The Dolphin’s
Tale
The bi-weekly principal’s newsletter of Travilah Elementary School
Susan J. Shenk, Principal
February 12, 2016
Issue #11
February African American History Month
12
15
17
18
19
23
24
25
26
5:00-6:00pm
1:20pm
Valentine’s Day parties
President’s Day – schools and offices closed
Grade 4 Hart to Wegman’s Market
Grade 5 Poet in Residence
Jump Rope for Heart
STEM Fair set up
STEM Fair
Grade 5 Poet in Residence
PTA Family Fun Night – California Pizza Kitchen at Rio
Early Release – Grading and Reporting
March Women in History Month
1
2
3
10
7:00 – 8:30pm
24
25
PTA Meeting – Small Group Instruction presentation
Cultural Arts Adventures with Raptors
Grade 5 Poet in Residence
Grade 2 Mad Science All About Animals
Grade 5 Poet in Residence
PTA Movie Night – AP Room
Grade 1 Mad Science Magnets
Flyer distribution Day
Grade 5 to Baltimore
3rd Marking Period ends
No School for students – Professional Day
No School - Spring Break begins
11
17
23
7:00 – 8:30pm
4
School Resumes
April
Visit our website! http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/travilahes/
School Phone: 301-840-7153
School Attendance Line: 301-670-8223
School Fax: 301-670-8230
Visit the PTA website! http://www.travilahpta.org
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READ-A-THON RESULTS!Here are all the facts, figures and winners from our Read-A-Thon:
 149 kids participated in the Read-A-Thon.
 The students read for a total of: 72, 889 minutes or almost 1215 hours.
 There were 21 staff members who participated.
 The staff read for a total of: 8880 minutes or 148 hours
This year we earned $6077.66. This is over $2000 more than last year! Congratulations!
CONGRATULATIONS – We are excited to announce that Aidan Wang, 5th grader in Ms. Clarke’s class, is our
school-wide Spelling Bee champion! The winning word was delicious. We are so proud of Aidan and wish him
much success in the regional bee representing our school! Also, congratulations to our runner up, Jason Yin in Mrs.
Perel’s class!
ONLINE INFORMATION FOR PARENTS – We have available in the school office booklets from the federal
government with helpful information for parents about on-line safety. It is titled “Net Cetera Chatting with Kids
about Being Online.” If you would like a free copy, please stop by the school office.
JUMP ROPE FOR HEART – Jump Rope for Heart time is here again. The event for second, third, fourth and
fifth grade will be held on Friday February 19th. All grades will be participating. Kindergarten and first grade
students will be doing their event during their PE class time in between 2/15 and 2/18. Jump Rope for Heart is a
national fundraiser for the American Heart Association. Last year we were able to raise over $15,000.00. Secondfifth grade permission slips will be due on Monday February 1st. We ask for flat donations, and encourage students
not to go door-to-door soliciting. The donation packet also explains in detail about Jump Rope for Heart and where
your donation goes.
Students will be placed on teams of about six jumpers. Each jump session will last one hour. Two team
members jump at a time switching on the whistle every two minutes. This process continues throughout the
jump. The second grade will be jumping from 9:40-10:40. The fifth grade will be jumping from 10:50-11:50. The
4th graders will be jumping from 1:00-2:00. The third grade will be jumping from 2:10-3:10.
Last year we had a lot of fun! Please encourage your child to participate.
Important reminders:
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Donations are due no later than Friday February 19th. Please send all donations in a completed
donation packet.
You can collect checks for donations or do it all on line. Just go to: www.americanheart.org/jump
Check out this year’s “Dogs” incentive!!
You do not have to have donations in order to participate. You just have to turn in the permission slip.
(2nd-5th) Kdg. and 1st do not need a permission slip since it will be during PE class.
The class that has the highest percentage of students donate to at least level 1($5.00 - $15.00) will win
and extra PE class! If there is a tie then it will be which class raised more overall.
Any student who raises over $50.00 will get invited to the PE Popsicle party!! The Popsicle party will
be a 50 minute super fun PE class with popsicles.
KINDERGARTEN ORIENTATION - Our Kindergarten Orientation is scheduled for May 4th and 5th. Children
who will be five years old on or before September 1, 2016 will be eligible to enter Kindergarten in August 2016. If
you have a child who will be entering Kindergarten next fall, please complete the attached form and return it to the
school office. Please pass this information on to your neighbors and/or friends. We will also be having a Parent
Orientation meeting on April 19, 2016 from 6:00 – 8:00pm. This meeting is for parents only and will include time
for registration, time to meet with the school nurse and discuss medical forms, a tour of the school, and an
information session. Just a reminder, there will be no Kindergarten classes for currently enrolled Kindergarten
students for the two days of Kindergarten Orientation as the teachers and classrooms will be involved in the
orientation.
CHANGE OF SCHOOL ASSIGNMENT FOR FY17 - Montgomery County parents/guardians who wish to
request a Change of School Assignment (COSA) for their children from their home school may begin the process
during the upcoming transfer season—February 1 through April 1, 2016. Except for students in the Northeast
Consortium (NEC), Downcounty Consortium (DCC), and Middle School Magnet Consortium (MSMC) areas,
students in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) are assigned to a school on the basis of their place of
residence or their Individualized Education Program (IEP) and are expected to attend their home school. Assignment
changes for students from one school to another are permitted under the following limited circumstances:
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Younger sibling wanting to attend the school of an older sibling in the regular/general program, if the
older sibling will be attending the requested school the following school year, absent a boundary
change;
A continuation in a feeder pattern from middle to high school, except when affected by boundary
change, application program acceptance, or Consortium Choice guidelines;
When a family moves within Montgomery County, preference to remain in the original school will be
considered to complete the current school year only;
A documented, unique hardship situation.
The transfer process begins in the home school, where parents/guardians may request the Change of School
Assignment (COSA) Information Booklet that contains the COSA form, describes the process, and provides useful
information. The COSA booklet is available in schools and online at
www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/transfers. The booklet will be available in both English and Spanish. Exempt
countywide programs that do not fall under the transfer guidelines are listed in the information booklet.
There is a different process to access the elementary language immersion programs. Full information and copies of
the elementary Immersion Interest Form are available at all elementary schools and online at
www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/specialprograms.
For information about assignments for students residing in the NEC, DCC, or MSMC areas, please contact the
Division of Consortia Choice and Application Program Services at 301-592-2040 or visit the website at
www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/schoolchoice.
For more information about the transfer process, parents/guardians are encouraged to contact the principal at their
home school. Non-English speaking students and parents/guardians who may require assistance may contact ASK
MCPS to get the information they need by telephone at 301-309-MCPS (6277). Telephone operators who speak
English and Spanish are available from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Parents who speak
languages other than English or Spanish who call the ASK MCPS telephone line and identify their language will
have their questions answered through a telephone interpreter.
LUNAR NEW YEAR - We had a very special day last week when the entire school celebrated the Lunar New
Year. We started the day with a traditional Lion Dance throughout the building given by some of our students.
During recess, all classes went to the gym where they were treated with games (with prizes!) and crafts celebrating
the Year of the Monkey. This was followed by our annual Lunar New Year parade. The students, many wearing
traditional clothes, paraded throughout the building, highlighting the many crafts and noisemakers they made in art
class.
PTA FUNDRAISER - Travilah Elementary School is inviting you to participate in a unique fundraiser to “Pave the
Way” for our students. Leave a lasting legacy by purchasing a paver to be permanently displayed and remembered
forever. Each paver that you sponsor may honor you, your student, a teacher or staff member, former student, a
family member, friend, local business or anyone! The pavers will be etched with your custom inscription and placed
within the landscaping around the circle, in front of our school.
All of the proceeds from this fundraiser will go to our PTA.
Please submit orders before Friday, April 15, 2016 for spring 2016 installation.
For more information please visit the PTA website or contact:
Erinn Foster at 301-370-4502 or mail to: [email protected]
P.E. CLASS OF THE WEEK – Week of February 1, 2016 Congratulations to Ms. Clarke’s class!
P.E. STUDENT OF THE WEEK – Week of February 1, 2016 Congratulations to Kai Anderson in
Ms. Rivera’s class!
SPECIAL DOLPHIN TALES THANK YOU TO:
 Renee Halpern for the outstanding job organizing the Read-A-Thon and the PJ Party!
 Bita and Vira Safai for organizing the wonderful Bingo Night for this year and the last 6 years!
 Rebecca Reiser and Jill Prater for their help with the Spelling Bee!
 Lynn Grainger for chairing the wonderful Valentine’s Day celebration committee and making sure that
everything ran smoothly!
 Our Lunar New Year volunteers: Lisa Lin, Zhen Yuan, Mao-Fen Yu, Lifen Yao, Dongmei Lu, Wayne
Pan, Jean Yuan, Tianli Qu, Jiaqiang Ren, Jinhuan Cui, Chunhong Lin, Si Jin, Kelly Yu, Jing Zhang,
Wyman Chow, Andrew Feng, Lin Norton, Kai Zhang, Esther Granneman, Angela Hall, Jinyan Wu, Vivian
Chang, Jennifer Anderson, XiaoLing Yang, Vanessa Huidobro, Jie Yin, Yausi Abediyeh, Huiyang Feng,
and Rong Wang who did an amazing job!
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