FARMLAND
ESOL PARENT NEWSLETTER
Quarter 1
August-October 2015
Welcome Back to School!
Farmland is fortunate to have four ESOL teachers: Cheryl
Ruffa, Linda Bernard, Tatiana Khokhlova and Rachel
Dinkin. We look forward to working with your children in
ESOL class to help them learn English.
Feel free to contact us at school: 301-230-5919, or via
email with any questions or concerns.
Cheryl
Ruffa
[email protected]
Linda
Bernard
[email protected]
Rachel
Dinkin
[email protected]
Tatiana
Khokhlova
[email protected]
ESOL Grading and Reporting
On their report card, your student will
receive a performance level for listening,
speaking, reading and writing. This level is
based on their ESOL classroom performance
and assessments. Please understand that
even though your student may be working
very hard and doing and demonstrating
understanding of the language skills taught,
they are still performing on the level that is
shown on the report card. (Entering 1,
Emerging 2, Developing 3, Expanding 4, and
Bridging 5.) We will not change your child’s
level as the year progresses. However, you
will see your child’s progression in the
performance levels on their report cards. If
you have any further questions, please
contact your child’s ESOL teacher.
Our Wish List
It won’t be long before our children are
sneezing and coughing. ESOL teachers also
would welcome donations of tissue boxes,
liquid soap and/or hand sanitizer to
control the spread of germs. Please do not
feel you have to send any of these items
with your child to school.
ESOL Essential Questions
For the Quarter
ESOL Enduring Understanding and
Essential Questions for Kindergarten and
Grade One:
 We use language to express who we are.
o What words describe each of us?
o How are we alike?
o How are we different?
 We can gain information through written
and oral language.
o What words describe what we do?
o What words can we use to describe
things?
 Asking questions helps us learn and work
well with others.
o What language do we use when we
work together in school?
o How do we state confusion and ask
questions for clarification?
 The language we use expresses how we
organize information.
o What language do we use to
describe objects or describe the
actions or groups of categories of?
ESOL Enduring Understandings & Essential
Questions for Second Grade:
 Explaining our connections to people,
places, and things helps us express who
we are.
o How does explaining our
connection to the environment help
us express who we are?
o How does explaining our
connection to people and places
around the world help us express
who we are?
 Sharing stories is a way we can express
ourselves and recognize the connections
we have with others.
o What feelings do we share?
o How does expressing feelings help
us connect to stories?
o How can we express our
connections to the stories we read?
o How can we express ourselves
clearly in writing?
ESOL Enduring Understandings & Essential
Questions for Third Grade:
 How can responsibilities be shared to
reach a group goal?
 What steps do you take to reach a group
goal?
 How do we know if our group is working
productively?
 How do I analyze?
 How does analyzing help make meaning or
inferences?
 How do relationships among parts within
a whole help define the whole?
 How does analyzing relationships among
parts help make sense of the whole?
ESOL Enduring Understandings & Essential
Questions for Fourth Grade:
 What criteria can we use to make a good
group decision?
 How do I know when I have a good
generalization of the facts?
 How can I put ideas together to form a
solution?
 When should we compromise and when
should we stick to our ideas?
ESOL Enduring Understandings & Essential
Questions for Fifth Grade:
 When should I rethink or change my ideas,
questions, or strategies?
 How can responsibilities best be shared to
reach a group goal?
 What are the benefits of seeking multiple
perspectives?
 How does new evidence confirm or change
my thinking?
 When should I stand firm and when
should I yield to the ideas of others?
 How can criteria be used to support a
group decision?
Tips for Parents: Quality TV
Watching quality TV can help improve your child’s English and be fun at the same time. However, not
all television programs appropriately help your children develop their English skills. Watch children’s
programs on the local PBS station (Public Broadcasting Station) (Channels 22, 26, and 32) or Sprout
TV (PBS cable TV). Programs such as Zooboomafoo, Sid the Science Kid, Sesame Street, Word Girl,
Super Why, and Ruff Ruffman will entertain your children and help them learn English as well. Go to
PBSkids.org to see other programs they offer.
One question we are frequently asked is: “What language should I use with my child at home?” It is
okay for parents to use their first language as well as English with their children. We recommend that
parents read in their first language and English (if comfortable) to their children. The goal is to have
the children become bilingual, while not losing their first language.
PTA
The PTA would like all ESOL parents to join! This will help you know all that is happening at school.
They provide the school with financial support and are responsible for events such as the Science Fair,
International Night, the Geography Bee, Cultural Arts assemblies and much more. They welcome
parent volunteers.
You can go to www.farmland-pta.org to join the PTA and to sign up for eNews for PTA updates.
Fall into Fitness Night
Sign Up For MCPS Quicknotes
The MCPS Quicknotes e-mail news service is
available in English, Spanish, French, Chinese,
Korean and Vietnamese. This monthly
newsletter will give parents important
information about Montgomery County
Public Schools. Go to the home page at
www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org and click on
“For Parents” at the top. Click on
“Quicknotes” under the column that says
“Resources” and follow the instructions to
subscribe to this service.
Please attend Fall Fitness Night at Farmland
on Tuesday, October 6th from 6:00 - 7:30 in
the evening. There will be many fun activities
for you to enjoy with your children. Parents
and children are involved together in all
activities. All levels of English ability will have
fun and be able to participate. What a great
way for our ESOL students to participate and
have fun!
Fall Family Activities
We would like to suggest things to do with
your families during the fall season.
Pumpkins are appearing all over as
children get excited about Halloween. One
fun place that you might want to go is
Butler’s Orchard in Germantown. Each
weekend in October they have a Pumpkin
Festival. You can enjoy some fall activities
there such as: jumping in the hayloft, going
for a hayride, face painting, and seeing
barnyard animals. You can also go to the
pumpkin patch and pick your own
pumpkins. For information please call 301972-3299 or visit their website at
www.butlersorchard.com
Farmland’s PTA has a wonderful fall
activity for you and your family! On
Friday, October 23rd from 6:30- 8:30
there will be a Halloween Dance for all
grades at Farmland! There will be food, a
DJ and spooky surprises!
UPCOMING DATES
September 23rd
 No school for students and teachers
September 23rd- October 1st

PTA Book Fair- Many wonderful books
and gifts will be on sale from the PTA at
Farmland. The money that is made from
the book fair will help buy things for the
school and support programs at the
school.
September 29

PTA Meeting 7:00 p.m. Guest Speaker:
Britta Thomas, MCPD
September 30


PTA Bookstore open 6:00 – 8:30 pm
Teacher Read Night 6:00 – 7:00 pm
October 2nd
 Early Release Day-Students will be
dismissed starting at 1:20
October 6th
 Fall into Fitness Night from 6:00- 7:30.
Come with your children for fun and
fitness!
October 12
 Open House 9:30—11:30 am or 2:35—
3:30 pm
 School is open but many of you that work
for the government will not have to work
because it is Columbus Day. All parents
are invited to come to school to watch
their children in class.
October 16th
 No School for students and teachers There is no school so that the teachers
can go to a state convention and learn
more about teaching.
October 30th
 Halloween and End of Quarter 1 Marking
Period- Halloween will be celebrated at
school! This is a very exciting day for
children in the U.S.A. Students might want
to bring a costume to school. There will
be a costume parade at school at about
2:45. Parents are invited to watch the
parade. After the parade the children will
have a party in their classrooms. At night,
children can go trick or treating. This
means that they go door to door in their
costumes and get candy from their
neighbors. You might want to buy candy
to give to the children that come to your
door.
November 2nd
 No School for students