February 12, 2016

Dear Families,
I hope you are all staying warm this week!
Take a look at what we are learning next week:
Reading:
We will celebrate President’s Day by reading and comparing texts about Abraham
Lincoln and George Washington. We will also be practicing asking and answering
questions and using text features to help us learn more information.
Writing:
We will continue doing informational writing by researching different jobs in the
community. This week will be individual research. We will be taking notes, writing facts,
and coming up with a topic sentence and a conclusion. We will also focus on using
conjunctions, upper case letters, spaces, and punctuation.
Math:
We will continue our exploration of non-standard units of measurement. We will
compare the difference between using larger and smaller units of measurement, use
referents to measure, and estimate measurements.
Science/Social Studies:
In social studies we will begin our map study. We will explore with the globe, discuss
continents and oceans and the parts of a map that make map reading easier. We will
identify cardinal directions (N, S, E, W) We will also use the Compass Rose and symbols
to locate places on a map.
How can you help at home?
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Use the information in this email to ask your child questions about the books that
we read and the topics that we study.
Read with your child nightly!
Ask your child to recall important events in books when you are reading
together.
Practice using non-standard objects to measure things around the house.
Practice writing and spelling Word Wall Words and Words Their Way word
patterns with your child.
Do the homework with your child. The homework is aligned with the Common
Core and helps reinforce skills that will be reviewed and built on throughout the
year.
Important Reminders and Information:
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No School Feb. 15th
Family Science Night- Feb. 19 6-8, APR
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Save the Date for Family Science Night!
It's almost here! Family Science Night will be held on Friday, February
19th, from 6 to 8 p.m.!
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This year’s theme is “The Science Behind the Music.” Bring the family and
explore how biology, physics, chemistry, and psychology are used to
create and appreciate music! There will be a prize for the class with the
most students attending, so get your kids to Science Night! We are still
looking for volunteers to help at the event...if you are available, please
contact Kristin Gruen at [email protected]. See you there!
Read-A-Thon is coming!
Our annual read-a-thon will be February 22 through March 4! During these
two weeks, students will record their home reading sessions using the online
system at read-a-thon.com. Parents, relatives, and friends can sponsor
readers and donate money. Our goal is to raise money for educational
programs and equipment for our school. More information will go home the
week of February 15, including instructions on how to access the online
system (or use a paper recording method), how to make donations, and
how to support and promote reading. Students raising money during the
read-a-thon will be able to “shop” for prizes online and all students
participating in the read-a-thon will get to attend a super-fun celebration
assembly with Ms. Jones! Let’s go for 100% participation and make this the
most successful read-a-thon ever!
Stay Informed About the MCPS FY 2017 Operating Budget
The Montgomery County Board of Education has recommended a $2.5
billion operating budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2017. The budget request
includes a $180.2 million increase from FY 2016, which will allow the district
to make targeted investments to close the achievement gap; improve
students’ literacy and math skills; reduce class sizes; foster stronger
partnerships with the community and families to support students; and
accelerate efforts to improve and diversify the workforce. The Board’s
budget request will be submitted to the Montgomery County Executive and
the County Council. The County Executive is expected to release his FY 2017
operating budget recommendation by March 15. The Montgomery County
Council will hold public hearings on the county budget in April before
passing a final budget in May. Stay informed and engaged on the Board’s
budget request on the MCPS Operating Budget website.
Be sure to share your ideas and views on the importance of funding the MCPS
operating budget with our elected Montgomery County officials—the
Montgomery County Board of Education, the County Executive, and the
Montgomery County Council—through emails, letters, short videos, and
testimonials.
Summer Opportunities Fair Set for March 2
Parents can explore a wide range of summer opportunities for school-age
children at a fair on Wednesday, March 2. Local and regional providers will
be available to talk about summer camps, programs, and activities. During
the fair, parents can meet program staff, pick up applications, and get
information on financial assistance. The fair will be held from 7-8:30 p.m. at
Carver Educational Services Center, 850 Hungerford Dr. in Rockville. Visit
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/parentacademy/p
arentacademyregister.aspx to register for the fair.
Here is the link for the Stonegate Splash.
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/schools/stonegate
es/homepage/January_15_2016(2).pdf If you would like to receive a hard
copy, please complete the notice that was sent home and return it to the front
office.
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Take photos and make memories! The Yearbook needs your help to capture
photos of Stonegate students this year. Follow this link to sign-up to take pictures
at events that interest you:
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0a4babad2fa13-stonegate/
Please remind your child to have a book in his/her backpack to read in the
morning.
Interested in an additional half-day learning experience for your child? George
B. Thomas, Sr. Learning Academy has started! Here is the link to register:
http://www.saturdayschool.org/programs/enroll.shtm
Have a wonderful and safe weekend!