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The Falcon NewsThe Falcon NewsThe Falcon NewsThe Falcon NewsThe Falcon NewsThe Falcon NewsThe Falcon NewsThe Falcon NewsThe Falcon NewsThe Falcon NewsThe Falcon NewsThe Falcon NewsVOLUME 1, EDITION 39, MAY 31, 2020VOLUME 1, EDITION 39, MAY 31, 2020
a message from dr. jack r. smith:
Dear Parents, Guardians, Students and Staff:
I hope that you and your families are healthy and well. The end of the 2019-2020 school year isfast approaching and we are looking forward to celebrating the accomplishments of ourstudents, including the Class of 2020, during the Universal Graduation Celebration on Sunday,June 7, featuring Jose Andres, chef, humanitarian and founder of World Central Kitchen as thecommencement speaker. The event, which will be produced in collaboration with NBC4, willpay tribute to more than 10,500 seniors. It will air at 6 p.m. on Cozi TV (broadcast over-the-airon channel 4.2, Verizon Fios channel 460, and X�nity channel 208) and on MCPS TV (Comcastchannel 34, Verizon channel 36 and RCN channel 89). It will also stream live on the MCPSwebsite. We hope you will tune in for what promises to be an exciting celebration for ourstudents. Additionally, all of our high schools will hold individual celebrations for their schoolcommunities June 8-12.
Below are several important updates, including information on the district’s recovery plan,summer school, and the Districtwide Boundary Analysis.
We appreciate your continued partnership and support.
Sincerely,
Jack R. Smith, Ph.D.Superintendent of Schools
recovery plan
MCPS is continuing to work on the development of a recovery plan that provides schools andcentral o�ce with a structure for coordinated action steps to re-engage students, staff andfamilies in our learning communities for the 2020-2021 school year—whether in our schoolbuildings or through an enhanced continuity of learning program. Our recovery plan will be
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informed by the state’s Maryland Strong: Road Map to Recovery, along with establishedguidance from the Maryland State Department of Education, the Centers for Disease Control,and local health o�cials. The MCPS recovery plan will include strategies for strengtheningengagement with students and school communities; fostering academic excellence;differentiating supports for students and staff; providing effective and tailored professionallearning opportunities for all staff; and creating timely communication and feedbackopportunities to support continuous improvement.
We are committed to a multi-pronged approach to ensure parents, staff, students and other keystakeholders are included in the creation of the recovery plan. More information will be sharedin the coming weeks. You can watch the discussion from the May 28 Board of Educationmeeting here.
summer school
As we shared in the May 23 community update, MCPS is continuing with plans to offersummer learning and enrichment opportunities to elementary and secondary students throughregional, school-based and other districtwide programs. These programs, some of which willbe offered for free, will provide instruction in math and literacy, as well as fun enrichmentopportunities for students to pursue areas of interest, and social-emotional support. As in pastyears, MCPS will also offer online courses for high school credit, with registration openingsoon.
Given the challenging conditions families will face this summer, we would like to hear fromparents about their preferences for summer programs. Would you participate if the programofferings were all online? How long of a program or how many hours per day would you prefer?Please complete a brief survey here.
Programs will begin by July 13. Details on available programs, registration dates and program-speci�c start dates will be shared with families during the week of June 8 and posted on theMCPS Summer Programs webpage.
extended school year programs for special education
students
Due to the uncertainty surrounding opportunities for face-to-face instruction, the current planfor the Special Education Extended School Year Program (ESY) is to offer the program virtually.Families with students receiving special education services will have a meeting with theirchild’s case manager to determine if their child quali�es for ESY. ESY is for students withdisabilities who are not able to recoup the skills lost during an extended break in the schoolyear. In order to ensure these students maintain the skills growth they achieved during theschool year, services are provided to address speci�c areas of the Individualized Education
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Program (IEP) during extended periods of time that school is not in session, such as thesummer months. All ESY decision meetings will be completed by June 8. The calendar for ESYprograms is as follows:
Friday, July 10, 2020: ESY pre-service day for teachersMonday, July 13-Friday, August 7, 2020: Instructional days for the four-week programMonday, July 13-Friday, August 14, 2020: Instructional days for the �ve-week program
virtual commencement ceremonies for individual high
schools
All MCPS high schools will host individual virtual ceremonies for their students and familiesJune 8 through June 12. A link to view these ceremonies will be posted on the MCPSgraduation webpage and on each school’s home page. The ceremonies will also berebroadcast on MCPS TV (Comcast channel 33, RCN channel 88, and Verizon channel 35).
districtwide boundary analysis
The Board of Education voted on May 28 to delay the production and release of the �nal reportof the Districtwide Boundary Analysis, with an anticipated target release date of December 1,2020. This delay is necessary due to the ongoing public health emergency that has consumedthe efforts of the entire school system and the community. MCPS staff and the externalconsultant group, WXY, will re-engage in the work of the Districtwide Boundary Analysis in thefall, when public health conditions improve and the environment for reopening schools is moresettled.
On March 20, 2020, MCPS released the Interim Report of the Districtwide Boundary Analysis.This report brought together extensive research and analysis on the factors for considerationin the boundary analysis, as well as capturing and incorporating community feedback garneredduring the initial months of the project. The Interim Report remains available on theMontgomery County Public Schools website.
We acknowledge the tremendous �scal uncertainty resulting from the COVID-19 global healthpandemic and are committed to using funding to maintain the operational and instructionalinfrastructure of the school system and to keep the focus on excellence and equity. The Boardof Education will adopt a �nal budget in June that will re�ect the district’s work to provide away of offering different learning experiences and protecting student and staff safety in thecoming year. Learn more about what this means for our district in this All In blog post.
student service learning forms due june 5
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kindergarten registration
Kindergarten registration is open for children who will be 5 yearsold by September 1, 2020. MCPS’ kindergarten program iswidely recognized as among the best in the nation, withstudents making excellent progress toward the district’s readingand mathematics goals. We believe our youngest learnersshould receive a rich and well-rounded early learning experienceto prepare them to be successful, productive 21st centurycitizens. MCPS has launched a new onlineregistration/enrollment process to support families who wish toenroll their children. Families can complete the process in threeways:
1. Online, starting with this Registration Survey2. Over the phone by calling 240-740-59993. By paper forms. Complete the Registration Survey or call 240-740-5999 to request forms
be mailed to your home.
If you are uncertain about your plans for the fall, but will likely send your child when schoolopens, please enroll him or her now. Families that have received the registration materials areasked to complete the forms and submit them as soon as possible.
Learn More about the MCPS Kindergarten ProgramEnroll Your Child Now
All Student Service Learning (SSL) forms for service completed during the summer of 2019,�rst semester, and second semester are due by June 5, 2020, in order to be documented onreport cards. Forms should be emailed to your school’s SSL coordinator by the June 5deadline. SSL documentation for continued service through the summer of 2020 will beaccepted in September 2020. Students should email the completed SSL form directly to theirschool’s SSL coordinator:
1. High School SSL Coordinators2. Middle School SSL Coordinators
pride town hall held may 27
MCPS hosted a virtual Pride Town Hall on May 27. The purpose of the event was to reconnectwith MCPS LGBTQ+ youth, families and community during the COVID-19 crisis. During the townhall, community partners and organizations shared resources available to students andfamilies, and discussed the challenges LGBTQ+ youth are facing during the extended school
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closure. MCPS staff and representatives from Casa Ruby, the Family Justice Center, GLSEN,the Montgomery County Council of Parent Teacher Associations (MCCPTA), MoCo PrideCenter, MoCo Pride Student Organization, PFLAG and SMYAL were available to answerquestions from participants. You can view the Town Hall here.
census 2020: your voice countsEvery household in Montgomery County has the option to respond to the 2020 Census online,by phone or by mail. Households that haven't received their invitation (or can't �nd it) can stillrespond online now—even without their invitation or Census ID—by providing their address. Torespond online, please visit www.2020Census.gov or use 844-330-2020 to respond by phone.
2020 primary electionThe primary election originally scheduled for April 28, 2020, was moved to June 2, 2020. Allregistered and eligible voters were mailed a ballot for this election. Completed ballots must bepostmarked on or before Tuesday, June 2, 2020. Voters who prefer to drop off their ballots cando so at designated ballot drop-off locations (lugares designados para dejarlos) fromThursday, May 21, 2020, through Tuesday, June 2, 2020. If you are unable to vote by mail, youmay vote in-person on election day, June 2, 2020, at a vote center in the jurisdiction where youlive. More information is here.
fields road falcon hayden sandlin:
gaithersburg's next junior mayor!Out of dozens of entries submitted by resident 4th graders inthe City of Gaithersburg, Hayden Sandlin has been selected asGaithersburg’s next Junior Mayor! As the Junior Mayor, Hayden,will be invited to join Mayor Jud Ashman and members of theCity Council at virtual and in-person (when it is safe to do so)ceremonies and events throughout the year. His �rstappearance will be virtually at this year’s Memorial DayObservance. He will also have the opportunity to host acommunity service project at his school, in which the Mayorand City Council will participate.
We are so proud of you Hayden! Congratulations to the City ofGaithersburg!
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Hayden Sandlin-2020 Gaithersburg Junior Mayor
@Principal_FRES
mrs. erica williams
PrincipalFields Road Elementary School
1 School Drive, Gaithersburg, MD, USA [email protected]
(301) 840-7131 www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/�eldsro…
