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TO EQUIP EVERY CHILD WITH THE SKILLS AND COMMITMENT TO BE INDEPENDENT LEARNERS, PURSUING THEIR PASSIONS AND EXPERIENCING THE JOY OF DEEPER LEARNING, AS ACHIEVED THROUGH OUTSTANDING CORE INSTRUCTION DELIVERED THROUGH AUTHENTIC LEARNING EXPERIENCES.

Dear Parents and Students,

This month we continue our walk through the LCPS 2027 Strategic Plan for Excellence in our commitment to ensure that your children receive an excellent education while preparing to make meaningful contributions to the world today, tomorrow, and well into the future. This is hard work that requires a tireless committment from our staff, a focus on continual improvement, and a strong partnership with each of you. I continue to be grateful for our staff and for you and for our collective commitment to our school.

This month I will highlight the third core component of LCPS Strategic Plan for Excellence and provide you with examples of how it applies and aligns with Evergreen Mill's instructional program. The One LCPS 2027 Strategic Plan for Excellence Strategic Goal #3 is to "Maintain an inclusive, safe, caring, and rigorous learning enviornment as the foundation for student growth." This begins with "defining and promoting a clear and consistent division culture where all students and families feel they belong, embody accountability and strive for continuous improvement."

At Evergreen Mill this focus is embedded into our school mission and vision and adhered to on a daily basis. It also drives the daily decision making process by our school's administrative leadership team. We have also made decisions based by answering the following question. What is in the best interest of the child? In doing so, we ensure that each EMES student and family member feel heard, safe, affirmed, engaged, and a strong sense of belonging. Here are a few of the key ways we accomplish this.

1. Our staff maintains the most current training in the areas of best instructional practices in a culturally responsive framework. Each member of our instructional team has participated in training in Equity and Culturally Responsive Teaching at the district level and at the school level via book clubs and ongoing professional development.

2. We employ daily a Multi Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) for each of our students. This includes implementing Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS) to create an environment of care and to ensure consistent practices are in place for handling discipline issues as they arrive. Responsive Intruction is a data driven approach that allows to us identify the needs of each of our students and to provided targeted, personalized instruction to meet those needs. (More to come on RTI in a future newsletter this year!)

3. We employ a Unified Mental Health Team (UMHT) to support the mental, social, and emotional growth of students in need. In collaboration with parents, this team has proven to be a very effective mechanism for addressing a multitude of issues that may serve as barriers to learning.

These are just a few examples of the ways in which we care for the whole child here at Evergreen Mill. Education is not a static process. Instructional approaches, educational theory, and requirements from the state and federal level are ever changing. Today's students bring to us very different needs than we saw even 3 years ago. Our commitment to each of you is to always strive to what is in the best interest of your child.

Wishing each of you a blessed Holiday season and a Happy New Year!

Daniel Lani

Principal

LCPS centers equity as one of its foundational core values. For our community, equity means being committed to providing a safe, supportive, inclusive, affirming, and respectful environment for each student and staff member that fosters success, growth, and academic rigor.

The cultivation of this environment requires us to reject and condemn the use of hate speech, racial slurs,antisemitism, and any action or behavior that discriminates based on race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, orientation, gender expression, socio-economic status, religion, ability, or other cultural identities or expression. Such noninclusive speech, behavior, and actions do not reflect who we are as a learning community.

We embrace and value the unique identities, backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and needs of each student and employee. Celebrating our diversity is important and helps define us as a school division. Demonstrating the courage to address inequities and remove barriers represents an integral part of our collective effort towards excellence in education. Equity is the vehicle that leads to greater access, opportunity, and equality so that each student is

empowered to make meaningful contributions to the world.

Dear Python Families,

As the weather turns colder, we invariably see a lot more families using our Kiss N Go line in the mornings. Our friendly staff loves waving to smiling, friendly faces as you drop off and we so appreciate your patience as we work to get every child in safely.

A few tips/reminders to make Kiss N Go a smooth part to our morning:

• When in line, please pull up as far as you can. Cars can pull up all the way to the STOP sign. That helps maximize the number of cars dropping off at one time.
• Adults, we really prefer you do NOT exit the car. Let our staff help your student if need be.
• If at all possible, please have the students exit on passenger side right by the curb. Having them exit on the driver's side is a huge safety risk.
• When possible, consider carpooling with another family. The fewer cars in the Kiss N Go line, the less traffic for all.
• It is important to note that we do have some preschool students and students with special needs who may need one of our staff members to help them exit the car safely. Please be considerate of these needs.
• Please follow the lead from staff as we direct traffic to allow buses into the bus lane.
• Most of all, don't forget to bring your patience and a smile to our morning line.

Our tardy bell rings at 8:00 am. That means students who are dropped off right at 8:00 am or after do not have the time needed to get to class before the tardy bell rings, and may be marked tardy. Any students still in line or in the gym when the bell rings at 8:00 am will be marked tardy. (It is very much recommended that you be in line no later than 7:55.)

Finally, a huge thank you to everyone! As someone who is regularly out there welcoming your child, it really is such a joyful time of day. Students are usually ready to go and excited to start their day. Families are patient and kind. Thank you for making our morning Kiss N Go the best run one in LCPS. I hope that by everyone incorporating the tips above, our days will all start just a little bit smoother.

Thank you!

Mrs. Haggerty

Assistant Principal

December 6 - PTA Spirit Night @ Chipotle (Compass Creek)

December 7 - PTA Bedtime Stories

December 15 - Grade 5 Chorus Concert

December 16 - Winter Sing - A - Long @ 1:30

December 19 - January 2 - Winter Break

January 3 - Classes Resume

• If you email your child's teacher regarding an absence or early dismissal, please make sure to copy Mrs. Eder (peggy.eder@lcps.org), Mrs. Bultrowicz (aracely.bultrowicz@lcps.org), and Mrs. Shaffi (ghazala.shaffi@lcps.org). For absences we strongly encourage you to call the absentee line at 571-252-2901.
  
• A reminder that if you are planning to pick your children up from school at the end of the day please let the front office and your child's teacher know by 2:00 PM. Parents should pick their children up in the Kiss and Go line, not in the front office. In the case of a last minute change to your child's dismissal procedures please call the front office so that we can be prepared to assist you.

For the month of October, teachers selected the Character Counts student who best exemplified RESPONSIBILITY in the classroom. Congratulations to the winners:

Pre-K

Crowder - Jayden Diosis

Kindergarten

Amazeen - Peter Zhang

Chesney - Nahum Martinez Portillo

Hughes - Reese Alexander

Ludington - Sadie Schlecta

First Grade

Chambers - Nelson Portillo Andrade

DeGroat - Adeline David

Goossens - Avery Testa

Holdsworth - Lauren Maye

Lazzaro - Lena Cohen

Second Grade

Ruddy - Joaquin Mitchell

Walley - Lucy Ditka

Washington - Lilly Alexander

Wright - Caleb Brylski

Young - Sam Murphy

Third Grade

Buser - Milania Gagliardi

Jarman - Emily Behrle

McGovern - Bracken Krueger

Mehaffey - Sabrina Harding

Peterson - Emmett Janssen

Fourth Grade

Ater - Jack Giffin

Ferranti - Landon Brylski

Hawes - Summer Perley

Hicks - Ellie Cooper

Nazionale - Sophie Ruddy

Fifth Grade

Blakeney - Sasha Kroutil

Davis - Josue Ortiz-Santiago

Fangio - Elliot Gruner

Mejia - Addy Phillips

Stanley - Aisa Noorian

GOLD STAR WINNER FOR SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAM

We are excited to announce that the Evergreen Mill School Counseling Department has earned a Gold Star from LCPS for our counseling program. The “Star Program” is a comprehensive school counseling program, based on the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model. The framework is integral to the school’s academic mission and is created to have a significant positive impact on student achievement, attendance, and discipline. The Gold Star is the highest level attainable in the program.

Winter CARE Event

EMES will be hosting its annual Winter CARE Event. We have put together a list of wishes and needs for those EMES families who need some help during the Holidays. Please help us by adopting a family and bring a little joy, hope, and smiles to our EMES kids who need us the most. Please use the sign up genius link below:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050844AAAA28A2F94-emes1

All donations must be unwrapped and delivered to 1113 Coubertin Drive SE by 3PM Friday, December 16th. Please label your boxes, bags or toys using the letter and number assigned to the child. For example, A1, A2, A3 one family of 3 kids. This will help us identify the child wishlists. You are more than welcome to bring wrapping paper, tape or bows on the side. And please, do not feel obligated to buy everything from the list - any little gesture of kindness will be greatly appreciated.

If you have any questions please reach out to Jessica Soles (jessica.l.soles@gmail.com).

Thanks!

Our next PTA meeting will be Monday, January 9th at 7 PM in the library!

Our next Pythons on the Town Spirit night will be Tuesday, December 6th, from 4-8 PM at Chipotle (Compass Creek) . You can order online using EMES' code "2AW4R26" for our school to get money back! Please see the picture below for more details and to save it to your phone!

Our first semester Holiday Bedtime Stories event will be Wednesday,December 7th, from 6:30-7:30 pm (doors open at 6:15) at school so mark your calendars! Wear your jammies & come listen to our staff read books to prepare for bedtime!

Mark your calendar for our Bingo Night that will take place on Friday, January 13th! More details will follow as the new year approaches!

The EMES PTA wishes you a restful Winter break as we say goodbye to 2022 and welcome all that 2023 has to offer!

Please "like" our Evergreen Mill Elementary School PTA page

on Facebook for reminders!

Link to review these policies and provide your feedback: click here

https://www.lcps.org/Domain/17270

We are in the process of hiring a new Family Liaison for our school. If your family needs any support to this time please reach out to our school social worker Alison Bartley and alison.bartley@lcps.org.

https://live.myvrspot.com/player?udi=bG91ZG91bg%3D%3D&c=RVZF

If, due to a disability, you need assistance to enable you to participate meaningfully in any meetings or activities at Evergreen Mill Elementary, please call Daniel Lani at 571-252-2900 at least FIVE WORKING DAYS prior to the event.