Welcome Back
2023-2024 Flower Valley Elementary School
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Welcome Back
Dear Flower Valley Community,
I hope you are enjoying a fabulous summer break! I can't wait to see all of our students and hear about their summer adventures.
We are all so excited to be welcoming our students back in two weeks!The FVES team has been working diligently to prepare for the return of our amazing Fireflies. We are ready and eager to provide a nurturing and exceptional educational experience for all of our students.
Included in this newsletter, you will find important information that will help you prepare for the upcoming school year. Please don't hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions or need anything. The school phone number is 240-740-1780, and my email is Angie_L_Fish@mcpsmd.org. You can also find the contact information for our entire main office, counseling, and administrative team at the end of the newsletter. Make sure to check out the FVES Teacher Bus Tour below. We'll be in a neighborhood near you August 22nd!
I would also like to let you know about the second annual Rockville Day Sunday, August 20th from 1-3:00PM at Rockville High School. It was a wonderful community event last year, and we are looking forward to another fabulous day! Please join the entire Rockville community for this fun event. I will be there along with our PTA board members.
I hope you enjoy the rest of your summer. We will see you soon!
With Firefly Pride!
Dr. Fish
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Table of Contents
Flower Valley Theme
FVES Neighborhood Bus Tour
FVES Parent Handbook
Open House
Kindergarten Parent Information Night
Preparing for the First Day of School
- School Hours
- Teacher Assignments
- Arrival and Dismissal
- School Supplies
- School Hours
- Transportation Information
- School Lunches
- Health Room Updates
Home and School Communication
New Staff at FVES
Save the Date: Calendar of FVES and PTA Events
Back to School Night
Rockville Day
PTA Corner
- PTA Welcome Letter
- PTA Sponsored School Picnic
The Flower Valley Vision
Our School Theme
FVES Neighborhood Bus Tour
- 8:50-9:00: Flower Valley Elementary School (Out Front)
- 9:03: Hornbeam Dr & Sweetbirch Dr
- 9:12: Hillcroft Dr & Park Lake Dr
- 9:20: Baileys Ln & Baileys Ct
- 9:30: Twin Valley Ct & Twin Valley Ln
- 9:35: Coolidge Ave & Clara Downey Ave (@ stop sign)
- 9:39: Carrolton Rd & Crossway Rd
- 9:43: Entrance near Georgia Ave
- 9:50: Parkvale Rd & Burnside Dr
- 9:56: Bauer Dr & Trailway Dr
FVES Parent Handbook
Open House: August 25th, 2-3:00pm
Kindergarten Parent Information Night
Preparing for the First Day of School
School starts at 9:00 and ends at 3:25. The first day of school is Monday, August 28th. School doors open for students at 8:40AM.
Teacher Assignments
Families should receive an email from their child’s teacher by Wednesday evening, August 23rd. If you do not receive an email by the 23rd, please check your spam folder. Staff will have hard copies of class lists and will be prepared to assist families on Friday, August 25th at our Open House event beginning at 2:00pm.
Arrival and Dismissal
While we understand that it may be difficult to part from your child on the first day of school, please say your goodbyes at the entrance doors and then allow your child to walk into school alone. If your child is a bus rider, it is best for your child to ride the bus on the first day to establish routines. These routines allow for a smooth transition back to school. Please be assured that we will have staff stationed throughout the building to help your child locate their classroom. We appreciate your cooperation with this.
As we kick off the first couple of weeks back to school, please be patient with our arrival and dismissal procedures. We want to ensure that students are safe and get to their respective after school locations. Remember to drive and walk with care and caution in the neighborhood and on school grounds. Please make sure you let your child's teacher know the arrival and dismissal plan for your child (car rider, walker, bus rider). Additional information about arrival and dismissal procedures will be sent home with students on the first day of school.
School Supplies
The list of school supplies can be accessed here or on our website.
Transportation Information
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)
Lunch
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.
Health Room Updates
Ms. Marley Kalter will be serving as our nurse this year. We will also share information about our health technician once the health department provides that information to us. If you have questions about health forms, immunizations, student allergies, medications, etc., you can reach Ms. Kalter at Marley_S_Kalter@mcpsmd.org.
Home and School Communication
Additionally, classroom teachers will send a monthly newsletter home to parents, and all students will receive a Thursday folder with important weekly information. Kindergarten students use their folders on a daily basis.
Please make sure your email is accurate in ParentVue, as this is a primary avenue for home and school email communication. Please check your Spam folder to make sure you are receiving school information. If you have any trouble receiving the email communication, please let your child's teacher know, so that we can help resolve the technical issue and make sure you receive the school communication.
FVES New Staff Members
Over the summer, our enrollment has grown to over 560 students! Given this significant growth, we have received additional staffing for English Language Development, academic intervention, counseling, and homeroom teacher level staffing. Please join me in welcoming all of our newest Firefly team members for the 23-24 school year.
Mrs. Kimberly Haden, Assistant Principal
Ms. Nicole Bamberger, Counselor
Ms. Suzanne Fulop, Math Academic Intervention
Ms. Lauren Boland, Reading Intervention
Ms. Diem Goon, English Language Development Teacher
Mr. Andrew Kullberg, Music
Ms. Lucy Gumpert, Speech Language Pathologist
Ms. Isabelle Cocci, 1st Grade Teacher
Ms. Julia Mavrikes, 2nd Grade Teacher
Ms. Logan Ridley, 2nd Grade Teacher
Ms. Delia Launi, 3rd Grade Teacher
Ms. Rachel Veirs, 5th Grade Teacher
Mr Daniel Yeom, 5th Grade Teacher
Ms. Yoana Villatoro Andrade, Building Services Worker
Back to School Night: September 6th, 6:30-8:30 pm
Resource Fair: 6:30-8:30 in the All Purpose Room and Media Center
- We will be hosting several information tables for parents to interact with community members and learn more about the resources available. We will have information about the PTA, Kids After Hours, Sanford Harmony (our new social-emotional learning curriculum), ParentVue, School Cash Online, and much more.
- Our Home School Model staff, Speech Language Pathologist, counselors, occupational therapist, and English Language Development staff will be in the All Purpose Room for a meet and greet.
- Our reading specialist and media specialist will be in the media center for a meet and greet, as well as an opportunity to peruse the media center and materials your child will be using in their class.
There will be two information sessions held by homeroom teachers. This will help ease congestion and parking concerns and will allow families with multiple children to meet all of their children's teachers. The schedule is below.
- Session #1 (Families with Last Names A-L): 7:00-7:30
- Session #2 (Families with Last Names M-Z): 7:40-8:10
- Specials teachers will be in their classrooms.
**If you have more than one student, please feel free to attend both sessions in order to meet your children's teachers.
FVES Events
Pre-service Open House: August 25th, 2-3:00
Back to School Night: September 6th, 6:30-8:30
PTA Sponsored Back to School Picnic, September 14th, 5-7:00
PTA Sponsored Book Fair: October 16th-20th, during school hours. Evening hours October 19th.
Math Night: October 19th
Fall Festival and Parade: October 27th
PTA Sponsored Masquerade Festival: October 28th, 5:30-7:30
Fall Open House: November 17th or 20th
Winter Chorus Concert: TBD
Winter IM Concert: TBD
Wellness Week: January/February
Kindness Week and Party: Week of 2/12 (party 2/14)
Reading Night: March 6th, 6-7:30
STEM Day: March 22nd
PTA Sponsored Book Fair: April 15th-19th
PTA Sponsored STEM Night: April 18th, 5:30-7:30
International Night: May TBD
Spring IM Concert: TBD
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
5th Grade Promotion: June 12th
5th Grade Fun Day: June 13th
Rockville Day
PTA Information
PTA Sponsored Back to School Picnic
We are here to serve & help you!
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
Flower Valley Elementary School
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