The Cougar Connection
Principal News & Notes: May 2024
Coming Up At Cold Spring
May Calendar
Cold Spring Elementary School Website
Cold Spring Elementary School Phone Number: 240-740-4390
May 1st - Grade 4 Field Trip to Great Falls
May 2nd - MCAP Testing
May 3rd - House Color Day, Grade 2 Field Trip to the King Farm Dairy Mooseum
May 6th - Staff Appreciation Week Begins
May 8th - Green Team Bike/Walk/Ride to School Day (arrival only)
May 10th - Field Day
May 13th - Grades 3-5 MAP Testing
May 14th - No School
May 15th - Grades 4-5 MAP Testing
May 16th - K-Grade 3 MAP Testing, PTA STEM Fair
May 17th - Grade 3 Field Trip to Brookside Gardens
May 21st - PTA Elections
May 23rd - Grade 5 Shakespeare Performance, Grade 5 Cabin John Field Trip (Cabin John students only), Spring Instrumental Music Concert, 7pm
May 24th - Grade 5 Shakespeare Performance
May 27th - No School
May 31st - Principal Coffee, Cougar House Team Building
Celebrating Staff Appreciation Week: Recognizing Our Dedicated Team
Dear Cold Spring Community,
As we come together to celebrate Staff Appreciation Week May 6th - 13th, I want to take a moment to extend my deepest gratitude to our incredible team of educators and staff members. This week serves as a poignant reminder of the immense dedication and hard work that our staff pour into their roles each and every day.
Our staff members often work long hours, frequently taking home additional tasks and tirelessly managing the diverse needs of individual students. From planning engaging lessons to providing emotional support, from grading assignments to attending professional development sessions, their commitment knows no bounds. Their passion for education shines through in everything they do, and it is truly commendable.
It's important to acknowledge that the success of our school community is not solely attributed to the efforts of our staff within the school walls. We are fortunate to have a strong partnership with our families, whose support and involvement greatly enhance the educational experience of our students. We recognize and appreciate the invaluable role that families play in the education journey, and we are grateful for their collaboration, trust, and partnership.
In celebrating Staff Appreciation Week, let us all take a moment to express our gratitude to the dedicated individuals who make our school community thrive. Whether it's a heartfelt note of thanks, a small token of appreciation, or simply a kind word, let us show our staff members just how much their hard work and dedication mean to us.
Thank you to our remarkable staff, and thank you to our supportive school community. Together, we make a difference in the lives of our students every single day.
Warm regards,
Principal Hambrecht
Planning for Next School Year
Cold Spring's Field Day: May 10th
This day of outdoor fun will include a variety of activities that classes will take turns engaging in. Classes will rotate through the various stations from 9:00-11:40 am and then 12:30-2:00 pm (with lunch and an indoor movie in-between for students to cool down).
The various stations do require the support of parent volunteers, so if you are available and interested in helping out please use the SignUpGenius linked below. This will allow you to select a station and time to sign up for. Each station will be set up before parent arrival and include directions on how it works.
A huge thank you to Ms. Lewis for planning and organizing this amazing day! Please let me know if you have any questions, and thank you for your help!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050F4EAFA629A3FC1-49384593-field#/
STEM Fair Coming Soon: May 16th
Join us on May 16th for our PTA sponsored STEM Fair. Students who have registered have put in hard work and would love to show off their explorations and experiments!
Attention 5th Grade Families
5th Grade Events/Activities on the Horizon
May 16th and 18th Yard Signs
Each student will receive a sign to place in your yard. We will distribute the signs after school and at the science fair on May 16th as well as at the carwash May 18th from 9-11 AM at 12300 Falls Road (Montgomery Square Copenhaver Pool). If none of these dates work, please email juliescafuri@gmail.com to make alternative arrangements.
5th Grade Charity Car Wash and Bake Sale
May 18th 9:00 am- 11:00 am
Montgomery Square Copenhaver Pool
Please come and support our Cold Spring 5th graders as they raise money for PetConnect Rescue, a Potomac based animal rescue organization that saves dogs and cats from over-crowded high kill animal shelters.
Student Volunteer Sign Up for Car Wash and Bake Sale
Sign-up to provide baked goods
May 31st Slide Show for Promotion Ceremony Due
We need your help to create a slideshow for the ceremony. Each student will have a dedicated page during the slideshow that will play when they are called up to receive their certificate. There will also be candid photos that will play at the beginning of the ceremony. We would love for ALL of the kids to be represented in this show. Please see the details at the end of this email to make sure your student is included, and all photos are due by May 31st. Questions regarding the slideshow can be directed to Brookey01@gmail.com
June 10th Carnival
The 5th grade students will take part in an all-day picnic during school. Students will have a variety of activities throughout the day and we will provide a pizza lunch and Carmen’s Italian ice for a treat. We need volunteers to help throughout the day so please consider signing up for a shift.
June 10th - 5th Grade Carnival Volunteer Sign Up
June 11th Promotion
Please mark the date for the promotion ceremony at 2PM on June 11th at Cold Spring in the APR followed by cake on the blacktop. Each family will receive two tickets to the ceremony due to space constraints with the option to request more due to unique circumstances. Principal Hambrecht will send out a google form prior to the ceremony for anyone who may need extra tickets. Promotion will also be streamed via zoom for the school and anyone viewing at home.
June 13th Clap Out
We will celebrate our 5th graders as they exit elementary school for the last time at 12:55 for early dismissal. We encourage you to make posters to celebrate your student. We ask that you avoid any confetti or glitter as it is very difficult to clean up. Thank you for your cooperation!
MCPS Special Education Family Resource Fair
MCPS Special Education Family Resource Fair: MCPS is hosting a Special Education Family Resource Fair on Saturday, May 11 at Montgomery Blair High School. The free event will be held from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m., and is open to MCPS parents, staff and community members. The fair will include valuable resources from a variety of community resources and vendors, and fun children’s activities, including a moon bounces, music, arts and crafts and balloon artists.
Please see the link for more information.
From Our Community
Wootton HS Girls Lacrosse Clinic
Wootton Cluster News-Wootton HS Girls Lacrosse Clinic: Please see the attached flyer for information regarding a lacrosse clinic sponsored by the Wootton HS Girls Lacrosse team. Registration can be found at: https://bit.ly/WHSgirlslax
Summer Camps
Click below for Summer Camp information in our community:
CCACC Summer Camp Flyer
Spotlight on Specials - What is Happening in Music, Art, PE, and Media?
From the PTA
Reminder that next week, May 6th-10th, is Staff Appreciation Week! Your room parents should have been in touch with plans for your teacher(s), and the PTA is hosting various surprises for all of the staff. Let's show them some love!
Science Fair
Understanding the World Around Us, Thursday May 16th, 5:30-7:30pm Flyer HERE
Calling all Cold Spring students interested in exploring science ideas related to everyday life, such as the human body, energy, electricity, weather and more. Students can present how things work by conducting experiments, building models, and observing natural phenomena. Everybody is welcome to attend! To participate please register by May 6: https://forms.gle/3w7KtgS7Qo29Dpss6
End of the School Year Party!
Please note that the Cold Spring End of Year Party has been changed to Monday, June 3rd, 2024 on the Cold Spring Blacktop. Details will follow in the coming weeks.
Restaurant Night
Please mark your calendars for our next fundraiser which will be at Colony Grill in Cabin John Village. It will run May 6th - 12th. Come enjoy pizza any time during the week, support the PTA, and also be entered to win a pizza truck party! Flyer HERE
Fun New Spring Spirit Wear
Check out the new springtime spirit wear available from a new vendor we are working with. With this vendor you will order directly from the website and it will be produced and shipped directly to you right away. Cold Spring will receive 10% of sales as a donation back to the school. See flyer HERE.
This link will be live until the end of May! Happy shopping! https://scarletandgoldshop.com/collections/cold-spring-elementary
Label Daddy
Summer will be here before we know it! Looking to buy personalized name labels for camp and the pool? Label Daddy will give 25% of your purchase back to the PTA! The peel and stick, washable labels are great for school too. They can be used on jackets, water bottles, lunch boxes, notebooks, binders and more! Please shop using this link: http://www.labeldaddy.com/csespta
PTA Calendar
It's hard to believe there are only 6 weeks left of the school year! The PTA still has a packed calendar during this short time. Please see the final calendar HERE for the 2023-2024 school year.
A Message from the Wootton Acapella Group
My name is Jake Silverman and I am writing on behalf of the Thomas S. Wootton High School Acappella group, the Wootton Acatonics. It gives me great pleasure to inform you that we will be hosting the first ever acapella showcase, Moco Vocals! This showcase will feature our group and include other groups from MCPS high schools, including Churchill, Whitman, Walter Johnson, and Richard Montgomery, most of which are student-led and have not had a true performance opportunity. We hope this event will introduce to the community the various acapella groups our county offers. The event will take place on May 13th from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Wootton’s Auditorium and will cost $5 for students and $10 for adults. Attached you will find a flyer with all the necessary information for advertising purposes. Flyer HERE.
UPCOMING EVENTS
May
May 6th-10th: Staff Appreciation Week
May 6th-12th: Restaurant Night at Colony Grill
Thursday, May 16th: STEM Fair
Tuesday, May 21st: PTA Elections, 7pm, in person
Friday, May 31st: Principal Coffee, 9am
Cold Spring Elementary School
Please contact Principal Hambrecht or Assistant Principal Legarreta with any questions!
Email: Natalie_M_Hambrecht@mcpsmd.org
Website: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/coldspringes/
Location: 9201 Falls Chapel Way, Potomac, MD, USA
Phone: 240-740-4390