The Greencastle Gazette
Dear Greencastle Families,
We are transitioning from air conditioning to heat this week which signals we are entering the fall season. It's been a busy month as we wrap up celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month and get ready for our first school dance, sponsored by our PTA. Here are a few important reminders for the upcoming weeks.
Traffic Safety Update: We received confirmation that our crosswalk and crossing guard will be moved so that they are adjacent to the gate many families use to access Robey Road from Centre Silver Spring apartments. This will help us tremendously so that staff are not serving as de facto crossing guards. With that said, this is a reminder there is no left turn on Robey Road once you exit the parking lot. We have a lot of families and students cross Robey Road right at that point and we must keep them safe. When you exit the parking lot it is a right turn only on to Robey Road.
Grade 5 Families: Resources from the Grade 5 Middle School Options Virtual Information Meeting. Thank you to the families and special guest for joining us on Thursday, October 10th for a productive, informative middle school options virtual parent meeting. As promised, here are the resources and recording from the presentation.
- Middle School Programs Contact List
- Middle School Virtual Parent Presentation Recording
- Presentation -- Slide Deck
Hispanic Heritage Month Resources -- Explore additional resources with your family to celebrate the contributions, arts and culture.
Hispanic Reading Room
A wide collection of Latin American area studies resources provided by the Library of CongressSmithsonian Latino Center
Approaches Latino/a contributions to America's history, arts and culture from a Latino/a perspective with resources for youth, educators, museum visitors, and researchersDiego Rivera Virtual Museum
An online museum dedicated to the life and work of Diego RiveraHispanic Online
A well-developed online magazine dedicated to Hispanic issues
I hope you had a great weekend and we look forward to seeing you promptly at 9:00 a.m. (door open at 8:40 a.m.)
Mrs. Dean
Principal
Coming up this Week
September 15 - October 15: Hispanic Heritage Month
Friday, October 18: Professional day for all staff; No School for Students
Upcoming Dates
October 21 - 25: Mental Health Awareness Week
Monday, October 21: Community Engagement with Dr. Thomas Taylor, Superintendent @ Paint Branch HS; 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Monday, October 21 & Tuesday, October 22: Fall Picture Day
Monday, November 4: Grading and Planning for the end of term; No School for Students
Tuesday, November 5: General Election Day—Schools and offices closed; No School for Students
Monday, November 11: Greencastle ES Open House @ 9:15 a.m.
We have two staff members that have been promoted to a new position and we want to take a moment to congratulate them on their new opportunity:
- Tiy Vandervall, community school liaison, is transitioning to a leadership position at Stanton Elementary School, District of Columbia Public Schools.
- Rudy Vasquez, temporary security assistant, is now a permanent security assistant at Montgomery Blair High School.
Once a Knight, always a Knight. We are proud of you!
Session Location: Paint Branch High School, 14121 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville
The sessions allow parents, students, staff and community members to connect with the superintendent and to share input on two key questions regarding the district's operations and academics.
Interpretation services will be available in Spanish and American Sign Language.
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.
The Castle will be open on Monday, November 11th! Families, you are invited to join your student(s) in the building and interact with them in the classroom during our Open House. Come. We encourage you to visit and shadow your student for the morning. Here is our agenda for Open House.
- 9:15 a.m. - Welcome Presentation & School Improvement Plan Presentation (Multipurpose Room)
- 9:45 a.m. - Visit your student(s) classroom
- 12:00 p.m. - Open House Concludes
Please complete the registration form to attend.
Hello Knight Family,
Thank you to everyone who participated in the Double Good Fundraiser! We raised $1,541 for our “Castle Swag”! Special shoutout to our top 3 earners: Josiah Dougals, Madison Holland, and Ms. Pam Smith (2nd grade teacher). Josiah won an Ultimate Party Package ticket to the upcoming dance and a goodie bag—congrats!
Pre-sale tickets for the school dance are still available, so don’t miss out! “Ain’t no party like a Greencastle party!” Text “Color” to 919-626-3277 to purchase your tickets!
Spirit Wear is in and will be distributed to those who placed an order this week! Mark your calendars for our next fundraiser, Chipotle Night, on November 13th at the Briggs Chaney location. More details to come!
Due to low enrollment, the karate after-school program is canceled for this session. If you’re still interested, let us know and we’ll work to bring it back.
Let’s reach 100 PTA members by the end of October—we’re at 92 now! Volunteers are needed for the dance and book fair. Email GreencastleESPTA@gmail.com to sign up. Volunteers for the book fair will get a discount on their purchase!
Instagram: Greencastle_PTA
Facebook: GreencastlePta
X: GreencastlePTA
