The Weekly Update #4

Dear Families,

Happy New Year to our NMES families! The graphic at the top of our newsletter reads "New Hope, New Chapter". As we welcome the new year and a new chapter at NMES, it is a good time to revisit goals. In our December newsletter, we shared progress toward our NMES school improvement goals. The new year is a perfect time for families to revisit goals with their children and to gauge progress towards those goals. If your children have achieved their goals then set new goals. If your children have not achieved their goals then it will be a great opportunity to talk about showing perseverance towards those goals.

We asked some of our NMES Wolves how they define perseverance. Here are some of their thoughts:

• "Persisting through hard challenges"
• "Confident and courageous"
• "Never giving up"

Perseverance is all about doing things that may not come easy right away. Some examples from elementary school that may require perseverance are: practicing tough math facts, sounding out difficult words, learning how to play a musical instrument, or completing independent work. Learning how to persevere through hard or non-preferred tasks is a life skill.

How can you help your child with learning about and demonstrating perseverance?

• Help your child with setting small, reasonable goals. An example of this could be supporting your child with mastering their math facts for addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Instead of setting a large and broad goal like "I will master math facts by the end of the school year". Set a smaller, achievable goal such as, "I will master multiplication facts for 0 - 3". Discuss a reasonable amount of time for achieving this goal and a plan for practicing the multiplication facts.
• Normalize mistakes. Talk to your child about the importance of seeing mistakes positively and as a part of learning. Mistakes help us understand what skills we need to work on. By making mistakes and seeing your positive reaction to them, your child can work on trying again and problem solving to move forward on accomplishing their goal.
• Figure out feelings together. Your child may feel frustrated or disappointed while they work towards a goal or if they don't achieve a goal. When your child experiences different feelings while working towards a goal, support them by modeling and talking about how to handle different emotions.

We are full of hope for the new 2025 chapter for NMES! As always, thank you for your support.

Dr. Lockard, Principal

Karen McGaha, Assistant Principal

NMES Home-School Connection - Click HERE to view the document.

FCPS 2024 - 2025 Calendar Handbook

FCPS 2025 - 2026 Calendar

• Wednesday, January 1: Schools closed for New Year's Day
• Thursday, January 2: Schools reopen
• Wednesday, January 8: PTA meeting starting at 7:00pm (enter using the cafeteria doors)
• Thursday, January 9: Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Shuman and Mrs. Dwyer's classes field trip to the ESSL (contact your child's teacher with any questions)
• Friday, January 10: Mrs. Smith and Ms. Bly classes field trip to the ESSL (contact your child's teacher with any questions)
• Tuesday, January 14: Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration at Governor Thomas Johnson High School starting at 7:00pm
• Wednesday, January 15: End of Term 2
• Thursday, January 16: Schools closed for Teacher Work Day
• Friday, January 17: Schools closed for Teacher Professional Development Day
• Monday, January 20: Schools closed in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday
• Tuesday, January 21: Term 3 begins
• Thursday, January 30: Report cards issued

Della Vinson – 5th Grader, named New Market Elementary School’s Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Awards Celebration Recipient!

Each year, Frederick County Public Schools hosts the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Awards Celebration. During this celebration, FCPS recognizes one student from each school. Students are nominated and chosen by their schools because they possess and demonstrate the leadership characteristics of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that promotes fairness, celebrates diversity, and exemplifies the characteristics of Dr. King: Responsibility, Caring, Fairness, Trustworthiness, Citizenship and Respect.

Della is a natural leader who exemplifies the traits of Dr. King. She is an exceptional role model for her peers, radiates positivity, and is a caring and helpful friend to all. We are proud of Della and look forward to seeing her be recognized at the Awards Ceremony in January at Governor Thomas Johnson High School on January 14th, 2025 at 7:00pm.

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 December.

Pre-Kindergarten: 94.7%

Kindergarten: 95.2%

Grade 1: 95.7%

Grade 2: 95.6%

Grade 3: 95.1%

Grade 4: 95.1%

Grade 5: 95.6%

Overall School Attendance Percentage: 95.3%

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!

It is difficult to set guidelines that fit every circumstance and condition with regards to outside activities during cold weather. Principals use their discretion and good judgment as to whether or not students will go outside, as well as the duration of the outside activity. Sometimes we may opt for a shorter recess period in cold temperatures or specify a temperature above 20 degrees as the cut-off point for going out. Elementary students should not go outdoors for recess or physical education whenever the temperature falls below 20 degrees, including the wind chill factor. The temperature cut-off at NMES is 20 degrees, so please remember to dress your child in the appropriate clothing (labeled coat, hat and gloves).

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.

• Adelie Mohassel, third-grade student in Mrs. Rawlett's classroom. Mrs. Rawlett shared the following about Adelie: " Adelie is a fantastic student and Wolf! She is kind and very helpful to others, she always works hard in class and does her best work. Adelie challenges herself and goes above and beyond to be the best student she can be!"
• Eliza Brown, fifth-grade student in Mrs. Trakas' classroom. Mrs. Trakas shared the following about Eliza: "Eliza is a true leader. She is always ready to learn, respects her classmates and teachers, and always does her best work. I can count on Eliza to always do the right thing. She is mostly known for her caring heart. She loves to help others and steps up when help is needed. We are lucky to have Eliza as a Wolf here at NMES!"
• Emma Ivory, first-grade student in Mrs. Lethbridge's class: Mrs. Lethbridge shared the following about Emma: "Emma is a true NMES Wolf. Emma is ready to learn new ideas everyday. Emma is kind and respectful to both students and staff. Emma is an amazing role model for her classmates."
  
  

Winter Reading Competition

From January 1st-31st, NMES is participating in "Be a Reading Machine", a Winter Reading Challenge sponsored by Beanstack. We challenge our students to keep track of their reading for the month on our Beanstack website or app. For information on using Beanstack, please visit https://bit.ly/NMESBeanstack, or email Mrs. Siderius, our media specialist, at jennifer.siderius@fcps.org.

Throughout the month, we will have prizes for our readers!

• Individual students who complete a bingo in Beanstack receive a certificate and scratch off card with a prize to redeem at school!
• At the end of our contest, the primary and intermediate classrooms that read and logged the most minutes will receive an extra library time for coding challenges.
• If we reach our community goal of reading 15,000 minutes during January, Dr. Lockard and Mrs. McGaha will go to recess with each grade level for fun games!
• Mystery Readers will catch students reading during the school day and award them small prizes!

Let’s see our Wolves be reading machines in January!

Come learn a new skill while helping others! A beginner’s knitting club is being offered by Mrs. Siderius, Mrs. Kueberth and Mrs. Matthews! Students in the club will learn to use knitting looms to make baby hats to donate to local hospitals or keep for themselves! All supplies are provided for the students and the club is open to all 3rd-5th grade students. Knitting Club will run on Thursday afternoons from January 9th-February 20th in the media center from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Students may be picked up at the blue awning door at 4:30 p.m. If schools are closed or there is an early dismissal for any reason, then the club will not run that day.

If your child is interested in joining the Knitting Club, please visit https://bit.ly/knit2025 by Friday, January 3rd and fill out the form. Since we can only accept 25 students for the beginner’s knitting club, names will be randomly drawn from those turned in by the above date. You will be notified by Monday, January 6th, whether or not your child’s name was randomly drawn for the club.

If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Siderius by email at jennifer.siderius@fcps.org.

January is a festive month! Learn about all its special days with our optional choice board at https://bit.ly/NMESJan25!

Mark your calendars! Wednesday January 8th, 2025 is the next NMES PTA meeting! Join us in the NMES cafeteria from 7-8pm to discuss how the school year is going and what we can do for NMES going forward. Everyone is welcome to attend!

Please click HERE to access our NMES Multicultural Bookshelf. The month of January features titles celebrating the Lunar New Year. Enjoy these read alouds with your children!

New Year, new you? If your New Year’s resolutions include more physical activity, investment in mental health, being more environmentally conscious, saving money, or building your social connections…give walking to school a try!

Here are some benefits to walking or biking to school:

• Physical Health: Walking or biking to school helps students get the daily physical activity they need to be healthy. It also helps improve bone, muscle, and joint strength.

• Mental Health: Walking releases brain chemicals like endorphins, oxytocin, and serotonin, which can improve mental wellbeing and reduce stress and anxiety.

• Academic Performance & Cognitive Development: Studies show that physical activity can help students be more attentive and ready to learn. Physical activity can also improve memory skills and brain health.

• Environmental Impact: Walking or biking to school reduces air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

• Cost Effective: Save money on fuel and vehicle maintenance with fewer trips to school.

• Social Time: Students have extra time with friends when walking or biking to school to develop social skills. And parents can connect with fellow parents and neighbors to build a sense of community.

• Independence: Walking to and from school can help kids develop confidence and build self esteem.

Ready to get started? Join us for our January Walking School Bus on Friday, January 3rd at 8:15am. Meet at any of our three neighborhood locations to walk with fellow students and parents -

Brinkley Manor

New Market West Park

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.

New Market Elementary and PTA are excited to announce the formation of a student environmental club! This student-led club will take on projects to help improve our environmental practices at NMES. Students will decide which projects they would like to tackle: starting a recycling program, installing and maintaining a school garden, learning about native plants, improving local air quality, and more!

We will learn through activities both indoors and outside, and our efforts will contribute to achieving Maryland Green School Certification. The student club will meet weekly each Wednesday from 3:30-4:15pm. The first session will run from January 29th to March 26th. *A second session is planned for April 4th to June 3rd but that will be a separate registration at a later date.

Students interested in participating in the club must have a registration form on file completed by a parent/guardian. For families with multiple NMES students, one registration form is required for each student. Complete the registration form HERE.

Space is limited for participation, and early registration is recommended. The deadline to submit a registration form is Friday, January 17th, 2025. Club sponsors will randomly select 15 participants. All those who submitted registration will be notified of the club roster on Wednesday, January 22nd.

Eating lunch with your child in the cafeteria is allowed during the school year. Due to limited space in our cafeteria, we request for only one parent/family to join your child for lunch during their scheduled lunch time. Parents who choose to eat lunch with their child in the cafeteria will need to sign in and out in the front office. After the 30-minute lunch the parent will need to return to the front office to sign out. Parents are not permitted to join the class for recess.

The NMES Lost and Found has many student belongings, including jackets, shirts and sweatshirts. Encourage your child to visit the Lost and Found if an item is missing. Any items remaining will be donated to a local organization in February.

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