March Monthly Update

The Wicomico County Board of Education is seeking input on the 2025-2026 school year calendar. The Board has put two draft calendars, Draft A and Draft B, out for public comment prior to a vote on March 11. Input is invited through a survey until noon on Wednesday, March 5th. Copies of the two draft calendars in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole are available for review on the calendar preview page, which also has the survey link for each language.

Congratulations to Ms. Lyndsay Greenan, our February "Teacher Who Makes A Difference"! Check out what was said about Ms. Greenan:

"I am nominating Ms. Greenan for this award because of their unwavering dedication, passion and impact on the lives of her students. From day one, she has created a classroom environment that fosters curiosity, respect, and a genuine love of learning. Ms. Greenan consistently goes above and beyond to ensure that every student feels valued and supported, adapting lessons to meet diverse learning needs and creating opportunities for students to succeed. Ms. Greenan goes above and beyond to ensure that her students feel loved, accepted, and respected. She creates an classroom environment that fosters a sense of family, one that stays with students well beyond their time in her class. In fact, she continues to check in with former students who are now in middle school, showing how deeply she cares about their well-being and success. Ms. Greenan is a fierce advocate for her students, always willing to fight for the resources and supports they need to feel successful. Her commitment to their growth and development is unmatched - she's like a "mama bear" who will go the extra mile to ensure that her students thrive. Beyond her classroom, Ms. Greenan is actively involved in school events and cares deeply about the overall culture of the school. She's dedicated to building a positive, inclusive environment where every student feels valued. Her impact is felt by all."

Pam Price and Jordie Clark - 47 ABC surprised her with goodies and flowers from Sonya's Floral Boutique on February 27th.

Teachers Who Make a Difference is a monthly honor designed to recognize local teachers who make a difference in the lives of their students. Each month a winning teacher is chosen by selection committee from all submitted nominations. Teacher nominations are open to any person on the Delmarva Peninsula, including students, parents, teachers, friends, and acquaintances of nominees. To nominate a teacher, complete and submit the form found on the Contest page of wmdt.com. The nomination period is open from September 24, 2024 through May 31, 2025. Each month (October 2024 through May 2025), a teacher is selected from all 2024-2025 entries and is recognized by WMDT as a “Teachers Who Make a Difference” award winner.

WCPS Code of Conduct states that students in elementary school are not to have cell phones in school. Please assist us with enforcing this by checking your scholar’s bookbag and making sure they are not bringing the phone to school. This includes smart watches, iPads, tablets, iPods, electronic games, etc. If you need to speak with your scholar during the day, please call the school, and we will bring your student to the office to speak privately with you.

Inappropriate items will be confiscated until the end of the day or retained by the administration until a parent/guardian can reclaim the item.

*The school will not be responsible for these items and will not investigate if they are lost or stolen.

Please assist us in keeping the focus on school by not allowing your child to bring toys, football, trading cards, etc. to school.

Happy March! Students will continue to work hard this month as we move into our new ELA unit Freddie Ramos. In this fictional chapter book series students will focus on using titles to describe the main idea, vocabulary development, and understanding characters’ motivation and relationships. We will continue to work with unpredictable vowel teams and fluent reading in phonics. Students have begun working with telling time, identification of coins and coin value, making change, and finding totals. Scholars will also focus on number stories and fact fluency. In science we are continuing to focus on matter and in social studies we are going to be learning more about civics and how people can make a difference in their community.

Please continue to read with your scholar daily and record it on the Blaze a Trail to Literacy reading calendars and complete the weekly math practice homework.

In ELA, we will be starting our next nonfiction unit, Honoring Indigenous People. We will be reading several texts and focusing on key reading strategies such as main idea, key details, compare and contrast, and using text features. In Math, we will be finishing Topic 9: Fluently Add and Subtract within 1000 and begin Topic 10: Multiply by Multiples of 10. Check out the Saavas website for the Topic overview and helpful tips! In Social Studies, we will be working on our Economic Unit. We will focus on how choices we make are affected by available resources. In Science, we will be finishing our Heredity, Selection, and Survival unit and move into our Fossils and Changing Environment unit. We will be discussing how animals and their environment have changed through time.

March is here and it is time to power up our learning! In ELA students will explore the world of energy. In the first half of the unit, students learn what energy is, the different ways that energy is transferred from place to place, and the ways energy can be converted from one type to another. In the second half of the unit students explore the pros and cons of different types of renewable and nonrenewable energy sources. Our science unit and ELA unit go together as we study energy in Science as well this month! Students investigate how energy is stored, how it can make objects move, and how collisions transfer energy between objects. Students also construct chain reaction machines to explore the many different ways that energy can be transferred. Topic 10 in math will help your child apply their knowledge of decomposing numbers and fractions to write a fraction as the sum of unit fractions. In Social Studies this month we will research and learn about life in Colonial Williamsburg as we examine their government, society, and daily lives. We will write about what we think life would have been like during that time.

We are in the middle of the third term and we are moving in fifth grade. In ELA we have completed our “Young Heroes” unit and are moving onto out Mars Unit. We are looking at the engineering and design process and how it was used to land rovers on the planet Mars. It is an exciting unit that always piques the students interest in reading, math and science. Speaking of math, we have just completed the first half of our math program and we are moving into Unit 8 - multiplying fractions. Already the students are showing an ability to identify and multiply fractions and whole numbers, as well as a fraction times a fraction. In science, our unit coincides with ELA and we are looking at Earth’s place in the solar system. This gives the students the ability to have a bit more background knowledge about Earth and its proximity to Mars. Finally, in social studies we are looking at the causes of the Civil War and the major battles that were fought early and later in the conflict. We are doing great things here in fifth grade and we can’t believe how quickly the time is moving.

Vigor, spirit, liveliness, passion, vibrancy and zest are all words to ENERGIZE us for our newest unit. Scholars will learn about common forms of energy. In the first book of the unit, On the Hunt for Energy scholars join Hailey and Marissa as they go on a scavenger hunt for different forms of energy. Our scholars discover that energy is all around them as Hailey and Marissa find sailboats, rainbows, drums and cell phones. In Article 2, students further their knowledge of this concept as they see how everyday objects and activities use different types of energy. Our scholars will learn how each form of energy has its own special uses. They will select their favorite form of energy and complete a graphing document. Throughout this unit we will talk with students about how everything they do requires a form of energy. Our scholars will use various electronics and devices to solve algebraic problems. To deepen their understanding of this topic, we encourage students to think of something that does not require some type of energy. Please continue to contact Mrs. Krider via talking points or by calling the school (410-677-5806), we welcome any questions or concerns.

Hello to our families! As March rolls in we can finally say good bye to winter and rejoice with the coming of spring. Our students will be participating in art lessons relating to the spring season as well as highlighting female artists for Women’s History Month.

🎵 Ukulele Club!

Our Ukulele Club spots are all filled up! We will meet on Mondays from 4:00-5:30 starting March 10th and going until April 14th. Up to 20 students will be allowed to participate total, first come first served!

🎺🎻BAND & STRINGS:

See our March calendar. Dates are subject to change for inclement weather. Remember, students will be graded each class day on preparedness and participation! 🎺❄

Keep an eye out for playing tests soon!

🎤ACES CHOIR:

Students participating in the (All-County Elementary School) ACES Choir will continue rehearsing every Wednesday afterschool from 4:45-5:45 pm at Wi Middle. See image below for all dates!

It’s hard to believe that March is here!

In Media, we have a lot planned for Read Across America week, with us exploring great American authors and their work as well as participating in a fun reading challenge, where students will be able to read a variety of literature and enter to win prizes! Stay tuned for more details about our Read Across America Spirit week.

***Read Across America Spirit Week flyer to be posted after final approval from McGoogan****

We will also take some time in March to review our media center expectations and book checkout etiquette. Please remind students to take care of borrowed books and turn in their books on time to avoid paying fines.

2nd grade-get ready for our Leprechaun Hunt Game!

3-5th-MARCH MADNESS

○ Students will learn a variety of Basketball Skills

■ Dribbling

■ Passing

■ Shooting

■ Offense vs Defense

Social Emotional Learning:

In PE we emphasize Integrity, Honesty, Sportsmanship along with our SNAP and ROLL expectations.

REMINDERS

To help your child be successful in our class please make sure your they are prepared coming to school with sneakers and comfortable clothing on their assigned gym days!

Glen Ave. continues to serve as a hub to bring our families, communities, and our partners together to remove barriers to learning and success. This month we highlight PENINSULA IMAGING. Thank you to Peninsula Imaging for your generous donation to our after school volleyball club. Organizations such as this help us offer enriching opportunities for our Gators.

March 18-24th is National Poison Prevention Week. In 2023, across all ages, there were 623 poison exposures reported per 100,000 population. The highest incidence occurred in children 2 years and younger (5,330 exposures per 100,000 population). For teens, 585 exposures per 100,000 population were reported (https://www.poison.org/poison-statistics-national). Cleaning products and pain medications were the number one causes of exposures. With knowledge about prevention of exposure, you can help reduce the number of injuries and fatalities each year by following these guidelines:

*Store all medications in a locked container. Follow the directions of your doctor on how these meds should be taking. Never share prescription medications with others. If medications are no longer needed or expired, take it to a nearby “take back drug” drop off center. I have provided a list of centers and tips by clicking on the link:

Drop-Box-Locations.pdf

*Keep recreational drugs, gummies and alcohol out of the reach of minors. Also be aware of the latest news regarding illegal drugs. DEA Warns of Brightly-Colored Fentanyl Used to Target Young Americans

*Most people do not think of this, but Carbon monoxide can be dangerous for your loved ones in a home or vehicle. Make sure that your carbon monoxide detectors are working, as well as smoke detectors.

*The one people know the most, keep household bleach and cleaners out of reach of young children and supervise those who are older and teach them about the dangers of inhaling, or consuming chemicals. Make sure you are wearing proper protective gear (goggles, gloves etc.) when you are using the products and make sure the rooms are well ventilated. Do not mix chemicals. Follow the guidelines on the product. Keep household laundry products on a high shelf and out of reach. Lock up chemicals as a precaution.

*Be mindful that products such as antifreeze and vehicular chemicals can be just as toxic as household cleaners.

*Keep batteries out of reach. Battery chemicals can explode toxic acids that are poisonous. Make sure the compartments of your child’s favorite toy are secure.

*Some art and school products that are used for projects (such as shellac) that can also become toxic. Supervise your children with these items to make sure they are using them properly.

*Keep insect repellents and animal pest control chemicals out of children’s reach.

*Be aware that there are things out in nature that can poison a person if they come in direct contact with the person. Do not consume any berries, mushrooms or other plants that you are not familiar with when out in nature. Do not forget that pesticides and plants that are found in nature may have pesticides that were sprayed on them. Also be aware of any poisonous snakes or insects that can cause illness or fatalities in an individual. Educate your children to stay away from those things found in nature and also promote good hand washing habits when they have been playing outdoors.

If you or your child has been exposed, please call your local poison center at 1-800-222-1222. If it is a life threatening situation, call 911.

Hopefully these tips will help be a lifesaver for you and your students. If you have questions, feel free to call the nurse’s office at 410-677-5844. Thank you for everything you do to keep your child safe and healthy!

Wow… I can’t believe we are halfway through this school year. As we go into the last 2 terms of the 2024-2025 school year, we are switching things up in our attendance initiatives/interventions and need your feedback. Please scan the QR code to do a short survey and tell us how we can better help you!

For the remainder of this school year, we want to focus on the scholars whose attendance has improved from the beginning of the school year and celebrate those scholars and their parents.

We thank all our parents for your patience and understanding as we work together to make Glen Gators arrive to thrive!!

Kindly,

Melissa Johanning

As the parent or guardian of a child receiving special education services in Maryland, you should have received a copy of the Maryland Special Education Parent Involvement Survey in the mail. By completing the survey, you can tell us how your child’s school partners with you. Your feedback will help guide efforts to improve special education and related services in your local school system. Parents are asked to complete the survey and return it in the postage paid envelope by May 30, 2025. The Survey may also be completed online. Please look for details in your survey packet.

Use Code: EVTWPNKDT. Click the link below to order school/class pictures!

The mission of the Division of Student and Family Services is to support the total educational experience, thus assuring all students the opportunity to develop skills essential for successful learning, healthy physical/emotional/social growth and gainful employment. Please click the link to view the available resources.

Join us for Big Plans Night on Tuesday, March 4th, at James M. Bennett High School (300 East College Avenue; Salisbury, MD 21804) from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.!

What to Expect:

🔹 Plan for NOW – Visit the Community Connections Hall to learn about local services and resources for families.
🔹 Plan for SUMMER – Explore the Summer Engagement Expo and connect with organizations offering summer programs for all grade levels.

Summer programs in attendance include WCPS summer programs, STEM camps, sports camps, music, the YMCA, Girl Scouts, TidalHealth VolunTeen and more!

🔹 Online Safety Tips – Parkside Career Technology students will share internet safety advice.
🔹 Interpreters – Spanish & Haitian Creole interpreters available.
🔹 Parking – Available in the auditorium parking lot or by the main entrance off College Avenue.

For questions, contact Mrs. Beth Sheller at msheller@mywcps.org . We hope to see you there!

Glen Avenue School creates a caring school community that provides students with the necessary skills and knowledge to be thoughtful, responsible, and highly productive citizens as well as lifelong learners.

Glen Avenue Elementary School will be:

• the school where all teachers want to teach,
• Students want to learn, and
• Families wish their children could attend

This is Michele McGoogan, principal of Glen Avenue. As a Title 1 school, we are required to inform you of your right to request information on the qualifications of the teacher and/or the instructional assistant who will be working with your child. Please rest assured that we have worked diligently to ensure that staff members meet the Maryland State Department of Education requirements. If you would like to exercise your right to request this information, you may email or send a letter using US mail to the Director of Human Resources to my attention. You will receive a response from the Director of Human Resources within 30 days of the original request. We look forward to serving you and your student this year.

School-Family-Scholar Agreement for Improving Student Achievement

This agreement is a pledge to work together to share responsibility for student learning, high achievement, and student success in school and in life. This compact is aligned with our School Improvement Plan to promote student learning, student attendance, a positive school climate and with our grade level learning outcomes. Upon request, interpreters and transportation can be provided so families can attend school functions.

The Wicomico County Board of Education recognizes that families are their child’s first teachers and that they function as educators throughout their child’s life. More than thirty years of research show that student academic success and high self esteem are closely related to family engagement in education from prekindergarten through high school. Glen Avenue Elementary School also believes that the education of children is a shared responsibility. Involvement by the school, the family and the community creates a stronger educational system and improves the quality of life for the students, their families and the entire community of Wicomico County. The school system as well as individual schools make the commitment to establish programs and practices that create a climate of mutual trust and respect and that support family engagement.