College Gardens Elementary School

September 2008                                                    Albert P. DuPont, Ed.D., Principal
                                                                             Stacey F. Jones, Assistant Principal

Dear College Gardens Community,

Welcome to a new school year at College Gardens!  Your children should have already filled you in on some of the routine details of their school day.  I am sure they have told you how much they love their teachers and how excited they were to have begun their specials on the first day of school.    I am also sure they have informed you of their new friends, whether or not the school lunch was great, and that this school year will be filled with new learning experiences.

I am pleased to have you as partners in your child’s education.  One of our goals is to see that the parents and guardians of students, as well as, the students feel at home at College Gardens.  To accomplish that, monthly newsletters will be sent home with your children throughout the school year.  These newsletters will provide you with information regarding upcoming activities and events.

I am glad to have your children with us this year, and I want to assure you that I will do my best to help your children experience academic, social, and emotional growth.  With your help, this will be an excellent school year.

                                                                                    Sincerely,

                                                                                    Albert P. DuPont, Ed.D.
                                                                                    Principal                                                                     

PYP Corner

Transdisciplinary Skills
Throughout the Primary Years Programme, students acquire and apply a set of transdisciplinary skills: social skills, communication skills, thinking skills, research skills, and self-management skills.  These skills are valuable, not only in the units of inquiry, but also for any teaching and learning that goes on within the classroom, and in life outside of the school.  At the beginning of each unit, the students brainstorm examples of the skills that would be needed to be successful students throughout the unit of inquiry. 

Setting Goals in fifth grade!
What transdisciplinary skills will you be focusing on in your first unit of inquiry?

Student

Transdisciplinary Skills

Nathan

I will work on communication skills, to help keep my group on track while working together.

Alexis

I will work on research skills to help find more information about
history and the time period that we are reading about in class.

Sasha

I will work on social skills to help get everyone working together in a group.  I also will work on self-management to keep organized.

Jimmy

I will focus on self-management to help keep organized and keep on track.

Paige

I will work on communication skills to help get ideas from other people in my group.

 

Chinese Immersion News

The 2008 – 2009 school year brings many exciting adventures for the Chinese Immersion program.  This year our students will benefit from direct Chinese literacy instruction.  In addition to using a new Chinese literacy program, students will be taught by our visiting teacher from China.  We are fortunate to have Zhu Ding join the College Gardens staff from Shanghai, China.  The entire school community is excited to have a native speaker join our team and help increase the global minded learners in our school. Ms. Ding has several years teaching experience as an English instructor at Shanghai Jiaotong University which is one of the top five universities in China. 

With the support of Dr. Weast’s office and the Office of Chinese Language International (Hanban) on behalf of the Chinese government, Ms. Ding’s program is fully supported.  She joins us with the mission to help others learn Chinese language and culture.   “It’s my good luck and pleasure to be enrolled by Hanban to teach Chinese in the States. I treasure this chance to introduce Chinese culture to the students of College Gardens and the Montgomery County,” shares Ms. Ding.   Please welcome Ms. Ding to our family as we embark upon our new learning experience. 

School Procedures

Dropping Off Your Child in the Morning
The kiss and ride area should be used if you are dropping off your child.  Please stay in your car, there are staff members at the side of the school to assist with the kiss and ride process.  Staff members are present from 9:00 a.m. until 9:15 a.m.   

Dismissal
Patrols will be called to take their duty stations at 3:20.  The pack up announcement will occur at this time.   
At 3:23:
Kindergarten walkers and car riders will be dismissed from their classrooms.  Teachers will then walk bus riders to the gymnasium for dismissal.   

At 3:26:
First and second grades teachers will walk their students to the gymnasium.  Bus riders will sit in bus lines; walkers and car riders will line up to be dismissed from the gymnasium lobby. 

At 3:29
Teachers of grades three, four, and five will walk their students down to the gymnasium.  Bus riders will sit in bus lines; walkers and car riders will line up to be dismissed from the gymnasium lobby. 

Make an Appointment Please
We do value your input and we understand that you know your children best.  If you need to speak with your child’s teacher, please be sure to make an appointment with your child’s teacher or write a note if you would like to give them information about your child.   

Main Office
The beginning of the school day is an exciting time but it can also be a very busy time in the main office.  Please understand that our first priority throughout the instructional day is our students. 
 
Throughout the day, it is mandatory that ALL visitors sign in at the main office before going anywhere in the building.  This expectation is a critical safety priority for our entire school.

If your child forgets his/her lunch or homework, please bring it to the main office.  We will not disrupt instructional time to call a student from class.  Please explain to your child in advance, that if they forget something he/she should stop by the office on the way to lunch. 

Please make all afternoon arrangements prior to the beginning of the school day.  We cannot interrupt instruction to remind students to ride the bus, go to an after school activity, go to a friend’s house, etc.  If your child is going home on a bus other than his/her regular bus, you must send a note in with your child.

The Health Room

Medication
If children must take medication at school, you must bring a written order from the physician for prescription and over-the-counter medication.  Medication forms are available at school for parents and physicians to complete. Prescription medications should be in the original labeled bottle (keep home supply in your own container).  All medications kept in school will be in a secured area, accessible only to authorized administering personnel.  Medications must be delivered and picked up from school by an adult.  No child is permitted to bring medication to school. 

Donations Needed
The health room is in need of donations of girls and boys pants, shorts, shirts, and underwear.  We often keep extra clothing on hand for any “accidents” that may occur throughout the day.

Allergy Alert
We have several students in our building with severe allergies.  One of the most severe allergies affecting our students is to nuts.  As a school community, we can work together to ensure the safety of all our students.  Please remind your children not to share their food with other students as sometimes there may be an ingredient in the product that the children may not be aware.  If you have any questions, please contact the school nurse, Joanna Rogers, at 301-279-8470.

Safety and Security

Safety Drills
During the first week of school, we had our first fire drill, and we will continue to have one a month through the end of the school year.  In addition to our fire drill, we also will practice three other emergency drills called CODE RED, CODE BLUE, and a weather related CODE BLUE.  A Code Red alerts staff that imminent danger exists inside or outside the building and requires moving to an immediate lockdown mode.  A Code Blue alerts staff that an emergency/crisis exists at or near an MCPS facility.  It requires all students to be accounted for and under supervision.  Staff members will discuss these types of drills with students.  In the event of an all-school evacuation, the following on-campus site will be used:  the athletic field at the far end of the property.  If a situation arises in which we must evacuate to a safe location away from the school then we will use Rock Terrace Elementary School.  Parents would be alerted of these situations using our Connect-ED calling system, so please make sure that the office has the correct telephone numbers on which you want to receive these calls.

Please Note
Giant and Safeway Registration- Earning Our School Money
It is time again to register for Giant A+ bonus bucks and Safeway eScrip.

Last year with leadership from the PTA, College Gardens received over $6,000 from your support of these programs.  We are encouraging all parents to bring their Giant and Safeway card information on back to school night. We will be signing parents up that evening in the classrooms. So, don't forget to bring your Giant and Safeway numbers with you.  You can also sign up your friends, relatives, and neighbors, who are willing to support CGES!

A Wonderful Opportunity
The George B. Thomas, Sr. Learning Academy, Inc. Saturday School Program Enrolling for 2008-09 School Year

Give your child a jump-start on school by enrolling in the George B. Thomas, Sr. Learning Academy, Inc. (GBTLA) Saturday School Program! The Learning Academy is a tutoring and mentoring program that enhances the academic performance and achievement of Montgomery County students in grades 1 through 12. This program helps children reach their academic potential through small group support in reading, mathematics, and test-taking skills.

This year, an additional half-hour of instructional support is being added to every tutoring session. The program runs from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Saturday mornings. During this time, certified teachers and volunteer tutors work with students in the areas of reading, language arts, mathematics, and learning/studying strategies. Secondary students also have access to computer labs to assist them in researching information for assignments and learning valuable technology skills.

The GBTLA is open to all students who desire to improve or enhance their academic growth and achievement. Centers are located in twelve high schools throughout the County. Students can enroll at any of the twelve centers, however, students typically enroll at the center that is in their home school cluster – in this case, the Rockville High School Center.

Once enrolled, students must meet high academic and behavioral expectations, including regular attendance. They are required to share quarterly report cards with tutors, who use the information to plan tutoring activities and monitor student progress.

Registration and Opening Day information is below and the GBTLA encourages parents to register their students at the beginning of the year. However, if students aren’t able to enroll at this time, parents may enroll them at any time throughout the year by coming to one of the centers listed above on any Saturday morning. Parents must complete a registration form (including student ID number), pay a $20 registration fee, and provide a copy of their child(ren)’s most recent report card. Registration forms are available in the main office of all cluster schools and online at www.gbtlearningacademy.org. If you have questions about the program, please call the GBTLA’s main office at 301.320.6545.

2008 GBTLA Pre-Registration
Date: September 13, 2008
Time: 8:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Location: All Learning Academy Centers

2008 GBTLA Opening Day
Date: October 4, 2008
Student and Parent Orientation: 8:30 to 9:45 a.m.
Registration: 9:45 to 11:30 a.m.
Location: All Learning Academy Centers

LEARNING ACADEMY CENTERS
Sherwood High School
Springbrook High School
Paint Branch High School
John F. Kennedy High School
Northwest High School
Montgomery Blair High School
Gaithersburg High School
Wheaton High School
Albert Einstein High School
Watkins Mill High School
Col. Zadok Magruder High School
Rockville High School

Cell Phones
Please note the following information is derived from MCPS policy on personal communication devices(PCD):  PCD’s refer to any device carried, worn, or stored by students to receive or communicate messages.  Such devices may include but are not limited to portable pagers, hand-held radios, and cellular telephones.  This definition may also include any new technology developed for similar purposes.  Excluded from this definition is any device with communication capabilities that has been approved for instructional purposes.

Elementary school students are NOT allowed to have such devices in their possession during the school day unless a written request from a parent or guardian is submitted to the principal.  There will be a case by case review of all waiver requests.  Waivers may be granted based on consideration of such factors as:  safety to and from school, communication during off campus activities, or medical concerns.  Other factors may be considered at the principal’s discretion.  When waivers are in place, the device will be stored with the teacher or in the main office during the instructional day.  Violation of this regulation will result in confiscation of the device and will trigger a parent conference to discuss the issue.  Questions regarding this policy should be addressed to Dr. DuPont.

Keep it Home
Many students have been bringing non-instructional items to school.  Please speak with your child about the following three categories of non-instructional items that should be kept at home.

We cannot be responsible for lost items.  If it is important to you, please leave it at home.

Reviewing MCPS Curriculum Guides
Many parents have expressed an interest in viewing the MCPS instructional guides.  While you may look at the guides, you may not copy down any information found in the guides.  Guides are kept in the media center.  For accountability reasons, we ask that you let us know in advance when you plan to come and look at the guides.  Please contact Mrs. Kelly to set up an appointment to look at the guides.

ESOL Language Lines
MCPS has made available phone lines for parents needing translation service.  Parents may call the following phone numbers:

Cafeteria Information

There is an increase in the cost for lunch and breakfast this year.  The meal prices for the    2008-2009 school year are as follows:

Breakfast

Lunch

Please be sure to put money into your child’s account on a regular basis. The main office will lend students money for lunch or breakfast, when necessary.  It is requested that you return the lunch loan to the main offices as soon as possible.  A notice goes home on Wednesdays to let you know if your child has borrowed any lunch money.  Lunch account checks cannot reimburse the main office.  Please send reimbursements for lunch loans directly to the main office in cash.

Volunteers Needed
If you would like to help out during lunch and recess, just come to the front office and sign in and we'll put you to work! The times for lunch and recess for the different grade levels are as follows:

Kindergarten and First Grade 11:10am - 12:30pm
Second and Third Grade           12:00pm - 1:00pm
Fourth and Fifth Grade             12:30pm - 1:30pm

Special Events

Pod Casting 
In keeping aligned with all of our fabulous technology, College Gardens principal, Dr. Albert DuPont will be featuring his very own CGES podcast.  What is a podcast?  A podcast, like broadcast, is a series of digital-media files, which are distributed over the Internet using syndication feeds for playback on computers.  Dr. DuPont will have a link on the College Gardens website, as another way to keep our community informed.  

Grandparents Day

Why do we celebrate Grandparents Day at College Gardens?

NEW DATE - On Thursday, October 2, 2008 from 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m., we will once again invite grandparents to spend the morning with their grandchildren.  Students will continue with their instructional day, as usual.  A photographer from Blanton Studios will be here to take photos of students with their grandparents.  These photos will be available for purchase.

Back to School Nights
Our annual back to school night will be held on September 9 for students in grades Head start through grade 2 including our Autism classes.  Back to school night for grades 3 – 5 will be held on September 11.  Both events will take place from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. at College Gardens in your child’s classroom.  Childcare will be available from Bar-T, for your school aged children at a cost of $5.00 per child.    

Dates to Remember
September
9          Back to School Night – Head Start –
            Grade 2 and Autism 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
11        Back to School Night – Grades 3 – 5
            7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
15        Student Portraits
22        ESOL Pot Luck Dinner – 6:30 p.m.
26        Interims home
29        Early Release – 12:55 p.m.
30        No School – Rosh Hashanah

October

2          Grandparents Day-  9:30 a.m. -11:00 a.m.
            NAACP Parent Council Meeting  7:00 p.m.
3          Grade 2 In-school Mad Science Workshop
6          CI Parent Information Night 7:00 p.m.
7          PTA meeting with Principal Chat
            7:00 – 9:00      
            Grade 1 to Croyden Creek Nature Center
8          Walk your Child to School day