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Falcon Flyer – September 2013
Greetings from the Principal
Dear Parents and Guardians, We are thrilled to welcome your children and your family back to school! We are starting the new year with a revised behavior incentive program. In addition to recognizing students with Falcon High Flyer coupons for showing the school’s core values, our staff is celebrating students’ respectful, responsible, dedicated and safe choices with Falcon Feathers. This behavior program is explained in the Discipline Policy packet that recently came home in your child’s backpack. Please take a few minutes to review this information with your child. Then, sign the tear-off form and return it to school with your child. We are so proud of our students for their focus on learning and their respectful, responsible behavior at school. We encourage you to check out our website: www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/fieldsroades. It includes a wealth of information about curriculum, school events and MCPS/school policies. It also offers free links to many learning sites under the Media Center and Web Resources tab, as well as email addresses for all school staff. We are happy to answer your questions about your child’s programming and school operations. Thank you for sharing your children with us. We are looking forward to a happy, healthy and productive school year! Kathy Rupp, Principal
FRES/PTA Important Dates
Month Day Event
September 16 SPIRIT WEAR
Forms Sent Home September 20 “WELCOME BACK” PICNIC
September 26 EAT OUT NIGHT • 4-9pm Green Cactus and Carvel
September 27 HALF DAY
Students dismissed at 12:35pm
October 1 PTA GENERAL MEETING
Media Center 7:30 p.m. *one of the most important of the year
October 7-11 PTA Scholastic
BOOK FAIR
October 14 COLUMBUS DAY
Open House for Parents
October 14-18 ORIGINAL ART WORKS
Fundraiser Packets Sent Home
October 18 NO SCHOOL
Teacher Convention
October 24 EAT OUT NIGHT
Ledo Pizza and Sweet Frog
October 31 HALLOWEEN PARADE and Classroom Parties
1:45-2:45PM
…to Angie Watts for coordinating a great
Back-To-School breakfast for the FRES staff. And thanks to all of the parents who brought food and
helped set up for this yummy event!
Fields Road Elementary School 301-840-7131 One School Drive, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20878 September 2013 Issue
Falcon Flyer – September 2013
Assistant Principal’s Corner
Greetings Fields Road Families! Welcome back! I hope everyone enjoyed their summer and is ready for a great new school year. Fields Road Elementary School is excited and enthusiastic to work with our students and families! Parents are their child’s first teacher and the most important resource for improving his/her learning. Teachers and parents can help children develop healthy mindsets that education is important. Here are some tips to help your child succeed in school: • Show your children that you value reading. Let them
see you reading for pleasure as well as for performing daily tasks, such as reading letters, recipes, instructions, newspapers, or computer screens. When your children see that reading is important to you, they are likely to decide that it’s important to them, too.
• Emphasis the importance of being on time and attending school. Research shows that school attendance is the most significant factor regarding children’s school success. When children arrive 10 minutes late daily, they are missing 30 hours of instructional time each year. Encourage your child to use an alarm clock so he/she can take responsibility for getting up on time.
The Fields Road staff is confident that this school year will be outstanding! We worked very hard during the last couple of weeks to make sure all students were engaged in learning experiences. We are also thankful to have wonderful families to work with and support our students. Thank you for your continued support! Respectfully, Zoraida Brown, Assistant Principal Fields Road Elementary School
Grab your picnic blanket, your family and join your Fields Road “family” at the Annual FRES Back-to-School Picnic on Friday, September 20th from 5-8pm.
Dance the evening away with the DJ or show off your bouncing and climbing skills on the moon bounce and the obstacle course. Pizza, drinks and cotton candy will be for sale. There is no charge to bounce and dance the night away! The party will be held on the field behind the school and if the weather is bad, in the gym. Please contact Margo Prator with any questions at 301-840-0772 or [email protected]
Eat-Out-Night Thursday, September 26th Green Cactus and Carvel
Join your FRES friends and earn money for our school! Join us at our Eat-Out-Night event at both the Green Cactus Grill and Carvel in Muddy Branch Square on Thursday, September 26th from 4-9 pm. FRES PTA will earn a portion of the proceeds. Dine in or carry out. Sponsored by the PTA.
BACK-TO- SCHOOL PICNIC
Falcon Flyer – September 2013
PTA President’s Message
On behalf of the PTA Executive Board, we’d like to welcome you all to another year at FRES! To those families who are new to FRES, we are excited to have you and hope to meet you soon. There are lots of ways to get involved and be a part of the Fields Road community. You can use this newsletter as a way of staying informed about programs and events at FRES, and we also encourage you to join the FRES Yahoo Group and Facebook page. There will be three main fundraisers this year. Original Art Works in the fall, the Read-A-Thon in the winter and Mixed Bags in the spring. We hope to raise enough money to purchase a 2nd roaming computer lab and help support many school wide initiatives. In addition to FRES fundraisers, we are planning many different programs and events this year. Our hope is that all families will find some way to become involved at FRES! If you haven’t yet joined the PTA, please do so. Just by being a member, you are helping our school. Only members will receive a PTA directory. Turn to the back of this newsletter for more information about membership, as well as, volunteer opportunities available at the school, including (among others) classrooms, lunch and recess, the media center, and room parents. The PTA Executive Board’s contact information is listed in the newsletter. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. We look forward to working with our parent community and FRES staff and administration to ensure that all children continue to achieve and grow in a positive learning environment. Thank you, Stephanie Kauffman, co-president, [email protected] Yael Tamir, co-president, [email protected]
Next PTA Meeting Tuesday, October 1st, 7:30 pm
FRES Media Center Quorum of 20 people needed!
**Babysitting for kids K-8 provided**
Top 3 Ways To Stay Informed!
FRES Yahoo Group: Interested in joining our Yahoo Group? Members receive up-to-the-minute news on activities and issues around the school. Send an Email to [email protected]. In your email request, please send the following information so we may process your subscription: Your name, child(ren)'s name, your child(ren)'s grade and teacher(s). Once we have verified this information, you will be added to the Yahoo Group mailing list. Facebook: Search for Fields Road Elementary on facebook and request to join. Daily: Check your child(s) folder!
Falcon Flyer – September 2013
Done Early This Year
Fabulous FRES Art Teacher, Ms. Nguyen, and all the FRES students are working hard to create one-of-a-kind masterpieces for the Original Works art fundraiser!
Your child's artwork can be reproduced on a variety of products: magnets, mugs, tote bags, and more! They will make wonderful holiday gifts for family and friends. Order forms and your child's artwork will be coming home mid-October. Plan to place your order right away because the holidays will be here before we know it! Questions? Contact Jen Weil at 301-947-4249 or [email protected].
MAD SCIENCE
Once again, the PTA is sponsoring Mad Science at FRES. Through the course of Sensational Science, children will harness heat energy, learn the science behind cotton candy, and explore the properties of both light and color. Your Mad Scientists will experiment with magnets, examine curious optical illusions and analyze the amazing properties of slime! Children will get to know their taste buds and witness a hair-raising demonstration of static electricity! This 8-week program costs $112, and will be held at Fields Road after school on Thursdays from October to December. Look for the registration form in your child's take home folder, and don't delay in signing up — space is limited. First-come, first-served! For more information, contact Eileen Moore at [email protected].
All-Star Book Fair : Every Reader Is a
Star! Mark your calendars for the annual PTA Fall Book Fair: October 7-11. This year’s book fair will feature a family night on Wednesday, October 9th, as well as the popular “Donuts with Dads” and “Muffins with Moms.” Lots of volunteers will be needed. Be on the lookout for a signup genius in your inbox for volunteers. For further details or to volunteer, contact Jody Usatine at jody@missinglinksoftware
Creative Adventures
CREATIVE ADVENTURES offers six weeks of Painting, Drawing, Collage and Much More right here at Fields Road Elementary School, Monday afternoons, 3:10-4:40 p.m.! The cost is $125, If you have a 1st thru 5th grader and would like to enroll, please complete the worksheet that came home in backpacks. Need additional information? Email Renae Campbell at [email protected] or call 301-947-4268.
Falcon Flyer – September 2013
Foreign Language Classes at FRES! The PTA is again sponsoring the FLES (Foreign Language in Elementary Schools) program after school. FLES is an exciting language and culture program providing quality language instruction for K-6 children. It is part of Big Learning Inc., formerly MCCPTA-EPI, a non-profit organization partnering with school communities to bring foreign language to elementary and middle schools in Montgomery County since 1975. Last year, FRES students had fun learning Spanish at the Introductory and Beginner levels. This year, FLES in FRES is offering Introductory Spanish for Grades K-1 and Beginner Spanish for Grades 2-5. All Spanish classes are on Mondays, and are held after regular classes are dismissed, from 3:10-4:40PM. Students who enroll in FLES are picked-up from their classrooms/or the gym at dismissal time by the FLES teacher and brought to the FRES classroom where the language course is taught. Classes run for 12 weeks. The cost for the year is $190. There is a minimum number of students required to offer a class. Tuition may be paid by check (payable to FRES PTA) or via the FLES website: www.biglearning.org/fles. There is a minimal PayPal fee if you pay and register via the website. To register by check, fill out the registration form, attach your check, and return to the school through your child's teacher (in an envelope labeled “FLES”). Classes begin the week of October 7th, so register now. Registration forms were distributed through your child’s take home folder. If you are interested and may have missed the form or have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact FRES FLES coordinator, Renae Campbell at [email protected], or 301-947-4268.
Falcon Fridays!
New Spirit Wear is Coming! Lots of new options and styles! Order forms will be sent home on Monday, September 16th. Due date is September 30th. Samples will be available to view at Back to school night and at the Back to School Picnic. Contact Jen Feinstein at [email protected] with questions.
Fields Road Elementary All Sports Program®
Join One on One Basketball for its ALL SPORTS PROGRAM® at Fields Road Elementary School. Learn the fundamentals in soccer, capture the flag, fun ball, kickball, basketball, and more. Each week, One-on-One instructors will focus on a new sport or game. This program is flexible and can be modified based upon student interest in a particular sport/activity. Look for registration forms to come home in backpacks. Contact Michele Zaiderman at [email protected] if you have any questions.
K– 5th Grade: Tuesdays from 3:05-4:15pm Dates: September 24–December 3 (no class 11/12) COST: $10
Falcon Flyer – September 2013
Your Volunteerism Makes a Difference
Your participation in your child’s school has a profound impact on his/her experience. Whether you volunteer in the classroom, help with an event or chaperone a field trip—what you do makes a difference.
Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) also cares about the great work you do for our school and uses the data collected to publically recognize and reward schools with the greatest number of volunteer hours.
Ready to Volunteer? There are many opportunities to get involved:
• Attend or help out at any PTA sponsored activity. (Yes, attending PTA meetings count!)
• School/classroom support, including classroom, direct academic support to student(s), copying, bulletin boards, field trips, media center, at home work, etc.
A Few Important Reminders Please record your hours so that we have an accurate count of our collective volunteer hours. A binder is in the office next to the sign-in desk where you can document your time. In addition, a monthly email will go out to the FRES yahoo group. If you forget to record your time in the binder, or if you volunteer for FRES outside of school hours, please respond to the email with the details so we can document it for you.
Interested in volunteering at FRES? Need to send in your volunteer hours? Questions? Please contact volunteer coordinator, Stephanie Epstein, [email protected], 301-922-7041.
Become a Room Parent!
An integral part of your child’s classroom success is communication between teacher and parents. Room Parents help support communication about class parties and events. This important role helps ensure that the school year is fun and engaging. Please consider volunteering as a Room Parent.
What is a Room Parent? A room parent:
• Supports his/her child’s class by communicating important information about classroom events.
• Plans and organizes the class parties (Halloween, Valentine’s Day, and an End-Of-Year party if their teacher so chooses).
What does the PTA ask in return? NOTHING! …although PTA membership is encouraged and participation at PTA meetings is always welcome.
Can the role be shared? Yes, and it usually is shared between two or more individuals. But keep in mind that room parents don’t have to DO everything. They are the communicators, and request help from classroom parents. As the Room Parent Coordinator, I will provide reminders, tips, and tools to make this job as easy as possible.
What does the teacher? The ultimate goal of a room parent is to provide support and assistance to the teacher. Room Parents are encouraged to talk with the teacher about how they can work together most effectively to meet the teacher’s needs.
If you’d like to serve as a room parent, please contact Lisa Cline, Room Parent Coordinator at [email protected].
Falcon Flyer – September 2013
Time to Re-Register Your Merchant Cards!!
Giant Rewards
How often do you go to our local Giant? If you designate Fields Road Elementary School through your Giant Card, a percentage of what you spend at Giant will be donated to FRES to be used toward books, education equipment or anything else to help our children learn.
Please help us reach our goal of 100 registered FRES families by registering yourself or your family and friends.
To register, go to the A+ School Rewards Program: https://www.giantfood.com/our_stores/bonus_bucks/designate_school.htm?execution=e2s1. Or send your Giant card number to Renae Campbell at [email protected]. She’ll register it for you!
Safeway Club Card FRES ID: 6503254
Do you buy your groceries at Safeway? If so, than please use the Safeway Escrip program to raise money for FRES. All you have to do is visit www.eScrip.com and register your Safeway Club Card. Then, every time you shop with your Safeway Club Card, Safeway, will donate money to Fields Road Elementary School. You have to reregister every year, so if you haven’t yet registered this year, please go to www.eScrip.com now.
Target REDcard FRES ID: 58129
Do you shop at Target? When you use your REDcard (Target Credit Card®, Target
Debit Card or Target Visa Credit Card), Target will donate up to 1% of your purchases to Fields Road.
Have a Target REDCard? Visit www.Target.com/tcoe or call 1-800-316-6142 to designate Fields Road Elementary School. Then use your REDcard whenever you shop. Easy!
Harris Teeter Together in Education Program
Fields Road can earn points every time you shop at Harris Teeter and use your VIC card. You must review your VIC card selection each year by linking your card to FRES. Simply go to www.harristeeter.com and click on Together In Education. Then, “click here to link your card to a school.” Enter the FRES ID number: 6361. If you do not have a VIC card, visit the above website and click “Start saving with VIC” to sign up. Their program started on August 1st, so sign up today!
Box Tops for Education
http://www.boxtops4education.com
Deadline for the First Class Contest for Box Tops for Education is Tuesday October 15, 2013.
Box Tops for Education is an excellent and easy fundraiser for our school. Fields Road earns money for products you purchase, and all you have to do is cut off the "Box top for Education" from the product packaging! These bright pink labels can be found on everything including General Mills Cereal, Betty Crocker Cake Mixes, Zip Lock Bags, Progresso Soup and Land O'Lakes Butter.
The Class that Submits the Most Box Tops for Education Wins an Ice Cream Party!
You can ask your family, friends, and work places to collect labels for you, as well! Please be sure to cut the label along the dotted lines and submit them in bags of no more than 50, with the Teachers name and the number of box tops written on the outside of the bag. You can also use the worksheets that were distributed in class.
Falcon Flyer – September 2013
FIELDS ROAD PTA Get Involved - Make a Difference
What does the PTA do? • Provides funds to individual teachers in addition to $300 provided to each grade level for class materials and supplies
• Funds staff appreciation events and guidance efforts.
• Sponsors progras like Movie Night, Bingo Night, Spring Bash, Back to School Picnic, Turkey Trot and St. Patrick’s Day Parade. We coordinate Book Fairs, Eat Out Nights and Spirit Wear.
• Fosters Falcon Pride and community involvement. • Lobbies on county and state educational issues, through the Montgomery County Cluster of PTAs.
Why join the PTA? To benefit your child and to help our school! PTA membership keeps you connected with the school, staff and parents, as well as provides many great resources. Joining does not obligate you to volunteer at school or to attend PTA meetings. Each paid member will receive a school directory and access to the secure school directory app. (NOTE: Directories are only given to those who join the PTA). Each member is entitled to one membership card with voting privileges and may serve as PTA officers/chairpersons. To join, fill out and return this form to your child’s teacher in an envelope labeled “PTA President,” along with $15 cash or check payable to Fields Road PTA. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - PTA Member Name: __________________________
Street Address: _____________________________
Phone number: ______________________________
Child(ren)’s Name(s) and Teacher/Grade:
2013-2014 FRES PTA Board
PTA Position
Officer Email Address
Co-President Yael Tamir [email protected]
Co-President Stephanie Kauffman
VP - Programs
Michele Zaiderman
VP – Fundraising
Angie Rosen [email protected]
Secretary Monica
Chiaramonte [email protected]
Treasurer Stephanie
Higgins [email protected]
Volunteer Coordinator
Stephanie Epstein
Cluster Delegate
Jeanne Ellinport [email protected]
HELP WANTED Teachers, staff, parents: Need something for the classroom? Need volunteers for a
school activity? Advertise here by emailing Lisa Cline at [email protected]. HELP WANTED: Last year, the FRES PTA raised over $6,200 dollars from a very fun, interactive, educational Read-A-Thon. This money bought us a roaming computer lab to visit the classrooms. This year, our goal is to raise enough money for a second “roaming computer lab.” Many volunteers are needed to help with this huge fundraising event. Please contact Stephanie Fitz at [email protected] if you can help out. A volunteer meeting will be held in October. HELP WANTED: VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for Book Fair week — October 7-11. We’d love your help. Simply contact Jody Usatine at jody@missinglinksoftware.
