The Greencastle Gazette
Dear Greencastle Elementary Community,
Welcome to November and the end of Daylight Savings Time. I hope you set your clock back one hour and are enjoying that extra hour of sleep. Here are a few more important announcements and reminders for this coming week.
2. Saturday School at Paint Branch High School: Here is their November newsletter. This is a great opportunity to get additional support at a very low cost. Scholarships, breakfast and bus transportation are available.
3. Open House: Don't forget to pre-register for Open House. This will expedite the arrival process and get you to your location quickly. Open House is a great opportunity to learn more about what's going on in your student(s) instructional day. See registration link HERE.
4. MCPS Calendar Survey for School Year 2025-2026. Please share your feedback on the MCPS school calendar for next school year. This will impact our instructional program and operational needs. MCPS Traditional Calendar 2025-2026 Survey
5. Marking Period Check out our first LEADer celebration of Marking Period 1. Students that earned five or more LEAD certificates were awarded a Movie and Popcorn event Friday afternoon. We can't wait to showcase our students in the next LEADer celebration! Congratulations to our winners!
I hope you had a great weekend and we look forward to seeing you on Wednesday, November 6th promptly at 9:00 a.m. (door opens at 8:40 a.m.)
Mrs. Dean
Principal
This Week
- Monday, November 4: Grading and Planning for the end of term; No School for Students
- Tuesday, November 5: General Election Day—Schools and offices closed; No School for Students
- Wednesday, November 6: Students return to school!
Upcoming Dates
Monday, November 11: Greencastle ES Open House @ 9:15 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. REGISTER HERE
Wednesday, November 13: Report Cards Distributed; Gifted & Talented Virtual Parent Meeting (Grades 2-3) @ 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, November 19: Grade 3 & Grade 5 Green and Gold Celebration @ 9:15 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Wednesday, November 20: Grade 4 Green and Gold Celebration @ 9:15 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Thursday, November 21: Grade 1 & Grade 2 Green and Gold Celebration @ 9:15 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Monday, November 25 & Tuesday, November 26: Early Release Day; Parent -Teacher Conferences
Wednesday, November 27 - Friday, November 29: Thanksgiving Break; Schools and Offices Closed
By the end of the 2024-2025 school year, the percentage of Greencastle students who are chronically absent will decrease from 32% to 27%.
As of Friday, November 1st, Greencastle Elementary's current percentage is 22.48% (MCPS is 14.40%.) We increased by 1.79% since last week. Help us to continue to meet and exceed our goal by decreasing the number of students chronically absent.
The Castle will be open on Monday, November 11th! Families, you are invited to join your student(s) in the building and interact with them in the classroom during our Open House. Come. We encourage you to visit and shadow your student for the morning. Here is our agenda for Open House.
9:15 a.m. - Welcome & School Improvement Plan Presentation (Multipurpose Room)
9:45 a.m. - Visit your student(s) classroom
12:00 p.m. - Open House Concludes
Please complete the registration form to attend.
Hello Knight Community!
Can you believe it’s already November?
This month, we won’t have a General PTA Meeting. Instead, we encourage you to exercise your right to vote on Tuesday, November 5th, and to join us for our Chipotle Fundraiser Night!
Chipotle Fundraiser Night
Mark your calendar for Wednesday, November 13th, from 4-8pm at Chipotle in Briggs Chaney Market Place (13801 Outlet Dr., Silver Spring, MD 20904). Since this location is walk-up/drive-thru only, online ordering is required. Be sure to use our special code JYEN8P4 at checkout so the PTA receives credit for your order! Funds raised will support student incentives and our new Student Ambassador Program. We appreciate your support!
Next General Meeting
Our next General PTA Meeting will be on Tuesday, December 3rd, at 6:30pm. This will be a hybrid meeting, though we encourage everyone to attend in person if possible. We’ll have a special guest, and the Book Fair will be open from 3:30-6:00pm.
Book Fair Volunteers Needed
We’re looking for volunteers for the upcoming Book Fair! Volunteers will receive a discount on their purchases. Sign up via our Sign Up Genius. If you haven’t completed the mandatory volunteer training, please do so at least one week before your volunteer date.
Membership Update
We’re at 96 members—almost at our goal of 100! It’s never too late to join and support the PTA.
Check out our newsletter that went home to families this past Friday for more updates. Thank you for your continued support!