STEPHEN KNOLLS
VOLUME 1
E AG LE’ S
ISSUE 3
N E WS
OCTOBER 2014
FROM THE NEST
October 13: MCPS Open
House at Stephen Knolls
October 14: PSA Meeting
5:30—7:00pm
October 16: PSA Meeting
at 9:00am
October 17: No School for
Students
October 20: Instructional
Leadership Meeting
(Open to Parents)
October 22: PEP Field Trip
to Hadley’s Playground
October 22: Kensington
Heights Civil Association
Meeting
October 29: Halloween
Parade and Dance
October 30: 1st Marking
Period Ends
October 31: No School for
Students
I would like to extend my gratitude on behalf of the Stephen Knolls family to all of
you who have been attending our community and school events since August. We
had a successful Back to School Night and
a Fabulous Fundraiser at Panera. Both
events were well received.
I would like to invite everyone to
attend our Open House on October 13th
as well as the Kensington Heights Civic
Association Meeting to be held at SK on
October 22nd. These are opportunities for
all of us to meet our friends and neighbors
that share in the commitment for Stephen
Knolls. I look forward to seeing you there.
As always, please contact me with questions, suggestions or concerns.
Kim Redgrave, Coordinator
Parent-Staff Association (PSA)
The first meeting of the year was a great demonstration of a positive partnership that has been
built with open communication and respectful collaboration between the parents and staff. The
group reviewed the website and newsletter, focusing on strengthening means of communication.
The parent center on the website shares information for the Comcast reduced rate program and
other resources. We also talked about our presence in social media, and as of today, we are very
happy to announce that Stephen Knolls PSA is on
Facebook thanks to Mark Miller who will be monitoring our page.
We meet every second Tuesday of the month from
5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at the Faculty Lounge. Our goal
is to have meaningful discussions about the issues
that are important to you. This year, we will have
special speakers and presentations during our
monthly meetings. - Maria Alvarez, PSA President
PHYSICAL THERAPY
Is your child getting a new wheelchair? Please remember
that it is still an option to have the wheelchair vendor
come to Stephen Knolls to measure your child for the
chair. The advantages of having your child measured for a
wheelchair at Stephen Knolls are: 1) You and your child
don’t need to spend a day at HSC or Children’s in the
Wheelchair Clinic, 2) The therapists at school know your
child and your child’s needs, 3) The wheelchair can also be
delivered to Stephen Knolls. This takes far less time than
spending the day at HSC or Children’s. Let your child’s PT
know when you are planning on getting a new chair!
Main Office
301-929-2151
WO R K H A R D , B E K I N D , B E S A F E A N D D R E A M B I G !
EAGLE’S NEWS
Page 2
SCHOOL AGED PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Throughout the month
of September, minds
have been stimulated by
the academic vocabulary
and curriculum 2.0 topics. Students in the elementary age program
read the “Dolphin Tale
2” and answered questions about animals. The
middle school curriculum has been intriguing
the students with Newton’s Laws of Motion,
and they have enjoyed
experiencing the laws
first hand. The high
school students read “To
Kill a Mocking Bird”, and
conducted a character
study. It has been a
wonderful first month.
In October, the students
will continue to be engaged in modified lessons for curriculum 2.0
and the attainment series. Preparation will
begin for the kindergarten readiness assessment and ALT Maryland
State Assessments
(MSA). Kindergarteners,
third, fourth, and fifth
graders are expected to
take the ALT MSA. Your
children continue to engage in community
based learning, building
on skills and lessons
from the classroom
setting.
Check out School Lunch Menus on our website homepage
PRESCHOOL AGED PROGRAM
This was a busy first few
weeks in the PEP class-
throughout the school
day. Teachers shared
rooms! We learned our
classroom routines, met
stories about going to
school, explored letters
new friends, and recon-
and patterns, and intro-
nected with old friends.
Classes explored the
duced The Pledge of
Allegiance.
theme “Ready for
School” to kick off of our
new Big Day for PreK
curriculum. It is a joy to
watch students engage
Potomac, is a fully accessible, award-winning
playground that should
prove to be lots of fun for
our students. Families
are welcome to join us!
Please be on the lookout for more information
from your child’s teacher!
We are excitedly planning to our PEP field trip
to Hadley’s Playground
on October 22. Hadley’s
Playground, located in
Falls Road Local Park in
A RT E D U C AT I O N
Greetings from Justine
Schultz, your students’
art teacher!
This year in
, we are excited to create multisensory art by exploring a variety of
media and using upcycled materials.
Our students will explore the histories of
artists and art movements, reinforce their
mathematics skills,
such as pattern,
shape, and reflection,
and read and respond
to supplementary
texts. In my class,
your students are
building critical thinking skills for creative
problem-solving as
they discover and review the elements of
art and principles of
design. As we ‘sign’
and sing at the beginning of every class, “we
are excited and ready
to have an AWESOME
year!”
~Safety~
October’s
Character Trait
VOLUME 1
ISSUE 3
Page 3
M U S I C E D U C AT I O N
OCTOBER IS
NATIONAL
DISABILITY
AWARENESS
MONTH
NEW EAGLE TO THE NEST
Hello to all Stephen
Knolls families and staff.
My name is Amelia Rosario and I am so excited
to be starting my first
year teaching in the PEPC program this school
year. I am a firstgeneration Salvadorian
American. I grew up in
Montgomery County, having gone to school in the
Wheaton cluster. I have a
very large family in the
area and I am also married to a fellow Wheaton
Knight. I have worked
with children with special
needs for nine years. The
last eight years I worked
as a special education
paraeducator in various
programs in MCPS. I also
directed an art camp for
children 5-8 years old. I
graduated magna cum
laude and earned my
bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from
Mount St. Mary’s University.
I earned my master’s degree
in Early Childhood Special
Education from the Johns
Hopkins University. I did my
internships in several early
childhood settings, including
one at Stephen Knolls. I am
thrilled to be teaching in a
school that embodies collaboration and high expectations for all students. My
passion is working with our
youngest children in MCPS
and helping them achieve
their educational goals. I
love to incorporate play with
learning and helping my
students build their confidence in the classroom and
at home. We have a great
team here and I know I will
continue to grow and learn
from the many experienced
and dedicated educators I
have the pleasure in
working with. I also look
forward to getting to
meet the many families
and staff during school
fundraisers and other
functions. If you would
like to contact me,
please feel free to call
or email me at Amelia_C_Rosario@mcpsmd
.org.
Thank you all for the warm
welcome and have a
wonderful school year!
In 2013, President Barack
Obama proclaimed October
National disability
employment awareness
month; stating “Our Nation
has always drawn its
strength from the
differences of our people,
from a vast range of thought,
experience, and ability.
During National Disability
Employment Awareness
Month, we nurture our
culture of diversity and
renew our commitment to
building an American
workforce that offers
inclusion and opportunity for
all.”
To read more about the
proclamation:
http:tinyurl.com/
disabilityawarenessmonth
Join Stephen Knolls in
celebrating diversity!
HIGHER ORDER THINKING SKILLS
MISSION
STATEMENT
The mission of Stephen Knolls
School is to increase the acquisition of academic and related developmental skills by providing a
safe and nurturing educational
environment filled with meaningful
opportunities designed to maximize each student’s unique abilities.
VISION
STATEMENT
The Stephen Knolls School’s community, consisting of students,
parents, and staff, strives to be a
respectful and collaborative student-centered educational environment composed of individuals
committed to student achievement and professional development.
IMPORTANT INFORMATIO N
Delayed
Opening
If
schools
are closed or delayed,
the
announcement is
made no later than
5:00 a.m. (or the
night before if possible). Schools may
open two hours late,
and all operations,
including bus transportation, are delayed by two hours
from the regular
schedule. Field trips
and other activities
and programs that
begin at 10:30 or
earlier are canceled.
Early Dismissal
If schools are
closing early, the
announcements
are made by
10:00 a.m.
Schools m ay b e
c los e d 2. 5 hour s
ear ly. We di sm is s at 12: 00.
ALT-MSA
The federal No Child Left Behind Act
(NCLB) of 2001 requires that all students be assessed and that students
receive an individual score in reading
and mathematics in grades 3—8 and
in10th grade. Students in grades 5, 8,
and 10 are also assessed in Science.
The ALT-MSA assesses student attainment of their instructional level that are
aligned with grade level Maryland Content Standards.