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The Cougar Connection
Principal News & Notes December 2023 Issue
Monthly Calendar
Cold Spring Elementary School Website
Cold Spring Elementary Phone Number: 240-740-4390
December 1st - House Color Day, Grade 1 Field Trip to Imagination Stage, Helping Hands Donations Due
December 15th - PAWS for Partnership Event
December 18th - Cougar House Team Building
December 19th - Winter Concert
December 25th - 30th- Winter Break
PAWS for Partnership
We are thrilled to open our doors to you for our reimagined PAWS for Partnership event on December 15th. Join Principal Hambrecht and Mr. Legarreta for coffee and donuts in the cafeteria after you drop off your student. We will meet and mingle with families and share a bit more about the amazing work taking place at Cold Spring. From there, you will head to your child's classroom to engage in a task connected to content standards being taught. Our teachers will plan intentional tasks that demonstrate a typical student experience with the expectation that you will also engage in the task with your child. Our goal is to have you partner with your child and our teachers to get a glimpse of the learning experience your child engages in daily. For all our parents with multiple children, feel free to come and go to different rooms as you please.
We are asking that all parents please refrain from taking photos and using your cell phones. We have student who are not able to be photographed and we want to make sure everyone feels comfortable and safe on what we expect to be a very busy and crowded morning.
The timing for our event is as follows:
9:00-9:30 Meet & Mingle (Coffee/Donuts in the Cafeteria)
9:30-10:15 Classroom visits
Absenteeism
In an effort to align with MCPS' action plan to tackle chronic absenteeism, Cold Spring will be monitoring student attendance. Below are key highlights from the MCPS Attendance Action Plan and Cold Spring will elevate the second bullet around school based data driven planning and monitoring.
- Data-Driven Foundation: MCPS will conduct a comprehensive analysis of school-based absenteeism data, examining student groups, days of the week, departments, courses, teachers and periods. This analysis will help identify root causes and develop targeted interventions to improve attendance.
- School-Based Data-Driven Planning and Monitoring: Each school will develop a customized attendance plan with specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound, inclusive and equitable goals. Regular attendance data review meetings will be held, subgroup attendance will be analyzed and individual students will be identified for additional support.
- Central Service Structures, Supports and Initiatives: MCPS will launch a systemwide attendance promotion campaign to raise awareness about the importance of regular school attendance. Additionally, designated members from various roles, including administrators, counselors, social workers, pupil personnel workers, parent community coordinators, school nurses and attendance secretaries, will collaborate to support students and families in improving attendance.
Although there are a number of reasons students are tardy and/or absent and some are excused, every missed day of instruction impacts the elementary learning career. At Cold Spring, we will be reviewing data monthly. If your child reaches a threshold that impacts their learning experience, we will reach out to you via phone call or letter. Our goal is to work with families to understand potential barriers and offer support when we can.
Winter is Coming...
With cold temperatures knocking at our door we will be monitoring weather daily to make informed decisions on outdoor recess. We do not have a school policy on when we go outside and when we stay in, however, we will look at the "feels like" temperature in the colder months. If it is below 32 degrees, we will be indoors. We also reach out to our cluster schools to align as best as possible.
We ask all parents to send students with jackets, hats, and gloves so they can stay warm as we head out in cold temperatures. Recess is 40 minutes and many students may not be cold at the beginning, but by the end are. Thank you for your help!
Spotlight on Specials- What Happens in Music, Art, Media, & PE?
Lost & Found Items
PTA News
Additional Yearbook Chair Needed
The yearbook co-chairs are looking for a 3rd volunteer to join their awesome team. Duties include: assist with emails to coordinate all things related to the yearbook (to PTA, parents, and school), be available to photograph during school hours and some after-school events, and use the photo software to upload, sort, and help create photo collages. If you are interested please reach out to Paola Garber at garber.paola@gmail.com.
From our Staff Appreciation Chair, Lindsay Koosed
Please help us take care of our wonderful faculty and staff by keeping their staff lounge stocked with goodies! We have 43 staff members, so a Costco-sized box is enough to make sure everyone finds something they like. Once you sign up and leave your email, I will email you directly with my address so you can drop off your donation before the date listed on this Signup Genius. I will then bring everything to school at once to minimize disruption. Please let me know if you have any questions and thank you!!
Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E094BAAA92DA4F94-stock
PTA Volunteers Still Needed
There are still open positions in the PTA that we need to fill. See list here and if you can chair/co-chair one of these, email erika.schor@gmail.com. Your help is greatly appreciated!
Cold Spring Elementary School
Email: Natalie_M_Hambrecht@mcpsmd.org
Website: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/coldspringes/
Location: 9201 Falls Chapel Way, Potomac, MD, USA
Phone: 240-740-4390
Twitter: @NHambrecht