Principal Coffee Chat
On Friday, Feb. 17th at 9am I invite you to join me for a Principal Coffee Chat. During this time we will discuss:
- our ROAR Expectations
- student safety/behavior
- our Multi-Tiered Systems of Support for academic and behavioral success
Please RSVP on the form below. I hope you can join me!
Clothing Donations Needed
If you have any gently used pants your child(ren) have outgrown please consider sending them in to our health room.
If your child needed a pair of pants from school and you could wash and return them it would be greatly appreciated!
Yearbook Orders
Please submit a yearbook order form (linked here) with your payment to Ms. Kelly in the front office. If you need a print copy of the form Ms. Kelly can send one home with your child(ren).
Keeping Toys at Home
As a reminder, toys are not permitted at school. Students should not be bringing toys, Pokemon Cards, pop-its, etc. to school. These items cause distractions and disruptions to the learning environment.
Students earn special days in the classroom where items may be permitted with permission by the teacher. Your child's teacher will communicate with you if/when the class earns a reward.
Learning at Home Days
The following information was shared via Find Out First on January 12th. It is shared again here to ensure you have had a chance to read/review it.
Most important to know for our TPS students/families: Grades K-2 students will be provided paper copies of assignments.
To see a Google translation of this message in Spanish, please use the "Spanish" link at the top of this message:
Utilice el enlace "Spanish" en la parte superior de este mensaje para ver la traducción de Google en español:
While we have enjoyed a mostly mild mid-Atlantic January, we also know how quickly weather patterns can change in our area. Snow, sleet and freezing rain are common, which can lead to challenging road conditions that make travel unsafe.
This is why FCPS built five inclement weather days into the 2022-23 school calendar. But every time we use an inclement weather day, it pushes back the end of the school year by one day as well. Traditional snow days will not go away. However, in order to minimize additional days at the end of the year and keep students connected to learning, FCPS is introducing Learning @ Home Days as a potential alternative.
On days when we know well in advance that inclement weather will hamper travel and cause significant disruptions, FCPS can choose to use a Learning @ Home Day. We wanted to provide our community with more information about this alternative to a traditional "snow" day.
Learning @ Home logistics.
FCPS is approved to use up to three Learning @ Home Days in the 2022-23 school year following approval from the Maryland State Department of Education. FCPS updated the Board of Education of Frederick County about its Learning @ Home Plan at its January 11 meeting.
Our community shared their desire for students to be able to enjoy snow days. On Learning @ Home Days, a flexible schedule will allow them to do just that. Assignments can be completed on the family's schedule with academic support available via phone and Google Meet. This will still give students an opportunity to enjoy sledding, building snowmen or simply having fun outdoors.
Assignments will be available with or without use of technology. If power outages occur, additional time for assignment completion can be implemented.
Schedule benefits for everyone
So far, FCPS has used one traditional inclement weather day, meaning the final day of school is Friday, June 2. Additional traditional inclement weather days will add additional days to the end of the school year in June.
We realize that some families make summer plans far in advance, and we also know that school attendance wanes each year near the end of the school year.
When Learning @ Home Days are implemented, an additional day will not be tacked on to the end of the school year in June. This makes our end-of-year schedule far more predictable and it keeps students connected to learning during the winter months.
When Learning @ Home Days could be implemented
If we have confidence that a significant winter storm is on its way and will disrupt travel, we could announce a Learning @ Home Day in advance.
This would give schools an opportunity to ensure all students have the materials they need to access learning. Schools will also ensure directions are provided for accessing assignments and receiving optional academic support as needed.
We would not implement a Learning @ Home Day if we believe weather conditions could allow the potential of a school day to take place. Our community will receive notice of the possibility of a Learning @ Home Day implementation at least one day prior to an anticipated storm.
How Learning @ Home Days will be communicated
FCPS would issue a systemic message notifying families of a Learning @ Home Day through updates via:
- Text Message
- FCPS.org
- FCPS-TV
- FCPS social media channels
We also alert our local media partners.
Learning @ Home Basics
Attendance will be logged based on students accessing Schoology courses or showing completion of assigned work.
Grades K-2 students will be provided paper copies of assignments. Grades 3-12 students will be provided a menu of options both technology and non-technology based. Classroom teachers may continue with pre-planned lesson content, focusing on review and practice.
Meals will not be provided on Learning @ Home Days. Meals will be provided on the third consecutive day schools are closed at:
- Ballenger Creek Elementary
- Hillcrest Elementary
- Monocacy Middle
- Waverley Elementary
- Walkersville Middle
With Learning @ Home Days, we are optimistic that our schedule will become far more predictable at the end of the school year. It will also help students continue learning while also enjoying snow days as well.
Contact Information
Email: michele.baisey@fcps.org
Website: https://education.fcps.org/tps/
Location: 7989 Rocky Ridge Road, Thurmont, MD, USA
Phone: 240-236-2800
Twitter: @ThurmontPrimary