Lee F. Derby, Principal
Courtney Jones, Assistant Principal
March 2016
www.mcpsmd.org/schools/cedargrovees
Earth Day? No Way
Cedar Grove Celebrates
Earth Week!
Autism Awareness Month
At Cedar Grove
Autism is a word used to describe how
some people learn, play, work with others
and communicate differently than you and I
do. April is Autism Awareness month. Our
Student Government Association (SGA)
would like to get Cedar Grove involved in
observing Autism Awareness month with a
few ideas and activities. By the end of the
month, we hope that you have learned
something new about Autism. If you know
or meet someone with autism, remember
it’s important to be kind and to simply be a
friend, knowing now that everyone is
different and being different is okay.
Following is a list of awareness activities
scheduled for the month:
Week of April 4th –Each class signs a
large Autism Awareness ribbon which
SGA members will hang in the hallways
for the month.
April 15th – Wear Autism Awareness
stickers (provided by the SGA)
April 22nd – Wear Autism Awareness
bracelets (provided by the SGA.)
April 29th – Blue Out (Wear Blue)
One of the cool things about
being a Green School and a
Green Ribbon School is that
our school community looks
forward to celebrating Earth Day! And
wow, are we going to celebrate this year!
We have so much going on that we have
decided to have an Earth Week starting on
April 18 going through April 22!
Thanks to the PTA we’ll kick off our
celebration with a wonderful GreenNewit
Assembly. Then we’ll have grade level
rotations throughout the week and
culminate with a school-wide Friday
outdoor picnic lunch! We will hold a
Wasteless Wednesday competition -- the
class on each grade level with the least
amount of throwaway items during lunch
will win an opportunity to participate in a
special event (it’s a surprise, so stay
tuned!). We’ll have an earth color theme
every day and wear special earth day
buttons every day, as well. Look for our
promise trees to pop promises and for our
classes to spontaneously spend time
outside, exploring nature.
We hope to create memories during our
Earth Week that will stay with our students
for the rest of their lives. We encourage
you to ask your students about their day
and enjoy their enthusiasm. We also
encourage you to help us by joining your
student during the picnic if you can – and
doing a sun dance every evening because
we really want to be able to spend as much
time outdoors as possible!
Pre-K and Head Start
Registration Starts
Montgomery County Public Schools offers
free Prekindergarten and Head Start
programs for families whose child would
be eligible for free or reduced lunch
(FARMS). If your child will be 4 years old
on or before September 1, 2016, you may
be eligible! After March 14, applications
for fall 2016 will be accepted. You may
apply at Rocking Horse Road Center, 4910
Macon Road, Rockville, MD, Monday
through Friday, 9 am to 4 pm. Additional
registration events are offered at
community locations and there are evening
and Saturday registrations scheduled.
Please call 301-230-0676 or check
www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org for more
information about where to apply and what
to bring with you.
Are You Up to the 5th Grade Challenge?
The MCPS Educational Foundation invites you to
join local dignitaries and community leaders for a
night of fun and celebration at the fourth annual
“Are You Up to the 5th Grade Challenge?” event
on Monday, April 11. The event will be held at
7 p.m. at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural
Center, 8633 Colesville Road in Silver Spring. The
event will test local celebrity contestants on their
knowledge of Grade 5 facts. Students from more
than 20 MCPS elementary schools, including
Cedar Grove 5th grader Mahita Kamalahasan,
will participate in the event. The event is free and
open to the public. Those who wish to attend are
asked to register online. The Educational
Foundation provides grants, programs, and
scholarships that improve educational
opportunities for MCPS students.
County Executive Releases Operating
Budget Recommendation for MCPS
Keys for Reading Program
Cedar Grove Elementary students are
participating in the Keys for Reading Program.
Each each student has received a Keys for
Reading bookmark to fill in the the names of
three books read between March 21st and April
22nd. The student will then have a parent/
guardian sign the bookmark. The signed
bookmark is a ticket voucher. Instructions on
how to redeem the student’s free ticket, as well
as how to purchase additional discounted
tickets can be found on the back-side of the
bookmark. Celebrate your child’s reading
achievements at the ballpark during the
Montgomery County Keys for Reading
Weekend. Families have the option of
attending a game on Friday, April 29th 7PM;
Saturday, April 30th, 2PM; or Sunday, May 1st
at 2 PM. Students who complete the program
can participate in a parade a half hour before
the first pitch. Let’s fill the stands with Cedar
Grove Readers!
Montgomery County Executive Isiah
Leggett has released his recommended
operating budget for FY 2017 and is
proposing a $135.9 million increase in
spending for MCPS. This is about $44
million less than the $2.5 billion operating
budget the Board of Education had
requested. The Montgomery County
OnCouncil will hold public hearings on the
County Executive’s budget
recommendation on April 5, 6, and 7. This
is an opportunity for parents, staff,
students, and community members to share
their thoughts with county leaders about
why it is important to fully fund the MCPS
budget. You can sign up to testify at a
hearing, or call 240- 777-7803. Stay
informed and engaged on the budget
request on the MCPS operating budget.
Honoring Contributions
to Special Education
Hot or Cold?
To prepare for warmer weather, all MCPS
schools and facilities will be transitioning
from heat to air conditioning starting on
April 8. This changeover is a gradual one,
and it takes a few weeks to complete it
throughout the county. During this time,
there may be days when neither service is
available. In addition, students will be
going outside regularly for recess, PE, and
curriculum-based activities. Please check
the forecast daily and send your child to
school dressed for the weather.
Thanks
Thanks to all the families who have
registered for the Target Take
Charge of Education program. We
recently received a check for
$814.00 that we will use to
supplement and enrich your
children’s experience here at Cedar
Grove. We also earned $521.00
from the Harris Teeter Together in
Education program!
I also want to recognize the
generosity of our community who
raised $3,837.26 for the American
Heart Association through Jump
Rope for Heart/Hoops for Heart.
This amount surpassed last year’s
total by more than $800 and is one
of which we can all be proud.
Thanks also to Mr. Jansson for
providing our students with the
opportunity to exercise, learn about
heart health, and raise these funds
for such a worthy cause.
MCPS parents, students, and staff are
encouraged to submit nominations to
recognize individuals and programs that
have contributed to the success and
acceptance of students with special needs.
The recognitions are being given by the
Special Education Committee of the
Montgomery County Council of PTAs
(MCCPTA). The recognition ceremony
will be held at Rockville High School on
Monday, May 9. Nominations are being
accepted in four categories: Staff,
Programs, Parents, and Students.
Applications are due by Friday, March 18.
Nominations can be submitted by email
attachment to Jeanne Taylor, or by hard
copy to the Montgomery County Council of
PTAs, Upcounty Regional Services Center,
12900 Middlebrook Road, 3rd Floor,
Germantown, MD, 20874. Visit the MCPS
website, search “MCCPTA Awards” to
download the nomination form.
MCPS Annual Report to the Community
The 2015 Annual Report to the Community
tells the story of MCPS—the factors that
are driving change in our district; the
strategies we are using to close the
achievement gap and prepare our students
for success in the 21st century; and the
operational and student performance data
we use to monitor our progress. The online
report features photos, charts, and video
and audio segments that help portray how
MCPS is fulfilling its vision and mission.
To read the report, go to the MCPS Web
site and search “Annual Report” and learn
more and meet some of the district’s
outstanding students and staff.
Saturday School to Offer
PARCC Exposure Series
In collaboration with MCPS, Saturday
School is pleased to offer MCPS families
the opportunity to participate in PARCC
Exposure, a series of Saturday sessions,
beginning March 12, designed to help
students become more familiar with taking
the Partnership for Assessment of
Readiness for College and Careers
(PARCC) exams this spring. Beginning
Saturday, March 12, in addition to the
strong literacy and math support teachers
deliver, students will be exposed to the
PARCC assessments on computers and
Chromebooks. Certified MCPS teachers
will use publicly released items as part of
their literacy and math tutoring sessions to
reinforce what students are learning during
the week.
Your child can be a part of this exciting
opportunity by registering for Saturday
School. Registration is $40 for students
who receive Free and Reduced-price Meals
(FARMS) and $70 for non-FARMS
students. Parents are invited to the March
12 parent training at all 12 Saturday School
centers to learn more about the PARCC
assessment.
The George B. Thomas, Sr. Learning
Academy, also known as Saturday School,
is a low-cost tutoring and mentoring
program that provides an extra day of
learning and helps MCPS students enhance
their mastery of core academic subjects.
Students in Grades 1 through 12 who are in
need of additional academic support can
attend sessions at one of 12 locations across
Montgomery County.
Have you registered
your child(ren) for
Summer School yet?
Bear Way Updates
Congratulations to our winning
classes for the month of February:
K
1-2
3-5
Mrs. Anderson’s Class
Mrs. Daly’s Class
Mr. Moxley’s Class
We will be having our next
quarterly Bear Way assembly on
April 6 to recognize our March
winners and reinforce expectations
through laughter. Ask your son or
daughter about the joke they or their
class submitted.
Study Released on MCPS Choice
and Special Academic Programs
MCPS has released its comprehensive
study of choice and other special academic
programs. The study was commissioned by
the Board of Education to analyze how well
choice and special academic programs
advance the district’s mission, core
purpose, and core values, and to
recommend ways MCPS can improve these
programs. Over the next several months,
MCPS will engage with the community and
work to develop a plan to address the
report’s findings and recommendations.
Three community dialogues are scheduled
to discuss the recommendations and the
vision for choice within MCPS. The
meetings will take place from 7 p.m. to
8:30 p.m. on April 6 at Gaithersburg High
School; April 18 at Kennedy High School;
and May 5 at Walter Johnson High School.
The report is available for your
information, and you may also submit
feedback online.
Dates to Remember
3/23
3/24
3/25
April
4/4
4/6
4/8
4/11
Around the World Night is Coming
On Friday, April 8, the Rocky Hill cafeteria
will be transformed into an amazing
international bazaar known as the Cedar
Grove Around the World Night. This event
is a highlight of every school year and
provides our families and school
community the opportunity to celebrate the
diverse heritage that makes us such a strong
and interesting place to learn and work.
Have you signed up to showcase your
family’s culture? We have representatives
from 14 countries signed up to date, but
many more that have not let us know they
will be there sharing information, artifacts,
food, and more from their countries. Please
consider being a part of this special night.
The deadline to register for the event has
been extended, so please contact one of the
coordinators today! I look forward to
seeing you at Around the World Night.
Flyer Distribution Day
No School-Professional Day
Spring Break begins (through 4/3)
Autism Awareness Month
PTA Meeting @ 7:00 PM
Bear Way Assemblies
End of Marking Period 3
Around the World Night
6:30 PM @ RHMS
Jansson’s Park in PE all week
PTA Spirit Night @ Chik-Fil-A