Eagle Eye
A Biweekly Publication of Rock Creek Valley Elementary October 9, 2015
September 11, 2015
What is Happening? October 10-­‐ RCV Yard Sale 12-­‐ Open House all day 16-­‐ No School for Students 30-­‐ 1st Marking Period Ends November 2-­‐ No School for Students 11-­‐ Early Release (Parent Conferences) 12-­‐ Early Release (Parent Conference) 25-­‐ Early Release 26 -­‐No School (Thanksgiving Break) 27-­‐ No School (Thanksgiving Break) From the Administration
We have been so impressed with amazing students we have at RCV! This year we want to recognize their efforts on a daily basis, therefore, we have implemented a Positive Office Referral Program. The Positive Office Referral provides staff a way to recognize behavior and academic success of the students. Once we receive a referral, the student can choose for us to do one or all of the following: • Public announcement at dismissal • Recognition letter home • Call home from the administration • Posting recognition on office window We look forward to communicating on a daily basis with you regading the great things your children are accomplishing. This Monday, October 12, we will have our annual Open House. All parents are invited to visit classrooms throughout the day. To make the visit enjoyable for all and so that you do not disrupt instruction, please do not bring younger siblings and silence cell phones when in classrooms. If you find you must use your cell phone while you are here, please use the atrium near the main office to take/make phone calls. Have a great weekend! Kevin Burns and Gregg Baron
Important Information
Red Ribbon Week is Coming
October 26th to October 30th Rock Creek Valley will be celebrating the 2015 RED RIBBON campaign co-­‐sponsored by the Maryland Alliance for Drug-­‐Free Youth and MCPS Safe and Drug-­‐
Free Schools. Red Ribbon Week is a time when we think about our responsibility to stay drug-­‐free and make healthy and safe choices. Our students will be participating in the following spirit day activities during this important week: Monday October 26th: “Wear Red!” students & staff wear red to show you support healthy choices! Tuesday October 27th: “Love Yourself!” students will wear pajamas to school to show the importance of caring for themselves and getting proper sleep! Wednesday October 28th: “Let’s Move Day!” Students will complete a physical “challenge” (for example: 100 jumping jacks; 100 toe taps; walking in place for 3 minutes) to keep their body active! Thursday October 29th: “Healthy food= Healthy Body!” students will write in their classes about eating healthy food! Friday October 30th: “We pledge to be healthy!” students & staff will sign a school wide pledge to make safe and healthy choices! Arrival Request for Car Rider Parents
Car Rider Parents – Please pull all the way forward when dropping off your students. This will greatly help with traffic flow and backup, especially on rainy days. Please have students exit your car on the sidewalk side of you vehicle. This will help to keep them safe as they come to school. Please refrain dropping your child off in the parking lot where there is no sidewalk and avoid pulling your car around other cars waiting in line unless directed by a staff member. We will do our best to move cars quickly through the line. We appreciate your patience! Sign Up for the 2015 School-Based Flu Vaccine Clinics
Flu season is upon us. There are simple steps you and your child can take to stay healthy and help prevent the flu. That includes getting a yearly flu vaccine. The Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will conduct free nasal spray flu vaccine clinics (FluMist) in November for children 18 and under at many MCPS schools. On Monday, November 2, 2015, flu clinics will be held at John F. Kennedy, Richard Montgomery, and Seneca Valley high schools from 9 a.m. to noon. No classes will be held on that day because it is a professional day for teachers. These clinics will be open to any school-­‐aged child. All MCPS elementary schools will host a flu clinic on either Wednesday, November 11, or Thursday, November 12, 2015, following early dismissal of students on those days. All clinics are free, but registration is required due to limited vaccine supplies. For more information, visit the DHHS website at http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/flu or call 311. Fall 2015 Parent Academy is Under Way!
The MCPS Parent Academy is back with an exciting lineup of free workshops for parents. The 2015 fall session is under way and includes sessions on choosing the right college, teen substance abuse, religious diversity, special education, cybersafety, and more. All workshops are free and are held at schools and locations throughout Montgomery County. The schedule of workshops is available at www.mcpsparentacademy.org Strengthening Communications with Spanish-speaking Families
MCPS has launched new multimedia tools that will enable Spanish-­‐speaking families to more easily engage with schools and the district. The new resources include a redesigned website; a mobile app; and a Facebook page, all in Spanish. The redesigned website features new content as well as an expanded amount of information that had previously been available only in English. A new series of videos—Consejos para Padres—provides helpful tips for parents delivered by Spanish-­‐
speaking MCPS staff members. Other video highlights include Momentos Informativos, which provide news and information about MCPS, and Guia para Padres, videos that help parents understand and navigate the school system. The videos will be available on the website and on MCPS TV, as well as on social media sites, including YouTube, the MCPSEspanol Twitter feed, and the new Spanish Facebook page (www.facebook.com/mcpsespanol). The videos also will be available on the new Spanish mobile app, which can be downloaded from the Apple store and Google Play. For more information, visit www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/es/. Guidelines for Respecting Religious Diversity
MCPS has developed a new guide that answers many of the frequently asked questions about the accommodation of students’ religious beliefs and practices in school and during school-­‐sponsored activities. The publication, Guidelines for Respecting Religious Diversity, was developed in collaboration with the Montgomery County Executive’s Faith Community Working Group and other stakeholders to provide clear information for students, families, staff, and the community. MCPS is committed to promoting respect and appreciation for the religions, beliefs, and customs of its diverse student population. The publication has been translated in eight languages—
Spanish, Chinese, French, Vietnamese, Korean, Amharic, Farsi, and Arabic, and is available at www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/religiousdiversity/. Our Vision We are committed to providing a safe and caring learning community where staff work together proactively to motivate and engage all students to put forth their best effort in order to achieve success. Our Instructional Focus Teachers will provide daily small group opportunities for students to demonstrate their understanding of content and academic language by incorporating instructional strategies focused on background knowledge and interaction.