Stonegate Greetings
Weekly Newsletter
Monday, October 7th
Hispanic Heritage Month
Grade 5 Field Trip to Smithsonian Environmental Research Center 8:15 am - 3 pm -Students must be brought to school by 8:15 am.
After school Avanti Soccer 3:30-4:30
After school SPANISH begins, 3:30-4:30
Tuesday, October 8th
Hispanic Heritage Month
Student Picture Day 9am- 3pm
After School Girls on the Run 3:30-4:45
After School Boys Let Me Run 3:30-4:45
After School Sky’s the Limit DANCE Gr K-2 starts
Wednesday, October 9th
Hispanic Heritage Month
National Walk and Roll (Bike) to School Day
After School STEM by Problem Solvers 3:30-4:45
After School Creative Adventures Art 3:30-5:00
Thursday, October 10th
Hispanic Heritage Month
After school BASKETBALL starts 3:30-4:30
After School Sky’s the Limit DANCE Gr 3-5 starts
Friday, October 11th
Hispanic Heritage Month
Kindergarten Field Trip Green Meadows Farm 9:40-2:10
Wear Stonegate Spiritwear
LFI Community Outings
Math Night RSVP’s due!
After School CHESS starts
Dear Stonegate Families and Caregivers,
Welcome to October! We are excited for all the wonderful events we have planned this month, including Math Night, School Pictures, the Halloween Parade and Parties, the Harvest Festival, and the Kids Heart Challenge and Walk.
As always, keeping our students and staff safe is our top priority. To help us maintain a secure environment, we kindly remind all families and caregivers of the following procedures:
All visitors must enter through the main office and wear a visitor’s badge while inside the building.
If you are dropping off items such as lunchboxes or musical instruments, our staff will deliver them to the classroom.
If you need to meet with a teacher, please schedule the meeting ahead of time so the teacher is aware and we are prepared for your visit.
We are working hard to ensure a safe school environment, and we appreciate your cooperation and understanding. Once again, caregivers cannot be in the building without a visitor badge, entering through the main office, and prior notification.
Thank you for partnering with us to keep Stonegate safe.
Warmly,
Linda M. Jones
Principal
School Picture Day is Coming!
📅 Date: Tuesday, October 8, 2024
🛒 Pre-order Online: https://vando.imagequix.com/g1001153899
📸 Images Available: Approximately two-three weeks after picture day
📧 Questions about Ordering? Email us at underclass@vosphoto.com
Picture Retakes/Makeup day is : Nov 17
National Walk and Roll to School Day is Wednesday, October 9, 2024. We encourage students, families, and staff to walk and/or bike to school to commemorate this very healthy and safe alternative to traveling to school. Car rider families can park further away, such as at Stonegate Park or along Stonegate Drive, and walk to school with their students.
This day is dedicated to expanding safe routes to schools and is directly related to Montgomery County’s Vision Zero goals to reduce traffic fatalities and injuries. It also creates sustainable and healthy habits among our youngest transportation users and their families, building more environmentally conscious communities for a healthy planet.
The Stonegate Elementary School SGA is approaching one of the most exciting times of the year, fall elections! In the immediate weeks following the start of school, 38 hopeful candidates ventured out to become an SGA officer for the 2024-2025 school year. Our officers include President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Historian. Last week, the fourth and fifth grade students voted in the Primary Election, where they had the chance to vote for three candidates in each category. Students will learn the results of the Primary Election on Tuesday, October 8th. Please congratulate all of our participants for their courage and willingness to serve their school community!
In addition to our fall election, we will be hosting our fourth annual Fall Dance: Pumpkins and Plaid Fall Festival!. This dance will be for all students and families on Friday, October 25, 2024 at 6:30 p.m. Come out to Stonegate in order to join in on the dancing, food and games that will be available. Be prepared to “fall” into a fun time with the Stonegate SGA! We are asking that students bring in a canned food item or a monetary donation to the event to help support our local shelters during the approaching holiday season. See you there!
Interested in volunteering? Please contact Ms. Wolfe and Mrs. Roberts at stonegatesga@gmail.com
Join us in supporting Kids Heart Challenge! Stonegate is partnering with the American Heart Association to host an online fundraiser. The goal is to raise $3000 for the American Heart Association and we are halfway there! Our Grades 4 and 5 students learn hands-only CPR during PE and as a community, we will walk through the neighborhood on Thursday, Oct 17 from 2-3 pm (Rain Date Oct 24 from 2-3 pm). All families are welcome to join the walk on Oct 17th. Students have permission slips coming home for the walk; please sign and return them.
It is free to Register your student at Kids Heart Challenge website and if 50% of our students register, Mr. Jones receives over $500 in PE equipment! We are at 11%.
Watch our Principal’s Challenge Video here with our counselor Mr. George serving as our heart mascot 😊. Kids Hearts Challenge 2024
Learn about Hands-Only CPR Hands-Only CPR | American Heart Association CPR & First Aid
Message from Union Church, meeting at Paint Branch High School
At Union Church, we believe we are blessed to be a blessing! We want to be a blessing to you and your family! We want to help you kick off the holiday season with everything you need to prepare a Thanksgiving dinner for the family! Complete this form to receive a Thanksgiving Meal Kit for you and the family.
Form Link: https://theunionchurch.churchcenter.com/people/forms/819358
The Thanksgiving Meal Kit would include:
- Mac & Cheese
- Boxed Mashed Potatoes
- Canned Yams/Sweet Potatoes
- Canned Cranberry Sauce -Canned Corn
- Canned Green Beans
- Corn Muffins/Cornbread
- Stuffing -Gravy
- $25 Grocery Gift Card
Form Link: https://theunionchurch.churchcenter.com/people/forms/819358
We have so many sweaters and hoodies left over at recess.
The Lost and Found has over 200 hoodies and sweaters-- probably your child's is in there!
Label your child’s items today and throughout the year:
Jackets
Sweaters
Water Bottles
Lunch boxes
Any items that could be left on the bus, recess, etc
We have partnered with https://mabelslabels.com/ if you would like to order amazing label products for clothing, water bottles and lunch boxes. Our Grade 5 students will earn 20% of sales. Be sure to select “support a fundraiser” and select “Stonegate Elementary (Silver Spring)”
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) appreciates the support of the parent and community volunteers who support the essential needs of the schools.
Field trip chaperone
Guest readers
Class celebrations
Student teachers & Interns
Recess, lunch, dismissal support
As a one time volunteer, such as guest reader or helping with student celebrations, you do NOT need to complete the online Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect Training.
For our field trip Chaperones, you must have completed the online Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse and Neglect Training within the last 3 years (2022-2023, 2023-2024, current 2024-2025 school years). You can access the training through ParentVue.
Support Guides: How to take the training
All volunteers WILL need to check-in and check-out of the main office and scan their driver’s license/identification cards through the Visitor Management System (VMS). Once the volunteer clears the VMS, they must be badged (the VMS creates a sticker badge) and remain under supervision of an MCPS professional while with students.
Link to 7 minute Volunteer Expectations Video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tpdZrX8MRqYutpNhA3siVOajmRnxlYPa/view?usp=sharing
Stonegate PTA Membership Drive
Join the PTA during The Big Splash Membership Drive and help support vial programs like cultural assemblies, community engagement activities, teacher mini-grants, and! Help your child's class make waves in the competition—each class with the highest percentage of PTA membership will win tasty prizes. The overall school winner will get a pizza party, and the top class in each grade will enjoy a popsicle party. Check out this week’s leader board for each grade:
Leaderboard for this week:
PK: Williams
LFI: Moore
K: Fabre
1: McKnight
2: Dantzler
3: Wolfe
4: Congress
5: Guidot
Stonegate Spirit Wear Update
Check out the Stonegate Spiritwear On-Demand store to order your favorite Stonegate apparel anytime. There are lots of exciting items to choose from for the entire family. Orders will ship directly to you. We appreciate all orders which support our PTA programs.
Upcoming PTA Events & Activities
Join us on Wednesday, October 16 at Bear Brick Oven Pizza from 4-9 pm for the PTA’s first restaurant night of the school year. The restaurant will donate a portion of sales to support PTA activities.
This year the PTA will be holding an Election Day Bake Sale on Tuesday, November 5 and the Scholastic Book Fair is scheduled for November 11 - 15. More details to sign-up for both events will be shared soon.
Town Hall with Dr. Taylor
Mark your calendars for Wednesday, October 23 from 6 - 8 pm for a Town Hall with MCPS Superintendent, Dr. Taylor hosted by The Black and Brown Coalition for Educational Equity & Excellence. Help us show Black parents, caregivers, and community members (along with Latino families) are alarmed that the majority of Black and brown students are reading below grade level. Please register this week using the QR Code.
Menus are sent home monthly and can be found on the MCPS’s website: Elementary Menu
Kindergarten- 5th Grade Menu: October 2024:
English | españolPre-K: October 2024:
English | español | français | 中文 | Portuguese | 한국어 | tiếng Việt | አማርኛ
Hot lunches are served daily with alternate choices. Lunch is $2.55 including milk. Milk may be purchased separately for 60 cents. Parents are highly encouraged to start a Myschoolbucks account for their child. This will eliminate lost or forgotten lunch money. The price of lunch or breakfast will be subtracted from the account. Checks should be made payable to Stonegate School Cafeteria.
Payments to student cafeteria accounts can be made either through My School Bucks (optional, not a requirement), or cash or checks payable to Stonegate Cafeteria and submitted to the cafeteria manager. MySchoolBucks.com is an optional service for parents/guardians to make prepayments to a student's cafeteria account for breakfast, lunch, and à-la-carte meals online with a credit or debit card. This service is offered as a convenience for interested families.
By creating a secure online account, parents can monitor and manage their child's account.
There is a $2.49 (new) convenience fee for each payment transaction.
There is no cost to set up an account, check your child's spending history, and receive low-balance notifications.
Applying for Free Lunch
Students in Maryland who qualify for reduced-price meals will not be charged for meals! Apply right away. One application covers the entire HOUSEHOLD. Translations in other languages are available through the online application.
Apply now at www.MySchoolApps.com
Here is a video about how to apply:
English Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJUapGLarBo
Video en Español: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsdCrtCIFJc&t=4s
National Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic Heritage Month is a month-long celebration of Hispanic and Latino history and culture. While we celebrate Hispanic and Latino communites beyond this month, from September 15 to October 15 we give extra recognition to the many contributions made to the history and culture of the United States, including important advocacy work, vibrant art, popular and traditional foods, and much more.
Hispanic Heritage Month provides an additional opportunity to explore the incredible impact Latinas and Latinos have had on the United States for generations. The Latino presence in America spans centuries, predating Spain’s colonization of what is now part of the United States, and they have been an integral part of shaping our nation since the Revolutionary War. Through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and the Treaty of Paris that followed the Mexican-American and Spanish-American wars, the United States gained territories in the Southwest and Puerto Rico. This incorporated the people of this area into the United States and further expanded the presence of Hispanic Americans.
Today, the Latino population in the United States is over 60 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This makes up 18.9% of the total population and is the largest racial or ethnic group. Latinos continue to help fuel our economy and enrich our nation as entrepreneurs, athletes, artists, entertainers, scientists, public servants, and much more.
Here is the 24-25 School Calendar
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org//siteassets/district/calendar/2024/2024-calendar.pdf
Fall Dates
Oct 16 - PTA Restaurant Night at Bear Brick Oven from 4:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Oct 17 - Heart Health Challenge School Wide Community Walk 2-3 pm
Oct 17 - Math Night 6-7 p.m.
Oct 18 - No School, Possible Make up day
Oct 21 - SGA Food Drive Kicks Off
Oct 21-25 National School Bus Safety Week
Oct 21-25 - School Library Pumpkin Contest - Drop off entries this week
Oct 24 - Grade 1 Field Trip to Baltimore Aquarium 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Oct 24 - Grade 5 Field Trip to Strathmore Music Center 11:20 a.m. -2 p.m.
Oct 25 - SGA Pumpkins and Plaid Dance
Oct 30 - Grade 3 Field Trip Butler’s Orchard 9:40 a.m. - 2:10 p.m. - *NEW DATE*
Oct 30 - Pre K Field Trip to Butler’s Orchard 9:40 a.m. - 2:10 p.m.
Oct 31 - Harvest Festival and Halloween Parade 2-3 p.m.
Nov 4 - No School, Grading and Planning Day, Possible Make up
Nov 5 - No School, Election Day
Nov 5 - PTA Election Day Bake Sale
Nov 5 - 19 - Square 1 Art Fundraiser
Nov 6 - California Tortilla in Olney Restaurant Fundraiser 11 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Nov 11-15 - PTA Scholastic Book Fair
Nov 13 - LFI Field Trip to Robinson Nature Center
Nov 14 - Good Night, Sleep Tight Reading Night
Nov 16 - Boys Let Me Run 5K
Nov 17 - Make Up/Retakes Student Picture Day 9 - 11 a.m.
Nov 22 - Grade 4 Field Trip to Historic St. Mary’s City
Nov 24 - Girls on the Run 5K at Wheaton Mall
Nov 25-26 - Early Release Day, Students dismissal 12:55 pm
Nov 27-29- No school, Thanksgiving Holiday
Dec 19 - School Wide Field Trip (all grades) to Xfinity Center UMD Girls Basketball Game 10 -2
Dec 23 - Jan 1- No School, Winter Break
Jan 2 - Return to School
How to Receive Emergency Information for MCPS Schools
Use this link to find all the ways you can connect with MCPS to receive emergency operational information from the school system.
Read and review this Emergency Preparedness Brochure for families(.pdf)
Clothing to Cash® is a program that collects New and Used Clothing, Shoes, Sheets, and Towels, (all Textiles) and pays the school 10 cents for every pound collected. The program is operated entirely OUTSIDE and will be located in the school parking lot, where students, parents, staff, and the community can drop off items throughout the year.
They have state-of-the-art photo quantity sensors installed in each bin that report 3 times daily to prevent overflow and allow the company to schedule service as needed (no other companies use this technology). They empty the collection bin, weigh the contents to determine our school earnings, and pay our school monthly.
The average school (500 - 1000 students) will earn $1000- $2000 yearly if each student would donate just one 13-gallon kitchen-size bag of textile mate! Add in parents, siblings, relatives, neighbors, and staff, and Stonegate’s earnings could really increase.