Principal, Mr. Bertram Generlette
Assistant Principal, Mrs. Arienne Clark-Harrison
807 Daleview Drive
Silver Spring, MD 20901
301-431-7667
PrinciPal’s newsletter, #1
september 3, 2015
Calendar of Events
September 2015
Thursday, September 3rd
MKPC PTA Back to School Picnic
At MKES Playground, 5:00-7:00 pm
Monday, Sept. 7th
Holiday–Labor Day
SCHOOL closed
Tuesday, Sept. 14th
NO SCHOOL for Students &
Teachers
Tuesday, Sept. 15
th
Back to School Night, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept.23rd
NO SCHOOL for Students &
Teachers
Volunteer Training
Parents who took the training last year:
Must attend the first 30 minutes of each
training on child abuse and neglect to
continue to volunteer with students.
Training Dates: Tuesday, September 22nd
at Pine Crest,
6:30pm-7:00pm: MCPS training on child
abuse and neglect, mandatory for all
7:00pm-7:30pm: MKPC training for new
volunteers
Look out for additional training dates!
Dear Montgomery Knolls Families,
The new school year is off to a great start at MKES! During our 1st assembly
with each grade, students were informed of our school expectations, of the
things that they can do to help make this year the best year ever at MKES, and
what they can do to become Wonderful Wise Wizards. Our school-wide
expectations for all students are:
1. Be Respectful- (Treat yourself and others with kindness, Give compliments,
Share and take turns, Include everyone, & Be considerate)
2. Be Responsible- (Take responsibility for your own actions, Remain with an
adult, Have a hallway pass, Use school materials responsibly, Actively
participate, Do your homework, Know your PIN number, Keep hands, feet,
objects to yourself)
3. Be Ready- (Give your best effort every day, Be on time to school every day,
Have all of your needed materials and supplies ready for class, Take care of
library books that you check out, Listen for directions, Follow the rules –
stop and think to make good choices)
One of our main forms of parent communication is the weekly Red
Thursday Folder. The principal’s newsletter will be distributed to our students
in this folder every other Thursday. The newsletter will include information that
you may have to respond to, as well as information about our school community,
PTA, and MCPS. See page 2 of this newsletter about specific First Week
Information in this week’s Red Folder.
I would like to welcome our new PTA Leaders and look forward to continue
the collaboration between the school and our PTA. As part of MCPS and State
efforts to increase student safety and security protocols, both MKES and PCES
are implementing a mandatory volunteer training program.
See more
information in this Newsletter.
Finally, we are thrilled to have Mrs. Clark-Harrison on board as our new
Assistant Principal. Our pledge is to do our best to nurture, support and
challenge your children, and to provide the best possible environment where
your children can be safe, learn, and have fun. Together with the staff, we are
eagerly anticipating a successful and rewarding school year. We are honored at
the privilege to serve your children. We thank you for the trust you place in us to
educate your children and look forward to welcoming all of our families at our
Back-to-school Picnic this evening, Sept. 3rd, from 5:00-7:00 p.m., and our
Back-to-school Night on Tuesday, September 15th at 6:30 p.m.
Please let us know how we can better serve you!
Sincerely,
Mr. Generlette
Principal
NEW Bell Times - Arrival
Lunch Menu
All students are to enter the building at 8:40 a.m. Walkers
and car-riders enter the main entrance to the school. Bus
riders enter through the lower doors in the front of the
school. All students report directly to their classroom where
breakfast is served. In order to allow the smooth flow of
vehicular traffic, parents should not park their car along
the drop-off loop in the front of the school. School staff
will be present each morning to assist in directing the smooth
flow of traffic. Parents are asked to kindly and respectfully
follow the direction of the staff. Remember our job is to
ensure the safety of every student and assist you in entering
and exiting the premises as smoothly as possible. A student
is considered late if they arrive after 9:00 a.m.
At the beginning of each month, your child will bring home the
lunch menu. Please review the menu choices daily with your
child. Also, there will always be a third menu option of grilled
cheese that the students can choose. You can add money to your
child’s account by sending money to school or online at the
MCPS website. Please be sure to include your child’s PIN
number when making payment by check.
Dismissal
All students are dismissed beginning at 3:25 p.m. Walkers
and students that are being picked-up are dismissed
through the lower side entrance on Daleview Drive. Bus
riders are dismissed through the lower doors in the front of
the school. Students are not allowed to play on the
playground un-supervised at the end of the day.
Again, we appreciate parents refraining from parking in
the front circle and in the staff parking area of our school
parking lot during arrival and dismissal times, to allow
our buses easy access.
Visitors
We welcome all visitors to our building; however, for the
safety of students, we ask that all visitors report to the main
office, sign in, and receive a visitor badge. This will
indicate to our students and staff that you are a “safe” person
in our building. Even if you visit often, please wear a badge
each time. If you are bringing a “forgotten” item to your
child (for example, homework, lunch), please bring the item
to the office and we will make sure that your child receives
it.
To minimize interruptions to our instructional
programming, please do not go directly to the classroom. To
assist us in maintaining a safe and secure environment for
our students and staff, all parents and visitors must report to
the front office to begin their visit.
MKES Media Program
The MKES Media Program is excited for a new school year
and new opportunities for in-depth learning! Kindergarten
classes will come to the media center for a weekly class. First
and Second grade classes will come to the library every other
week for class and book check-out. In addition, the media
center is open Mon – Thurs. for Open Book Check Out
during breakfast, 8:40-9:10 a.m. All students are welcome to
come and check out additional books during Open Book
Check Out. For information literacy instruction, Ms. Van
will be working closely with the K-2 teams to plan in-depth
inquiry projects that embed information literacy skills into
grade level curriculum. Our weekly MKES TV Show will be
back this year! Applications to be on the TV Team will go
home with all second grade students in the month of
September. As always, parents are encouraged to come to
the media center and check out books as well. Pop in the
next time you are at school and we will get you signed up for
an account. We look forward to working with you!
First Week Information
The Red Folder contains very important information provided by
the school system and our school. The packet contains
information that needs to be completed and returned including:
 Free and Reduced Meal Application – youngest in
family. Remember, if your child was eligible for free or
reduced price meals last school year, you must apply again
this year to maintain eligibility.
 White Student Emergency Information – This provides
the school with crucial information about your child and how
you can be contacted if an emergency arises. Please review
the information on the form, make any changes or
corrections, and return this and the above mentioned forms to
your child’s teacher.
 Directory Withholding Form – Parents can use this form
to indicate what information they want released.
Also in the packet will be information on:
 Integrated Pest Management Notice – State mandated
information.
 The George B. Thomas Saturday School Registration –
Parents may choose to register their student for this learning
opportunity.
 The 2015-16 Student’s Guide to Rights and
Responsibilities and 2015-16 Code of Conduct in MCPS will
The Montgomery Knolls Discipline Policy will be sent home later
this month.
Reminders:
Please make sure that your child’s name is on all items brought
to school. This includes the following items: clothing, school
supplies, lunch boxes or bags, and backpacks. When sending in
money or a note, please put it in a sealed envelope with both your
child’s name and the teacher’s name on the front of the envelope.
Remember to call the school office if your child is going to be
absent or late so that the attendance record will be accurate. If
your child will be late, but would like to order a school lunch,
please call the office before 10:00 a.m.
To see some of the wonderful things happening at school, visit
our school’s website at
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/knollses/
Saturday School
MCPS is proud to announce the continuation of the George
B. Thomas, Sr. Learning Academy, Inc. (Saturday School).
This program focuses on English, math, and science in grades
1-12. The program meets each Saturday morning September
through May from 8:30-11:00 a.m. at Montgomery Blair HS.
A flyer and registration information is included in the Red
Thursday Folder.