THE CLARKSBURG CHEETAH
Week of
April 25, 2016
THIS WEEK:
Tues., April 26
Primary Election Day – No School for Students or Staff
Thur., April 28
Take Your Child To Work Day
Fri., April 29
All School Reading Event, 10:45 – 11:15 a.m.
Spring Student Pictures
A LOOK AHEAD:
Thur., May 5
5th Grade Class Picture
Dear Clarksburg Elementary School Parents/Guardians,
I want to thank all of the parents and students who joined me at the Spring Dance on Friday evening. It was a
very enjoyable event filled with great music, good food, and wonderful friends. I know how hard our students
work in school during the instructional day, so it is nice to see our students having so much fun after school.
MCPS is closed on Tuesday, April 26 for Primary Election Day. As you may know, April 28 is “Take Your
Child to Work Day.” If you are planning to bring your child with you to work, please send us a note so that we
can appropriately document the absence.
There have been a couple of times this year at other MCPS elementary schools when young students decided to
walk home unsupervised. This has not happened at Clarksburg ES, but I am asking you to please talk to your
children about never leaving school without a trusted adult.
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.
Sincerely,
Carl Bencal
Principal
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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
Max
Veronika
Hillmuth
Riyad
Mokshith
St. Clair
Brent
Lizzy
Hoilman
Cyrus
Moukthika
Carpio
Natalie
Adekoya
Chung
Walter
Lewis
Gamble
Mitchell
Zaarah
Ennis
Sonia
Gabby
Walsh
Shayaan
Vishal
Howard
Charlotte
Henry
Moyer
Kevin
Rushi
Dryman
Ronny
Desiree
Ouska
Abhi
Cooper
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All School Read
On Friday, April 29 from 10:45 to 11:15 AM, we will have a school wide reading event. The Damascus Lions
Club donated copies of the book What Do You Do With An Idea? by Kobi Yamada for this exciting activity.
Every fifth grade student will read this book to a small group of students in kindergarten through fourth
grade. The fifth grade students will lead a literature circle discussion based on questions that they develop.
If the weather is nice, we will be outside. If the weather is inclement, the groups will meet in the hallways and
around the building. We are asking each child to bring in a towel on which to sit, whether we are inside or
outside that day. Students can start bringing in their towels to school during the week of Monday, April 25.
We are deeply appreciative of the Damascus Lions Club for supporting this literary event that centers on our
school’s focus on persistence and the growth mindset!
MCPS to Make Up One Snow Day on June 20
MCPS will extend the 2015–2016 school year by one day and end the year on Monday, June 20, 2016. The
Maryland State Department of Education approved the MCPS request for a one-day waiver of the 180-day
school year requirement on April 18. The school year was previously scheduled to end Friday, June 17, and
now will end with an early release day on June 20. June 17 will be a full instructional day.
MCPS was closed for six days this winter due to inclement weather that left many roads and sidewalks in the
county impassable. MCPS already had four emergency weather days built into the school calendar. With the
state waiving one day from the requirement, MCPS has implemented its weather contingency calendar, which
adds one make-up day to the end of the school year.
Final Community Dialogue on Choice Study Scheduled for May 5
MCPS wants to hear from parents, staff, students, and community members as it develops a plan to address the
findings and recommendations in the recently released study of the district’s school choice and other special
academic programs. Join us at the final Community Dialogue to discuss the study’s recommendations and
the vision for the role of choice in MCPS. The event will be held on Thursday, May 5, at Walter Johnson
High School, 6400 Rock Spring Drive in Bethesda, from 7–8:30 p.m.
The study examines how well these programs advance our school system’s core values of excellence and equity
and whether the programs are meeting their intended goals.
Free child care (ages 4 and older) and interpretation services will be provided at the meeting. Participants also
will have the opportunity to talk in language-specific groups. To request a sign language interpreter, call 301517-5539 or visit educationalinterpreters.com/mcps. For more information about the Study of Choice and
Special Academic Programs, visit the Choice website at www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/choice/.
Comments on the report’s recommendations and general feedback about the study can be provided at the link
above. For additional information about the Community Dialogues, visit the Choice website or call 301-3096277.
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The Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education
Announces 2016 Maryland Green School Awards
MAEOE Certifies Clarksburg Elementary School as Maryland Green School
Jessup, Maryland – (April 21, 2016) – The Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education
(MAEOE) is pleased to announce that Clarksburg Elementary School has been recertified as a 2016 Maryland
Green School. Maryland Green Schools are part of a national and international community of sustainable green
schools. Our students are becoming better stewards of our Earth’s resources and developing a better
understanding of their own local environment.
The Maryland Green Schools program encourages educational opportunities for preK-12 schools that increase
awareness and understanding of environmental relationships that impact public health and the local community.
The program is aligned with Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement 2014 goals and supports Maryland State
Department of Education graduation requirements and standards.
Over the past two years, our school has demonstrated and documented a continuous effort to integrate
sustainable environmental management practices, environmental education curriculum, professional
development opportunities, and community engagement into our daily operations. This award signifies that our
school has made a commitment to developing stewards of the earth and reducing the environmental impact of
our school.
“Students, teachers, school personnel, parents and community partners are working together to create a positive
and lasting environment at school. Their actions are essential to becoming a Maryland Green School,” says
Laura Johnson Collard, MAEOE Executive Director. Students are involved in projects that save energy and
reduce waste. Schools are also encouraged to use the school grounds as an extension of the classroom. Getting
students outdoors is crucial for their connection with the environment.
MAEOE will celebrate with Green Schools, Green Centers and schools that are interested in knowing more
about the program at the Annual Maryland Green School Youth Summit on May 13, 2016, at Sandy Point State
Park in Annapolis.
About MAEOE:
MAEOE is a non-profit organization. MAEOEs mission is to encourage, engage and empower the community
to understand, responsibly use and promote the natural world. MAEOE s Maryland Green School program
began in 1999. For a complete listing of Green Schools and Green Centers visit www.maeoe.org .
For More Information Contact:
Laura Johnson Collard
(443) 733-1220, ext 114
[email protected]
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