The Paw Print
Week of November 12, 2018
Updates from Mrs. Murphy
November is always a time to reflect on what you are thankful for. As I enter my fifth month as part of the Seven Locks community, I want to be sure to express how thankful I am for the students, staff, and parents. Seven Locks is really a special place to be and I feel fortunate to be able to have a front row seat to your child's academic experience.
Lunch and recess is a very busy time of day at Seven Locks Elementary School. We can always use additional adults to assist our students and provide them with opportunities to develop their skills and sportsmanship through organized games. We know it is exciting to come to lunch and recess with your child. We do ask that if you come to volunteer, that you are willing to help all the students. If you are able to sign up for a lunch/recess block consistently or periodically we would appreciate it. We plan to use these volunteers to help with a zone (area on the playground) so that we can provide additional support to students on the basketball court, soccer field and/or kickball field. Our students would love the opportunity to have additional adults helping them build their skills as they play games with one another. Please click this link to sign up to volunteer.
SLESEF Wildcats Walk/Fun Run will be held tomorrow (Monday, November 12th) from 9:45 to 11:00 a.m. This year we will be supporting our sister school, Rosemont Elementary School in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Five percent of the proceeds will be contributed to the educational needs of the students at Rosemont Elementary School. Please see communication from the PawsOnline and the SLES Educational Foundation for links and information on how to donate.
Students are encouraged to wear the color that represents their grade to show their spirit!
Kindergarten -- Yellow
1st Grade -- Purple
2nd Grade -- Red
3rd Grade -- Orange
4th Grade -- Blue
5th Grade -- Green
Thank You
Thank you to Lisa Friedman, Karen Levin, Frank Pigott and the Educational Foundation for going above and beyond to plan the Wildcats Walk. Thank you in advance to all our parents who will support the walk on Monday morning. We appreciate all the generous donations -- it looks like my hair is going to be blue!
Thank you to all of our teacher and parent Girls on the Run coaches. The 5K is quickly approaching and we know that the girls really appreciate all the adult support!
Menu Change for Thursday, November 15th
- French toast sticks with sausage links
- Blueberries with lowfat vanilla yogurt and whole grain granola.
Student Portraits are now online!
Portrait retakes will take place on Friday, November 16th. Students who were absent on the original picture date will have their portrait taken. If you would like your child's portrait to be retaken, please notify your child's teacher. Weather permitting, portraits will be taken outside. If the weather does not cooperate, they will be taken in the All Purpose Room.
School System Updates
MCPS Superintendent Smith Releases FY 2020 Capital Budget and CIP Amendments; Makes Boundary Recommendation for New Clarksburg Elementary School
Superintendent of Schools Jack R. Smith is requesting minor adjustments to the adopted Fiscal Year (FY) 2019-2024 Capital Improvements Program to address enrollment growth, school security, and access to college and career readiness programs.
The $1.815 billion recommendation is an increase of $37.6 million more than the approved six-year CIP. The amended CIP includes a recommended FY 2020 expenditure of $324.33 million, an increase of $15.97 million more than the approved FY 2020 expenditure of $308.36 million.
Come share your thoughts on the amendments to the CIP. The Board of Education will hold public hearings on the CIP amendments and recommendations on November 8 and 12. An additional public hearing will be scheduled for November 19, if alternatives are offered at the November 15 work session. All hearings will begin at 6:00 p.m. and will be held at the Carver Educational Services Center, 850 Hungerford Drive in Rockville. The Board will approve a CIP amendment request on November 27. The request will then be submitted to the Montgomery County Executive and the Montgomery County Council for consideration. For more information on the hearings and to sign up to speak, visit the Board of Education website.
The County Executive will issue his recommended FY 2019-2024 CIP amendments for all county agencies by mid-January for Council discussion and action. The Council will hold a hearing in early February and will conduct work sessions in March and April, before adopting an approved FY 2020 Capital Budget and Amendments to the FY 2019-2024 CIP by the end of May. You can read the news release here:
Share Your Thoughts on Parent Portal
MCPS is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a new Student Information System. A component of the system will include a new parent/student portal. The district wants to hear from parents on their ideas for using an online parent portal, including:
- account creation and management
- access to schedule, grades, attendance and test scores
- access to content posted by the school/teacher
- ability to complete important forms online
- a mobile or mobile app option
You can access the survey here.
MCPS Families Invited to STEM Festival Showcase
Montgomery County Public Schools and educational partners will showcase elementary, middle, and high school science, technology, engineering and math opportunities with engaging hands-on activities and dynamic demonstrations at a STEM Festival Showcase on Saturday, November 10. The event will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Northwood High School, 919 University Boulevard West, Silver Spring. This family-friendly event is free and open to the public.
The STEM Festival Showcase is part of the Maryland STEM Festival, which runs from October 26 to November 11. The Maryland STEM Festival seeks to inspire the next generation of STEM leaders.
MCPS Foundation Launches Dine with Dignity Campaign
The Montgomery County Public Schools Educational Foundation launched the Dine with Dignity Campaign October 29 to raise awareness and funds in support of preserving student dignity in the lunchroom.
Last year in MCPS, 34,000 traditional school lunches were exchanged for alternative meals and provided to students who did not qualify for the free lunch program and whose lunch account balances were negative $10 or more. The alternative meal identified the students to their peers as not having money to buy lunch, increasing the potential for the students’ embarrassment.
In response, the Foundation created a fund to help the district settle unpaid lunch balances and to allow students with negative account balances to enjoy traditional lunch choices. Families are still asked to pay off, or to contribute within their means, toward the outstanding balance on their student's lunch account; the Dine with Dignity Fund pays the remainder.
To raise awareness about this special childhood hunger issue and awareness about the campaign, The Foundation enlisted help from Starbucks and now through December 2, messages about the Dine with Dignity campaign will be on coffeehouse tables and condiment bars in 46 Montgomery County Starbucks’ locations. Learn more and donate today at www.mcpsfoundation.org/dine206.
Winter Coat Drive Under Way
The Prekindergarten/Head Start Programs is seeking donations to provide students with new winter coats. They are collecting coats for boys and girls in sizes 5, 6, and 7, along with other winter wear, such as hats and gloves. Monetary donations are welcome. Donations can be sent to Rocking Horse Road Center, 4910 Macon Road, Room 141, Rockville, Maryland 20852. For more information, contact Lisa Conlon at 240-740-4530.
Homework Hotline Live Celebrating 33rd Season
Need homework help? Then call Homework Hotline Live. With HHL, you get free after-school homework help from MCPS teachers. You can call the live TV show at 301-279-3234 or send a question online via text or e-mail. When school is in session, watch teachers answer your homework questions live on MCPS-TV from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. You can also get online help from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Monday through Thursday. Go to www.AskHHL.org for more info and to download the free HHL app! If you call in and correctly answer a BrainTeaser question, you could win an HHL 8GB Flashdrive! Tune in to see the HHL Mathema-Chicken pluck out some math questions.
· HHL General Info:
o Telephone: 301-279-3234
o Text: 724-427-5445
o Live TV show on Comcast 33, Verizon 35, RCN 88
2018 School-Based Seasonal Flu Clinics
The 2018 flu season is upon us. There are simple steps you and your child can take to stay healthy and help prevent the flu. That includes getting a yearly flu vaccine.
The Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services will conduct free injectable flu vaccine clinics on November 13 from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. for children 18 and under at John F. Kennedy, Northwest, and Rockville high schools. These clinics will be open to any school-aged child.
The clinic services are free, but registration is required due to limited vaccine supplies. For more information, visit the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services website.
Here are some additional steps that you and your family can take to help prevent the spread of the flu and other seasonal illnesses:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze, or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer. MCPS-approved hand sanitizer dispensers are available for use at various locations throughout schools (e.g., near the cafeteria or all-purpose room, near the main office).
- When coughing or sneezing, cover your nose and mouth with your sleeve or a tissue and throw the tissue in the trash
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth to minimize the chance for infection.
- Stay home from work and school if symptoms develop such as fever, coughing, sneezing, runny nose, headache, and body aches.
- If you have concerns about the health of your child, please contact your physician immediately or, in an emergency, dial 911.
Additional flu prevention information can be found at the following websites:
Centers for Disease Control: www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/preventing.htm
Montgomery County: www.montgomerycountymd.gov/resident/flu.html
Important Dates
11/12 - SLESEF Walk/Fun Run
11/12 - Early release day. Students are dismissed at 1:20 p.m.
11/13 - Rain date for SLESEF Walk/Fun Run
11/13 - Early release day. Students are dismissed at 1:20 p.m.
11/14 - Grade 2 Professional Development Day, provided by SLES Educational Foundation
11/15 - Grade 3 Professional Development Day, provided by SLES Educational Foundation
11/16 - Student Portrait Retakes
11/19 - Grade 5 Professional Development Day, provided by SLES Educational Foundation
11/20 - Report card distribution
11/21 - Early release day. Students are dismissed at 1:20 p.m.
11/22 - Thanksgiving. No school for students or staff.
11/23 - No school for students or staff
11/28 - Grade 2 Field Trip to Strathmore Music Hall, 9:40 a.m. - 12:35 p.m.
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