Dear South Lake Community, The staff of South Lake Elementary School join me in welcoming all new and returning families to school on Tuesday, September 3rd! There is great excitement for the start of the new year with many new faces. This newsletter will provide you with information about the opening of school, important school year dates, and important rules and policies. Information regarding bus transportation, lunch meal accounts, and recommended school supplies are also posted on our website. Keep this first newsletter handy, as it will answer many of the questions you may have throughout the school year. Please make certain to complete and return all forms sent home with your child during the first week school. It is imperative that we have updated and current information on file in the office. We are pleased that over 250 of K-2 students attended the Extended Learning Opportunities during the month of July. This summer program was designed to help students retain what they have learned and prepare them for the new school year. Over 80 of our upcoming 3-5 graders participated in the STEP enrichment program for a challenging learning experience. Over 100 of our upcoming 3-5 graders attended the BELL program to support them in building their learning skills. What a wonderful summer of learning. Congratulations staff and students for making certain that everyone is prepared for a productive school year. Students and parents will be able to meet their new teachers and visit their classrooms during Open House scheduled on Friday, August 30th from 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. Be sure to join us to learn about Title 1 programs and services. Assistance will be available in completing forms and answering question for the 2019-20 school year. I hope that you are ready and excited about beginning another terrific year at South Lake Elementary. I am confident that with our professional, dedicated and caring school staff and our supportive school community, we can make our school an extraordinary place for students to learn, achieve, and grow. Sincerely, Celeste King

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August / S EPT EM B ER 20 1 9

Celeste King Principal

Leah Levy

Assistant Principal

Aaron McKinley

Assistant School

Administrator

Important Dates

Event Date Professional Days for Teachers Mon. 8/26— Fri. 8/30

Open House Fri. 8/30 ~ 2:00 pm—3:00 pm No School Mon. 9/2

First Day of School Tues. 9/3 ~ 9:00 am—3:25 pm Back to School Night Tues. 9/10 ~ 6:30pm—8:00pm

Family Market Tues. 9/24 ~ 5:00 pm

No School Mon. 9/30

Daily Schedule

Arrival Students who walk to school or are dropped off by car should not arrive to school prior to 8:40 a.m. There is no supervision before 8:40 a.m. Students arriving at school by car should be dropped off in the “student drop-off” adjacent to the bus lane no later than 9:00 a.m. Students arriving after 9:05 a.m. must be signed in by an adult in the main office. For safety purposes we ask that students are not dropped off at the curb. Please accompany

your child into the office. Please do not drive into the bus circle as this may back-up our busses and cause unsafe conditions for our

students. It is very important that your child attend school every day. If s/he must be absent, please send a note explaining

why s/he was absent. Unexcused absences will result in attendance letters and calls/visits from the pupil personnel worker.

Breakfast Breakfast will be served to all students each morning from 8:40 - 9:00 a.m. at no cost. Students arriving to

school after 9:00 a.m. will not receive breakfast. The instructional day begins promptly at 9:05 a.m.

Dismissal Students will be dismissed from their classrooms at 3:25 p.m via our Silent Dismissal system. The

announcements flash on the classroom Promethean board screen to alert students and staff when a group is dismissed.

Walkers and car riders will be dismissed by grade level. If you are picking up a walker, please wait outside the building until your child is dismissed.

Kindergarten walkers will be dismissed through the doors closest to the parking lot in the rear of the building; Pre-K/ Head Start and second grade walkers will be dismissed through the front doors closest to the flag pole; all other walkers will be dismissed through the front doors closest to the main office.

Car riders should be picked up in the “student drop-off.” If you are picking up your child by car, please do not park or leave your car unattended as this causes unsafe conditions for all.

Students are not permitted to walk across driveways or streets without an adult. Buses will be dismissed in the order in which they arrive at school. There should be

an adult waiting for your child at their designated bus stop in your neighborhood. Be sure to take a close look at the bus schedules if your child will ride a bus to and/

or from school. Review the bus color with your child so he/she knows which bus to ride. Please be sure to create an emergency plan just in case you are running late. There will be no supervision for

your child after school. It is the responsibility of parents to provide the school office in writing, the name of any person who will pick up

their child(ren) at any time during the school day or at dismissal. Students will not be released to ANYONE not listed on the Emergency Information Form or without a note from their parent/guardian. A photo ID is required to release students from school to anyone other than a parent.

If your child needs to leave school early, we must receive a written note in the morning. If you need to pick up your child early, please come to the office by 3:05 p.m. After this time, students will only be dismissed at 3:25 p.m. Students must be signed out of the building by an authorized adult before being dismissed early.

Hands on Safety

Safety Preparedness Throughout the school year every school in the county is required to have drills designed to show

students what to do in the event of an emergency. We conduct a fire drill to ensure that all students

know how to vacate the building in a safe and timely manner. Attendance is taken outside until all

students and staff have been accounted for. Parents are asked not to approach the building or their

child if there is a drill in progress.

Lock down and Shelter Drills These drills occur periodically throughout the school year. These drills are to instruct students what

they are to do in the event that an emergency situation should occur near or in the school. There are

very specific instructions for students and staff should an unlikely event occur during the school day.

If you see a sign on the door that reads “Drill in Place” you will need to wait until the drill ends

before being permitted to enter the building. During a “Lockdown” drill no one is permitted to enter

or leave the building. During a “Shelter” drill the doors are secured but instruction continues to take

place as usual within the building. These drills are to make certain in the event of an unlikely

occurrence, staff and students will be prepared and know how to stay safe.

Entering the Building All visitors will be buzzed into the building to enter the office. Once inside the office, they will be

required to show ID and if they are going into the school, will be signed into the Visitor Management

System. All visitors required to enter the school through the office and to be signed in. They will also

be required to sign out when they leave the building. Montgomery County Public Schools has put this

system in place to ensure the safety of all students and staff.

Emergency Contact Information We implore parents to keep their contact information current and accurate. It is so important that

the office have current working phone numbers for parents and the

designated emergency contact. Whether you have a sick child, or your

child has an appointment, or in the event of an emergency, if you send

someone to pick up your child that does not have authorization and

identification, we will not permit your child to go with that person.

PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION IS

ALWAYS UP TO DATE!

Attendance Policy It is the policy of South Lake Elementary that all

students attend school on-time every day.

Absences from school, other than illness, are

discouraged. Parents must send a note to school

explaining the reason for their child’s absence.

A doctor’s note is required after an absence of more

than 3 days. If your child will be missing school,

please call the school AND send in a note the next

day. If your child has a fever or is vomiting, please

keep them home to avoid spreading illness.

To avoid loss of instructional time, attempt to

schedule medical appointments before or after

school hours when possible.

If your child will be out of school for 15 or more

school days, they will be withdrawn from school

and will need to re-enrolled upon their return.

Vacations are not considered excused absences. à

Please call the office if an emergency arises that will

prevent your child from coming to school

Our motto at South Lake is “Attend to Achieve!”

Cell Phone Use Students are not permitted

to make or receive phone calls on cell phones during the school day. Emergency messages only will be deliv-ered to students by the of-fice staff. Changes in the way a student is to go home must be sent to school in writing. We cannot call into the classroom after 2:30 p.m. to change the way in which you wish your child to go home as it disrupts classroom instruction and dismissal procedures. In the event of an emergency, you can fax the office a note with the change in your child’s dismissal at 301-840-4549.

Cell phones are not permit-ted in school without the ex-plicit consent of the princi-pal. Requests must be made by parents in writing. If stu-dents bring a cell phone to school without permission, the phone will be confiscat-ed. Cell phones will not be returned to the student at the end of the day. Parents must come to the office to pick them up.

How important is attendance?

Attendance is important because students are more likely to succeed in academics when they attend school

consistently. It’s difficult for the teacher and the class to build their skills and progress if a large number of

students are frequently absent. In addition to falling behind in academics, students who are not in school on a

regular basis are more likely to get into trouble with the law and cause problems in their communities.

A 2008 study conducted by the Rodel Community Scholars at Arizona State University that tracked students

from kindergarten through high school found that dropout patterns were linked with poor attendance,

beginning in kindergarten. Gregory Hickman, director of the Rodel Community Scholars program and former

director of the Arizona Dropout Initiative, notes they discovered that as early as kindergarten, behavioral

differences are apparent between those who go on to graduate and those who drop out, with dropouts

missing an average of 124 days by eighth grade.

School budgets may suffer when students don’t attend. In many states, school budgets are based on the

average daily attendance at a

school. If many students enrolled

at a school fail to consistently

attend, the school has less money

to pay for essential classroom

needs.

When do you know that a

student is missing too much

school?

Based on new research from the Baltimore

Education Research Consortium, it’s

possible to know as soon as September

that students are missing too much school.

Absenteeism in the first month of

school predicts poor attendance

patterns throughout the year and

provides an early warning sign according to researcher Linda S. Olson. Olson examined attendance in the

Baltimore City Public Schools for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade students in September and

throughout the rest of the 2012-13 school year.

The study found:

• Students who missed fewer than 2 days in September typically had good attendance for the rest of the

year.

• Half the students who missed 2-4 days in September went on to miss a month or more of school.

• Nearly 9 out of 10 students who missed more than 4 days in September were chronically absent that year.

How can we help?

South Lake staff is here to help ensure your child receives a consistent high-quality education. In addition to

teachers and administrators, we have several staff that can work with you to ensure consistent attendance.

Mr. Tony Maturana, Pupil Personnel worker

Mrs. Dary Herrera-Jurado, Parent Community Coordinator

Ms. Maria Romero, Parent Community Coordinator

Please contact us if you have any questions or need assistance. We are looking forward to a fantastic school

year with all students having consistent attendance!

The Six Tenets of Effective Communication

The communication process at South Lake is essential to having a wonderful experience in our school community. It is imperative to follow some basic tenets of communication to maintain quality, honest relationships that are proactive and responsive to any challenges we may encounter. Suspend Judgment: When you hear about a concern, please immediately share what

you heard as objectively as possible and seek to get clarifying information regarding the information that was shared.

First Contact the Primary Person Involved with the Concern: If an incident occurs in

math, please contact the math teacher to investigate the concern brought to your attention. Always try to start with the individual who is the source of the issue.

Follow Up: If you make a phone call or send an e-mail to anyone in our school

community, including the principal, and you do not get a response in 24-48 hours, please alert our office staff immediately. Inform our office staff that you attempted to get in touch with an individual in our school community and you did not hear from them after 48 hours. Please be mindful of holidays, weekends, etc. If there is an emergency situation, please call the office immediately.

Share Your Concern In a Timely Fashion: If something occurs that sounds like a

concern please alert us immediately. This will allow us to investigate the concern and address the issue before it escalates.

If You Have a Question Ask: Any question that clarifies your understanding is an

important and valid question that needs to be addressed. In the event you do not know how to approach a sensitive issue contact your PTA

advocate: I meet with the PTA President on a regular basis as well as stay in constant communication during the week. If you have a concern in which you are not sure how to engage our school community they will be happy to provide confidential guidance on the vehicle and process for addressing your concern.

Silence is detrimental and gossip is counterproductive! If you operate off of the information from one source without obtaining additional information, you will more than likely walk away with limited information that can compromise your emotional wellbeing and the relationships with individuals within our school community. If you embrace the tenets of communication outlined above it will contribute to your having a positive experience in our school community. Thank you ever so much for your continued support and we look forward to working with you this year!

FREE LUNCH! Please sign up for the school year at

MySchoolApps.com.

MySchoolApps.com is now open to submit the 2019-2020 Free

and Reduced Priced meals applications. If you have any ques-

tions, please call 301-284-4900.

BACKPACKS

Through the generosity of businesses, foundations, associations, faith-based organizations, educational institutions, staff, and community members, MCPS has provided

18,534 students with backpacks filled with school supplies to start the school year off . South Lake is a recipient of this generosity. If you are in need of a backpack, please let us know as we have many to share!

FROM THE HEALTH ROOM If your child has a fever or is ill with a

contagious illness or infection or is vomiting, please keep him/her home! Students should be fever-free for 24 hours before returning to school. We don’t want other students to get sick!

Medication(s) can only be administered to your child at school when the form “Administration of Medication to a Pupil” is completed and signed by your child’s physician.

Students may not have prescribed or over- the- counter medications in their possession at any time on school property. Parents must deliver medications to the health room. All medications must be administered to a student in the health room.

Please review good hygiene practices with your child: ~ Wash hands regularly – especially after using the bathroom ~ Cover nose with inside elbow when coughing or sneezing to prevent spreading germs. Use a tissue to blow your nose. ~ Do not share drinks or food with other students as they may have allergies that could make them very ill.

INTERESTED IN LEARNING ENGLISH?

ADULT ESOL

CLASSES ON MONDAY

AND WEDNESDAY

MORNINGS

9:00—11:00 A.M.

IN THE STAFF LOUNGE

CONTACT LINKAGES

TO LEARNING

301-337-3427

________________________________

ADULT ESOL

CLASSES ON

MONDAY AND

WEDNESDAY

EVENINGS

6:00 - 9:00 P.M.

CALL 240-324-6682

OR E-MAIL

esol.covlife@gmail.com

Community News and Events

Get up to 30 pounds of free groceries for you and your

family. There will be fresh produce as well as pantry items.

There is a family market once a month during the school

year at South Lake. Please bring your own reusable bags.

Food is on a first come first served basis! We open our doors at 5:00 pm so get here early to get a number and get in

line. Mark your calendar for all the family markets

throughout the year! In the event of inclement weather,

family market will be rescheduled.

PTA Meetings

and Events 2019-2020

September 17th 6-8pm October 15th 6-8pm

November 19th 6-8pm December 10th 6-8pm

January 14th 6-8pm February 11th 6-8pm March 17th 6-8pm April 14th 6-8pm May 12th 6-8pm

Fall Book Fair November 4th—11th

Stay tuned for more

events throughout

the year!

The South Lake Parent-Teacher

Association (PTA)

Welcomes you to another

great school year!

President Nicole Bayles Vice-Presidents Adama Moussa-Harouma & Danielle Sultan Treasurer Leah Levy Secretary Esperanza Raphael

Saturday School Enrollment Open

Registration for the George B. Thomas, Sr. Learning Academy (Saturday School) is open. Saturday School provides academic tutoring and instruction with certified teachers in a nurturing and supportive environment. The program is in 12 school locations across Montgomery County and runs from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. with breakfast provided at 8:00 a.m. To register, go to: https://www.saturdayschool.org/register/

.

ENROLL YOUR CHILD IN PRE-K/HEAD START!

Registration continues through the summer for Prekindergar-ten and Head Start programs for children who will be 4 years old by Sept. 1, 2019. MCPS of-fers a free prekindergarten program in schools throughout the county for income-eligible families. This program gives children the skills and knowledge they need to be ready for kin-dergarten. This fall, MCPS will open an ear-ly childhood center at MacDonald Knolls. Classes on site will in-clude early childhood special edu-cation classes and full-day Pre-kindergarten classes for income eligible four-year-olds. Additional sites throughout the county will also offer full-day Prekindergarten classes. Regis-ter today! Spaces are still avail-able for the 2019-2019 pro-gram. Please call 240-740-4530 for more information.

How to Receive MCPS Emergency Information MCPS Web: Home page http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org Weather-related messages are posted in

English and Spanish. Make MCPS your home page

Text and Email: Alert MCPS—Alert MCPS provides you with emergency information about school

operations via text messages (i.e. SMS text or email messages) to devices you register. Signing up for Alert

MCPS is free, but your wireless carrier may charge you a fee to receive text messages. This service is provided

in collaboration with the Montgomery County government. Weather-related messages are sent in English and

Spanish. Sign up for Alert MCPS http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/emergency/alertmcps.aspx

Text and Web: Twitter A Twitter account allows you to follow MCPS text-message updates on your

computer or on your cell or other mobile device. Twitter updates will include emergency message and other

school system news. http://twitter.com/mcps Follow us on Twitter now https://twitter.com/mcps

TV: MCPS Cable Channels—Emergency announcements are posted on the following cable channels.

Comcast Channel 34 Verizon Fios Channel 36 RCN Channel 89

Telephone Information Line: 301-279-3673 Recorded emergency information. Telephone: Ask MCPS:

240-740-3000 Staff takes calls from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Mondays through Fridays, in English and Spanish.

Web: MCPS Newsfeed Receive alerts and news on your

computer. Subscribe to the MCPS Newsfeed now

TV and Radio: Local Stations Tune in to local TV and radio

stations for information.

Get the latest MCPS Information!

Sign up for Quick Notes for current MCPS

information. Here is a link:

http://news.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/current -

issue-quicknotes/

index/1332612387832009#/signup