Silver Creek Weekly Newsletter

We are looking forward to another great week of school. I would like to commend our students and staff for their flexibility with schedule changes last week due to school closure. However, despite the changes in schedule, our students did a great job navigating back to school.

We are getting closer to the end of Semester 1. It is hard to believe we are almost halfway through the school year. As always, please encourage your child to take advantage of after school tutoring and/or help from their teachers to complete any missing assignments or to receive extra support prior to the end of Quarter 2, which is Tuesday, January 28.

In the newsletter, the section with an * has been updated with new information OR is a new section in the newsletter. Please make sure to review. As always, thank you for your continued partnership.

Let's make it an awesome week, Huskies!

Did you miss the latest Husky news. You may access the link below from Friday, January 10, 2025.

to hear upcoming news & events Click Link. You can see all of the news links located here.

As we begin to enter the colder months, we would like to share with you our Severe Weather to Virtual Learning Plan. MCPS requires each school to have a Severe Weather plan and to communicate it to staff, students and families and then post on the school’s website.

Please see Plan and Schedule linked below:

Severe Weather Plan

Severe Weather Bell Schedule

Believe it or not, it is already time to begin thinking about next school year. Below is a timeline of dates as we start the articulation process for our students.

Current 6th and 7th Grade Students

SCMS staff will be working to make course recommendations. These will be shared with students and sent home at the end of January

• January 30th & January 31st--SCMS counselors will visit 6th and 7th grade science classes to share course offerings and explain the course registration process and timeline.
• February 9th--Deadline for completing and submitting Google Course Registration Form. Information on how to complete this registration form will be shared with students when counselors visit their science classes.

Detailed information regarding course offerings and the course registration process and timeline will be shared with parents at the end of January.

Current 8th Grade Students (Rising 9th Grade Students)

• January 14th (Updated due to school closure) --B-CC counselors will visit 8th grade science classes to share information about High School graduation requirements, 9th grade course offerings, and the registration process and timeline. We will continue to update you with further course registration and articulation information as it becomes available.
• January 15th—B-CC Course Selection Information Night at 7:00 PM. This will be via zoom. Additional information will be sent to 8th grade families once we hear from BCC). (Date change due to school closure last week).
• January 15th—Online course registration window opens via StudentVue
• January 31st—Deadline for completing course registration in StudentVue

Happy New Year from the Library Media Center! Click here for our January MEDIA MONTHLY: NEWS & NOTES.

Highlights include new books, our ugly sweater book recommendation winners, tools for family discussions about digital balance and safety, and instructional updates.

Our January newsletter is out. Check it out here: https://secure.smore.com/n/2d0v7.

The counselors are offering parent/caregiver toolbox sessions to provide pertinent and helpful information to our families to navigate parenting a middle school child.

• Save the dates: Our parent toolbox meetings are coming.
• Meetings will be from 7:00 - 8:00 via zoom. The dates are January 30, March 20 and May 15, 2025.
• All links will be sent in January.

• Check out the mental health support tab on our website for some workshops for grieving families put on by Caring Matters. All workshops are on zoom.
• If your family needs help with school supplies, food for the weekend, winter coats or other needs, we would like to help! Please fill out the following form: Sign up for Husky Help 24-25 (google.com)
  
• The HUSKY PANTRY is open. Please make sure to fill out the FORM above to ensure your child has access to these resources.

If you have questions related to registration/enrollment or transcripts, please contact Ms. Susan Levine, resource counselor at Susan_A_Levine@mcpsmd.org

We will administer the WIDA ACCESS test to all students who have been identified as Emergent Multilingual Learners (EMLs) January 14 - 31 during periods 1-3.

• What is WIDA ACCESS
• WIDA ACCESS TESTING SCHEDULE

If you have any questions about ACCESS testing, please contact our ELD Teachers at edward_e_eibel@mcpsmd.org, katherine_fiske@mcpsmd.org, or jeffrey_s_joyce@mcpsmd.org

Auditions for Husky Drama's Spring Musical Disney "The Little Mermaid, Jr." will be on January 14 & 15 3-5pm. Students who wish to audition will be expected to attend both days of auditions. If you can only attend one day please let Mrs. Gee know. Please go to the Husky Drama Website Husky Drama website for more information.

Anyone who wishes to be on stage crew for the musical production must fill out the stage crew form. Both actors and stage crew members must have their caregivers fill out the permission form prior to auditions or the first stage crew call. First Stage Crew Meeting is scheduled for 1/15. Both Actors and Stage Crew Members will meet in the cafeteria after school.

Tracks and audition sides will be available in the google classroom Husky Drama google classroom. Auditions will consist of singing one of the audition songs, learning a short dance combo, and reading scenes from the play and acting them out. Questions? Email Mrs. Gee. Links: Audition Form. Caregiver Form Husky Drama Website

We are excited to announce that SCMS Yearbooks are on Sale NOW. Ms. Jordan is our Yearbook sponsor this school year. Ms. Jordan and the SCMS Yearbook club have been meeting after school to start designing the 2024-2025 yearbook.

How to Order

• Reserve your copy now for $30.00 until February 1, 2025. To order online, scan the QR code or go to yearbookforever.com.

Questions? Please email our yearbook sponsor at Cassandra-lee_E_Jordan@mcpsmd.org

We have a range of after-school activities to choose from. Please click the link below to view our After School Activities Brochure which includes a description of each activity, the staff member who is sponsoring, the location, and the day of the week the activity begins. Please note that some clubs will begin later in the school year.

We ask that students register for their activity so that sponsors are aware of the number of students attending. The registration link is below. Buses will depart Silver Creek at approximately 4:20 p.m. to take students home. Each bus will take students to their regular bus stop or to a stop nearby. You may also choose to pick your child up from their activity. Please pick your child up at the front of the school at 4:20 p.m.

We look forward to seeing your child at one of our great clubs!
Afterschool Activities Brochure

Registration

We are excited to announce our first Middle School Career Fair on Friday, February 28, 2025. This event aims to expose our students to a variety of career paths and inspire their future aspirations.

• We invite parents and guardians to volunteer and share insights about your profession or career. Whether you’re in education, healthcare, technology, arts, trades, or any other field, we’d love to hear from you!
• Your participation will provide valuable knowledge and inspiration to our students as they explore their future possibilities.
• For more information and to sign up, please visit this link.

Thank you for supporting our students and helping make this event a success. Questions, please email Ms. Ashley Rivera at Ashley_C_Rivera@mcpsmd.org or Ms. Meredith Lange at Meredith_A_Lange@mcpsmd.org.

Our school’s diversity is what makes us so special. In an effort to recognize the many cultures and backgrounds that make up our community, the PTSA Diversity Council will be hosting special recognitions/activities during lunch to celebrate this uniqueness.

We will communicate the upcoming events soon. We look forward to celebrating our school's diversity.

Please see previous events HERE.

At Silver Creek, we continue to instill the values of being a restorative justice school. Restorative Approaches is a mindset and philosophy toward school climate and relationship building. Important components are: Proactively and intentionally developing relationships and building community; and restoring, repairing, or healing the school community when harm has occurred.

The focus is on education, learning from mistakes, identifying and working on the root of the behavior, making deep-level change, repairing relationships, and restoring students and staff to the environment.

The Key Values of Restorative Approaches include:

• Nurturing healthy relationships built on trust
• Fostering mutual respect between individuals
• Feeling a sense of responsibility for your community
• Repairing harm and transforming conflict
• Reintegrating back to your community if harm has been caused

To learn more about RJ at Silver Creek, please see the flyer here.

This school year, SCMS will be moving to a cell phone-free school. This means that phones are prohibited the entire school day (8:05 - 3:00 PM) The policy will take effect the first day of school, Monday, August 26. Please make sure you and your child review our new cell phone policy to ensure a smooth transition to the school year.

The application is now open for parents and guardians to complete and submit for assistance with the cost of school meals. Families of students who may qualify for free or reduced-price meals can apply for this service. Eligibility is based on family size and gross income. Beginning this year, students in Maryland who qualify for reduced-price meals will not be charged for breakfast or lunch meals.

• Apply here
• Learn more about the program

January 14- B-CC Counselors visit 8th Grade Science classes to share Articulation and Course Registration Information

January 20 - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day -Schools and offices closed

January 28- End of Marking Period 2

January 29 - No School for Students; Grading and Planning Day for teachers

January 30th & January 31st--SCMS counselors will visit 6th and 7th grade science classes to share course offerings and explain the course registration process and timeline.

January 31st—Deadline for completing course registration in StudentVue for 8th grade students

January 31- Principal Coffee- 8:30 AM Via Zoom

Link to MCPS Calendar

If a student is going to be absent, the parent/guardian is asked to call the attendance line at 240-740-2201 the morning of the absence. In your message, please include the information listed below:

1. Parent/Guardian name

2. Full name of your student (First & Last); student ID#

3. Date(s)of absence

4. Reason for absence

If you have any questions regarding attendance procedures, parents/guardians can call the main office at 240 740 2200.

Please find our school directory located on our School's Website with important contact information: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/silvercreekms/staff/directory/

Principal: Dr. Tiffany N. Awkard

Assistant Principal: Mrs. Kimberly P. Heidler

Assistant Principal: Ms. Justine Pfeiffer

School Hours: 7:30 am- 4:00 pm

Main Office: 240-740-2200

Registration & Counseling: 240-740-2211
Attendance Line: 240-740-2201

Website: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/silvercreekms/
Location: 3701 Saul Road, Kensington, MD, USA
Phone: 240 740 2200
X: @SCMSDrAwkard