Bobcat Bulletin
July 2023
Principal's Message
Dear BCES Community,
We hope this July update finds you and your family well and enjoying summer days! Our summer ELEVATE program held at Orchard Grove this month is well underway and our students are learning and growing through this shared experience. Custodians and maintenance staff have been dedicated to thoroughly deep cleaning and supporting the operations of our building for a seamless opening! The new portables, which will house our 5th grade students, have arrived and are being set this month. Additionally, behind the scenes our administrative front office is busy preparing schedules and finalizing academic and safety procedures to ensure a year of continuous improvement and success at Ballenger Creek!
As we near the end of July we wanted to reach out with some important information for families. In this July Bulletin you will be able to preview:
- Important Summer Dates
- Meet New Staff to Ballenger Creek
- Preview School Supply List
We wish each of you safe and joyous summer days and we look forward to seeing our Bobcats soon as we near the start of the 2023-2024 school year!
Yours in Education,
Megan Stein, Principal
Important SY 2023-2024 Dates
- Kindergarten Screening: August 7th & 8th
- Popsicles with the Principals: August 11th, 1:00-3:00 PM
- Kindergarten Class Assignments: Week of August 14th
- Kindergarten Orientation: August 18th, 4:00-5:00 PM
- Grades 1-5 Back to School Event: August 21st, 4:00-5:30 PM
- First Day of School for Students: August 23rd
Teacher Assignments Updated on Schoology
Thursday, August 17– Schoology courses will be visible to students and parents – information available: Course Name - Period - Teacher Name- Room Number – Section
Thursday, August 17 – Systemic email sent to primary and secondary guardians with student schedules included
Students will be able to view their schedules via the Schoology dashboard.
When a student opens their Schoology dashboard they will see course icons that include the following information: Course Name: Period - Teacher Name- Room Number - Section
Enroll Pre-K & NEW Students to FCPS Online
Do you need to enroll a NEW student for the 2023-24 school year? Online enrollment is open for students NEW to Frederick County Public Schools for the 2023-24 school year!
Parents may enroll their child in FCPS by clicking here in English or here in Spanish. You will be prompted to create an account prior to beginning the enrollment process.
Additional information can be found online at https://www.fcps.org/student-services/enrolling-a-student.
Volunteering for the New School Year
Volunteers play a vital role in our school community! The FCPS volunteer process and training is conducted on an annual basis. Each year on June 30 our current volunteer pool expires, regardless of date of application.
The volunteer application process reopened for the 2023-2024 school year on July 10, 2023, and will remain open throughout the school year. Families and community members are encouraged to apply if you are interested in being a volunteer at BCES.
We look forward to partnering with you in the coming school year!
Be a Community Buisiness Partner for BCES
Click HERE to read more about how you can become a Community Business Partner!
Crestwood Redistricting Study
As we prepare for the 2023-24 school year, we wanted to provide an update regarding the Crestwood Area Redistricting Study. It is important to note that no redistricting changes will take place until the 2024-25 school year. FCPS will remain committed to sharing updates on the study and the superintendent's recommendation. FCPS understands the significant impact redistricting has on multiple school communities, families, and students. We have heard the request for consideration of additional options and the need for additional community meetings to comment on any new options. Staff worked with the Board of Education to revise the redistricting study schedule.
FCPS is the fastest growing school district in the state by school population, including in, and near, the City of Frederick. FCPS is currently constructing an addition at Crestwood Middle School that will add 319 seats to the school's capacity. In addition, there are approximately 860 other available middle school seats unevenly distributed across the study area. The goal of this study is to balance enrollments at the middle school level and consider changes at the elementary and high school level to accommodate feeder patterns.
Schools in the Study Area Elementary Schools
Ballenger Creek, Butterfly Ridge, Carroll Manor, Hillcrest, Lewistown (Monocacy Middle school feeder portion), Lincoln, Monocacy, North Frederick, Orchard Grove, Parkway, Spring Ridge (west of the Monocacy River), Tuscarora, Waverley, Whittier, and Yellow Springs
Middle Schools
Ballenger Creek, Crestwood, Monocacy, Gov. Thomas Johnson (west of the Monocacy River), and West Frederick
High Schools
Frederick, Gov. Thomas Johnson, and Tuscarora
New community meeting dates are scheduled for this fall, where staff will present updates and additional options. All three presentations will be the same, and the community is invited to attend the presentation that is most convenient for them.
Wednesday, September 6
When: 6-8 p.m.
Where: Tuscarora High auditorium, 5312 Ballenger Creek Pike, Frederick
Thursday, September 7
When: 6-8 p.m.
Where: Frederick High auditorium, 650 Carroll Parkway, Frederick
Monday, September 11
When: 6-8 p.m.
Where: Gov. Thomas Johnson High auditorium, 1501 N. Market St., Frederick
Additional Timeline Updates
Wednesday, November 8
Time and Location: TBD
Board of Education Public Hearing about the Redistricting Study
Wednesday, December 6
Time and Location: TBD
Board's Decision/Action on Redistricting Study
Web resource for families: We encourage the community to access our web page devoted to the Crestwood area Redistricting Study. We have posted future meeting dates, the full Board presentation, and study maps. The page also shares how families can do a web-based search to see if their community would be affected by the recommendations.
We will continue updating the web page this summer with more information.
All comments and questions about the redistricting study should be sent to CrestwoodRedistricting@fcps.org.
Megan Stein, Principal
Email: megan.stein@fcps.org
Website: https://education.fcps.org/bces/home
Location: 5250 Kingsbrook Drive, Frederick, MD, USA
Phone: 240-236-2500
Twitter: @FCPS_Stein