The Viking Weekly Newsletter 9.15
Week of September 15 2024
Transportation Updates
Below, you will find the parent letters and new school schedules for Gaithersburg Middle School.
For your convenience, the bus schedule is available online. Simply visit the MCPS website, search for “Transportation,” click on “Bus Routes and Bell Times,” and select Gaithersburg Middle School.
What You Should Know - English
What You Should Know - Spanish
Bus Routes - Arrival
Bus Routes - Departure
Need Help?
To address any concerns or issues with bus delays, we want to introduce the MCPS Transportation Hotline. This service will begin Monday, August 26, starting at 6:00 am to 5:00 pm, and will be available during the first week of school. MCPS transportation staff will be able to support families if questions, concerns or problems with a bus or bus stop need to be addressed. To access this service, call 240-740-7790.
Athletics and After-School Activities
Middle School Athletics Registration
Registration for middle school athletics will be conducted through the ParentVUE Portal. The ParentVUE online registration portal, available in English and Spanish, incorporates all required paper forms and documents into an internet-based platform that can be accessed using a secure ParentVUE Portal login. Parents/guardians are also able to scan and upload their student's physical, as part of the registration process.
Fall registration for Coed Cross Country or Boys' and Girls' Softball opens August 12, 2024, at 12:00 noon.
Winter registration for Boys' or Girls' Basketball opens October 28, 2024, at 12:00 noon
Spring registration for Boys' or Girls' Soccer opens January 27, 2025, at 12:00 noon
Participation Requirements
Students should complete their pre-participation physical (MCPS Form SR-8) so that the medical eligibility form (last two pages of SR-8) is ready for online submission via the ParentVue Portal or for email submission to Mr. Frawley, prior to tryouts/practices. This form is valid for two years from the date of the exam and covers participation for all sports within that time period. This form must be completed and/or on file before a student-athlete can participate. All physicals must include the COVID-19 supplemental information, attached to the pre-participation physical (MCPS Form SR-8)
Below are helpful resources to assist parents/guardians with the online registration process and with securing a physical evaluation prior to in-person engagement.
ParentVue Guide - A "Quick Guide to ParentVue for Athletics" for parents/guardians when registering their students for athletics.
ParentVue Guide - A "How to Guide" for parents/guardians for Getting Started with ParentVUE.pdf
Athletic Registration in ParentVUE- How to use Online Registration in ParentVUE to register students for athletics.
For more information about MCPS Athletics, Please refer to the link below OR Contact our Athletic Coordinator at Gaithersburg Middle School;
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/athletics/programs/default/564092/
Girls and Boys Softball and Girls and Boys Cross Country Tryouts
Girls and Boys Softball and Girls and Boys Cross Country tryouts for 7th and 8th grade students begin on Tuesday, September 17th! Students interested in trying out for either of these sports must have completed MCPS middle school Athletics registration conducted through ParentVUE Portal.
Free and Reduced Meals (FARMS) Applications Are Now Open
Students who choose to eat the school breakfast and/or lunch must purchase these items this year or receive them free by applying for FARMs. Students will use their student ID number to access their lunch account at mealtime. Breakfast is $1.30 and lunch is $2.80. There are also a la carte options for purchase. Menus are updated regularly at the MCPS Food and Nutrition Services website.
Lunch Account PrePayments with MySchoolBucks
English | español | 中文 | français | tiếng Việt | 한국어 | አማርኛ
MySchoolBucks is an optional service for parents to view recent purchases and make prepayments to your child's cafeteria account for breakfast, lunch and a la carte meals via the Internet with a credit/debit card. This service is offered as a convenience for interested families. By creating a secure online account, parents can manage their child's account. Click here to sign up or access your child's account: www.MySchoolBucks.com.
Students may qualify for free or reduced-price meals based on household size and income. They may also qualify if they are receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA), or Medicaid benefits. Families may apply for meal benefits by completing an Application for Free and Reduced-Price Meals for the current school year. Students who qualify for reduced-price meals will not be charged that cost - meaning that reduced-price students will eat for free. Families that qualify for Free and Reduced Meals (FARMs) are encouraged to apply now to avoid longer processing times in the Fall. Click here to apply: https://www.myschoolapps.com/. Several family food programs are tied to FARMS status.
How-to videos for the online FARMS application:
Spanish Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsdCrtCIFJc&t=4s
English Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJUapGLarBo
School Cash Online
MCPS offers a School Cash Online payment system for parents and guardians to make payments for field trips, yearbooks, merchandise, and donations. If you have not registered and set up your account, we encourage you to do so today. Use this School Cash Online (SCO) link and follow the steps. Parent guides are linked below as well.
SCO Parent Guide (Español)
SCO - How to register
SCO-Auto Subscription Multi Guardian User Guide (English)
SCO-Auto Subscription Multi Guardian User Guide (Spanish)
IXL - Help Your Child Sharpen Their Math Skills
In an effort to help improve Math skills and help prepare students for the MAP-M test, MCPS has partnered with IXL to provide a platform for students to sharpen their math skills. IXL has skill plans that target Student's present MAP-M levels. They also offer practice problems and videos that align with our Illustrative Math curriculum. Students can access IXL through the Clever Portal under the MCPS Resources folder.
Make Plans to Join Us!
As part of Superintendent Thomas Taylor’s entry plan, he will be meeting with as many stakeholders as possible to learn more about the Montgomery County community. Part of this includes upcoming listening sessions at four schools. Save the date for one of these sessions:
- Monday, Sept. 16, Poolesville High School, 17501 West Willard Road, Poolesville, 7–8 p.m.
- Wednesday, Sept. 18, (Updated Location) Rockville High School, 2100 Baltimore Road, Rockville, 7–8 p.m.
- Monday, Sept. 23, Montgomery Blair High School, 51 University Blvd. East, Silver Spring, 7–8 p.m.
- Monday, Oct. 21, Paint Branch High School, 14121 Old Columbia Pike, Burtonsville, 7–8 p.m.
Interpretation services will be available in Spanish at each event.
The upcoming community engagement session will allow parents, students, staff, and community members to share their input on two key questions regarding the district's operations and academics.
- Regarding operations, what is working well in the district and what needs attention?
- Regarding academics, what should be done differently to improve student academic results?
Attendees will have the opportunity to voice feedback verbally during the session. Those who prefer to submit feedback digitally can do so on this Google form.
Updated Timeline for Blended Learning Program for Long-Term Medically Impacted Students
MCPS is moving forward with its timeline for establishing a new Blended Learning Program for Long-Term Medically Impacted Students. This program will provide consistent and comprehensive educational services in both synchronous and asynchronous virtual environments to students with medical conditions who, as identified by a licensed medical professional, cannot be served in an in-person school environment for up to one year.
An application for the program will be available online starting Oct. 1, 2024, and the program will officially launch on Nov. 6, 2024. As the development process continues, more detailed information about the program's logistics will be communicated.
School Menus Now Available for All Grades in All Languages
Updated school menus for 2024–2025 are now available for all grades—from PreK/Head Start through high school. The menus, which include student picks and vegetarian options, are available in English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Portuguese, Korean, Vietnamese and Amharic.
In addition, the Free and Reduced-price Meals (FARMS) application is available for this school year. Families must reapply every year to determine whether they are eligible for the FARMS program, even if their child qualified the previous year. Students/families can request a paper application at any school, but processing is faster online.
Remind App Now Available in All Schools
Remind is a messaging platform that has been implemented in all schools this year for communication among MCPS schools, teachers, students and parents. School staff, central office staff, students and parents all have Remind accounts to enable them to send and/or receive messages using a preferred mode of communication, such as text message, email or phone call in their preferred language.
Parents don’t have to sign up for Remind or download an app to receive messages. Messages will be sent to the email and phone number registered with the school, and parents will automatically receive messages when they are sent. If parents wish to respond to a message, they will need to download the app or create an account on the website. See below for information on how to download the app.
YouTube video on how to use Remind
Parent Quick Guides
English, Spanish, French, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Portuguese, Amharic
Student Leadership and SSL Opportunities
The following leadership and extracurricular opportunities are available to students. Some also provide Student Service Learning (SSL) hours. All MCPS students must earn 75 SSL hours to graduate from high school.
For middle and high school students: The Association for Safe International Road Travel and the Montgomery County Regional Student Government Association are hosting a competition centered on road safety and how to keep students and others safe on the roads. Participants who submit a public service announcement (PSA) that meets contest requirements will earn 10 SSL hours and have a chance to win Amazon gift cards. Entries are due Sunday, Oct. 6. Learn more.
Open to high school girls: Girls With Impact is offering a free, 10-week course on business and leadership. This program offers online courses with trained coaches who hold MBAs. Learn more and register by 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4.
NAACP Parents' Council Meeting
You are invited to attend the upcoming NAACP-MC Parents’ Council meeting on September 18, 2024! This event is a fantastic opportunity for new and returning Parents’ Council representatives to connect, engage, and learn more about our shared mission.
Event Details:
Date: September 18, 2024
Time: 6:30 PM Via Zoom
Focus: Science of Reading/ Structured Literacy Plan, MAP Assessments; Safety/Security; Hate/Bias
Please Register in advance for the meeting. Registration is required for each meeting, and you can save and use this link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0qdeGoqD4pE9aLT2sFRTAFIwGguj02g0q1. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Don’t miss this chance to get involved and make a positive impact in our community. Here are the foci of future meetings:
- October 16, 2024:; Pathways to College and Career Readiness; PK12 Math Plan; Academic Interventions & Tutoring Supports; Civic Engagement/GOTV
- November 20, 2024: SIP; CCR Pathway, Navigating a Changing College Application Landscape
- December 18, 2024: Anti-Racist School District Plan; Student Well-Being;
- January 15, 2025: The MSDE Blueprint and How it Impacts Students and Families; Planning for Summer
- February 19, 2025: Conversation with the Superintendent
- March 19, 2025: Special Education Advocacy and Support; Mid-Year EOL Data Update
- April 16, 2025: Meet the Board of Education
- May 14, 2025: Recognition of Exemplary Leaders, Teachers, and Staff : Best and Brightest Celebration
- June 11, 2025 : Progress Assessment & Planning for the Upcoming School Year
Summer SSL Hours Due by Sept. 27
Students who completed Student Service Learning (SSL) hours over the summer must submit their Activity Verification forms to their schools SSL coordinator by Friday, Sept. 27.
All MCPS students must earn 75 SSL hours to graduate from high school. Students who enroll in MCPS after Grade 6 will receive a waiver that prorates the SSL requirement.
A full list of SSL in-person and virtual opportunities, reminders and updates are available on the SSL website.
Costa Rica & Panama Trip - June 2025
Thank you again to those of you who were able to attend our informational meeting. HERE are the slides in case you missed it! To the travelers who have already taken advantage of the $100 discount and enrolled on the trip … welcome aboard!! We are so excited to have you 😊
For those not yet enrolled, the sooner you are able to enroll ($95 Enrollment Fee on the Automatic Payment Plan), the higher the chance there will still be room on the trip. With EF’s risk-free enrollment period – you will also have the chance to cancel with a full refund, should your plans change!
You can enroll now at www.eftours.com/2663008EV or by calling EF’s Traveler Support Line at 800-665-5364.
The official deadline for enrollment to receive the discount is coming up September 20th, and we cannot guarantee there will still be space should you wait to enroll. We want you there!
Have a great day!
Ms. O'Neal
Please note this is a non-school sponsored trip.
George B. Thomas Saturday School
Affordable academic tutoring for grades K-12 at Gaithersburg High School, other high schools, and on-line. Saturdays from 8:30 to 11:00 a.m. Program begins September 2024. Click here to register and learn more.
MCPS Parent Academy
Student, Family, and School Services is very excited to provide "Parent Academy TO GO," a series of virtual presentations for families to participate and view at home. Click here to learn more and register.
Gaithersburg Youth Club
Click here to learn more about the GYC, an after-school, supervised, and fun club for our students. The center is right across the street from GMS and the program costs only $20 or $25 per year.
Contacting Us
During the school year, if your question is about your child's class, the first person to contact is always your child's teacher. Use Synergy to quickly email your child's teachers or see our Staff Directory.
Email: Sofia_M_Grant-Dewitt@mcpsmd.org
Website: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/gaithersburgms/
Location: 2 Teachers Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20877
Phone: (240) 740-4950
Instagram: @GMSVikings
Twitter: @GMSVikings