The Greencastle Gazette
Dear Greencastle Elementary Families,
We are getting closer to the end of the second marking period/first semester. In an effort to increase communication and access to resources to support your child(ren) at home, we've made some upgrades to the website. Now you will find a new "CLASSROOM" tab on the website that houses each grade level's monthly newsletter, and their grade level homework policy. The Homework Helper contains information for supporting literacy and math instruction at home.
We are continuing with MAP and WIDA testing this week. You can help your child prepare for testing by doing the following:
- Make sure your child gets a good night's sleep, and eats properly the day of a test.
- Maintain a pleasant home environment and avoid unnecessary conflicts. Try to make the morning of the test a pleasant one.
- Make sure your child has taken any needed medication.
- Ensure that your child is present during testing (children generally perform better when taking tests in their groups rather than during a make-up session.)
- Ensure your child arrives to school on time the day of the test. Students should arrive starting at 8:40 a.m.
- Remind your child to listen carefully to the instructions from the teacher and to read the directions and each question carefully.
- Tell your child to attempt to answer all of the questions and not to leave any blank.
- Encourage your child to stay focused on the test, even if other students finish early. This is not a race.
This Week
Tuesday, January 14: Young Scholars Field Trip (Select Grade 5 Classes)
Wednesday, January 15: Family Articulation Night at Benjamin Banneker Middle School
- Monday, January 13 : Grade 3 WIDA; K - 2 MAP
- Tuesday, January 14: Kindergarten, Grades 1 & 3 MAP; Grade 4 WIDA
- Wednesday, January 15: Grades 2 - 4 MAP; Grades 3, 5 WIDA
- Thursday, January 16: MAP Make-up testing; Grades 3 - 4 WIDA
- Friday, January 17: Grades 2 & 5 MAP; Grade 1 WIDA
Upcoming Dates
Monday, January 20: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day—Schools and offices closed
Tuesday, January 28: End of the 2nd Marking Period
Tuesday, January 28: PTA Fundraiser at Chuck E. Cheese
Wednesday, January 29: Grading and Planning for the end of term; no school for students
Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) is a language arts program for Grades PreK–5 that combines a multi-sensory approach to phonics with rich texts carefully sequenced to build content knowledge—so that students learn to read and read to learn at the same time.
Every day in Grades PreK–2, students complete one full lesson that builds foundational reading skills, as well as one full lesson that builds background knowledge. In Grades 3–5, students start to master the skills of reading, further opening up their worlds.
MCPS Curriculum Overviews (Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 5)
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/english/es
Family Resources --> A Letter from Ms. Cofield, Greencastle ES Reading Specialist
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1x0KZPFjwDUzczz_dSVqL4OPc3J_oxsLvTzzgFnyBkb8/edit?usp=sharing
Family Mathematics Support Center
MCPS schools and families building mathematics proficiency for all through:
- A better understanding of the curriculum.
- Building a deeper understanding of concepts, skills and practices.
- Providing additional support and practice opportunities for parents and students.
Elementary domains of mathematics learning include:
- Counting and Cardinality (PreKindergarten and Kindergarten only)
- Operations and Algebraic Thinking (PreK-5)
- Number and Operations in Base Ten (K-5)
- Number and Operations: Fractions (3-5)
- Geometry (PreK-5)
- Measurement and Data (PreK-5)
Visit this link for additional support for math help at home (Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 5)
https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/math-support/
Greencastle ES Breakfast and Lunch Monthly Menus: https://schools.mealviewer.com/school/GreencastleES
Click the video below to learn more about accessing our monthly breakfast and lunch menus.
By the end of the 2024-2025 school year, the percentage of Greencastle students who are chronically absent will decrease from 32% to 27%.
We continue to show a slight increase in our percentage of our students demonstrating chronic absenteeism. While we are below the goal we set at the beginning of the school year, we want to continue to work to get this number to continue to decline so that it is closer to the average for MCPS which is 16.88%. We can do it, Greencastle! Help us to continue to meet and exceed our goal by decreasing the number of students chronically absent.
Click on the link below from Attendance Works that outlines the Health Guidance for Attending School when your student is not feeling well.
Hello, Knight Community!
Happy New Year! We’re excited to kick off the second half of the school year and hope you all had a fantastic break.
Yearbooks Go on Sale!
Yearbooks will be available for purchase ONLINE ONLY starting Monday, January 6th. Don’t wait—order yours early to secure your copy! Yearbooks will be distributed in May and come with options:
- Soft Cover $17.00+Tax
- Hard Cover $22.00+Tax
- Personalization $3.00
Family Knight Out
Mark your calendars! Our next Family Knight Out is at Chuck E. Cheese on Tuesday, January 28th, from 3:00–9:00 PM. We hope to see you there for an evening of fun and community!
Let’s make the rest of the school year amazing, Knights!
