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Cresthaven Star Chronicle
Sherri Gorden, Principal
Emily Madan, Assistant Principal
Believe...Achieve...Succeed
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/cresthavenes/newsletter/ January 23, 2015
Arrival Update, Procedures and Expectations: Students should not ar r ive to school befor e 8:30am.
Recently we have experienced a high volume of students being dropped off extremely early. The official
time for student drop off is 8:30am. Prior to this time there are no adults on duty for supervision and with
the cold temperatures students are forced to wait outside for an extended period of time. We appreciate
your cooperation.
Student Drop Off: Ther e is no par king in the student dr op off lane. If you need to come into the
school you must park your car. Failure to follow this expectation causes considerable delay to parents
dropping off their children and to staff trying to park their cars.
Cresthaven's First Annual Spelling Bee! Can you r ecall your ear ly schooling exper iences when students showcased their spelling talent by competing in friendly spelling bee competitions? Cresthaven is excited to host its first
annual spelling bee on February 19th (3rd grade and Learning Center Classes) and February 20th (4th and 5th grades). Select students competing for the title, Cresthaven's Champion Speller, will participate in grade level competitions to determine the top speller in each grade level. We are extremely proud of all of our finalists!
Saturday Parent Workshop: Mar k you calendar s and plan to join us on Satur day, Febr uar y 21,
2015 for our annual parent workshop, Understanding Common Core Math. This is a hands-on session
designed to engage you in learning the about the new curriculum and practicing the learning strategies
to support your child at home. This is a family event so bring the kids. There will be activities for students to participate in while you are learning. A continental breakfast will be provided and family fun
prizes also.
Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers Assessment (PARCC) Preparation and
Schedule: The PARCC assessments ar e designed to measur e the liter acy and pr oblem solving skills students
need to be successful in college and careers. In March we will begin our standardized testing in reading and math for
all students, grades 3-5. Students will take the Performance-Based Assessments (PBA) over a period of four days. The
testing schedule is attached for your review. We will also send home reminders and test preparation reminder before
the testing begins.
Student Change of School Assignment Process (COSA) for 2015-2016: The window for r equests of a change in
school assignment is February 2—April 1, 2015. If you are considering a school change your child must be enrolled
and registered in their assigned school pending the outcome of the COSA request. Attached is a detailed description
for your convenience of the COSA process.
Calendar Items
Principal’s Corner
Feb. 13
2:30-3:15pm Class Friendship
Parties
Dear Parents,
Feb. 16
Holiday—President’s Day—No
School
Feb. 21
9:30-11:00am Saturday Parent
Math Workshop
Feb. 27
Early Dismissal—1:00pm
March 3
6:30pm PTA Meeting @ Roscoe
Are you ready for Curriculum 2.0 math? We are. On Saturday, February 21,
2015, 9:30-11:30am. I invite you to join our teachers for an exciting learning
adventure. Have you heard your child say they have to “decompose or compose” numbers to solve a math problem? Have they explained numbers in
base ten - sounds strange? Then this is your opportunity to learn new math
vocabulary and problem solving strategies with our teachers. Todays mathematics requires more than simply solving addition or subtraction problems.
Students are required to understand the value of numbers and explain their
reasoning when solving equations. At our workshop last year parents were
able to engage in hands-on experiences while they learned about the changes
in math instruction. This year we will continue the exploration of math instruction and want you to join us. Your invitation will come home next week
and we look forward to you joining us.
Sincerely,
Ms. Gorden