Silver Creek Weekly Newsletter

We look forward to another great week of school. We have two weeks remaining in the first marking period. The end of the quarter is November 1, 2024. Please encourage your child to take advantage of after school homework help, and/or PAWS/advisory support to complete any missing assignments or to receive extra support prior to the end of Quarter 1.

We are excited to have Spirit Week next week, October 28- November 1. Be sure to check out each day below in the newsletter. Let's all get in the spirit & have some fun!

Please save the date for an Open House that will be scheduled on Veteran's Day, November 11. Additional information will come out about the logistics of this day and the plan for our 6th grade families (This day starts outdoor education for half of our 6th grade students).

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 Thursday, October 17, 2024

(No School on Friday, 10/18). to hear upcoming news & events Click Link.

You can see all of the news links located here.

SGA will be hosting Spirit Week next week, October 28 - November 4. Here are the days:

• Monday, October 28th: Crazy Hat/Hair Day
• Tuesday, October 29th: Blast from the Past (Decades Day)
• Wednesday, October 30th: Sports day
• Thursday, October 31st: Halloween Spirit Day - Costumes or Orange/Purple/Black Colors
• No masks or costumes that restrict movement or vision, prevent sitting at desks, obstruct movement in hallways, or prevent participation in PE. No weapons, violence, costume masks, revealing clothing, drugs, alcohol, or weapons of any kind. Students should not wear costumes that are disrespectful to others or make others feel uncomfortable.
• Friday, November 1: PJ Day- Come in to school with your coziest clothing.

Appropriate school conduct and attire is expected throughout Spirit Week; our normal dress code still applies. We look forward to seeing your school spirit.

SGA elections were held last week in World Studies classes. We have some exciting news to share about the elected officers for the 2024-2025 school year.

• President- Jitu Abebe
• Vice President- Ahlam Busera
• Outreach coordinator- Gia Adjaidoo
• The Elected Class Presidents are as follows:
• 6th Grade, Leonora Fishbein
• 7th Grade, Akash Kashal
• 8th Grade, Hannah McDuffie

Congratulations to all of the students who participated in the student government council process- and to our elected officers.

Additional information will follow about what the SGA has planned for this school year, along with surveys to include your child's feedback in the process.

It's Digital Citizenship Week, and students can earn SSL hours by educating themselves about topics like cyberbullying, AI, and addictive app design. Digital Citizenship Week is an annual campaign to promote a healthy, balanced, and positive approach to media and tech use among young people. Join us, along with thousands of teachers, students, and families worldwide, to promote digital citizenship in your school and your family. Head over to the LMC website HERE to access all Digital Citizenship instructions, including SSL activities.

The Library Media Program wishes everyone happy fall reading! Check out our new October MEDIA MONTHLY: NEWS & NOTES FROM THE LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER, here. Highlights include instructional updates, a spooky reading challenge, ebooks and audiobooks, and more.

Bus Safety Week is October 21- October 25. We would like to show appreciation for our bus drivers who keep our students safe as they take them to and from school. Please complete this short Google Form with your child to write a message of appreciation to the driver of their bus route. Please complete this form by Friday, October 18 so we can share responses with our drivers. Feel free to complete the form more than once. Thank you!

We are excited to have our 6th grade students participate in Outdoor Education as part of their middle school experience. The outdoor education experience is one of the most exciting and memorable times in their middle school career. MCPS Outdoor Environmental Education Program (OEEP) is committed to ensuring that Grade 6 students experience Outdoor Ed as part of their science curriculum. This year’s program for Silver Creek Middle School sixth graders includes three days and two nights of instructional activities at Camp Letts, 4003 Camp Letts Rd, Edgewater, MD. Our dates at Camp Letts are

• November 11-November 13: ODE Session 1 ( Bibeault Science)
• November 13-November 15: ODE Session 2 (Mallory/Gregal Science

• Permission Form: Please be sure your child sends in their parent/guardian permission slip to their science teacher. The due date was October 17th; however, we are still collecting permission forms. Please see the outdoor education packet and permission form HERE. This information also went home with students on Friday September 27th.
• Chaperones: We are seeking several parent/caregiver chaperones for each ODE session. If you are interested in volunteering, please complete the Chaperone Interest Google form and then Mr. Bibeault will follow up with you. Please read Chaperone Requirements

Sixth grade families please continue to check the SCMS remind app for important information and forms from Mr. Bibeault. Reminder that all medication must be given to the health room with MCPS Form #525-13. Any questions, please reach out to Ms. Justine Pfeiffer at Justine_Pfeiffer@mcpsmd.org

The October newsletter is out for counseling! You can check it out here or go to our website to check it out. https://secure.smore.com/n/8kuzr

Also, please 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

Counselors will be going through PE to conduct PBSL the week of October 21 - 25. The lessons are known as Personal Body Safety Lessons and their purpose is to help students to:

• Develop knowledge, decision making skills, and behaviors which promote safe living in the home, school, and community;
• Learn skills for self-protection and identifying child abuse and neglect;
• Learn skills for asking for help for self and others and practice reporting to a trusted adult; and
• Engage in positive and appropriate interactions with peers and adults.

If you have any questions or concerns about the topics that will be covered, please contact your child’s school counselor.

Please note: 8th grade students will receive the Personal Body Safety Lessons in December. Counselors will be reviewing with 8th grade students their 4-year plan this week.

Schedule can be found here.

The application season for the High School Regional/Countywide Application Programs is now open. To learn more about which high school regional/countywide application programs your child is eligible, please review the personalized program eligibility report that is now available in ParentVUE – in DOCUMENTS (located on the left navigation bar of Synergy). This report includes programs for which your child is eligible along with program descriptions and directions to access the application.

The deadline to apply for any one of the High School Regional/Countywide Programs is November 1, 2024. You may also visit the High School Programs At-A-Glance at MCPS website for additional information: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/specialprograms/high/. If you have any questions, send an email to DCCAPS@mcpsmd.org

Please join us on Tuesday, October 22 at 7:00 PM on zoom to learn about the various MCPS high school programs. This is a great opportunity to learn about other programs outside of B-CC High School. We will go over both the application and the lottery programs. There will also be time to ask specific questions. The zoom link is here:

https://mcpsmd.zoom.us/j/4232082710?pwd=cmg4Mm84WlhKYVJoa0ZsRHQwVkdLdz09

Meeting ID: 423 208 2710

Passcode: MsLevine

We will have make-up pictures on Friday, November 8, 2024. This photo day is for students who were absent, new to the school, or who were not happy with their original package (students are required to return their original package to the photographer). Please see the list of criteria for makeup day to reference: vosphoto.com/retakes.

Student images are now online. Please see email from Victor O'Neill Studios. If you do not see it in your inbox, check the spam/junk folder. Any student who has not had a chance to order, it’s not too late! Please visit: vosphoto.com/underclass use your student ID when prompted for the online code. For questions regarding school pictures please email: underclass@vosphoto.com

The grand opening of the Husky Paws MarketPlace was a success! It was exciting to see our students use their Husky Bucks to redeem items from the school store. We are scheduling for the school store to open again at the end of this month, Friday, October 25. Information about the next opening will be shared with students this week.

Thank you to our PTSA and families for their support and contributions to our school store.

October is Mental Health Awareness month. October is a month of awareness for Mental Health, including reducing the impact of a mental health condition.

• October 10th - World Mental Health Day
• October 21-25 - MCPS Mental Health Awareness Week

At Silver Creek, we will celebrate this week with any activity at lunch, morning announcements, and therapy dogs during all lunches on Monday, October 28, 2024. More information about the therapy dogs will be provided on the morning announcements as well as the weekly newsletter for families. Please stay tuned.

On Tuesday, October 22 (This will be rescheduled due to a new conflict in dates with the representative), a representative from Northwood High School will visit Silver Creek during 7th and 8th grade lunch to discuss the Montgomery College Middle College Program (MC2). Through a combination of Advanced Placement tests and Montgomery College classes students have the opportunity to earn an associate degree in general studies or business administration – 60 transferable credits – while completing their high school diploma in a supportive atmosphere at Northwood. (Students can also choose other majors!)

You may find additional information about the program at the following website at https://sites.google.com/mcpsmd.net/nhsdualenrollment/middle-college-mc2

LGBTQ+ History Month is an annual month-long observance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history, and the history of the gay rights and related civil rights movements. It was founded in 1994 by Missouri high-school history teacher Rodney Wilson.

LGBTQ+ History Month provides role models, builds community, and represents a civil rights statement about the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community. To learn more, you may READ here.

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

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. These events will give students the chance to learn more about and appreciate the diversity that enriches our school.

Thank you to our PTSA diversity council, Ms. Waranch and Ms. Foglia for coordinating our first lunch event that recognized Rosh Hashanah Thursday, Oct. 3. Students were provided with apples and honey. On this holiday, apples and honey are eaten to represent hope for a sweet & fruitful year.

This was a great experience for our students and provide our students and staff with valuable opportunities to broaden their perspectives and to deepen their understanding of the various backgrounds of our students within our school.

This school year, SCMS will be moving to a cell phone-free school. This means that phones are prohibited the entire school day (8:05 - 3:00 PM) The policy will take effect the first day of school, Monday, August 26. 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

October 21- October 25- Mental Health Awareness Week

October 25- Principal Coffee (Zoom)

November 1- End of Quarter 1

November 4 - No School for students (Professional day for staff)

November 5- No School for students and staff (General Election)

November 8- Make up Picture Day

November 11- Open House (More information to follow)

November 11- November 15- 6th Grade Outdoor Education

November 25- Parent/Teacher Conferences (More information to follow)

November 25 & 26 - Early release days for students

November 27- Systemwide Closure—Schools and offices closed

November 28 & 29- Thanksgiving—Schools and offices closed

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 may email a note to Ms. Pamela Carroll-Sykes, attendance secretary, at Pamela_M_Carroll-Sykes@mcpsmd.org

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