Seven Locks Elementary School

SEVEN LOCKS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 9500 Seven Locks Road Bethesda, MD 20817 301-469-1038 August, 2016

Dear Seven Locks Parents and Families,

Welcome to the 2016-2017 school year! I hope that you have had a safe, relaxing, and enjoyable summer. I am very happy to be starting my second year as the proud principal of Seven Locks Elementary School (SLES). I feel very fortunate to be part of a school that is characterized by dedicated teachers, hard-working staff, supportive parents, and a school-centered community.

This “Welcome Back to School” packet contains a lot of information about the upcoming school year, including:  The Welcome Back letter, with information about school hours, the schedule for teacher assignments, details about opening of school events and the first day of school, important reminders about arrival and dismissal, and updates on the great SLES staff.  Important attachments with additional information, including: o A form for parents to share dismissal arrangements for their students o The 2016-2017 Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) calendar o The 2016-2017 SLES school supply list o A letter from the MCPS Department of Transportation regarding bus expectations o A listing of all SLES bus routes with pick-up and drop-off times o An information sheet regarding cafeteria procedures and school meals o Information about how to receive emergency information from MCPS o The annual notification for directory information and student privacy

All of this information will also be posted on our newly updated school website at http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/sevenlockses/. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via email ([email protected]) or by calling the school office at 301-469-1038.

School Hours Our school day for students is from 9:25 am to 3:50 pm. Adult supervision for students begins at 9:05 am. Please do not drop off your students before 9:05 am. Dismissal begins at 3:50 pm. If you are picking up your child, please plan to be at school no later than 3:50 pm. Thank you.

Teacher Assignments Teacher assignments for students (class lists) will be posted on the front doors of the school at 2:00 pm on Friday, August 26, immediately before the Open House. Due to a shortened pre- service week for teachers and a desire to reduce use of paper, we will not be sending home postcards this year.

1 Open House The Open House for all students and their parents will be on Friday, August 26, 2016. It is scheduled from 2:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. During this time, students and parents will be able to go to their classrooms and briefly meet their teachers. Students may also go to the blacktop area to locate where their class will line up on school mornings. PTA Reception and Welcome Coffee This year we will continue the tradition of welcoming our new families at our PTA Reception and Welcome Coffee. It will be held on Friday, August 26, 2015 at 1:00 p.m. in our All- Purpose Room. I will be joined by staff, students, and several PTA members, including our new PTA President, Mrs. Amy Quackenboss, to meet our new families and answer questions. From 1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m., our new students will meet additional staff members who will assist them on their first day of school. We will explain expectations, routines, and first day procedures. We will show students where to go to meet their classes and give them a tour of our beautiful school. It is our goal to help new families and students to feel as welcome as possible. We will continue to enroll new students for the remainder of the summer and throughout the year. If you have new neighbors who have not yet registered their children at Seven Locks, please encourage them to stop in the office for the registration forms. Although our office is generally open from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. during the week, please call ahead to make sure that office staff is available to meet your needs. Farewell Several staff members from 2015-2016 will not be on this year’s staff. As many of you know, Mrs. Jenni Templeman will be on extended family leave for the 2016-2017 school year to care for her growing family. We thank Mrs. Templeman for all of her great work at SLES. April Brown, our terrific media specialist, accepted a position at Walt Whitman High School. We wish Ms. Brown well in her new position. Also on our media team, Mrs. Tara Eliason, media assistant, resigned her position so that she can work on getting her certification as a media specialist. We wish Mrs. Eliason well in her academic pursuits. Mr. Antonio Garcia, our assistant building service manager, has accepted a position at Bells Mill Elementary School. We wish Mr. Garcia well. New Staff We are very pleased to welcome several new staff members who are joining the Seven Locks family this year. Each will be a wonderful addition to our already terrific staff. It is my pleasure to introduce:  Ms. Jennifer Morgan – Kindergarten  Mrs. Jennifer Brenneman – Grade 2  Mrs. Kathy Pomerenk – Reading Initiative and Special Education  Mrs. Ellen Schmidt – Media Specialist  Mrs. Julie Brown – Media Assistant  Ms. Kathleen O’Reilly – Physical Education (part-time – Tuesdays)  Ms. Veronica Awasom – Health Room Technician We are very excited about the exceptional educators we have been able to add to the Seven Locks team!!

2 Other Staff Changes Several teachers will be teaching at new grade levels in 2016-2017. Here is a listing of our current grade level teams: Kindergarten – Mrs. Tsarev (team leader), Ms. Kunz, Ms. Morgan Grade 1 – Mrs. Boro (team leader), Mrs. Barringer, Mr. LeFlore Grade 2 – Mrs. Warsaw (team leader), Mrs. Brenneman, Ms. Kim Grade 3 – Ms. Harman (team leader), Ms. Hawes, Mrs. Luca Grade 4 – Mrs. Flannery (team leader), Ms. El-Haggan, Mr. Mooney Grade 5 – Ms. Creticos (team leader), Ms. Riggsbee, Mrs. White

As a staff, we are committed to providing students with equitable access to a rigorous curriculum while affording them the nurturing environment necessary to flourish and take intellectual risks. We look forward to working with you as active partners in your child’s education. Together, we will strive to maintain a caring and positive learning community where all are valued, respected, and empowered to reach their full potential. I have included more important dates and information below. Please contact the school if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you and enjoy the remaining days of summer!

Sincerely,

James J. Virga, Jr. Ed. D Principal

Please Mark Your Calendars!

Thursday, 8/25 Kindergarten Parent Orientation Meeting (7:00 p.m.)

Friday, 8/26 PTA Reception and Welcome Coffee for New Families (1:00–1:30 p.m.) Meeting for New Families – Grades 1-5 (1:30–2:15 p.m.) Open House (2:15–3:15 p.m.)

Monday, 8/29 First Day of School for Students

Monday, 9/5 No School for Students and Staff – Labor Day

Tuesday, 9/6 Grades K-2 Back-to-School Night (6:30 p.m.)

Wednesday, 9/7 Grades 3-5 Back-to-School Night (6:30 p.m.)

Monday, 9/12 No School for Students - Professional Day for Staff

Friday, 9/16 Back-to-School Picnic (6:00–8:00 p.m.) – Rain Date: 9/25

Monday, 9/19 First Principal’s Coffee (10:00 am)

3 First Day of School

The first day of school for 2016-2017 is Monday, August 29. The school day officially starts at 9:25 a.m., but students begin to enter the building at 9:20 a.m. Staff members will be available to provide supervision of morning line-up beginning at 9:05 a.m. Please do not drop off your students before this time, as supervision will not be available. Please check the attached bus route schedule for your child’s morning bus stop time. It is important to make sure your child knows the 4-digit bus route number to facilitate dismissal and alleviate confusion at the end of the day. The route number is listed on the upper left corner of the stop description for each bus. It is helpful to have your child’s name and bus route number written on a 3x5 card that your child can carry in his/her backpack. Please plan to have your children at the bus stop at least ten minutes before the scheduled pick-up time. If you choose to bring your child to school on the first day of school, please make sure your child knows his/her bus route number in order to get on the correct bus to go home at the end of the day.

Unless it is raining, students in Grades 1-5 will line up with their class outside on the blacktop (Grades 1-2 on the back blacktop and Grades 3-5 on the side blacktop). Kindergartners will be greeted at their bus by staff and safety patrols and will be escorted to line up inside the school in the All Purpose Room. The bell will ring at 9:20 a.m. for students to enter the building and go to their classrooms. During inclement weather, all students will sit in the All Purpose Room until 9:20 a.m. Students are listed as tardy for the day if they are not in their classroom by 9:25 a.m.

In this packet, we are including a form for parents to use to indicate each child’s regular after- school plans. Please return this form by Monday, August 29. Also, please remember to notify your child’s teacher in writing each time these arrangements change during the school year.

A copy of the menu for the first week of school is enclosed in this packet. Students will receive the lunch menu for September/October on the first day of school. Parents can access the lunch menu at www.mcps.k12.md.us/departments/foodserv/. We recommend that parents check the website a few days before school begins to determine if any last minute changes have been made.

On the first day of school, your child will bring home additional important forms that must be completed and returned to school. Among these forms is the yellow “Student Emergency Information” form. When you receive this, please be sure to check that your telephone numbers are correct before you return the form to school. The phone number(s) on this form is/are used by the Connect-Ed phone system to provide you with updated information regarding Seven Locks and MCPS events

4 School Supplies

Several years ago, the school system modified practices regarding elementary school fees and supplies. The new guidelines are intended to achieve a balance that reduces the number of items families are asked to either pay for or to send to school, while preserving the broad array of instructional experiences our community expects and our students deserve.

Students will not be asked to pay for or provide textbooks, supplementary readers (i.e., anthologies, atlases, or workbooks), most materials of instruction, audiovisual aids, stationery items not commonly found in the home and required for the student to demonstrate mastery of course objectives, or building or office materials needed to operate schools.

Students may be asked to pay for materials of instruction that primarily fit into three categories:  Items eaten by the student as a part of the course (e.g., bread baking ingredients).  Component parts of a product that will become student property (e.g., sculpting clay).  Materials of instruction or items of personal use that become the property of the student (e.g., a recorder).

Students are still expected to bring individual organizational tools and personal supplies from home. A list of those supplies for your student is enclosed with this letter. The principal in collaboration with the school leadership team or a parent group may request additional student fees. These fees may be used for items or activities such as class snacks or special grade-level assemblies. There also may be fees related to field trips, but these will be shared each time there is a trip and not in advance as a school fee.

We are committed to providing all students, regardless of their economic circumstances, with full access to the instructional program. If you need assistance for any requested expense or with purchasing organizational tools/personal supplies, please contact your child’s teacher, our counselor, or me.

Parent donations of items that enhance the classroom experience are still welcomed, either as donations from individual parents or organized by class parents or the PTA. A list of these items also is attached to this letter and clearly titled, Voluntary Parent Donations. They are not required donations and no student will be expected to provide these items, but if you care to contribute, it will be appreciated.

5 Arrival and Dismissal Procedures

Arrival

We have staff supervising all student gathering areas beginning at 9:05 a.m. Students begin entering the building at 9:20 a.m. Therefore, students should arrive to school no later than 9:20 a.m. Students will be marked “tardy” if they arrive in their classrooms after 9:25 a.m. We will be starting morning announcements at 9:27 a.m. and instruction will begin at 9:30 a.m. Students are most successful when they arrive at school on time and have the opportunity to get settled and focused before the school day begins. We ask all parents and guardians to support your child’s success by making it a priority to have your child(ren) arrive at school on time every day.

Dismissal

We dismiss students at 3:50 p.m. At this time, “walkers” and “car riders” are dismissed from their classrooms. These students exit the school at the doors nearest to the playground equipment when the weather permits. Parents who are meeting their “walkers” are welcome to gather on the blacktop area to collect their children. “Car riders” will exit the blacktop area through the gate to enter their cars. Students will not be permitted to walk past the flag pole to get into their cars. Therefore, parents should remain in their cars and continue to pull up as far as they can to the start of the “Drop Off/ Pick Up” Zone. Thank you for your cooperation with these procedures, which are designed to keep all of our students safe.

An Important Request We ask all adults to practice cautious and safe driving whenever driving in the school parking lot. During arrival and dismissal there are many children walking near the driving lanes and occasionally children and their parents are walking through the parking lot to get to their vehicles. Since our first priority is the safety of all of our students, we ask all drivers to drive with care when entering, exiting, and driving through the parking lot. Thank you.

6 Seven Locks Staff for 2016-2017

Kindergarten – Mrs. Karen Tsarev (team leader), Ms. Rachel Kunz, Ms. Jennifer Morgan Grade 1 – Mrs. Jessica Boro (team leader), Mrs. Helena Barringer, Mr. Michael LeFlore Grade 2 – Mrs. Kelly Warsaw (team leader), Mrs. Jennifer Brenneman, Ms. Mary Kim Grade 3 – Ms. Rebecca Harman (team leader), Ms. Tammi Hawes, Mrs. Iulia Luca Grade 4 – Mrs. Kristina Flannery (team leader), Ms. Hajur El-Haggan, Mr. Jay Mooney Grade 5 – Ms. Kristen Creticos (team leader), Ms. Allison Riggsbee, Mrs. Lindsay White

Art: Mrs. Adrienne Torrey Counselor: Mrs. Laurie Steinberg English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL): Mrs. Vanessa Zoulis General Music: Mrs. Rebecca McFate Instrumental Music: Ms. Erin Shupe Media Specialist: Mrs. Ellen Schmidt Physical Education: Mr. Darren Kaufman (Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Friday mornings), Ms. Kathleen O’Reilly (Tuesdays) Reading Initiative Teacher: Mrs. Kathy Pomerenk Reading Specialist: Mrs. Kristin Page Special Education Resource: Mrs. Leslie Salzman, Ms. Lori Condon, Mrs. Kathy Pomerenk Speech Pathologist: Mrs. Jolanda Mathrani Staff Development Teacher: Mrs. Susan Brown

Office Staff: Mrs. Linda Kurinsky (Administrative Secretary), Mrs. Susan Aubertin (Attendance Secretary),

Instructional Assistants: Mrs. Julie Brown (Media Assistant), Mrs. Saira Mohammad (Special Education Paraeducator), Mrs. Sue Segars (Paraeducator), Ms. Sue Vetrano (Instructional Data Analyst & Paraeducator)

Building Services Staff: Ms. Wavelie Herasingh (Building Services Manager), Ms. Brenda King (Building Service Staff), Mr. David Ray (Building Service Staff). Assistant Manager - TBD

Cafeteria Manager : Ms. Lai Chan

Health Room: Mrs. Brienne Merritt (School Nurse), Ms. Veronica Awasom (Health Room Technician)

Lunch/Recess Assistants: Ms. Sue Vetrano, Mrs. Sue Segars, Ms. Arifa Asim, Mrs. Julie Brown, Mr. Chakra Dahal, Mr. Mahesh Joshi

The terrific SLES staff looks forward to working with you and your children during the 2016-2017 school year!!