Strawberry Knoll News
STRAWBERRY KNOLL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
December 6, 2013
18820 Strawberry Knoll Road
Gaithersburg, Maryland 20879
E. Frank Kaplan, Principal
Rosemary Ford, Assistant Principal
Web Site Address—http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/
strawberryknolles/
Students and Staff Welcome the Season with Music!
December is an exciting month for students and staff as we
celebrate the holiday season with music. Mr. Gale, instrumental music teacher, and his fourth and fifth grade musicians look forward to entertaining you with holiday tunes on
Thursday, December 12, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. in the cafeteria.
Our musicians are ready to perform.
Also, in keeping with a long-standing Strawberry Knoll tradition, we invite you to
join us for our annual All-School Holiday Sing Along on Friday, December 20,
2013 at 2:00 p.m. Music certainly abounds at the Knoll. As one staff member
shared, “Life is a musical. Sing it!”
Participants Enjoy Last Month’s Town Hall Meeting
Parents, staff, and students gathered together in Strawberry Knoll Elementary
School’s gym last month to recognize students’ academic and behavioral
achievements. They opened the ceremony by singing, “You’re a Grand Old Flag,”
keeping with the patriotic spirit of Veteran’s Day. Presenters then announced
the winners of many awards given to individual students and classes. The first
award given was the Certificate of Excellence, awarded to third, fourth, and
fifth grade students. Two representatives were selected from each of the
third, fourth, and fifth grade classes for their cooperation and collaboration
with classmates. The Arts Team staff then presented the ever-popular AMP
Awards, to second grade classes and upward for their performance in Art, Music, and Physical Education. The music award was especially interesting; the
winning class received a small gong as their trophy.
Students in all grades were given the chance to win an award for one of the six
Character Counts! pillars. Classes that demonstrated appropriate hallway behavior received the “Red Knight Card” award. Classes deserving of this recognition were consistent in displaying the “four Ss” as demonstrated by student silence, straight posture, stillness, and smiles on faces. The last award presented
was the “Fine Dining Award” to classes that showed their best dining etiquette.
November’s ceremony concluded with
another patriotic song, “America the
Beautiful.” Staff, students, and families joined together in song, celebrating
this great nation and their school.
Jaylene Perez,
Gaithersburg H.S.
Journalism Intern .
“Reading Is a Gift That Lasts a Lifetime!”
We take pride in ensuring our message board along Strawberry Knoll Road is always accurate and current. We
especially enjoy posting reminders that cause pedestrians to think and smile. Our Noble Knights value reading.
Upon their arrival to school each day, our students sit outside of their classrooms or in the gym (fourth and
fifth grade students) and read. Our good friend, Principal Brant, of Gaithersburg Elementary School has provided us with a book list by grade level you may wish to review. Please go to the end of this newsletter for
Ms. Brant’s list.
Four Tips to Problem Solving
Our students continue to exercise their mathematics word problem solving skills. The Common Core State
Standards emphasize mathematical thinking and reasoning among students through the Standards of Mathematical Practice. The eight Standards of Mathematical Practice require students to demonstrate the following:
 Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
 Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
 Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
 Model with mathematics.
 Use appropriate tools correctly.
 Attend to precision.
 Look for and make use of structure.
 Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.
So, as we strive to ensure students present themselves as competent and confident math problem solvers, we
ask you to review the Four Tips to Problem Solving with your children. Steps are the following:
 Find out what needs to be solved.
 Make a plan.
 Solve it.
 Look back.
If you have any questions about your child’s math progress, feel free to contact his/her teacher.
Maintain Routines for Smoother Holidays
Excitement abounds among students and staff this month. With visitors, parties, gifts, and special meals, we
know our Noble Knights can become overwhelmed. As we celebrate the many wonderful holidays this month and
next, it’s critical for children to maintain established routines. You may wish to consider the following:
Maintain a regular bedtime. Staying up late for a family exchange is fine, however, staying up late every
night of the winter break isn’t.
Monitor food and drinks. Instead of caffeinated soda at holiday parties, offer water or juice. Try to lime
sweets as well.
Include time for quiet reading. Make reading a family affair!
Gifted and Talented (GT) Update:
Our third grade teachers have completed their recommendations for those third grade students who applied
to the Center for the Highly Gifted at Clearspring ES. Students will be tested at Strawberry Knoll on Thursday, January 15, 2014. If you have any questions about the Highly Gifted Program, please contact Mrs. Ford
at 301-840-7112.
Public Announcements
Information about school operations is announced publicly as soon as possible on area radio
and television stations, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Cable TV (Comcast Channel 34, Verizon FIOS Channel 36, RCN Channel 89), Outlook, on the Internet a
www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org, and on a recorded telephone message at 301-279-3673.
Emergency announcements are available by signing up for MCPS QuickNotes and Alert MCPS
text and e-mail notifications on the school system’s home page. If schools are closed or delayed, the announcement is made no later than 6:00 a.m. (or the night before if possible). If
schools are closing early, the announcement is made by 11:00 a.m.
Annuncios Públicos
Información acerca de las operaciones escolares se anuncia públicamente cuanto antes posible, a través de las
estaciones de radio y televisión, por Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) TV por Cable (Canal 34 de Comcast, Canal 36 de Verizon FIOS, Canal 89 de RCN), Outlook, por Internet ingresando a
www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org y por mensaje telefónico grabado, llamando al teléfono 301-279-3673. Los anuncios de emergencia se pueden recibir por correo electrónico suscribiéndose al boletín informative QuickNotes de
MCPS y a través del servicio de mensajes de texto y correo electrónico Alert MCPS (Alerta MCPS). Si las escuelas deben permanecer cerradas, o si se demora el inicio de la jornada escolar, el anuncio se difunde a más tardar a las 6:00 a.m. (o la noche anterior, si fuese posible). Si las escuelas deben cerrar temprano,el anuncio se difunde a más tardar a las 11:00 a.m.
The Cold Weather’s Here! The change in weather reminds us winter is here. Please make sure
your children are dressed appropriately. Thermostats throughout the building are set to 70
degrees Fahrenheit. Additionally, students will continue to go outdoors for line-up/recess when
the outdoor temperature including wind chill factor is at or above 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
Pennies For Patients
Each year, Strawberry Knoll Elementary School participates in the Pennies For Patients campaign to benefit the
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). LLS funds research to advance breakthrough therapies for patients with
leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma and other blood cancers. Leukemia is the most common cancer in children, adolescents and young adults under 20 years old, which is one of the reasons why this charity is so close to our hearts.
This year’s campaign was a huge success! Our very generous students, families, and staff raised over $1,044!
Many fifth grade students contributed by giving up their recess time to count coins for individual classrooms
that competed to win prizes for raising the most money. The third place classroom, which raised $68.55, won an
extra recess period. The second place classroom, which raised $69.85, won an ice pop party. And the first place
classroom, with a total of $72.87, won a pizza party!
Thank you to all who contributed and participated in this worthwhile event.
Your pennies, nickels, and dimes are now hard at work fighting against deadly
blood cancers in children around the world.
Seasons’ Greetings!
The holiday season is here! As nature surprises us with rain, perhaps sleet, and maybe snow, we rise each morning filled with noticeable excitement and hope. We look forward to long-awaited celebrations and home-comings.
A quote seemingly appropriate for posting on our message board the final week of school before winter break is
the following:
“The past is history. The future is mystery. Today is a gift.
That is why we call it the present!”
Let’s remember the priceless gift of remaining present for family and
friends. Join us as we continue to build a positive attitude among students about learning and always taking care of one another. Take time to
ponder the powers of love, laughter, and forgiveness. Above all, remain
present for family and friends. Seasons’ greetings to each and all!
See You Next Year!
We wish you and your family a safe winter break. School will remain closed for students and
staff December 22, 2013— January 1, 2014. We look forward to seeing our noble knights on
Wednesday, January 2, 2014!
Upcoming Events
December 10
Makeup Picture Day
December 13
Makeup – Hearing and Vision Screening
December 20 1:45 p.m. Winter Sing-a-long
December 24 – January 1 Winter Break
January 7
9:45 a.m.—1:00 p.m. First Grade to Imagination Stage
7:00 p.m. PTA Meeting
January 14
2:00 p.m. Chorus Concert for grades 3,4, and 5
7:00 p.m. Chorus Concert for Parents
January 20
Martin Luther King Jr. Day—HOLIDAY
January 21
Professional Day for Teachers—No School for Students
January 29
7:00—8:30 p.m. International Night
January 31
1:45 p.m. Town Hall Meeting
Gift Ideas
Are you looking for gift ideas that will help your child continue his/her love of reading? A book list, by grade
level, has been compiled and would make an excellent gift for your child(ren). Please go to end of this newsletter
to review the complete booklist. Happy Shopping and remember to read every day!
Recommended Book List by Grade Level