SHADY GROVE MATTERS WEEKLY UPDATE
October 8, 2023
The Administrator's Corner
Greetings SGMS families! There will be no school for students this Monday, 10/9/23. See you on Tuesday. In October, we continue to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, Filipino American Heritage Month, and National Principal Appreciation Month. Thank you to Dr. Murray, who is one of the best principals. Her vision for SGMS and care for our students and staff is reflected every day! As we enter the second half of the first quarter, students will continue to complete grade checks this week in Homeroom. This allows students to understand how class grades are calculated and also if there are any assignments that need to be completed to continue doing their best. The Homeroom lesson later this week will teach students best practices when writing an email. Ask your student to send you an email to see what skills they have learned and are able to apply! Lastly, I would like to ask everyone to Save the Date for our annual Family Dinner Night on October 26 at 6pm. More information will be forthcoming regarding ticket sales for a delicious dinner and fun activities during the event. This year, the 6th Grade Outdoor Parent/Caregiver Information Meeting will be the same evening so please keep a look out for that as well. I hope everyone has a wonderful week.
~Ms. Cooper
October - November 2023
October Upcoming Events:
Filipino American Heritage Month
Monday, October 9th - Professional Development Day (No School for Students)
Tuesday, October 10th - PTSA Meeting (7:00 pm)
Thursday, October 26th - Family Dinner Night (6:00 pm-8:00 pm)
Tuesday, October 31st - End of Quarter 1
November Upcoming Events:
Wednesday, November 1st - Grading & Planning Day (No School for Students)
Thursday, November 9th - Report Cards Distributed
Monday, November 20th - Early Release Day
Tuesday, November 21st - Early Release Day
Wednesday, November 22nd - Schools and Offices Closed
Thursday, November 23rd - Schools and Office Closed (Holiday)
Friday, November 24th - Schools and Offices Closed (Holiday)
GOOD INFORMATION TO KNOW
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
The First Shady Grove Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) Meeting of This School Year
Date: Tuesday, October 10th at 7:00pm in person at our Media Center. We will also have a virtual option for the community to join and the zoom information can be found below. Please join us for our monthly meeting.
Topics:
- Feedback about Timberwolf Welcome, and Back to School Night
- Planning for SGMS Family Dinner Night on 10/25
- After School Activities updates
- Remind App usage
- Outdoor Ed meeting on 10/26
- School Store schedule
- Book Fair
- SGMS PTSA Budget
- 2022-2023 Financial Review
Zoom Information:
Elizabeth Merino is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: October SGMS PTSA Meeting
Time: Oct 10, 2023 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://mcpsmd.zoom.us/j/83335364595?pwd=RXcvbXlBbVdxVEdrbzgxMVhLRGRNZz09
Meeting ID: 833 3536 4595
Passcode: 515674
It's time for the SGMS Scholastic Book Fair! We need lots of help to make this a success. Even if you can only sign up for ONE time slot, anything is a HUGE HELP!!! And, we are still looking for a chair for this event and can promise you the time commitment is minimal since the media center specialists will also be helping out.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B054CA4A8292-44860754-sgms#/
Montgomery Virtual Academy
https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/virtualacademy/news-index/2023-2024-school-year/
2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR APPLICATION INFORMATION
MVA Application Timeline for 2024-2025 School Year
• October 10, 2023- Application opens on ParentVUE
• November 3, 2023- Application deadline
• First Week of February 2024- Notification of results
• February 16, 2024- Deadline to Accept a Program Invitation
• February 16, 2024- Deadline to appeal results
Families interested in learning more about the MVA can join our virtual informational webinar on Wednesday, October 11th from 7:00 pm-7:45 pm
Please click the link below to join the webinar on October 11th:
https://mcpsmd.zoom.us/j/85976965468?pwd=R05GcTRPNy9sWTFPOW9CUjhoZzZOZz09
Passcode: MVA25
Current MVA families MUST reapply to continue in the program for the 2024-2025 school year.
Magruder Cluster: MCPS High School Regional/Countywide Application Programs
Thank you to all the 8th grade students and families that came out to Advanced HS Night to learn more about HS program opportunities. Below you will find links to the presentation and the list of all the programs that Magruder cluster students can apply to. Also, during a Homeroom in October, all 8th graders will be provided with an information presentation. Good luck!
Important Dates
Early Oct 2023 - Application opens in ParentVUE
Sept 27 - Oct 30 (various dates) - open houses for each program- visit high school’s website for details
Nov 3, 2023 - Applications due date!
Late January/February - students will be notified of results
Application Process
Students can only apply through ParentVUE. If you need assistance, please reach out to the counseling department.
Ms. Christina Kiedrow- Counseling Dept Chair Christina_R_Kiedrow@mcpsmd.org
Ms. Jorinna Tran- 8th Grade Counselor Jorinna_Z_Tran@mcpsmd.org
Ms. Lidia Maia- Registrar Lidia_F_Maia@mcpsmd.org
Ms. Jennifer Cooper- Assistant Principal Jennifer_K_Cooper@mcpsmd.org
Magruder Cluster Advanced High School Night Presentation
MAGRUDER HS AVIATION PROGRAM MEETING
Parents and students are invited to attend an information meeting on Thursday, October 12 at 5:30 PM at Col. Zadok Magruder HS in the auditorium to learn more about the Aviation program available to your Grade 8 student. We will discuss program structure, application process and deadlines.
Spanish
Este mensaje es de las escuelas públicas del condado de Montgomery.
Padres y estudiantes están invitados a una reunión informativa el día jueves 12 de octubre a las 5:30 PM en la sala de la escuela secundaria de Col. Zadok Magruder para aprender más acerca del programa de Aviación disponible para su estudiante de 8vo. Grado. Se hablará de la estructura del programa, proceso de la aplicación y la fecha de vencimiento de la aplicación
Hi Parents!
Please remember to register your student for our (June 17-June 25, 2024) Galapagos Islands trip before our upcoming deadline, Thursday, October 12th!
Check out our trip video and our website! (Shady Grove Middle School's Galapagos Trip | WorldStrides)
Register with a $99 deposit, and pay the remainder in monthly installments
Online at www.worldstrides.com/signup
or call WorldStrides Customer Service at 1-800-468-5899
Representantes de habla hispana disponibles.
Our Trip ID is 210100
Fundraising tools available online. Financial assistance available by calling.
Contact Jo Belyea-Doerrman jo_e_belyea-doerrman@mcpsmd.org for more information.
**This trip is not sponsored by MCPS
Outdoor Education Parent Meeting - 10/26/23
6th grade families:
Outdoor Education will be January 8-12th at the Smith Center. We will be hosting an information meeting at our Family Dinner Night on Thursday, October 26th. We will share student experiences, the curriculum for Outdoor Education, permission forms, volunteer requirements and answer questions. We will also share details about our open house in November at the Smith Center so you can tour the facility and meet Outdoor Education staff. We look forward to seeing you there!
Familias de 6to grado:
La educación al aire libre se llevará a cabo del 8 al 12 de enero en el Smith Center. Organizaremos una reunión informativa en nuestra cena familiar el jueves 26 de octubre. Compartiremos las experiencias de los estudiantes, el plan de estudios para la educación al aire libre, formularios de permiso, requisitos de voluntariado y responderemos preguntas. También compartiremos detalles sobre nuestra jornada de puertas abiertas en noviembre en el Smith Center para que pueda recorrer las instalaciones y conocer al personal de Outdoor Education. Esperamos verlos allí!
Calmer Schools
Hello from your friends at Calmer Schools!
We are offering a parent/caregiver workshop, "Understanding the Adolescent Brain," on 10/17/23. There will be English and Spanish versions of the workshop via ZOOM from 7:00 - 8:15pm. Exciting news--We will be giving away $300 in gift cards at each workshop!
For more information and to access the Zoom, please click the links below.
Link for the Parent Workshop Flier English
Dear MCPS Families,
Here are things to know for Thursday Oct. 5. Get information about applications for high school county/regional programs, mental health awareness week, upcoming district events to take advantage of, PSA contest opportunity, and good news this week.