Weekly Update February 19 2024

Weekly Update

Farmland Weekly Update

Week of September 6

Good afternoon, Farmland Families,

I hope you had a wonderful weekend! A reminder that there is no school tomorrow, Monday, September 7. We look forward to welcoming everyone back on Tuesday.

Coming in October! Our Open House will be held on Monday, October 12, from 9:20–11:30 a.m. Parents and caregivers are invited to visit Farmland and spend time in their child’s classroom. To help us maintain a safe learning environment, please arrange childcare for children who are not yet school-aged.

More information will be shared as we get closer to Open House.

Please see below for additional updates and reminders.

Have a great week!

Warmly,

April

April D. Longest

Principal

Farmland Elementary School

Farmland Updates

September School Calendar Reminders
Spirit Week Coming Soon - September 14
Back to School Night - 1st Grade - 5th Grade
Celebrating Ms. Pino and Mr. Malusky!
Parent Teacher Association News
Montgomery County Public Schools Updates
Mark Your Calendars

Contact Information

📅 Important September Calendar Reminders

Please mark your calendars for these upcoming schedule changes:

🏫 Monday, September 7 – No School

Farmland Elementary will be closed. We hope our students and families enjoy the long weekend!

⏰ Friday, September 18 – Early Release

Students will have a half-day of school and will be dismissed at 1:20 p.m. Please plan accordingly for your child's dismissal and afternoon arrangements.

⏰Monday, September 21 - No School

Thank you for helping us ensure a smooth September! 🌾⭐

🌟 Spirit Week at Farmland! 🌟

Get ready to show your Farmland spirit sponsored by the Minority Scholars! Students and staff are invited to participate in a fun-filled Spirit Week from Monday, September 14-18. Each day will have a different theme. Participation is optional, but we hope everyone will join in the fun!

👗 Monday, September 14 – Dress to Impress

Start the week looking your best! Dress up in an outfit that makes you feel confident and ready for a great day.

🔤 Tuesday, September 15 – Scrabble Day: Make a Word With a Friend

Team up with your friends! Wear a shirt with a large letter on it and work together with classmates and friends to create words throughout the day.

🏈 Wednesday, September 16 – Team Jersey Day

Show your team spirit! Wear a jersey, shirt, or colors representing your favorite sports team.

🎸 Thursday, September 17 – Rock Star Day

Farmland is full of rock stars! Dress like a rock star or your favorite musician—or wear an outfit that makes you feel like a star!

😴 Friday, September 18 – Pajama Day

We made it to Friday! Finish Spirit Week by getting cozy and wearing your favorite school-appropriate pajamas.

We can't wait to see everyone's creativity and Farmland spirit throughout the week! 🌾⭐

🌟 Back to School Night — Grades 1–5

📅 Thursday, September 17

⏰ 6:00–7:15 p.m.

We are excited to welcome our Grades 1–5 families to Farmland Elementary for Back to School Night! This is an opportunity to learn more about your child’s grade level, curriculum, classroom expectations, routines, and what you can look forward to during the school year.

Schedule

6:00–6:35 p.m. — In-Person Session

6:35–6:40 p.m. — Transition

6:40–7:15 p.m. — Hybrid Session (In-Person & Virtual)

For the 6:40 p.m. hybrid session, teachers will share a Google Meet invitation with families who would like to participate virtually.

Grade-Level Locations

Grades 1 & 2: Classrooms
Grade 3: Cafeteria
Grade 4: Gym
Grade 5: Media Center

Back to School Night is designed as a general presentation rather than an individual conference. Teachers will not be able to discuss individual student progress during the sessions. If you would like to speak with your child’s teacher about your child specifically, please contact the teacher to schedule a separate time.

🍎 Kindergarten Families

Kindergarten held a Back to School Night/Orientation earlier this year and will not participate on September 17. If you missed the orientation, have questions, or would like to meet with your child’s teacher, please reach out directly to schedule a time to connect.

We know schedules can be busy! Presentation slides will be shared with families following Back to School Night so that everyone has access to the information, even if you are unable to attend.

We look forward to seeing you and partnering with you for a wonderful school year! 🌾⭐

A smiling man in a pink polo and a smiling woman in a denim jacket hold up small white slips of paper indoors.

🔥Celebrating Mrs. Pino & Mr. Malusky!

Congratulations to Ms. Pino and Mr. Malusky, 3rd Grade Teachers, for receiving the MCPS Fire Ribbon! This recognition celebrates excellence in teamwork, collaboration, peer support, and service to our school community.

🌟 Mrs. Pino has stepped into her first year as a Team Leader with positivity, organization, and a strong commitment to supporting her colleagues. She helps keep the team connected, prepared, and focused on what is best for students. We appreciate the positive energy and leadership she brings to 3rd grade!

🌟 Mr. Malusky creates a positive and welcoming classroom where students feel comfortable asking questions, sharing their thinking, and taking risks in their learning. His encouragement and commitment to his students help create a classroom community where every student feels supported and ready to grow.

Parent Teacher Association News and Updates

Join the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA)

This year's PTA membership incentives include:

Class competition—Class with the most memberships by Oct. 1 gets a bonus recess!
Individual prize—One member will be randomly selected to win a free Farmland yearbook!
Yearlong benefit—All members get a coupon for one free drink at the PTA’s Fall and Spring Festival events!

Help us reach our goal of 200 members this year. Thank you to the 51 members who have already joined! Click here to join and/or donate. Thank you for your support! Questions about membership? Email FarmlandPTAMembership@gmail.com.

PTA Meet and Greet September 17th - 5 PM

Join us in the All Purpose Room (“APR”) before Back To School Night to meet other Farmland grownups and learn about our PTA in a casual mixer setting. Open to grownups in ALL grades (Kindergarten, too!)

Fall Festival is Friday, September 18th at 5 PM!

Join us on the playground and enjoy a DJ, pizza, and snacks for sale (please preorder pizza), and bounce houses courtesy of our friends at KAH!

NEW This Year!

Meet after-school program providers (Kiddo) at Fall Festival and sign up for classes like dance, chess, and more!
Sign up to bring COLD drinks to the blacktop for us to sell OR sign up to volunteer for 1 hour and in return you get free family admission to the festival!

Thank you so much, this festival cannot happen without you!

Buy tickets/pizza, sign up to volunteer, and more at farmland-pta.org

Montgomery County Public School Updates

New this year: Amplify Desmos Math.

This year, students will use Amplify Desmos Math.

Students will:

Learn how and why math works.
Solve problems and talk about their thinking.
Work and learn with classmates.
Get extra help when needed.
Get more challenging work when ready.

🏠 How Families Can Help

Ask your child:

What did you learn in math today?
How did you solve it?
How do you know your answer is correct?

Families can also use the Caregiver HUB for information and activities to support math learning at home. Resources in the Caregiver HUB explain what students are learning and offer easy ways to support math learning at home.

Visit the Parent Hub in English: https://mcpsmd.info/ParentHubEnglish

Visite el Centro para Padres en español: https://mcpsmd.info/ParentHubEspañol

Quick Answers for Families, All in One Place

Looking for clear, easy-to-use information about MCPS? Visit our Quick Guides for Families, a one-stop resource designed to help families find answers, understand important school information and support their students throughout the year.

The guides cover topics families ask about most, including ParentVUE and digital tools, transportation, grading and assessments, study skills, school safety, mental health, student conduct, social media and personal mobile devices. Many resources are available in eight languages, making important information easier for families across our community to access.

Bookmark the page and come back throughout the school year as new resources are added.

Explore the MCPS Quick Guides for Families

Share Your Feedback for Next Year’s School Year Calendar

MCPS is seeking your input as it works to develop the 2027-2028 AND 2028-2029 school calendar. Please complete this survey by Sept. 20 to share your input.

Your feedback is critical to the process. MCPS will consider educational interests, operational needs, mandated school closures by state law, compliance with minimum instructional days and credit hour requirements, inclement weather and other emergencies, staff professional days and early release days, and assessment schedules aligned to MCPS Board Policy IDA, School Year Calendar.

Take the survey.