Principal's Message
Dear MHES families and staff,
We’re excited about the week ahead and are looking forward to lots of learning as we dive into the fall season. Thank you to all of our family members who came out and helped make the Fall Class Parties a wonderful experience! The students had such a great time, and we’re already looking forward to more opportunities to collaborate and celebrate together.
Please take a moment to review the important information below for the week of October 28, 2024.
Desmond Mackall
Principal
Meadow Hall ES
Attendance Matters
October attendance letters went home this past week. A student that has missed 10% or more of school is considered chronically absent per MCPS. All students over 10% will get an attendance letter sent home monthly to make you aware of how much school your child has missed due to excused and/or unexcused absences. The absent percentage will decrease the more your child does attend school. If your child continues to receive attendance letters monthly and does not show attendance improvements, then there will be additional follow up from your child's teacher and school administration. It is very important to communicate with us when your child is out of school. To let us know your child is absent and to provide written documentation to excuse an absence, please do one of the following:
Email Megan Algeo (megan_k_algeo@mcpsmd.org) and Renifer Mejia (renifer_r_mejia@mcpsmd.org) to let us know that your child is absent and the reason (sick, doctor apt, etc.).
Send in a written note with your child when they return that explains why your child was absent (sick, doctor apt, etc.). It should be turned in with 3 days of the absence and include the date and be signed by the parent/guardian.
Send in a doctor's note from your child's physician.
Complete the Report an Absence online form located on the Meadow Hall ES website: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/meadowhalles/report-an-absence/
If you have any questions about your child's absences, please give our Attendance Secretary, Megan Algeo a call at 240-740-5260 or reach out by email to megan_k_algeo@mcpsmd.org
A Word from Mrs. Jackson: Community School Liaison!
COMMUNITY SCHOOL UPDATES
Meadow Hall Cafe
We will have a Coffee and Conversation on November 7, 2024, at 9:10 AM. The topic of conversation will be “Understanding Your Child’s Report Card,” and “How to Help Your Child Deal with Academic and Social Stress.” Coffee and pastries will be provided. A Spanish interpreter has been requested.
Family Survey
Our Community School should meet the needs represented in the community, so your input is essential! So far only 78 families have completed the Family Survey. I ask that all families complete the survey by November 23, 2024. To make it interesting - the class with the most surveys completed will be rewarded! If you have children in more than one class, please be sure to list all classroom teachers. The winners will be announced in early December. Mr. Taylor’s class is currently in the lead!
English Conversation Classes
Our English conversation classes have been a hit! We will have a winter session beginning in January. Stay tuned for registration information.
Josie’s Closet
Josie’s Closet was established to positively impact children experiencing clothing insecurity. They will provide our students with two NEW outfits, a pair of jeans, shoes, and socks. Please contact me if your child is in need of a referral. The typical turnaround time for the orders to be fulfilled is 10 business days.
Bus Stop Tour
I am on the second leg of the bus stop tour! I have enjoyed meeting with parents and talking a bit about the Community School Strategy. Please see the schedule below to know when you can expect me to stop by and say “hey!”.
- Grandin Avenue and Reading Avenue 11/1/24
- Scott Avenue and Edmonston Drive 11/8/24
- Edmonston Drive and Gilbert Road 11/15/24
- Denham Road and Gilbert Road 12/6/24
- Grandin Avenue and Woodburn Road 12/13/24
Fresh Produce Distribution
Fresh Produce distributions will continue to be held on the first and third Friday of the month. A special thanks to our community partner, Small Things Matter, for the generous donation! I’d like to acknowledge the following parents and staff for their assistance during our last event:
- Carla Argote, parent
- Angie Monterrosa, parent
- Ms. Gibbs, classroom teacher
- Ms. Binder, staff development teacher
I will send out an announcement via WhatsApp and Remind to alert the community the day before the November distributions.
How can I help YOU?
Please reach out to me if you have questions about resources in the community. I am here to serve all members of the Meadow Hall Community!
Jessica Jackson, MSW, LCSW-C
Community School Liaison for Meadow Hall Elementary School
Department of Student Engagement and Behavioral Health
Office of Well-Being and Student Services
Cell: 227-216-1193
IG: @meadowhalles_CSL
Twitter/X: @MHES_CSL
A MESSAGE FROM OUR PTA!
5th Grade Bake Sale on Election Day
Please consider helping our 5th graders have a great end of year celebration by supporting their bake sale. If you can volunteer time or baked goods please check out the sign-up genius here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F054AAEA92AA0FB6-52015791-5thgrade#/.
Want to get involved in the PTA?
MHES PTA is looking for members to participate on the PTA in various ways. We encourage all families to look at the link below and consider supporting the PTA and getting involved on a committee for the new school year. See the link below:
PTA Committee Volunteer Positions-FY24
Box Tops for Education
Box Tops for Education is a program that gives money to schools for their family’s participation just by purchasing products and scanning the receipt in the Box Tops App. Box Tops earnings are used to fund items for the school and events. If you haven't done so already, Download the Box Tops App on your smartphone using Referral Code WZTM9R7Z. We promise it is a super easy task to get used to. Register and select Meadow Hall as your supporting school. SCAN your receipt with the Box Tops app within 14 days of purchase and EARN cash with every Box Tops product you buy.
Why join the PTA? Among the many, many good reasons, it basically boils down to being a great way to benefit your child, the school, and yourself by being involved in the PTA functions and connecting with other parents and staff. And for those of you who have been members in past years, don’t forget to renew your membership. Memberships are $10 for family and community members (only one membership is needed per family). We are thrilled to get to know everyone and see you all at our meetings and activities!
OTHER MCPS NEWS!
Google, Discovery Education Hosting Free STEM Family Day on Nov. 9
Google and Discovery Education are hosting a free STEM Family Day from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9 at the Montgomery College, Germantown Campus.
Open to students in kindergarten through 12th grade, the event will offer interactive and hands-on STEM challenges and activities, and digital learning experiences with real-world applications. There will also be food trucks, games and raffles.
The event will be held in the High Technology and Science Center on the Germantown Campus, 20200 Observation Drive in Germantown. Register.
Statement Regarding Recommended FY26 Capital Budget and Amendments to the FY 2025-30 Capital Improvements Program
Earlier this week, MCPS submitted the Superintendent’s Recommended FY 2026 Capital Budget and Amendments to the FY 2025–2030 Capital Improvements Program to the Montgomery County Board of Education.
In preparing the Capital Budget, MCPS identified an error in its submission for state aid in the Charles E. Woodward High School construction project, creating a revenue shortfall of $39.3 million. Dating back to 2021, MCPS miscalculated prevailing wage and bid awards across the multiple phases of the project. This error was entirely MCPS'. The district is proactively working to close the revenue gap by reallocating unexpended funds from completed capital projects. These reallocations will not affect planned upgrades or infrastructure improvements for those projects.
Read the district release.
Read the statement from the Board of Education.
Marking Remembrance and Reconciliation Month
This is the third year MCPS has observed Remembrance and Reconciliation Month with mandatory brief K-12 learning on local African American history and support of local Emancipation Day celebrations. The Commission on Remembrance and Reconciliation was established by the Montgomery County Office of Human Rights in 2019.
Below are upcoming MCPS events for this year:
Sandy Spring Slave Museum & African Art Gallery’s Maryland Emancipation Day Celebration (18524 Brooke Road, Sandy Spring)
Saturday, Nov. 2, noon-3:20 p.m.
Flyer
Brown vs. Board of Education’s Impact on MCPS
Wednesday, Nov. 6, 7-8 p.m.
Zoom webinar registration, open to the public
Tracy Oliver-Gary, supervisor of pre-K-12 social studies, will lecture on how MCPS responded to the Brown vs. Board of Education’s ruling.
Annual Changemaker Workshop
Thursday, Nov. 14, 6:30-8 p.m.
Students can earn up to 2 SSL hours.
Zoom Webinar Registration Link
Flyer
The keynote speaker is Ilana Trachtman, director of the documentary, Ain’t No Back to a Merry-Go-Round, a film about the desegregation of Glen Echo amusement park.
KID Museum Offering After-School, Native American Heritage Month Programs
The KID Museum has the following after-school programs available at its 3 Bethesda Metro Center and Davis Library locations. Scholarships are available on request.
Kindergarten-1st grade: Innovative Art Lab
2nd-4th grades: Challenge Accepted!
5th-7th grades: Build Your Fab Lab Skills
More information and registration
Celebrating Native American Heritage Month
Sunday, Nov. 3, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Experience a hoop dance, interactive movement workshops, material demonstrations and hands-on fun for the whole family. More information
Winter Coat Drive Underway
The Prekindergarten and Head Start offices are requesting donations of new coats for students in need. Hats, gloves and boots for young children are also welcome. Donations for boys’ and girls’ coats in sizes 5, 6, 7 and 8 are most needed. Items can be dropped off at Rocking Horse Road Center, 4910 Macon Road, Room 141, Rockville, Md., 20852. You may drop off items in person from 9 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday–Friday, or you can order online and have items delivered directly to Rocking Horse Road Center.
For questions, contact Lisa Conlon at 240-550-2615.
Sports Lovers: Don’t Miss Out!
The inaugural girls’ flag football county championship tournament will be during the weeks of Oct. 28 and Nov. 4. The state tournament of champions will be held on Friday, Nov. 8. Check out an overview of the playoff schedule.
See the fall playoff and tournament schedules for cheerleading, cross country, field hockey, football, golf, soccer and volleyball here.
Reminders
Mental Health Resource Fair: This free event, open to students, families and staff, will be held from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26, at Seneca Valley High School, 19401 Crystal Rock Drive in Germantown. Transportation is available. RSVP. This event will be livestreamed and available here (English) and here (en Español).
Veterans Day volunteer opportunity: Middle and high school students are invited from 9 a.m.- 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9 at A. Mario Loiederman Middle School, 12701 Goodhill Road in Silver Spring. Students will help build garden beds and benches for the first urban farm being built through the REACH (Resilience, Education, Action, Climate, Habitat) Hub at Loiederman. SSL hours and lunch will be provided. Registration
Marching to the Beat of Their Own Drums
Fourteen middle and high school bands participated in this year’s Marching Band Showcase at Einstein High School earlier this month. Enjoy the photo gallery!
VISIT the MCPS homepage.
CALL 240-740-3000. Staff take calls from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, in English and Spanish (240-740-2845)
READ news and information sent via email and text message and on the MCPS News page.
FOLLOW the MCPS social media pages on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram in English and Spanish.
http://twitter.com/mcps
https://www.facebook.com/mcpsmd
https://www.instagram.com/mcps_mdhttps://www.facebook.com/mcpsespanol
https://twitter.com/MCPSEspanol
https://www.instagram.com/mcpsenespanol/SIGN UP for emails and text alerts and make sure your ParentVue information is up to date.
WATCH the MCPS cable channels Comcast 34 (1071 HD), Verizon 36 or RCN 89
Open Registrations
More From MCPS
ParentVUE and other Important Online Resources
Sign Up For ParentVUE to Stay in Touch With Your School
Families new to MCPS are encouraged to sign up for a ParentVUE account at the beginning of the school year. ParentVUE is the online parent portal that serves as the primary communication vehicle for schools to share information regarding grades, attendance, scheduling, access to myMCPS Classroom, and more.
ParentVUE provides a way to view school-related information and data for students. Register for athletics, and special programs, communicate with teachers, and verify your student information annually.
ParentVUE also allows access to Canvas/MyMCPSClassroom, a digital learning platform. Parents and guardians can view instructional information and resources, and get alerts about assignments and grades.Sign up for Alert MCPS
Alert MCPS provides emergency information about school closures or emergencies via text or email messages to devices you register. Sign up here.Know These Important System Resources A. GoFan: This online digital ticketing platform offers fast and easy access to tickets for high school events, and allows fans to enter games quickly and safely. For ticketed sports, tickets are no longer sold at the gate and must be purchased online. B. SchoolCash Online: https://www.schoolcashonline.com MCPS has transitioned to this online payment system as its preferred method of payment for all school-related fees. Schools and offices will now use SchoolCash Online for fundraising, field trips, course fees and extracurricular activities. This new payment system is not related to school cafeteria accounts.
MySchoolBucks:Use MySchoolBucks to add school meal money to your child’s account. This will eliminate the need for your child to bring money to school every day. This year, meals (lunch and breakfast) will not be universally free. If your student wants to buy lunch in school, they will need a MySchoolBucks account. Families who believe they qualify for free and reduced-price meals can apply here.
Meadow Hall Principal
Email: Desmond_Mackall2@mcpsmd.org
Website: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/meadowhalles/
Location: 951 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville, MD, USA
Phone: 240-740-5260
Twitter: @MHES_Principal
Meadow Hall Assistant Principal
Email: Ilana_N_Simhon@mcpsmd.org
Website: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/meadowhalles/
Location: 951 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville, MD, USA
Phone: 240-740-5260
Twitter: @MeadowHallAP