Arcola Elementary School
Gator Gazette
1820 Franwall Av enue
Silver Spring, MD 20902
(301) 649-8590
FAX (301) 649-8592
http://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/arcolaes/
Emmanuel Je an-Philippe, Principal
Angela Ventura, Assistant Principal
Nothing but the best
will do!
January 2014
Important January Dates
Dear Arcola Families:
Happy New Year! We hope you enjoyed time with your family and had the
opportunity to recharge for the second half of our school year. As we kick off
2014, this is a great time to resolve to make this semester an even better one
than last. We invite you to take a moment with your children to look at what has
been working for you and what areas could use a little extra attention. We would
also like to encourage you to participate actively in your child’s learning. For our
part, we commit to encouraging them to live up to their full potential and
supporting you as full partners in their education.
Before our winter break we had a fantastic Math Night with a large turnout. We
would like to thank Mrs. Goldberg, our Math Specialist, and the Math Committee
for arranging a fun-filled night of learning and family time. We received very
positive reports from parents and students who enjoyed the math activities and
math-related goody bags as well as the delicious spaghetti dinner. A big thanks
also goes to Mrs. Padilla and her team of elves for helping to coordinate the food
and gift drive. Thanks to the generous support from our community, we were able
to make the season a brighter one for many of our families.
We have more fun in store for this month. First, don’t miss our winter concert on
Monday January 13th at 7pm. Our 5th grade chorus, Instrumental Music Band
and Zimbawean Marimba Ensemble students have been practicing very diligently
to put on a great performance for all of us. Come and enjoy the fruits of their
labor!
We would like to remind you that school will be closed on January 20th in
observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday as well as on January 21st for
a Teacher Professional Day. Please insure that you are aware of your child(ren)’s
progress and hopefully you have had the opportunity to address any concerns
with your child’s teacher. Report cards will be distributed on January 30th.
With the weather-related school closings, we have had to make some changes to
our school menu choices. Please remember to check the MCPS website for any
changes as they may affect your child’s meal choice. Speaking of the weather, we
are still noticing that some of our students are not dressing appropriately for
below-freezing temperatures. Please remind them of the importance of keeping
warm and caution them about the dangers of overexposure to the cold. We will be
making phone calls home to alert parents of any child who is dressed
inappropriately for the weather. We appreciate your support.
We look forward to work continually with you as partners in your children’s
education. Continue to search for ways of becoming involved in school and of
taking an active role, be it through the PTA, our school sponsored events or
directly with your child’s teacher. Together, we will ensure our students reach
their fullest potential.
Have a wonderful January!
Sincerely,
Emmanuel Jean-Philippe
Principal
Angela Ventura
Assistant Principal

January 13
Winter Concert
7:00 pm

January 20
MLK Birthday
School closed

January 21
Professional Day
No School for students

January 30
Report Cards distributed

January 31
Parent coffee
9:00 am a 10:30 am
News from the Parent Community Coordinator
We hope you enjoyed some family time during the winter break and that you had a chance to
use some of the tips we gave you during our December coffee. Hopefully you were able to
engage your children in your holiday cooking and baking and gave them a chance to put into
practice all of their math skills! Our cookie exchange may have taught you a little American
tradition that has been around for many years. We are grateful for all of those parents who
joined us and shared some of their favorite traditions and ways of celebrating the end of the year. We
learned about traditions in Guatemala, El Salvador, Peru, Bulgaria, the US, Mexico and Nicaragua.
We hope to see you at our next monthly coffee to be held on January 31st as we kick off a new year
with a new series of presentations. All the best for 2014!
Musical Notes
Join us for Arcola’s annual Winter Concert on Monday, January 13 at
7pm.. Come enjoy an evening performance by the 5th Grade Chorus, Instrumental Music students, and Zimbabwean Marimba Ensemble We hope to see you there!
REMEMBER TO PUT IN YOUR YEARBOOK ORDERS!
Order your yearbook today! For $20 you can look back at all the fun you had this
year and keep your memories forever. Only a limited supply will be available so
don’t delay. Once they are sold, they’re gone! See Mrs. Smith with any questions or
to place your order.
ASSESSMENT INFORMATION NIGHT
Who:
Parents of third, fourth, & fifth-grade students at Arcola Elementary
School.
What:
An Information Meeting about upcoming state-wide assessments.
When:
Thursday, February 6th @ 6:30-8:00pm
Where:
Arcola Elementary School
How:
Prior to February 1st, please check your child’s backpack for a formal invitation
Greetings Arcola Community!
As part of our program, we like to share information with you about events in the community that may benefit your family. Many parents have requested information about
the Affordable Care Act also referred to as 'Obamacare' and how to enroll. If you are interested in learning more about the healthcare transition, there will be an information session provided
both in English and Spanish by Interfaith Works at Weller Road Elementary School on Tuesday, January 14th. There will be two session times, 10:30-11:30am or 2:00-3:00pm. If you are interested in attending, please call Zulma at 301-286-8604 to RSVP! Snacks will be provided and a raffle will be drawn!
Don't miss out on this event!