Dr. Ronald E. McNair ES Parent News
February 2024
Dear Families,
Wow! January definitely ended with lots of snow, followed by rain, and warmth! February is upon us and the weather can continue to be unpredictable. Please be sure your contact information is updated to receive alerts from the school and school delay/late opening/closure messages from MCPS.
The Dr. RMES STEM Night was a great success! Mrs. Graber was impressed by the student choices and the variety of projects. The students had great command of public speaking skills and clearly explained the facts and their learning from completing their projects and experiments. Thank you for allowing your scholars to take the risk and participate in this PTA sponsored event.
Although short, February is always a busy month at school.
- First, we acknowledge that February is Black History Month. During this month, we will share "Did You Know Facts" with our students during the morning announcements.
- National School Counseling Week for 2024 is celebrated from February 5-9, 2024, with the theme "School Counseling: Standards Based, Student-Focused". We appreciate Mrs. Privman and Mrs. Lavo for all they do for our students!
- Also during the week of February 19, we will hold our Grades 3-5 Spelling Bee. This is a great experience for our upper elementary students.
- February also heralds the 100th day of school on February 8, which is recognized by our kindergarten and first grade classes.
- Then students will be exchanging Valentines at our parties on February 14. Valentine’s Day parties will begin at 2:30 - 3:30 for PK-1 & 3-5 and 1:45 - 2:45 for 2nd grade.
- The next week, schools will be closed on February 19 for Presidents’ Day.
- February 13 will be the kickoff to our students displaying their heart skills in our annual Kids Heart Challenge. All classes will be participating in a Kids Heart Challenge Obstacle Course during PE class from March 4 through March 8.
- Camp Learn-A-Lot will be held on Thursday February 29th. This curriculum night will engage families in activities in both reading and math that connect to the grade level standards and expectations.
As we enter the second semester, please remember it is very important that students arrive to school on time. Students who are habitually tardy to school miss important instruction, announcements, and classroom routines that are essential for student success. Being on time is a critical life-long habit necessary for future success as well. In order to ensure a great start to each school day, students should be in their classroom seats before 9:20 a.m. All students may enter the school at 9:05, where they will proceed to the gym. Students buying breakfast may proceed directly to the cafeteria. The cafeteria closes for breakfast at 9:20.
We look forward to great things happening for our students this month. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email both Mrs. Moses (Sherilyn_R_Moses@mcpsmd.org) and Mrs. Graber (Jessicabay_Graber@mcpsmd.org).
Sincerely,
Mrs. Sherilyn Moses, Principal
&
Mrs. Jessica Graber, Principal Intern
REPORT CARDS
On Monday, February 5, report cards will be distributed to students and posted in ParentVUE.
Accessing Report Cards via ParentVUE Tech Short - This tech short video provides a quick tutorial on how parents can access their child's report card using the ParentVUE mobile app. Accessing Report Cards with the ParentVUE Mobile App
Curriculum Night: Camp Learn-A-Lot Thursday February 29th
Join your Dr. Ronald E. McNair staff and community for a night of fun near the camp fire, engaging in activities connected to our literacy and math standards. The event will run from 6:30-8:00 and will have activities for all grade levels. Take home activities, games and snacks will be provided.
Parent Surveys for GT Student Identification
For all 2nd grade students, and students in 3rd, and 5th grade who have not previously been identified as GT, MCPS is in the process of gathering information about students to plan for the upcoming school year. This includes the screening for gifted and talented identification. School staff wants to consider information you can provide to plan your student’s instructional program. Next week, please be on the lookout for a parent survey located on ParentVue. This survey includes questions about your student’s strengths. The survey window opens January 29th and is open until Feb. 29th. If you have any questions, please reach out to Katrina Harrigan, katrina_k_harrigan@mcpsmd.org.
Parking lot reminders
With the enlarged car loop we are able to fit more cars in line for drop off, however, once drop off is over at 9:25 and the school doors are closed, parents are required to sign students into the front office. Please make sure you are not just dropping off your students to buzz themselves into the building, they must be signed into the office by an adult. In addition, cars need to be parked in parking spots, even if you're just signing in your student we cannot have cars parked around the loop, it causes congestion and effects the ability for other cars to get around and out. Thank you for your continued cooperation.
Preparing for Possible Virtual Learning
We shared in our last newsletter that MCPS has decided to move to virtual instruction in the event of a foreseen severe snowy weather closure. If there is a call to close schools the morning of severe cold or snowy weather, students will have a traditional "snow day." Below are the key components of MCPS moving to virtual learning and our plan as a school for the shift.
- Schools and families will be notified the day before a severe weather event if we are moving to virtual learning.
- Synchronous virtual learning will occur for up to 3 days, if needed.
- We will follow a 2-hour delay schedule:
- Morning instruction for all students: 11:25am - 1:15pm
- Lunch for all students: 1:15pm - 1:45pm
- Afternoon instruction for all students: 1:45pm - 3:50pm
- Students will be sent home with chromebooks, and in some cases, work packets if the announcement is made that we will be shifting to virtual learning the following day.
- The McNair Zoom Link Sheet will be sent out to all families and either posted on clever or in canvas classrooms.
Chromebook for At Home Use
This school year, Dr. Ronald E. McNair ES students in PK-4 do not have a chromebook that they bring home. This is because we are using the cart model, where the chromebooks remain at the school. If your student is in need of a chromebook for at home use, please scan the QR code below or access the form at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdDNdqO31soXKLffjcEzgVQ9C2Z2koPm6ifKm7-K77e44ZhAg/viewform.
Application and Selection Processes for the Elementary World Language Immersion Program
The immersion lottery process begun on February 1, 2024, and ends April 19, 2024.
- Parents/guardians interested in participating in the immersion lottery must submit their requests online by, April 21, 2023.
- Only Montgomery County residents are eligible for the program. A Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) student ID number must be submitted with the immersion request.
- An immersion presentation, program information, and directions for parents/guardians will be available on the MCPS homepage and the immersion website - click here.
- Parents/Guardians can apply USING THIS LINK to complete and submit the form.
- Upon receipt of the parents/guardians submitting an online immersion request, the parents/guardians will receive an email with a summary of their request.
- The Division of Consortia Choice and Application Program Services (DCCAPS) will email student placement notifications to parents/guardians and communicate with elementary schools regarding student placement in the middle of May 2024.
- The continuation of transportation for the 2024–2025 school year for regional and countywide immersion programs is pending budget approval.
- Immersion programs are only available for in-person instruction for the 2024–2025 school year.
Elementary Language Immersion Program Overview:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1C3tEf2nvrok7J6MEqOwmA_bwde_MLGYiL09CDto6Nh8/edit?usp=sharing
February 8, 2024
VALENTINE’S DAY PARTIES & CANDY GRAMS
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner! McNair’s Valentine’s festivities will take place on Wednesday, February 14. Grade levels will celebrate in the following ways:
- PRE - K (9:30 - 11:00 a.m. & 3:00 p.m.) - Morning: Station rotation which includes valentine delivery, heart math game, and story sequencing and Afternoon: valentine snack with juice
- Kindergarten, 1st, 3rd, 4th & 5th Grades grades (2:30 - 3:30) - Decorate Valentine card bags, distribute valentine's cards, enjoy a snack, and play a game and/or engage in a simple craft.
- 2nd Grade (1:45-2:45) - Decorate Valentine card bags, distribute valentine's cards, enjoy a snack, and play a game and/or engage in a simple craft.
- 5th (2:30-3:30) - Combined party in cafeteria.
Please be on the lookout for more information from your child's teacher.
It’s Time to Order Your Candy Grams!!! A Candy Gram is a lollipop with a Valentine personal to/from label attached, delivered to students during the Valentine's Day parties on February 14th. Parents and family members can send them to their children and students can send them to friends, teachers, and staff!
Deadline to send in your order forms with cash payment is Friday, February 9th. Put the two-sided form and cash in an envelope to the front office marked "Candy Grams."
Health Room Updates
Change of Clothes
Everyday there are accidents that happen at school. Whether it be a spill, fall, puddles, or even toileting, they happen. Unfortunately we do not have the extra clothing to provide a change for students Currently we do the best we can with what little we have to provide in the event of a bodily fluid issue or a wet spill or fall that includes the underpants area of clothing. While we have had donations in the past we don’t have those coming in now.
Please provide a full change of clothes for your student that may either remain in their backpack or hang in a bag on their coat hook in the classroom. If we do not have clothing to fit your child our only option is to call for clothing to be brought to school, which means lost time from the classroom and from whatever you may need to be doing instead.
If you would like to donate clothing, we need sizes 7-10 boys, girls, unisex pants and long sleeved shirts (PLEASE no shorts or short sleeved t-shirts). Please note that we can only accept unopened packs of underwear.
As always thank you for your support of the health room team.
Quarter 3 Newsletters
Grade 3-5 Parents Only
Our School Wide Spelling Bee is next week! We held classroom level spelling bees in Grade 3-5 the week of January 15th-19th. The students who finished in the top two for each classroom will be moving on to the schoolwide bee. Information about the School Wide Bee was shared with the parents of the students who finish in the top two spots of their classroom bee. The School Wide Bee will take place on February 21. The 2023-2024 School Spelling Bee Study List list is in the link below. Good luck to each student!
Anti-Bullying Forum Community Event Flyer here
CONTACT INFORMATION
Emergencies can arise at any time. It is important to your child’s safety that we have your current address and current home and work numbers on file. If your address or phone number changes, please be sure to notify the office.
Sick Student?
We understand that students will be sick and we want to help you. When your child is sick, in addition to informing the classroom teacher, please be sure to inform the main office. The best way to do so is by completing the Student Absence form. We appreciate you keeping your student at home when they are ill.
PROCEDURE FOR A CHANGE IN THE WAY A STUDENT GOES HOME
If a student’s plans require a change from their normal dismissal (e.g. play date, child care changes), the change must be made in writing to the homeroom teacher and front office. Please state your child’s name, the name of the individual they should be dismissed with, the date the change is occurring and your signature.
In the event of last minute changes to a student’s dismissal plans, please call the main office prior to 3:00 p.m. All students will be dismissed via their normal plan unless we have been notified of a change. Please arrange your child’s transportation home so that it is consistent. It is difficult for a child to remember where they are to go on a particular day if the routine changes daily. Students are not to call home from the school to make after school plans.
Any adults who come to school to pick up a child early will be asked to show documentation to verify identification and ensure student safety.
The front office will have quiet hours between 3:30 and 3:50 where students will not be called down for early dismissal.