this week regarding the status of volunteers in the school buildings. There is still more information to come; but for now, see the message from MCPS below:
- Volunteers will be welcome to school and are encouraged to get "Volunteer ready" by completing the necessary requirements. You can find more information about how to become volunteer ready at this MCPS Volunteer webpage
- Reminder of forms and compliance measures (online child abuse training and fingerprinting, as appropriate to the type of service they will provide)
- Proof of vaccination will be required and a process for submission is forthcoming.
- Parent/Guardian and Community Volunteer Form
Traffic Loop Safety- THANK YOU! - Our daily traffic numbers during arrival and dismissal continue to improve, thanks to the collective efforts of our parents. A few reminders:
- Slow down -- hundreds of children are moving about on the sidewalks and areas surrounding the bus and traffic loops.
- Use the Wayne Ave loop (as well) during arrival and dismissal. Be sure to pull all the way around the loop; do not stop at the bottom of the staircase-- thereby blocking all traffic and creating a safety hazard.
- Allow your child to ride the bus, if eligible.
- Carpool!
As always, it is a pleasure to serve you and our entire learning community.
My best is yours 🐾
In case you missed it: check out the latest MCPS Community Update 9.9.21 here.
Adjusted SY22 Bell Schedule (featuring an additional lunch block)
Student Planners are here!
Health & Safety Corner
- Fever of 100.4 degrees or higher
- Sore throat
- Cough
- Difficulty breathing
- Diarrhea or vomiting
- New onset of severe headache
- New onset of loss of taste or smell
Please access the Sept 3 MCPS Community Update communication to read more specific guidelines about how schools are handling COVID safety.
You also play a part in helping us to maintain student and staff safety by informing the school when your child has tested positive for the virus, or has been exposed and in need of quarantine. You can inform us by calling or emailing our Health Room Technician, Ms. Barbara_A_Williams2@mcpsmd.org and Ms. Patricia Torres at anna_p_torres@mcpsmd.org or 240-740-2750.
Virtual Academy
Please note that MCPS schools are in-person, full-time at 100% capacity, 5 days per week. There are no hybrid options at this time; student attend school either in-person or have been received into the MCPS Virtual Academy.
Important Dates to Remember
September:
Thursday, September 16: No school for students and teachers
Friday, September 17 is an EVEN day.
Tuesday, September 21: MAP-R Testing
Tuesday, September 28: MAP-M Testing
Annual Notice for Directory Information and Student Privacy.
Each year, parents/guardians may direct the school not to release any or a specific part of their information contained in the directory information by using Form 281-13, Annual Notice for Directory Information and Student Privacy. We will be distributing this form to students to take home next week. Please make sure to look out for the form, fill out and return to your school no later than September 30, 2021.
For your convenience, we will also provide the link to the electronic version of the form in the Weekly JAG Newsletter and on the school website. You may download the form and submit to Ms. Torres, Administrative Secretary at Anna_P_Torres@mcpsmd.org .
Chromebook Management for Students
Chromebooks have become a daily part of our lives in school. It is our expectation that students bring a fully charged MCPS-issued chromebook (and charging cord) to school each day in its protective carrying case.
If students forget their device at home, or if their device is not working, they can receive a loaner device for use during the school day. To access this service, students should come to the Media Center between 7:50 and 8:15 in the morning (before the first instructional block of the school day) to conduct chromebook-related business.
Weekend Backpack Food Program for Children
The Women Who Care Ministries will be offering a weekend Backpack food program for children. The program is fee for all interested families and will functions as follows:
Every Friday, or the day before a holiday, your child would be offered a selection of snacks and healthy, kid-friendly food to place in their backpack. The food is given to students discretely, in the counseling office, as they exit the building. To sign up, call the counseling office at 240-740-2760.
La agencia sin fines de lucro, Women Who Care Ministries ofrece el programa de Mochila de Alimento para los Niños. Este programa es gratuito para toda familia interesada y es así cómo funciona:
Los viernes, o antes de las vacaciones, su niño será proporcionado con una mochila discreta, llena de alimentos no perecederos. Los alimentos cubren los grupos alimenticios de leche, proteínas, granos, y frutas. Las mochilas serán distribuidas de forma confidencial, para no llamar la atención.
Para inscribir a su(s) hijo(s) en el programa contactar la consejeria a 240-740-2760.
Purple Line Updates
The Purple Line work will be continuing in a similar fashion of construction related road and sidewalk closures as you’ve been going through for the next two weeks or longer. This includes the mish-mash of road closures along Wayne Ave from Mansfield all the way down to Fenton, as well as the sidewalk closure on the north of Wayne ave from Springvale to Dale. The lane closures along Dale on either side of Wayne will remain in effect. The crosswalk closure on the south of Wayne ave at Sligo Creek will remain.
(Corresponding Images below)
9/13 thru 9/26
· 7 AM – 3:30 PM lane closures on Wayne Ave EB/WB between Springvale Road and Mansfield Road – Images 1, 2 & 3
· 7 AM – 3:30 PM lane closures on Dale Drive between Queen Annes Dr and Wayne Ave – Image 3
· 7 AM – 3:30 PM lane closures on Dale Drive between Wayne Ave and south of SSIMS entrance. The SSIMS entrance will stay open at all times – Image 3
· 7 AM – 3:30 PM sidewalk closures on one side of Wayne Ave between Springvale Road and Dale Drive. Pedestrians will be detoured to the opposite side of Wayne Ave – Images 2 & 3
· 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM lane closures on Sligo Creek Parkway with flaggers. The crosswalk across Sligo Creek Parkway on the south side of Wayne Ave will remain closed during work hours. Pedestrians will be detoured to the crosswalk on the north side of Wayne Ave – Image 4
· Verizon to block sidewalk to access a manhole on the north side of Wayne Ave between Dale Drive and Mansfield Road. A temporary asphalt sidewalk has been constructed to detour pedestrians around the manhole.
Traffic Loop Tips
Please help us maintain a safe student drop off/pick up process for our children. Let's pitch in to keep them safe!
I encourage parents to allow your child to ride the school bus, if you are eligible for bus services. This is a huge help to deter traffic congestion.
If you must use private transportation, please follow these simple guidelines for safe navigation of the drop off/pick up loop:
- ARRIVE NO EARLIER THAN 7:50 AM.
- AVOID ENTERING THE BUS LOOP (Schuyler Road)
- Pull all the way around the traffic loop before stopping. Do not seek to drop your child off directly in front of the school if there is empty space in front of your car. This allows the maximum amount of cars behind you to pull safely into the traffic loop and off of Dale drive.
- Children should exit your vehicle on the CURB-SIDE of the car.
- The left side of the loop is for active traffic. You may pull away from the curb, into the left side to proceed to the loop exit after dropping off your child.
- RIGHT TURN ONLY onto Dale drive when exiting the loop during drop off/ pick up times. Please adhere to this request for safety.
- Please DO NOT get out of your car to look for your child. Remain in your vehicle at all times.
- USE THE LOWER PARKING LOT/TRAFFIC LOOP ON WAYNE AVE as well .*
*NOTE: When using the lower parking lot, you must either park in an available space, or pull all the way around the loop (lining the perimeter of the driveway) to await your child at dismissal. The good part about this lot is you can actually exit onto Wayne Ave. if you'd like.