Stonegate Greetings

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Monday, September 2nd

• No School, Labor Day Holiday

Tuesday, September 3rd

• PEP students begin school

• Half of PreK students attend- Teacher has communicated which students.

• Virtual PTA Meeting 8-9 pm

Wednesday, September 4th

• Half of PreK students attend- Teacher has communicated which students.
  

• Zoom Parent Meeting for Grades 4-5 Instrumental Music 12 pm

• PTA Spiritware Flash Sale Ends - last day to order

Thursday, September 5th

• All PreK students start

• Grade 4: MAP Reading Assessment

• In person Parent Meeting for Grades 4-5 instrumental Music at 6 pm

Friday, September 6th

• Grade 5 MAP Reading Assessment

• Wear clothes that show your Stonegate Spirit!

Each day at Stonegate, over 200 students are dismissed as walkers or car riders. Student safety is our number one priority and we want to ensure that every child goes home safely. Please be patient with school staff and with our dismissal processes.

This information was also shared in our Arrival and Dismissal Message on August 28th.

During arrival, please do NOT park in the parking lot and then walk your student to the front doors. Our staff will help your child exit your car using our dedicated car loop.

Parking is limited and our Stonegate staff are unable to find spots in the morning.

Please know if your child is a car rider or a walker.

If you walk up to the building to get your child, then your child is a “walker” and should be labeled with a “walker” backpack tag.

If you drive through the car loop, and your student is waiting to get into your vehicle, then your child is a “car rider.” You are not parking and getting out of your car. If you are picking up Car Riders, stay in the line, our process will get faster each day.

“Car Riders” are students picked up by caregivers who drive through the car line.

Cars need to have their children's full student names displayed in the car window. Staff members will be stationed in the car loop to communicate which cars are next for pick up. Car riders will be waiting in the building, listening for their name.

Please display your children’s full names on a paper for staff to see. We recommend using this STONEGATE ELEMENTARY DASH PASS.pdf

Remember to:

• Pull as far up as you can and follow staff directions.

• Plan for your children to enter & exit on the passenger side.

• Do not get out of your vehicle.

• Do not pass cars that are ahead of your vehicle (except when following staff directions)

• Drive slowly and carefully.

• Do not make a left turn to enter the parking lot.

• Do not block neighborhood driveways. Do not block Notley Road or stop on Notley to allow students to exit and cross the road.

If you walk up to the school and pick up your child at the front door, your child is not a car rider. Students who are car riders get right into their car at the car loop. Caregivers should not get out of the vehicle.

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Kindergarten walkers come out at about 3:23 p.m. before students in other grades. Walkers from other grades begin coming out at 3:25 p.m.

Students may walk home using the crosswalks on either side of the school on Notley Road. Students must walk directly home.

Keep the front of the school clear! Caregivers may not congregate at the front of the school at arrival or dismissal.

See this link for our Bus Routes: Bus Route

At the elementary level, parents are responsible for student safety at bus stops.

Students who wish to go home with a classmate after school either by car or riding a different bus must bring a signed note to the office in the morning for verification. The bus drivers will not allow students on buses without written parent/school permission.

Arrival after 9 a.m.

Children who arrive late to school must be signed in at the office by a parent or guardian. Students should also have a written excuse for tardiness, signed by their parent or legal guardian. Plan to arrive at or before 9:00 every day.

Early Pick Up

For early release of a student, please pick them up before 3:00 p.m.

If there are any changes to your child’s regular dismissal schedule, please have all arrangements made before the start of the school day. If it is necessary for a student to be picked up by someone other than the parent, the school must receive written permission from the parent. Identification must be provided at the time of pickup. If, in a special circumstance, a student who normally walks must ride a bus, or vice versa, the student must bring in a note from the parents. If an emergency should arise during the day that changes the dismissal plan for your child, please call the school as soon as possible, and no later than 3:00 p.m., to ensure adequate notice for your child.

Thank you in advance for supporting our arrival and dismissal process.

• Thursday, September 12th, at Stonegate Elementary, 6:00-8:00 p.m. for all grades.

• This event is for parents/caregivers only.

We will offer two Schoolwide informative sessions for parents starting at 6:00 for families. We encourage parents to join us so you are informed about:

• Community Building and Restorative Approaches at Stonegate

• Student and Family Wellbeing for Stonegate

Parents and Guardians of current 4th and 5th-grade students may attend any of the two scheduled meeting dates regardless of the school their child attends, as these same topics will be discussed at each meeting: Instrument suitability, rental cost, scheduling, performances, expectations, and parent questions.

Meeting Dates:

Wednesday, September 4 at 12:00 p.m. on Zoom (link below)

Thursday, September 5 at 6:00 p.m. at Stonegate Elementary School (Media Center)

Zoom information:

Join Zoom Meeting (student log-in not required)

https://mcpsmd.zoom.us/j/81211035907?pwd=ZXXw2CCcBQGV3EDR2QodJBzOwnvN6I.1

Meeting ID: 812 1103 5907

Passcode: 778481

Your attendance is not mandatory for your child to participate in the program. I look forward to meeting you and to a successful school year. For more information about the program or to register, please visit the website: https://sites.google.com/a/mcpsmd.net/krohn-music/home

The exact schedule will be posted at school and to the website on September 25.

Lessons begin the week of September 30.

Here is the 24-25 School Calendar

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org//siteassets/district/calendar/2024/2024-calendar.pdf

Fall Dates

Sept 9 - 3rd Grade MAP-R Reading Assessment

Sept 10 - 10 - 5th Grade MAP-M Math Assessment

Sept 12 - Back to School Night, all students 6-8 pm

Sept 12 - 4th Grade MAP-M Math Assessment

Sept 19 - Fifth Grade Parent Meeting

Sept 13 - Grade 5 Field Trip - Mount Vernon

Sept 13 - 3rd Grade MAP-M Math Assessment

Sept 16 - 16 - 2nd Grade MAP-P Math Assessment

Sept 17 - 1st Grade MAP-P Math Assessment

Sept 19 - Kindergarten MAP-P Math Assessment

Sept 25 - After School Creative Adventures Art begins, 6 Wednesdays

Sept 27 - Early Release Day, Students dismissal 12:55 pm

Oct 3 - No School, Non Instructional Day, Possible Make Up

Oct 7 - Grade 5 Field Trip Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

Oct 8 - Student Picture Day 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Oct 11 - Kindergarten Field Trip to Green Meadows Farm 9:40 a.m. - 2:10 p.m.

Oct 17 - Heart Health Challenge School Wide Community Walk

Oct 17 - Math Night 6-7 p.m.

Oct 18 - No School, Possible Make up day

Oct 21 - SGA Food Drive Kicks Off

Oct 25 - Grade 3 Field Trip Butler’s Orchard 9:40 a.m. - 2:10 p.m.

Oct 25 - SGA Pumpkins and Plaid Dance

Oct 31 - Harvest Festival and Halloween Parade

Nov 4 - No School, Grading and Planning Day, Possible Make up

Nov 5 - No School, Election Day

Nov 5 - 19 - Square 1 Art Fundraiser

Nov 11-15 - PTA Scholastic Book Fair

Nov 14 - Good Night, Sleep Tight Reading Night

Nov 17 - Make Up/Retakes Student Picture Day 9 - 11 a.m.

Nov 24-25 - Early Release Day, Students dismissal 12:55 pm

Nov 27-29- No school, Thanksgiving Holiday

Dec 23 - Jan 1- No School, Winter Break

Jan 2 - Return to School

Flyers on Stonegate Website

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/stonegatees/homepage/extracurricular/

Three times a year students will participate in the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) test. K-2 students participate in the MAP Growth Primary for Math, and 3-5 students participate in MAP Growth for Reading and Math. Please make sure your child is well rested and on-time to school for their scheduled testing date. Please reach out to your child’s teacher or Mrs. Semitekolos with any questions. Thank you!

Menus are sent home monthly and can be found on the MCPS’s website: Elementary Menu

​​Kindergarten- 5th Grade Menu: August-September 2024:

English | español | français | 中文 | Portuguese | 한국어 | tiếng Việt | አማርኛ

Pre-K/Headstart: August-September 2024:

English | español | français | 中文 | Portuguese | 한국어 | tiếng Việt | አማርኛ

Hot lunches are served daily with alternate choices. Lunch is $2.55 including milk. Milk may be purchased separately for 60 cents. Parents are highly encouraged to start a Myschoolbucks account for their child. This will eliminate lost or forgotten lunch money. The price of lunch or breakfast will be subtracted from the account. Checks should be made payable to Stonegate School Cafeteria.

Payments to student cafeteria accounts can be made either through My School Bucks (optional, not a requirement), or cash or checks payable to Stonegate Cafeteria and submitted to the cafeteria manager. MySchoolBucks.com is an optional service for parents/guardians to make prepayments to a student's cafeteria account for breakfast, lunch, and à-la-carte meals online with a credit or debit card. This service is offered as a convenience for interested families.

By creating a secure online account, parents can monitor and manage their child's account.

There is a $2.49 (new) convenience fee for each payment transaction.

There is no cost to set up an account, check your child's spending history, and receive low-balance notifications.

Every year, students must apply and be approved to receive FREE breakfast and/or lunch.

The Division of Food and Nutrition Services (DFNS) is excited to provide regular meal services during the 2024-2025 school year. Students in Maryland who qualify for reduced-price meals will not be charged for meals! Breakfast: Regular Price: $1.30; Reduced Price: No Cost, Lunch: Regular Price: $2.55, Reduced Price: No Cost

Apply before school starts. One application covers the entire HOUSEHOLD. Translations in other languages are available through the online application.

Apply now at www.MySchoolApps.com

Here is a video about how to apply:

English Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJUapGLarBo

Video en Español: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsdCrtCIFJc&t=4s

Stonegate communicates using the “Remind” app. Schoolwide messages and messages from individual teachers will come through Remind. Caregivers will receive messages as texts. Some parents also choose to download Remind as an app on their device.

Adjust your account settings for Remind at www.remind.com.

Choose “Sign up” and enter your phone number. Your account as an MCPS parent will come up and will allow you to edit your communication settings.

Add a phone number for a caregiver:

Do you need an older sibling, a grandparent or other caregiver to receive text messages from the school? Add an additional phone to receive school wide Remind text messages by using that phone to text @436ch8 to the number 81010.

Our Caregiver Handbook has all the important information that families need to know!

Click here to view it! Here in English and Here in Spanish.

Start the new school year with new gear! Order your new t-shirts and hoodies today on the Stonegate Spirit Wear Store. The flash sale ends on September 4 and all orders will ship directly to the school in 3 - 4 weeks once they are processed. We will provide an update as we get closer to the shipping date. If you have questions, please contact stonegateptapres@gmail.com or the Spirit Hero Team at 1-800-239-9948. Thank you for supporting the Stonegate PTA and showing your Shark spirit.

To make it easier for you to pay for your child's school items and fees, our online payment system, SchoolCash Online, will be sending some Primary Guardians an email. This feature also delivers increased convenience for parents/guardians and greater control for the primary guardian to manage access to accounts.​
​

If you are a Primary Guardian in the school's Student Information System and you don't yet have a SchoolCash Online account with that email address, you will receive an automated invitation from SchoolCash Online to create one​. This email will come from the KEV Group - noreply@schoolcashonline.com and an example of this email is pictured here.

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If you are a Primary Guardian in the school's Student Information System, and if you already have a SchoolCash Online account with that email address but you haven't yet linked your student(s) to your account, you will receive an automated email from SchoolCash Online for each unlinked child. This email will ask you to confirm that you want the system to automatically connect your child to your account.​

If you are a Primary Guardian, once you have logged into SchoolCash Online, you will be able to share the child's access to other guardians.​

Once your account is created you can bookmark this link to log in: https://mcpsmd.schoolcashonline.com

Clothing to Cash® is a program that collects New and Used Clothing, Shoes, Sheets, and Towels, (all Textiles) and pays the school 10 cents for every pound collected. The program is operated entirely OUTSIDE and will be located in the school parking lot, where students, parents, staff, and the community can drop off items throughout the year. They have state-of-the-art photo quantity sensors installed in each bin that report 3 times daily to prevent overflow and allow the company to schedule service as needed (no other companies use this technology). They empty the collection bin, weigh the contents to determine our school earnings, and pay our school monthly. The average school (500 - 1000 students) will earn $1000- $2000 yearly if each student would donate just one 13-gallon kitchen-size trash bag! Add in parents, siblings, relatives, neighbors, and staff, and Stonegate’s earnings could really increase.

8.27.2024: Arrival and Dismissal Message

8.25.2024 Stonegate Greetings

Welcome Back Summer letter

Main Office: 240- 740-7430

Stonegate Elementary School

14811 Notley Road

Silver Spring, MD 20905

Arrival 8:40-9:00 a.m.

Dismissal 3:25 p.m.

Caregiver Handbook

Principal: Linda_M_Jones@mcpsmd.org

On X: @StonegatePrin

Assistant Principal: Franny_S_Wooler@mcpsmd.org

Visit us on the web at: www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/stonegatees/