Flower Valley Weekly Newsletter

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Dear Flower Valley Community,

I would like to highlight a couple of events our students participated in recently. All of our students honored Martin Luther King Day by engaging in a service activity. Due to the snow, it was a bit delayed, but I hope you enjoy the pictures from some of the ways our students demonstrated their care for our community. I also included a couple of pictures from our recent Instrumental Music performance. Our students are very talented!

We have an exciting week ahead! Our Week of Kindness begins Monday. Be sure to take a look at the schedule of events and activities below. Monday is "Wear Positive Messages" day for our spirit week. We are looking forward to filling our school with positive messages everywhere!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Dr. Fish

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All of our students participated in a service project during the Week of Service. Even though the snow days delayed us a bit, look at a couple of the amazing acts of service our staff and students led! Our kindergarten students made cards and treats for our bus drivers, and our 3rd grade students made cards for health care workers.

Last week, our Instrumental Music students performed for our students, families, and friends. Below are a couple of pictures from the musical performance. It was wonderful to experience the many talents of our students!

We inspire all children to become critical thinkers who are imaginative, adaptable, and collaborative. We strive to cultivate peaceful, life-long learners who contribute positively to the community around them.

Chinese Lunar New Year

Black History Month Bingo

FVES Kindness Week and Party - repost from last week

Gifted and Talented Screening Process

PTA Corner

Save the Date

Information from Previous Newsletters:

• Career Day
• MCPS Summer School
• School Arrival Time
  

• PTA Sponsored Staff vs. Parent Basketball Game and Silent Auction: March 2nd

• Chromebook Requests

• FVES Virtual Learning Schedule and Zoom Links

• Conversations about Race and Equity at Home

• Attendance Update
• Transportation Information
• School Lunch
• ParentVue
• Health Information

FVES Parent Handbook

Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, begins February 10th this year. This is one of the most important celebrations for East and Southeast Asian cultures. This year is the year of the dragon. (www.history.com)More information can be found on the following sites:

History.com

National Geographic

Students were introduced to the Make Your Own Stamp Contest during Art classes this week. All students were given a stamp template to design a stamp for a famous African American. Kindergarteners and 4th graders will focus on singers/musicians, 1st and 3rd graders will focus on actors/actresses, and 2nd and 5th graders will focus on dancers. All stamps must include the person's name and must be colored. Students who would like to participate in the contest need to turn their completed stamps into their homeroom teachers by February 23, 2024.

Flower Valley students are also excited to play Black History Month Bingo! So far, they have learned about Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, The Nicholas Brothers, Gregory Hines, Savion Glover, Katherine Dunham, and Arthur Mitchell. They've also learned about Ray Charles, B.B. King, Rosetta Tharpe, Nina Simone, Hattie McDaniel, Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington and Chadwick Boseman.

We are excited about our upcoming Week of Kindness and our party February 14th. We will be highlighting kindness all week and enjoying kindness related activities, spirit week, and fun treats at our class parties. Please see the details below about all of the activities students will enjoy the week of February 12th. If you have not yet heard about all of the party details from your child's teacher, you should be hearing from them soon. We will continue to collect grade level donations for food, decorations, and crafts. Teachers will also be seeking volunteers to support during the parties. While we welcome students to make Valentines for their friends, please just make sure that if your child is bringing in Valentines to make one for every student in their class.

All parents of Grade 2 students, and select students in Grade 3 & Grade 5 were sent a letter in ParentVUE and in the U.S. mail regarding online completion of the Parent Input Form, which asks your opinion about your student’s academic and behavioral characteristics. The information you share with us is an important part of the Gifted and Talented identification process and helps us learn more about your student to plan for their instructional program for the upcoming school year. We value your opinion. Please complete and submit the electronic form as soon as possible. You must use your student’s MCPS Google username and password to access the form. If you are not able to complete the form online, please contact Kim Haden, Assistant Principal at Kimberly_D_Haden@mcpsmd.org or 240-740-1780 to request support with completing and submitting the electronic form, or request a print copy. Translated versions of the form are available. If you have already submitted your form for the current school year, please disregard this message.

-Thank you to everyone who attended the Feb. PTA meeting on Tues.! All slides will be emailed out with notes and materials also posted here: https://fvespta.membershiptoolkit.com/minutes

-Game Night with Bingo and Kahoots is coming Saturday, February 24th from 6:30-8pm. The Book Donation bin is in the front lobby soon, so please be on the look-out for that!

-We want to hear from FVES families on 'What information or support do you seek on bullying?' Our slido from the meeting is open until Sun. 2/11. Go to slido.com and enter 3075179, click here or scan this QR code! This information will help us prioritize content for our April meeting.

• Kindness Week and Party: Week of 2/12 (party 2/14)

• Club Yearbook Pictures: February 13th

• Winter Chorus Concert: February 20th at 7PM - Note the date change due to snow days.)

• FVES PTA Game Night: 2/24 6:30-8PM at FVES

• PTA Sponsored Silent Auction and Basketball Game: Saturday, March 2nd at RHS

• Reading Night: March 6th, 6:30-8:00PM

• STEM Day: March 22nd

• International Night: April 15th (Tentative)

• PTA Sponsored Book Fair: April 15th-19th

• PTA Sponsored STEM Night: April 18th, 5:30-7:30

• Career Day: May 3rd

• PTA Sponsored SAVERS Donation Drive: May 4th, 9:30-1:00

• Field Days: May TBD

• PTA Sponsored Carnival: May 19th, 2-5:00

• Spring IM Concert: May 30th at Rockville High School at 7PM (tentative)

• 5th Grade Promotion: June 12th at RHS

• 5th Grade Fun Day: June 13th

• Chuck E Cheese - Friday, March 15th, 2024
• Rockville Paisano’s - Tuesday, April 16th, 2024 and Wednesday, April 17th, 2024 from 11:00am-10:00pm
• Rockville Chipotle - Monday, May 13th, 2024
• Villa Maya - Wednesday, June 5th, 2024

We have received a lot of inquiries about the plan for MCPS summer school this year. We now know that we will be returning to the summer school models that existed pre-pandemic, which means there will be no local summer school option open to all students at FVES. Students who receive special education services may be eligible for extended school year (ESY). This decision will be made as a team at your child’s annual review meeting. If you have questions about ESY, please contact your child’s case manager.

We are noticing several students arriving late for school recently. It is extremely important for students to arrive on time every day.

For our car riders, please make sure you drop off your students by 8:55. Instruction begins promptly at 9:00, so this gives students five minutes to walk to class.Thank you for your support.

Interested in volunteering for Career Day? Complete the interest form linked here.

We are excited about the annual staff vs. parents basketball game and silent auction. This year, we are going to have a number of fun activities that include the students as well. See below for information about the halftime show!

Attention 3rd, 4th, and 5th Graders!

Are you interested in performing in the FVES Staff vs. Parent Basketball Game Halftime Show on Saturday, March 2 at 6:00pm?

What: Come learn a choreographed dance with the Rockville HS Pom Squad to perform during halftime of the basketball game!

Who: 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students

When: Wednesdays, February 14, February 21, and February 28, from 3:45-4:45

Where: In the gym here at FVES

***If you are interested, have a parent or guardian sign the permission slip and return it to your teacher by Wednesday, February 7.***

Let Ms. Aust, Ms. Hall, or Mrs. Coakley know if you have any questions!

We have noticed some of our students using racial slurs or mimicking song lyrics and social media that are hurtful to others. While we are directly addressing this at school through individual and small group learning, as well as through our counselor led classes, we need you as our partners in this work. Below are a few resources that may help foster a conversation at home about hate and bias and how our words and actions impact others. Many of our students are not even aware that what they are saying is harmful to others. By working together, we can help our children learn about hate and bias in order to, ultimately, create an inclusive, welcoming environment for all. Thank you, in advance, for your support of this effort.

Resources for Families

No Place for Hate Information - FVES became a No Place for Hate school last year, and we are continuing those efforts this year.

In the event of inclement weather, please see the MCPS information linked here. Additionally, there is important system information about virtual learning here. Should the system determine the need for virtual learning during inclement weather days, we will communicate the important information to all families.

MCPS Overview of Virtual Learning during Inclement Weather Days

Details regarding the FVES plan for inclement weather days where MCPS determines it will be a virtual learning day are included here.

If your student needs a Chromebook for home use, please complete this form: Chromebook Form to Distribute to Families.

Links:

At Home Request for Chromebook Flyer (English)

At Home Request for Chromebook Flyer (Spanish)

It is critical for students to be in attendance at school every day. We understand that there are times when students may be ill or may have appointments that require them to be out of school; however, school performance is directly connected to attendance. MCPS has developed an action plan to address absenteeism. Please click here to see the county message regarding attendance. Let's do our best to be at school every day!

If your child is going to be absent, please notify the teacher and Mrs. Sintetos at Catherine_G_Sintetos@mcpsmd.org.

**Please remember that vacations are not considered lawful absences. Details regarding lawful and unlawful absences can be found here.

**For absences to be considered excused, a note must be submitted in writing or emailed to Mrs. Sintetos. This includes medical appointments.

Transportation information is on the school website and available here:

• Arrival Schedule
• Departure Schedule
• Department of Transportation Communication to Families (English Version)
• Department of Transportation Communication to Families (Spanish Version)
• What to Know about Riding the Bus (English Version)
• What to Know about Riding the Bus (Spanish Version)
• Link to Check Daily Status of Buses

Breakfast and hot lunches are served daily. Lunch menus can be accessed here. Your child will learn about their lunch schedule on the first day of school. The teacher will also let you know about snack time, especially if your child has an early or late lunch.

Breakfast is $1.30, and lunch is $2.55. To learn more about eligibility for Free and Reduced Meals (FARMS) and apply for FARMs, click here. Deposits into lunch accounts can be made by any student and can be made ahead of time via the MCPS online payment system, My School Bucks. Details about how to add money to your student’s account can be accessed here.

DFNS encourages all families with students enrolled at non-CEP schools to complete a Free and Reduced-price Meals Application. All meals are free for students who qualify for free and reduced-price meals.

ParentVue FAQs

ParentVue is where you are able to access your student's grades, attendance, test scores, schedules, and so much more. Please see the quick guides below to set your preferences and see where to access all of the information available to you.

There are online registration quick guides in several languages available to support you in this process.

English | Español | 中國人 | 한국인 | Français | Português | Tiếng Việt | አማርኛ

ParentVUE Quick Guides

English / español / 中文 / français / Português / 한국어 / tiếng Việt / አማርኛ

• Navigating ParentVUE Mobile App
• Navigating StudentVUE Mobile App
• Athletic Registration with ParentVUE Online Registration
• Activating Your ParentVUE Account

If your child is sick, please have them stay home and rest until they feel better. It is important for a child to stay home if they have a fever. They may return to school once they are without fever for 24 hours with no fever reducing medications.

If your child has Covid, it is important for them to remain home for 5 days after testing positive. Additionally, they must wear a mask for 5 days after returning to school. Families no longer need to self-report Covid; however, it is important to notify your child's teacher and the main office when your child is out sick.

If you have any questions regarding health related matters, you can contact Ms. Kalter, school nurse, at Marley_S_Kalter@mcpsmd.org.

Our office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00AM to 4:30PM. Below are emails and phone numbers for the following departments:

Administration (240) 740-1780

Dr. Angie Fish, Principal – Angie_L_Fish@mcpsmd.org

Mrs. Kimberly Haden - Kimberly_D_Haden@mcpsmd.org

Main Office Staff (240) 740-1780

Ms. Nevine Peckoo, School Administrative Secretary – Nevine_A_Peckoo@mcpsmd.org

Mrs. Cathy Sintetos, Attendance Secretary – Catherine_G_Sintetos@mcpsmd.org

Counseling Office (240) 740-6680

Mrs. Jennifer Atanda - Jennifer_T_Atanda@mcpsmd.org

Ms. Nicole Bamberger - Nicole_M_Bamberger@mcpsmd.org

All Staff Directory

The parent handbook provides a wealth of information about school policies and procedures. Some of these include volunteer procedures, school parties and birthday celebrations, bullying and harassment reporting, visitor policies, attendance, health policies, safety and security, and so much more. The English version of the handbook can be accessed here, and the Spanish version can be accessed here.

Be bright! Be kind! Be you!

We inspire all children to become critical thinkers who are imaginative, adaptable, and collaborative. We strive to cultivate peaceful, life-long learners who contribute positively to the community around them.

Email: Angie_L_Fish@mcpsmd.org
Website: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/flowervalleyes/
Location: Flower Valley Elementary School, Sunflower Drive, Rockville, MD, USA
Phone: 240-740-1780
Twitter: @AngieFish_FVES