Silver Creek Weekly Newsletter

Welcome to February! We look forward to another great week of school. Marking period 3 is in full swing. Report card grades for Marking period 2 will be available on ParentVue on Tuesday, February 4. Overall, students did a great job. I am proud of our students' diligence, perseverance, and commitment to their schoolwork. Thank you to our teachers and staff for their continued efforts with supporting our students' academic, social and emotional well-being. I also want to thank our parents/guardians for the partnership we share in fostering a positive and conducive learning environment. We look forward to another great quarter.

This is an important time to reaffirm our school’s core values. At Silver Creek, we are deeply committed to fostering a learning environment where every student feels valued, respected, and supported. In alignment with MCPS, we firmly believe that all children deserve a high-quality education that nurtures both academic excellence and well-being. As outlined in our school’s mission, we remain dedicated to ensuring that Silver Creek is a safe and welcoming space where all students experience a true sense of belonging—one that allows them to learn, grow, and reach their fullest potential. Thank you for your ongoing collaboration in making Silver Creek Middle School a place where every student thrives.

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!

Did you miss the latest Husky news. You may access the link below from Friday, January 31 to hear upcoming news & events Click Link. You can see all of the news links located here.

February is Black History Month which is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans. This is a time to recognize their central role in U.S. History and their struggles for freedom and equality.

In recognition of this month, we will draw upon connections with our Middle Years Programme and the lessons in P.A.W.S to underscore our learning with inclusivity, respect, and the appreciation of differences and perspectives. We will also integrate activities and acknowledge notable Black Americans on the morning announcements throughout this month.

Also, coming this month is our Annual Oratorical Contest scheduled for Thursday, February 27, 2025 from 6:30-8:00 PM. This year's theme is: Celebrating Hope, Culture & Community. More information will come out soon.

This week is National School Counseling Week (February 3-February 7). This week recognizes the unique contributions of school counselors and the tremendous impact they have on our students’ success. Our counselors at SCMS are a valuable asset to our school community. We are grateful for their unwavering support and guidance. They go above and beyond to ensure that each and every one of our students has the resources and support necessary to succeed academically, emotionally, and socially.

Please join me in thanking Ms. Levine, Ms. Robinson, Mr. Harried & Ms. Kehr for their unwavering commitment & dedication to our school and students. Please take a moment to recognize and shout out our counselors at the Google Link here: GOOGLE FORM

Now that the first semester of the 2024-2025 school year has concluded, we would like to solicit your feedback. We want to continue to partner with you to ensure your child has the most positive and successful learning experience. Please take a moment to respond to the questions on the SURVEY to help us determine what is working well and what are some suggested improvements/upgrades. Thank you for your time.

Students will also be participating in the survey during their PAWS class this week, 2/4 & 2/5.

We will have virtual parent/caregiver grade-level town hall meetings on the dates/times listed below. The parent town hall meetings are informal discussions to provide grade-level specific updates and to share any specific activities and/or programs at Silver Creek. The team leader, counselor(s) and administrators for each grade level will be available during this time. We look forward to seeing you there!

Save the Dates (All meetings will be from 8:30 am - 9:10 am)

• Grade 8 - Friday, February 14
• Grade 7- Monday, February 24
• Grade 6- Monday, March 3

Zoom Information Below:

https://mcpsmd.zoom.us/j/88031477899?pwd=OZy4XUAn79fl9qC56S3iIUOIesltEs.1

Meeting ID: 880 3147 7899

Passcode: Husky. Mobile +13017158592

At the end of each quarter, students participate in town hall meetings. The purpose of the town hall is to celebrate student successes, hear student voice, and to reinforce school-wide expectations.

The town hall meetings will take place during students' P.A.W.S period on Tuesday, Feb 18 (8th grade), Wednesday, February 19 (6th grade), and Thursday, February 20 (7th grade).

We look forward to this great opportunity for our students.

The SGA has partnered with the PTSA to provide a memory of a lifetime for our students. Our Valentine's Day Dance will be on February 14th from 3pm-5pm. Ticket sales will be offered during lunch on January 29, 30, 31 and February 5, 6, 7. Tickets will be sold for $4.00.

Transportation will be provided for students who take the bus. Parent/guardian pick up will be at 5:00 pm. Additional details regarding the dance will be communicated closer to the event.

Below is a timeline of dates for student registration.

Current 6th and 7th Grade Students

SCMS staff will be working to make course recommendations. These will be shared with students and sent home soon.

• January 30th & January 31st--SCMS counselors will visit 6th and 7th grade science classes to share course offerings and explain the course registration process and timeline.
• February 9th--Deadline for completing and submitting Google Course Registration Form. Information on how to complete this registration form will be shared with students when counselors visit their science classes.

Current 8th Grade Students (Rising 9th Grade Students)

• January 15th—Online course registration window opens via StudentVue
• January 31st—Deadline for completing course registration in StudentVue

Stay updated on the Library Media Program with our January issue of Media Monthly: News and Notes from the Library Media Center.

We are also thrilled to announce our new lunchtime virtual author visit series, BookBreak. We had a great time hearing from favorite author Jason Reynolds, during all our lunches this past Friday. Click HERE to see our schedule and HERE to learn more about this exciting program! Please encourage your students to attend!

Check out our newsletter for February on Diversity and Inclusion https://secure.smore.com/n/d1e8s

The counselors are offering parent/caregiver toolbox sessions to provide pertinent and helpful information to our families to navigate parenting a middle school child.

• Save the dates: Meetings will be from 7:00 - 8:00 via zoom.
• The dates are January 30, March 20 and May 15, 2025. If you missed the parenting toolbox session on Jan 30th, the slides are posted on the counseling website. Just go to the tab that reads: Parenting Toolbox Session.

• Check out the mental health support tab on our website for some workshops for grieving families put on by Caring Matters. All workshops are on zoom.
• 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 is open. 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 provide the opportunity for our 8th grade students to take a field trip to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum on Tuesday, February 25, 2025. Permission slips were sent home with all 8th graders on Friday, January 17 and will need to be returned to English teachers no later than Friday, January 31st. The total cost for the field trip is $10.00.

Chaperones needed: We are looking for parent chaperones for the trip, so if you are able to chaperone, please reach out to Cassandra Jordan (8th grade Team Leader) at Cassandra-Lee_E_Jordan@mcpsmd.org and check the box on the permission slip that you would like to chaperone. All volunteers must complete the online training for parents and guardians, found here.

Our 7th grade field trip to Finance Park is coming up on March 10th and 14th. This field trip provides students with an opportunity to apply their newly learned finance skills to a simulation where they interact with bank tellers, store clerks, etc. Our need for volunteers is immense, as we need 17 for each day. It is a great opportunity to create a rich learning opportunity for our students. You can learn more about Finance Park in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71tAtQGmOUc&t=63s

Volunteers Needed: We need volunteers for the two days! We are planning on taking half of our 7th graders on Monday, March 10th, and the other half on Friday, March 14th. We wanted to reach out and request support with recruiting parent volunteers for this event. Volunteers go directly to Thomas Edison High School (12501 Dalewood Drive, Silver Spring, MD 20906) in the morning and go through a short training prior to working with the kids upon our arrival.

• March 10 – Mr. Kavanaugh’s Periods 2 and 6, and Mr. Bascom’s Periods 3, 4 and 7.
• March 14- – Mr. Kavanaugh’s Periods 3, 4 and 7, and Mr. Bascom’s Periods 2 and 6.

If you are interested in volunteering, or have any questions please email the World Studies Content Specialist, Mr. Matthew Myers at Matthew_P_Myers@Mcpsmd.org

We are excited to announce that SCMS Yearbooks are on Sale NOW. Ms. Jordan is our Yearbook sponsor this school year. Ms. Jordan and the SCMS Yearbook club have been meeting after school to start designing the 2024-2025 yearbook.

How to Order

• Reserve your copy now. To order online, scan the QR code or go to yearbookforever.com.

Questions? Please email our yearbook sponsor at Cassandra-lee_E_Jordan@mcpsmd.org

Middle School Athletics for the 2024-2025 school year is open to all 7th and 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.

Spring Registration: Parent/guardians can register their student-athletes for spring athletics using ParentVue beginning January 27, 2025 at 12:00 noon. Tryouts for soccer will be held March 18th-20th. Information regarding middle school athletics registration can be found here. Below are some helpful resources to assist parents/guardians with the on-line registration process:

• Complete the Middle School Spring Athletics Online Registration located on ParentVue.
• Click here for helpful tips on accessing the registration form.

If you have questions about our athletics programs or registration, please contact our Athlectic Director, Mr. Sean Brennan at sean_p_brennan@mcpsmd.org

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

The 17th annual MCPS Historically Black Colleges & Universities
(HBCU) College Fair

We are excited to announce the 17th Annual Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) College Fair, scheduled for Friday, February 14, 2025, from 6:00–8:30 p.m. This in-person event will be held at The Universities at Shady Grove and is open to students in Grades 8–12 and their families. The HBCU College Fair presents a unique opportunity for students to engage with representatives from over 50 historically black colleges and universities. The event will feature informative workshops on crucial topics such as financial aid, assistance with completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and various scholarship opportunities.

Key Highlights of the HBCU College Fair:

• Workshops on financial aid, FAFSA assistance, and scholarship opportunities.
• Panel discussion on college life with representatives from the Montgomery County National Pan-Hellenic Council Fraternities and Sororities.
• Workshops providing scholarship information from the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and an overview of HBCUs, helping students find their best-fit institution.

In addition to interacting with college admission representatives, students and parents will have the opportunity to attend workshops tailored specifically for middle school students.

Registration for the HBCU College Fair is open, and can be completed on the HBCU Fair website. Click here for more information

We are excited to announce our first Middle School Career Fair on Friday, February 28, 2025. This event aims to expose our students to a variety of career paths and inspire their future aspirations.

• We invite parents and guardians to volunteer and share insights about your profession or career. Whether you’re in education, healthcare, technology, arts, trades, or any other field, we’d love to hear from you!
• Your participation will provide valuable knowledge and inspiration to our students as they explore their future possibilities.
• For more information and to sign up, please visit this link.

Thank you for supporting our students and helping make this event a success. Questions, please email Ms. Ashley Rivera at Ashley_C_Rivera@mcpsmd.org or Ms. Meredith Lange at Meredith_A_Lange@mcpsmd.org.

Dr. Bettina Love is coming to BCC High School on February 6, 2025 from 4-5 PM. Dr. Love holds the prestigious William F. Russell Professorship at Teachers College, Columbia University, and is the celebrated author of Punished for Dreaming: How School Reform Harms Black Children and How We Heal, a New York Times bestseller.

Dr. Love is a highly sought-after public speaker, whose insights have been featured in prominent media outlets such as NPR, PBS, The Daily Beast, Time, Education Week, The Guardian, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

This event is free for students and staff. You may register at the QR code on the flyer. Please register no later than January 27. Seating is limited.

As we begin to enter the colder months, we would like to share with you our Severe Weather to Virtual Learning Plan. MCPS requires each school to have a Severe Weather plan and to communicate it to staff, students and families and then post on the school’s website.

Please see Plan and Schedule linked below:

Severe Weather Plan

Severe Weather Bell Schedule

7th Grade Parent Social.

• Please sign up to attend the 7th Grade Parent Social from 7 to 9 pm on Thursday, February 6th. It's a great opportunity to chat with old friends and make new ones while raising money for the PTSA.
• The social is for parents and caregivers only and will be held at Uncorked in Chevy Chase Lake (8525 Chevy Chase Lake Terrace). Suggested donation to the PTSA is $30/person. You can make your donation via paypal or venmo. Click here to donate via Paypal or Venmo. rmd.me/YpWmbbmvyuf

The Screens Between Us.

• Please mark your calendars for “The Screens Between Us: The Realities of Social Media and More, a special virtual presentation on February 11, 2025 at 7pm about technology in the classroom, phone addiction at home, and best practices for adolescent technology use, featuring Lisa Cline, founder of the MCCPTA Safe Technology Committee.
• You can join the Feb. 11 PTSA Zoom meeting here: http://tiny.cc/ka76001. Ms. Cline’s presentation will begin after a short general membership PTSA meeting, where you can learn more about upcoming PTSA events. Members will also be voting on amendments to the PTSA’s budget, including a proposal to cut $9,500 from the Cultural Programs budget and $900 from the Buildings & Grounds budget. We hope you can join us!

Support the PTSA today. Please read.

Our school’s diversity is what makes us so special. In an effort to recognize the many cultures and backgrounds that make up our community, the PTSA Diversity Council will be hosting special recognitions/activities during lunch to celebrate this uniqueness.

We will communicate the upcoming events soon. We look forward to celebrating our school's diversity.

Please see previous events HERE.

At Silver Creek, we continue to instill the values of being a restorative justice school. Restorative Approaches is a mindset and philosophy toward school climate and relationship building. Important components are: Proactively and intentionally developing relationships and building community; and restoring, repairing, or healing the school community when harm has occurred.

The focus is on education, learning from mistakes, identifying and working on the root of the behavior, making deep-level change, repairing relationships, and restoring students and staff to the environment.

The Key Values of Restorative Approaches include:

• Nurturing healthy relationships built on trust
• Fostering mutual respect between individuals
• Feeling a sense of responsibility for your community
• Repairing harm and transforming conflict
• Reintegrating back to your community if harm has been caused

To learn more about RJ at Silver Creek, please see the flyer here.

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

February 14- 8th Grade Parent/Caregiver Town Hall

February 14- Valentine's Dance- 3-5PM

February 17- No School for students and staff

February 18, 19, 20- Student Town Hall Meetings

February 24- 7th Grade Parent/Caregiver Town Hall Meeting

February 25- 8th Grade Holocaust Museum Field Trip

February 28- Early Release for students; SCMS Career Day

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/guardians can call the main office at 240 740 2200.

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