Hello Greenwood Families!

As the calendar turns to August, we know that in a few short weeks, we will be starting a new and exciting school year! We look forward to welcoming your children on the first day of school, Monday, August 26.

We would like to officially welcome our new students and families to our wonderful Greenwood community! We know you will find this to be a very warm and welcoming community, and we are so glad to have you with us this year.

At Greenwood, we celebrate, value, and welcome ALL students, staff, and families. We treasure the time with our students and families, and we recognize that each child is a gift. We are so grateful for your partnership, and we are so appreciative of the collaboration and the volunteerism in our community.

As a school, we are committed to ongoing communication. Our monthly Gator Gazette and Weekly Updates are a few of the ways we strive to keep families informed. Additionally, we welcome our families to reach out to us via phone or email to elevate the opportunity to work together as a team.

We are looking forward to a great year together! Please enjoy these last days of summer, and we will see you soon!

Warmly,

Mrs. Seidel and Mrs. Sinon

Open House

Thursday, August 22, from 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. (Drop by anytime during this window!)

We look forward to welcoming all of our students with their parent/guardian to visit their classrooms, to meet their teacher, and to drop off school supplies. As a reminder, this is not a time for an individual conference, but families may feel free to reach out to the teacher via email or phone to establish a date at a later time to meet if needed. Conference days have also been set aside in November. This is a great day to start building relationships as we start the 24-25 school year!

Kindergarten families: Please bring your child's backpack to the open house, as the teacher will have a dismissal tag for the backpack!

PTA Popsicles on the Playground

(Stop by right after you visit your classroom at the Open House!)

After visiting the classroom, students and families are invited to the playground to enjoy a cool popsicle, to meet new friends, and to visit with old friends. The PTA will have registration information available, and this is a great opportunity to kick off the school year together!

Back-to-School Nights

Kindergarten: Thursday, August 22, 6 p.m.

PEP, Grades 1-5: Thursday, September 12, 6 p.m.

Back-to-School Night is an opportunity for parents and guardians to engage with their child's teacher and learn about the classroom routines, the curriculum, and the school year ahead. While this is not intended to be individual conference time, this is a great opportunity for parents, guardians, and teachers to begin to build relationships and community within the classroom.

We welcome the following new staff members to Greenwood ES:

• Ms. Claire Calvert, PEP Parent Educator, from Montgomery County Infants and Toddlers
• Ms. Kathryn Dirolf, Paraeducator, new to MCPS
• Ms. Amy Duncan, Grade 4 Teacher, from Twinbrook ES

• Ms. Nadya Ermolitskaya, Paraeducator, from Hallie Wells MS

• Ms. Amanda Fox, Kindergarten Teacher, from Ashburton ES

• Mr. Alexis Jabon, HSM Teacher, new to MCPS
• Ms. Susan Ostrinsky, Attendance Secretary, from Sequoyah ES
• Ms. Mariah Pranger, Speech and Language Pathologist, new to MCPS
• Ms. Alexa Serafini, Grade 3 Teacher, from Harriet Tubman ES
• Ms. Kristin Toms, Grade 3 Teacher, from Montgomery Virtual Academy
• Ms. Jessica Walker, PEP Teacher, from Woodfield ES

We also look forward to working with the following staff members in a new capacity:

• Ms. Christine Cutino, Media Assistant, former Greenwood Paraeducator

Class assignments will be finalized the week of August 19 and may be seen on ParentVue on Wednesday, August 21. This is a good time to get that ParentVue account, if you have not already! Further details about ParentVue are available in this issue of the Gazette. ( ParentVUE using Online Registration)

We will also have staff members with class assignments available as you enter the open house on Thursday, August 22, and on the first day of school for those who may forget or may not be able to look prior to arrival. We will be able to help you to identify your child's teacher, and we will have staff on hand to help you get to classrooms, if needed.

Please communicate updates about contact information, health, directory withholdings, emergency contacts, and more on your ParentVUE using Online Registration.

Please take a moment soon to complete the Annual Verification of Information through the online registration portal in the right corner of the ParentVue home screen. This information is critical, so we may reach you immediately, if needed. Please be sure to update your ParentVue account over the school year as well when contact information changes.

Girls on the Run is a transformational physical activity-based positive youth development program. We teach life skills through dynamic, interactive lessons and running games. The program aims to unleash confidence through accomplishment while establishing a lifetime appreciation of health and fitness. Completing a 5K on November 24th gives them a tangible opportunity to apply everything they have learned. Each participant receives a program t-shirt, water bottle, entry to the GOTR 5K, and a finisher medal.

The program is open to girls in 3rd-5th grade.

WHERE: Greenwood Elementary School

WHEN: Tuesdays and Thursdays, starting on September 17 - 3:30-4:45

COST: $187.50

FINANCIAL AID: The online registration process includes the fee reduction approval process. Simply answer the financial aid questions during registration, and the computer will determine your eligibility and adjust the fee accordingly.

HOW: Register on girlsontherunofmoco.org to sign up by September 26th. Space is limited.

QUESTIONS? Visit www.girlsontherunofmoco.org or call 301-881-3801 for more information.

These materials are neither sponsored nor endorsed by the Board of Education of Montgomery County, the superintendent of schools, or this school.

Welcome everyone to Greenwood! I hope you are having a wonderful Summer! My name is Katie Phillips, and I will be your PTA President this school year. I have 2 kids that will attend Greenwood this school year (4th and 1st), one kid at Rosa Parks Middle School and one in preschool. Please feel free to email me with any questions or if you are interested in volunteering, we are always looking for help (president@greenwood-pta.org).

On the board with me this year is:

Kat Bachiochi- Vice President

Alisha Creel- Treasurer

Kim Taccini- Secretary

Lauri Greenberg- MCCPTA Rep

Lauren Zarren- MCCPTA Rep

We will start off the school year with some exciting events:

August: Popsicles at open house and a few of us will be present at the Kindergarten Back to School Night

September: Our first PTA Meeting will be in person on Tuesday, September 3rd at 7pm in the Media Center at Greenwood

Movie Night!! More details to come. We need help organizing this event.

October: Trunk or Treat

We are bringing back the Fun Run with the Spring Fair this year!! The Fun Run is typically our most successful fundraiser. It helps us cover the cost of programs, such as Movie Night and in school assemblies.

If you would like to volunteer for the PTA, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/hz2YjZZ5EJa4xwXt9

To join the PTA please visit: https://greenwoodpta.givebacks.com/store?limit=21&live=true

Join our listserv: https://greenwoodpta.givebacks.com/join/5c568c

If you ever need to check in and see what is going on with the PTA look here: https://tinyurl.com/Greenwood-PTA

Find us on Facebook: Greenwood Elementary School PTA

And if you still need to get school supplies, you can order from us and they will ship directly to your home.

See you in a few weeks!

Katie Phillips

President, Greenwood Elementary School PTA

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.

Please call the front office prior to 9:00 a.m. when a child is absent for any reason. If you call prior to office hours, you may leave a message with your child's name, teacher, and the reason for the absence. You can also send an email to your child's classroom teacher and Mrs. Ostrinsky, our attendance secretary, at Susan_A_Ostrinsky@mcpsmd.org. Upon return, please send a note from home about the absence.

Please help us to maintain health and safety for all by keeping children at home when illness is suspected, when a communicable disease has been diagnosed, or when lice nits have been found. A physician's note is required after five consecutive days of absence.

Absence Policy

- AM absent, if student arrives more than 2 hours late

- PM absent, if student leaves more than 2 hours early

- 1/2 day absence, if students are absent for more 2 hours during the school day

absence

- Full-day absence, if students are present for less than 2 hours of the entire school day

absence

Our school day begins promptly at 9 a.m., and students must be unpacked and ready for instruction. If your child arrives after 9 a.m., please escort your child/children into the building to sign them in.

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 will be posted on the MCPS website in August 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.

Families who prefer to keep their child's directory information out of the student directory should complete the "Directory Information Withholding" section of the ParentVUE annual verification of information online registration. Families may also complete and submit MCPS form 281-13-Annual Notice For Directory Information and Student Privacy.

This form must be returned to the school by September 12, 2024.

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.

Apply online NOW so students receive free meals on the first day of school!

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.

Important Dates:

● Monday, August 26, 2024: Students must provide documentation of required vaccinations or a permitted exemption as explained above by the first day of school or their date of admission.

● Monday, September 16, 2024: Students who have not provided documentation of the required vaccinations by this date (or 20 calendar days from their day of admission) must be excluded from school until such documentation is provided.

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.

MCPS will loan a chromebook for home use for those families whose students do not have access to a personal or home device. Families may make this request through this form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdDNdqO31soXKLffjcEzgVQ9C2Z2koPm6ifKm7-K77e44ZhAg/viewform

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.

More information:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-nfeYkPGdgXdetCwTu2_eM_3XkUZgGCf/view?usp=sharing

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

Thursday, August 22, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. (Students and families: Drop in when you are able!)

• Open House (PEP, K-5)
• PTA Popsicles on the Playground (Join us on the playground after you visit the classroom!)

Thursday, August 22, 6 p.m.

• Kindergarten Back-to-School Night

Monday, August 26

• First Day of School for K-5 students

Monday, September 2

• No School, Labor Day

Tuesday, September 3

• First Day of School for PEP students
• PTA Meeting, 7 p.m., Media Center

Thursday, September 12, 6 p.m.

• Back-to-School Night (PEP, Grades 1-5)

Monday, September 16, 4-8 p.m.

• PTA Dining Night Out, Panera: Details to be sent in September

Tuesday, September 24

• School Picture Day (Details will come closer to the day.)

Friday, September 27

• 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