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Friday, February 5, 2016 Linda M. Jones, Principal

Jennifer Till, Assistant Principal The Principal’s Message for Stonegate Families

Stonegate Elementary School 14811 Notley Road

Silver Spring, MD 20905 THE STONEGATE SPLASH

A MESSAGE FROM MRS. JONES

January certainly ended with a bang! It brought us The Blizzard of 2016 or

should I say, Jonas. It was truly a great time for families to bond and have fun in

the snow. This week we worked very hard to get students outside for outdoor

recess so they could enjoy the fresh air. However, I would like to remind families

that the county does not clear our blacktops or fields. It is the responsibility of

our building services to clear this area (blacktop) and we have limited equip-

ment. As soon as the blacktop areas were cleared and safe, students had the op-

portunity to enjoy themselves. Thank you for your support and understanding.

The Montgomery County Board of Education has identified a finalist for the po-

sition of superintendent of schools—Dr. Jack R. Smith, who is currently the

interim state superintendent of Maryland schools and former superintendent of

schools in Calvert County Public Schools in Prince Frederick, Maryland.

Dr. Smith has extensive experience working at the state level leading the Mary-

land State Department of Education’s Office of Teaching and Learning, and over

three decades experience as a teacher and school and central office administrator

in the United States and Asia. His particular strengths include supporting effec-

tive instructional programs, budgeting, systems thinking, return on investment

analysis, and efficiency and effectiveness in operations. Throughout his distin-

guished career, Dr. Smith has earned a reputation for encouraging and helping

school-based staff to learn and use innovative strategies to promote the success

of children in the classroom.

Community engagement was a crucial part of the search for the superintendent

of schools. Dr. Smith met with a community panel of Montgomery County stake-

holders, assembled by the Board president, to provide feedback to Board mem-

bers and help them arrive at a decision on the appropriate candidate. In the com-

ing weeks, a contingent of the Board will be in touch with stakeholders and Dr.

Smith’s colleagues. Based on the outcome of this feedback, contract negotiations,

and obtaining state approval, the Board plans to hire Dr. Smith as the next su-

perintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools effective July 1, 2016.

Important Dates:

Chick-Fil-A Restaurant Night Thursday, February 11th beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Valentine’s Day Parties Friday, February 12th, from 2:15 p.m.-3:15 p.m.

No School, Monday, Feb-ruary 15th-President’s Day Holiday

Family Science Night, Fri-day, February 19th, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the APR

Book Fair, Monday, Febru-ary 22nd through Friday, February 26th

Read-A-Thon, February 22nd-March 4th

Multicultural Heritage Night, Thursday, February 25th, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m in the APR

Early Release, Friday, Feb-ruary 26th, at 12:55 p.m.

Black History Month Pro-gram, Monday, February 29th, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

PTA Meeting, Tuesday, March 1st, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the media center

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Have You Joined The PTA?

It’s not too late; you can still join the PTA today and become a member of an or-ganization that works for our children at the national, state, and local levels. The PTA is instrumental in planning activities for par-ents, teachers, and students and serves as an organized voice to the School Board to express our views. Ques-tions? Please contact: Please contact the Member-ship Committee Chair Ken-d r a H a r r i s a t : stonegatepta.membership@gmail.com

SIGN UP TODAY!

MCPS currently communi-cates emergency or system wide changes through vari-ous media, including the MCPS website, MCPS ITV Channel 34, QuickNotes email service, Twitter, a rec-orded emergency information telephone line, and local me-dia outlets. Alert MCPS adds the ability to communicate via text messages delivered to electronic devices such as cell phones and personal data assistants. This service pro-vides messages in English and Spanish. You can subscribe to Alert MCPS by signing on to the Alert Montgomery web-s i t e a t h t t p s : / /alert.montgomerycountymd.gov.

Due to disruption caused by the recent blizzard, PARCC Night for Parents that was scheduled for Monday, February 1, at Richard Montgomery High School has been can-celled. Instead, MCPS will present a webinar on Wednesday, February 10, from 7 to 8 p.m. During the webinar, staff will provide an overview of PARCC (Partnership for Assess-ment of Readiness for College and Careers) assessments, as well as information on up-coming changes for the 2016 administration of the tests. In addition, information will be shared to help parents understand their children’s score reports from the spring 2015 ad-ministration of the PARCC tests. Parents will have an opportunity to ask questions, and foreign language interpretation will be provided. Instructions for accessing the webinar will be posted on the MCPS website at www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org by Friday, Feb-ruary 5. If you are unable to watch it live, a video recording of the webinar also will be posted on the website. Visit www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/parcc/ for more information about the PARCC assessments.

PARCC NIGHT RESCHEDULED

Due to the multiple snow days, the distribution of Marking Period 2 report cards has been delayed to Wednesday, February 10th. All students will receive a report card. Kin-dergarten report cards will share information about a student’s progress during the first semester (marking periods 1 and 2).

Please visit the following website to learn more about how to read your child’s report card: http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/grading/report-cards.aspx

Any questions related to grading and reporting can be directed to Stefanie Bollock, Stonegate’s Staff Development Teacher and Grading and Reporting Representative, at 301-989-5668 or Stefanie_Rardin@mcpsmd.org.

MARKING PERIOD 2 REPORT CARDS

The School Improvement Team meeting originally scheduled for Monday, February 8th, has been changed to an Instructional Leadership Team meeting. Therefore, only school staff will attend the meeting. The School Improvement Team meeting will be rescheduled for a future date when more data is available.

Any questions can be directed to Stefanie Bollock, Stonegate’s Staff Development Teacher,

at 301-989-5668 or Stefanie_Rardin@mcpsmd.org.

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT TEAM MEETING

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The Science Fair is coming soon. Applications are available from your teacher or on the school website after February 9th. Return your application by February 23rd. Complete your project for the fair which will be held on March 8, 2016. Students of all grades are encouraged to participate. You may enter an experiment, collection, or demonstration. We are looking forward to seeing many wonderful science projects carried out by Stonegate students! Please contact the PTA representative, Linda Morris, linda.morris.md@gmail.com with any questions.

ATTENTION SCIENCE SHARKS!

Our annual read-a-thon will be February 22 through March 4! During these two weeks, students will record their home reading sessions using the online system at read-a-thon.com. Parents, relatives, and friends can sponsor readers and donate money. Our goal is to raise money for educational programs and equipment for our school. More information will go home the week of February 15th, including instruc-tions on how to access the online system (or use a paper recording method), how to make donations, and how to support and promote reading. Students raising money during the read-a-thon will be able to “shop” for prizes online and all students participating in the read-a-thon will get to attend a super-fun celebration assembly with Ms. Jones! Let’s go for 100% participation and make this the most suc-cessful read-a-thon ever!

READ-A-THON IS COMING!

It's almost here! Family Science Night will be held on Friday, February 19th, from 6 to 8 p.m.! This year’s theme is “The Science Behind the Music.” Bring the family and explore how biology, phys-ics, chemistry, and psychology are used to create and appreciate music! There will be a prize for the class with the most students attending, so get your kids to Science Night! We are still looking for volunteers to help at the event...if you are available, please contact Kristin Gruen at zempy@aol.com. See you there!

SAVE THE DATE FOR FAMILY SCIENCE

PRINCIPAL’S BOOK OF THE MONTH

Our February social-emotional theme is seeing another’s perspective. The kindergarten through second grade book is “Big Al” by Andrew Clements. “Henry and the Kite Dragon” by Bruce Edward Hall, is our third-fifth grade book. Parents are encouraged to check out the Book of the Month from the local library to read and dis-cuss it at home.

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Core Values

Mission Statement

Stonegate's mission as a caring community is to foster the growth of life-long learners by communicating high expectations and standards through re-spect, flexibility, and collaboration.

Vision Statement

The Stonegate Com-munity will be com-mitted to a multicul-tural learning environ-ment that motivates and supports all learn-ers to achieve their greatest potential. We will collaborate re-spectfully to develop a standard of excellence that promotes high expectations for all.

We were reminded what a great community we live in as we witnessed and participated in acts of service to our neighbors as we dug out of the record-breaking snow last month. Now that we have survived Snowzilla we look forward to an exciting second semester packed full of wonderful PTA activities! We kick off the semester with some of our fa-vorite events like the Winter Dance (tonight!), Family Science Night, Multicultural Her-itage Night, the Book Fair, and Read-a-thon. We are also introducing restaurant Spirit Night Fundraisers. Our first Spirit Night will be Thursday, February 11th, at the Tech Rd. Chick-fil-A. (See below for more information.) We are grateful for the time and energy that our event chairs and volunteers put into making our activities great! We are always looking for more volunteers to help with events and activities. Middle school and high school students are often welcome to earn SSL hours. We encourage you to join us in participating in our school community. Please contact us with suggestions, concerns or comments at: Jennifer Willis stonegatepta.vp.ops@gmail.com and Melissa Labriola stonegatepta.vp.ed@gmail.com

The PTA is the voice of our children. Come and be a part of that voice!

Don't forget to visit our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter!

Thanks...

Many of our winter session after school activities have begun! Thank you Jessica Ryan for coordinating our after school programs and bringing some new after school activities to Stonegate. Some programs still have space! For more information check out the PTA section of the website or contact Jessica Ryan (jrodriguez292929@yahoo.com). Remember, financial assistance is available.

Big thanks to Rene Amador & Scott Weikert, our January Watch DOGS!

A super thanks to the chairs of our Super Hero Winter Dance, Tracey Linck and Maggie Conley! The dance is tonight, February 5th, 2016, at Blake High School, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale at the door for $5.00. Looking forward to a fun night for everyone!

Announcements…

Join us in showing Stonegate Spirit by wearing Stonegate Spirit wear every Friday! Spirit wear can be purchased in the Shark Shack on Wednesday and Thursday mornings from 8:40 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. or email Jessica Brauer djbrauer@verizon.net or Maggie Conley Magconley95@gmail.com for more information.

The Stonegate PTA annual Spaghetti Dinner and Silent Auction planners are looking for auction items. Please contact Charisse Scott stonegatepta.mccpta@gmail.com or Molly Thomas homasmollyryan@gmail.com with donations by March 4th.

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PTA Continued…

Calendar:

Chick-fil-A Spirit Night is Thursday, February 11, 2016. Stonegate Elementary School PTA will earn 20% of purchases when a flyer is shown or Stonegate is mentioned! Join us from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Tech Rd. Chick-Fil-A. 12289 Tech Rd. Silver Spring, MD 20904. Tell your friends, family, and neighbors!

Day of Action in Annapolis is February 15th, 2016. Make sure ALL of Maryland’s public schools stay strong and appropriately funded - join MCCPTA and representatives from PTAs across the state for a day of action in Annapolis in support of public education. Questions? Contact at Charisse Scott at stonegatepta.mccpta@gmail.com or MCCPTA at vpadvocacy@mccpta.com.

Family Science Night is Friday, February 19th, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Kristin Gruen is looking for adult and high school student volunteers. Contact her at zempy@aol.com. SSL hours available.

The Feelin’ Groovy Book Fair is almost here! We will be open during Family Science Night and

Multicultural Heritage Night and school hours on Monday, February 22nd –Friday, February 25th. Sign up to volunteer! http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0c4ea4a72fa6f85-stonegate

Stonegate Elementary School Read-a-thon is back! Read and record your minutes from Monday,

February 22nd thorough Sunday, March 4th.

Multicultural Heritage Night is Thursday, February 25, 2016 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the APR.

If you are interested in sharing part of your culture (food, art, dance, language, fashion, or music) please contact Danielle Sodani at danielle@sodani.com. Volunteers still needed. SSL hours available for middle and high school students.

Our next monthly general membership PTA meeting will be Tuesday, March 1, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. -

please join us in the media center! Our guest speaker is Ms. Stefanie Bullock, staff development teacher at Stonegate ES. She will be sharing information about Chrome Books and Google Apps and how they are used in the classroom and can be used at home. There will also be information on how students are monitored on the Chrome Books.

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We will host our annual Kindergarten Orientation on FRIDAY, April 29th, from 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. for

families with students who will be 5 years old ON OR BEFORE SEPTEMBER 1, 2016. A letter with ad-ditional information is currently being developed and will be sent home within the next few weeks. Kinder-garten Orientation focuses on creating a stress-free, informal experience for parents and incoming students. During orientation, parents will have an opportunity to meet teachers, complete registration, and learn briefly about the kindergarten program. Students will have an opportunity to work on kindergarten related tasks and to meet other incoming peers. Classes WILL BE cancelled for current kindergarten students

in order to accommodate the orientation day. Please make arrangements for your kindergarten stu-

dent that day. Please note that Early Entrance to Kindergarten (EEK) applications will also be accepted for children who will be five years of age between September 2 and October 15, 2016. According to MCPS policy, considera-

tion will NOT be given for children with birthdates beyond October 15. There will be NO appeal pro-

cess for children with birthdates beyond the October 15 window.

KINDERGARTEN ORIENTATION

Attention all ESOL Families: Please join us for Stonegate’ s first ever ESOL Parent Night on Wednesday April 27th, 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. You will learn about the ESOL program here at Stonegate, meet other ESOL families, learn how to help your child at home, and enjoy a pizza dinner on us. We hope to see you there!

ESOL PARENT NIGHT

Beginning on Monday, February 8th, Stonegate students will begin their Pennies for Patients program spon-sored by the SGA. This program benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. LLS is the world’s largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research and providing education and pa-tient services. They exist to find cures and ensure access to treatments for blood cancer patients.

Students will be given a collection box to take home to collect change and dollar bills to help this cause. We will be collecting as a school throughout the month of February. The class that collects the most money will win a prize, although our primary focus is to help the LLS in doing more research to find cures. Keep your eyes and ears open for our fun fundraising ideas this year in addition to the collection boxes.

SGA NEWS

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Quick Reference to Frequently Called

Numbers Child Find (programs for chil-dren w/disabilities) 301-929-2224 West Farm Bus De-pot 301-879-1065 Early Childhood Ed-ucation (Pre K-2nd) 301-230-0691 Food and Nutrition Services 301-840-8170 General Info (MCPS Call Center) 301-309-6277 Hispanic Hotline 301-230-3073 Homework Hotline (Channel 52) 301-279-3234 Weather Info (Late opening/early closings) 301-279-3673

How are the decisions made to close school, delay openings or close early? Closure of Schools: When schools are closed, all school and community activities are canceled, including athletic practices and events. Private day care providers in schools may elect to stay open if the administrative offices are open. In extreme con-ditions, the administrative offices may be closed. Delayed Openings: 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. Stonegate doors would open at 10:40 a.m. Early Dismissal: If schools are closing early, the announcements are made by 11:00 a.m. Schools may be closed 2.5 hours early, and all operations affecting dismissal of students, including bus transportation, will be activated 2.5 hours earlier than the regular school closing time. Stonegate would dismiss at 12:55 p.m.

EMERGENCY CLOSURE OF SCHOOLS

DRESSING FOR THE WEATHER

During the winter months we never know what the weather may bring. When it is 32 degrees or warmer students will have outdoor recess. We not only take into account the actual temperature, but also the wind chill. Please be sure your child is dressing appropriately for the weather. Children should bring jackets, gloves, scarves, and hats to ensure they are warm. Thank you for your support as we con-tinue through these unpredictable winter months.

SAFETY IN THE CAR CIRCLE

If you are a parent who drops their child off at school in the car circle, please be sure you pull all the way up to ensure a smooth and orderly arrival. Patrols and adults will direct you on when to move forward and when it is safe for your child to exit the car. We encourage you to please be patient during car rider arrival. Students should not be getting out of cars until they are in front of the school. Thank you for your cooperation and support in ensuring Stonegate arrival and dismissal is safe.

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February is Black History Month in which we celebrate African-Americans’ achievements and contributions to the country. Although some chapters of the national story are famous — such as the one centered on Jackie Robinson’s debut as the first black Major League Baseball player — others are less well-known: 1. Black History Month started in 1926. The observance was proposed by Carter Godwin Woodson, an author and historian, as Negro History Week. It expanded in the 1970’s. 2. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People was founded in 1909. It’s now considered “the nation’s oldest, largest and most widely recognized grassroots-based civil-rights organization,” according to its website. 3. The U.S. isn’t the only country to celebrate Black History Month. Canada also observes it in February, while the U.K. recognizes it in October. 4. There are more than 45 million African-Americans living in the U.S., according to Census Bureau data. That’s about 15 percent of the nation's population. 5. There are more than 2 million black veterans. 6. By 2060, the black population is forecast to make up almost 18 percent of the U.S. population. 7. The first black NBA player was Earl Lloyd in 1950. He played for the Washington Capitals and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame more than half a century later, in 2003. 8. African-Americans were responsible for the invention of 3D graphics, blood banks, gas masks, potato chips and Super Soaker water guns, according to HowStuffWorks and the Atlanta Black Star. 9. One out of every four cowboys in the 1800s was black, CNN reported. 10. The 114th Congress, the current one, is the most diverse ever. Forty-six House and Senate members are black, according to the Pew Research Center. 11. The first black U.S. senator was Hiram Revels in 1870. The day he officially joined Congress, “visitors in the Senate galleries burst into applause as ... [he] entered the chamber to take his oath of office,” according to the Senate website. 12. President Barack Obama proclaimed February to be Black History Month, writing that as the nation ob-serves it, “we recognize these champions of justice and the sacrifices they made to bring us to this point, we hon-or the contributions of African-Americans since our country’s beginning, and we recommit to reaching for a day when no person is judged by anything but the content of their character.”

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Attention Parents:

We are in need of volunteers for recess and donations of kickballs, jump ropes, and basket-balls. Please contact Mrs. Till at (301) 989-5668 if you are interested in donating equip-ment or volunteering. Any time you can provide would be appreciated! In addition, we would appreciate any donations of new or gently used but greatly loved games that you may have around your home to use for indoor recess. The students especially enjoy the following games and they are

great for indoor recess play: Uno, Yahtzee, Chess, Trouble, Sorry, Connect Four, and Memory. We would also appreciate donations of puzzles and building blocks of any size. Please send your donations to the school office. As always, thank you for your support!

Saturday School is Underway!

Saturday School offers tutoring and mentoring in reading/language arts, mathematics, and test-taking skills for students in grades 1-12 that reside in Montgomery County. It takes place Saturday mornings from 8:30 to 11 a.m. at 12 high school centers. There is fast and easy registration online for the 2015/2016 school year. Follow this link to the Saturday School Registration page: http://www.saturdayschool.org/programs/enroll.shtm.

Lost and Found

Please label your child’s clothing with their first and last name. We have a large number of lost and found items without labels.

Homework Hotline Live

Ask teachers for help Mondays from 6:00 p.m.-9:30 p.m. and Tuesday-Thursdays 4:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. on

MCPS TV's Homework Hotline Live (HHL). Watch teachers here as they work with you to solve home-work problems. To ask your question: From 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, call 301-279-

3234 (STILL THE BEST--talk directly with a teacher). Tweet Us @AskHHL, Text HHL 724-427-5445, send an E-mail to question@AskHHL.org, or post a message on the HHL Facebook wall. Homework Hotline Live has been helping students for 30 years. It is a service of Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools. In addition to this website, HHL can be viewed in Montgomery County on cable TV (Comcast 34, Verizon FIOS 36, RCN 89).

NUTS AND BOLTS

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Parent Academy

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/.

Sesión de Invierno 2016 de la Academia Para Padres

La Academia para Padres de MCPS está de vuelta con una alineación interesante de talleres gratuitos para los padres! Los talleres de la Academia para Padres dan a los padres consejos útiles y herramientas para apoyar el éxito de sus hijos dentro y fuera de la escuela. Una amplia gama de temas serán cubiertos durante la sesión de invierno, incluyendo planificación universitaria y de carrera, ayudando a los adolescentes a manejar el estrés, alfabetización, el presupuesto operativo de MCPS, reconociendo el abuso y la negligencia infantil, y mucho más. Todos los talleres son gratuitos y se llevan a cabo en es-cuelas y otros lugares alrededor del condado de Montgomery. Se proporcionan servicios de guardería e interpretación de lenguajes. Para ver el calendario de talleres y para registrarse, visite montgome yschoolsmd.org/departments/parentacademy/

Library Link

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 im-portant 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. Library Link-Conectando Estudiantes con la Aventura, Exploración y Emoción

Las Escuelas Públicas del Condado de Montgomery se han asociado con las Bibliotecas Públicas del Condado de Montgomery para lanzar Library Link, una nueva iniciativa en todo el condado que tiene como objetivo asegurar que cada niño matriculado en la escuela tenga acceso a una tarjeta de la bibli-oteca. Este programa forma parte del desafío nacional Conectados a la Biblioteca, dirigido por el Insti-tuto de Servicios de Museos y Bibliotecas, una agencia federal de apoyo a las bibliotecas. Con 21 sucur-sales en todo el Condado de Montgomery, las bibliotecas tienen millones de libros, revistas, películas, y más para que los niños pidan prestado. Las bibliotecas también sirven como centros digitales para conectar a los estudiantes a los recursos de Internet, y ofrecen herramientas importantes, tales como materiales de preparación para evaluaciones, bases de datos electrónicos, materiales de lenguajes del mundo, y espacios tranquilos para los niños puedan hacer los deberes. Usted escuchará más sobre Li-brary Link en los próximos meses.

MCPS NEWS