Dear Families,

The busyness of the holiday season is here but with just fifteen school days until winter break, NMES is committed to teaching and learning. Our NMES Leadership Team recently reviewed and analyzed beginning of year student data. Our school improvement plan contains goals for math and ELA proficiency/growth and student attendance. Below is a quick summary for the beginning of the year:

• As of Thanksgiving Break, our overall student attendance rate is 95.4% which is .6% away from the MSDE goal of 96%.
• As of Thanksgiving Break, our NMES chronic absenteeism rate is 10.1% which at this point would earn NMES 12.5/15 ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) points. Chronic absenteeism is defined as a student who misses 10% or more of the school days in a year.
• In ELA, approximately 60% of our students met expectations on the iReady reading assessment for the beginning of the year. iReady is a diagnostic assessment administered on a chromebook.
• In ELA, almost two-thirds of our students met or exceeded expectations on the DIBELS assessment for the beginning of the year. DIBELS is a foundational skills reading assessment.
• In Math, a little over one-third of our students met expectations on the iReady math assessment for the beginning of the year. iReady is a diagnostic assessment administered on a chromebook.

Our Leadership Team analyzed the beginning of year data to determine areas of strength and need. Action plans were also developed for teams to adjust instruction. This work is another example of our school mission: "To serve and support every student by name and need." We are proud of our teachers and students for their hard work and effort. Middle of year data will be administered during December and January. This will be a time to celebrate growth and monitor progress.

As a reminder, you can support at home in a variety of ways. Our Leadership Team created a helpful document titled "NMES Home-School Connection". Click HERE to view. The document has practical ideas to use at home to support your child's attendance and academic progress.

Wishing all our families a happy and peaceful holiday season!

Sincerely,

Dr. Lockard - Principal

Mrs. McGaha - Assistant Principal

FCPS 2024 - 2025 Calendar Handbook

FCPS 2025 - 2026 Calendar

• Monday, December 2: FCPS Inclusive Schools Week - Hat Day
• Monday, December 2: Grade 3 field trip to BRES (contact your child's teacher with any questions)
• Tuesday, December 3: FCPS Inclusive Schools Week - Kaleidoscope Day
• Wednesday, December 4: FCPS Inclusive Schools Week - Hey Day
• Wednesday, December 4: Books and Bots: Family Coding Night from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
• Thursday, December 5: FCPS Inclusive Schools Week - PJ Day
• Friday, December 6: FCPS Inclusive Schools Week - Team Day
• Friday, December 6: PTA Walking and Wheeling Wolves during arrival time
• Saturday, December 7: Christmas in New Market
• Monday, December 9: Winter chorus concert for students
• Tuesday, December 10: Winter chorus concert for students
• Wednesday, December 11: Evening winter chorus concert for families at 6:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, December 11: Interims issued
• Monday, December 23 - January 1: Schools closed for Winter Break

Christmas Caroling for the Annual Christmas in New Market Tree Lighting!

When?

• Rehearsal - 12/5 5PM
• Caroling - 12/7 at 5PM

Where? New Market Park, 48 E Main St

Who? Led by our local realtor and NMES Parent, Val Vinson. All children ages 5+ are invited to sing!

More details: Please join us for Christmas Caroling for the Annual Christmas in New Market Tree Lighting! We will have a short rehearsal on Dec 5 at 5PM to run through the songs and make sure everyone knows where to stand, etc. We will meet at 5PM on December 7 to line up for the Christmas Tree lighting and sing together for the community. No previous choral experience necessary. Lyric booklets and glow necklaces will be provided for all singers. Songs will be: Jingle Bells, Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town, Silent Night, and We Wish You a Merry Christmas.

Questions? Contact Val at valvinsonhomes@gmail.com

For all attendance related emails or transportation changes, please email nmes.attendance@fcps.org and include your child's teacher. Transportation changes must be made prior to 3:00pm.

Consistent attendance is important for your child's academic and social success in school. MSDE sets the attendance goal at 96%. Below are the attendance percentages for each grade level and for the school overall as of the end of November.

Pre-Kindergarten: 94.2%

Kindergarten: 95.2%

Grade 1: 95.8%

Grade 2: 95.6%

Grade 3: 95.2%

Grade 4: 95.2%

Grade 5: 95.6%

Overall School Attendance Percentage: 95.4%

You can support by sending your healthy child to school each day on time. Instruction promptly begins at 9:00 each morning. You can also support by planning vacations around the FCPS calendar. Thank you!

The following students were nominated by their classroom teacher as a "Role Model Monday" nominee. These students demonstrate our Be a Wolf expectations on a regular basis across the school day. These students are recognized on our morning announcements by Dr. Lockard. The students receive a certificate and small prize for being a great Wolf each and every day! Also, the parents receive a Good News Phone Call from Dr. Lockard.

• Jaela Berry, first-grade student in Mrs. Bender's classroom. Mrs. Bender shared the following about Jaela " I can always count on Jaela to be an example of “wolf” behavior in our class! She is respectful to both her peers and teachers. She is a helpful and kind friend to all. Jaela works hard and always tries her best no matter what. I am proud to have such an awesome role model in our class!"
• Scottee Dempsey, fourth-grade student in Ms. Johnson's classroom. Ms. Johnson shared the following about Scottee: "Scottee is a hard worker. She comes to school ready to learn and tries her best at everything she does. Scotte is a team player and is a great contributor in any group. Way to go Scottee!"
• Bella Ward, kindergarten student in Mrs. White's classroom. Mrs. White shared the following about Bella: "Bella is a great example of an NMES Wolf! Bella comes to school each day ready to listen and learn. Bella is kind to her classmates and is always willing to help others. Way to go Bella!"
• Dylan Clime, second-grade student in Mrs. Shuman's class. Mrs. Shuman shared the following about Dylan: " Dylan is fantastic. He always comes to school with a smile on his face and is happy to be here. He is kind to others and always puts forth his best effort when completing his classwork. Dylan is a great example of an NMES Wolf."

Our Be a Wolf assemblies were recently held. The following students were nominated by their classroom teachers because they consistently demonstrate our "Be a Wolf" expectations across the school day Those expectations include: Be respectful; Be responsible; Be ready to learn; Be kind; and Be safe. Congratulations to all our nominees and way to be role models for excellent behavior!

Pre-Kindergarten: Joe McKenna, Aliza McPherson, Shepherd Pierce, Doreen Houessou

Kindergarten: Parker Hall, Lily Robine, Timothy Remsch, Paisley Bender, Ryan George, Skylar Everett

Grade 1: Austin Farley, Emerson Baker, Grace Patton, Tyler Tressler, Penny Patton, Felix Folland

Grade 2: Joey Ryan, Dixie Martin, Madelyn Gleason, Callie Caughley, Chloe Leo, Franco DiFabio, Isabelle Nolan, Gael Ruiz-Laboy, Joshua Remsch, Analia Manbodh

Grade 3: Anthony Manbodh, Piper Fritz, Lily Phillips, Graham George, Alex Reed, Jackson Cook, Sutton Davis, Gia DiFabio

Grade 4: Zoe Kreiger, Lucas Rebert, Yuna Lu, Ethan Griswold, Allie Abercromie, Owen Klauka, Julie Remsch, Hobby Hart, Mackenzie Cleveland, Corinne Caldwell

Grade 5: Charlotte White, Camden Herdman, Lydia Lambert, Jack Marshall, Hendrix Carson, Kyle Jackson, Paige Schwab, Ayden Espinal

Gingerbread Man Book Contest

We had so much fun decorating pumpkins in October, let's do it again in December with gingerbread men! In the first week of December, every student will receive a gingerbread man coloring sheet from the media center. They can help the gingerbread man escape by decorating it to look like a book character! Then, they can submit their entry to the media center by Friday, December 13th. One winner from each grade will receive a Lego gingerbread man ornament prize.

Family Coding Night

The national Hour of Code celebration is held annually in December! Help NMES celebrate by visiting our Books and Bots: Family Coding Night on Wednesday, December 4th, from 6-7:30 p.m.! All NMES students and guests are welcome to come and go as they want to enjoy robot-themed books and coding activities, try various robots and coding activities in our open exploration rooms and strike a pose at our robot Selfie Station! We will also have some coding books to give away as door prizes! For questions, email Mrs. Siderius, our media specialist, at jennifer.siderius@fcps.org.

December is full of fun celebrations! Learn about them with our optional choice board at https://bit.ly/NMESDec24. FOr questions, email Mrs. Siderius, our media specialist, at jennifer.siderius@fcps.org.

Christmas in New Market with the PTA:

We are excited to announce that the PTA will be hosting a craft event during the Christmas in New Market celebration! This is a wonderful opportunity for families to come together, get creative, and enjoy the festive spirit of the season.

Event Details:

· When: Saturday, December 7, from 2:00 - 5:00pm

· Where: Christmas Village at the park shelter

· Who: All families are welcome!

We encourage everyone to join us for a fun-filled day of crafting, holiday cheer, and community bonding. Please feel free to bring along your family and friends!

Spirit Wear Holiday Sale!

Our spirit wear vendor is running a 25% off sale for the holidays with guaranteed delivery by December 23rd!

• Sale Date 11/4-2024 thru 12/10/2024
• 25% off all merchandise
• Free shipping on orders over $75

All sales are shipped directly to your house. To shop the sale visit 1st Place Spirit Wear

NMES Teacher & Staff Favorites

The PTA has asked teachers and staff to share their favorites with our NMES families. If you are planning some holiday shopping, check out their responses on our website: https://newmarketpta.givebacks.com/w/favorites

Please click HERE to access our NMES Multicultural Bookshelf. The month of December features titles celebrating Hanukkah and Kwanzaa. Enjoy these read alouds with your children!

Click HERE to read information and updates from our school counselors, Mrs. Carl and Mrs. Blake. Some highlights include:

• Coping skills during the holidays
• Returning to school after a long break
• Thank you note from Mrs. Carl

Dear NMES families,

NMES artists have been busy this year drawing, painting, and sculpting beautiful artworks. As a result, we are in need of some extra supplies to help with the organization and cleanup of all these fun projects. The art department is looking for donations for the following items:

• baby wipes (unscented)
• paper plates
• Styrofoam bowls
• sandwich baggies
• gallon size baggies

We use these extra supplies with all our students and it truly helps keep our art rooms running smoothly. If you are able to donate any of the above supplies please have your student drop it off in the front office or give it to their classroom teacher.

If you have any questions please let us know. Thank you so much for helping to support your student's creativity this year!

-Mrs. D'Onofrio (lanisa.donofrio@fcps.org) and Mrs. Anspach (elizabeth.anspach@fcps.org)

For our Walking & Wheeling Wolves be sure to dress for the weather! As the weather gets colder, it’s still possible to walk and bike to school with the right clothing choices. So be sure to layer up in your winter gear - coat, hat, gloves, warm socks, boots, and scarf.

Of course, during the colder months many of our NMES families may choose to drive their students to school in the morning. We encourage families to use the car line at the school for morning drop off. Changes in a student's arrival method do not need to be communicated to the office and waiting in a car line is rare in the mornings. At morning drop off, students exit vehicles near the gym doors. Using the designated car line will also help to reduce traffic on our pedestrian routes.

Don’t forget about our December Walking School Bus - Friday, December 6th. Meet with friends at 8:15am at any of our three neighborhood routes and walk to school.

• Brinkley Manor

• New Market West Playground

• LOUYAA Parking Lot

We are still looking for a parent volunteer to be a route leader for our Main Street and Royal Oaks participants. If you are willing to volunteer please email nmesptainfo@gmail.com. Volunteers meet students and parents at the predetermined location and pass out participation prizes. The Walking School Bus occurs the first Friday of each month.

If you plan to volunteer in the school, serve as a chaperone, help with a class event and more then you must complete the FCPS Volunteer Training. We highly recommend that you complete the training now. FCPS has updated the required Volunteer Training. The volunteer training process has been enhanced to prioritize the safety and security of our students, staff and community. Updates include:

• Adding 2 new training modules to the onboarding process to be completed via Unified Talent after creating an account on that platform.
• Increasing the processing approval time to 48-72 business hours to allow for thorough completion of the training and registration processes.
• Reclassifying of volunteer functions to customize training requirements. Family/ Community Volunteers will only include functions that are supervised and controlled by FCPS staff.

To access the training please visit the FCPS Volunteer Webpage and follow the new onboarding process (please note, training must be completed before registering to become a volunteer). Please note, this is an annual process and must be completed every school year. If you have any technical issues with completing the required volunteer trainings, please email unifiedtalent@fcps.org

The FCPS Code of Conduct can be found on the system website. Click HERE to view the Code of Conduct and accompanying resources.

When school is in session, you can reach the front office from 8:30 - 4:00 at 227-203-1460.

FCPS has a link for families to know when a bus is running late: https://apps.fcps.org/transportation/status

The FCPS Transportation Department appreciates everyone's patience during the beginning of the school year until bus routes are firmly established. Expect delays in these beginning weeks.