October Monthly Newsletter

As we welcome October, we want to take a moment to highlight two important topics: attendance and our ongoing commitment to fostering a safe, inclusive environment for all students.

Attendance Matters!
Regular school attendance is vital for your child's academic success and social development. Each day of learning builds on the last, and consistent attendance helps ensure that students do not miss out on crucial lessons and experiences. If your child is unable to attend school, please remember to notify the school and provide a note upon their return. Let’s work together to keep our attendance rates high!

Standing Up Against Bullying
We believe that every student deserves a safe and supportive learning environment. This month, we are focusing on anti-bullying initiatives. Our staff is dedicated to teaching students the importance of kindness, empathy, and respect. We encourage you to discuss these values at home and remind your child that they can always speak to a trusted adult if they experience or witness bullying. Together, we can create a culture where everyone feels valued and accepted.

Thank you for your continued support and involvement in your child’s education. Let’s make October a wonderful month filled with learning and friendship!

Warm regards,

Michele McGoogan
Principal

Glen Avenue Elementary is proud to honor our principal, Ms. Michele McGoogan. October is National Principal Month and our Gator family is appreciative of all Ms McGoogan does for our students, families and staff. If you see her out and about, please give her a shout out of thanks!!!

Greetings, Gator Families,

My name is Melissa Johanning, and I am Glen Avenue’s PPW-Pupil Personnel Worker. Please contact me if you need help with housing, attendance, community resources, and school support. I am the bridge between home, school, and the community.

If you move, please reach out to me so I can assist in making the transition as smooth as possible so attendance will not be an issue.

Our Arrive to Thrive Attendance Awareness Campaign will have a monthly PSA. To start, our superintendent has a very important message for our wonderful Gator families.

We have several incentives planned this year for students who are here 95% -only missing 1 day a month to participate, so please check out the link to Attendance Works for essential resources that may help.

Congratulations to our Glen Gators. September's average daily attendance was 90.56%. Let's keep it up! The importance of attendance is seen in student success and outcomes. Plus, we just miss you when you are not here!!!!!!

Students of the month for September were selected by their teachers for "Being a Buddy" and going out of their way to welcome classmates, being willing to work with partners/groups, and including others at recess. These students were rewarded with an ice cream party, a star student t-shirt, and a book from the book vending machine.

Grade 2

Ms. Ryan- Miata Patterson

Ms. Greenan- Malaika Surin

Ms. Sutton- Elissa Surin

Ms. Beetler- Cali Johnson

Ms. Glading- Danisha Leonard

Grade 3

Ms. George- Maddy Cobb

Ms. Branyon- Alivia Walker

Ms. Steele- Zaya Hudson

Ms. Wise- Kawhi Garrett

Ms. Shue- Bos’tyn Walker

Grade 4

Ms. Manchin- Soree Dejarnette

Ms. Evans- Anne Docteur

Ms. Bradley- Christy Isidor-Joseph

Ms. Eichhorn- Hailey Hornsby

Ms. Mozeik- Maria Orisma

Ms. Krider- Cemarlie Gerard

Grade 5

Ms. Smith- Alexis Ortiz-Reyes

Ms. Lovely- Ava Dorman-Adams

Ms. Kelly- Dawson Polidore

Ms. Auvil- Roxanne Luffman

Mr. Field- Olivia McBride

These students were recognized for demonstrating our Safe, Noble, Able, and Prepared (SNAP) behaviors and being extraordinary Gators! Thank you teachers for recognizing and appreciating these positive behaviors!

Grade 2

Kyri Runnels-Ms. Beetler

Genesis Abreu-Ms. Beetler

Grade 3

Ayanna Collins-Ms. Steele

Joel Parsons- Ms. Branyon

Kevin Armstrong-Ms. Branyon

Grade 4

Jamera Macer-Ms. Mozeik

Ayden Hammond-Ms. Evans

Zariah Vessels- Ms. Evans

Brayden Phommachanh- Ms. Evans

Christy Isidor Joseph- Ms. Bradley

Maria Orisma - Ms. Manchin

Zareiah Vessels - Ms. Evans

Ayden Hammond - Ms. Evans

Grade 5

Keep working hard to achieve a positive referral for October!

Happy October families! We have had a busy start to the 24/25 school year in second grade. So far we have been working on building our classroom families and establishing what expectations are in second grade. Students have been reviewing phonics skills, working to master addition strategies, and reading our first book in the Pinky and Rex series. In science students are exploring animal biodiversity, learning about animal characteristics and even habitats. In social studies scholars are learning about communities and how our geography affects the way people live. October has a lot of exciting events that we are hoping all of our second grade families can attend. Please be sure to check your scholar’s Talking Points as well as their take home folder for more information. Please support your scholars at home by reading with them, or having them read to you nightly, and practicing everyday math skills. One easy way to do this is to do a quick addition or subtraction facts drill during a short car ride, or asking your scholar to count the coins you may have at the end of the day. Have a spooktacular October!

Click the link below to see what your child is learning in Math!

Families can watch two videos for each lesson, see lesson explanations and visuals, as well as getting an idea of a math activity that they can do at home with their student. This will help connect you with the learning.

Happy October! We are off to a great start this year!

ELA: For phonics, we have been reviewing some 2nd grade skills and reading words with the different syllable types. This month, we will be focusing on identifying words with the vowel-r pattern, and multisyllable words. Last month, we read Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel. We will be continuing our Defining Identity Unit by reading My Name is Maria Isabel. We will be discussing more aspects of our identity, including why our names are important to who we are. Have your scholar practice reading for 20 minutes each night!

Math: We will continue our units on Multiplication and Division. We will be focusing on specific math facts and patterns, and properties of multiplication. Practice math facts nightly with flash cards!

Science: We will be continuing our Life Cycle unit. We have been exploring the life cycle of many animals and plants. We will explore cycles from birth, growth, reproduction, to death.

Social Studies: We will finish up our geography unit. We will discuss how geography affects the way we live in our community, and how Native Americans adapted to their environment long ago.

Click the link below to see what your child is learning in Math!

Families can watch two videos for each lesson, see lesson explanations and visuals, as well as getting an idea of a math activity that they can do at home with their student. This will help connect you with the learning.

Welcome to the 2024-2025 School year! Fourth grade is an exciting time, where so much growth and learning will be taking place! Our 4th grade team of teachers want to work with you as a collaborative team, in order to make sure your scholar is as successful as possible. Please reach out to your scholar's teacher with any questions or concerns throughout this school year.

In October for ELA we will continue reading the novel, Shiloh. While reading Shiloh, we will discuss how important it is to have courage and how to stand up for what you believe in.

Topic 3 in Math focuses on developing understanding of multiplying multi-digit numbers by 1-digit numbers.

Your child will use strategies based on place value and the properties of operations

You can scan the QR code below in order to access online materials.

In Science, scholars will investigate structures and functions of the human body. Scholars explore how our bones and muscles are interconnected, how our eyes interact with light and impact our vision, and how our brain responds to stimuli in our environment.

Social Studies will focus on studying the societies in the Americas, Western Europe, and Western Africa. We will learn about trade and negotiation of goods, foods, and technologies.

Click the link below to see what your child is learning in Math!

Families can watch two videos for each lesson, see lesson explanations and visuals, as well as getting an idea of a math activity that they can do at home with their student. This will help connect you with the learning.

Grade five is looking forward to another amazing year here at Glen. In math we are starting a new math program called Envision. It allows for parents and students to get help outside of school if the topic becomes difficult. We are starting the year by looking into both the whole number and decimal place value. See if your child knows their place value by asking them about tenths, hundredths and thousandths. In reading we start the year off with a pretty exciting novel, “Earthquake Terror” by Peg Kehret. It is the story of a family camping trip gone wrong when an earthquake happens. It is very exciting and the kids love to read what happens. In science, we are looking into ecosystems and all that are contained within. We will look at food webs and how they can be affected by the smallest changes in their environment. Finally, in social studies, we are exploring the provisions of our Constitution and the early form of government that wasn’t as successful as our modern day Democracy. Please be sure to ask your scholar about the great things happening in fifth grade at Glen Avenue.

Click the link below to see what your child is learning in Math!

Families can watch two videos for each lesson, see lesson explanations and visuals, as well as getting an idea of a math activity that they can do at home with their student. This will help connect you with the learning.

Hello! Our class has been hard at work establishing routines, learning a new schedule and engaging with peers. Throughout the unit, scholars will explore plants and animals in different ecosystems. We will read books that introduce students to animals that live in or near a river. As a class we will complete a survey and chart sharing what trip they would like to take to see animals in their environments. Students can choose between an African Safari, a Rainforest Trek or an Arctic Cruise.

We will continue to share photos and stories on the district program, “Talking Points”. Please make Mrs. Krider aware if you need help accessing the program.

Starting this month we will be starting our soccer

unit! Some of the skills that will be taught to the

students are the following:

○ Dribbling

○ Ball Control

○ Passing

○ Shooting

○ Communication and Teamwork

*In addition, throughout the month of October, we will also be doing some Fall Festive Stations that will require students to work on their locomotor and manipulative skills such as skipping,

galloping, throwing and kicking.

To help your child be successful in our class please make sure your they are prepared coming to school with sneakers and comfortable clothing on their assigned gym days!

Hello Gator Families and welcome to the 2024-2025 school year. I am your art teacher, Ms. Johnson. I look forward to working with our students over the course of the year. I have a lot of ideas and lessons that are not only fun but will allow your children to express themselves creatively.

Each project we do will cover an element of art, and created in mediums such as drawing, sculpting, printmaking and painting to name a few.

I am looking forward to seeing how your child blossoms in their creativity and working with them as the days continue. I will use Talking Points as a means of keeping families in the loop and showing off what the students have done. I hope you have a wonderful day, and I am once again excited to have your child in my class.

Welcome back! I’m Miss Morris, the music teacher!

We will have lots of fun this year - playing different instruments, istening to different genres, learning to read music, and performing together! 🎵

Is your 4th or 5th grader interested in playing an instrument this year? 4th graders have the opportunity to join strings this year, and 5th graders can join either string orchestra OR band! Please see the Interest Forms below:

Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year! I am Ms. Williams, and I am thrilled to be your child’s Media teacher once again!

September, we started off reviewing our Media routines and procedures through a variety of activities and team-building games. Our Glen Gators got plenty of practice in, and are quickly getting back into the swing of things!

September 15th-October 15th is Hispanic Heritage Month! We will read books by some amazing authors of Hispanic heritage, and we will spend time using Pebble Go and our new Brittanica School resource to build on our research skills. Students will continue to practice using Destiny Library to search for and hold wanted library books.

Stay tuned for information about our annual Pumpkin Decorating Contest. Coming soon!

Help parents stay connected with TalkingPoints!

We have addressed FAQs. These tips will help troubleshoot messaging, adjust language preferences, filter announcements, and more.

To parents and guardians, I wanted to inform parents and guardians about an important topic for families to know. Per Maryland law, it requires nursing to have on file a new doctor's order for each school year every time nursing staff gives your student medication in school. Last year's orders expired. In addition, often health conditions change over the summer and some students are diagnosed with new illnesses, injuries (such as broken bones) or food/environmental allergies. If you know that your child’s health condition could affect your students education, please have the doctor fill out a new physical or physical restriction note so the nursing staff can assure that your student’s health condition is managed the way it is supposed to be in the classroom. It is very important when the doctor or practitioner wants the student to be given medication at school, that the parent or guardian brings in the order and medication to the nurse’s office to sign in. The label of the medication must match the doctor’s order and if it is an over the counter medication, then it must be in an unexpired and unopened bottle. For safety and legal reasons, do not send the medications with the students in their bookbag. Unfortunately, I have witnessed parents doing this and the medication ends up in the wrong hands. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to nursing staff. We will be happy to answer any questions you have about medication administration in school or questions about your student’s health. If you need any health forms, such as Medication administration forms or physicals, reach out to us here at Glen. Have a safe, healthy and happy school year!

1. Work closely with prescribers and pharmacists.

2. Bring medicines to school yourself.

3. Fill out and deliver any required forms.

4. Keep medications in their original containers.

5. Check all forms filled out by prescribing doctors.

The mission of the Division of Student and Family Services is to support the total educational experience, thus assuring all students the opportunity to develop skills essential for successful learning, healthy physical/emotional/social growth and gainful employment. Please click the link to view the available resources.

The Title I Program will host the Fall District Parent Advisory Council (PAC) meeting to discuss: Schoolwide Title I Program; Title I Parent and Family Engagement Budget; and the Title I Parent and Family Engagement Plan. Your input is very important to us. We need your help to make our Title I program even stronger! Dinner and childcare will be provided to families that register by Tuesday, October 8, 2024.

Wicomico County Public Schools is hosting the third Family Success Night on Thursday, October 24th, from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. at Parkside High School (1015 Beaglin Park Drive; Salisbury, MD 21804;Enter by the School Office). Childcare for ages 4-12 and interpreters for Spanish, Haitian Creole, and Portuguese will be available. A light dinner will be served on a first-come, first-served basis. Vendor tables will offer additional information and resources.

This event will focus on life skills that support family success. Topics include:

Becoming a Homeowner

Making a Budget & Sticking to it

Know Your Rights: Understanding Eviction & the Court Process

Pathways to Employment: Navigating a Job Search

Smart Money Moves: A Parent’s Guide to Credit, Budgeting and Financial Success

Peaceful Living: Maintaining Harmony at Home and with Neighbors

Car Care 101: Basic Car Maintenance Tips

School Health Decisions: Helping Parents Navigate Illness & Wellness

Banking Basic for Parents: How to Set Up Checking and Savings Accounts

Workshops will be held during the following times: Session 1: 5:30 - 6:05 p.m.; Session 2: 6:10 - 6:45 p.m.; Session 3: 6:50 - 7:25 p.m.

To sign up to attend the third Family Success Night, click on one of these links:

English - bit.ly/fam3engl

Spanish - bit.ly/fam3sp

Haitian Creole - bit.ly/fam3hc

For more information about this Family Success Night, please see the attached documents. We believe that you will find information at this event that will be beneficial. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Beth Sheller at msheller@mywcps.org. We hope to see you there.

Looking for cosmic fun this Halloween season? Would you like to meet the stars of Halloween? Monsters, zombies, and ghosts and their far more terrible counterparts in space? Oh yes, space has its monsters: Black holes, zombie stars, and spectacular ghostly nebulae!

Spooky Space is a planetarium show that explores the cosmic connections to Halloween and features space counterparts to Halloween characters.

The show may also include information about the celestial origins of Halloween and how it's an astronomical holiday. The show is suitable for ages 5+, but great for almost all ages and COSTUMES ARE WELCOME!

October 22, 23, 25, 28, 29, and 30! Only $5.00 per person payable as cash or check (WCPS) at the door when you arrive. Unfortunately, we cannot accept electronic payments at this time.

Two shows per night, 5:30pm and 6:30pm, first come, first seated. We only have 65 seats available for each show and will start the show when we are full.

The Eastern Shore Literacy Association is thrilled to unveil the 2024-2025 Young Authors' Contest, presented in collaboration with various State of Maryland Literacy Association (SoMLA) local chapters. This exciting competition is open to students from grades 1 to 12, encouraging them to showcase their creativity and talent through original short stories and poetry. As an important note, the use of artificial intelligence (Al) in supporting student work is strictly prohibited. Local contests will be hosted by the respective SoMLA chapters, with the top winners progressing to the state level competition. Join us in celebrating the budding authors of Maryland and their remarkable literary endeavors!

Each year the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks Grand Lodge hosts an essay contest for school children in each lodge area nationwide to demonstrate Americanism at its best. I am pleased to announce this year's essay theme is "What Does Patriotism Mean To Me" This important Patriotic Contest gives school children in grades 5-8 the opportunity to express views on their pride of America, and how to demonstrate it.

Hello, this is Paul Butler, Director of Communications for Wicomico County Public Schools. This year parents and guardians will be able to TRACK YOUR CHILD'S SCHOOL BUS on the way to school in the morning and back home in the afternoon with our new Edulog Parent Portal mobile app. It will give parents the necessary information to plan their day and have the knowledge that their children’s school transportation is in process.

Features of Parent Portal App include:

- The ability for a parent to know their child’s scheduled trip (bus stop and school pick up and drop off time) once their child is assigned in Edulog’s route management system

- Using GPS technology, the real-time location of the child’s school bus is displayed in the app, including visual locations of the bus stop assigned to that child as well as the school the child attends (example pictured)

- Notifications of when the bus enters a geolocation (radius)—which can be defined by the parent from 0—2 miles

- Ability to individually adjust the notification radius for each student within the same app, parents will have access to all of their children through one secure login. The parent also has the ability to embed a photo of their child to create a better user experience when using the application. The photo is contained only on the mobile device – not on district or Edulog servers.

Click the link below to see the flyer on how to download the app for use this school year.

Whether this is your first school year, or your last, Wicomico County Public Schools Food & Nutrition Services Department welcomes everyone to a new school year. For several years, we have used MyPaymentsPlus as an online meal payment system. We have transitioned to a new payment system beginning this school year called LINQ Connect. You can conquer the upcoming school year with ease, thanks to our new system, LINQConnect.com and the all-new LINQ Connect app. With LINQ Connect, you can simplify the payment process for meal accounts. To get started, download the LINQ Connect app from the Google Play or Apple Store or visit LINQConnect.com.

Click the link below for more information.

Wicomico Schools is collaborating with the Wicomico County Health Department to have convenient, school-based FluMist vaccine clinics in all of our elementary schools to support the health of young students. Our school’s FluMist clinic will be between 9:30-11:30 am on Monday, October 7th. If you would like for your child to receive the FluMist at school, please register the student at the link below. Please note that any child who has asthma or any significant underlying health condition (heart disease, metabolic disorders, kidney disease, cognitive dysfunction, seizure disorders) or is immune compromised should not receive FluMist and the child’s doctor can advise about a flu shot. When clicking on the link, please disregard the message at the top about bringing State Issued ID, Driver’s License, Insurance Information and Appointment confirmation number. Simply choose the appointment time and complete the form for your child if they don’t have the above-mentioned underlying health conditions.

Families, be on the lookout for our Parent & Family Interest Survey, as well as our Volunteer Survey which have been sent home in your child’s take-home folder. Your feedback is valuable to us and helps us tremendously with planning our Title I family events.

Wednesday, October 16th from 5:30-7:30 we will hold our Fall PAC & Strategy Workshop. Please see the flyer for more information.

WCPS Code of Conduct states that students in elementary school are not to have cellphones in school. Please assist us with enforcing this by checking your scholar’s bookbag and making sure they are not bringing the phone to school. This includes smart watches, iPads, tablets, iPods, electronic games, etc. If you need to speak with your scholar during the day, please call the school and we will bring your student to the office to speak privately with you.

Inappropriate items will be confiscated until the end of the day or retained by administration until a parent/guardian can reclaim the item.

*The school will not be responsible for these items and will not investigate if they are lost or stolen.

Please assist us in keeping the focus on school by not allowing your child to bring toys, sports equipment, trading cards, etc. to school.

Riding a school bus is a privilege. With this privilege comes your responsibility for good conduct, proper care of the bus and respect for the rights of others. All Board of Education policies and regulations are in effect while riding the bus as well as attending school. Please remember to treat others the way you wish to be treated.

Students are expected to:

• Obey the bus driver who is responsible for the safe operation of the bus and the students being transported

• WALK IN FRONT OF THE BUS if they must cross the road to board ot leave the bus and look both ways before crossing the road

• Take the seat assigned promptly and remain seated while the bus is in motion

• Sit facing forward keeping feet and legs as well as books out of the aisle. Do not extend hands, arms, and/or head out of the window or call out to passers-by

• Abstain from destroying or defacing any part of the bus and to keep the area around the assigned seat clean

• Refrain from bringing articles on the bus that may create a safety hazard by obstructing the aisle or vision of the driver. Exceptions may be made at the discretion of the driver.

• Refrain from consuming food or drinks or chewing gum on the bus

• Obey the Board of Education policies concerning smoking, weapons, and controlled dangerous substances as well as refrain from the use of unacceptable language on the bus

• Enter and leave by the front door. Do not touch emergency doors or hatches except in case of an emergency.

• Refrain from behavior and loud conversation which distract the bus driver or annoy other students or motorists

VIOLATION OF THESE RULES MAY RESULT IN SUSPENSION OF RIDING PRIVILEGES. THE DRIVER OF THE BUS HAS THE AUTHORITY AND RESPONSIBILITY TO ENFORCE THESE RULES.

1st Offense: Referral to the principal’s office. Discipline at the discretion of the principal/designee

2nd Offense: Referral to the principal’s office. Discipline at the discretion of the principal/designee

3rd Offense: Referral to Transportation Office.

Automatic conference with Director of Transportation Services/or

designee, parent, student (and driver if deemed necessary). Student suspended from the bus until a satisfactory conference is held. During this conference, a decision will be made as to how long the student will remain off the bus.

4th Offense: Automatic 30 school days off the bus.

5th Offense: Automatic removal for the remainder of the school year.

Any time a driver deems it necessary, a driver may suspend a student’s riding privilege for 1 day without approval from the school. The contractor/driver must contact the parent/guardian, stating the reason for removal and the day the student may not ride the school bus. The driver should notify the school administration as soon as possible. The suspension cannot take effect until the contractor/driver has made successful contact with the parent or guardian.

Glen Avenue School creates a caring school community that provides students with the necessary skills and knowledge to be thoughtful, responsible, and highly productive citizens as well as lifelong learners.

Glen Avenue Elementary School will be:

• the school where all teachers want to teach,
• Students want to learn, and
• Families wish their children could attend

This is Michele McGoogan, principal of Glen Avenue. As a Title 1 school, we are required to inform you of your right to request information on the qualifications of the teacher and/or the instructional assistant who will be working with your child. Please rest assured that we have worked diligently to ensure that staff members meet the Maryland State Department of Education requirements. If you would like to exercise your right to request this information, you may email or send a letter using US mail to the Director of Human Resources to my attention. You will receive a response from the Director of Human Resources within 30 days of the original request. We look forward to serving you and your student this year.

School-Family-Scholar Agreement for Improving Student Achievement

This agreement is a pledge to work together to share responsibility for student learning, high achievement, and student success in school and in life. This compact is aligned with our School Improvement Plan to promote student learning, student attendance, a positive school climate and with our grade level learning outcomes. Upon request, interpreters and transportation can be provided so families can attend school functions.

The Wicomico County Board of Education recognizes that families are their child’s first teachers and that they function as educators throughout their child’s life. More than thirty years of research show that student academic success and high self esteem are closely related to family engagement in education from prekindergarten through high school. Glen Avenue Elementary School also believes that the education of children is a shared responsibility. Involvement by the school, the family and the community creates a stronger educational system and improves the quality of life for the students, their families and the entire community of Wicomico County. The school system as well as individual schools make the commitment to establish programs and practices that create a climate of mutual trust and respect and that support family engagement.

The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is a once in a lifetime opportunity to transform Maryland’s education system for all students, regardless of where they live. When the Blueprint passed in 2021, a set of policies and dedicated funding were established for the next ten years to improve outcomes across the state. The investment and partnership across Maryland provides opportunity for change, growth, and success for our students for many years to come.