Mrs. Cheryl A. Bunyan, Principal-Greenwood Elementary SchoolWhere we are Respectful, Responsible and Ready to Learn!FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESKcheryl_a_bunyan@mcpsmd.org# 4: SEPTEMBER 8, 2017

MAGNIFICENT FIRST WEEK!Thanks for a great first week! Your collaboration, timely communication and support helped us to get school off to a magnificent start despite some transportation glitches. We hope those are all behind us now, however, please do not hesitate to keep me in the loop if you experience any further concerns.

POSITIVE BEHAVIOR PROGRAMThe entire Greenwood staff, Mrs. Walsleben and I are instituting a more streamlined and intentional approach to communicating to students our expectations for safety and maximized learning in school this year. Kindly review the related information in the letter we have provided below. Hard copies will be provided at our upcoming Back to School Nights.

Dear Parents,

As you are already aware, we have very able and well-behaved students attending our school. Their learning and achievement can only increase when we are able to further maximize time on task through consistent messages regarding behavior expectations in each area of the building. As such it is with great pleasure and excitement that we share our newly established positive behavioral program which was developed by the Greenwood staff this summer!

The goal of the program we are implementing is two-fold: to further enhancement of student safety and further increase student learning and achievement. Our behavior program is based on a Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS), and like PBIS, uses a positive, proactive approach in establishing the behavioral supports and social culture needed for all students in a school to achieve social, emotional, and academic success. The program incorporates four components: data, systems, practices, and outcomes and the goal is attained through a positive learning environment in which students, on a daily basis are:

Respectful Responsible and Ready to learn

From the classroom to the playground all students will be taught and requested to follow the same set of expectations appropriate to their location: in the classroom, the hallways, on the buses in the cafeteria and at lunch. In this way, students will know and understand the expectations throughout the school. Their efforts will be recognized and rewarded as a whole school, as well as by grade level, classrooms and on an individual basis with Garvey Gator (our mascot) tickets. Throughout the day all students will also have the opportunity to earn Garvey Gator tickets. A Garvey Gator ticket is earned when a student is demonstrating the school expectations. When students earn Gator tickets, they are able save the tickets to claim rewards such as eating lunch with their teacher or playing a game with the principal! Class tickets are also earned for whole class prizes as determined by individual grade levels.

Thank you for your collaboration in getting the school year off to a magnificent start! We appreciate your partnership in our efforts and hope that you will reinforce the importance of being Respectful, Responsible and Ready to learn in order to guarantee a safe, positive learning environment at school every day!

Sincerely,

Cheryl A. Bunyan, Principal Carolynn Walsleben, Assistant Principal

KINDNESS ROCKSAs part of our character education, Greenwood will have various themes throughout the first semester that are under the umbrella of Bucket Fillers. Bucket Fillers are things we do or say to one other to fill each other’s “bucket” with positivity. For the month of September, our students and staff will focus on Kindness. One way we would like to have our students show kindness is by building a Wall of Kindness. In order to do this, we would like to ask for your help in working with your child to complete the attached Kindness Rock. Students can write a positive word or short message of Kindness, decorate and cut out the rock. An example would be, “You’re amazing” or “Smile.” If your child would like to participate, please send in the completed Kindness Rock to school with your child no later than September 11. If you do not already have a hard copy, for your convenience, the information is attached to this message. HOMEWORK HOTLINE

For 32 years, Homework Hotline Live (HHL) has helped tens of thousands of students in kindergarten through 12th grade by offering free after-school homework help from MCPS teachers. HHL uses the internet and cable TV to offer students live one-on-one homework help. When HHL is on TV, students can phone in questions and see and hear the teachers while working through problems together.

HHL kicks off its 2017 -2018 season on Sept. 6 by offering homework help online. Homework Hotline Live on TV will start Tuesday, Sept. 26 from 4:30 – 6 p.m. on MCPS-TV.  Students can call HHL for help from 4:30 – 6 p.m. Tuesdays – Thursdays; or submit online questions from 4:30 – 9 p.m. Tuesdays – Thursdays, and 6– 9 p.m. on Mondays.  During the TV broadcast, all questions will be answered on-air. Questions submitted at other times will receive an online response.

New this year, Homework Hotline Live is debuting a mobile app, available for Apple iOS and Android devices! Students can use the new Homework Hotline Live app to watch the TV broadcast live, call-in for homework help with one-button dialing, or submit a question online using the app’s “Ask Us” feature. Students can attach a picture of their homework problem to their “Ask Us” question as well. The HHL app also features numerous homework help tools and links.

Students have several ways to reach HHL:

Call: 301-279-3234 Web: AskHHL.org Homework Hotline Live app Text: 724-427-5445 (7244-ASK-HHL) Email: question@AskHHL.org Snapchat: AskHHL Watch Homework Hotline Live on MCPS-TV, Tues., Wed., & Thurs., 4:30 – 6

p.m., starting Sept. 26:

Comcast 34 & 998 (HD) Verizon Fios 36 RCN 89 & 1058 (HD) org YouTube (search: AskHHL) Homework Hotline Live app

KINDLY MARK YOUR CALENDARS: September, October and November Dates. (Please note: Updates are continuously added as information becomes available)

SEPTEMBERSep. 11 – Nov. 3: MAP Testing WindowSep. 12 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM – Back-to-school Night for parents of students in kindergarten, grades one and two and on:

Sep. 19 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM – Back-to-school Night for parents of students in grades three, four and five. For your convenience, there will be two sessions at each event. The first one will take place from 6:30 to 7:30 PM and the second will occur from 7:30 to 8:30 PM. Both nights will begin in the All-Purpose Room with a video greeting from the principal and selected staff as well as our PTA president. There will also be a chance to join the PTA and sign-up for various membership, volunteer and fundraising programs. Please note also that these meetings are for PARENTS ONLY and that no child care will be provided. In addition, the Greenwood computer lab will be open on both BTSNs for family members who would like to complete the MCPS required online training for volunteering in schools. Staff will be on hand to assist with the process, if necessary.Sep. 21: No School for teachers and students

OCTOBER Oct. 1: MCPS Parent Portal LaunchOct. 3: PTA Meeting in Media Center 7:30 to 9:00 PMOct. 4: Walk to School DayOct. 2-6: Kindergarten Readiness Assessment ( KRA) selected students only.Oct. 6: Early Release day for all students. Teacher planning/grades/interimsOct. 9: Columbus Day – School is in session. All parents are invited to attend our Open House to watch your children and their teachers at work. During this morning, Mrs. Walsleben and I will be hosting two Coffee and Conversation sessions in which we will share Grading and Reporting/Evidence of Learning Information with you. The first session runs from 9:30 to 10:00 and the second one will be from 10:15 to 10:45. While here, you are most welcome to remain to have lunch with your children and go out to recess.Oct. 16 - 20: National Bus Safety WeekOct.31: Halloween Parade and Party 2:00 to 3:00 PM

NOVEMBEREarly November: Parent Teacher Conferences: Sign-ups will occur at BTSN.Nov. 6 – 13: Scholastic Book Fair – More to come.Nov. 7: PTA Meeting in Media Center 7:30 to 9:00 PMNov. 9: First Marking Period EndsNov. 10: Second Marking Period BeginsNov. 17: Early Release DayNov: 22: Early Release Day/Report Card DistributionNov. 23/24: Holiday – Schools and Offices Closed

SATURDAY SCHOOLLots going on at the MCPS Saturday School. Be sure to Check them out!The George B. Thomas Sr. Learning Academy, Inc.  Visit their website at www.saturdayschool.org for more information