Stonegate Greetings
Weekly Newsletter
Gr 5 Krispy Kreme Digital Dozen Fundraiser through Dec 20
Monday, December 9th
Toys for Tots Drive until Dec 10
After school Avanti Soccer
After school Spanish
Tuesday, December 10th
Last Day - Toys for Tots Drive
After school Sky’s the Limit Dance Gr K-2
Wednesday, December 11th
PTA Olney Jersey Mike’s Restaurant Fundraiser 10 am - 9 pm
Thursday, December 12th
After School Avanti Basketball
After School Sky’s the Limit Dance Gr 3-5
Friday, December 13th
LFI Community Outing
Wear Stonegate Spiritwear
After School Magnus Chess
Dear Stonegate Families and Caregivers,
The University of Maryland field trip has proven to be very popular--- many MCPS schools are going. MCPS transportation is only able to provide only 4 of our 13 requested buses. We revised who is attending so only 10 buses are needed. We were able to book 6 charter buses to help get us there.
REVISED ATTENDANCE: Grades 1-5 and Ms. Hairston and Ms. Moore’s LFI classes WILL be attending this field trip.
The following Grades will NOT be going: PEP, Prekindergarten, Kindergarten and Ms. Clutts LFI class. They will be having a fun day at school.
REVISED COSTS: Given the additional cost of the charter buses vs. MCPS buses, we are asking students in Grades 1-5 to pay $10 for the field trip. The school and PTA are still paying $3600 toward transportation expenses.
Please pay the $10 field trip fee online at https://mcpsmd.schoolcashonline.com/ or send in cash or check payable to Stonegate.
Students will not be denied the opportunity to attend a trip due to financial hardship. Please contact your child’s teacher if you need financial assistance.
Students MUST bring a bagged lunch this day OR purchase one from school. The cafeteria will provide a chicken sandwich, drink and fruit.
If you have not already completed the online permission form OR returned the paper permission slip, please do so ASAP so we can gather EVERYONE'S permission and get our lunch count. Students without permission will not be able to attend and will remain at school. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf2NNE59O4WVzNsXEqIYf9C4q5_5nW_P_z9ZfBLQafsTqtGvQ/viewform
Warmly,
Linda M. Jones
Principal
Stonegate Elementary has partnered with ComuniBuild Foundation to host their annual Care for 30 campaign with a Toy Drive. There is a Toys for Tots collection box in the main office at Stonegate. Please consider donating a new, unwrapped toy to support families that need a little holiday help this season.
We'll be collecting donations until December 10th.
Students, staff and families are invited to participate by helping to spread the word and collect toys for the drive.
As winter temperatures settle in, we want to remind you to bundle up for arrival and dismissal times. The mornings this week in Silver Spring are expected to be in the 30s and 40s, with "real-feel" temperatures even lower due to wind chill.
Additionally, please remember that students play outside for recess as long as the temperature is above 32°F, so it’s important for them to be dressed appropriately to stay warm and comfortable.
Please ensure your child comes to school with a warm coat and any other cold-weather accessories like gloves, mittens, hats and scarves. Students should not be arriving at school in T shirts and light hoodies. Students know this expectation
Thank you for helping us keep our students safe and warm while they enjoy their day!
And, as always, add your child's name to all items!
The STONEGATE ES PTA is having a fundraiser at Jersey Mike's on WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11TH from 10am-9pm- so take a break from cooking dinner or go for lunch. Our PTA appreciates all your support.
You may order online, by phone, OR in the store with dine in or carry out. You can order online the day of or even the day before the fundraiser and give them your pick-up time and date of pick up. If you call the order in, make sure to let them know it’s for the “STONEGATE FUNDRAISER”.
You may also use the APP and have it delivered HTTPS://WWW,JERSEYMIKES.COM/APP. Just make sure when using the APP to put “STONEGATE FUNDRAISER” IN THE NOTES.
Instructions on how to order online are below.
1) Go to OLNEY Jersey Mike's website:
https://www.jerseymikes.com/28015/olney-md
2) Order on WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11TH.
3) In the Checkout section of your order:
· Please put PICK UP DATE/TIME AND YOUR NAME
· Under 'Notes' please put: “STONEGATE FUNDRAISER”
Gift cards also count towards the fundraiser. They make great thank you, birthday or coach/teacher gifts. Pick up a few for stocking stuffers or better yet, grab one for your next visit and we get credit now!
Thank you for all your support!
We are excited to announce our Stonegate Annual Career Day, and we would love for you to participate! We are inviting parents and family members to share their careers with our students in fun and interactive ways. This special event will give students the chance to learn about different careers and the many possibilities for their futures.
I am happy to announce that Career Day will be Friday, April 25th, 2025!
You can sign up using the Google Form below.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSflrx-53I4Gjwisc6_CsIFZm_sKIDlOX7Jw3J6mpnrBZ-jarw/viewform
Return the form by February 7th, 2025 to ensure we have time to organize the event.
Please note that regrettably we will not be able to select everyone that is interested as we have limited openings for presenters. We are so grateful for your support and look forward to an exciting Career Day with your involvement!
KIND BAGS
Our KIND weekend bag deliveries are well underway. If you have not received a bag, please do not forget to reach out to our Counselor to let him know via Email at Kedon_F_George2@mcpsmd.org or via Remind. We want to make sure that during this Holiday Season all of our Families are being fed.
Warm regards,
Kedon George,
School Counselor
Please reach out at Kedon_F_George2@mcpsmd.org or 240-740-7340
Fifth Grade Giving Campaign
If you are not interested in grabbing or gifting a digital dozen, but would still like to help our fifth graders have an amazing end of year party and promotion go here to donate: https://givebutter.com/rv8lIj
A new session of Avanti Indoor Soccer and Basketball starts this week.
Register here: https://avantiathletics.com/
Label every jacket, lunch box and water bottle with your child’s name or your family last name.
Stonegate has a diligent team of fifth grade student leaders who check every found item for a name and return it to the right student. Easily label with a marker!
Or if you prefer a printed label, we have partnered with https://mabelslabels.com/ if you would like to order amazing label products for clothing, water bottles and lunch boxes. Our Grade 5 students will earn 20% of sales. Be sure to select “support a fundraiser” and select “Stonegate Elementary (Silver Spring)”
Reflections Entries Due by Friday, December 20th
Reflections is a National PTA program for students to show their creative talents. This year’s theme is Accepting Imperfection. Students must select one category for their entry: visual arts, dance choreography, or music composition.
The Stonegate Reflection due date has been extended to Friday, December 20th. Download the entry form and submit the entry form and art by the deadline. Reflections begins at the local PTA level and then the top students from each local PTA compete at the MCCPTA level. Honorees at the county level then progress to the Free State PTA and eventually the National PTA.
Menus are sent home monthly and can be found on the MCPS’s website: Elementary Menu
Kindergarten- 5th Grade Menu: December 2024:
Pre-K/Headstart: December 2024:
Hot lunches are served daily with alternate choices. Lunch is $2.55 including milk. Milk may be purchased separately for 60 cents. Parents are highly encouraged to start a Myschoolbucks account for their child. This will eliminate lost or forgotten lunch money. The price of lunch or breakfast will be subtracted from the account. Checks should be made payable to Stonegate School Cafeteria.
Payments to student cafeteria accounts can be made either through My School Bucks (optional, not a requirement), or cash or checks payable to Stonegate Cafeteria and submitted to the cafeteria manager.
Applying for Free Lunch
Students in Maryland who qualify for reduced-price meals will not be charged for meals! Apply right away. One application covers the entire HOUSEHOLD. Translations in other languages are available through the online application.
Apply now at www.MySchoolApps.com
Here is a video about how to apply:
English Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJUapGLarBo
Video en Español: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsdCrtCIFJc&t=4s
Makeup/Retake Day images are now viewable online.
Please visit: vosphoto.com/uc
use your student ID when prompted for the online code.
For questions regarding school pictures
please email: underclass@vosphoto.com
This year has been full of photo opportunities! You may have pictures from a party, a field trip, or other fun event! Families and staff can use this Josten’s link to upload photos from field trips, class parties, class projects, assemblies, etc. for possible inclusion in the yearbook.
Yearbook Link to submit photos:
https://images.jostens.com/0UttG7hxhZq-7MutrNwsZcg
For Grade 5 families - ONLY: Please submit a photo of your student when they were younger, such as kindergarten, to include in the flashback section of the yearbook.
Here is the 24-25 School Calendar
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org//siteassets/district/calendar/2024/2024-calendar.pdf
Dec 19 - Field Trip (Grades 1-5) to Xfinity Center UMD Girls Basketball Game 9:40 -2:00
Dec 23 - Jan 1- No School, Winter Break
Jan 2 - Return to School
Jan 14 - Gr 5 Chipotle Restaurant Night 5-9 pm
Jan 16 - Science Night 6-7:30 pm
Jan 23 - Winter Instrumental Music & Chorus 5:30-6:30 pm
Jan 27 - Grade 1 Field Trip Imagination Stage 9:40 - 12:30 pm
Jan 30 - Yearbook Club photos 9:15-11:15 am
Feb 4 - PTA Membership Meeting virtual 8:00 pm
Feb 13 - PTA Restaurant Night Vocelli
Feb 14 - Valentine’s Parties 2-3 pm
Feb 21 - Grade 4 Field Trip Arts on Stage “Lift Every Voice” 10:30 am -2 pm
Feb 24- Mar 14 PTA Read A Thon
Feb 27 - Black History Celebration - Paint Branch High School
Feb 28- Early Release dismissal at 12:55
Mar 3-5 - Hearing and Vision Screening
Mar 4 - PTA Membership Meeting virtual 8:00 pm
Mar 11 - Gr 5 Chick Fil A Restaurant Night
Mar 27 - Spring Student Portraits
All volunteers WILL need to check-in and check-out of the main office and scan their driver’s license/identification cards through the Visitor Management System (VMS). Once the volunteer clears the VMS, they must be badged (the VMS creates a sticker badge) and remain under supervision of an MCPS professional while with students.
Link to Volunteer Expectations Video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tpdZrX8MRqYutpNhA3siVOajmRnxlYPa/view?usp=sharing
Clothing to Cash® is a program that collects New and Used Clothing, Shoes, Sheets, and Towels, (all Textiles) and pays the school 10 cents for every pound collected. The program is operated entirely OUTSIDE and will be located in the school parking lot, where students, parents, staff, and the community can drop off items throughout the year.
They have state-of-the-art photo quantity sensors installed in each bin that report 3 times daily to prevent overflow and allow the company to schedule service as needed (no other companies use this technology). They empty the collection bin, weigh the contents to determine our school earnings, and pay our school monthly.
The average school (500 - 1000 students) will earn $1000- $2000 yearly if each student would donate just one 13-gallon kitchen-size bag of textile mate! Add in parents, siblings, relatives, neighbors, and staff, and Stonegate’s earnings could really increase.