Harmony Hills Elementary

Greetings Harmony Hills Families,

Welcome back to an exciting new year at Harmony Hills Elementary. I hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. As we begin this academic adventure together, I want to express my gratitude for your continued support and dedication to our school community.

We continue to be committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment where every student can thrive and reach their full potential. Our team of passionate educators has been working diligently to prepare engaging and innovative learning experiences for our Huskies.

At Harmony Hills, we believe in the power of collaboration between parents, students, and staff. Open communication is essential to creating a nurturing and enriching educational experience for every child.

Throughout the year, we will have various events, workshops, and extracurricular activities. We encourage you to get connected to our school's ClassDojo so that you do not miss out on important information.

Please make sure to review our updated school information on our school website, www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/harmonyhillses/. Familiarizing yourself with this will help to ensure a smooth and successful year.

Let us approach this year with enthusiasm, resilience and a shared commitment to put our best foot forward each and everyday. Together, we can create a vibrant and nurturing learning environment.

I also want to give a special shout out to all of our students and staff who participated in our summer programs. The students were excited to continue these new learning adventures!

I look forward to a new year filled with growth, achievement, and memorable experiences. Thank you for entrusting us with your child's education. I would like to extend a special welcome to all new Husky families.

Best wishes for a fantastic school year ahead!!

We say farewell to some Harmony Hills family members who are seeking new opportunities based on changes in allocations, opportunities for professional growth, and/or making family changes. We wish each of them well on their new adventures. We are also excited to welcome some new additions to the Harmony Hills family. Each staff member brings a unique gift and talent to support student learning and achievement. All are well qualified in their disciplines, and are looking forward to maintaining a positive school climate, a safe learning environment, and a high quality instructional program.

We say farewell to the following HHES staff members:

• Kristen Andich, Siobhan Alexander, Christina Cho, Elizabeth D’Agastaro, Aaryn Edge, Sam Elson, Lisa Greenbaum, Jane Kim, Ashley Kinney, Timothy Kum, Chaeyoung Park, Taylor Morrell, Cenora Singleton, Ocean White, Olive White, Bria Williams

Congratulations to all of our retirees:

• Jennifer Strachan-Fontaine

• Vickie Kwong

I know you will join me in wishing each of them our very best on their new adventures!

The following staff members will be taking their knowledge, experience, and ideas to new teaching positions at Harmony Hills.

• Shaina Levin-Counselor Intern

• Haley (Shannon) Reburn-ELD Teacher

• Monica Silvestro-ELD Teacher

• Amanda Strite-Grade 1

• Sarah Schweiker-Reading Specialist

We are excited to welcome our new Husky family members!

• Michael Amaya-Building Service Worker

• Amanda DaSilva-Assistant Principal

• Jose Diaz Davila-Counselor

• Yury Delgado-ELD Therapeutic Counselor

• Rodcliff Dunkley-Building Service Worker

• Bridget Cooke-Primary Talent and Development Coach

• Devonte Foster-Building Service Worker

• Leora Gottlieb-.5 Art Teacher

• Anna Henriquez Herrera-Special Education Teacher

• Carmel Kamuabo-Speech Pathologist

• Devon Longstreet-Wellness Coach

• Julia Novak-ELD Teacher

• Guadalupe Pozas-Kindergarten

• Ella Scarano-ELD Teacher

• Magdalena Walendowski-ELD teacher

• Ginnay Wigfall-Kindergarten

First day of school begins on Monday, August 28, 2023.

School Hours 9:25 AM - 3:50 PM

Teacher Hours 8:45 AM to 4:15 PM

Students Enter the Building 9:05 AM

Instruction Begins 9:25 AM

• In order to maintain the safety and security of students, students should not be dropped off before 9:05 AM. There is no supervision provided before this time.

• The late bell rings at 9:25 AM. Students arriving at school after this bell rings MUST report to the main office to order lunch and get a late pass to class.

• Dismissal begins at 3:50 PM.

To ensure the safety of all children, please do not drive in the bus loop or park along the entrance driveway and bus loop.

Students are encouraged to bring the individual organizational tools and personal supplies on the list attached below. Please be sure to reference your child’s individual grade level for supplies. Donations are also appreciated.

We are excited about the return of our students for the upcoming school year. In order to ensure a smooth transition back to school, we have outlined a few first day of school procedures.

• Kindergarten students will be met as they enter the main entrance. Please be sure your child wears a name tag that includes their first and last name, how they will get home, and an emergency contact number.

• Students in Grades 1 and 2 will report to the All Purpose Room.

• Students in Grades 3, 4, and 5 will report to the Gym.

• All students new to Harmony Hills will enter the main entrance and proceed to the Media Center. Staff will be available to assist the students.

We know it may be difficult to separate from your child on the first day of Head Start, Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten. You can help your child transition to school by walking her/him to the door and giving a hug, kiss, or waving to her/him from the main doors. Supervising staff members will make sure children get to their right location. If necessary, you may be permitted to accompany your child to the classroom on the first day of school. However, on the second day of school, we ask that you say “goodbye” to your child at the main doors of the school.

During the first week of school, additional staff members are available to help our youngest children and new children to find classrooms and adjust to the routines of the school.

On the first day of school, it is extremely important for students to know how they will go home. Classroom teachers will ask this question of students to be sure they arrive home safely. If you must change your child’s arrangements for after school, please contact us at 240-740-0780 as soon as possible. Please be sure you use an index card and write down your child's first and last name, how they will get home and an emergency contact number.

Free Breakfast and Lunch for the 2023-24 school year: Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) will be providing free breakfast and lunch at Harmony Hills Elementary in the 2023–2024 school year. Harmony Hills has been identified as a Community Eligible Provision (CEP) school. Households do NOT need to complete Free And Reduced-price Meal (FARMS) applications in order to receive free meal benefits at our school*. We encourage students to enjoy breakfast and lunch at school, please check out menus here.

*Households with students at other MCPS schools should check directly with those schools to determine if a FARM application is needed.

For the safety of our children and others, please adhere to the established guidelines.

Please:

• Follow the direction of the patrols and/or staff on duty at the car rider drop off/pick up area.

• Follow the traffic pattern within the parking lot to the right of the school entrance.

• Avoid cutting other cars off.

• Remain in your car while in the Drop-Off or Pick-Up lane.

• Do not use the circle designated for school bus traffic to drop off children at any time.

• Drive slowly in the parking lot and remember all children are precious cargo!

• Pull up as far as possible next to the curb/sidewalk and have your child exit the car safely on the curb side only. (Cars must be in “park” to load or unload passengers.)

• Carefully observe traffic in the drop-off area in front of the school before pulling out of your position at the curb, and exiting the parking lot.

• Be courteous to one another.

• Be sure your child’s car rider number is displayed.

• Do not block driveways of houses in the neighborhood.

• Walkers will be picked up in the back of the building. Please have your child’s number readily available.

• For the safety of our students, please make sure your children know their after school transportation plans before they leave home each morning.

• If there is a change in the normal routine, inform the office in writing or by telephone about this change.

• If someone other than a legal guardian is picking up your child, inform the school in writing.

• Authorized individuals picking up your children must have a photo ID.

In an effort to have greater accountability of our students, we continue to revise our dismissal process. We are committed to a safe dismissal process. Staff members will be stationed on the inside and outside of the school to supervise this process.

During our Open House, each family will be asked to stop by our table for walkers and car riders to complete a form. The walking families will simply fill out a form telling us who has authorization to pick up your child during the school year. The car riding table will also be collecting information and giving out numbers to each family to put in your cars to ensure we match the students to the appropriate family.

All students riding the bus will line up in the appropriate bus line. Please be sure you review with your children what bus they ride and what stop they will get off at the end of the day.

These procedures will be thoroughly reviewed with students on the first day of school and throughout the first weeks of school.

The bus schedule for neighborhood students will be linked below when we receive it. Please review the schedule carefully. The times given are considered an estimate for both pick-up and drop-off each day at the stop nearest your home. You may choose to monitor the times for pick-up and drop-off at the beginning of the year so that your children are at the stop no more than ten minutes before the bus actually departs. To ensure your child’s safe return from school on the bus, please meet him/her at the bus stop. We stress the importance of a parent or another responsible adult being at the stop to receive the child or making other arrangements for your child to get from the stop to the home safely. In the event you or your designee are running late or are otherwise unable to get to the bus stop, you should call the school early enough to have your child held at the school for pick-up rather than put on the bus. Families are encouraged to keep the school’s phone number in their cell phone (or with them) so you can make such a call easily. Please understand that safe student transportation is a joint responsibility. Remind your child to look for you before leaving the bus. We look forward to a safe and successful school year.

If your child needs to be picked up early for an appointment, please send a written note to your child’s teacher in the morning. This will reduce excessive calls into our classrooms that interrupt instruction, especially near dismissal time. In addition, no calls for early pickup will be made after 3:00 PM. Please make sure you have contacted the main office with any changes prior to this time. Thank you for your cooperation!

Bus routes and times: (When we receive our bus information, a LINK will be added here.)

This year our Open House will be held in person on Friday, August 25th from 10:00 AM-12:00 Noon. Please come by and meet your child's teacher. Door prizes and supplies will be given out during Open House.

I want to personally invite you to attend our Back-to-School Night. This will be a great time to strengthen our HHES community, meet teachers, meet other families, and learn about the upcoming school year. Based on previous parent feedback, we will continue to hold one Back to School Night. Please mark your calendar for our annual Back-To-School Night on:

Wednesday, September 20, 2023 from 6:30 PM-8:00 PM

Please remember, parking is limited. So, we encourage families to carpool or walk.

IN AND ABOUT THE OFFICE

Please make sure the office is your FIRST stop when you come to Harmony Hills Elementary School. Ms. Glenda Ovalle, Attendance Secretary, and Ms. Marlene Pineda, Administrative Secretary, would like to help make your visit a positive and productive experience. Due to the need to maintain a safe environment, please be prepared to show a picture ID when entering the building.

VISITORS AND VOLUNTEERS

All parents, visitors, and volunteers must first stop in the main office. If you wish to visit your child’s classroom, please provide teachers with notification through email, writing, or by phone 24 hours in advance. This notification is a courtesy to teachers and can be helpful in minimizing distractions for students. We respectfully request that you make an appointment in advance if you would like to speak with a teacher, administrator or other staff member. We want to be responsive to your needs, and we must be respectful of instructional time. All parents, visitors and volunteers must wear a visitor's badge. Volunteer information will come home during the first week of school. Please note that the only available door for anyone to enter the building are the main doors. All other doors will be locked throughout the day.

MEDICATION AND HEALTH ROOM

Medication will not be administered in the health room unless: The parent/guardian hand delivers the medication to school. Medication must be properly labeled by a pharmacist and

MCPS Form #525-13 (Authorization to Prescribe Medicine) must be filled out by a Physician and given to the health technician. Form #525-13 is available in the health room. Our health room staff (240-740-0781) will be happy to assist you if you have any questions.

EMERGENCY INFORMATION

New YELLOW EMERGENCY DATA SHEETS will be sent home with your child during the first week of school. It is very important that these sheets be reviewed, completed and immediately returned to school. All parents are encouraged to visit the parent portal online and enter this information electronically.

During the school year, let us know of any changes of address, phone numbers, and/or contact persons. It is important that these forms are always current and correct.

BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS

Birthdays will be recognized on our morning television broadcast. Children will receive a birthday pencil from the main office. In order to encourage healthy eating habits, birthday treats are not permitted at school.

Daily attendance is an important part of your child’s success in school. In the rare instance your child must be absent from school, parents are asked to telephone the main office by 8:45 a.m. to notify the school of the reason. We have an answering machine, so you can leave your child's name, teacher, and the reason for the absence. The child must bring a written explanation of each absence within 3 days upon their return. Parents should keep children at home when a child has a fever, a communicable disease has been diagnosed, or lice nits have been found. After five consecutive days of absence, a physician’s note is required. The new MCPS policy states that after 10 consecutive days of absences your child will be withdrawn. You will be expected to re-enroll and prove residency. Your child will not be guaranteed the same teacher.

Absence Policy

• AM absent, if they arrive more than 2 hours late

• PM absent, if they leave more than 2 hours early

• If they are absent for more than 2 hours during the school day, it’s considered a ½ day absence

• If they are present for less than 2 hours of the entire school day, it’s considered a full day absence

If your address or phone number changes during the school year, please call Ms. Ovalle, our school registrar at 240-740-0780. We also need updated email or cell phone numbers. You may send an email to Ms. Ovalle at Glenda_Y_Ovalle@mcpsmd.org. Updated and correct contact information is important when we need to reach you in case of an emergency. Thank you for your attention to this request.

We believe consistent home school communication is very important. Communication occurs in a variety of ways.

Thursday Folders: Each child will receive a special folder sent home every Thursday. This folder will contain important school and county information, newsletters, homework, graded work, registration information, etc. It is important that you review your child’s folder weekly and clear out the papers.

ClassDojo: We will be using an app/website called ClassDojo to communicate with our students’ families this year! This is where we will send messages, important updates, reminders, and photos! Your child’s teacher will send you something inviting you to join your child’s class online. If you do not have an account, please follow the directions to create an account! It's free and only takes a few minutes. Attached is a help video.

School Web Page: Our school webpage will contain updates of upcoming school events, special activities, information about our school, and direct links to supplemental practice activities for students.

Connect Ed: You will receive a phone call and/or email notifications regarding school events, emergency information, and other important information. It is important that e have current phone numbers and email addresses on file.

Twitter: You can also follow us on Twitter @HHESHuskies to learn about school programs and events.

Synergy: Be sure you have set up your ParentVUE Account to receive important emails and updates.

Synergy is the student information system utilized by MCPS. If you activated your account last year, please log in to review and/or update your contact information.

If you have not yet activated your account, please contact the school so we can send you an activation key. Families who have difficulty activating accounts can contact us at the school or the helpline at (240) 740-0780.

If your contact information, phone number, or email changes during the school year, you can login to ParentVue and update this at any time. Updated and correct contact information is important when we need to reach you in case of an emergency.

ParentVUE Quick Guides for Families:

• English
• Spanish
• Korean
• Chinese
• Amharic
• Portuguese
• French
• Vietnamese

ParentVUE Support Guide

This is a reminder about the policy on Personal Mobile Devices (PMDs). Here is a summary of what this means for HHES:

• PMD refers to any non-MCPS issued device used to send or receive data via voice, video, or text. Mobile phones, e-readers, tablets, personal computers, smart watches, or other devices equipped with microphones, headphones, speakers, and/or cameras are all considered PMDs.
• Students in elementary school are not permitted to use PMDs at any time during school. This includes from the time the student enters the building until the time the student leaves after dismissal.

• If a student has a PMD with them, the student is responsible for ensuring the device is turned off and out of sight while here at Harmony Hills.
• MCPS and Harmony Hills assumes no responsibility or liability for loss, damage, or theft to a device or for the unauthorized use of any personal device.
• If a student is using a PMD that is not authorized, reminders of the policy will be given. After three reminders, the response will move to Level 1.

• Additional information about the response levels can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LocYnurRhCOq_BPSCD7NR0EMjHDVtWhWdevSHFzR8kc/edit?usp=sharing

Please review the MCPS and school calendars for early dismissals and school closings. It is important that you try to avoid scheduling trips during school time. Remember, when scheduling doctor appointments, try to schedule at the beginning or end of the day so that the student can still attend part of the school day. Please stay tuned for additional school events and activities. Below are a few important dates.

Below is the MCPS school calendar. Mark your calendars for early dismissals and school closings. Please stay tuned for additional school events and activities. You can also visit: https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/calendar/FY2024/0952.23_2023-24_TRADITIONAL_SchoolCalendar.pdf

The MCPS calendar in other languages can be found here: https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/calendar/

8/28 First Day of School

9/4 Holiday; School System Closed

9/20 Back to School Night, 6:30-8pm

9/22 Early Release Day

9/25 Non-Instructional Day; No School for Students & Teachers

10/9 Professional Development; No School for Students

11/1 Grading and Planning for the End of the Term; No School for Students

11/20-11/21 Early Release Day

11/22 Systemwide Closure; Schools & Offices Closed

11/23-11/24 Holiday; School System Closed

12/25 Holiday; School System Closed

12/26-12/27 Non-Instructional Day; No School for Students & Teachers

12/28-12/29 Systemwide Closure; Schools & Offices Closed

1/1 Holiday; School System Closed

1/2 Non-Instructional Day; No School for Students & Teachers

1/15 Holiday; School System Closed

1/29 Grading and Planning for the End of the Term; No School for Students

2/19 Holiday; School System Closed

3/1 Early Release Day

3/25-3/26 Non-Instructional Day; No School for Students & Teachers

3/27-3/28 Systemwide Closure; Schools & Offices Closed

3/29 Holiday; School System Closed

4/1 Holiday; School System Closed

4/10 Grading and Planning for the End of the Term; No School for Students

4/22 Professional Development; No School for Students

5/14 Holiday; School System Closed

5/27 Holiday; School System Closed

6/13 Last Day of School; Early Release

6/14 Grading and Planning for the End of the Term; No School for Students