Sherwood ES Weekly Update

November 24, 2024

Weekly Update

Parent Teacher Conferences:

Parent teach conferences are occurring between now and Thanksgiving. Individual teachers are reaching out to families to schedule in person or virtual meetings. Please contact teachers directly with any questions.

Early Release Days on November 25 and 26

Monday, November 25 and Tuesday, November 26 are early release days for students. That means students are dismissed 2.5 hours early. There are no PEP classes next Monday or Tuesday.

Happy Thanksgiving

Wishing all who celebrate a happy thanksgiving. There will be no newsletter on Sunday, December 1st. December 2-6 are normal school days.

GT Parent Night for Second Grade Families

Tuesday, November 3rd at 6:00pm in Sherwood APR

Parent Session on Raising Children in a Tech-Driven World

Wednesday, December 4 from 6:30pm-7:30pm at Sherwood Elementary School.

GT Screening and Information Night for 2nd Grade Families

All 2nd Grade families are invited to an information session on Tuesday, December 3rd at 6:00pm in the Sherwood all purpose room.

All Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Grade 2 students will be screened as part of the Student Instructional Program Planning and Implementation (SIPPI) process, which is the universal screening for gifted and talented (GT) identification. Additionally, students in Grades 3, 5 and 7 who are new to MCPS, or have not been previously identified as gifted and talented, will participate in the screening process. The screening process considers various academic assessments and behavioral checklists to determine whether a student meets criteria for GT designation. In June, you will receive a letter that includes your student’s GT designation.

Parent Night Session: Raising Children in a Tech-Driven World

Join us for an insightful talk designed for parents on “Raising Children in a Tech-Driven World,” presented by Montgomery County Police Detective Sergeant Jeremy Wojdan on Wednesday, December 4 from 6:30pm-7:30pm at Sherwood Elementary School.

Sgt. Wojdan is a 23-year veteran where he has spent the majority of his career serving families in various roles with MCPD. With a vast understanding and expertise in social media, open-source intelligence, digital forensics and investigations, Jeremy will explore the unique challenges technology presents for today’s youth, from screen time management to online safety and social media influence. Learn practical strategies to foster healthy digital habits, encourage open communication, and guide your children through the ever-evolving tech landscape. Equip yourself with the tools needed to navigate this digital age and help your children thrive both online and offline.

Large Format Book Walk In December

Sherwood ES is hosting a book walk of the book Emma and the Bees/Ema y las abejas December 2 - December 13. Students will have time in class to visit the book walk and families are invited to visit our book walk after school before our Raising Children in a Tech Driven World Event, Wednesday, December 4 and before Reading Night on Tuesday, December 10.

PTA Updates

Donate to the PTA Annual Fund - with a matching campaign for Giving Tuesday! This Giving Tuesday, December 3rd, help us light the way to a brighter future for our children by giving to the SES PTA Annual Fund. Every gift, no matter the size, is a direct investment in the well-being of the children in our school community, and helps them to reach their full potential. All donations will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $2,500 by an SES family. Our giving drive will run from December 3rd - December 10th. Donate HERE - thank you for continuing to support our PTA!

PTA December Restaurant Night at Brew Belly - Our December Restaurant Night will be at Brew Belly on Thursday, December 12th! Come by for either dine-in or take-out from 11am-10pm, and mention Sherwood when you check out; enjoy a delicious meal, and help raise money for the PTA in the process!

Save the date for the Scholastic Book Fair! It's almost the most wonderful time of the year - not that one, the Book Fair!! We'll have many more details soon (and opportunities to volunteer), but for now, put these dates on your calendars:

- Saturday, Dec. 7th, 3pm - 6pm - Family Preview Day

- Tuesday, Dec. 10th, 5:30pm - 7pm - Love of Reading Night (caregivers can shop the fair, while kids bundle up in pajamas with treats and listen to stories read by our wonderful staff and teachers)

- Monday, Dec. 9th - Friday, Dec. 13th - Book Fair in-school shopping days

None of this can happen without help from parent volunteers - please sign up here if you are able to help set up, take down, or work at the book fair! We have daytime, evening, and weekend opportunities, as well as SSL hour options for teens:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C4FAEAE2EA0F8C34-53080431-book#/

Annual Staff Holiday Cookie Exchange - Calling all families! Our Annual SES Cookie Exchange is just around the corner!!! Bring 2 dozen cookies, brownies, bread, candy or other treats that are store bought or homemade. All are welcome and greatly appreciated! Please remember to label any allergens if applicable.

It is a great event that ensures ALL of our 95 staff members receive a special treat from an SES family. Drop off your goodies in the main office in the afternoon of Thursday, 12/19 or Friday, 12/20 in the morning by 9:00 am. We will arrange in the staff lounge for staff to take a goody bag of treats home. Sign up HERE!

Afterschool Activities

Looking to extend the school day and add some enrichment to your student's life? Join one of our fun afterschool activities this fall! The full list is available on our website (and we've just added information about soccer and basketball for winter), and individual organizations will be sending home fliers as the school year continues; we have everything from coding to drama club, and will continue to add new activities through the winter and spring. Click here for more information (and email afterschool@sesptamd.org if you have any questions): https://www.sesptamd.org/afterschool

Sign up to support our staff with Fri-Yays!

Are you looking for ways to show appreciation for our wonderful teachers and staff? Fri-Yays take place once a month on a Friday (unless otherwise noted), and are a chance to provide some themed treats (edible or otherwise) in the staff lounge.

You will be responsible for providing the items and setting them up in the staff lounge in the morning, to be enjoyed throughout the day. You would also be responsible for clean-up at the end of the day and potentially checking mid-day if the themed items need to be replenished. Feel free to sign up with a friend or two to share the load! Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C4FAEAE2EA0F8C34-50543394-teacher#/

PTA Memberships and PTA Annual Fund

Exciting new membership opportunities and donations to the PTA Annual Fund (operating fund) are available on our Memberhub store! There is no P or T in PTA without you! https://sherwoodelem.givebacks.com/store

School & Yearbook Picture Uploads

The PTA will be doing the yearbook this year with Treering. In order to upload pictures for the yearbook you will need to make an account at www.treering.com/validate. Attached is a flyer with information regarding yearbook costs and our school code: 1016149928682078

Please reach out to Marlene Campbell the yearbook editor with any questions at yearbook@sesptamd.org

Free Parenting Support for MCPS Parents and Caregivers

MCPS is continuing its partnership with the Parent Encouragement Program (PEP), a local nonprofit that provides resources and support to parents and caregivers. The PEP Family Resiliency Program is a free, online eight-week program which helps parents and caregivers learn tools to strengthen family connections, support children’s mental health and encourage success in school. Earn a $50 gift card for taking at least five sessions and completing the evaluation. Sessions start the week of Oct. 14 and are offered in English, Spanish and Amharic. Register.

Supporting Reading at Home - Amplify CKLA Parent and Caregiver Hub

Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) is a language arts program for Grades PreK–5 that combines a multi-sensory approach to phonics with rich texts carefully sequenced to build content knowledge—so that students learn to read and read to learn at the same time.

Every day in Grades PreK–2, students complete one full lesson that builds foundational reading skills, as well as one full lesson that builds background knowledge. In Grades 3–5, students start to master the skills of reading, further opening up their worlds.

The Amplify CKLA Caregiver Hub will help caregivers support their student and enable them to have the most productive experience with the CKLA platform throughout the year.

Parents and Students are able to use the CKLA Hub for re-reading stories that were shared in class and to practice grade-level skills and vocabulary. The CKLA Hub is also a wonderful resource for absent students that need to catch up on any stories missed in class.

Log in @ ckla.amplify.com/home

Select “Log in with Amplify” and enter the username and password.
Click on the picture to see the grade level username and password.

Cafeteria Menus and Ice Cream

Cafeteria menus are posted monthly on the MCPS food and nutrition website. Please see the links below for the September and October menus. Our cafeteria also sells ice cream a la carte every other day.

November 2024:

December 2024:

English |

Carpool Safety

Some general reminders to help everything work safely and efficiently.

Please do not park in the handicap spots if you do not have a handicap placard.
Please pull all the way up to the end of the carpool lane to allow as many cars as possible to pick up or drop off at once.
When entering the driveway, please be patient and take turns with cars turning from the left and the right. Please be extra careful turning left onto route 108 when exiting the parking lot.
When crossing the crosswalk, please wait for the hand signals from staff that the carpool lane is safe to cross. Please do not cross the driveway at other locations.
Please do not enter the bus loop lane during arrival or dismissal.
During the day, please do not park in the bus loop from 11:30am-12:30pm due to bus pickups.
Please do not block any of the lanes.
After 9:25, students need to be signed in at the main office by a parent or caregiver.

Severe Weather Emergency Information

The safety of our MCPS community is critical, and being able to communicate with students, staff, and families during severe weather or other emergencies is of the utmost importance. Use this link to find all the ways you can connect with MCPS to receive emergency operational information from the school system. The current operating status options for the school district appear on the MCPS website and on individual school websites. In the event of a change in operational status, this link will provide more information about the MCPS Operating Status options.

Transportation Information

The bus routes for the 2024-2025 school year are linked below.

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/district/departments/transportation/busroutes/02501bus.pdf

Specific questions about bus routes and stops can be directed to Mr. Gregory Walker, Sherwood Transportation Cluster Manager.

Phone: 240-740-2606

Email: Gregory_R_Walker@mcpsmd.org

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/transportation/rules/

Need Help?

To address any concerns or issues with bus delays, we want to introduce the MCPS Transportation Hotline. This service will begin Monday, August 26, starting at 6:00 am to 5:00 pm, and will be available during the first week of school. MCPS transportation staff will be able to support families if questions, concerns or problems with a bus or bus stop need to be addressed. To access this service, call 240-740-7790.

School Supply Lists by Grade

School supply lists by grade are linked below. Please note that the lists are divided into personal classroom supplies, shared classroom supplies, and frequent donations. Families will be able to bring materials to our open house dates before school begins.

Any student who does not have materials will be provided materials from the school.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1EnUXlVv5eNNQXhs7qytQ1WB_tTrxfTS_-quxmo_7cCw/edit?usp=sharing

Cafeteria Updates and Purchasing School Meals

Overview

Free Meals are No Longer Available for ALL Students, due to the end of Federal USDA waivers.

Meal Prices for School Year 2024-2025 are:

Breakfast: Regular Price: $1.30

Lunch: Regular Price: $2.55

MySchoolBucks is an optional service for parents to view recent purchases and make prepayments to your child’s cafeteria account for breakfast, lunch and a la carte meals via the Internet with a credit/debit card. This service is offered as a convenience for interested families. By creating a secure online account, parents can manage their child’s account.

MySchoolBucks instructions:

Free and Reduced Meals

Students may qualify for free or reduced-price meals based on household size and income.

They may also qualify if they are receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA), or Medicaid benefits.

Families may apply for meal benefits by completing an Application for Free and Reduced-price Meals for the current school year. Questions? Please call 240-740-7400.

Students who qualify for reduced-price meals will eat for free!

Apply online for free and reduced meals at MySchoolApps.com (translations available on the website) Click here for an English video tutorial.

Special Meal Plans

Website: http://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/food-and-nutrition/meal-payments/#FARMS

Health Room Information

Health room staff plan to be available beginning August 14, 2024. Forms may be submitted over the summer by:

a) Emailing to Lisa Rocco, Health Room Tech at lisa_j_rocco@mcpsmd.org

b) Fax: 301-924-3294

c) Mail: 1401 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Sandy Spring, MD 20860

d) Drop off to the health room beginning August 14, 2024

Please Note: - Health room staff will NOT be monitoring health forms sent to the nurse's email and/or school over the summer; forms will be reviewed when health staff return in August 2024.

Commonly Used Forms Included Below:

Health Inventory Form,

Medication Authorization Form,

Anaphylaxis Medication Form,

Asthma Action Plan/Medication Form,

Dental Health Form

For immunization questions, please refer to the guidelines provided by the Maryland Department of Health: https://health.maryland.gov/phpa/OIDEOR/IMMUN/Pages/back-to-school-immunization-requirements.aspx