LVBES BACK TO SCHOOL INFORMATION
14516 Nadine Drive, Rockville, MD 20853
Main Office Phone: 240-740-3260
WELCOME LETTER FROM MRS. TROFFKIN
August 7, 2022
Dear Parents and Guardians:
Welcome to the 2022-2023 school year! It continues to be an honor to serve the community of Lucy V. Barnsley Elementary School. We have been diligently working this summer to plan for the school year and prepare a safe and welcoming second home for your wonderful children. Our roof project is currently underway and we are excited for its completion before school begins.
As we prepare for a new school year, our collaboration will ensure the success of all students. We will continue to keep you informed and updated of all events and activities occurring at Barnsley Elementary through a variety of ways. Every student will receive a blue take home folder which they will use for school/home communication. Fliers and other community events information will be put in their folders each week on Thursdays. In addition, please ensure that you have activated your ParentVUE accounts in order to receive the most up to date information. You can expect a monthly newsletter called the Bear Bulletin, fliers, information posted on our website, weekly Connect-Ed messages with updates and important reminders, and friendly office staff who are ready to answer questions.
We are thrilled to introduce our new attendance secretary to the main office. Please help me welcome Ms. Candice D’rozario who will be our Attendance Secretary. Be sure to stop in at the main office FIRST whenever coming to Lucy V. Barnsley Elementary School. After arrival and before dismissal the exterior front doors will be locked. If you need to get into the building you will need to press the outside button and be buzzed in. The front office staff will be able to see who is at the door via camera on their computer and be able to determine if there is a safety concern of who is asking to enter the building. Once the person has been verified they will be invited to enter the building and go directly to the office to sign in. All parents, visitors, and volunteers must make their first stop at the main office. All parents, visitors and volunteers must sign-in and wear name tags. This is for the safety of all of our children! If you would like to speak with a teacher or staff member, it is requested that you make an appointment.
One of my favorite memories of growing up was finding out who my teacher would be each school year! Students will receive postcards in the mail during the week of August 22nd indicating their assigned classroom teacher. In addition, class lists will be posted on the windows outside the main office by 4:00 p.m. on August 25th. Much thought has gone into student placements and class groupings for this year. As always, our priorities for grouping students include the student's academic level, as well as ensuring gender, racial, and ethnic balance for each class. The staff at the school put considerable time into balancing classes and student placements and appreciate your cooperation and respect regarding grouping decisions.
We would love to see everyone at our Open House for Grades 1-5 on Friday, August 26th from 9:30-11:00 a.m. In lieu of the Open House, our incoming Kindergarten students are invited to a “Kindergarten Sneak Peek” on Monday, August 22nd or Tuesday, August 23rd. Please call the main office to make an appointment. The new school year will begin on Monday, August 29th. All children will enter school independently and walk to class with the support of school staff. For safety and security, any parents/guardians who need assistance should report to the main office, not student classrooms.
Enclosed is important information to help ensure a smooth transition to the new school year. Staff are working hard to prepare classrooms and instructional materials for the opening of school. I look forward to working with each of you this year. Thank you in advance for your support as we work to make this an amazing year for all of our children.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Troffkin, Principal
School Hours
- Office Hours: 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
- Staff Hours: 8:45 a.m.-4:15 p.m.
- Students Enter the Building/Breakfast: 9:10 a.m.
- Instructional Hours: 9:25 a.m.-3:50 p.m.
- Early Release Time: 1:20 p.m.
Important Dates
- Monday, August 22nd: Kindergarten Orientation Day #1 (PM- By Appt. Only)
- Tuesday, August 23rd: Kindergarten Orientation Day #2 (All Day- By Appt. Only)
- Friday, August 26th: Open House Neighborhood Grades 1-5/DHOH/CES/GT/LD: Meet the teachers/visit classrooms from 9:30-11:00 a.m.
- Monday, August 29th: First Day of School for Students (NOTE: ALL STUDENTS ENTER THE BUILDING & WALK TO CLASS INDEPENDENTLY)
- Monday, September 5th: Holiday: LABOR DAY; Schools and Offices closed
- Tuesday, September 13th- Back-To-School Night: 6:00-7:30 p.m. (Grades K-3)
- Tuesday, September 14th: Early Release Day for Students: Dismissal at 1:20 p.m.
- Thursday, September 15th Back-To-School Night: 6:00-7:30 p.m. (Grades 4-5, GT/LD, CES)
- Monday, September 26th: Non-Instructional day (No school for students and teachers)
- Friday, September 30th: Early Release for Students: Dismissal at 1:20 p.m.
OPENING DAY PROCEDURES
On the first day of school, Monday, August 29th, students should report directly to their new classrooms. Lucy V. Barnsley staff and school patrols will be on duty to greet students and to assist students with locating their new classrooms. Students should NOT enter the school building until directed by staff beginning at 9:10 a.m. NOTE: All children will enter school independently and walk to class with the support of SCHOOL STAFF. Any parents/guardians who need assistance should report to the main office NOT student classrooms.
ARRIVAL/DISMISSAL PROCEDURES
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. 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. Students can 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.
We strongly feel this will create a safe environment for all of our students at Lucy V. Barnsley Elementary. We thank you in advance for your cooperation.
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. 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. PLEASE NOTE: 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
ALL WALKERS are dismissed from the front door. 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.
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 form included in this email for more information.
ALL BUS RIDERS are dismissed from their classrooms.
STAFF UPDATES
We say farewell to the following LVBES staff members and wish them much success with new endeavors:
Meghan Wilkinson, 1st Grade Teacher, Childcare Leave
Shannon Buckley, 1st Grade Teacher, Waters Landing Elementary School
Doris Wray, Speech/Language Pathologist, Retired
Ron Sage, 5th Grade Teacher, Retired
Samantha Revalski, Reading Specialist, Hartford County Schools
Julie Taylor, Secretary, Long Term Leave
Deborah Lee, Nurse
Mark Koons, Music Teacher
Will Horning, 1st Grade Learning Center Teacher, Sally K. Ride Elementary School
Hannah DeClement, 5th Grade Teacher, Lakewood Elementary School
Charlotte Ampofo, Full-Time Counselor, Takoma Park Elementary School
Shannon Zlotnick, Part-Time Counselor, Rock Creek Valley Elementary School
Elena Morozova, ELD Coach, Galway Elementary School
Emily Arker, School Psychologist
We are excited to welcome several new and experienced staff members to the LVBES team!
Candice D’rozario, Attendance Secretary
Kelli Riley – Fourth Grade Teacher, Former Teacher at Waters Landing ES
Tyquita Williams- Paraeducator GT/LD Program, Former General Education Paraeducator, Lucy V. Barnsley
Stefanie Kahanov, Full-Time Speech/Language Pathologist (SLP), Former SLP at Luxmanor ES, Diamond ES, and Gaithersburg MS.
Melinda Garzon, School Psychologist
Katie DiGiulian, Full-Time Counselor, Former Counselor at Summit Hall ES
Becca Jayne, 5th Grade Teacher, Former Teacher at Georgian Forest ES
David Quinteros, 5th Grade Teacher- NEW TO MCPS
Margaret Delaney, Part-Time Art Teacher, NEW TO MCPS
Janet Holguin, ESOL Teacher
TBD- Health Room Nurse
SCHOOL SUPPLIES
All grade level school supply lists are posted on our school website. If you would like a paper copy, please visit our school office between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. daily.
MEDICATION AND HEALTH ROOM UPDATES
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 to the school principal or designee in the school office.
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 our school website for more information.
Important Dates
Monday, August 29, 2022: Students must provide documentation of required vaccinations unless parents/guardians provide documentation of an exemption. Students who have not received their vaccinations may enter school if they provide evidence of an appointment to be vaccinated by Monday, September 20, 2021.
Monday, September 19, 2022: Students who have not provided documentation of required vaccinations must be excluded from school until such documentation is provided
EMERGENCY INFORMATION
Once again, MCPS will be sending home with your child preprinted EMERGENCY DATA SHEETS during the first week of school. It is very important that these sheets be checked, confirmed or edited and immediately returned to school. During the school year let us know of any changes of address, phone numbers, and/or contact persons. Additionally, if there are any custody concerns or medical conditions please include that information with any corresponding documentation. Please contact the office to make any necessary changes throughout the year.
BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION POLICY
To preserve our focus on instruction and to address the growing concern with student allergies/COVID, 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 office 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!
PARENT/TEACHER ASSOCIATION (PTA)
We have a very active PTA and urge you to become involved! Congratulations to our FY23 PTA Board members!
President: Priscilla Paez
Vice President: Sumi Mehta
Treasurer: Mike Kelly
VP Ways and Means: Alex Quayle
Recording Secretary: Candace Oluwole
Communications Secretary: Adriana Dunaev
All of the PTA officers are looking forward to working with all of our Barnsley community in the upcoming year. PTA meetings are held throughout the year on the first Tuesday of every month. This year there will be a combination of virtual and in person PTA meetings. Our first official meeting will be Tuesday, October 4th. 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/
**Please be sure to follow the Barnsley PTA on social media (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter).
ROCKVILLE DAY
Rockville Day is a back-to-school community event focusing on school spirit, health and wellness. The entire Rockville cluster is invited! Rockville Day will feature three main areas: a fun mini carnival with rides and games, a community outreach area with the local businesses and PTAs, as well as a health and wellness area with organizations such as MADD (Mothers against Drunk Driving) and BPHN (Black Physicians Healthcare Network) and many more. There will be several local favorite food truck options or budget friendly RHS Booster Club meal deals. Also, NHS will be passing out free school supplies.
Check out the Rockville Day website for details www.rockvilleptsa.org/RockvilleDay . The carnival is $5.00 per family and $2.00 for unaccompanied Middle School and High School students. The Booster Club is selling $6.00 meal deals (hamburger or hot dog, chips and a drink). Kona Ice, Churro's Inc. and Mackie's Southern BBQ will also be great food options.
Sunday, Aug 21, 2022, 12:00 PM
Rockville High School, Baltimore Road, Rockville, MD, USA
CAFETERIA UPDATES
MCPS will resume regular meal services during the 2022–2023 school year.
Meal prices:
Breakfast—$1.30; Lunch—$2.55 (Elementary)
Beginning this year, students in Maryland who qualify for reduced-price meals will not be charged for breakfast or lunch meals! 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.
MCPS ATTENDANCE POLICY
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, please call or email (candice_r_d'rozario@mcpsmd.org) the school office by 9:30 a.m. (240) 740-3260 to report your child's absence. The office opens at 8:00 a.m. If you need to call prior to that time please call and leave a message on the answering machine stating your child’s name and classroom teacher. 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. For your convenience, we also have an electronic form on our website for you to record absences.
CHANGE IN YOUR CHILD'S ROUTINE
LATE ARRIVAL: When a child is late, parents must bring the student to the office and “sign them in” for the day. The child cannot go to the classroom first. Students are considered late if they arrive after 9:25 am.
LEAVE EARLY: A note should be sent to the school with your child. Parents need to come to the office to sign their students out. Once a parent arrives the child will then be called to the office. We will not have your child in the office waiting for you to pick them up early. Parents are not allowed to go to the child's classroom to pick up the child; office staff will call the classroom. Also, due to the busy nature of dismissal, students leaving early should be picked up prior to 3:30 unless there is an emergency. No child will be permitted to leave school unaccompanied for any reason!
STAY AFTER SCHOOL: If a child is to stay at school for an after-school activity, the parent must send a note or the child will not be permitted to stay.
GO HOME WITH A FRIEND: We can accept a request for your child to ride a bus home with a friend. We cannot approve this request until we contact a bus supervisor and determine if there is enough space on the bus for another rider. Please submit requests well in advance so we have time to look into it and confirm whether we can honor the request. Once approved and signed by the principal, the student should give this note to the operator of the bus they will be riding. This practice will normally be approved where space permits.
Note: For your convenience, we also have an electronic form on our website for you to record late arrivals/early dismissals. 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!
TRANSPORTATION
Bus schedules for our neighborhood students are posted on our school website. Students who attend DHOH and GT/LD Program will receive bus information directly from MCPS Transportation. Students in Barnsley’s Center Program will have bus routes posted on the website in the weeks ahead. During the first week or so of school, buses may be a little early or a little late, as the drivers get accustomed to the run and the new time schedules. We will continue assigning colleges with mascots to buses for dismissal procedures. In doing so it will help students remember to continue to work hard and get college ready! Signs will once again be displayed during dismissal to help students get to their correct bus and classrooms will have pennants for a visual in the rooms.
Please Note: All bus routes will be posted online once received. Cars are not allowed in the front entrance lanes during school opening and dismissal hours for safety reasons. Your cooperation is appreciated!
CELL PHONE AND PERSONAL MOBILE DEVICES (PMDs)
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. This regulation has been updated for the fall. For more information regarding these updates, please visit our school website.
Students may possess PMD’s on MCPS property and at MCPS sponsored activities; however students may not turn on/use them until the end of the student day for independent use. Students are responsible for ensuring their devices are turned off and out of sight during times of unauthorized use, and must ensure they are managed securely at all times. Smartwatches are PMDs. 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.
VISITORS
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.
FIELD TRIPS
Each grade level plans to provide 3-4 field trips a year. 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.
PARENT/COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERES
Parent and community volunteers may return to MCPS schools to support in-person instruction, activities, and special events as the schools deem appropriate or necessary. Our volunteer activities vary from school to school, and volunteers can help with a wide variety of activities.
In-person volunteers should complete the MCPS Parent/Guardian and Community Volunteer Form.
The form outlines the applicable compliance measures that are required to volunteer depending on the type of support being provided. These compliance measures and expectations for each category of service are in place to ensure the safety and security of all students, staff, and volunteers. Once completed, the MCPS training is good for 3 years. Please give evidence of completion to Danielle Jones in the main office.