Silver Creek Weekly Newsletter

We had another great week of school. We are almost midway through the first quarter. Quarter 1 interims will be posted next week, September 27. Please make sure your child submits any missing assignments and/or take advantage of any reassessment opportunities. Our Back to School Night (BTSN) is this week, scheduled for Thursday, September 19. Please make sure to review the BTSN flyer below in the newsletter. We look forward to our families joining this very important evening.

In the newsletter, the section with an * has been updated with new information OR is a new section in the newsletter. Please make sure to review. As always, thank you for your continued partnership.

Let's make it an awesome week, Huskies!

Hispanic Heritage Month is a month-long celebration of Hispanic and Latino history and culture. While we celebrate Hispanic and Latino communities 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. To learn more, please click here.

During this month, students will participate in an MYP activity to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month by:

• Acquiring knowledge about ways to respectfully celebrate Hispanic Heritage & Culture

• Identifying elements of our No Place for Hate Pledge that demonstrates an appreciation for Hispanic Heritage & Culture

Did you miss the latest Husky news. You may access the link below from Friday, September 13, 2024 to hear upcoming news & events.https://youtube.com/live/7DfsP71AC-A?feature=share

You can see all of the news links located here.

We invite all families to Back to School Night scheduled for Thursday, September 19, 2024 beginning at 6:30 PM. Administration will have a welcome session from 6:30 pm- 6:55 pm in the cafeteria. Families will then follow their child's schedule from 7:00-9:00 pm.

At 6:00 pm, we will have a special meet & greet session for parents/caregivers whose child receives Special Education services in Room 301 and for parents/caregivers whose child is receiving services in the English Language Development (ELD) program in Room 226. We will also have a Family Life meeting (For parents/guardians of 7th & 8th grade students to learn about the Health Curriculum) in the Media Center beginning at 5:30PM.

Back to School Night is an opportunity for parents to meet their child's teachers, hear about class expectations, learn more about the curriculum, and to foster a partnership for communication throughout the school year. Please see flyer for additional details. We look forward to seeing our families on Thursday, September 19, 2024.

The Family Life & Human Sexuality Parent/Caregiver meeting is scheduled for Thursday, September 19, 2024 prior to Back to School Night at 5:30 PM located in the media center. The session is an opportunity for parents/guardians of 7th & 8th graders to learn more about the Family Life & Human Sexuality Unit within the Health Education Curriculum. The objective of the meeting is to gain knowledge of the content in order to make an informed decision about your child's participation in the unit.

If you are not able to attend in person, you may also access the zoom link below (this is a hybrid meeting). The meeting will also be recorded and posted in the parent handbook by Monday, September 23. Also, if you would like to review the materials, please call the school at 240-740-2200 to arrange a time to do so.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://mcpsmd.zoom.us/j/89873009161?pwd=qK0ar9CGVg46slDFag5itK1wgeHHpM.1

Meeting ID: 898 7300 9161 Passcode: Husky Mobile: 13017158592

You may access the parent/caregiver letters below:

• FLHS 6th English
• FLHS 6th Spanish
• FLHS 7th English
• FLHS 7th Spanish
• FLHS 8th English
• FLHS 8th Spanish

If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Lansing, PE/Health Content Specialist, at Michael_T_Lansing@mcpsmd.org

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is committed to ensuring our students are equipped with the information needed to be able to recognize signs of bullying/cyber bullying, harassment (including sexual harassment), hate-bias incidents, hazing, intimidation, and student gender norms. An online student training lesson, entitled “Culture of Respect,” has been developed for students in Grades 6–12.

Students may complete this at home on their own time. We will also provide an opportunity for students to begin the module during their World Studies class. If needed, they may complete the module during their P.A.W.S/advisory class.

The training module is currently accessible to all students via their myMCPS Classroom homepage.

You may read more about the Culture of Respect HERE.

Students will take the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) Assessment on Tuesday September 24 (Math) and Wednesday September 25 (Reading) in the morning through their homeroom classes. *Please Note: Homeroom classes are different from Husky PAWS (Connect Time) and are listed as Homeroom in their schedules. Please see schedule for testing.

Students with testing accommodations may have a separate testing location. These students will receive passes to their testing locations. Students may bring a bottle of water and a pencil to testing. We do encourage that your child attend school on this day so that they do not miss this important test. Students who are absent will be invited to a makeup session that will be communicated out soon.

Please click here for more information on the Measure of Academic Progress test.

If you have any questions, please email Ms. Justine Pfeiffer, assistant principal, at Justine_Pfeiffer@mcpsmd.org.

The Library Media Program welcomes our families to a great new school year! Check out our September MEDIA MONTHLY: NEWS & NOTES FROM THE LIBRARY MEDIA CENTER, here. Highlights include personalized book recommendations, new online resources, instructional updates, and more!

Thank you to the families who have so generously donated to our makerspace. Your generosity makes a huge difference in the creative opportunities we are able to offer our students. Support our designers, tinkerers, and crafters by contributing HERE, and a many thanks in advance! designers, tinkerers, and crafters by contributing HERE, and a many thanks in advance!

Please check out our September newsletter.

• Counselors will be visiting science classrooms September 16th- September 20th to share about the role of the counselor and how to schedule a time to visit their counselor during the school day. Make sure you ask your child about our visit.
• You may find the counseling website located here. Throughout the year, we will provide resources, tools and workshops to support our families with navigating through the middle school years.
• If your family needs help with school supplies, food for the weekend, winter coats or other needs, we would like to help! Please fill out the following form: Sign up for Husky Help 24-25 (google.com)
  
• The HUSKY PANTRY will begin this week on September 13. Please make sure to fill out the FORM above to ensure your child has access to these resources.

If you have questions related to registration/enrollment or transcripts, please contact Ms. Susan Levine, resource counselor at Susan_A_Levine@mcpsmd.org

We are excited to be back for more career exploration with the Montgomery County Career Advising Program (MoCoCAP), year two! MoCoCAP is a new program designed specifically for students in grades 6 through 12. This initiative aims to provide early college and career guidance to help students explore their interests, strengths and values as they set future goals.

Starting this month, Ms. Rivera, our dedicated Career Coach, will be working with 6th grade students to offer personalized sessions & support. Through one-on-one sessions and group activities, students will be able to navigate their academic and career options, fostering skills that will be valuable throughout their educational journey.

We look forward to seeing the positive impact MoCoCAP will have on our students at Silver Creek! If you have any questions or need more information, please feel free to contact Ms. Rivera at ashley.c.rivera@mcpsmd.net and visit the MoCoCAP website.

MCPS alumni shared stories of their students’ experiences as well as personal stories of Muslim students being targeted with Islamophobic hate speech as students learned about 9/11 and/or its anniversary.

In response to this, Montgomery County Council had an Anti-Hate Task Force that included Muslim community members. One of the recommendations to MCPS was to educate students about Islamophobia. MCPS students created the video and the examples mentioned are actual experiences of MCPS students. This video will be shared with students through their World Studies class over the next week.

After school Activities begin September 10. We have a range of after-school activities to choose from. Please click the link below to view our After School Activities Brochure which includes a description of each activity, the staff member who is sponsoring, the location, and the day of the week the activity begins. Please note that some clubs will begin later in the school year.

We ask that students register for their activity so that sponsors are aware of the number of students attending. The registration link is below. Buses will depart Silver Creek at approximately 4:20 p.m. to take students home. Each bus will take students to their regular bus stop or to a stop nearby. You may also choose to pick your child up from their activity. Please pick your child up at the front of the school at 4:20 p.m.

We look forward to seeing your child at one of our great clubs!
Afterschool Activities Brochure

Registration

Our Silver Creek Spirit Wear Store is now open! This is a great place to get some new Silver Creek gear (t-shirts, hoodies, jackets, etc.) and show your Husky pride!

The store will be open from Tuesday, August 27th to Monday, September 16th. The orders should arrive the week of October 2nd and an email will be sent with instructions on how to pick up your new gear that week. To purchase any Silver Creek Husky gear, go to the following link and browse the products: https://shop.whatsuppromotions.com/silver_creek_middle/shop/home

School Picture Day is Friday, September 20, 2024 . Pictures will be available approximately two weeks following our school's photo day. Save time and Pre-order online here: Silver Creek Middle School 2024-25 Picture Day (imagequix.com)

For questions about ordering please email underclass@vosphoto.com

This year, our Fall play is titled: "Through the Looking Glass" Adapted by Lindsay Price from Lewis Carroll. On Tuesday September 17th there will be invited callbacks. There is a list on the Husky Drama website. Wednesday, September 18, both stage crew and actors are called for a read through of the play. Everyone will be cast in the show who wishes to have a part. On Thursday September 19th, Stage Crew will meet in the cafeteria

Any questions about Husky Drama, please email Ms. Alison Gee, Drama Director, at Alison_C_Gee@mcpsmd.org

Middle School Athletics for the 2024-2025 school year is open to all 7th & 8th grade students. All athletes MUST be registered on ParentVue. Physicals (form SR-8) must be filled out by a medical professional prior to any type of participation. Physicals are valid for up to two years. Copies of the SR-8 form can be found HERE.

• Practices/Games occur every Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday after school from 3:10-4:30 or later on game days.

• Registration for the upcoming middle school athletics Fall season (boys’ and girls’ softball and cross country) will be submitted through the ParentVue Portal, which opened on August 12, 2024.

If you have any questions, please email Mr. Sean Brennan, Athletic Coordinator, at sean_p_brennan@mcpsmd.org

Please join the PTSA for our first general membership meeting of the school year on Thursday, September 19th at 5:30pm, before Back to School Night. All are welcome to attend! We will meet in the SCMS Café to welcome our new families, conduct another round of elections, and discuss some budget issues and proposed bylaws amendments. We will also go through committee updates, as appropriate. You can find the agenda here. We hope to see you there!

If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Cecily Baskir, PTSA president, at ptsa.silvercreek@gmail.com

Join us at the 31st Annual Kensington 8K, 2 Mile, & 1K on September 21, 2024. It's a wonderful race/community event that takes place in historic Kensington with four local schools- Kensington Parkwood ES, North Bethesda MS, Silver Creek MS, and Walter Johnson HS.

Additional information can be found here: https://kensington8k.org/. We look forward to seeing you there.

This school year, SCMS will be moving to a cell phone-free school. This means that phones are prohibited the entire school day (8:05 - 3:00 PM) The policy will take effect the first day of school, Monday, August 26. Please make sure you and your child review our new cell phone policy to ensure a smooth transition to the school year.

The application is now open for parents and guardians to complete and submit for assistance with the cost of school meals. Families of students who may qualify for free or reduced-price meals can apply for this service. Eligibility is based on family size and gross income. Beginning this year, students in Maryland who qualify for reduced-price meals will not be charged for breakfast or lunch meals.

• Apply here
• Learn more about the program

September 19- Back to School Night- 6:30 PM; FLHS Meeting- 5:30 PM

September 20- Student Picture Day

September 24 & September 25- MAP Testing

September 27- Early Release day for students; Q1 Interims

October 3- No school for students and teachers

October 18- No school for students

Link to MCPS Calendar

If a student is going to be absent, the parent/guardian is asked to call the attendance line at 240-740-2201 the morning of the absence. In your message, please include the information listed below:

1. Parent/Guardian name

2. Full name of your student (First & Last); student ID#

3. Date(s)of absence

4. Reason for absence

If you have any questions regarding attendance procedures, parents may email a note to Ms. Pamela Carroll-Sykes, attendance secretary, at Pamela_M_Carroll-Sykes@mcpsmd.org

Please find our school directory located on our School's Website with important contact information: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/silvercreekms/staff/directory/

Principal: Dr. Tiffany N. Awkard

Assistant Principal: Mrs. Kimberly P. Heidler

Assistant Principal: Ms. Justine Pfeiffer

School Hours: 7:30 am- 4:00 pm

Main Office: 240-740-2200

Registration & Counseling: 240-740-2211
Attendance Line: 240-740-2201

Website: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/silvercreekms/
Location: 3701 Saul Road, Kensington, MD, USA
Phone: 240 740 2200
X: @SCMSDrAwkard