Silver Creek Weekly Newsletter

We look forward to another great week of school. There is no school tomorrow, Monday, February 17, in recognition of Presidents Day.

We had a great Valentine's Dance for our students this past Friday, February 14. Students really enjoyed themselves. Thank you to our SGA and PTSA for all of their hard work to make this a success. Students received their report cards this past Friday, February 14 during their homeroom class. Students who earned Honor Roll and Straight As were given certificates for this recognition as well. We will have town hall meetings this week for all grades to celebrate our successes and reiterate school expectations.

In the newsletter, the section with an * has been updated with new information OR is a new section in the newsletter. Please make sure to review. As always, thank you for your continued partnership.

Let's make it an awesome week, Huskies!

Did you miss the latest Husky news. You may access the link below from Friday, February 14 to hear upcoming news & events Click Link. You can see all of the news links located here.

As we continue to prioritize the safety and well-being of our students, I would like to take a moment to emphasize the importance of riding the school bus safely. Riding the school bus is a privilege extended to our students, offering a means of transportation to and from school. However, with this privilege comes a responsibility to adhere to all safety protocols and rules. It is crucial that all students understand the significance of listening to the bus driver at all times.

The bus driver is not only responsible for safely navigating the roads but also for ensuring the well-being of every passenger on board. By following their instructions promptly and respectfully, we can help maintain a safe and orderly environment for all of our students. As parents/guardians, I urge you to reinforce these principles with your children. Emphasize the importance of respecting the authority of the bus driver and following their directions without hesitation. Additionally, encourage open communication with your children regarding any concerns or questions they may have about bus safety.

Together, we can work towards fostering a culture of safety and responsibility within our school community. By prioritizing these values, we can ensure that every student enjoys a safe and secure journey to and from school each day.

Please review the bus rules and policies located on MCPS website located HERE.

February is Black History Month which is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans. This is a time to recognize their central role in U.S. History and their struggles for freedom and equality.

In recognition of this month, we will draw upon connections with our Middle Years Programme and the lessons in P.A.W.S to underscore our learning with inclusivity, respect, and the appreciation of differences and perspectives. We will also integrate activities and acknowledge notable Black Americans on the morning announcements throughout this month.

Also, coming this month is our Annual Oratorical Contest scheduled for Thursday, February 27, 2025 from 6:30-8:00 PM. This year's theme is: Celebrating Hope, Culture & Community. More information will come out soon.

Now that the first semester of the 2024-2025 school year has concluded, we would like to solicit your feedback. We want to continue to partner with you to ensure your child has the most positive and successful learning experience. Please take a moment to respond to the questions on the SURVEY to help us determine what is working well and what are some suggested improvements/upgrades. Thank you for your time.

At the end of each quarter, students participate in town hall meetings. The purpose of the town hall is to celebrate student successes, hear student voice, and to reinforce school-wide expectations.

The town hall meetings will take place during students' P.A.W.S period on Tuesday, Feb 18 (8th grade), Wednesday, February 19 (6th grade), and Thursday, February 20 (7th grade).

We look forward to this great opportunity for our students.

We will have virtual parent/caregiver grade-level town hall meetings on the dates/times listed below. The parent town hall meetings are informal discussions to provide grade-level specific updates and to share any specific activities and/or programs at Silver Creek. The team leader, counselor(s) and administrators for each grade level will be available during this time. We look forward to seeing you there!

Save the Dates (All meetings will be from 8:30 am - 9:10 am)

Grade 8 - Friday, February 14 (Did you miss the meeting? Recording in Parent/Guardian Handbook).

Grade 7- Monday, February 24

Grade 6- Monday, March 3

Zoom Information Below:

https://mcpsmd.zoom.us/j/88031477899?pwd=OZy4XUAn79fl9qC56S3iIUOIesltEs.1

Meeting ID: 880 3147 7899

Passcode: Husky. Mobile +13017158592

Silver Creek is proud to announce an exciting event for our entire community, Celebrating Hope, Culture & Community in honor of Black History Month on Thursday, February 27th from 6:30-8:00 pm.

Students will perform an original speech, poem, or other creative work, or recite the work of a published author. Families and community members are invited and encouraged to attend to support our student voices. This is a free event and will be held in the SCMS cafeteria. We look forward to seeing you there.

Happy February from the Library Media Center! Check out our new edition of Media Monthly: News & Notes from the Library Media Program

Highlights include Black History Month reads, instructional updates, our annual Oratorical Contest, our new lunchtime virtual author visit program BookBreaks, and much more!

Check out our newsletter for February on Diversity and Inclusion https://secure.smore.com/n/d1e8s

The counselors are offering parent/caregiver toolbox sessions to provide pertinent and helpful information to our families to navigate parenting a middle school child.

• Save the dates: Meetings will be from 7:00 - 8:00 via zoom.
• The dates are January 30, March 20 and May 15, 2025. If you missed the parenting toolbox session on Jan 30th, the slides are posted on the counseling website. Just go to the tab that reads: Parenting Toolbox Session.

• Check out the mental health support tab on our website for some workshops for grieving families put on by Caring Matters. All workshops are on zoom.
• If your family needs help with school supplies, food for the weekend, winter coats or other needs, we would like to help! Please fill out the following form: Sign up for Husky Help 24-25 (google.com)
  
• The HUSKY PANTRY is open. Please make sure to fill out the FORM above to ensure your child has access to these resources.

If you have questions related to registration/enrollment or transcripts, please contact Ms. Susan Levine, resource counselor at Susan_A_Levine@mcpsmd.org

We are excited to provide the opportunity for our 8th grade students to take a field trip to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum on Tuesday, February 25, 2025. Permission slips were sent home with all 8th graders on Friday, January 17 and will need to be returned to English teachers no later than Friday, January 31st. The total cost for the field trip is $10.00.

Chaperones needed: We are looking for parent chaperones for the trip, so if you are able to chaperone, please reach out to Cassandra Jordan (8th grade Team Leader) at Cassandra-Lee_E_Jordan@mcpsmd.org and check the box on the permission slip that you would like to chaperone. All volunteers must complete the online training for parents and guardians, found here.

The Silver Creek Middle School (SCMS) Promotion Ceremony will take place on Tuesday, June 10 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at SCMS outside on the bus loop. We are excited to celebrate and promote all 8th grade students during this special ceremony. Each student will receive two (2) promotion tickets for their family. This also includes siblings (ex: one family with two children in 8th grade will get a total of 4 tickets.).

You may request up to two (2) additional tickets for your child, if available. Please complete google form below to let us know whether you need additional tickets. If there are any additional tickets, these will be given to families through a lottery process. Please complete this form no later than Friday, May 9 so we can plan accordingly. Click here to open the form.

Also, 8th grade students will be attending Six Flags America on Thursday, June 12 as part of their end of the year trip/celebration. More information to follow.

If you have any questions, please email Cassandra Jordan, 8th Grade Team Lead at Cassandra-Lee_E_Jordan@mcpsmd.org, or Justine Pfeiffer, Assistant Principal at Justine_Pfeiffer@mcpsmd.org.

Our 7th grade field trip to Finance Park is coming up on March 10th and 14th. This field trip provides students with an opportunity to apply their newly learned finance skills to a simulation where they interact with bank tellers, store clerks, etc. Our need for volunteers is immense, as we need 17 for each day. It is a great opportunity to create a rich learning opportunity for our students. You can learn more about Finance Park in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71tAtQGmOUc&t=63s

Volunteers Needed: We need volunteers for the two days! We are planning on taking half of our 7th graders on Monday, March 10th, and the other half on Friday, March 14th. We wanted to reach out and request support with recruiting parent volunteers for this event. Volunteers go directly to Thomas Edison High School (12501 Dalewood Drive, Silver Spring, MD 20906) in the morning and go through a short training prior to working with the kids upon our arrival.

• March 10 – Mr. Kavanaugh’s Periods 2 and 6, and Mr. Bascom’s Periods 3, 4 and 7.
• March 14- – Mr. Kavanaugh’s Periods 3, 4 and 7, and Mr. Bascom’s Periods 2 and 6.

If you are interested in volunteering, or have any questions please email the World Studies Content Specialist, Mr. Matthew Myers at Matthew_P_Myers@Mcpsmd.org

Silver Creek Middle School's Multicultural Night Celebration this year will take place on Thursday, April 10 from 6-8 pm. This is an opportunity for our students and families to showcase the cultural diversity that makes our school and community so incredible. This evening will feature food and music from around the world. Moreover, our very own SCMS students will have a chance to share their culture and what it means to them.

We simply cannot do this without the support of our amazing families and students. We are looking for families to help with providing food, showcasing their culture for attendees, and to set up/breakdown the event. If you are interested in participating, please complete this FORM. We will reach out and provide more information about your specific contribution and details about the event.

We are excited to announce that SCMS Yearbooks are on Sale NOW. Ms. Jordan is our Yearbook sponsor this school year. Ms. Jordan and the SCMS Yearbook club have been meeting after school to start designing the 2024-2025 yearbook.

How to Order

• Reserve your copy now. To order online, scan the QR code or go to yearbookforever.com.

Questions? Please email our yearbook sponsor at Cassandra-lee_E_Jordan@mcpsmd.org

Middle School Athletics for the 2024-2025 school year is open to all 7th and 8th grade students. All athletes MUST be registered on ParentVue. Physicals (form SR-8) must be filled out by a medical professional prior to any type of participation. Physicals are valid for up to two years. Copies of the SR-8 form can be found HERE. Practices/Games occur every Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday after school from 3:10-4:30, or later on game days.

Spring Registration: Parent/guardians can register their student-athletes for spring athletics using ParentVue that has already begun. Tryouts for soccer will be held March 18th-20th. Information regarding middle school athletics registration can be found here. Below are some helpful resources to assist parents/guardians with the on-line registration process:

• Complete the Middle School Spring Athletics Online Registration located on ParentVue.
• Click here for helpful tips on accessing the registration form.

If you have questions about our athletics programs or registration, please contact our Athlectic Director, Mr. Sean Brennan at sean_p_brennan@mcpsmd.org

We have a range of after-school activities to choose from. Please click the link below to view our After School Activities Brochure which includes a description of each activity, the staff member who is sponsoring, the location, and the day of the week the activity begins. Please note that some clubs will begin later in the school year.

We ask that students register for their activity so that sponsors are aware of the number of students attending. The registration link is below. Buses will depart Silver Creek at approximately 4:20 p.m. to take students home. Each bus will take students to their regular bus stop or to a stop nearby. You may also choose to pick your child up from their activity. Please pick your child up at the front of the school at 4:20 p.m.

We look forward to seeing your child at one of our great clubs!
Afterschool Activities Brochure

Registration

We are excited to announce our first Middle School Career Fair on Friday, February 28, 2025. This event aims to expose our students to a variety of career paths and inspire their future aspirations.

• We invite parents and guardians to volunteer and share insights about your profession or career. Whether you’re in education, healthcare, technology, arts, trades, or any other field, we’d love to hear from you!
• Your participation will provide valuable knowledge and inspiration to our students as they explore their future possibilities.
• For more information and to sign up, please visit this link.

Thank you for supporting our students and helping make this event a success. Questions, please email Ms. Ashley Rivera at Ashley_C_Rivera@mcpsmd.org or Ms. Meredith Lange at Meredith_A_Lange@mcpsmd.org.

As we begin to enter the colder months, we would like to share with you our Severe Weather to Virtual Learning Plan. MCPS requires each school to have a Severe Weather plan and to communicate it to staff, students and families and then post on the school’s website.

Please see Plan and Schedule linked below:

Severe Weather Plan

Severe Weather Bell Schedule

8th grade families: If your rising 9th grader is interested in B-CC athletics, keep an eye out at https://baronathletics.net for the latest on BCC sports, including summer training opportunities and fall tryouts. Tryouts for MCPS-sponsored fall sports begin on August 13, 2025. Information about club sports like crew, squash, and ultimate frisbee will be shared in the future on the BCC PTSA listserve; those sports are not MCPS-sponsored.

On Feb. 11, Lisa Cline of The SafeTech Workshop gave a presentation to the PTSA on teens and screens. In case you missed it, the slides from Ms. Cline’s presentation, “The Screens Between Us", can be found here: Screens Between Us Presentation/Watermarked 3.15.23

The Montgomery County Council of PTAs (MCCPTA) is considering a resolution that calls for starting middle/high schools no earlier than 8:30 a.m. and elementary schools no earlier than 8:00 a.m. You can find the draft MCCTA resolution on healthy bell times here and an information sheet here. Please e-mail any feedback before February 25 to the PTSA’s MCCPTA delegates, Marissa Murphy (murphyviolin@gmail.com) and Susanna Montezemolo (monteze@gmail.com), who will vote on SCMS’s behalf on the proposal later this month

Our school’s diversity is what makes us so special. In an effort to recognize the many cultures and backgrounds that make up our community, the PTSA Diversity Council will be hosting special recognitions/activities during lunch to celebrate this uniqueness.

On Wednesday, February 19, students will celebrate the Lunar New Year. The Lunar New Year, also known as Chinese New Year or Spring Festival, is a major celebration in China and other Asian countries. It marks the beginning of a new year on the traditional Chinese lunisolar calendar and is typically celebrated with family gatherings, feasts, and various cultural activities. The date of the Lunar New Year varies each year, falling between January 21 and February 20. It is an important holiday that symbolizes the arrival of spring and new beginnings.

To celebrate, PTSA will serve Fortune Cookies and Clementines. Citrus is considered to bring prosperity, good fortune, and health. We look forward to celebrating our school's diversity.

Please see previous events HERE.

At Silver Creek, we continue to instill the values of being a restorative justice school. Restorative Approaches is a mindset and philosophy toward school climate and relationship building. Important components are: Proactively and intentionally developing relationships and building community; and restoring, repairing, or healing the school community when harm has occurred.

The focus is on education, learning from mistakes, identifying and working on the root of the behavior, making deep-level change, repairing relationships, and restoring students and staff to the environment.

The Key Values of Restorative Approaches include:

• Nurturing healthy relationships built on trust
• Fostering mutual respect between individuals
• Feeling a sense of responsibility for your community
• Repairing harm and transforming conflict
• Reintegrating back to your community if harm has been caused

To learn more about RJ at Silver Creek, please see the flyer here.

SCMS is a cell phone-free school. This means that phones are prohibited the entire school day (8:05 - 3:00 PM). Please make sure you and your child review our new cell phone policy to ensure a smooth transition to the school year.

The application is now open for parents and guardians to complete and submit for assistance with the cost of school meals. Families of students who may qualify for free or reduced-price meals can apply for this service. Eligibility is based on family size and gross income. Beginning this year, students in Maryland who qualify for reduced-price meals will not be charged for breakfast or lunch meals.

• Apply here
• Learn more about the program

February 17- No School for students and staff

February 18, 19, 20- Student Town Hall Meetings

February 24- Virtual 7th Grade Parent/Caregiver Town Hall Meeting

February 25- 8th Grade Holocaust Museum Field Trip

February 27- Oratorical Contest- 6:30PM

February 28- Early Release for students; SCMS Career Day; Q3 Interim

March 3 - Virtual 6th grade Parent/Caregiver Town Hall

March 10 & March 14- 7th Grade Finance Park Field Trip

March 28- End of Quarter 3

Link to MCPS Calendar

If a student is going to be absent, the parent/guardian is asked to call the attendance line at 240-740-2201 the morning of the absence. In your message, please include the information listed below:

1. Parent/Guardian name

2. Full name of your student (First & Last); student ID#

3. Date(s)of absence

4. Reason for absence

If you have any questions regarding attendance procedures, parents/guardians can contact our new attendance secretary, Ms. Jennifer Clark, at Jennifer_A_Clark@mcpsmd.org or you may call the main office at 240 740 2200.

Please find our school directory located on our School's Website with important contact information: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/silvercreekms/staff/directory/

Principal: Dr. Tiffany N. Awkard

Assistant Principal: Mrs. Kimberly P. Heidler

Assistant Principal: Ms. Justine Pfeiffer

School Hours: 7:30 am- 4:00 pm

Main Office: 240-740-2200

Registration & Counseling: 240-740-2211
Attendance Line: 240-740-2201

Website: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/silvercreekms/
Location: 3701 Saul Road, Kensington, MD, USA
Phone: 240 740 2200
X: @SCMSDrAwkard