News from the
Administration
November 2013
Beverly Farms Elementary School, 8501 Postoak Road, Potomac, MD 20854 301.469.1050
Important Dates
Parent-Teacher Conferences
st
The first marking period ended on October 31 . Friday,
November 1st is a Professional Day for teachers and there is no
school for students. Teachers need to complete grading and
reporting responsibilities and prepare for parent-teacher
conferences on November 11th and 12th (Early Release Days).
Dismissal begins at 12:35. Please remind after care providers
about upcoming half days. Also, there is a different lunch
schedule to accommodate the early release so your child(ren)
will have lunch earlier than the regularly scheduled time.
Friday, November 1
o
Professional Day -No School
Tuesday, November 5
o
9:15 Author Visit K-2 Grade
Wednesday, November 6
o
Individual Pictures Make-Up Day
Thursday, November 7
o
7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
4th Graders to St. Mary’s Field Trip
Monday, November 11
Parent-teacher conferences are held in fifteen minute intervals
on these Early Release Days. Teachers will reach out to any
parents who have not yet confirmed a date and time. The
teachers maximize that time by planning ahead for what they
will highlight in the conference. Parents can maximize that time
by contacting the teacher in advance with a specific question. (In
order to answer it the teacher may need to gather work
samples, speak with a teacher specialist, etc.) If a question
arises during the conference that the teacher cannot answer, he
or she will follow up with you. The conference should ultimately
be an overview of school performance and summary of
feedback you received throughout the marking period.
o
12:35 P.M. Early Dismissal
Conferences & Report Card Distribution
Tuesday, November 12
o
12:35 P.M. Early Dismissal
Conferences & Report Card Distribution
Monday, November 18
o
3rd Grade “Mad Science” In School
Field Trip
Tuesday, November 19
o
3rd Grade “Mad Science” In School
Field Trip
Wednesday, November 27
o
12:35 P.M. Early Dismissal
Thursday, November 28
Your child’s success relies on a partnership between parents and
staff. The conferences are mandated by MCPS during the first
quarter. There are not “scheduled” parent conference days for
the remainder of the year. Please contact teachers when you
have questions about your child’s performance. We look
forward to seeing you on the parent conference days.
o
Schools are Closed-HOLIDAY
Friday, November 29
o
Schools are Closed-HOLIDAY
Reminder: Winter Break
December 23 – January 1
School begins on Thursday, January 2, 2014
Administration News October 2012
November 2013
Parents of 3rd Graders
The applications for the Highly Gifted Center are due
November 8th. You can contact the Division of Consortia Choice
and Application Program Services (DCCAPS) at 301-592-2040 or
go to the following link for additional information. (Please
remember to send the applications to DCCAPS.)
Medication
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/specialpro
grams/elementary/highly-gifted-centers.aspx
Highly Gifted Center Test: Applicants take a test at school in
January. The school is assigned the testing date and will notify
parents of applicants in advance.
Parents of 2nd -5th Graders
All second graders participate in the MCPS Student
Instructional Program Planning and Implementation
(SIPPI) process. Students in third, fourth or fifth grades
who are new to MCPS (or recommended for rescreening)
will also participate. Multiple sources of data are collected
(during the course of the school year) to allow for emerging
strengths to be noted and nurtured. Students who demonstrate
strengths across several of these areas can be recommended
for gifted and talented identification. The SIPPI Parent Report
is sent in June.
InView Test: The InView test is part of the SIPPI protocol.
The testing window is between December 4 and
December 17. It is administered over multiple days.
Parents will be informed when the days are selected.
Parents of students in third, fourth or fifth grade will need
to sign a permission form. The InView test is mailed back
to the publisher which is where the scoring takes place.
Note: Scores are sent back to schools in the spring and are
only one data point in the SIPPI process.
Page 2
Note
Scholastic Book Fair November 11-15. PTA to
announce times for parents to visit! Teachers
will accompany their homeroom to “tour” the
book selection.
Reminders
Questions about balance in Lunch Accounts
o Check Online or Contact Cafeteria
Manager
Changes to Student Information Sheet
Phone numbers, email addresses, after school
contact (parent, babysitter, etc.)
o Contact Front Office Staff
Need “yellow card” to display Car Rider
Number
o Contact the Media Specialist
Update about health/medical condition
(Change of medication, allergies, etc.)
o Contact Health Room Staff
Lost and Found Library Books
o Contact the Media Specialist
Parent-School Partnership
Some parents find the parent-teacher conference the opportune time to share new information. For example, a
parent might state concerns about “attention” and request that the teacher complete ratings scales. In other
instances a parent reports that the child will be privately evaluated regarding educational performance. Other
comments are meant to alert teachers about changes at home that might impact school. In any case, the educational
performance of a child is the result of a team effort. Teachers will share parent input with appropriate colleagues to
as part of a collaborative approach to provide support. Examples of “appropriate colleagues” include but are not
limited to the school counselor, administrator or school nurse. We want to use the combined expertise of staff and
the child’s parents to ensure the child has a successful school experience.
Beverly Farms: Where the Eagles Soar with Pride