THE CLARKSBURG CHEETAH
Week of
October 26, 2015
THIS WEEK:
October 5 - 30
Kids Helping Kids Food Drive
Mon. – Fri., Oct. 26-30
Red Ribbon Week Activities:
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Wed., Oct. 28
Wear RED to school along with your favorite SWAG “Our School Has SWAG” (Students Who Achieve Goals Drug Free)
Wear your Hair Crazy “Wild About Being Drug Free”
Wear your Pajamas to School “Follow Your Dreams. Don’t Do Drugs”
Dress Wacky or Mismatched “Don’t Let Drugs Mix You Up”
Wear your Fan Friday Outfits “Team Up Against Drugs”
5th Grade Field Trip to Strathmore
Clarksburg/Damascus Community Meeting with Montgomery County
Council Member, Mr. Craig Rice, Rocky Hill MS, 6:30 p.m.
Fri., Oct. 30
Halloween Parade & Parties, 2:30 p.m.
A LOOK AHEAD:
Mon., Nov. 2
No School for Students – Report Card Prep/Planning
Thur., Nov. 5
Math Family Fun Night, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Tue., Nov. 10
Grade 3 “Mad Science” Presentation
Wed., Nov. 11
Early Release Day - Students are dismissed at 1:20 p.m.
Thur., Nov. 12
Early Release Day - Students are dismissed at 1:20 p.m.
Fri., Nov. 13
Kindergarten and Grade 1 Field Trip to Clarksburg HS
to watch their annual fall play, “Honk”
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Dear Clarksburg Elementary School Parents/Guardians,
I hope that everybody had a great weekend. This week will be a very busy and fun time at Clarksburg Elementary
School. It is the last week to collect and donate food for the Kids Helping Kids Food Drive. It is also Red Ribbon
Week. Red Ribbon Week is a time dedicated to making children aware of the dangers of drug use and abuse.
Each day has a theme. We hope that the fun themes drive home the message - Don’t do drugs. On Friday, we
will have our Halloween parade and parties. Please read the section below for many important details about our
Halloween protocols and procedures.
Please see the additional information below to learn about more of the exciting things that we are doing and the
Montgomery County Public School system is offering. Contact the office if you have any questions or concerns.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Carl Bencal
Principal
Halloween
Halloween is indeed a fun time at school and much planning goes into providing our students with a memorable
day. We will hold our annual Halloween festivities on Friday, October 30. Our Halloween Parade will begin at
2:30 p.m. and class parties will begin immediately following at approximately 2:45 p.m. The parade route,
weather permitting, will follow the perimeter of the large blacktop behind the school. Once the students have
completed their lap and climbed the stairs, parents can take class pictures at a location designated by the classroom
teacher before reentering the building to start their parties. All parties will conclude at 3:30 p.m.
The staff and I ask that you collaborate with your child regarding costume selection. Children should wear regular
clothes to school and carry their costumes with them so that costumes are not a distraction during the instructional
day. Students should be able to dress themselves in their costumes with minimal to no assistance. All costumes
should be appropriate for elementary school. The following will not be allowed:
- Weapons (Real or Toy)
- Gory or bloody costumes or accessories
- Costumes that require an unreasonable amount of adult assistance
The Division of Licensure and Regulatory Services of the Montgomery County Health Department is concerned
about food prepared in the home and brought to school. In addition, we have a significant number of students
with food allergies as well as dietary and medical restrictions. Therefore, we expect that food items sent to school
for Halloween and other parties be store-bought and not prepared in the home. We ask that our room parents help
us to establish this practice.
An alternative activity will be planned for any students whose parents do not want them to participate in our
Halloween activities. Please notify the school by Wednesday, October 28, if you do not want your child to
participate in the Halloween party, parade, or both.
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PTA News
Our CES PTA movie night, held last Thursday (10/15/15), was a success. Thanks to all the families who came
and took part in it. We ran into a few technical difficulties at the beginning, however with the help of a few of our
excellent parents, we did it!! We extend our thanks to our principal, Mr. Bencal, for his wholehearted support in
every possible way for the PTA to organize this event, Mrs. Taylor, our school media specialist, for arranging all
the tech set up for us, and our school building services staff for getting everything ready on time.
We also are extremely grateful to Mr. Karamanski and Ms. Tiffany Patterson for getting our movie up and
running, Mrs. Suzanne Cypriano for the DVD, and Mr. Brian Korody and Ms. Liza Jenkins for their very generous
donation of snacks. We also want to thank all the other outstanding parents who helped us where ever help was
needed - set up, clean up, food/snack distribution, crowd control, etc. Our CES Cheetahs were really well behaved
in spite of the delay.
All this goes to prove the quote "We may not have it all together - but together we have it all..."
The other major highlight of October 15 was the Reptile World Assembly held at the school during the morning.
Please visit our "Clarksburg Elementary School PTA" page on Facebook for some good pictures of the assembly.
Our next major PTA family event is right around the corner on November 20th - CES Heritage Night. Please
keep an eye out for the Heritage Night flyers arriving in your child's back pack shortly.
POSTPONED: 2015 School-Based Flu Vaccine Clinics
The Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has postponed the flu vaccine
clinics that were scheduled to take place on November 2, 11, and 12. MCPS will provide updated information as
soon as new dates are set by DHHS.
Brand New Special Cafeteria Entrée Offering
Starting on Thursdays in November, the entree “Yogurt with Blueberries and Granola” will be offered instead
of the entree salad offering listed on the published menu. We hope you try this new menu item!
A Reminder to All Visitors
We love when parents, guardians, and other community members visit our school and volunteer to help us support
our students. All are welcome! For safety and security reasons, we ask that all guests sign-in at the office. As a
common courtesy, we ask that you contact the classroom teacher if you plan on visiting or volunteering. Thank
you for helping to keep our staff and students safe while respecting the learning environment.
Cold Weather
As you can feel, cooler weather is beginning to settle into the Washington DC area. This means that it is very
important to dress your children appropriately as they leave the house in the morning. As long as the conditions
remain safe, students will continue to have outdoor recess.
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Golden PEM (Persistence, Effort and Motivation) Awards
This year, part of our School Improvement Plan focus is on helping students to increase their levels of persistence,
effort, and motivation in relation to their learning. To highlight students’ achievement in this area, each week,
two students from every class will be awarded The Golden PEM Award. Teachers will choose the Golden PEM
Award winners based on the students’ consistent performance throughout the week related to their persistence,
effort, and motivation in the classroom setting. Recipients of the award will take home a Golden PEM Certificate
as well as have their names listed in the Principal’s Weekly Parent Bulletin.
Teacher
Student
Student
Hammack
Rihanna
Nicky
Hillmuth
Emire
Nathan
St. Clair
Autumn
Dylan
Hoilman
Shawna
Sophia
Carpio
Spencer
Christina
Chung
Sophie
Vivian
Gamble
Ryan
Manuel
Ennis
Sonia
Jared
Walsh
Aarush
Broden
Howard
Gavin
Lily
Moyer
Angela
Kurt
Dryman
Bianca
Nick
Ouska
Cooper
Rony
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Math Fun Night RSVP
We appreciate your RSVP by Friday, October 30th. Please complete
this form or RSVP electronically at http://bit.ly/MathFunNight
Thank you!
Math Fun Night will be on Thursday, November 5th from 6:30 to 7:15 PM. Your child will lead
you in some fun math activities that build understanding of essential math concepts. You will
have some hands-on fun and leave with resources to help you continue the fun at home.
We will offer activities in 3 separate locations: one for kindergarten and 1st grade students and
parents, one for 2nd and 3rd grade students and parents, and one for 4th and 5th grade
students and parents. If you have more than one child, we ask you to pick just one and have
some fun!
Which session do you plan to attend? (please pick one session for each adult/child pair)
___
Kindergarten & 1st
___
2nd & 3rd
___
4th & 5th
Please list the first and last name(s) of the adult(s) attending.
Adult 1: ______________________________
Adult 2: ______________________________
Please list the first and last name(s) of the student(s) attending, along with his/her teacher.
Student (first and last name)
Teacher
__________________________________________
_________________
__________________________________________
_________________
__________________________________________
_________________
Please send back to school by Friday, October 30th or
RSVP electronically at http://bit.ly/MathFunNight
Thank you!
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Korean Language and Culture After-School Program
The Korean Language and Culture After-School Program at Clarksburg Elementary School will start on
Wednesday, November 4, 2015. All students in Grades K-5 are invited to participate. The program will meet the
needs of individual children at all levels of Korean language proficiency. Students will also engage in fun cultural
arts activities along with the language lessons. Students can be first-time learners or heritage speakers! The
registration form is found later in this newsletter or you can visit the Clarksburg Elementary School website if
you would like to access it via the internet.
안녕하세요!

After School Korean Language & Culture Program at Clarksburg Elementary School

Students enrolled in grades K~5th during the 2015-2016 school year are invited to participate.

Participants will have great fun learning the Korean language and its culture for 24 sessions.
(The detailed schedule will be provided when the program starts.)

The language instructors will plan and work together as a team to develop appropriate curricula and
activities for students. The lessons will meet the needs of individual children at all levels of Korean
language proficiency.

Cultural arts activities will be included.

Activity Bus (To Go Home ONLY) will be available.

Only the first 40 students will be accepted.
Thank you. (감사합니다)
WHEN:
TIME:
WHO:
Wednesdays, Nov. 4, 2015 ~ May 18, 2016
4:00 p.m.-5:15p.m.
Kindergarten ~ Gr.5
Contact Ms. Kim for more information at [email protected]
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Registration Form
After School 2015 -2016
Please return the form to the office of Clarksburg Elementary School by Friday, Oct. 16th, 2015. (No Fee)
==============================================================================
My child, ______________________________________, is interested in attending the program.
Current Grade: ___________________ (School year 2015-2016)
My child attends:
Clarksburg ES ___
Little Bennett ES
Wims ES
Gibbs ES
_
Other: ______________
Korean Language Proficiency Level: ____ Beginner _____Intermediate _____Advanced
Bus Ride: YES
(NOTE: The address below will be used for the bus stop route – CES to HOME only)
Contact Information:
Parent Name: ________________________________________________________________________
Email:______________________________________________________________________________
Cell #:________________________________
Home #: ________________________________
__________________________
___________________________
______________
Address:_____________________________________________________________________________
Parent
Name
Parent Signature
Date
Food Allergy:_________________________________________________________________________
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