Weekly Update
Monday December 16th through December 20th are normal school days.
Winter Break
Winter break starts on Monday, December 23rd and students return to school on Thursday, January 2. Wishing everyone a wonderful break and happy holidays!
Spirit Week and Food Drive
Students are welcome to show their spirit by matching our school spirit week. Monday is Pajama and Stuffy day. We are also combining spirit week with a food drive. Please bring any canned non-perishable goods Monday through Friday.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1cscfHauIqiCbv6yjQ1F1Byq8WINeUpBVnb6VGBKQnWo/edit?usp=sharing
Inflatables Race This Friday
We will be holding our first inflatables race Friday afternoon. Select shark staff will be dressed in a variety of animals and characters while racing and completing an obstacle course. Photos will be shared in a future newsletter!
PTA Updates
Scholastic Book Fair - Thank you!
As our Book Fair draws to a close, we're sending many thanks to the volunteers (parents, family members, teens, etc.) who helped make the Book Fair a success! From running the registers to helping students shop, from counting cash to carrying purchases to classrooms all over the school, we could not have made it happen without our volunteers. Thank you again!
Spirit Days and PTA Food Drive
Have fun counting down to winter break and do some good for people in need in Olney! This coming week (December 16th-20th), we will have a Spirit Week, as well as a food drive for the Olney HELP food pantry. To make it fun, we've created themed days for suggested food donations, but any types of donations on any day are welcome. The class who donates the most pounds of food will receive a special surprise! Here are the theme days:
MONDAY (12/16): Spirit Day - Pajama Day
Breakfast foods - pancake/waffle mix, syrup, low sugar cereal, unrefrigerated bottled juice, canned fruit in juice
TUESDAY (12/17): Spirit Day - Snow Day (wear white and blue)
Spaghetti dinner - canned pasta (e.g., beef/cheese ravioli, spaghetti & meatballs), canned tomatoes)
WEDNESDAY (12/18): Spirit Day - Ugly Sweater Day
Fruits & Veggies - canned fruit in juice, jelly (preferably other than grape), unrefrigerated bottled juice, canned tomatoes
THURSDAY (12/19): Spirit Day - Fun Flannel Day
Protein - canned meats (i.e., tuna, salmon, chicken), corned beef hash, sloppy joe sauce
FRIDAY (12/20): Spirit Day - SES Day (wear your Sherwood gear!)
Soups/all-in-one - condensed soups, beef stew, sloppy joe sauce, canned pasta (e.g., beef/cheese ravioli, spaghetti & meatballs)
Annual Staff Holiday Cookie Exchange
Calling all families! Our Annual SES Cookie Exchange is just around the corner!!! Bring 2 dozen cookies, brownies, bread, candy or other treats that are store bought or homemade. All are welcome and greatly appreciated! Please remember to label any allergens if applicable.
It is a great event that ensures ALL of our 95 staff members receive a special treat from an SES family. Drop off your goodies in the main office in the afternoon on Thursday, 12/19 or Friday, 12/20 in the morning by 9:00 am. We will arrange in the staff lounge for staff to take a goody bag of treats home. Sign up HERE!
Afterschool Activities
Looking to extend the school day and add some enrichment to your student's life? Join one of our fun afterschool activities this winter! The full list is available on our website, and individual organizations will be sending home fliers as the school year continues; we have everything from coding to drama club, and will continue to add new activities through the year. Click here for more information (and email afterschool@sesptamd.org if you have any questions): https://www.sesptamd.org/afterschool
Staff & Teacher Wishlists
Looking for ways to support and recognize your child's teachers and the Sherwood staff? Click HERE for a link to staff favorites and wishlists! We will continue to keep this list updated throughout the year.
Sign up to support our staff with Fri-Yays!
Are you looking for ways to show appreciation for our wonderful teachers and staff? Fri-Yays take place once a month on a Friday (unless otherwise noted), and are a chance to provide some themed treats (edible or otherwise) in the staff lounge.
You will be responsible for providing the items and setting them up in the staff lounge in the morning, to be enjoyed throughout the day. You would also be responsible for clean-up at the end of the day and potentially checking mid-day if the themed items need to be replenished. Feel free to sign up with a friend or two to share the load! Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C4FAEAE2EA0F8C34-50543394-teacher#/
PTA Memberships and PTA Annual Fund
Exciting new membership opportunities and donations to the PTA Annual Fund (operating fund) are available on our Memberhub store! There is no P or T in PTA without you! https://sherwoodelem.givebacks.com/store
School & Yearbook Picture Uploads
The PTA will be doing the yearbook this year with Treering. In order to upload pictures for the yearbook you will need to make an account at www.treering.com/validate. Our school code is: 1016149928682078
Please reach out to Marlene Campbell the yearbook editor with any questions at yearbook@sesptamd.org
Free Parenting Support for MCPS Parents and Caregivers
MCPS is continuing its partnership with the Parent Encouragement Program (PEP), a local nonprofit that provides resources and support to parents and caregivers. The PEP Family Resiliency Program is a free, online eight-week program which helps parents and caregivers learn tools to strengthen family connections, support children’s mental health and encourage success in school. Earn a $50 gift card for taking at least five sessions and completing the evaluation. Sessions start the week of Oct. 14 and are offered in English, Spanish and Amharic. Register.
Supporting Reading at Home - Amplify CKLA Parent and Caregiver Hub
Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) is a language arts program for Grades PreK–5 that combines a multi-sensory approach to phonics with rich texts carefully sequenced to build content knowledge—so that students learn to read and read to learn at the same time.
Every day in Grades PreK–2, students complete one full lesson that builds foundational reading skills, as well as one full lesson that builds background knowledge. In Grades 3–5, students start to master the skills of reading, further opening up their worlds.
The Amplify CKLA Caregiver Hub will help caregivers support their student and enable them to have the most productive experience with the CKLA platform throughout the year.
Parents and Students are able to use the CKLA Hub for re-reading stories that were shared in class and to practice grade-level skills and vocabulary. The CKLA Hub is also a wonderful resource for absent students that need to catch up on any stories missed in class.
Log in @ ckla.amplify.com/home
- Select “Log in with Amplify” and enter the username and password.
- Click on the picture to see the grade level username and password.
Cafeteria Menus and Ice Cream
Cafeteria menus are posted monthly on the MCPS food and nutrition website. Please see the links below for the September and October menus. Our cafeteria also sells ice cream a la carte every other day.
November 2024:
English | español | français | 中文 | Portuguese | 한국어 | tiếng Việt | አማርኛ
December 2024:
English |
Carpool Safety
Some general reminders to help everything work safely and efficiently.
- Please do not park in the handicap spots if you do not have a handicap placard.
- Please pull all the way up to the end of the carpool lane to allow as many cars as possible to pick up or drop off at once.
- When entering the driveway, please be patient and take turns with cars turning from the left and the right. Please be extra careful turning left onto route 108 when exiting the parking lot.
- When crossing the crosswalk, please wait for the hand signals from staff that the carpool lane is safe to cross. Please do not cross the driveway at other locations.
- Please do not enter the bus loop lane during arrival or dismissal.
- During the day, please do not park in the bus loop from 11:30am-12:30pm due to bus pickups.
- Please do not block any of the lanes.
- After 9:25, students need to be signed in at the main office by a parent or caregiver.
Severe Weather Emergency Information
The safety of our MCPS community is critical, and being able to communicate with students, staff, and families during severe weather or other emergencies is of the utmost importance. Use this link to find all the ways you can connect with MCPS to receive emergency operational information from the school system. The current operating status options for the school district appear on the MCPS website and on individual school websites. In the event of a change in operational status, this link will provide more information about the MCPS Operating Status options.
Transportation Information
Specific questions about bus routes and stops can be directed to Mr. Gregory Walker, Sherwood Transportation Cluster Manager.
Phone: 240-740-2606
Email: Gregory_R_Walker@mcpsmd.org
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/transportation/rules/
Need Help?
To address any concerns or issues with bus delays, we want to introduce the MCPS Transportation Hotline. This service will begin Monday, August 26, starting at 6:00 am to 5:00 pm, and will be available during the first week of school. MCPS transportation staff will be able to support families if questions, concerns or problems with a bus or bus stop need to be addressed. To access this service, call 240-740-7790.
School Supply Lists by Grade
School supply lists by grade are linked below. Please note that the lists are divided into personal classroom supplies, shared classroom supplies, and frequent donations. Families will be able to bring materials to our open house dates before school begins.
Any student who does not have materials will be provided materials from the school.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1EnUXlVv5eNNQXhs7qytQ1WB_tTrxfTS_-quxmo_7cCw/edit?usp=sharing
Cafeteria Updates and Purchasing School Meals
Overview
Free Meals are No Longer Available for ALL Students, due to the end of Federal USDA waivers.
Meal Prices for School Year 2024-2025 are:
Breakfast: Regular Price: $1.30
Lunch: Regular Price: $2.55
MySchoolBucks is an optional service for parents to view recent purchases and make prepayments to your child’s cafeteria account for breakfast, lunch and a la carte meals via the Internet with a credit/debit card. This service is offered as a convenience for interested families. By creating a secure online account, parents can manage their child’s account.
MySchoolBucks instructions:
English | español | 中文 | français | tiếng Việt | 한국어 | አማርኛ
Free and Reduced Meals
Students may qualify for free or reduced-price meals based on household size and income.
They may also qualify if they are receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA), or Medicaid benefits.
Families may apply for meal benefits by completing an Application for Free and Reduced-price Meals for the current school year. Questions? Please call 240-740-7400.
Students who qualify for reduced-price meals will eat for free!
Apply online for free and reduced meals at MySchoolApps.com (translations available on the website) Click here for an English video tutorial.
Special Meal Plans
Does your child require a special meal plan, related to a medical condition or food allergy? You must complete the Special Dietary Needs Form and email it to DFNSOffice@mcpsmd.org. You can access the form in English | español | français | 中文 | Portuguese | 한국어 | tiếng Việt | አማርኛ
Website: http://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/food-and-nutrition/meal-payments/#FARMS
Health Room Information
Health room staff plan to be available beginning August 14, 2024. Forms may be submitted over the summer by:
a) Emailing to Lisa Rocco, Health Room Tech at lisa_j_rocco@mcpsmd.org
b) Fax: 301-924-3294
c) Mail: 1401 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Sandy Spring, MD 20860
d) Drop off to the health room beginning August 14, 2024
Please Note: - Health room staff will NOT be monitoring health forms sent to the nurse's email and/or school over the summer; forms will be reviewed when health staff return in August 2024.Commonly Used Forms Included Below:
Medication Authorization Form,
Asthma Action Plan/Medication Form,
For immunization questions, please refer to the guidelines provided by the Maryland Department of Health: https://health.maryland.gov/phpa/OIDEOR/IMMUN/Pages/back-to-school-immunization-requirements.aspx
