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RES Rocket Weekly

FEBRUARY 17th - FEBRUARY 21st

RES RocketWeeklyFEBRUARY 17th - FEBRUARY 21st

A Week

Character Education and Mindset

Character Trait for February: Honesty


February Mindset Focus: A Goal Without a Plan is Just a Wish


To be honest is defined as...

the quality or act of being honest;

uprightness and fairness.


Being honest means being truthful to both oneself and others...

and doing what is right regardless of who is around.


In our RES School Family we all work together to help our students be honest

through daily instruction and mindset/counseling lessons.


We are also teaching our students that goals are important

and how to identify the steps needed to reach those goals.


Great goals take work to achieve;

work is hard;

together we can work to turn their goals into reality

through honest conversations!

Week at a Glance

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Monday, February 17th

All Schools and Offices Closed in honor of Presidents' Day

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Tuesday, February 18th

4:00pm - 5:15pm Spark (FLOW Club)


4:00pm - 5:30pm Competitive DI Team (Mr. Cross' Team)

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Wednesday, February 19th

Work-Out Wednesday: Students and staff are encouraged to wear school appropriate athletic gear as we focus on the importance of living a healthy lifestyle while also taking a mid-week motor break to focus!


8:15am - 9:00am Creative Writing Club


3:45pm - 5:15pm 4th Grade Math Team

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Thursday, February 20th

11:50am - 12:20pm Maker-Space Club (2nd/3rd Grades)


12:40pm - 1:10pm Maker-Space Club (1st Grade)


1:20pm - 1:50pm Maker-Space Club (4th/5th Grades)


3:45pm - 5:15pm Wellness Mindset Club

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Friday, February 21st

Wear RED to Show Your Ridge Pride!


End of the 3rd Marking Period Interim Period for 5th Grade


Two Hour Early Dismissal - No School for Pre-K Students


12:30pm - 1:30pm Pre-K Family Involvement Workshop: Building Early Math Skills in Young Learners


2:00pm - 4:00pm Competitive DI Team (Mrs. Haney's Team)

Upcoming Events

Save the Date!!! Upcoming Activities/Events

Reading Night - Thursday, February 27th 5:30pm - 7pm

Please join us for lots of Reading Fun on February 27th as we explore reading together and reinforce skills being taught in our reading curriculum.


  • Breakfast for dinner - Green Eggs and Ham!
  • Book Tasting for all ages
  • Literacy Stations
  • Buddy Book Reading hosted by 4th and 5th Grade students


Please consider donating your time and items to make this a successful night!!!


Please click here to see what items are needed.


We're also looking for 4th and 4th Grade Students to volunteer to be a buddy book reader.


Please click here to sign up if your 4th/5th Grade child is interested in volunteering

to help our younger students at Ridge excited about reading!

Read Across America Week - March 2nd - March 6th

We have an exciting week of activities planned as we celebrate Read Across America Week!


We can't wait to see all of the creative ideas of our students/families and staff!

Important Informational Items/Reminders

Academy Application Dates of Interest

St. Mary’s County Public Schools will accept online applications for its four signature Academy Programs: The STEM Academy, The Academy of Visual and Performing Arts, The Academy of Global and International Studies, and The Academy of Finance.


Applications can be accessed online at www.smcps.org/academies and will open beginning

Wednesday, March 4, 2020. The application window will close on Friday, April 17, 2020. Please

note that no late applications will be accepted.


Additional information about the Academy Programs, to include course offerings, application

criteria, and frequently asked questions, can be found at www.smcps.org/academies . For more information, contact the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at 301-475-5511, extension 32104.

2020-20201 and 2021-2022 School-Year Calendars

The Board of Education approved calendars for the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 school years. These are posted at www.smcps.org/calendar.

Friends of Ridge (FOR) the Kids Volunteer Group!

FOR will meet again on Tuesday, March 10th at 4:15pm.


We hope to see more of our families as we work together to plan activities for our students and staff.


Working together, we're building a strong School Family!

Ridge Elementary School Relay for Life Team

Relay for Life - Next Meeting is March 11th, at 4:30pm

We are very excited to announce that the Ridge Rocking Rockets Relay for Life Team is up and running!


Ridge Elementary School will have a Relay for Life Team this school year to support and honor our School Family Members affected by cancer.


Please click here to donate or join our team!!!!!


Our last Relay for Life meeting was held on Wednesday, February 12, 2020.


  • The meeting notes will be posted here next week.


Stay tuned for upcoming fundraisers and activities sponsored by our Relay for Life Team!

Yearbooks on Sale through March 30th!

Yearbook sales are now open through March 30th.


For $20, students and families can capture this school year's memories!


Click here to order a yearbook!

Breakfast

Please note that students arriving late to school (after 9:15am) do not receive breakfast.


In case of inclement weather and a 2-hour delay, breakfast is not served.

Lost and Found

Items not claimed by students are kept in the cafeteria by the windows, on top of the rolling cabinet by the kitchen.


Please mark your child's name (at least last name) inside coats and lunch boxes.


There are many unclaimed items in the lost and found because students don't always recognize their own items or realize that they have misplaced an item.


Please click here to view pictures of items not claimed yet. Pictures updated as of 12/18/2019.

Outdoor Recess

Temperature cut-off is "feels like" 33 degrees or higher to be able to go outside.


As the weather continues to get colder, please note that students will not be permitted to participate in outdoor recess if they are not dressed warmly.

  • All students need to wear a winter/thicker coat that zips/buttons.
  • Any students wearing only a light jacket or sweatshirt will remain inside for indoor recess.

Attendance Matters!

Did you know....


In order to participate in after school activities or events a student must be in attendance for a half day of school.


A student is considered truant if a student is unlawfully absent from school for more than:

  • 8 days in any marking period
  • 15 days in any semester
  • 20 days in a school year


A FULL DAY of attendance is defined as present for at least four hours of the school day for both a full day, an early dismissal day and a late arrival day.


    A HALF DAY of attendance is defined as present for at least two hours of the school day, but less than four hours.


    A student is considered chronically absent is he/she misses 2 or more days/month.


    Click here for a video produced by St. Mary's County Public School Students on the importance of attending school.


    See below for our January Attendance Class Winners!!!!

    St. Mary's County Public School System County-Wide Presentations & Events

    The next SMCPS Town Hall Meeting will be on Wednesday, February 19, at 6 p.m. at the Dr. J. A. Forrest Career & Technology Center. The topic will be "Budget Priorities for Supporting Our Students."

    Events Across the County...

    RES Enrichment Activities and Before/After School Clubs

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    Destination Imagination - Competitive Team

    Grades: 3rd through 5th


    Session Day/Time:

    • Mr. Cross' Team - Tuesdays from 4pm to 5:30pm
    • Mrs. Haney's team - Fridays from 4pm to 5:00pm


    Session Dates: Beginning of the week of October 14th through the week of March 2nd


    South Central Regional Competition: Saturday, March 7th

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    Maker-Space Club (During Recess)

    Grades: 1st through 5th


    Session Day/Time: Thursdays during Recess


    Session Dates: January 30th through May 28th

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    Robotics Club (After School)

    Grades: 3rd through 5th


    Session Day/Time: Fridays from 4pm to 5:15pm


    Session Dates: October 25th through March 6th


    Approved volunteers are welcome to assist! Volunteers do not need to have any prior experience with robotics, just a willingness to help!

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    Creative Writing Club

    Grades: 4th and 5th


    Session Day/Time: Wednesdays from 8:15am to 9:00am


    Session Dates: Wednesday, November 6th through Wednesday, March 25th.

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    Tumbling Club

    Grades: 2nd through 5th (Students from the first session will continue in the 2nd session.)


    Session Day/Time: Wednesdays B Week during Recess


    Session Dates: January 29th through May 20th

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    Running/Walking Club

    Grades: Kindergarten through 5th


    Session Day/Time: Wednesdays from 8:00am to 8:45am


    Session Dates: April 15th through May 27th


    Permission slips will go home Friday, February 28th

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    Garden Club

    Grades: Kindergarten through 5th


    Session Day/Time: TBD


    Session Dates: Stay tuned for our Spring Session!

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    Art Club - Primary Grades

    Grades: Kindergarten through 2nd


    Session Dates: Primary Art Club will begin again next school year.

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    Art Club - Intermediate Grades

    Grades: 3rd through 5th


    Session Dates: Intermediate Art Club will begin again next school year.

    FOR (Friends of Ridge) for the Kids!

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    Volunteering Updates and News

    Click on the site below to access the Friends of Ridge (FOR) the Kids Site for additional news and information. Also be sure to join the FOR Facebook group using the link above!

    Website: https://sites.google.com/smcps.org/respto/home
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FriendsOfRidge/

    RES Staff "Favorite" Things

    Please click here to access a folder of RES Staff members' "favorite" things.

    Next Meeting - March 10th at 4:15pm

    FOR meets monthly on the 2nd Tuesday of the month with alternating times of 4:15pm and 5:30pm to accommodate the availability of parents and families.


    As many families may not be able to attend evening meetings, other options are available to support and participate in activities FOR the Kids. Meeting notes will be posted below for families unable to attend meetings and notifications of volunteer opportunities will be shared via our Rocket Weekly for Families and ClassDojo.

    Previous Meetings are posted below:


    The St. Mary's County Public School System (SMCPS) believes volunteer service to our schools is an essential component of student success.


    At Ridge Elementary School, we are continually striving to build opportunities for our families and community members to volunteer to support both students and staff. We understand, and believe, that the success of our students comes from the partnership we have between homes and school. Only working together, collaboratively and collectively, will our students SOAR to Great Heights!


    As we encourage and foster opportunities for volunteers, we also need to ensure the safety and security of all of our students and your children. All volunteers (e.g., field trips and assistance with small groups) must be a registered SMCPS Volunteer.


    Please click here to begin the SMCPS Volunteer Registration Process if you're not a registered volunteer.

    RES Students Soar to Great Heights!!!!

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    1st Grade students enjoyed their 100th Day of School snack! Grouping yummy snacks by 10s and counting to 100!!!
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    Kindergarten students worked on grouping by 5 and counting to 100 as they made their very own 100th Day of School T-Shirt!
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    Celebrating the 100th Day of School in style!
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    4th Grade students learned about weathering and erosion with a hands on experiment rubbing sand-stones together to examine the sediment pieces that came off the sand-stones!
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    3rd Grade students discussing what pictures in a text can tell the reader!
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    Dalmatians were everywhere on the 101st Day of School!
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    RES Spirit Webstore is OPEN!

    Offering several different items to show your RES Pride all year!


    Orders may be made at any time and most items come in a variety of color combinations.


    If a paper copy is needed to place an order please contact the RES Main Office and one will be sent home.


    Please click here to access the site.

    SMCPS 2019-2020 School Calendar
    Please click on the link above to access the SMCPS 2019-2020 School Calendar.
    Ridge Elementary School Supply List
    Please click on the link above for our 2019-2020 School Supply List.
    Morning Car Rider Procedures
    Please click on the link above for the RES Morning Car Rider Procedures
    Food Services - Online Meal Application Form
    The on-line meal benefit application, as well as, the paper application are now available for families to use to submit an application for free and reduced meals. Please contact Mrs. Goddard if a paper copy is needed.
    Food Services - My School Bucks
    Parents/Guardians may also use "My School Bucks" to load funds directly into their child(ren)'s lunch account.
    Bus Transportation for Head Start, Kindergarten & Pre-K
    To ensure safety at the bus stop, a responsible person (at least 13 years old) must be on time to meet the bus, at the bus door, at the assigned stop for all Head Start, Kindergarten and Pre‐K students. Click on the link above for more information.
    SMCPS 2019-2020 Student Handbook
    Please click on the link above to access the Student Handbook for additional information and forms. This document is accessible on-line only. If you're unable to access, or need a form printed, please contact the main office for assistance.
    SMCPS 2019-2020 Code of Conduct
    Please click on the link above to access the Student Code of Conduct for additional information. This document is accessible on-line only. If you're unable to access, please contact the main office for assistance.
    Student Handbook & Code of Conduct Presentation
    Please review the Student Handbook & Code of Conduct Presentation accessible via the link above. Critical information is highlighted and all families and students need to be aware of students' rights, responsibilities and administrator responses.

    RES Twitter

    Please follow us: @res_smcps. We will be using Twitter for updates and reminders as well as a means of showcasing for everyone all of our Ridge Pride!