Eagle Eye
A Biweekly Publication of Rock Creek Valley Elementary
March 14, 2016
From the Administration
What is happening?
March
18 – Parents vs. Staff Basketball
Game
23 – 3rd Marking Period Ends
24 – No School for students –
Professional Day for
Teachers
23 – Silver Diner – Fundraiser
25-April 1 – SPRING BREAK
With the return of warm weather, we can expect that the
“days of indoor recess” are behind us and the students can
get back into the various recess games that they enjoy. As
we all know, students need physical activity and research
proves that providing children opportunities for exercise
greatly enhances their performance. With that said,
providing students with opportunities for physical exercise
outside of school are also very important. While it is
essential for students to complete their homework on a
nightly basis, it is our hope that parents are able to
accomplish that task while also providing their children
with opportunities for play. If you seek assistance in how
to best manage getting homework done and providing for
physical activity, please contact our school counselor, Mrs.
Kissell, who can support parents in creating plans to ensure
that the two activities can coexist.
The month ahead is guaranteed to be extremely busy. As
we leave school in a few weeks for our Spring Break
vacation, it is our hope that all of our families are able to
enjoy some well-deserved rest and relaxation and are able
to take some time to enjoy one of the many day trips that
our region has to offer. For those of you who may be
heading out of town, I wish you safe travels and look
forward to your return in April.
Kevin Burns and Gregg Baron
Important Information
Kindergarten Orientation
We have scheduled our two orientation dates for rising kindergarten students for the 2016-17
school year. The orientation dates are: April 21 and 22. Current kindergarten classes will be
cancelled for those two days so we can have orientation. Please contact the main office to
register your future kindergarten student.
Kindergarten Parent Tours
In addition to kindergarten orientation, we will offer tours of RCV to future kindergarten
parents. Mr. Burns and Mr. Baron will take you on a tour of the school and answer any
questions you might have about the school. Below are the following dates:
March 21 (10:00) and April 11 (10:00). Please contact main office to schedule.
Attention Fifth Grade Parents
Summer Orientation for Incoming 6th Graders will be taking place at Wood MS throughout
July. Please visit their school website to select a time and date for your child to attend!
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/woodms/index.aspx
Parent/Staff Basketball Game
The PTA is sponsoring our annual parent/staff basketball game this Friday at RCV. The game
will begin at 7:00 p.m. Come out and cheer on the staff and parents!
The FY 2017 Operating Budget—A Call to Fund Our Future
On March 1, the Board of Education transmitted its $2.5 billion Fiscal Year 2017 operating
budget request to Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett and the Montgomery County
Council. The county executive is expected to release his FY 2017 operating budget
recommendation by March 15. The County Council will consider the budget this spring, with
final approval happening in late May. After eight years of challenging economic times and a
local educational investment of $1,200 less per student than in 2009, MCPS is asking for a
budget this year to strengthen our foundation and accelerate efforts to close the achievement
gap. Anything less than full funding would likely require further cuts that could impact every
school. It is critical that we use this period to make our voices heard to ensure that our county
leaders understand the needs of our students and support the budget.
There are a variety of ways that you can become involved in the budget process and help
advocate for full funding of the MCPS budget. You can read Board President Michael Durso’s
letter about the budget here. Your voice matters. Visit the budget webpage at
www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/budget/ to learn how you can get involved
and advocate.
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.