Rock View Elementary School
Phone: 301-929-2002 Fax: 301-962-5986
www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/rockviewes
Twitter: @RVESRoadrunners (Ms. Alexander) @RockView_AP (Ms. Grigsby)
THE ROADRUNNER
February 1, 2016
Upcoming Events
Week of Feb. 1 – National School
Counseling Week!
Feb. 1 – Gr. 4 in-house field trip, Mad
Science
Feb. 2 – PTA meeting, 7-8:30 pm
Feb. 12 – Valentine’s Day classroom
parties, 2:15-3:15 pm
Two Terrific Events!
Thank you to everyone who came out to support our Winter Concert and
Family Night! On Jan. 10, our 2nd and 4th graders, as well as our 5th grade
chorus performed beautifully at the Winter Concert! On Jan. 21, we hosted
Family Math Night. Hundreds of Rock View parents and students enjoyed
math games – what a great turnout considering the looming blizzard! Kudos
to MCPS’ Food Service staff for providing free pizza dinner to students and
$1 pizza for parents. They served over 170 people!
Rescheduled BINGO Night date TBD
Feb. 15 – Holiday, schools and offices
closed
Feb. 17&18 – Class/group portraits inAll
Purpose Room
Feb. 19 – 5 th Gr. Field trip to Kennedy
Center (rescheduled)
Feb. 19 – Multicultural Night, 7 pm
(snow date Feb. 26, if necessary)
Feb. 26 – Early release (grading and
reporting), dismissal begins at 12:50 pm
As a result of school closings, we have to reschedule BINGO Night. PTA is working
hard to identify a new date. Be on the lookout for communication with the new
date!
International Night is Almost Here!
Rock View's International Night will be Friday, February 19th (snow date will be
Feb. 26th, if needed). Please consider volunteering to support this great event.
There is plenty for all to do! If you would like to volunteer, we need volunteers
to host country tables, to bring food and drinks to share, and to help with
performers. If you are interested, please contact Tabitha Sripipatana,
Multicultural Night Coordinator, at [email protected] to learn
about ways to volunteer and to be connected to the International Night planning
committee. This is always a wonderful event - we hope to see you there!
Character Wall of Fame for Marking Period 2
It is time again to recognize our students for their great character with the
Character Wall of Fame! Each Marking Period, we focus on one or two Character
Ms. Kris Alexander, Principal Ms. Nia Grigsby, Assistant Principal
Valentine’s Day Parties
Our classrooms will be hosting
Valentine’s Days parties on Friday,Feb.
12 from 2:15-3:15 pm. If you are
providing snacks for the parties, please
remember that all snacks must bestorebought and free of nuts and nutproducts. If you do not want your child
to participate in the class party, please
let your child’s teacher know.
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Traits through the Character Counts program. During the 2 nd Marking Period we continued to address Responsibility,
as well as Fairness. Caring is the focus for the 3 rd Marking Period, while Trustworthiness and Moral Courage will
addressed during the 4th Marking Period. Students learn about these important Character Traits in a variety ways –
classroom guidance lessons, morning announcements, problem-solving and conflict resolution opportunities, and class
meetings. Each of these Character Traits have characteristics that are frequently shared with the students. Classroom
teachers in kindergarten through 5th grade will use these characteristics to identify students from their classes to be
recognized for exemplary character – the students who most notably demonstrate the characteristics of the identified
Traits from their classes will be recognized for the Character Wall of Fame.
Each recognized student will receive a certificate that indicates which Trait they are being recognized for and have a
group picture taken with all the students who are recognized from their grade level. These pictures and student names
will be on display on the large bulletin board near the Main Office. The characteristics for the recognized Traits, as well
as the next Marking Period’s Traits and characteristics are posted on the bulletin board too.
In order to provide a more personal venue where students can truly be individually recognized for their character, Ms.
Alexander has lunch bunches with the students by grade level. Ms. Alexander provides a small treat and prize during
the lunch bunches for the students. Teachers notify students when students are identified to be recognized for the
Character Wall of Fame, and the students receive an invitation from Ms. Alexander to notify them of when they will
have their lunch bunch.
Students who most demonstrated exemplary Responsibility and Fairness will have their lunch bunches during the first
couple of weeks of February. Recognized students will be notified by their teachers very soon, and they will receive an
invitation from Ms. Alexander for their lunch bunch.
Change of School Assignment (COSA)
The Change of School Assignment (COSA) transfer season begins on February 1, 2016. Parents who wish to request a
Change of School Assignment for their children must start the process at their home school, where they can r equest
the Change of School Assignment Information Booklet that contains the COSA form, describes the process and provides
useful information. Beginning the first week of February, the COSA booklet will be available in schools and online at
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/transfers.
Winter 2016 Parent Academy
The MCPS Parent Academy is back with an exciting lineup of free workshops for parents! Parent Academy workshops
give parents useful tips and tools to support their children’s success in and out of school. A wide array of topics will be
covered during the winter session, including college and career planning, helping teens manage stress, literacy, the
MCPS operating budget, recognizing child abuse and neglect, and much more. All of the workshops are free and are
held at schools and locations throughout Montgomery County. Childcare and interpretation services are provided. To
see the schedule of workshops and to register, visit montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/parentacademy/.
Library Link—Connecting Students to Adventure, Exploration and Excitement
Montgomery County Public Schools is partnering with the Montgomery County Public Libraries to launch Library Link,
a new countywide initiative aimed to ensure every child enrolled in school has access to a library card. This program is
part of the national ConnectED Library Challenge, led by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a federal agency
supporting libraries. With 21 branches across Montgomery County, libraries have millions of books, magazines, movies,
and more for children to borrow. Libraries also serve as digital hubs to connect students to Internet resources, and
offer important tools such as test preparation materials, electronic databases, world language materials, and quiet
spaces for children to do homework. You’ll hear more about Library Link in the coming months.
Budget 101: The Budgeting Process Explained
Ms. Kris Alexander, Principal Ms. Nia Grigsby, Assistant Principal
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MCPS has launched a new online resource to help the community better understand how the district builds its
operating budget and funds its schools. The new Budget 101 site was created to answer many of the questions that
parents, students, staff and community members have asked about the MCPS operating budget. The site will show you
where the district’s funding comes from, how it’s spent, and how our schools are staffed to ensure we are meeting the
needs of every student. Visit www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/budget-101/index.html to check out this new resource.
REMINDER - Winter Weather: Stay in Touch with MCPS
MCPS offers numerous ways for parents to learn about school closures, delayed openings, and early dismissals due to
inclement weather. Visit http://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/emergency/ for more information.
 AlertMCPS
Receive text messages or emails from MCPS during weather-related emergencies and other major events that
impact school system operations. Parents can also sign up to receive alerts specific to their child’s school.
Subscribe to AlertMCPS at
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/emergency/alertmcps.aspx

MCPS homepage
www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org

QuickNotes email news service
Subscribe at http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/quicknotes/subscribe/
MCPS cable channel
Comcast 34, Verizon 36 or RCN 89
Recorded information (English and Spanish)
301-279-3673
Ask MCPS
301-309-6277. Staff take calls from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Mondays through Fridays, in English and Spanish.
Twitter
http://twitter.com/mcps
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Local radio and TV stations
AlertMCPS
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/emergency/alertmcps.aspx
Ms. Kris Alexander, Principal Ms. Nia Grigsby, Assistant Principal
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