Farmland Elementary School

Welcome to Farmland.  Please read on to find out important information this school year.

First Day of School – Tuesday, August 26

• Doors Open: 9:15 a.m.
• Classes Begin: 9:25 a.m. (Students arriving after 9:25 a.m. will be marked tardy.)
• Dismissal: 3:50 p.m.

IMPORTANT: Farmland ES Meet the Teacher and Transition Day - PLEASE NOTE THE DAY

Farmland Elementary School will host its annual Meet the Teacher event on Monday, August 25 from 9:25 a.m to 10:30 a.m. 

• Time: 9:25 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. (for Kindergarten–Grade 5 and the Learning for Independence Program)
  Purpose: This is an in-person opportunity for students and families to meet their homeroom teacher before the first day of school.

Helpful Tips for Families:

• If you have more than one child at Farmland, please take this time to visit all of their teachers.
• Families with Kindergarten students should first visit their assigned homeroom, and then take a moment to stop by the other four Kindergarten classrooms.
• Please note: There will not be formal presentations by staff during this event.

NEW: Transition Day following Meet the Teacher

Transition Day: Monday, August 25, following Meet the Teacher

This event is only for students who are new to Farmland. If your child/ren attended Farmland last year, this event is NOT for you.

• Transition Day will follow Meet the Teacher
• All students attending this event will stay for the full school day.

At 10:30 a.m., an announcement will signal the end of Meet the Teacher.

• Families who are not new to MCPS or Farmland will be asked to promptly leave the building.
• Students staying for Transition Day will remain at school until dismissal.

Dismissal – 3:50 p.m.

• Bus Riders: Students will be escorted to buses. Each student will wear a lanyard showing their bus number.
• Car Riders: Car riders will be picked up at the back of the school (car rider line).
• Walkers: Walkers will meet parents at the flagpole. Kindergarten walkers must be picked up at their classroom’s back door by the playground.
• Kids After Hours (KAH): 
• Kindergarteners will be picked up by KAH staff
• School staff will assist older students going to the cafeteria.

 Action Required: Please complete the Transportation Survey by clicking here.

• Bus information can be found on the MCPS website (click here) or in ParentVue (as we’ve been told).

Teacher Homeroom Assignments

Classroom Assignments – August 20–21

• On Tuesday, August 20, all classroom teachers will email students’ families using Synergy and Outlook.
• On Wednesday, August 21, you can also check ParentVue to see your child’s homeroom teacher assignment.
• Please note: Requests for classroom or teacher changes will not be considered.
• To ensure you receive all messages, please review your ParentVue account and make sure all email addresses and phone numbers are current.

For ParentVue technical support, click here or contact Mrs. Lupita Sanchez or Mrs. Jamie Park.

Kindergarten Orientation

Friday, August 22 | 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

Parents and caregivers are invited to bring their Kindergarten students to a special presentation. This event will replace the Back-to-School Night session for Kindergarten.

• Learn all about the upcoming school year.
• Explore what the Kindergarten classroom (Sitcherroo) will look like.
• Ask any questions to help prepare for the first day of school.

Please note:

• Only Kindergarten students should attend; siblings are not invited.

We look forward to seeing you and your little learners for this exciting start to the year!

Farmland Bus Routes 

Bus Routes and Transportation

• Bus routes are published on the MCPS Transportation Website: 
• Bus Dept Information: click here.
• Bus Routes for Farmland: Click here.
  
  
• LFI students will get transportation information soon from the Bethesda Depot.

IMPORTANT:

• The school does not manage bus routes. Questions about pickup/drop-off times or locations should go directly to the Bethesda Depot:
• Phone: 240-740-6580
  Depot Manager: Steven Wise
• Please be at the bus stop at least 10 minutes before the scheduled pickup and drop-off times.
  If a bus arrives after 4:15 p.m. at dismissal, the school will send a Remind message to families.

Again, the school does not manage anything about the bus routes. 

IMPORTANT: Please click here to fill out the Farmland Transportation Survey before Monday, August 25. 

Farmland Communication

Administrative Team & Attendance Contacts

To streamline communication and provide focused support, each administrator serves as the primary contact for specific grade levels and teams. While I remain involved and informed on all matters, your first point of contact for administrative needs should be the assistant principal assigned to your student’s grade level (see below).

Process for addressing classroom concerns:

• If you encounter a challenge in the classroom, please contact the classroom teacher first.
• If the issue persists, your next step is to elevate the concern to the assigned administrator. Administrators will ask whether you have already discussed the matter with the teacher before taking further action.

Administrator Grade Level Assignments:

• Mrs. April Longest, Principal: 
• 2nd Grade and 5th Grade
• Mrs. Kharima Wilson, Assistant Principal: 
• Kindergarten and 3rd Grade

• Ms. Pam Strauss, Assistant Principal
• 1st Grade and 4th Grade

Instructional Specialist Questions:

• Reading Specialist: Carolann Carpentier 
• Staff Development Teacher: Ashley Thornton 

General Administrative Questions:

• Mrs. Theresa Blake, Administrative Secretary – Primary contact for general questions and office support.

Attendance Secretaries

We are fortunate to have been allocated another attendance secretary. To provide the most direct support, attendance and enrollment or unenrollment responsibilities are split alphabetically by student last name:

• Mrs. Jamie Park: Last names A – L
• Mrs. Lupita Sanchez: Last names M – Z

Farmland Schoolwide and Classroom Communications

Farmland primarily communicates through email, which is the easiest way to share information with large groups. Here’s what you can expect:

1. Schoolwide Emails:
• Sent by the principal every Sunday evening.
• Include important information for the upcoming week, as well as dates and school events.
2. Classroom Emails:
• Every classroom teacher will send a weekly update, usually on Fridays.
• Updates include homework assignments, classroom units, and important dates.
3. Remind:
• Staff and the school will use Remind to send important text messages. 
• You are automatically opted in. Click here for a Quick Guide for Parents.
4. PTA Emails:
• The PTA sends a weekly email. Click here to access the PTA website. 
• Important PTA events will also be highlighted in the principal’s weekly email.

If you are not receiving emails:

• Contact the office to speak with your designated secretary or your child’s classroom teacher.
• If your child’s teacher is not sending weekly updates, please reach out directly to that teacher or, if the issue persists, to the administrator assigned to your child’s grade.

Other Platforms:

• For information about Synergy, Remind, Clever, and Canvas, please click here to access a presentation that may help.
• By December, we will transition communications to ParentSquare (which owns Remind). You are already receiving communications from MCPS through ParentSquare.
• The PTA sends a weekly email, and I will highlight upcoming events in my weekly email.

Safety and Security Reminder

For the safety of our students, we ask that you:

• Make appointments ahead of time when visiting the school.
• Use the QR code at the front entrance when picking up students; we will then send your child down to you.

Please understand that while we are a welcoming school, student safety is our top priority. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

School Supplies

Click here to access the Farmland School Supplies - Families in grades 1 through 5 can bring school supplies during Meet the Teacher. Kindergarten families, please hold onto your school supplies until classes have been finalized.

Summer Slide Show - Add Pictures! 

Summer Slide Show - Click the link to add your pictures. We will run this slideshow during the first week of school to see all the exciting adventures students and staff had over the summer. 

Farmland Handbook for Families

The processes and procedures outlined here are designed to help us provide the safest possible teaching and learning environment. As it is impossible to anticipate every situation and circumstances constantly change, this handbook may be updated throughout the school year.

Click here to access the Farmland Handbook for Families

Dismissal Board Access

Please click here to access the virtual Farmland Dismissal Board, which you can use to see which buses have been called and when they left Farmland.  

Before and After School Care

Kids After Hours - Sign Up for before and after school daycare provided by Kids After Hours! Kids After Hours will pick up and drop off Kindergarten students daily to their classrooms. 

Lunch and Menu Information

Email Mrs. Olga Cardenas at Olga_N_Cardenas@mcpsmd.org. For questions and concerns. 

Lunch Information 

Meal Prices for School Year 2025–2026

All Breakfasts	$1.30
Elementary School Lunch	$2.55
Secondary Lunch	$2.80

 

MCPS cafeterias use a computerized Point of Sale (POS) system. Students use either an ID card with a specialized barcode or their student ID number to access their account at mealtime.

Enroll in My SchoolBucks  

• Go to www.myschoolbucks.com and click on "Sign up today!"
• Create an account for yourself, and add your children. You will need the student’s name (exactly as it appears on their report card), school, grade, birth date, and six-digit student ID number.
• (OPTIONAL) Provide credit or debit card information to set up prepayments or recurring payments. 

Lunch Assistance Programs:

All meals are free for students who qualify for Free and Reduced-price Meals; students who are approved for reduced-price meals eat for free!

The Department of Food and Nutrition Services (DFNS) encourages families with students enrolled at non-CEP schools to complete a FARM application online.  Applications for the 2025–2026 school year will be available July 30, 2025.

• Click here to complete the application.
• Click here for an English video tutorial on how to complete the FARM application.  

• Vea aquí un vídeo paso a paso en español sobre cómo completar la solicitud de FARM.

Weekly Menu: Click here to access the weekly menu.

Late Arrival and Dismissal Pick Up Form: 

Late Arrival and Early Dismissal Form

Social Media Accounts

Click to follow Mrs. Longest and Farmland on Twitter! The Farmland Parent-Teacher Association posts to Facebook. 

Upcoming Important Dates

 

Upcoming Important Dates 2025-2026  MCPS Calendar                      2025-2026 Farmland Calendar
Monday, August 15 - 22	Preservice Week for Staff Only
Friday, August 22 -	9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. Kindergarten Orientation - Go to your child’s shape classroom, which you will receive on Tuesday.
Monday, August 25	9:25 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. - Meet the Teacher 10:30 a.m. - 3:50 p.m. - Transition Day - Read above for information
Tuesday, August 26	First Day of School  Doors Open 9:15 a.m.  School Starts 9:25 a.m.  Dismissal 3:50 p.m.
Wednesday, August 27	5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Popsicles In the Park - Montrose Park  (451 Congressional Lane)
Monday, September 1	No School for Students and Staff  Labor Day

 

Important Links and Contacts
Late Arrival /  Early Dismissal  Form	Farmland Dismissal Board Arrival and Dismissal Procedures	Transportation Survey Link	Daily Schedule / Early Dismissal /  Delayed Opening	MCPS Menu Questions about accounts
Farmland Handbook	Farmland Master Schedule	Lunch and Recess Schedule	Farmland Sunday Updates	Kids After Hours
MCPS Inclement Weather and Emergency Closure Information	School Improvement Plan - Coming Soon		Two-Hour Delayed Opening Schedule 11:15 a.m. Doors open 11:25 a.m. School Day Begins There will be no recess on Delayed Opening days.
School Hours Doors Open: 9:15 a.m. Bell Rings: 9:25 a.m. Dismissal: 3:50 p.m.  Farmland Office Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.  Office Phone: 240-740-0660 School Address: 7000 Old Gate Rd, Rockville, MD 20852
Administration Mrs. April Longest, Principal 2nd and 5th Grade Ms. Pam Strauss, Assistant Principal 1st and 4th Grade Mrs. Kharima Wilson. Assistant Principal Kindergarten and 3rd grade		Health Room Contacts Email the School Nurse Email the School Health Technician
Mrs. Olga Cardenas, Food Svc Satellite Mgr II - For questions related to menu or lunch accounts
Main Office  Mrs. Blake, Administrative Secretary Ms. Sanchez de Grandos, Attendance Secretary		PTA President Mrs. Becky Frank