Chris Robertson, Principal

Gillian Jablonski, Assistant Principal

Danielle Jones, Administrative Secretary

Candice D’rozario, Attendance Secretary

Office Hours

8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

14516 Nadine Drive

Rockville, MD 20853

Main Office: 240-740-3260

Staff Hours

Students Enter the Building/Breakfast

Instructional Hours

Early Dismissal Time

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org//siteassets/district/calendar/2024/2024-calendar.pdf

Safety for our students at Lucy V. Barnsley Elementary is a high priority. In order to provide a safe environment for our students, staff, and community members, we are asking families who drop off and pick up students to avoid the area dedicated to bus loading and unloading. Please see the traffic flow map below for more information. This area is along Nadine Drive. Parents should NOT PARK along NADINE DRIVE and walk across the bus loop, pick up, or drop off students. All students who are dropped off and/or picked up by a vehicle should use the drop off area in the car loop near the gymnasium. Walkers and bus riders should enter the building using the main doors on Nadine Drive. We also want to remind and emphasize to pedestrians the importance of using the school crosswalks.

Changes to child dismissal: If for whatever reason you are changing how your child is getting home on a given day (for example: if they will walk to a friend’s house instead of taking the bus as normal), please notify Ms. D'rozario via email no later than 3:00 pm. In addition, please send a note with your child to their teacher that day explaining the change.

ARRIVAL:

As we continue to maintain safety as a high priority we want to inform you of our morning arrival procedures. The school’s main doors will open at 9:10 am. PLEASE NOTE: Staff will be available to supervise and assist students beginning at 9:05. Please be aware that we will not have adult supervision for your child prior to that time. Car Riders enter the building through the doors near the gymnasium entrance.

• All walkers and bus riders will enter through the main doors. All students will make their way to their classrooms. Although students like to visit former teachers and other staff at this time, we are requesting that they report directly to class to avoid being marked tardy or absent.

DISMISSAL:

Our dismissal begins at 3:50 PM.

• WALKERS: All walkers will exit through the main doors. Parents can wait at the bottom of the main set of stairs for students. Students who walk to school should be instructed by their parents or guardians to use a walking route that ensures safety. Students will NOT be allowed to walk home alone without written consent from their parents/guardians. If you wish to have your child walk home by themselves, please contact the main office. PLEASE NOTE: Our kindergarten walkers are dismissed before the other walkers in the building. They will be escorted outside by one or more staff members. Staff members will ensure they see parents before allowing students to leave.

• CAR RIDERS will be dismissed from the gym door. For safety and security reasons, we use a car number system. ALL car riders (including those that have registered previously) will need to complete a ‘Car Rider Registration’ form in order to receive a number. For those families who already have a number, we will utilize the same number this year; however, we need confirmation that you are still a car rider or your number will be repurposed and given to another family. Families are encouraged to fill out the car rider registration if there is ever a chance that a student will be picked up in the car rider line. Once received the number should be displayed in the front window of your car. Students are dismissed when their car arrives and the number is called. Please wait patiently to ensure a safe dismissal. In addition, students will not be permitted to get into a car with a neighbor/friend unless we have prior notification from a parent/guardian about the dismissal change. Please see the Car Rider Registration attached or on our website for more information.

• ALL BUS RIDERS are dismissed from their classrooms. A schedule of bus stops is posted on our school website, and can be found in the “Back to School Information” section, under Transportation. Students must remember that riding the bus is a privilege, and that they must follow the rules and directions of the bus driver at all times. Students who are reported as being disobedient or misbehaving on the bus may be suspended from riding temporarily or permanently, in which case the student’s parent or guardian will be responsible for arranging other transportation.

• RIDING A BICYCLE: Students riding bicycles should be reminded to wear helmets, watch out for cars and pedestrians, and to exercise caution at all times. Students are not allowed to ride their bikes on the blacktop or sidewalk in front of the building during arrival or dismissal, and must walk their bicycle to the racks that are available to lock them. The school is not responsible for stolen or damaged bicycles.

Please read this important information from the MCPS Department of Transportation

These routes do not includes our 2E, DHOH, or CES routes.

CAFETERIA NEWS Meal prices: Breakfast- FREE; Lunch—$2.55 (Elementary), $2.80 (Middle and High) FREE AND REDUCED-PRICE MEAL APPLICATIONS Apply online NOW so that benefits will be in place when school starts! Families who meet certain federal income standards are eligible for free or reduced-price meal benefits. All children use their MCPS ID number at the register so confidentiality is maintained and no child is overtly identified as receiving free or reduced-price meals. Only one application is needed for all students in a household. A new application must be completed for any family requesting assistance this school year. The online application is now open for families to submit applications. www.MySchoolApps.com For more information and How-To videos, visit the Food Services website: www.montgomeryschools.org/departments/food-and-nutrition/meal-payments/#FARMS

Students can pay for lunch using their school meals account. To add money to your child’s account, please visit myschoolbucks.com. Students will need to know their ID # in order to use their account (this is the same number they use when logging into their Chromebooks).

In the morning, ALL students can eat breakfast for FREE in their classrooms starting at 9:10 am. For lunch, students may bring their own lunch from home or buy a school lunch. Students with specific food allergies will have a separate table at lunch, and are allowed to invite friends to join them so long as they have a school lunch.

English

Spanish

Montgomery County Public Schools policy on the attendance of students states, “A student is counted present for a full day if a student is absent no more than one hour of the school day. A student is counted absent for a full day if the student is present for 1 hour or less of the school day. A student is credited with one half-day attendance if the student is present more than one hour of the school day and is absent more than one half of the school day.”

• If your child is absent, email (candice_r_d'rozario@mcpsmd.org) the school office by 9:30 a.m. to report your child's absence. For your convenience, we also have an electronic form on our website for you to record absences.

• If a child is absent and we have not heard from the family we will be calling to verify the absence and reason.

• A written explanation of each absence is required from the parent/guardian/eligible student within three days of the student’s return to school. “Eligible student” is defined in MCPS Regulation JEA-RB, Enrollment of Students. In addition, requests for late arrivals or early dismissals must be authorized by the parent/guardian.

Note: Students need to bring a note to school if there is any change in the bus that they will be riding or how they will get home at the end of the day. Students are NOT allowed to come to the office or ask their teachers to make a phone call to create plans or playdates. These need to be determined prior to the start of the school day. Your cooperation will help ensure your child's safety!

In order to build good study habits, practice, and routines, literacy and mathematics homework will be provided to families based on skills taught in the classroom. The time allotted for homework varies between grade levels. MCPS policy states homework is not taken as a grade at the elementary school level.

Personal items left behind will be placed in the Lost & Found. Periodically throughout the year, unclaimed items will be removed. Lucy V. Barnsley is not responsible for any personal items that are lost or damaged at school, so students are discouraged from bringing anything that they are afraid to lose.

Mobile phones, e-readers, tablets, personal computers, smart watches, or other devices equipped with microphones, speakers and/or cameras, and other similar non-MCPS issued devices are considered personal mobile devices (PMDs) and are subject to MCPS Regulation COG-RA, Personal Mobile Devices and MCPS Regulation IGT-RA Responsibilities for Computer Systems, Electronic Systems.

Students may use Personal Mobile Devices (such as smartphones or smartwatches) before or after the school day. Students are not permitted to use PMDs during instructional periods, lunch, or during transitional time. Students are responsible for ensuring that their PMDs are turned off and kept out of sight and away. Staff cannot be responsible for checking the settings or capabilities of these PMDs. These need to be powered off and placed out of sight until the end of the school day. If your child has a PMD please do not use it as the primary mode of communication to make or update dismissal plans. It is critical that this information is exchanged between parents and school staff. Please note staff cannot be responsible for phones if lost or stolen.

Any students who wish to have a phone or watch should fill out the Electronic Device Authorization Form contract with their parents. Failure to adhere to this policy will result in students’ loss of privilege to have a phone/watch.

To preserve our focus on instruction and to address the growing concern with student allergies, the school Birthday Celebration policy is as follows: Each child’s name will be announced during our morning announcements and be asked to come to the main off to receive a birthday pencil on his/her birthday (summer birthdays as well). No food or beverages should be sent or brought to school to be shared with the class.

**PERSONAL BIRTHDAY INVITATIONS SHOULD NOT BE DISTRIBUTED IN SCHOOL!

Parents are welcome to visit the school throughout the year. To provide for the safety of the students and to avoid disruption of instructional activities, all visitors must check in at the main office when they arrive. Classroom visits are to be arranged at least 24 hours in advance with the teachers and typically are 30 minutes in length. All visitors must wear visitor/volunteer badges.

Grade level teams plan various field trips/experiences during the school year. All field trips are held during school hours. The number of field trips per year and locations of field trips may vary depending upon the grade level. Some of these field trips are in house, while others require the use of MCPS transportation and are out of school. Notification for field trips will be sent out 2-3 weeks prior to the trip. We do not allow students to purchase souvenirs on field trips because it creates an inequity and is not part of the field trip experience. If you chaperone, we ask that you cooperate with this school wide expectation. In addition, please notify your child's teacher if you need lunch provided from the school on the day of the field trip. All families will need to set-up a school cash online account for payment. Please visit this website for more information: https://mcpsmd.schoolcashonline.com/

For more information regarding the opportunity to chaperone, please see the Parent and Community Volunteers Section of the Handbook.

As part of our School Emergency Plan, students and staff at Barnsley will practice safety drills throughout the year to prepare for potential emergencies. These will include drills for shelter, lockdown, severe weather, and a minimum of five fire drills.

Shelter is a term used in an emergency at an MCPS facility that requires all students to be accounted for and under supervision. A Shelter situation could be called in the event of severe weather, hazardous material release, or an increase in security due to an incident in the community. Students, staff, and visitors would be alerted by an announcement via the intercom system that a Shelter situation was in effect. All emergency team members would report to the office while students either remained in or reported to their classrooms. Attendance would be taken immediately to account for all students. An announcement would be made notifying everyone that the Shelter situation has ended.

Lockdown is a term used at an MCPS facility when an immediate lockdown of classroom and other doors is warranted. A Lockdown would be called in the event that someone either near or in the school building posed an immediate threat to students or staff. Similar to a Shelter situation, students, staff, and visitors would be alerted by an announcement via the intercom system that a Lockdown was in effect. All students would either remain in or report to their classrooms or the nearest securable location. In the event of a Lockdown all window blinds would be drawn, lights turned off, and silence maintained. Following the Lockdown, an announcement would be made notifying everyone that the Lockdown has ended and attendance would be taken and submitted to the office.

Severe weather (such as a tornado in the area) would require all classes to move to their severe weather shelter area inside the main building, where students would be instructed to perform the weather safe position and wait for further instructions. An announcement would be made on the intercom system informing all classrooms to move to their severe weather locations, and emergency team members would then circulate the building to make sure all students and staff were safe. Parents will not be able to pick up their children until the severe weather has passed, and any parents or volunteers in the building during severe weather will also need to take shelter.

Fire drills will be completed a minimum of five times during the school year. They will be announced at the beginning of the year to make sure classes have reviewed the procedures with our students (especially those in kindergarten and first grade), and may transition to unannounced later in the year. When the fire alarm is sounded, teachers will line up their classes and lead them out of the building to their evacuation zone (which will be at least 50 feet away from the building). Once there, teachers will confirm that all of their students are present.

Barnsley has an outstanding group of responsible fifth grade students serving as safety patrols, whose primary task is to keep our students safe. Some safety patrols will be assigned morning duty to assist with student arrival, while others will be assigned afternoon duty. For patrols who are walkers or car riders, morning duty begins at 9:00. Bus patrols will be on duty at their designated bus stops and on the bus in the morning. Afternoon duty will begin at 3:45 for car riders and walkers. Bus patrols will begin their afternoon duty once they board their buses. Parents should impress upon their children the importance of following directions from patrols. For any questions/concerns regarding patrols please contact our sponsors Mrs. Jayne or Ms. Riley.

To maintain the safety and security of our building, all outside doors will be locked after 9:25 am each day. Access to the building during the school day will be through the main entrance only by pressing the buzzer. All parents and other visitors must first report to the main office and show a driver’s license or other personal identification to receive a visitor’s sticker for their visit. For large events, we may ask families to pre-register in order to avoid crowds while signing into the building. If any suspicious activity is observed after school hours, please contact the Montgomery County Police via the non-emergency number at 301-279-8000.

Morning announcements will be provided over the intercom system at the start of every school day (generally 9:25 am). All students are expected to be quiet during the announcements so that everyone can hear. The announcements will include the Pledge of Allegiance, updates for the day (including lunch choices and school activities/events).

The majority of the school day will be spent on classroom instruction. Students in our neighborhood classes will spend time learning literacy and mathematics every day. All of our students, including those in special programs, will use Eureka Math as our math curriculum. Our neighborhood students use CKLA as our literacy curriculum. Select students in Grades 4 and 5 will have the opportunity to use the Enriched Literacy Curriculum. The Center for Enriched Studies program has a separate literacy curriculum. These lessons will often include whole group instruction as well as small groups to provide more individualized support. Enrichment opportunities will be provided regularly for students that quickly demonstrate mastery of the content, while interventions will be provided for students in need of additional help. Science and Social Studies content will also be implemented during our instructional blocks or integrated into other curriculum areas.

MCPS Elementary Report Cards, aligned with MCPS Curriculum and State Standards, provide parents/guardians with an accurate assessment of their child's progress throughout the school year.

• All report cards are posted in ParentVUE. Please note, if parents/guardians have an active account, they will not receive a mailed copy. If parents/guardians do not have an active account, they will receive a mailed copy. If you would like more information on ParentVUE, please click HERE.

• For more information on K-5 report cards and the grading and reporting process, please click HERE to visit the MCPS website.

All students will participate in one special class per day three days per week. These include Art, Music, and Physical Education and each will be taught by a dedicated specials teacher. The length of the special classes will vary depending upon the grade level. Students also have the opportunity to have a media special block every other week. Students in the 4th or 5th grade who play an instrument will also be able to sign up for instrumental music, in which participating students will be pulled from class once per week. More information about chorus will be shared closer to the beginning of the school year.

Students will have lunch every day at school and recess during every full day. Recess will be outdoors when the weather is appropriate, and indoors when it’s raining or very cold. On days that are chilly, please be sure to send your child to school bundled up, as we try to get our students outside at least once per day. When outdoors, students will generally be able to play on the playground, blacktop, basketball courts, and the upper field.

Those students who have a considerably early/late lunch scheduled in grades K-5 may be allowed to eat a “working snack” while they are focused on an assignment or activity. This is a team decision based on their schedule and will be communicated with families as needed. The snack should be able to be opened by the student independently, should not need utensils, and should not be prone to spills. It should also be able to be consumed in five minutes or less. If some students in your child’s class have severe food allergies, your teacher will provide specific snack guidelines. Students who may need a snack due to medical reasons will be considered on a case-by-case basis, and their teacher will need to be contacted. If providing a snack is a financial burden, please notify your teacher as well.

Here are some suggestions for quick, healthy, nut-free snacks: Apples, bananas, carrots, cheese sticks, Triscuits, popcorn, or dried fruit.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES: Teachers will provide parents with a list of suggested school supplies that their child will need for their grade level. These are also located on our school website. If purchasing these items is a financial burden, please notify the teacher. Students will be encouraged to organize and clean out their notebook or binder regularly, as well as their desk and/or cubby.

MCPS CHROMEBOOKS:

ALL Chromebooks will stay in carts at school. It is important that students remember they must use their Chromebooks responsibly and respectfully, and any failure to do so may result in them temporarily losing their Chromebook privileges.

Each student is financially responsible for damage caused or loss of any Chromebook and charger that is checked out to the student. The device is loaned to the student to be used for instructional purposes only and in accordance with MCPS Regulation IGT-RA, User Responsibilities for Computer Systems, Electronic Information, and Network Security. No cost is associated for a student to borrow, possess, or use an MCPS Chromebook. A family is only financially responsible when there is avoidable damage to the device. If the device is faulty, there is no charge to the family; however, if the damage is considered avoidable or the device or charger is lost, the family will be charged according to MCPS current parts and replacement costs.

It is State law that school children be immunized and that parents must have proof have of the following shots:

• DPT (Diphtheria, Pertussis, Tetanus): 3 or 4 doses required

• OPV (Oral or Injectable Polio Vaccine): 3 doses required

• MMR (Measles [Rubeola]; Mumps, Rubella [German Measles]): 2 doses required

• Varicella (Chickenpox): 2 doses required

• Hepatitis B: 3 doses required

The Annotated Code of Maryland (10.06.04.03) states that all Maryland students who are new to MCPS, as well as those entering Grade 7, are required to provide documentation that they have received the required vaccinations at the appropriate interval in order to attend school. This applies to students who are new to Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) entering Prekindergarten, Kindergarten, Grade 7, or who are transferring from another school district at any grade level. Maryland State law requires that in order to attend preschool programs or schools, students must receive vaccinations on a schedule determined by the Center for Disease Control. Students may be exempted from these requirements if a healthcare provider states that the vaccinations are medically contraindicated, or for religious objections. Maryland State law requires that families provide proof of vaccinations within 20 days of the first day of school. Please see the link below or our school website for more information.

No medication will be administered in school without the parent's/guardian's written permission and a physician's statement. Medication forms are available in the school office and are required for each episode of illness and for each medication. If you have any questions, call our office to speak to our health technician, Ronchelle Lathers, or contact her at ronchelle_s_lathers@mcpsmd.org. The parent/guardian must hand-deliver the unopened medication, properly labeled by a pharmacist, and the completed MCPS Form 525-13 to the school principal or designee in the school office. Marley Kalter (nurse) and Ronchelle Lathers (Health Tech) will maintain and oversee the administration of all medicines at Barnsley.

If your child has any severe food allergies, please call our Health Technician, Ms. Lathers, to inform her at 240-740-4392. The nine major food allergens identified in Maryland Education Code 7-426 (2023) include:

• Milk
• Eggs
• Fish
• Crustacean shellfish
• Tree nuts
• Wheat
• Peanuts
• Soybeans; and
• Sesame

We will ensure that your child eats at the separate allergy-free table during lunch. If your child has been diagnosed with anaphylaxis, please contact Ms. Lathers and complete and turn in MCPS Form 525-14.

If your child is sick, please keep them at home so they can get better and avoid spreading illness to others. Contact the main office and let them know your child will stay home for the day, and it is also appreciated to notify their teacher as well. As a general rule, your child may return to school once there is no longer a sign of illness (and should stay home for 24 hours after no longer having a fever. Upon returning to school, your child’s teacher will help them catch up on assignments and learning that was missed while they were out.

Here are some important signs of illness:

• Temperature of more than 100 degrees F orally

• Nausea or vomiting

• Stomachache

• Diarrhea

• Pale or flushed face

• Headache

• Persistent cough

• Earache

• Thick yellowish discharge from nose

• Sore throat

• Rash or infection of the skin

• Red or pink eyes

• Loss of energy or decrease in activity

Please see the following parent resources regarding head lice,

We have an amazingly supportive and engaged PTA at Lucy V. Barnsley that meets monthly throughout the school year. The PTA organizes and facilitates a wide range of activities, programs, and events to provide enrichment for all of our students. They work together with the Barnsley administration and teachers to find the best ways to support the school.

We have a very active PTA and urge you to become involved! Congratulations to our FY23 PTA Board members!

President: Amanda Tyman

Vice President: Priscilla Paez

Treasurer: Moises Lopez

VP Ways and Means: Jacqueline Aleman

Recording Secretary: OPEN

Communications Secretary: OPEN

PTA membership costs $30 per year and supports the PTA’s efforts to fund additional activities and events. Our first official meeting will be Tuesday, October 1st. The PTA looks forward to a rewarding experience working with you and your child during the school year. Please see below for the link to join the PTA and our Directory.

The link to join the PTA http://barnsleypta.org/join/

The link to join our Directory https://barnsleypta.membershiptoolkit.com/

Parent and community volunteers may support in-person instruction, activities, field trips, and special events as the school deems appropriate. We appreciate the time and efforts that parents, families, and community members spend to engage in volunteer activities at our school and become contributing partners in teaching and learning.

Volunteers and partnership agencies are required to complete certain compliance measures in order to volunteer:

• Online training for recognizing child abuse and neglect

• Fingerprinting/background check (only if the volunteer is working alone with students without staff supervision)

MCPS has created a Volunteer Training guide to help those interested complete the process. Once completed, you will then need to submit the MCPS Parent/Guardian and Community Volunteer Form. You can also find more information on volunteering for MCPS here.

Please make sure you have activated your MCPS ParentVUE account, and that your contact information on ParentVUE is correct and up to date. This platform will be utilized as the primary home-to-school communication vehicle for Barnsley to share information regarding grades, attendance, scheduling, myMCPS classroom information, and more. Please use the ParentVUE Support Guide to help you activate and use your account. There are also a number of ParentVUE Webinar Recordings for additional support. To request a ParentVue activation code please follow this link: https://forms.gle/hJguTiMM16zhHBwu6

Remind is a communication platform that helps to streamline communication between the district, school, teachers, students and parents. This app will be the main form of communication for parents. If you have a ParentVUE account, your information will automatically be uploaded into the REMIND App. Please see more information below.

Lucy V. Barnsley maintains a school website that provides a wealth of information and resources for parents, guardians, and students (as well as staff). Please visit the website to learn about upcoming events, announcements, and access the Staff Directory and other items.

At Barnsley, we believe the purpose of discipline is for students to learn from their mistakes so they can make better choices in the future. Our consequences are not intended as punitive measures, but as opportunities for students to understand the impact of their actions. We implement a restorative approach to discipline as much as possible. In accordance with the MCPS Code of Conduct, we will implement a tiered approach to discipline and intervention to meet the varied needs of our students. The lowest level of interventions and supports will be considered first, followed by more intensive measures. Consequences will include opportunities for student reflection and conversations about how to make better choices. When appropriate, we will have our counselors facilitate a restorative conversation with students.

When administration is involved in providing disciplinary action, communication with parents or guardians will be made to explain the transgression that occurred and how the issue was resolved. Please note that it is an invasion of privacy for administrators to share any information about other student(s) involved in the transgression or how their situation was handled (i.e., consequences administered, discussions with parents/guardians, etc.).

Bullying, harassment, and/or intimidation that occurs on school property, at a school-sponsored activity or event off school property, on a school bus, on the way to and/or from school, or using electronic communication or social media will not be tolerated. Student victims, the parent or guardian of a student victim, or a close adult relative of a student victim, who wish to report an incident of alleged harassment or intimidation (bullying), should report the incident to the principal or assistant school administrator immediately. MCPS form 230-35 can be used to report incidences of bullying, harassment, or intimidation.

Per MCPS: Our records indicate that your school is not likely to contain asbestos. However, federal

regulations for the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act require that an annual notice

be shared with the community at all schools. Also, if MCPS staff, students or the community

want to view the current School Asbestos Management Plan that is updated semi-annually, please

contact Derek Kwon, information listed at bottom of this Memorandum, or review instructions on

the Asbestos website.

Per MCPS: Maryland laws and regulations for Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Maryland public schools require that:

• Notification be sent home to parents/guardians of each student attending the school and distributed to all staff members each school year.
• Pesticide and herbicide applications within MCPS are rare, and applied only as a last resort or in an emergency situation, and only by licensed and registered pest control workers.
• If at any time a pesticide application becomes necessary, IPM staff will inform you and provide the necessary written notifications to be sent home with students.