October 14, 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/
Strawberry Knoll News
STRAWBERRY KNOLL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Keeping Score
We are beyond the mid-point of the first marking period. As you observed during Monday’s ―Open House,‖ we are committed to making sure your child is challenged. So, how
are we keeping score of student learning thus far? Our kindergarten, first and second
grade teachers used their palm pilots to assess students’ reading skills. Teachers tested
students’ reading fluency, word recognition, decoding and comprehension skills and have
subsequently used the data to provide targeted instruction to our young readers.
Though a specific reading level isn’t required for our kindergarten readers until the second marking period, goals are in place for our first and second grade readers. First
grade students are expected to read between levels 5 to 7 and second grade students,
level J by the end of this quarter.
While our primary grade teachers are keeping score of their students’ reading progress
through their palm pilots, our upper grade teachers finished taking their students to the
computer lab for the Measure of Academic Progress-Reading (MAP-R.) The MAP-R is a
test given countywide to all third, fourth, and fifth grade students. A computergenerated program, the MAP-R is a reliable indicator of how our upper grade readers will
perform on the Maryland School Assessment (MSA) that our students will take next
spring. Just as reading targets have been established by the school system for our
younger readers, targets have also been set for our older students this quarter. Third
grade students need to read at a level M. Fourth grade students need to read between
levels Q to R and fifth grade students levels T to U by the end of the first semester.
Help us keep score of your child’s reading. Included for your review is a chart that
shows grade specific reading levels for each of the four quarters. Ask your child how
he/she is keeping track of his/her reading progress. Promote good reading habits. Doing so will yield positive results and foster a genuine joy of reading!
Grade Level
First Quarter
Aug/Sept/Oct
Second Quarter
Nov/Dec/Jan
Third Quarter
Feb/Mar
Fourth Quarter
Apr/May/Jun
Kindergarten
(Not Applicable)
Level 1 (A)
Level 2-3 (B-C)
Level 4 (C)
First Grade
Level 5—7
(D-E)
Level 8—11
(E-G)
Level 12—15
(H-I)
Level 16-17
(I)
Second Grade
Level J
Level K
Level L
Level M
Third Grade
Level M
Level N
Level O
Level P
Fourth Grade
Level Q-R
Level Q-R
Level S-T
Level S-T
Fifth grade
Level T-U
Level T-U
Level V-W
Level V-W
Special Point of Interest:
Si usted quiere tener las noticias del
Knoll en espanol por favor llame
Senora Stevens 301-840-7112.
Thanks for Visiting Us!
We thank those of you who were able to stop by the Knoll and visit us this past Monday. It is always a treat for our students to share their academic accomplishments with families and guests. Our staff thanks visitors for their kind comments following ―Open House.‖ As always, our doors are open to parent volunteers. It is critical for our students to see a
variety of role models in our school, and equally important for our noble knights to see how we work in partnership with
our families. For additional information about volunteering, please contact Mrs. Lightner, volunteer coordinator, at [email protected].
Have You Scheduled Your November Parent-Teacher
Conference?
Slots are filling for next month’s, parent-teacher conferences. Students will be dismissed at 12:35 p.m.
on Thursday, November 11, and Friday, November 12, 2010. Teachers will then confer with parents soon
after the students leave. If you did not already schedule a conference with your child’s teacher, please
contact him/her. Equally, important, if you need to reschedule your conference, contact your child’s
teacher. Let’s strive to have 100 percent participation in next month’s conferences!
Flu-Mist Clinic
Our school will host an after-school seasonal flu-mist clinic on November 11, 2010. Mrs. Leas, our school nurse, Ms.
Beiter, health room aide, and a visiting school health room aide will administer the flu-mist only...no injections! The clinic
will open at 1:00 p.m. after students are dismissed and will run until 3:00 p.m.. Parents need to make appointments with
our the health room staff. Students will bring home an informational packet in the next few weeks. Please direct any
questions to the health room at 301-840-7195 Thank you! Claudia Leas, RN, MSN, School Community Health Nurse
Parents of PEP, Kindergarten and First
Grade:
Last week letters went home
in backpacks for students
who still need to return their
lead certificates. If you
received one of these letters, please return the completed certificate to the
health room as soon as possible. If you have any questions, contact our health
room aide, Mrs. Beiter at
301-840-7195.
IMPORTANT DATES
October 15
October 28
October 29
October 29
MSTA Convention – No School for Teachers and Students
9:00 a.m.; 10:15 a.m. ―Professor Bodywise‖ Assembly
End of First Marking Period
2:00 p.m. Halloween Parade
1st Marking Period Ends
November 1
Professional Day for Teachers–
No School for Students
November 2
HOLIDAY—Election Day
November 9
7:00 p.m. PTA Meeting
November 10
Individual Picture Day
November 11
12:35 p.m. Early Dismissal Day
Parent/Teacher Conferences
1:00 p.m.—3:00 p.m. Flu mist Clinic
November 12
12:35 p.m. Early Dismissal Day
Parent/Teacher Conferences
November 12
PTA Fall Festival 6:30—8:30 p.m.
November 24
12:35 p.m. Early Dismissal Day
November 25, 26 HOLIDAY—Thanksgiving
Greeting S.K.E.S. Parents/Guardians! The best way that you can help your child become a better reader is to read to your child or have them read to you!
Practice makes perfect! Research tells us that children also need to think about what they've read in order to
full comprehend the stories they are reading. Here are some helpful hints for you to help support your child/
children at home.
Primary Students (K-1)
Ask your child to:
*retell the story
*describe the setting of the story
*describe the beginning, middle, and ending events
*tell you the problem in the story and how it was solved
* tell you 2-3 facts that they learned (non-fiction texts)
* look at the beginning of words, use picture clues, or reread the text for clarification when solving for unknown
words
*practice reading and writing grade level sight words
Intermediate Students (2-5)
Ask your child to:
*describe the main idea of the story
*tell you about the characters and the characters' traits
*tell you a short summary of the book or chapter
* tell you the most important information from the text (non fiction texts)
*compare and contrast information learned in non fiction books to information learned in another non-fiction
book
* identify unknown words and use context clues to determine the meaning of those words
*describe the author's purpose for writing the text
- Mrs. Jennifer Forman, Reading Specialist ―The Reading Lady‖
Halloween Parade and Parties Planned for Friday, October 29, 2010
We will host our annual Halloween parade on Friday, October 29, 2010, on the upper field near
the tennis courts at 2:00 p.m. Classroom parties will occur following the parade. As always, we
respect our Strawberry Knoll families’ beliefs. If you do not wish for your child to participate
in this year’s Halloween parade and party, please send a note to your child’s teacher. We will
have an alternate activity planned and lead by staff members.
We kindly remind those students who will participate to remain mindful of their costume
choices. Make-believe weapons are not permitted. Also, costumes that may frighten other children are not allowed. If you have any questions about plans for this year’s Halloween at the
Knoll, please contact our assistant principal, Mrs. Ford.
Walk to School Day-A Great Success!
Mr. Matesa, our physical education teacher, thanks those students and families that participated in ―Walk to School Day‖ last
Wednesday. As if the weather knew this was a special occasion, the sun shined upon participants, including staff. Mr. Matesa
also wishes to acknowledge Mrs. Dowdy, for coordinating this annual event with him. Join us as we thank our P.T.A. for providing participants with a nutritious snack following the walk along with a special sticker.
Bingo Night and Fitness Fun—Thursday, October 14, 2010
Enjoy an evening of family fun as Strawberry Knoll PTA is hosting multiple events tonight for all family members to enjoy. From 6:30pm to 8:30pm we will have Fitness Fun in the Gym in which everyone can participate
in the multiple workout stations. From 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., we will have Bingo in the All Purpose Room in
which we will have some fun prizes to give. Each Bingo card will cost 25 cents. Finally, our Fall Book Fair will be
open during these events so parents can get an opportunity to shop for a book.
George B. Thomas Sr. Learning Academy Inc. Saturday School
Saturday School will not be open this weekend, but we look forward to seeing you come
back the next week. It is never too late to register and get additional support.
Congratulations Character Counts! Poster Contest Participants and Winners!
Our school was one of 13 schools that participated in the City of Gaithersburg poster contest. We applaud
those noble knights that entered their posters. Congratulations to Miles McLeod and Monica Zawadski,
fifth grade poster contest winners and Sriya Srikanth fifth grade honorable mention winner.
An awards ceremony will be held next Wednesday, October 20, 2010 at the Casey Community Center,
810 South Frederick Ave., Gaithersburg, MD from 6:30 p.m.—8:00 p.m. All winning and honorable mention students and their families are invited to next Wednesday evening’s ceremony.