Weekly Firefly Newsletter

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On Monday 10/17, Tuesday 10/18, and Wednesday 10/19 bus route 5215 will be picking up all students that ride bus route 5216. This change is for the morning route only.

Dear Flower Valley Community,

The FVES staff enjoyed seeing so many of you at our Firefly Family Open House. It was wonderful to be able to show you a glimpse of the amazing learning that happens each and every day at Flower Valley.

This week, we have the PTA sponsored book fair all week, and we have a fun family reading night planned for the 20th. The night will begin with an information session about structured literacy, and then families will be able to visit different classrooms to listen to a book reading by a Flower Valley staff member. The whole family is invited!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. The Fish house will be filled with 10 senior girls for a fun after homecoming sleepover. It is the last high school homecoming for us, so we are going to enjoy having a full house.

With Firefly Pride!

Mrs. Fish

• PTA Sponsored Book Fair
• FVES Family Reading Night
• Available Tutoring Opportunities for Students
• After School Activities
• Walker Dismissal
• Harvest Parade and Party
• Curriculum Corner
• Counseling Corner
• PTA Corner
• School Meals, FARMS, My School Bucks, and Lunch Menu
• School Visitors and Volunteers
• Attendance, Early Dismissals, and Transportation Changes
• School Cash Online
• Covid and OUTCLASS: Out of Class On Demand Resources for Students
• Seasonal Roots Fundraiser
• Helpful Resources
• Save the Date
• School Contact Information

Our FVES Family Reading Night is almost here! Join us on Thursday, October 20 from 6:30-8:00 in your comfiest pajamas! There will be an informational session on structured literacy for parents starting at 6:30, and students are invited to make bookmarks during that time. We will have two sessions of story time hosted by some of our fabulous FVES teachers and staff! We invite families to bring their gently used books to trade in for new ones and shop the Book Fair for your favorite new titles!

There are several types of free tutoring services available for MCPS students. FVES has teachers who will be tutoring some of our students as part of the CARES Act services. Students are selected based on their current reading and math data including their levels of proficiency. If your student is identified, we will work to secure a tutor and contact you to coordinate dates and times for tutoring. During these sessions, FVES staff will provide additional support using Benchmark/and or Eureka curriculum, as well as Tier III evidence-based intervention programs.Students not selected for CARES tutoring may sign up for online tutoring services through FEV Tutor or Tutor Me Education.

We have several outside vendors using space at FVES for after school activities. These vendors are not sponsored by the school. If your child is participating in one of these activities, please notify your child's teacher of their change in dismissal routine.

If your child is a walker, please stand to the side of the building in the grassy area, so that the sidewalk area is clear for students to leave. Some of our little friends get overwhelmed seeing so many adults, and it is difficult to find students that are called on the walkie talkie for car rider pickup. Thank you for your help with this.

This year Flower Valley Elementary School will have a Fall Harvest Parade and Party on October 28th. In order to be inclusive and respectful of all our students, all activities will be fall-related. Students are not permitted to wear their costumes to school; they should bring their costume in a bag with their name on it if they would like to wear a costume in the parade. Students will be given time to change into their costume before the parade and should not wear their costume to school. Costumes should not be gory or scary, and there should be no costume masks. Costumes are not required for the parade. Details can be accessed here.

Benchmark: All grade levels will wrap up Benchmark Advance unit 1 by the end of October. Looking forward to Benchmark Advance unit 2, students will engage in the first fictional unit of the year by exploring characters through fables and folktales.

Eureka Math: MCPS has a dedicated website which has support for each Eureka module in every grade level. Here is a Eureka Math support page for families. You will need to create an account to access the family resources called "tips for parents." "Homework Helpers" are tips for parents that are included with each homework assignment in the Math Succeed (HW) book. Additionally, this is a google document that contains helpful videos for parents to use. There are general Eureka videos and grade level specific videos included.

Please keep an eye out for grade level bi-weekly communication regarding details about what is happening in each of our classes.

Families with students qualifying for Free and Reduced Meals also qualify for a $40 stipend for school supplies for their child(ren). This information can be found at: https://www.readyforschoolinitiative.org/ .

Families with students qualifying for Free and Reduced Meals also qualify for a free or reduced PTA membership. This information can be found at: https://fvespta.membershiptoolkit.com/membership.

Mrs. Atanda and Mrs. Smith will be teaching Personal Body Safety lessons in October through December. For more information you may contact: Jennifer_T_Atanda@mcpmsmd.org or Colleen_B_Smith@mcpsmd.org or call 240-740-1780. You will find more information at: Personal Body Safety Lessons.

Please complete the following google form if you are in need of resources for your family such as Friday Snack Bags, Holiday Giving donations, backpacks, or other resources. You may also reach out to Mrs. Atanda, School Counselor, at Jennifer_T_Atanda@mcpsmd.org or 240-740-1780. You may also send a note into school with your child.

FVES Supply Drive Oct. 17th - Oct. 21st

Help support the staff and school by donating the following high-demand items via bins at the front door and car rider line. All donations are appreciated!

Tissues

Hand Soap

Hand Sanitizer

Paper Towels

White Board Markers (dry erase markers)

Brightly Colored Paper and Cardstock

The PTA sponsored Scholastic Book Fair starts this Mon. Oct. 17th! A few parent volunteer spots remain for anyone interested: sign up Family Reading Night is Thurs. Oct. 20th from 6:30 - 8 PM! Join staff and Flower Valley families for a fun evening.

Mark your calendars for fall fun at the Masquerade Festival Sat. Oct. 29th starting at 5:30 PM. It's never too late to volunteer even a few hours with the PTA! Contact president@fvespta.org for more information.

Beginning school year 2022-2023, students who qualify for reduced-price meals will not be charged for lunch - meaning that students who qualify for reduced-price meals will eat for free! To learn more about eligibility for Free and Reduced Meals (FARMS) and apply for FARMs, click here. Deposits into lunch accounts can be made by any student and can be made ahead of time via the MCPS online payment system, My School Bucks. Details about how to add money to your student’s account can be accessed here. Menus can be accessed here.

Anyone visiting FVES must sign in at the main office and bring identification with them. We aren't able to have parents eating with students in the cafeteria due to space, but you can certainly sign your child out for lunch if you would like to enjoy lunch together.

If you are interested in serving as a volunteer, please contact Mrs. Atanda at Jennifer_T_Atanda@mcpsmd.org.

If your child is going to be absent, please email your child's teacher and Mrs. Sintetos at Catherine_G_Sintetos@mcpsmd.org or call the office at 240-740-1780. When your child is absent, please send in a note explaining the reason for the absence. If your child is going to be arriving late, you need to bring your child to the main office and sign them in. If you will be picking up your child early, please let Mrs. Sintetos and your child's homeroom teacher know.

MCPS transitioned to a new online payment system called School Cash Online as its preferred method of payment for all school-related fees, except for meals. Detailed information about how to register can be accessed here.

When your child is symptomatic, it is encouraged that a home or PCR test is administered. Only positive test results need to be reported using the MCPS COVID-19 Reporting Form. Individuals who have a positive COVID-19 test should report their positive result and follow CDC guidelines for isolation. Details regarding the MCPS back to school Covid safety protocols can be accessed here.

Please see the letter linked here. It provides information about the available learning tools while a student is out of school due to Covid.

Flower Valley Elementary School is partnering with Seasonal Roots to bring healthy, delicious food to our community, to support local farmers and artisans, and to raise money to support programs for Flower Valley students!

Seasonal Roots is an online farmers market that delivers “dirt to doorstep” to families in Maryland and Virginia. Each week the market offers more than 150 items that are all grown and produced locally, sustainably, and ethically. Market items include fruit, vegetables, meat, dairy, baked goods, prepared foods, vegan specialties and more.

To access the Seasonal Roots market, you sign-up as a member and pay an annual membership fee. Through our collaboration, the fee is reduced by 50% - it’s just $25. For each Flower Valley Elementary School family that joins, the school receives $20!

Once you are a member, what you order and when you order are up to you! There is no obligation. You can select exactly what produce and extras you want, skip or pause weekly deliveries, and cancel anytime. The online market opens Friday at 2:00PM and closes at midnight on Sunday. Orders are delivered on Wednesdays in Montgomery County.

To join Seasonal Roots and earn a $20 donation for Flower Valley Elementary School, use promotional code FVES at https://www.seasonalroots.com/fves.

October 17th-21st: PTA Sponsored Book Fair

October 19th: Kindergarten Field trip to Green Meadows Farm

October 20th: FVES Family Reading Night, 6:30-8:00PM

October 24th: Professional Day for Teachers, No School for Students

October 27th: 5th Grade Field Trip to Strathmore

October 28th: Harvest Parade and Party

October 29th: PTA Sponsored Masquerade Festival

November 21st - Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day at FVES

December 5th - Picture Retakes

December 13th, Time TBD - FVES Musical Production

January 17th - Group/Class Pictures

February 1st: Winter Instrumental Music Concert at FVES, 7:00pm

February 10th, 6:30-8:00pm - PTA Sponsored Bingo

February 14th, 2:30-3:15pm - Valentine’s Day Parties

March 26th, 2-3pm - PTA Sponsored Fun Run

April 20th, 5:30-7:30pm - PTA Sponsored STEM Night

April 24th-28th - PTA Sponsored Book Fair

April 26th - Individual and Grade 5 Panoramic

May 6th, 10:00-2:00pm - PTA Sponsored SAVERS Donation Drive

Field Day, TBD

May 16th, Time TBD - FVES International Night and Art Expo

May 21st, 2-5pm - PTA Sponsored Carnival

June 1st: Spring Instrumental Music Concert at FVES, 7:00pm

5th Grade Promotion, Date and Time TBD

*Please remember these dates are subject to change. There will also be several PTA sponsored virtual nights for families throughout the year.

MCPS Things to Know

FVES Letter to Families

School Supplies

School Website

MCPS Community Messages

Parent Handbook

Student Rights and Responsibilities (Spanish Version Available in Main Office)

Student Code of Conduct (English) (Spanish Version Available in Main Office)

Our office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00AM to 4:30PM Below are emails and phone numbers for the following departments:

Administration (240) 740-1780

Mrs. Angie Fish, Principal – Angie_L_Fish@mcpsmd.org

Ms. Angela Castillo, Assistant Principal - Angela_M_Castillo@mcpsmd.org

Main Office Staff (240) 740-1780

Mrs. Padma Radhakrishnan, School Administrative Secretary – Padma_Radhakrishnan@mcpsmd.org

Mrs. Cathy Sintetos, Attendance Secretary – Catherine_G_Sintetos@mcpsmd.org

Counseling Office (240) 740-6680

Mrs. Jennifer Atanda - Jennifer_T_Atanda@mcpsmd.org

Ms. Colleen Smith - Colleen_B_Smith@mcpsmd.org

All Staff Directory

Be bright! Be kind! Be you!

We inspire all children to become critical thinkers who are imaginative, adaptable, and collaborative. We strive to cultivate peaceful, life-long learners who contribute positively to the community around them.

Email: Angie_L_Fish@mcpsmd.org
Website: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/flowervalleyes/
Location: Flower Valley Elementary School, Sunflower Drive, Rockville, MD, USA
Phone: 240-740-1780
Twitter: @AngieFish_FVES