Principal's Message
Dear MHES families and staff,
We are excited for the upcoming week as we continue to work together to support our students' growth and success! Please note the important schedule reminders for this week:
Monday, November 25, and Tuesday, November 26, are early release days. Students will be dismissed at 12:55 PM so that teachers can conduct parent-teacher conferences. If you have not yet heard from your child’s teacher regarding your conference, please reach out to them to confirm your meeting.
School will be closed from Wednesday, November 27, to Friday, November 29, for the Thanksgiving break. We hope this time allows for rest, connection, and reflection with your loved ones. Classes will resume on Monday, December 2, 2024.
We also want to thank all the families who joined us for our Quarter 1 Growth and Achievement Celebration. It was wonderful to see so many of you celebrating our students' hard work and accomplishments! Please take a moment to view the attached PowerPoint highlighting the award recipients. We look forward to recognizing even more students during our Quarter 2 celebration.
As we prepare for the Thanksgiving holiday, we want to extend our warmest wishes for a safe and joyful break. We are grateful for the Meadow Hall community and the partnership we share in supporting our students.
Thank you for your continued partnership. Please see the information below for the week of November 25, 2024.
Desmond Mackall
Principal
Meadow Hall ES
MHES Attendance Update
November attendance letters went home this past week. A student that has missed 10% or more of school is considered chronically absent per MCPS attendance policy. All students over 10% will get an attendance letter sent home monthly to make you aware of how much school your child has missed due to excused and/or unexcused absences. The absent percentage will decrease the more your child does attend school. If your child continues to receive attendance letters monthly and does not show attendance improvements, then there will be additional follow up from your child's teacher and school administration. It is very important to communicate with us when your child is out of school. To let us know your child is absent and to provide written documentation to excuse an absence, please do one of the following:
Email Megan Algeo (megan_k_algeo@mcpsmd.org) and Renifer Mejia (renifer_r_mejia@mcpsmd.org) to let us know that your child is absent and the reason (sick, doctor apt, etc.).
Send in a written note with your child when they return that explains why your child was absent (sick, doctor apt, etc.). It should be turned in with 3 days of the absence and include the date and be signed by the parent/guardian.
Send in a doctor's note from your child's physician.
Complete the Report an Absence online form located on the Meadow Hall ES website: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/meadowhalles/report-an-absence/
If you have any questions about your child's absences, please give our Attendance Secretary, Megan Algeo a call at 240-740-5260 or reach out by email to megan_k_algeo@mcpsmd.org
A Word from Mrs. Jackson: Community School Liaison!
COMMUNITY SCHOOL UPDATES
CSL Bus Stop Tour
I am in the final stretch of the CSL Bus Stop Tour. My goal was to meet families that I may not get the chance to bump into on campus before or after school. Here are the final dates for the tour:
- Denham Road and Gilbert Road 12/6/24
- Grandin Avenue and Woodburn Road 12/13/24
PEP Parenting is coming to MHES!
We will host an 8-week program for parents and caregivers where parents will learn new tools each week; and meet with parents to share ideas and support one another. I am so thrilled for this community building opportunity for our families. Recruitment and registration will begin in December.
MCPS School Year Calendar Part 2
MCPS wants to hear from YOU about preferences for the 25/26 school year calendar. Please use this link to provide feedback about dates for Winter Break and the last day of school for the 25/26 school year: Survey about MCPS Calendar
Community School Parent Survey
Our Community School Family survey is still open! Please take a few minutes to complete the survey so that I know how to best serve your children and family!
MCPS Parent Academy is a Community School program!
Community School Instructional Specialist, Danielle Wilson-Saddler oversees the Parent Academy. Please be sure to look at the upcoming sessions that cover a variety of topics:
Parent Academy Fall 2024. Yours Truly is registered for a few classes this month and next!
How Can I Help YOU?
Please feel free to reach out to me to ask about resources or if you have ideas for events and initiatives that would benefit the community. I am here to serve YOU!
Jessica Jackson, MSW, LCSW-C
Community School Liaison for Meadow Hall Elementary School
Department of Student Engagement and Behavioral Health
Office of Well-Being and Student Services
Cell: 227-216-1193
IG: @meadowhalles_CSL
Twitter/X: @MHES_CSL
A MESSAGE FROM OUR PTA!
Creative Adventures
The Meadow Hall PTA has once again teamed up with Creative Adventures, Inc. art education non-profit to offer after school art classes this winter!
Creative Adventures, Palette of Possibilities: This session kids will design a relief-style composition, draw with repurposed materials, imagine monsters with oil pastels, paint in the folk art style, explore collage & transparency, and create a sculpture out of a very familiar household object. Join the fun!
The art begins after school on December 3, 3:30-5:00 p.m., and runs for six Tuesdays, with a break over the holidays, ending on January 21 (No class on December 24 and 31). Tuition for this class is $200, which includes all supplies. Learn more and register at https://www.artinyou.com/schoolyearclasses
Partial scholarships are available upon request. Please contact the program directly for more information. There is a 10% sibling discount for a second child after one full tuition. Questions? Contact 301.943.4659 or rosana@artinyou.com
Want to get involved in the PTA?
MHES PTA is looking for members to participate on the PTA in various ways. We encourage all families to look at the link below and consider supporting the PTA and getting involved on a committee for the new school year. See the link below:
PTA Committee Volunteer Positions-FY24
Box Tops for Education
Box Tops for Education is a program that gives money to schools for their family’s participation just by purchasing products and scanning the receipt in the Box Tops App. Box Tops earnings are used to fund items for the school and events. If you haven't done so already, Download the Box Tops App on your smartphone using Referral Code WZTM9R7Z. We promise it is a super easy task to get used to. Register and select Meadow Hall as your supporting school. SCAN your receipt with the Box Tops app within 14 days of purchase and EARN cash with every Box Tops product you buy.
Why join the PTA? Among the many, many good reasons, it basically boils down to being a great way to benefit your child, the school, and yourself by being involved in the PTA functions and connecting with other parents and staff. And for those of you who have been members in past years, don’t forget to renew your membership. Memberships are $10 for family and community members (only one membership is needed per family). We are thrilled to get to know everyone and see you all at our meetings and activities!
OTHER MCPS NEWS!
Bells Mill Celebrates Blue Ribbon Award
The National Blue Ribbon Award, presented by the U.S. Department of Education, recognizes schools for outstanding academic performance. Bells Mill Elementary School earned the award in the Exemplary High-Performing Schools category, which highlights institutions with strong achievement across all student groups. Woodfield Elementary School also received the honor and will hold its ceremony in January 2025.
BOE Approves FY 2026 Capital Budget
The Montgomery County Board of Education approved the Superintendent’s Recommended Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Capital Budget and Amendments to the FY 2025–2030 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) during a meeting on Nov. 21.
The CIP lists projects to improve or build new facilities and infrastructure
The superintendent’s recommended FY 2026 Capital Budget totals $1.853 billion. While the budget total does not increase, the district is requesting $21.6 million from Montgomery County to address revenue shortfalls. CIP website
Thanksgiving Week Schedule and Attendance
A reminder that schools will release students early on Monday, Nov. 25, and Tuesday, Nov. 26. It is important for students to attend school on these days and complete their work to stay on track before the holiday break.
Schools and offices will be closed Wednesday, Nov. 27, through Friday, Nov. 29 for the Thanksgiving holiday.
For a full list of important dates and to stay up to date with the school calendar, visit the MCPS School Calendar.
Explore the New Operating Budget Dashboard
MCPS launched a new Budget Dashboard for Fiscal Year 2025 (the current school year), offering a user-friendly and transparent way to explore the $3.3 billion operating budget.
What You Will See
The tool includes search functions and downloadable Excel files, simplifying budget analysis.
Users can compare all three budget phases:
The superintendent’s recommended budget in December.
The Board of Education’s tentatively adopted budget in February.
The adopted budget in June.
Learn More about the budget:
Watch the Previous Budget Forum
Watch the Spanish Budget Forum on Pregúntale a MCPS Live
Don’t miss tonight's budget forum: Nov. 21, 6:30–8 p.m., Clarksburg High School, 22500 Wims Road in Clarksburg.
MCPS Fall Sports County Champions
Congratulations to the following high school teams for their outstanding performances in the 2024 Fall Sports County Championships:
Boys’ Cross Country – Montgomery Blair High School
Girls’ Cross Country – Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School
Cheerleading Division I – Winston Churchill High School
Cheerleading Division II – Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School
Cheerleading Division III – John F. Kennedy High School
Field Hockey – Walt Whitman High School
Golf 3A/4A – Walt Whitman High School
Golf 2A/1A – Damascus High School
Pickleball Co-Champions – Damascus High School & Walter Johnson High School
Boys’ Soccer – Walt Whitman High School
Girls’ Soccer – Walt Whitman High School
Volleyball – Richard Montgomery High School
Girls’ Flag Football – Clarksburg High School
These high school teams showcased exceptional skill, dedication, and sportsmanship throughout the season. To see the pictures of some of the winners visit our website.
Student Opportunities
On-The-Spot Admissions: Several local and regional colleges and universities are offering on-the-spot admissions to MCPS seniors from 3–6 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 3, at Richard Montgomery High School. Attendees will also get FAFSA support and learn about the Montgomery College application process. Richard Montgomery is located at 250 Richard Montgomery Drive in Rockville.
Vision Zero Youth Ambassador Program: The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) is seeking up to 35 high school students to join the Vision Zero Youth Ambassador Program for 2024. The program offers students a chance to influence road safety policies and infrastructure, with selected ambassadors required to attend in-person sessions starting in January. For more information or to apply, visit the MCDOT website.
Choose Respect 2025: Middle and high school students are invited to participate in the Choose Respect competition for a chance to win up to $1,000. To enter, students must create a 60-second video with a message raising awareness about emotional abuse, consent, or how to support a friend facing a difficult situation. Participants can earn SSL hours, and the winning videos will be showcased at RespectFest 2025. The deadline to submit videos is Sunday, Feb. 16. To learn more, visit the website.
KID Museum Programming: The KID Museum is hosting Middle School Maker Night from 5:30-8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 6 at its 3 Bethesda Metro Center location. Register here. Scholarships are available on request.
Stay Connected
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_mdhttps://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
More From MCPS
ParentVUE and other Important Online Resources
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.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.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.
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.
Meadow Hall Principal
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
Meadow Hall Assistant 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