The Paw Print
Week of May 25, 2020
Updates from Mrs. Murphy and Mr. Ajamian
It is hard to believe that we are entering the last few weeks of school! This year certainly did not go as anticipated. We are very thankful for your continued support as we navigate remote learning together. As a school, we look forward to the day when we can all be together again. Our goal is to continue to work together to finish the year strong!
We are thankful for our 5th-grade parent committee who has taken the lead on celebrating our 5th-grade students as they leave Seven Locks prepared for the transition to middle school. Please continue to look for messages from the committee providing additional details about the 5th grade promotion.
We are working closely with MCPS to create a safe plan for teachers to clean out their rooms and to gather student belongings for curb-side pick-up. We appreciate your patience and understanding that this process is going to take some time. When we have more details, we will be sure to communicate them with you.
We are happy to share that we have been designated as a No Place for Hate School this year! Our staff, students and parents worked together to receive this designation. We thank all of our committee members for their work with this. We look forward to continuing this work in the coming years. Please click here to view the No Place for Hate virtual ceremony for the 2019-2020 school year.
Staffing Update
It is bittersweet to share that Mrs. Segars and Ms. Vetrano are both retiring at the end of the school year. Mrs. Segars has worked for MCPS for 18 years and has been at Seven Locks as a paraeducator since 2003. Ms. Vetrano has worked for MCPS for 20 years and has been at Seven Locks in various roles since 2005. They both have been an integral part of our school and have frequently gone above and beyond to support our students in all school environments. We are certainly sad to see them go but wish them the best in their retirement. They both look forward to spending more time with their children and traveling.
SLES Scholastic Summer Read-a-Palooza Virtual Book Fair
While our Seven Locks Media Center may be closed and our first BOGO Scholastic Book Fair scheduled for June needed to be postponed, you can bring the joy of reading home with the Scholastic Summer Read-a-Palooza Virtual Book Fair! This fair is designed to provide students with easy access to new books throughout the summer, families can shop and discover favorite characters, series, and collections that are sure to keep kids reading.
All orders are delivered direct to homes and shipping is FREE on book-only orders over $25*. Plus, all purchases benefit the school, earning 25% in Scholastic Dollars™ during the Virtual Book Fair now through September 4th, with additional rewards earned all year long.
Click HERE to start, shopping, reading, and help our school earning!
WILL YOUR CHILD BE ATTENDING SEVEN LOCKS IN THE FALL?
Children who will be 5-years-old by September 1, 2020 are eligible to attend Kindergarten for the 2020-2021 school year. Due to the closure we will not have traditional Kindergarten Orientation and registration will be completed online. Please email Mrs. Burns (Jane_H_Burns@mcpsmd.org) and Jennifer Inzelstein (Jennifer_Inzelstein@mcpsmd.org) if you need information on registering a student for next year. Please notify friends and neighbors of our new registration process as well. Our teacher allocations are based on numbers of students enrolled. We don't want to miss anyone!
Thank You
A very big thank you to Neal Orringer for being our PTA President for the last two years. He has done an outstanding job supporting the school and parent partnership and advocating for students. We would also like to extend a huge "WELCOME" and pre-emptive "THANK YOU!" to Vivek Patel, our new slated PTA President for the 2020-2021 school year. We look forward to the continued collaboration with our PTA which has been critical to providing the necessary support for our students and staff.
MCPL Virtual Summer Reading Program
The Montgomery County Public Library buildings may be closed but you can still register for a virtual library card HERE and check out books through SORAApp.com, but you can still participate in this year's MCPL Virtual Summer Reading Program Imagine Your Story, June 15th through August 31st. Find out more and watch book talks on YouTube HERE!
Community Tech Support Line
MCPS has created a new call center to help address the technical needs of any student or parent during remote learning. Please call 240-740-7022 if you are experiencing technical issues.
Reminders from Specialists
All students are invited to join Ms. Torrey on Zoom for a weekly art check-in. Students will be able to ask questions about their art assignments and say hello. Each week Ms. Torrey will show a picture of artwork for students to look at and discuss. Feel free to stop in briefly or stay for longer.
Grades K-2 are invited on Tuesdays between 1-2 pm.
Grades 3-5 are invited on Thursdays between 1-2 pm.
The google slide presentation includes reminders of when assignments are posted and how to contact the teachers for additional support or feedback.
Reminders from Mrs. Steinberg
Please visit the School Counselor Website for a variety of resources. You can complete a google form if you would like to connect with Mrs. Steinberg for any reason.
SCHOOL SYSTEM UPDATES
MCPS Coronavirus Webpage
Elementary Grading and Reporting
Letter grades will not be assigned for the 4th Marking Period. The emphasis will be on engaging students in learning experiences and connecting with and engaging as many students as possible. To ensure students are progressing and meeting learning objectives, we will:
- Provide students with the opportunity to engage in a variety of learning experiences
- Follow up with students and their parents/guardians in identified areas of concern
- Engage students in academic and social-emotional work
- Provide teachers with information so that when students return to school they will know which skills to work on, and how to engage them in learning at the next grade level.
Seven Locks Elementary School
Email: Megan_H_Murphy@mcpsmd.org
Website: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/sevenlockses/
Location: 9500 Seven Locks Road, Bethesda, MD, USA
Phone: 240-740-0940
Twitter: @SLESPrincipal