Dear MHES families and staff,

We’re excited to welcome you to another amazing week of learning and growth here at Meadow Hall Elementary! Thank you to everyone who attended Back-to-School Night. We hope it gave you valuable insight into your child’s learning experience for the 2024-2025 school year.

We also appreciate the feedback from those who have shared it with us. If you haven’t had the chance to provide your feedback yet, please take a moment to do so using the links below. The survey will remain open until September 18th.

From September 15th through October 15th, we’ll be celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month! During this time, we’ll provide opportunities for students to explore texts that support our curriculum and highlight the incredible contributions of individuals of Hispanic heritage. Additionally, we’ll share interesting facts during our morning announcements to celebrate these contributions.

As we look ahead, we’re eager to continue partnering with you for an exciting week of learning. Please see the important information below for the week of September 16, 2024.

Let’s make it a great week!

Desmond Mackall

Principal

Meadow Hall ES

Thank you to everyone for taking the time to come out for Back to School Night. We ask that families provide any feedback for us as this will continue to help us meet the needs of everyone as we plan for future events. The survey will remain open until Wednesday September 18, 2024. We thank you all for your input and feedback!

Back to School Night Feedback- English

Back to School Night Feedback- Spanish

September

16- Grade 3 MAP- M (Math) Testing

17-18- Kindergarten MAP-P (Math) Testing

15-21- Community School Liaison Appreciation Week

20-27: MHES Book Fair

26- MHES Ice Cream Social (6-7:30 pm)

27- Early Release Day for Students (12:55 Dismissal for all Students)

26-27- Hearing and Vision Screening (Grades K,1, & 4)

or

Call the main office and Mrs. Algeo or Mrs. Mejia can assist you.

We can provide support in both English and Spanish!

COMMUNITY SCHOOL UPDATES!

Greetings Meadow Hall Families and Staff!

I am so grateful for the warm welcome I have received from the MHES community! The staff, students, parents and caregivers have been so gracious and kind!

There are a few items I want to keep you informed about:

Community Reach Montgomery

A huge thank you to Mrs. Cristina Rechy who has worked with me and Ms. Cecelia Rojas, Language Outreach for Community Reach Montgomery, to bring English Conversation Classes to Meadow Hall this fall. The classes will be held on Monday and Wednesday 6:30-8:30 PM in the Media Center. While parents and caregivers participate in the classes, their K-5 student will be invited for tutoring sessions led by students from Rockville High School. The program will begin on October 7, 2024 and will run through November 6, 2024. Please contact Ms. Rechy at cristinarechy@hotmail.com for more information.

CSL Bus Stop Meetup!

On Fridays through December 13, 2025, I will visit MHES school bus stops to say “hello,” and get to know families that I may not get the chance to bump into on campus before or after school. The schedule is as follows:

• Reading Avenue and Joseph Street 9/6/24 and 10/25/24

• Grandin Avenue and Reading Avenue 9/13/24 and 11/1/24

• Scott Avenue and Edmonston Drive 9/20/24 and 11/8/24

• Edmonston Drive and Gilbert Road 9/27/24 and 11/15/24

• Denham Road and Gilbert Road 10/11/24 and 12/6/24

• Grandin Avenue and Woodburn Road 10/18/24 and 12/13/24

MSI Soccer at Recess

On Friday, September 20, 2024, MSI will host a promotional session of MSI at Recess for 1st-5th grade Meadow Hall students. Your child will come home with a QR code that you can use to register for the program going forward. You can also pre-register for this FREE program by visiting MSI @ Recess or use the QR code below.

MANNA Smart Sacks

Thank you for returning the permission slips and completing the google survey sent out for MANNA Smart Sacks! On September 12, 2024, students from Watkins Mill High School boarded a school bus to deliver our first batch!. The sacks were sent home with students on September 13, 2024. Please note that there has been a huge demand for the weekend sacks, so I am working with MANNA to get MHES paired with a community partner that can meet our needs consistently going forward. This may result in us having to skip a week of distribution later this month.

Fifth graders have been invited to sign up for shifts to deliver Smart Sacks to classrooms during recess on Fridays. Thank you to fifth graders Ana, Hiyori, Maya and Wendy who have volunteered to deliver them to classrooms on week one!

Josie’s Closet

Meadow Hall received a donation of NEW pants, socks, and underwear for emergency use from our Community Partner, Josie’s Closet! Josie’s Closet was established to positively impact children experiencing clothing insecurity. The clothing will be used in the Nurse’s office!

Thank you to Support Professional, Maryann Holmes, for bringing the need for emergency clothing to my attention!

Fresh Produce Distribution

Small Things Matter will provide 50 families with fresh produce on the first and third Friday of the month beginning on Friday, October 4, 2024. The Produce will be distributed at dismissal on a first come first serve basis. Please contact me directly at jessica_e_jackson@mcpsmd.org should you have a significant need for the food and are not able to make it to the school for distribution at dismissal.

I will be sure to send out more updates next month! Should you have any questions before then, please don’t hesitate to contact me!

Sincerely,

Jessica Jackson, MSW, LCSW-C

Community School Liaison for Meadow Hall ES

Department of Student Engagement and Behavioral Health

Office of Well-Being and Student Services

Jessica_e_Jackson@mcpsmd.org

Cell/Whatsapp: 227-216-1193

IG: @meadowhalles_CSL

Twitter/X: @MHES_CSL

This year marks our first year as a community school, and we have been fortunate to welcome the amazing Mrs. Jessica Jackson, MSW, LCSW-C, as our Community School Liaison. The Meadow Hall community is deeply grateful for the commitment, care, and passion she has brought to our school and the larger community. Though she has only been with us for a few short months, her impact has already been profound. For this, we are truly thankful!

This week, during Community School Liaison Appreciation Week, we will be taking time to recognize Mrs. Jackson for all that she has done and continues to do. Feel free to join us in showing appreciation! Want to know how you can make Mrs. Jackson’s day? Click the link below for more details.

How to make Mrs. Jackson's Day!

Thank you, Mrs. Jackson! The MHES community is so grateful to have you with us!

Right to Request

Our school is fortunate to receive supplemental funding through Title I, a federal grant program for schools that serve communities with students who have high economic needs. The federal legislation that establishes Title I regulations is known as the Every Students Succeeds Act of 2015 or ESSA for short. ESSA requires the Montgomery County Public Schools to inform you that you have the right to request information about the professional certification qualifications of your child's teacher, substitute teacher, or paraeducator.

Families whose children attend a title 1 school have a right to request certification information about your child's teacher, paraeducator, or long-term substitute teacher, please submit a written request to the principal at your school. Your written request may include information about the following qualifications:

• Degree status and subject area of certification

• State of Maryland certification status, including conditional certification status

• Qualifications of paraeducators or long-term substitute teachers who may be working with your student

Your request will be forwarded to the Office of Human Resources, and you will receive a written response from them within 30 business days. Please reach out to the principal if you have any questions at Desmond_Mackall2@mcpsmd.org.

Family Engagement Committee Volunteers Needed!

We are seeking dedicated volunteers to join our Family Engagement Committee! This year, we are looking for a diverse group of stakeholders who are passionate about supporting our school community. The committee will meet 4-6 times throughout the year to help plan and implement Title I-required parent engagement meetings and outreach efforts that align with our school improvement plan and the unique needs of Meadow Hall. Your voice and ideas are invaluable in ensuring our community thrives. If you're interested in making a positive impact, please consider joining us!

Family Engagement Committee Volunteer Sign Up

September 17th, Taco Bamba Dine Out: Stop by and pick up some delicious food and help support MHES! Please remember your flier which was sent home with students and mention Meadow Hall Dine Out!

September 20th-27th, Meadow Hall Scholastic Book Fair: Get Ready! The Spring Scholastic Book Fair starts Friday, September 20th. Choosing their own books empowers kids and inspires them to become Bolder, Prouder, and Stronger Readers. AND—as always—every book they buy earns rewards for our school. The fair will take place from Friday, September 20th - Friday, September 27th in Meadow Hall’s Media Center. Students will be able to come to the book fair during the school day if they have funds and permission from their teacher(s) and each class will make a visit to the fair. Also, the fair will be open to the Meadow Hall community after school until 4 p.m. Please consider volunteering to help make this year's book fair, we especially need adult volunteers for the cash registers during the Ice Cream Social. You can sign-up here.

September 26th, Ice Cream Social: Join us and celebrate back to school at the Ice Cream Social. PTA members get one free ice cream. Also check out the books at Book Fair which will be open for the event. If you want to help the event please check out this link.

September 12-29th: Big Learning is back this fall with after school science classes featuring the physics of color and light. The six-week program is $85 for Meadow Hall students. Learn more at Online Registration (asapconnected.com) (K-2) or Online Registration (asapconnected.com) (3-5).

If you have not joined the PTA this year, please consider joining. You can join online here. Membership costs $10.00 for the year and helps support our community events.

If you are interested in joining a committee or just helping out at one of the events please contact info@mhespta.org and let us know how you would like to be involved!

September 17th, Taco Bamba Dine Out: Stop by and pick up some delicious food and help support MHES! Please remember your flier which was sent home with students and mention Meadow Hall ES Dine Out! 20% of funds raised go to our PTA to help support school initiatives. We thank you all for your support in advance!

In accordance with Maryland State Law students in Montgomery County Public Schools are screened for possible vision and hearing problems. Trained hearing and vision screeners will be screening students new to MCPS, students in Grade (s) _K, 1, and 4_, and students referred by teachers because of possible signs of hearing or vision problems. The screeners will be at Meadow Hall on September 26 and 27.

Children who do not see clearly or are unable to hear what their teacher and classmates are

saying have a harder time learning at school. You will receive a referral form, via US mail, to take to your child’s doctor if your child fails the screening. If your child is already under care for a hearing or vision problem, or you do not wish your child to be screened at school because of conflicts with your religious beliefs, please notify the school nurse in writing. If your child wears glasses or contacts, they should wear them every day and bring them to the screening.

School based vision screenings may not detect every vision problem. To learn more about

possible vision problems and symptoms or health conditions that may require additional

evaluation go to Montgomery County Government’s website at this link:

https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/HHS-Program/PHS/SchoolHealth/HearingVision.html

Contact your school’s nurse if you have questions about your child’s screening.

Make Plans to Join Us!
As part of Superintendent Thomas Taylor’s entry plan, he will be meeting with as many stakeholders as possible to learn more about the Montgomery County community. Part of this includes upcoming listening sessions at four schools. Save the date for one of these sessions:

• Monday, Sept. 16, Poolesville High School, 17501 West Willard Road, Poolesville, 7–8 p.m.

• Wednesday, Sept. 18, (Updated Location) Rockville High School, 2100 Baltimore Road, Rockville, 7–8 p.m.

• Monday, Sept. 23, Montgomery Blair High School, 51 University Blvd. East, Silver Spring, 7–8 p.m.

• Monday, Oct. 21, Paint Branch High School, 14121 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville, 7–8 p.m.

Interpretation services will be available in Spanish at each event.
The upcoming community engagement session will allow parents, students, staff, and community members to share their input on two key questions regarding the district's operations and academics.

• Regarding operations, what is working well in the district and what needs attention?

• Regarding academics, what should be done differently to improve student academic results?

Attendees will have the opportunity to voice feedback verbally during the session. Those who prefer to submit feedback digitally can do so on this Google form.

Summer SSL Hours Due by Sept. 27
Students who completed Student Service Learning (SSL) hours over the summer must submit their Activity Verification forms to their schools SSL coordinator by Friday, Sept. 27.
All MCPS students must earn 75 SSL hours to graduate from high school. Students who enroll in MCPS after Grade 6 will receive a waiver that prorates the SSL requirement.
A full list of SSL in-person and virtual opportunities, reminders and updates are available on the SSL website.

School Menus Now Available for All Grades in All Languages
Updated school menus for 2024–2025 are now available for all grades—from PreK/Head Start through high school. The menus, which include student picks and vegetarian options, are available in English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Portuguese, Korean, Vietnamese and Amharic.
In addition, the Free and Reduced-price Meals (FARMS) application is available for this school year. Families must reapply every year to determine whether they are eligible for the FARMS program, even if their child qualified the previous year. Students/families can request a paper application at any school, but processing is faster online.
Updated Timeline for Blended Learning Program for Long-Term Medically Impacted Students
MCPS is moving forward with its timeline for establishing a new Blended Learning Program for Long-Term Medically Impacted Students. This program will provide consistent and comprehensive educational services in both synchronous and asynchronous virtual environments to students with medical conditions who, as identified by a licensed medical professional, cannot be served in an in-person school environment for up to one year.
An application for the program will be available online starting Oct. 1, 2024, and the program will officially launch on Nov. 6, 2024. As the development process continues, more detailed information about the program's logistics will be communicated.

Remind App Now Available in All Schools
Remind is a messaging platform that has been implemented in all schools this year for communication among MCPS schools, teachers, students and parents. School staff, central office staff, students and parents all have Remind accounts to enable them to send and/or receive messages using a preferred mode of communication, such as text message, email or phone call in their preferred language.
Parents don’t have to sign up for Remind or download an app to receive messages. Messages will be sent to the email and phone number registered with the school, and parents will automatically receive messages when they are sent. If parents wish to respond to a message, they will need to download the app or create an account on the website. See below for information on how to download the app.
YouTube video on how to use Remind
Parent Quick Guides
English, Spanish, French, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Portuguese, Amharic

Job Fair for Bus Drivers Set for Sept. 17
MCPS is hosting a job fair for bus drivers from 10 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, Sept. 17. The fair will be held at the Shady Grove Transportation Depot, 16651 Crabbs Branch Way in Rockville.
To become a bus driver, the minimum qualifications are:

• Must be at least 21 years old.

• Have a clean driving history; no more than one point on driver’s license.

• Have at least three years of driving experience, with at least one year driving in the U.S.

• Meet all pre-service training and testing requirements.

Interested candidates are asked to create a profile on the MCPS Careers portal. They can also receive help with this during the event. For more information, call 240-740-6080.

Student Leadership and SSL Opportunities
The following leadership and extracurricular opportunities are available to students. Some also provide Student Service Learning (SSL) hours. All MCPS students must earn 75 SSL hours to graduate from high school.

For middle and high school students: The Association for Safe International Road Travel and the Montgomery County Regional Student Government Association are hosting a competition centered on road safety and how to keep students and others safe on the roads. Participants who submit a public service announcement (PSA) that meets contest requirements will earn 10 SSL hours and have a chance to win Amazon gift cards. Entries are due Sunday, Oct. 6. Learn more.
Open to high school girls: Girls With Impact is offering a free, 10-week course on business and leadership. This program offers online courses with trained coaches who hold MBAs. Learn more and register by 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4.

In Case You Missed It …

Earlier this week, three Title I schools in MCPS participated in the district's first Reading & Robes initiative, where Maryland state judges read aloud culturally diverse books with themes of justice and fairness to students. Check it out.

• VISIT the MCPS homepage.

• CALL 240-740-3000. Staff take calls from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, in English and Spanish (240-740-2845)

• READ news and information sent via email and text message and on the MCPS News page.

• FOLLOW the MCPS social media pages on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram in English and Spanish.

• http://twitter.com/mcps
  https://www.facebook.com/mcpsmd
  https://www.instagram.com/mcps_md

• https://www.facebook.com/mcpsespanol
  https://twitter.com/MCPSEspanol
  https://www.instagram.com/mcpsenespanol/

• SIGN UP for emails and text alerts and make sure your ParentVue information is up to date.

• WATCH the MCPS cable channels Comcast 34 (1071 HD), Verizon 36 or RCN 89
  
  
  Open Registrations

• Prekindergarten and Head Start Registration Open for Income-Eligible Families

More From MCPS

• School calendar

• Parent resource page

• News and Information page/(Noticias en Español)

• Latest photo galleries

• MCPS TV videos

• MCPS TV español

1. Sign Up For ParentVUE to Stay in Touch With Your School
   Families new to MCPS are encouraged to sign up for a ParentVUE account at the beginning of the school year. ParentVUE is the online parent portal that serves as the primary communication vehicle for schools to share information regarding grades, attendance, scheduling, access to myMCPS Classroom, and more.
   ParentVUE provides a way to view school-related information and data for students. Register for athletics, and special programs, communicate with teachers, and verify your student information annually.
   ParentVUE also allows access to Canvas/MyMCPSClassroom, a digital learning platform. Parents and guardians can view instructional information and resources, and get alerts about assignments and grades.

2. Sign up for Alert MCPS
   Alert MCPS provides emergency information about school closures or emergencies via text or email messages to devices you register. Sign up here.

3. Know These Important System Resources A. GoFan: This online digital ticketing platform offers fast and easy access to tickets for high school events, and allows fans to enter games quickly and safely. For ticketed sports, tickets are no longer sold at the gate and must be purchased online. B. SchoolCash Online: https://www.schoolcashonline.com MCPS has transitioned to this online payment system as its preferred method of payment for all school-related fees. Schools and offices will now use SchoolCash Online for fundraising, field trips, course fees and extracurricular activities. This new payment system is not related to school cafeteria accounts.

1. MySchoolBucks:Use MySchoolBucks to add school meal money to your child’s account. This will eliminate the need for your child to bring money to school every day. This year, meals (lunch and breakfast) will not be universally free. If your student wants to buy lunch in school, they will need a MySchoolBucks account. Families who believe they qualify for free and reduced-price meals can apply here.

REMIND will be our school-wide system for easy home-school messaging and communication. We use it to keep families informed of events, announcements, weekly newsletters from your child's teacher, and more. It also allows families to read messages in their preferred language. Please make sure your email and phone number are updated in ParentVUE as this will allow instant access to your child's teacher via REMIND. You can download the Remind app on your phone for instant communication. We will provide technical support to assist with this in the media center during our Back to School Night (Sept. 10th)!

Email: Desmond_Mackall2@mcpsmd.org
Website: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/meadowhalles/
Location: 951 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville, MD, USA
Phone: 240-740-5260
Twitter: @MHES_Principal

Email: Ilana_N_Simhon@mcpsmd.org
Website: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/meadowhalles/
Location: 951 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville, MD, USA
Phone: 240-740-5260
Twitter: @MeadowHallAP