How many specials are there and what do I need to know
about them (volunteering, library book return)?
Your child will attend each special once a week: Media
and Computer Lab (alternating weeks), Music, Art, and
PE. On Media day you are asked to return the book your
child checked out during the previous week, and on PE day
please make sure your child wears sneakers. Volunteers
are always welcome. Please contact the specialists to
arrange a time to help out.
ROSEMARY HILLS
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Everything
You Need to
Know about
Kindergarten...
When can I volunteer in the class or for lunch/recess?
There will be lots of opportunities to volunteer based on
your interests. Teachers will have sign up sheets at Back to
School Night, but you can always contact them directly as
well. There will be immediate need for volunteers at lunch
and recess starting on the first day of school. This is one
of the most important ways you can help the school
because Kindergarten needs at least 4 parent volunteers
every day to help lunch and recess run smoothly. In addition, we will need volunteers during arrival and dismissal for
the first week of school. The parent coordinator will send
an email on the PTA’s listserve during the summer, linking to
a sign-up genius so interested parents can volunteer.
ROSEMARY HILLS
ELEMEN TARY
SCHOOL
How is general school information shared?
You will receive a weekly telephone message and
email from the Principal with upcoming events for the week.
A current calendar of events can always be found on the
Rosemary Hills website.
The PTA also runs an email listserve. To join, check
the PTA page of the Rosemary Hills website. The PTA
sends weekly reminders on their listserve as well.
2111 Porter Road
Silver Spring, Maryland
20910
What is security like at the school?
All doors are locked during school hours. Visitors must
ring the bell at the front door, state their business, and
show I.D. to sign in and out at the main office, Volunteers
will wear a badge identifying themselves as such. We
practice fire drills every month and also practice lockdown
and shelter in place procedures throughout the year.
Do
kindergarteners
get
report
cards?
Kindergarteners receive a report card in February and
June. There will be a parent-teacher conference in
November that you can sign up for at Back To School
Night or by contacting the teacher.
Phone: 301-650-6400
Fax: 301-650-6404
www.montgomery
schools.org/schools/
rosemaryhillses
The mission of Rosemary Hills Elementary School is to foster
a community of caring that nurtures the development of the
whole child - academically, socially and emotionally - by
enabling all students to become lifelong learners and
productive citizens.
Frequently Asked
Questions
When do we find out who our child's teacher is?
A postcard will be mailed the week before school
begins with your child's classroom and teacher assignment.
We are not able to accommodate specific teacher
requests. We believe that all of our teachers are
exceptional and each has their own unique strengths to
offer our students.
You will have a chance to meet and greet your
teacher and get a sneak peek of the classroom at our
Open House, which is normally held the Friday before
school begins. Watch the Rosemary Hills website for the
exact date and time.
How many students per class?
According to MCPS guidelines, kindergarten classes
are staffed at a ratio of 26:1. We have paraeducators who work with students throughout the building.
Their time is allocated based on the needs of the students.
When do we hear about bus schedules, school supplies,
etc.?
Rosemary Hills is a Green School. This year, the bus
schedule and a list of recommended school supplies will be
posted on our website by August 1st or as they becomes
available. You will receive a letter by mail as well, reminding you to check the website for that and other important
information, including a calendar of events and procedures
for the first day of school.
A representative from the Transportation Department
will be at our August Open House to answer any questions
or concerns you may have regarding bus transportation.
What time does school begin and end?
The instructional day will begin at 9:25am and end at
3:50pm. Our front doors will open at 9:05am. After
9:25am your child must be signed in at the main office
and get a late slip.
On early dismissal days, lunch may be earlier and the
children’s day will end at1:20pm.
What is Backpack Mail?
Backpack Mail is an easy way to communicate with
teachers or the office. Each child will be given a folder on
the first day of school that they bring back and forth every
day. If you need to send a message to a teacher, the office
or cafeteria, place it in an envelope and put the envelope in
the child's folder to bring back to school. Label the
envelope "Backpack Mail" and address it accordingly.
What if I need to pick up my child early or bring them in
late?
If you must pick up your child early, please send a note
to the teacher with your child that day. Come to the main
office (with I.D.) to sign out the student at the appointed
time. Only the person listed on the note may pick up the
child.
If your child is late, they must be signed in at the main
office by an adult. You will say your goodbyes there.
How does dismissal work?
There are three ways for your child to go home: on a
bus, as a walker, or as a car rider.
Car riders are supervised by staff members while waiting
to be picked up in the car pickup loop. Parents of walkers will
enter the school at the gym door at dismissal and pick up
their children in the gym
Remember that instruction continues until dismissal.
Please schedule all afterschool activities after 3:50pm and
allow time for travel from a 3:50pm dismissal. Unless there is
an emergency or a scheduled doctor appointment, please
avoid pickups in the office after 3:30pm. This is an
extremely busy time in the classroom and the office.
How do I communicate changes to my child’s dismissal?
Your teacher will ask you to record how your child goes
home each day. If your child regularly rides different buses,
please get that information to the teacher as soon as possible through email or Backpack Mail so that she can make
sure your child gets on the correct bus.
For occasional changes in your child's normal dismissal
routine, please send a written note to the teacher via Backpack Mail with that information. If your child is having a
friend come home with him/her, both parents need to write
notes to that effect in order for the children to be allowed
to ride the bus together.
Any changes to dismissal routine MUST have a note.
Children will be sent home their normal way without one.
What is the policy for letting children off the bus after
school?
MCPS transportation policy states, “When parents
may be unable to meet the bus or are late, parents are
encouraged to instruct their children what to do in their
absence.” Having a neighbor willing to step in in an emergency makes this possibility less stressful. Make sure that
neighbor is on the emergency dismissal forms we send
home the first day of school.
If your child has inadvertently gotten on the wrong bus,
the child will be kept on the bus and driven back to the
school after the driver completes the normal route. Once
there, you will be notified and your child will wait in the
office until you come to the school to pick them up.
When is lunch and how do I pay for it?
You may send a check to the cafeteria manager the
first day of school to start an account, or sign up at
www.mylunchmoney.com to have money automatically
deducted from a credit card as your child needs it. Your
child will be assigned a four digit PIN number that they will
enter with the cashier at the end of the lunch line to have
it charged to their account. (They don't have to memorize it, the cafeteria manager has a list.) You will receive
the PIN and your student’s ID number during the first week
of school. Keep that ID number; it will remain the same
throughout their entire MCPS career.
Our lunch schedule is divided by grade level.
It is recommended that you pack lunch for your
kindergartener the first week of school.
How are food allergies handled?
Children with peanut and nut allergies may choose to
sit at a designated table with a friend of their choice. It is
the parent's decision if you wish to have your child sit at
the allergy table. Please notify your classroom teacher if
you need this arrangement for your child.
Is there a school nurse present every day?
There is a nurse or a health technician in the health
room every day during instructional hours.
Call the office if your child is absent due to illness.
Please notify the office or the health room if your child
contacts a communicable disease, such as strep.