SEPTEMBER 13, 2010
18820 Strawberry Knoll Road
Gaithersburg, Maryland 20879
E. Frank Kaplan, Principal
Rosemary Ford, Assistant Principal
Web Site Address—http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/schools/
strawberryknolles/
DID YOU HEAR?
Strawberry Knoll News
STRAWBERRY KNOLL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
STRAWBERRY KNOLL IS GETTING NEW
PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT!!
A representative from MCPS visited the school recently and agreed that we
could use some additional playground equipment at SKES. With that, a
meeting was held last Thursday, with Mr. Jeff Barber, president of Playground Specialists Inc., Mr. Matesa, physical education teacher, Mr. Skip,
building services manager, Mrs. Reba, P.T.A. co-president, and Mr. Kaplan,
principal, to discuss our options, given our current playground arrangement,
etc. We were allotted two pieces of equipment – one for the PEP/Autism/
Pre-Kindergarten/Head Start play area and another for third to fifth grade
area near the soccer field.
With the installation of the new equipment, the “wooden rail-road ties” that
border some of the current equipment, will be removed. Also, the horizontal, green climbing equipment currently in the PEP area will be moved out
of that area and placed in-line with the climbing wall as an additional piece
of play equipment for our kindergarten to second grades students. Freeing
up this space will allow the new, larger piece of equipment to be installed
for our PEP/Autism/Pre-Kindergarten to second grade students.
Excitement abounds among our noble knights as they await installation of
this needed equipment. Stay tuned for further details.
New Third to Fifth Grade Equipment
New PEP/Autism/Pre-Kindergarten/
Head Start Play Equipment
Special Point of Interest:
Si usted quiere tener las noticias del
Knoll en espanol por favor llame
Senora Stevens 301-840-7112.
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NEW VISITOR MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
A new Access Control System is fully activated at Strawberry Knoll Elementary. The most
important change is that all exterior doors, including the main entrance doors, are locked during the school day. When a visitor arrives at the main entrance, a camera will send the image of that person
to computer screens in the main office. Once the visitor’s identity has been recognized or determined by
verbal conversation with the office staff, the office staff will unlock the front door to admit the visitor.
Thanks for your patience and support as we as we implement this new system. The safety and security of
your children and our staff remains a top priority here at the Knoll.
Welcome, Miss Griffin!
Word is out about the Knoll, especially among second grade parents. We are pleased to welcome Miss
Griffin, previously a long-term substitute teacher for second grade teacher, Mrs. Rucker as our fifth second
grade teacher. Each of our second grade classes now has 18 students!
We are also pleased to welcome Miss Pedalunes, a certified elementary school teacher and recent graduate
from Shippensburg University as Mrs. Rucker’s new long-term substitute teacher. Miss Pedalunes will
teach Mrs. Rucker’s students until her return following the Thanksgiving break.
A Good Time Had by All
Thanks for joining us at last Friday’s P.T.A.
sponsored, “Welcome Back Picnic.” Although
the late afternoon sky appeared threatening, the
sun returned for all to enjoy another great family get together. Our newest members of the
SKES family were most impressed and appreciated getting to know our extended family.
Mark Your Calendars!


All parents of fourth and fifth grade
students interested in learning to play
an instrument are invited to an informational meeting on Monday, September 13, 2010, 7:30 p.m.—8:30 p.m. in
the gym. Mr. Gale, instrumental music
teacher, will speak to parents about the
Beginners Instrumental Music Program.
We also invite you to join us for our
annual “Back to School Night” scheduled for Thursday, September 16,
2010, 7:00—8:30 p.m. beginning in the
gym.
School is open for classes for
students on Thursday,
September 16, 2010.
IMPORTANT DATES
September 13
September 14
September 16
September 20
October 1
October 5
October 11
October 8– 14
October 15
October 28
October 29
October 29
November 1
November 2
November 9
November 10
November 11, 12
November 11, 12
November 12
November 24
November 25, 26
7:30 – 8:00 p.m. Beginner Instrumental Music Parent
Night—Gym
HOLIDAY—ELECTION DAY
7:00 - 8:30 p.m. "Back-to-School" Night
Instrumental Music Classes Begin
12:35 p.m. Early Dismissal Day
7:00 p.m. PTA Meeting
9:00 a.m.—2:30 p.m. Open House
PTA Book Fair
MSTA Convention – No School for Teachers and Students
“Professor Bodywise” Assembly
End of First Marking Period
2:00 p.m. Halloween Parade
1st Marking Period Ends
Professional Day for Teachers– No School for Students
HOLIDAY—Election Day
7:00 p.m. PTA Meeting
Individual Picture Day
12:35 p.m. Early Dismissal Day
Parent/Teacher Conferences
PTA Fall Festival 6:30—8:30 p.m.
12:35 p.m. Early Dismissal Day
HOLIDAY—Thanksgiving
No School On Tuesday
September 14, 2010
HOLIDAY—ELECTION DAY
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LUNCH LOAN PROCEDURES
MCPS has a standardized system in place to address lunch loans
for students. For students who pay the full or a reduced price for
lunch, parents typically deposit money into their child’s cafeteria
WinSNAP account. Students then purchase their lunches and the cost is deducted from their account,
much like a debit system. Families are notified when their child’s account balance reaches a certain
level ($20.00 for full price and $7.00 for reduced price meals). Of course, families can check their
child’s account balance at any time through mylunchmoney.com.
Have Your Plans Changed?
Occasionally, students come to school without a lunch or without enough funds in their WinSNAP account
cover the cost of their meal. The following are the procedures in place by MCPS when this ocDeartoParents,
curs:
A student’s
WinSNAP
can reach a negative balance of $10.00. Money deposited to the
We are
beginning
to thinkaccount
about grade
student’s
level and
classaccount by the parent/guardian is applied to the negative balance.
 When a student’s WinSNAP account balance has reached the $10.00 negative balance limit, the
organizations for the coming year and
student will receive an American cheese sandwich instead of a meal. The cheese sandwich,
need to
know if
which costs 25 cents, will initially be paid for by the school office. The school office will be
any of our students, other than fifth
calling parents to get students’ accounts paid up, and the cost of the cheese sandwiches reimgraders, will be leaving
bursed.
Strawberry Knoll.
 The cafeteria will provide the main office with a weekly list of students whose accounts are in
the negative and have been receiving cheese sandwiches.
If you have changed your address this
year we
to know.
Please
helpneed
to ensure
that your child is receiving a full meal at lunch each day by keeping their account
current. We also request that you promptly pay back the school office for any sandwiches that we have
paid
for your
child, as we
not have
a separate
account
this purpose.
we have
payhome
the
If you
are planning
todo
move,
enroll
your child
infor
private
school,When
or return
to to
your
cafeteria
for
cheese
sandwiches,
that
money
is
being
taken
from
other
needs
that
the
school
has
to
supschool (you live outside of SKES’s attendance area), please complete the form below
port
a
quality
instructional
program
for
our
students.
Thanks
for
helping
us
in
this
matter.
and return it to the school office by May 9, 2003.
Our Child(ren)
Grade
MCPS
ON THE _________________________________Present
MOVE
!
_________________________________Present Grade
During the school year, _________________________________Present
our staff members will have the opportunity to participateGrade
in a physical fitness
_________________________________Present
Grade
competition sponsored by
Montgomery County public Schools (MCPS) and Kaiser
Permanente. The
competition, MCPS on the Move, stresses the benefits of a healthy lifestyle through physical activity
during
12-week health and fitness competition among elementary schools. During the competition,
NewaAddress________________________________________
individuals and school
teams who earn the most points by participating in a variety of physical activities
________________________________________________
will
beDevelopment
awarded prizes.
The winners
will receive
individual and team prizes for their efforts and school
Staff
Substitute
Teachers
Return
prizes
for
our
students.
Some of your children may have recently informed you that they had a substitute teacher, or “guest teacher” as we like to
say. As one of the Superintendent’s “Call to Action” initiatives, all schools are provided with staff development teachers.
Staff
like our
very own
Mrs. Carrie where
Schoenfelder
provide
teachers
with a priceless
currency-time!
As
wedevelopment
create andteachers
encourage
a work
environment
healthy
living
is promoted,
I am looking
forThrough
the
use
of
staff
development
substitute
teachers,
our
teachers
are
able
to
spend
time
with
their
grade
level
colward to our school staff’s active participation in all aspects of the MCPS on the Move competition.
leagues and plan for instruction. Teams also use their staff development time to increase their understanding of best pracThere
nopast
doubt;
the guidance
of Coach
Strawberry
tices. is
This
weekunder
our second
and third grade
teachersMatesa,
went to the
Baldrige Knoll will bring home the winning
trophy
forat the
most hours
of physical
activity.
we still need
your support.
academy
Sherwood
Elementary
School and
learned However,
more about “Classroom
Learning
Systems.” So root for your favorite team!
Staff development substitute time is also provided for teachers to analyze student data. Next month teachers will engage in
“Quarterly Conferences” with Mr. Kaplan and Ms. Curry to review reading and math data. During the time that teachers
are meeting with administrators, students will remain in their classrooms receiving instruction. We’re most fortunate to
have an outstanding cadre of staff development substitute teachers here at the Knoll. We’re equally grateful for the time
teachers are given to develop professionally and collaborate with one another.
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PILOTING THE ELEMENTARY INTEGRATED CURRICULUM
This year, our school is using the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS)
Elementary Integrated Curriculum (EIC)
in Kindergarten and Grade 1. The EIC
includes the same rigorous content as the
current MCPS curriculum with several
upgrades. The EIC identifies an instructional sequence that maximizes the natural connections among the content areas
of mathematics, reading/language arts,
science, and social studies. Music, art,
and physical education/health also have
been integrated, connecting these areas to
the work of classroom teachers.
Another unique feature of the Elementary
Integrated Curriculum is the opportunity
for students to develop critical and creative thinking skills as well as academic
success skills. Students who develop
these skills are more prepared for learning the knowledge and processes that will
enable them to attain the Seven Keys to
College Readiness.
The EIC serves as an online professional
learning community for teachers. They
will be able to participate in professional
development and contribute ideas and
resources to a community of 4000 MCPS
elementary teachers.
The EIC includes the new Common Core
Standards in English Language
Arts and Mathematics. The Common Core Standards available at http://www.corestandards.org/
were developed by a consortium of states to ensure
that all students are well prepared for a world that
increasingly demands college-level skills from
every student who graduates from high school.
The MCPS curriculum in mathematics and reading/
language arts included in the EIC already was designed to meet high levels of instruction, but has
been adjusted to meet the change in grade-to-grade
sequencing of objectives of the Common Core
Standards. As a result, the existing MCPS Mathematics Unit Assessments or parent reports will no
longer be used if your child is in Kindergarten or
Grade 1. Instead, we will use assessments that align
more specifically with the Common Core Standards, and progress will be reported by your child’s
teacher.
If your child is in Grades 2, 3, 4, or 5, teachers will
continue to report progress to you via the MCPS
Mathematics Unit Assessment reports as well as
other assessments used during instruction.
We are excited about this change in curriculum and
look forward to sharing more details with you as
the year progresses.
Mission Statement
“We are a caring, hardworking community of
learners and leaders who motivate and encourage each other to set and meet high expectations.”
Vision Statement
"SKES is a premier school that strives for
knowledge, excellence, and success.”
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