MES Communication

Hello Moncure Community,

Can you believe we’re already heading into October? Time sure is flying! Starting Monday, September 23rd, I’ll be stepping away from the building for a few weeks to support Stafford County's Transportation Department. While I won't be on campus, I’m confident the work I’ll be doing will positively impact both Moncure and the entire county. Rest assured, we have an outstanding team in place. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our office, Mrs. Clemente, or Mr. Price—they’re here and happy to help.

We’ve got some exciting events coming up in the next couple of weeks. First up is our school-wide "Rock Your School Day," a day of engaging and unforgettable learning experiences! Be sure to mark your calendars because it’s one event your student won’t want to miss. Additionally, we have the PTO Fall Festival and Vendor Sale, plus our annual Field Day—more details on all of these events are below.

Please also note that there’s no school on Thursday, October 3rd, in observance of Rosh Hashanah. And if you haven’t yet scheduled your fall virtual conferences, I encourage you to do so soon.

Thanks, as always, for your ongoing support.

Warm regards,

Greg Machi

Principal

• Friday, September 27th - Get ready for an awesome Rock Your School Day!!!
• Wednesday, October 2nd - Fall Festival and Vendor/Yard Sale
• Thursday, October 3rd - No School Rosh Hashanah
• Friday, October 4th - Field Day
• Wednesday, October 9th - Fall Picture Day
• Friday, October 11th – No School (Parent Teacher Virtual Conferences)
• Monday, October 14th – No School (Teacher Workday)
• Tuesday, October 15th - House Meeting Day (2nd-5th Grades)
• Friday, October 18th - House Celebration (Grades 1-5) & Design Challenge Day
• October 24th - November 1st - Book Fair
• Tuesday, October 29th - STEM Night
• Monday, November 4th - Fun Run
• Thursday, November 14th – Moncure’s Multicultural Night

FREE Breakfast and Lunch is available daily. Students may decline a meal at any time. Available Everyday: Hummus or Sunbutter & Jelly

Moncure is operating on a six-day rotation this year. Please look for specific Specials information from your child’s teacher!

To help you to prepare for the year ahead, I encourage families to access the SCPS 2024-25 School Calendar. Please print or keep this link handy, as it will help you to prepare for holidays or periodic days off.

Moncure’s staff will be holding Virtual Conferences on October 10th and 11th. If you have not scheduled your conference, please touch base with your teacher(s). It is very important that all families schedule a conference for each of their students. With each conference lasting just twenty minutes, we have a tight schedule. We appreciate your partnership as we discuss your students and work to stay on time to respect everyone's schedule. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the school.

Calling all Moncure families! It's so important that every family activates and connects their ParentVue account. Why? Without ParentVue, you won’t be able to access grade reports or see your child’s assessment results. Right now, 304 families still haven’t connected, and we’d love to get that number down to zero!

This year, the county also requires all absences to be submitted through ParentVue. If you’re having trouble accessing your account, please reach out—we’re here to help! It’s essential for every parent to stay connected and informed about their child’s progress.

Thank you for your continued partnership! Don’t hesitate to contact our office if you need assistance—we’re always here for you!

This Friday, Moncure is gearing up for our first school-wide “Rock Your School Day,” and trust me, your kids won’t want to miss it! What does this mean? It means our students are in for some exciting and unforgettable experiences, with both our building and staff transformed for the day. It’s going to be an amazing day of learning and fun, so make sure your kiddos are here on Friday, September 27th. They’ll definitely thank you for it!

It's time for our first Popcorn Friday of the year! If you would like for your student to participate, please send in $1 for your child to buy popcorn on September 27th, 2024. All proceeds go towards our House System.

Calling Parent Volunteers!!! We are beginning to prepare for our Field Day. Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grades will have their field day from 8:45-11:15 am. 3rd, 4th and 5th grades will have their field day from 12:00-2:30pm. Please use the link below to select your available field day times. To help us to prepare, we are looking for volunteer responses by September 27th. Thanks for your help! Field Day Parent Sign Up

It’s time to Smile! Lifetouch will be at Moncure on Wednesday, October 9th for fall pictures. Information about ordering pictures is already available. If you have questions about picture packages, please feel free to contact our school. We will do our best to help. Should your student be absent on picture day, we will have Fall Picture Makeups / Retakes on December 3rd.

Moncure’s staff is excited to host our upcoming Design Challenge Day on October 18th! These days offer students valuable learning experiences as they work together to develop creative solutions to real-life problems. Our goal is to encourage all students to think critically and creatively while collaborating in teams.

While we’re purchasing many of the needed materials, we could use a little help from home. If possible, please take a moment to look around for the specific items listed below. Any extra donations will be put to good use for future Design Challenge Days. Most importantly, we want to make sure all students are here to take part in this memorable day of learning.

Thank you for your support and any donations you can provide!

Items Needed:

· Egg cartons

· Paper Towel (Cardboard Rolls)

· Toilet paper (Cardboard Rolls)

· Wire clothes hangers (Thin White)

Bring the whole family from 5-7PM for an evening of fun, games, food, and shopping with local vendors. It’s the perfect chance to enjoy the fall vibes, score some cool finds, and support our school community. From carnival-style games to tasty treats, there’s something for everyone! Don’t miss out on the fun! We can’t wait to see you there!

Moncure’s annual Multicultural Night is around the corner. This event is an opportunity for our community to share or celebrate the many cultures that make Moncure special. Our event will take place on Thursday, November 14th from 6:00-7:30.

Look for more information to come soon!

Have you received your student’s letter about registering for the RCA House Point App? If not, it should be coming home soon. Please check your student’s bookbag or folder for a letter with instructions. The letter includes a school code and a unique code specifically for your student. If you encounter any issues during the setup process, please don't hesitate to contact our office. We want nothing more than for you to get that exciting notification at work, letting you know your child has earned a house point for being awesome! Thank you for your attention, and we look forward to seeing all parents actively participate in our House System.

To learn more, please click HERE! Each house team will be competing to see who can collect the most Pop Tabs! House points will be awarded each quarter!

As part of our commitment to providing the best possible learning environment for our students, Stafford County Public Schools has standardized its personal/electronic communications policy to encompass all grade levels beginning in the 2024-2025 school year. All students, grades K-12, must keep their phones, smart watches, Gizmo-like and other electronic communications devices off and away for the duration of the school day.

This policy, largely already in place at the elementary level, aims to reduce distractions, boost student engagement, and create a more focused educational setting for all students. We want to highlight the inclusion of personal electronic devices other than cell phones to this policy, as we know that smartwatches have become more commonplace at the elementary level and will no longer be permissible in school.

Key Points of the New Policy:

• Prohibited Use: Students are not allowed to use personal/electronic communication devices (to include cell phones, smart watches, air pods, etc.) during school hours, to include lunch, recess, and restroom breaks.
• Device Storage: Devices must be kept out of sight and silenced or powered off.
• Exceptions: Limited to documented medical needs, pre-approved circumstances, and before and after school activities.
• Consequences: Repeated non-compliance may result in devices being placed in locked pouches that must be retrieved by parents/guardians.

We believe this policy will significantly contribute to a more productive learning environment for all students. We appreciate your support and working with us to reinforce these procedures with your student(s).

For more detailed information, please refer to the attached flyer and our school’s website. If you have any questions, please contact our school.

Moncure has awesome students and a beautiful school. However, the past few years have been very difficult for our Parent Teacher Organization. Currently, we have a small group of volunteers making our PTO possible. We would love to add a few more volunteers to our group. If you are interested in supporting our students, our school, and our community, then serving as a member of Moncure’s PTO might be right for you. We encourage anyone (regardless of home language) to participate. Should you wish to learn more about our PTO, please go to https://ames.ptboard.com or scan the QR code.

Have you ever considered being a substitute teacher. Stafford County Public Schools is always looking for substitutes to support our schools. To learn about the application and hiring process, access the link below. We are always looking for energetic and positive substitutes to support our school. SCPS Substitute Hiring Information

Plans change and communication makes everything easier. One way to communicate is by completing our “A Note to School” form and sending it through email to our office and your student’s teacher or by simply sending the form or a note to school. To access digital forms of this note, you can go to the parent portion of our webpage or simply use the link below. Thanks for keeping us informed. The earlier the better.

How to communicate with Moncure:

mefrontoffice@staffordschools.net -or- "A Note To School"

Please include in all emails:

It is not uncommon for our office and elementary schools across our county to receive multiple emails each day with dismissal changes from parents. The notifications require our office to contact teachers to prevent students from being dismissed incorrectly. Student office dismissals after 2:30PM only add to this confusion. Please understand that our “No Student Office Dismissal” restriction after 2:30PM is based on student safety. Thanks for your understanding!

“Caught Ya” Citations are a great way for students, parents, and staff to recognize adults in our building! These citations also provide students with an opportunity to earn House Points. Everyone wants to be a member of the “House of the Year!” If you would like to recognize one or more of our staff members, simply use this link. “Caught Ya” – Staff Citation Link Thanks for making someone’s day!