Hello Greenwood Families,

It's February! As we move into the second half of the school year and the third marking period, we reflect back on a strong first half of the year. From fall to winter, our schoolwide data reflects tremendous growth and achievement, and we are so proud of our students for their hard work.

We look forward to the second part of this year, continuing to partner with each of you to support your children academically, socially, and emotionally. Thank you for ensuring that your children are here on time each day and for working so closely with us as a team.

We look forward to celebrating our community together at the PTA Culture Night on February 12th, and we remain focused on our theme of kindness this year through our town hall meetings and the recognition of Random Acts of Kindness Spirit Day this month.

It's going to be a great month!

Warmly,

Mrs. Seidel and Mrs. Sinon

The week of February 3-7 is National School Counseling Week. At Greenwood, we are so very grateful for our counseling team, Mrs. Sandee Lee and Mrs. Hiranya Patterson. If your student or your family would like to send in a little note for our counselors, this would be a great week to honor and show appreciation to them!

We want to take a moment to congratulate Mrs. Chrissy Graham, staff development teacher, who is retiring. We thank Mrs. Graham for her 30 years of service to MCPS and to the staff, students, and families at Greenwood ES. We wish Mrs. Graham all the best in her retirement!

Thanks to all families who donated items to our food drive sponsored by our grade 5 ambassadors. We were able to make a large donation to the Olney Help. We also appreciate the help of Ms. Creel and family, who helped to transport the food on behalf of our school. Our Greenwood community always comes through when it's time to serve others. THANK YOU!

**Wear an item with a positive or kind message**

On February 4, we will be holding our quarter 3 Town Hall meetings with all grades levels and will highlight February’s National Random Acts of Kindness Day and Random Acts of Kindness Week by announcing an activity for our students to spread kindness in the community.

Valentine’s Day parties will be held on Friday, February 14. Grade 2 will host their party from 1:30-2:15. All other grades will hold their parties from 2:15-3:00. Students may exchange valentines (one for each student in the class, if so). As with our fall celebrations, the parties will be limited to the room parents.

If students bring wrapped candy or other items (pencils, tattoos, etc) attached to their Valentines, we do ask that they remain wrapped and not eaten in the classroom. (Please be mindful of allergies in the class.) These items will need to be placed in students’ backpacks at the end of the party. Please remind students that these items should only come out once home (not on the bus), and these items should be left at home.

PTA Donations link for Valentine's Day parties: https://greenwoodpta.givebacks.com/store/items/1150630

The Assessing Comprehension and Communication in English State-to-State for English Language Learners (ACCESS for ELLs) is the annual English language proficiency test that is aligned to the World Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) English language development standards. The testing window for our emergent multilingual learners is January 8-February 18. Please reach out to ELD teacher, Mrs. Eugenia Chang, with any questions.

This week the team at Rosa Parks MS met with our incoming 6th grade families. If you were not able to attend, we do have our presentation slides available for you to review on our scheduling site (the link is below-navigate to the 6th grade tab).

Feedback Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSewgrzFnmkASugJpN1cg3pe0SUWuDUPb88NyXp69U2onX5Drg/viewform?usp=sf_link

RPMS Website: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/rosaparksms/

RPMS Scheduling Site: https://sites.google.com/mcpsmd.net/rpms-registration-2025-26/rpms-registration-and-articulation-home-page

As a reminder, our wonderful counselors met with the students this week to review course options, share registration information and begin the process for the next school year. All registration forms through our registration site are due Tuesday, February 4th.

January 27th through February 4th

Window for students and parents to view class recommendations and to enter course requests in RPMS Google Form (must be completed by 2/04)

Tuesday, February 4th

End of School Day

ALL Registration Selections DUE from students (Google form completed)

Michael Kryder

Assistant Principal

Rosa Parks Middle School

Phone: 240.740.3300

Fax: 301.924.3288

Email: michael_j_kryder@mcpsmd.org

*************************************************

The following events are open to students, staff and community members. Students can earn up to two Student Service Learning (SSL) hours per event.

The Road to Advocacy: The River Road Community’s Fight to Stop the Erasure of African American History, in collaboration with the Bethesda African Cemetery Coalition

Thursday, Feb. 6, 6-7:30 p.m.
Zoom Webinar registration link
The Road to Advocacy, Feb. 6

The Struggle for Black Freedom: Black Communities in Montgomery County Post Civil War to Today
Featuring Celeste Winston, Author of How to Lose the Hounds: Maroon Geographies and a World Beyond Policing
Thursday, Feb. 6, 6-7:30 p.m.
Registration Link
Flyer

Online registration for kindergarten for the 2025-2026 school year opens on Monday, Feb. 3. Children who will be 5 years old by Sept. 1, 2025 are eligible to register. Registration will be online through the ParentVUE portal. If your family is new to MCPS, you will need to create a ParentVue account here. For more information about eligibility and the registration process, visit the MCPS Kindergarten Enrollment webpage. Please reach out to Mrs. Susan Ostrinksy, attendance secretary, with questions. (Susan_A_Ostrinsky@mcpsmd.org)

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/enroll/kindergarten/

Thanks to all who created and shared such creative and clever gingerbread characters! Gingerbread characters may be picked up at the end of the day Friday, February 7th. Any characters remaining after that time will be discarded.

February PTA Updates

• We are looking for volunteers to review our bylaws (they need to be renewed) and we need volunteers for our nominating committee so we can have elections this Spring. Both roles are short and simple. Please email me, Katie Phillips at president@greenwood-pta.org if you are interested. Thank you!
• PTA Meeting- Tuesday, February 4th at 7pm at Greenwood in the media center and on Zoom.
• Culture Night- Wednesday, February 12th from 6:30 - 8:30pm at Greenwood in the APR and Media Center. If you would like to volunteer, please see this sign up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E44A4AF2AA4F4C07-53989681-greenwood
• Dining Night Out- Wednesday, February 19th at Moby Dick House of Kabob in Olney.

• Valentine's Class Parties- Friday, February 14th during the school day. Room Parents will be in contact with each classroom about their plans. If you would like to contribute to the party, please use this link: https://greenwoodpta.givebacks.com/store/items/1150630 or you can send in cash or a check (made out to the Greenwood PTA). We recommend $6 per student.

Thank you to our Bingo Night coordinators, Lindsay Vilardo and Katie Moore, for a lovely evening. It was a very successful event!

Katie Phillips

President, Greenwood Elementary School PTA

Capture this year's school memories by ordering your yearbook TODAY!

Capture los recuerdos escolares de este año

¡ordenando tu anuario hoy! No te lo pierdas.

Order Here

https://shop.yearbookmarket.com/greenwoodelementarybrookeville

Store Opened January 6th

Closes April 18th

Soft Yearbook Cost $20.00 plus Tax and Conv. Fee

Hard Yearbook Cost $25.00 plus Tax and Conv. Fee

Questions, please email: yearbook@greenwood-pta.org

MCPS has clear procedures in place to ensure student safety if immigration officials visit a school. These steps help staff respond appropriately while prioritizing student well-being:

• Verify the visitor's identity and obtain official documentation.
• Notify MCPS legal counsel for guidance.
• Contact the impacted student’s family in their preferred language.
• Follow security protocols to protect all students and staff.

For more information and Frequently Asked Questions, visit the MCPS Immigration Supports page.

Montgomery County parents/guardians who wish to request a Change of School Assignment (COSA) for their children from their home school may begin the process during the upcoming transfer season; from February 3 through April 1, 2025.

Students in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) are expected to attend the school within the established attendance area in which they reside (home school) or assigned in accordance with their Individualized Education Program (IEP). Students may apply for Change of School Assignment (COSA) from the home school, or the school of assignment through the IEP process, based on the following criteria:

• When a documented unique hardship is shown: Students may apply for a COSA when extenuating circumstances related to their specific physical, mental or emotional well-being or their family’s individual or personal situation could be mitigated by a change of school assignment.

• When a family moved within Montgomery County who wish to continue attending their former home school may request a COSA without demonstrating a unique hardship. Such requests may be considered for a remainder of the current school year only, with the exception that students in Grade 11 or 12 may be granted a COSA to stay through high school graduation.

• When a student seeks to attend the school where a sibling will be enrolled in the regular/general school program, or a special education program, during the year the students wants to enroll.

► When a sibling attends a magnet, language immersion or other application program at elementary level, a COSA may be approved to the regular school program for other sibling on a case-by-case basis. Such approval requires consideration of available classroom space, grade-level enrollment, staffing allocations, or other factors that impact the schools involved.

The criteria above regarding siblings do not apply if a boundary change has occurred or if the sibling is in PreK.

Consideration will be given to school capacity and other issues that impact the ability of the requested school to admit new students.

The transfer process begins in the home school, where parents/guardians may request the Change of School Assignment (COSA) Information Booklet through ParentVue. The booklet describes the process, and provides useful information. Beginning the first week of February 2025, the COSA booklet will be available in both English and Spanish. Exempt countywide programs that do not fall under the transfer guidelines are listed in the booklet.

New for the 2025-2026 school year, parents must submit their request for a change of school assignment (COSA) online through their ParentVue portal. The parent making the request will be copied on an email notification sent to the administrative team of the student's current school shortly after the submission; this will serve as their "receipt" of request and will be sent to the email they entered when completing the online form.

For information about assignments for students residing in the Northeast, Downcounty or Middle School Magnet Consortium areas, please contact the Division of Consortia Choice and Application Program Services

240-740-7800 or visit the website at www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/schoolchoice.

For more information about the transfer process, parents/guardians are encouraged to contact the principal at their home school. Non-english speaking students and parents/guardians who may require assistance may contact ASK MCPS to get the information they need by telephone at 240-740-3000. Telephone operators who speak English and Spanish are available from 7:30am to 5:30pm, Monday through Friday. Parents who speak languages other than English or Spanish who call the ASK MCPS telephone line and identify their language will have their questions answered through a telephone interpreter.

As we begin the second half of the school year, we want to remind students and their families of the many resources available to support everyone. These resources also reflect our shared commitment to fostering a safe, respectful and inclusive school community.

Civic Engagement and Civil Discourse
MCPS is committed to fostering civic engagement and civil discourse among our students. These are essential skills and strategies that empower young people to navigate a diverse world with respect and confidence.

• The MCPS Civic Engagement and Civil Discourse Google Site provides centralized resources for staff and is easily accessible via the MCPS Resources tab in Google Chrome. The website provides resources to support creating an environment where students can participate productively, engage safely, and experience uniform rule application across the district.
• Strategies concerning political engagement, including guidelines for students.

Supporting Our Diverse Community
Our diversity is a huge strength for us, and it’s our duty to ensure every individual feels valued and supported. Please keep the following resources in mind:

• Immigration Resources for students and families
• MCPS Immigration webpage with more resources

Addressing Hate-Bias and Antiracism
MCPS tiered protocols are critical for addressing hate and bias incidents, ensuring we respond thoughtfully and effectively when these situations arise.

• Procedures for reporting and responding to hate-bias incidents.

MCPS provides meals to all students, ensuring they are ready and prepared to learn in school. The Dine with Dignity program fundraises to address and pay off debt accrued by students while their families wait for approval to receive free meals. A donation to Dine with Dignity supports students continuing to receive nutritious meals and learn alongside their peers. Donate today.

MCPS Operating Status and Notifications: In the event of inclement weather, please refer to the MCPS color codes for operational decisions, including school closures, delayed openings, or early dismissals. The color codes are available in multiple languages , https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/emergency/closings/.

Where to Find Winter Weather Information: For the latest updates on MCPS decision-making processes and communications during inclement weather, please visit the following resource:
MCPS Winter Weather Preparedness.

Instruction starts promptly at 9 a.m.

Please be sure to have your students at school prior to 9 a.m., so they can unpack, eat breakfast, and prepare their materials. Student drop off begins at 8:40 a.m., and all students will enter through the front doors of the school. Students who arrive after 9 a.m. will be marked tardy and will miss the start of instruction. Please help us to ensure that every Gator is here and ready for a great day before that 9 a.m. start time!

One final note, please do not leave students unattended on school grounds prior to 8:40 a.m. to ensure the highest level of safety and security for each student. Staff are not outside to provide supervision until 8:40 a.m.

In case you missed it, we have a new way to report absences that will be faster and more efficient--no more phone calls!! Please use the link below to report your child's absence from school.

absence-form | Greenwood ES

Additionally, this link can be found under the Quick Links on the left side of the HOME PAGE of our Greenwood Elementary School website by clicking "Report an Absence."

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/greenwoodes/

As MCPS now requires a written note for absences, this will take care of that requirement and save you the phone call!

This link is also the place for you to report all planned late arrivals and early dismissals. Just click the appropriate box and add the reason and any other details in the comment section at the bottom entitled “Anything else”. If the late arrival or early dismissal is due to a doctor’s appointment, please remember to provide a doctor’s note upon your student’s return to school.

Please bookmark the page for future use, and reach out to our attendance secretary, Mrs. Susan Ostrinsky (Susan_A_Ostrinsky@mcpsmd.org) with any questions.

School hours: 9:00 a.m. - 3:25 p.m.

Two-hour delay: 11:00 a.m. - 3:25 p.m. (no recess)

* *Bus routes would shift by two hours* *

On a two-hour delay, doors open at 10:40 a.m.

Early release days: Dismissal is at 12:55 p.m. (no recess)

Arrival and Dismissal Procedures

• The school doors open at 8:40 a.m. to welcome our students. Instruction begins promptly at 9:00 a.m.
• Students who arrive after 9:00 a.m. will be marked tardy and will need to be signed in by a parent or guardian in the main office. Please do not drop off students at the front door at any time.
• Students may eat breakfast in the All-Purpose Room, then head to their classroom to begin instruction at 9 a.m.
• Dismissal begins at 3:25 p.m.

Changes to Dismissal Plans

Please note that changes to dismissal should happen prior to 3:00 pm to ensure there is

enough time for the messages to be relayed to the teachers and dismissal teams. Please

communicate any changes with your child's classroom teacher and our attendance secretary, Mrs. Ostrinsky. Please be aware that teachers may be not be checking email during instruction. As a result, it is very important for the front office (240-740-3420) to be made aware of any change in dismissal routine by 3 p.m.

Walkers will be dismissed first daily.

Car Riders

Students who will be routine car riders will be given a family number card that will need to be displayed in the car window nearest the car loop line. Students will exit to the car loop when their number is called to be reunited with their family vehicle at that time. Please pull up to the end of the walk to maximize the number of cars we can load safely with adult supervision and keep the line moving quickly.

Car Loop

Please enter the car loop by turning RIGHT into the loop from Gold Mine Road. Please DO NOT turn left into the lot. Please go around the block so you can turn RIGHT into the loop. This helps us to ensure the safety of our walkers who have to cross at the car loop!

Please remain in your car, as our staff will assist those students who need assistance. Additionally, please know that staff can not buckle children into car seats. Please teach your children how to do so, or please pull forward into a parking space to do so, to avoid holding up drivers behind you in the loop.

Bus Information

Bus routes for the 2024-25 school year are posted on the MCPS website at the link below. We will continue to use colors to identify the route numbers, and we will communicate those colors matched with bus routes with all families prior to the first day of school. Please contact the Randolph transportation office at 240-740-2608 with questions about bus transportation, routes, and times.

Bus Rider Safety

Please meet students at the bus stop at the end of the day to ensure your child's safe return from school on the bus. If you are not able to meet your child at the stop, please make other arrangements for your child to get from the stop to the home safely.

In the event you or your designee are running late or are otherwise unable to get to the bus

stop, please call the school as soon as possible to have your child held at the school for pick-up. Please call the front office 240-740-3420 before 3 p.m.

We encourage you to review the school bus rules with your child if they are a bus rider so they

are aware of the expectations. Those rules can be found at https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/departments/transportation/rules/a_parents_role.pdf

Please understand that safe student transportation is a joint responsibility. Please remind

your child to look for you before leaving the bus. We look forward to a safe and successful

school year.

Guest Bus Riders

Students may ride only their own bus to and from school. Students are not permitted to

ride to school or to home from school with friends on any other bus.

Meal prices:

There are no changes in meal prices this school year and students who qualify for reduced-price meals will continue to receive meals at no cost. Funds can continue to be added to student meal accounts at no charge by bringing cash or checks directly to the Greenwood cafeteria manager, Mrs. Frias.

Prepayments on student meal accounts can be

made through www.MySchoolBucks.com; note the increase from $1.95 to $2.49 per transaction for the 2024-2025 school year.

• Breakfast: Regular price: $1.30 (All levels)

• Lunch: Regular price: $2.55 (Elementary), $2.80 (Middle and High School)

Breakfast

Breakfast is served from 8:40-8:55 a.m. in the cafeteria.

Lunch Room Seating

All students have assigned seats for lunch where seating includes an allergy-free

table. Please be sensitive to student allergies in your child's classroom

and work with the classroom teacher to support any event or activity that

includes food.

MCPS MealViewer app

The Division of Food and Nutrition Services (DFNS) has made it easier to view student’s school menus. MCPS students, parents, and community members can now view school menus with MealViewer, providing increased access to:

• School specific menu offerings
• Nutritional information for each meal
• View and filter by the top allergens

MealViewer can be accessed on a computer browser, through the MealViewer app on Android and iPhone, or using any browser on a smartphone. No sign-in or passwords are required to view menus. It is also possible (but not required) to rate food items, star favorite items, utilize a nutrition calculator, and create a profile. Check out your schools' menu today!

Greenwood ES MealViewer: https://schools.mealviewer.com/school/GreenwoodElemSchool

Introductory Video: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/food-and-nutrition/menus/

How to Print a Menu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNLhHfLijQM

Apply online NOW so students receive free meals.

Households meeting identified federal income standards are eligible for free school

meals. MCPS encourages all families who may be eligible, to apply.

To receive this benefit, a new FARMS application must be completed every school year.

Please submit the online FARMS application through www.MySchoolApps.com.

Students who qualify for reduced-price meals will receive meals at no charge!

Students use their MCPS ID number when receiving a meal, so confidentiality is maintained and no child is overtly identified as receiving free or reduced-price meals.

Greenwood Elementary School's health room is staffed by the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services with a full-time health technician, Ms. Teresa Edwards, and an assigned nurse, Ms. Angela Niemiec.

MCPS schools follow guidance from the CDC, state & local health departments. We strongly recommend, if your child has a fever, diarrhea, vomiting, or other symptoms of illness, that you keep your child home from school.

Required Childhood Vaccinations for Preschool Programs and Schools

The Annotated Code of Maryland (10.06.04.03) requires all Maryland students new to Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) and those entering Grade 7 provide documentation of required, age-appropriate vaccinations or a medical or religious exemption. This documentation is required within 20 calendar days from their date of admission.

Hard copies of the vaccination records are to be submitted to the Greenwood ES School Health Services health room staff.

More information:

https://health.maryland.gov/phpa/OIDEOR/IMMUN/Pages/back-to-school-immunization-requirements.aspx

Every student will have a chromebook at Greenwood ES for use during the school day.

Effective December 4, 2024, MCPS will be disabling and collecting older Acer model Chromebooks because they have reached end-of-life and should no longer be in use. The models being retired include the Acer C720, C740, C738, and C771. These Acer devices are currently being used in limited settings, including for home use and to run kiosks or signage in schools. Students currently using one of the listed Acer Chromebook models should return their device to your school’s ITSS.

Students who need a device for home use can submit a request for a new device by completing the Home Use form. All 15-inch Acer Spins, as well as Lenovo devices, will continue to work as expected. Questions? Please reach out to Mr. Kurt Panchura, Greenwood's ITSS, Kurtis_D_Panchura@mcpsmd.org.

Staff at central office will monitor the requests through the form submissions, will prepare a device, assign it to the student, and will deliver it to the school. The school will distribute it to the student. The home use device is to be kept at home. Requesting the device implies consent of use in accordance with MCPS policy (IGT-RA) and acknowledgement that the Chromebook, software, and issued peripherals are owned by MCPS.

User Responsibilities for Computer Systems, Electronic Information, and Network Security can be found online. Montgomery County Public Schools retains the sole right of possession of the Chromebooks. The Chromebooks are loaned to students for educational purposes for the academic year. MCPS administrative staff retain the right to collect and/or inspect Chromebook hardware or software at any time including via electronic remote access.

MCPS regulation COG-RA prohibits elementary school students from using personal devices (phones, smart watches, etc.) during the school day. Personal devices(phones, smart watches, etc.) may only be used before or after the student day. Students will be asked to keep these devices in their backpacks during the school day. It is advised that students keep such devices at home, if possible.

RESPONSIBILITY/LIABILITY

MCPS will assume no responsibility or liability for loss, theft, or damage to a device or for the unauthorized use of any such PMD.

Please find the policy in its entirety on the MCPS Website.

We love birthdays at Greenwood, and each day on our GGTV morning program, we announce those who are celebrating, and students are invited to come to the office for a birthday pencil. While we do not do any formal in-school birthday celebrations with food or other items, we do make sure that each student feels special on their special day. We do ask that birthday party invitations be sent outside of school, and unfortunately, due to federal privacy issues, we can not provide class lists or contact information.

As we maintain our focus on individual student needs and growth, we will continue to focus on restorative practices. Restorative practices focus on building and maintaining relationships, collaboration, and community between students, staff, and families, affording the opportunity to prevent harm and resolve conflict peacefully, as well as the opportunity to change behaviors and grow.

Volunteers

To afford students the opportunity to settle into the new school year and develop classroom communities, we will begin welcoming volunteers in October. Further details will be shared closer to October.

Montgomery County Public Schools requires school volunteers and partnership agencies to complete certain compliance measures in order to volunteer within our school district.

• Online Recognizing Child Abuse and Neglect Training via their myMCPS Classroom/Canvas account

• Background check-dependent upon the type of volunteer service, per the Volunteers regulation

Only volunteers who have met these requirements will be able to volunteer. MCPS will notify the school via list of the completion and submission of these items. The system takes 24 hours after completion to update, so please complete all steps at least 24 hours prior to volunteering. We will not be able to have you volunteer in the building or on field trips until the items are completed and submitted, and the verification shows in the system 24 hours after completion.

Bullying, harassment (including sexual misconduct and sexual harassment), intimidation, hazing, incidents of hate-bias, and concerning issues involving student gender identity are not tolerated in MCPS. We are committed to ensuring our students feel safe, valued, and respected in our schools. Please see the multiple ways you can file a report below.

How You Can Report

February, 2025

2-6 School Counseling Week

4 - Random Acts of Kindness Spirit Day -- Wear something with a positive or a kind message!

4 - PTA Meeting, Media Center and Zoom, 7 p.m.

7 - Yearbook group pictures/candid pictures

12 - PTA Culture Night at Greenwood ES, 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., APR and Media Center

14 - Valentine’s Day Parties, gr 2: 1:30-2:15; All others: 2:15 - 3:00

17 - No School, Presidents' Day

19 - PTA Dining Night Out, Moby Dick House of Kabob in Olney

25 - No PEP Classes

28 - Early release day, Dismissal at 12:55 p.m.

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/calendar/

Email: Jennifer_A_Seidel@mcpsmd.org
Website: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/greenwoodes/
Location: 3336 Gold Mine Road, Brookeville, MD, USA
Phone: (240) 740-3420
Twitter: @GES_Principal