A Word from Mrs. Jackson: Community School Liaison!
COMMUNITY SCHOOL UPDATES!
Greetings Meadow Hall Families!
I have truly enjoyed meeting so many of you at bus stops, drop off and dismissal, evening and after school events over the last several weeks. In October and November I will make it a priority to walk around the Woods Edge and Forest Communities. If you see me, please feel free to introduce yourself! I always have access to the Language Line if it is needed for us to converse. Don’t be shy!
Here are a few Community School Updates:
Family Survey
Don't forget to complete your family surveys! I ask that all families complete the survey by November 23, 2024. The class with the most surveys completed will be rewarded! If you have children in more than one class, please be sure to list all classroom teachers. The winners will be announced in early December.
English Conversation Classes
We had 38 caregivers register for English Conversation Classes; and 32 children registered for tutoring. The classes, which are run by Community Reach of Montgomery County, began on Monday, October 7 and will run until Wednesday, November 6.
Josie’s Closet
Josie’s Closet was established to positively impact children experiencing clothing insecurity. They will provide our students with two NEW outfits, a pair of jeans, shoes, and socks. Please contact me if your child is in need of a referral. The typical turnaround time for the orders to be fulfilled is 10 business days.
Bus Stop Tour
I have made it to five of our six bus stops so far this fall. I have enjoyed meeting with parents and talking a bit about the Community School Strategy. Please see the schedule below to know when you can expect me to stop by and say “hey!”.
Grandin Avenue and Woodburn Road 12/13/24
Reading Avenue and Joseph Street 10/25/24
Grandin Avenue and Reading Avenue 11/1/24
Scott Avenue and Edmonston Drive 11/8/24
Edmonston Drive and Gilbert Road 11/15/24
Denham Road and Gilbert Road 12/6/24
Fresh Produce Distribution
Our first fresh produce distribution was held on Friday, October 4. We were able to serve 50 families! A special thanks to our community partner, Small Things Matter, for the generous donation! I’d like to acknowledge the following parents and staff for their assistance during the first event:
Carla Argote, parent
Nicole Hennessey, parent
Ms. Gibbs, classroom teacher
Ms. Campbell, classroom teacher
Ms. Bartee, Reading Specialist
We hope to have our second distribution on October 17, 2024, however, due to pending grants, it might be delayed until November. I will send out an announcement via WhatApp and Remind to alert the community the day before the distribution.
I will be sure to send out more updates next month! Should you have any questions before then, please don’t hesitate to contact me!
Sincerely,
Jessica Jackson, MSW, LCSW-C
Community School Liaison for Meadow Hall ES
Department of Student Engagement and Behavioral Health
Office of Well-Being and Student Services
Cell/Whatsapp: 227-216-1193
IG: @meadowhalles_CSL
Twitter/X: @MHES_CSL
Jessica Jackson, MSW, LCSW-C
Community School Liaison for Meadow Hall ES
Department of Student Engagement and Behavioral Health
Office of Well-Being and Student Services
Cell/Whatsapp: 227-216-1193
IG: @meadowhalles_CSL
Twitter/X: @MHES_CSL
A MESSAGE FROM OUR PTA!
Thank you to all of the families who joined us for Movie Night! We had an great time and hope you did as well. A special thanks goes to all of our volunteers, the Parkers for running AV, and to those who helped by donating supplies. Thank you!
Here are some additional updates:
Blue Envelope, starts October 14
The Blue Envelope fundraiser is a chance to help support the PTA by donating money to help fund our community events and activities. You can donate by returning the blue envelopes that went home with students last week or by donating online via Paypal: paypal.me/mhespta. We appreciate your support!
5th Grade Bake Sale on Election Day
Please consider helping our 5th graders have a great end of year celebration by supporting their bake sale. If you can volunteer time or baked goods please check out the sign-up genius here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F054AAEA92AA0FB6-52015791-5thgrade#/.
Want to get involved in the PTA?
MHES PTA is looking for members to participate on the PTA in various ways. We encourage all families to look at the link below and consider supporting the PTA and getting involved on a committee for the new school year. See the link below:
PTA Committee Volunteer Positions-FY24
Box Tops for Education
Box Tops for Education is a program that gives money to schools for their family’s participation just by purchasing products and scanning the receipt in the Box Tops App. Box Tops earnings are used to fund items for the school and events. If you haven't done so already, Download the Box Tops App on your smartphone using Referral Code WZTM9R7Z. We promise it is a super easy task to get used to. Register and select Meadow Hall as your supporting school. SCAN your receipt with the Box Tops app within 14 days of purchase and EARN cash with every Box Tops product you buy.
Why join the PTA? Among the many, many good reasons, it basically boils down to being a great way to benefit your child, the school, and yourself by being involved in the PTA functions and connecting with other parents and staff. And for those of you who have been members in past years, don’t forget to renew your membership. Memberships are $10 for family and community members (only one membership is needed per family). We are thrilled to get to know everyone and see you all at our meetings and activities!
OTHER MCPS NEWS!
National C-SPAN Documentary Video Competition Open to Secondary Students
Students in 6th through 12th grades are invited to participate in C-SPAN’s annual national video documentary StudentCam competition, which encourages them to think critically about issues that affect our communities.
This year, students are being asked to create a five-to-six-minute video documentary on a topic that relates to the competition theme, “Your Message to the President.” Students may compete individually or in groups. The submission deadline is Inauguration Day, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. C-SPAN awards cash prizes to the top 150 student documentaries. Historically, MCPS students perform well in this contest. Last year, a Montgomery Blair High School 9th grader won the High School East Division and in 2023, two Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School 8th graders took home the Grand Prize.
Get a Little Drama in Your Life!
The curtain is rising on fall theater and dance productions throughout the school system at middle and high schools. Plan now to see these great performances, which run into early 2025.
From “Mamma Mia” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” to “Charlotte’s Web” and “SpongeBob the Musical,” there’s something for everyone. Come on out!
2024-2025 Fall Theater/Dance Productions
Marking Remembrance and Reconciliation Month
The Commission on Remembrance and Reconciliation was established by the Montgomery County Office of Human Rights in 2019 to promote a better understanding of its history and legacy of African Americans in the county. This is the third year MCPS has observed Remembrance and Reconciliation Month with mandatory brief K-12 learning on local African American history and support of local Emancipation Day celebrations.
Below are upcoming MCPS events for this year (other celebrations will be coming later in November):
Button Farm Living History Center’s Emancipation Day Celebration (16820 Black Rock Road, Germantown)
Saturday, Oct. 26, noon-3 p.m.
Students can earn up to 3 SSL hours.
Sandy Spring Slave Museum – Maryland Emancipation Day
Virtual Event: The Real Juneteenth
Wednesday, Oct. 30, 6:45-8 p.m.
Students can earn up to 1.5 SSL hours.
Registration Link (You must register to receive the virtual meeting link.)
Flyer
Sandy Spring Slave Museum’s Emancipation Day Celebration (18524 Brooke Road, Sandy Spring)
Saturday, Nov. 2, noon-3:20 p.m.
Students can earn up to 3 SSL hours.
Urban Farm Volunteer Event Set for Nov. 9 at Loiederman MS
Middle and high school students are invited to participate in a Veterans Day volunteer opportunity from 9 a.m.- 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 9 at A. Mario Loiederman Middle School, 12701 Goodhill Road in Silver Spring. Students will help build garden beds and benches for the first urban farm being built through the REACH Hub and learn from professionals in the field. SSL hours and lunch will be provided. Registration
Community Meetings Will Address ‘Walkability Studies’ and Safety Needs for Six Schools
The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) is holding in-person meetings to present and address the findings of walkability studies and discuss the sidewalk and safety needs of students walking and biking to six schools. The studies involve Kensington Parkwood, Lake Seneca, Waters Landing, Rosemary Hills and Rock Creek Forest elementary schools, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School.
The meetings will be held—
Wednesday, Oct. 23, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School, 13737 Wisteria Drive, Germantown. Regarding the studies for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle, Lake Seneca Elementary and Waters Landing Elementary schools.
Thursday, Dec. 5, 6:30-8:30 p.m., Rosemary Hills Elementary School, 2111 Porter Road, Silver Spring. Regarding the studies for Rosemary Hills Elementary and Rock Creek Forest Elementary schools.
The meeting for Kensington Parkwood Elementary School was held on Oct. 9. Read more about it here.
Fall Parent Academy Schedule Now Available
Families and students can stay engaged throughout the school year with Parent Academy TO GO, a series of free virtual webinars for families. October, November and December webinars are now available on the Parent Academy website. Topics include managing bedtime battles, learning skills for better communication and tools to diffuse power struggles, and handling disappointing grades. Registration is available here.
Athletics Championship Season Is Here!
The first-ever postseason pickleball tournament will be held on Monday, Oct. 21 and Wednesday, Oct. 23. Semifinals and finals will be on Oct. 23 at Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda. See the schedule. The inaugural girls’ flag football county championship tournament will be during the weeks of Oct. 28 and Nov. 4. The state tournament of champions will be held on Friday, Nov. 8. Check out an overview of the playoff schedule. See the fall playoff and tournament schedules for cheerleading, cross country, field hockey, football, golf, soccer and volleyball here.
Reminders
Mental Health Resource Fair: This free event, open to students, families and staff, will be held from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26, at Seneca Valley High School, 19401 Crystal Rock Drive in Germantown. Transportation is available. RSVP.
Game Changer Conference: This free event, geared toward Black or African American and Latino and Hispanic male students in 4th through 12th grades, will be held from 8 a.m.–noon on Saturday, Oct. 26 at Montgomery College, Germantown Campus, Globe Hall, 20200 Observation Drive. Students and parents can register here.
VISIT the MCPS homepage.
CALL 240-740-3000. Staff take calls from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, in English and Spanish (240-740-2845)
READ news and information sent via email and text message and on the MCPS News page.
FOLLOW the MCPS social media pages on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram in English and Spanish.
http://twitter.com/mcps
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https://www.instagram.com/mcpsenespanol/SIGN UP for emails and text alerts and make sure your ParentVue information is up to date.
WATCH the MCPS cable channels Comcast 34 (1071 HD), Verizon 36 or RCN 89
Open Registrations
More From MCPS
ParentVUE and other Important Online Resources
Sign Up For ParentVUE to Stay in Touch With Your School
Families new to MCPS are encouraged to sign up for a ParentVUE account at the beginning of the school year. ParentVUE is the online parent portal that serves as the primary communication vehicle for schools to share information regarding grades, attendance, scheduling, access to myMCPS Classroom, and more.
ParentVUE provides a way to view school-related information and data for students. Register for athletics, and special programs, communicate with teachers, and verify your student information annually.
ParentVUE also allows access to Canvas/MyMCPSClassroom, a digital learning platform. Parents and guardians can view instructional information and resources, and get alerts about assignments and grades.Sign up for Alert MCPS
Alert MCPS provides emergency information about school closures or emergencies via text or email messages to devices you register. Sign up here.Know These Important System Resources A. GoFan: This online digital ticketing platform offers fast and easy access to tickets for high school events, and allows fans to enter games quickly and safely. For ticketed sports, tickets are no longer sold at the gate and must be purchased online. B. SchoolCash Online: https://www.schoolcashonline.com MCPS has transitioned to this online payment system as its preferred method of payment for all school-related fees. Schools and offices will now use SchoolCash Online for fundraising, field trips, course fees and extracurricular activities. This new payment system is not related to school cafeteria accounts.
MySchoolBucks:Use MySchoolBucks to add school meal money to your child’s account. This will eliminate the need for your child to bring money to school every day. This year, meals (lunch and breakfast) will not be universally free. If your student wants to buy lunch in school, they will need a MySchoolBucks account. Families who believe they qualify for free and reduced-price meals can apply here.
Meadow Hall Principal
Email: Desmond_Mackall2@mcpsmd.org
Website: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/meadowhalles/
Location: 951 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville, MD, USA
Phone: 240-740-5260
Twitter: @MHES_Principal
Meadow Hall Assistant Principal
Email: Ilana_N_Simhon@mcpsmd.org
Website: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/meadowhalles/
Location: 951 Twinbrook Parkway, Rockville, MD, USA
Phone: 240-740-5260
Twitter: @MeadowHallAP