PTA Message

Out-of-School Time Activities Available For All Students Starting Oct. 9

MCPS is offering out-of-school programming for elementary and middle school students throughout the 2023-2024 school year. Families are invited to take advantage of a host of activities for students on four days: Oct. 9, Nov. 1, Jan. 29 and April 10 when schools are closed for students. Students can participate in person or virtually. The cost is $15 a day. For a list of activities, sign up with the following links for Kids Day Out and Teens Day Out. For additional opportunities, visit the MCPS out-of-school time webpage.

PTA Message

The Montgomery Knolls Pine Crest PTA is here for you! We help keep families informed; organize fun events to build our sense of community; advocate for our schools at the county/state level; improve the school grounds; and raise funds to support classroom needs, field trips, staff appreciation, family support, and more! Interested in becoming a member? Visit the store on the MKPC PTA webpage to learn more. 

• Want to stay informed about school and PTA events? To sign up for email updates,
• text "MKPCPTA" to 22828.
• You can also get social on our private Facebook group (search for the group "Montgomery Knolls Pine Crest PTA" on Facebook)

• Have a special set of skills?  Love organizing community events?  Have some time to help advocate for your community?  Tell us about it and let’s find a way to connect!  We need volunteers to make the PTA successful and every contribution of time helps.

Questions or ideas?  Contact Susie Cannon (MKPC PTA President) at scannon414@gmail.com.

Extra-Curricular Activities

Outside vendors are offering some extra-curricular activities for the fall. See below for details:

• Magnus Chess Academy: Magnus Chess Academy

The Magnus Chess Academy returns to Pine Crest! Parents can sign up 

through the QR in the linked flier above, or through this link: PCES Fall 

2023 - Magnus Chess Academy

• Young Rembrandts: English Flier; Spanish Flier 

The Young Rembrandts art organization is offering a drawing class for children at Pine Crest. Parents can sign up through the Young Rembrandts website or through the QR code on the linked fliers above. 

• George B. Thomas "Saturday" School: 

Online registration has begun for MCPS’ Saturday School program.  They will be offering academic support with Eureka Math and Benchmarks curriculum for grades K-12 on Saturday mornings.  Parents can register online at www.saturdayschool.org.

• Sky’s the Limit School of Dance: Sky’s The Limit School of Dance

Sky’s the Limit School of Dance will be returning to Pine Crest Elementary School to offer dance lessons to students. These classes provide a fun and educational opportunity to keep your child(ren) movin’, groovin’, and active. Classes are offered on Mondays from 3:50 PM - 5:30 PM, directly after school. You can find out more information by seeing the flier linked above or by visiting www.skysthelimitdc.com

• Panda Programming: Panda Programming

Panda Programming returns to Pine Crest! Information about how to join can be found by clicking the flier linked above or by visiting https://pandaprogrammer.com/ 

• STAT Performance After School Activities: S.T.A.T. Performance After School Activities

Tuesdays ~ Basketball & Soccer from 3:50-5:15; Register online at www.STATPERFORMANCE247.com.

Enriched & Accelerated Middle School and Virtual Academy Admissions

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) offers enriched and accelerated programming in local middle schools and regional middle school magnet programs (Grades 6–8). It offers a full-time virtual learning program through the Montgomery Virtual Academy (MVA). New this year, the admission season for the regional programs and MVA will occur from September to November 2023. Admission into these programs varies. 

• The Middle School Magnet Consortium (MSMC) is composed of three magnet-themed schools: Argyle, A. Mario Loiederman, and Parkland middle schools. The MSMC is interest-based, Grade 5 and 6 students are eligible to apply beginning this fall on the MSMC website, and the placement is through a lottery process. 
• NEW for this year, students may also apply to the MVA during the same period as the regional/countywide programs. The application is in ParentVUE. 
• There are two criteria-based magnet programs located in upcounty and downcounty. The programs in each region include Humanities and Communication, and Math, Science, and Computer Science. A student’s home elementary school determines their eligibility for the location. The criteria-based/lottery admission process will begin with a central review of all Grade 5 students using multiple measures that include the 2023–2024 Measures of Academic Progress-Reading and -Mathematics, reading level, report cards, and student services. Students who demonstrate the potential for success in enriched and accelerated programming will be placed into a lottery pool. Students in this pool will be guaranteed enrichment and acceleration in either the middle school regional program, virtual program, or local enriched programming/courses. For students with missing data and private/home-schooled students, an expert panel will review academic profiles to determine if students are qualified candidates for the lottery pool. 
• Additional questions regarding the admission process for programs are available on the FAQs. 

Important Dates

• The week of September 24, 2023: Parents/guardians will receive central communication. See Parent/Guardian Letter.
• November 1, 2023: Parents/guardians information meeting/virtual (downcounty/upcounty) 

Speak Up, Save a Life PSA Video Contest 

Maryland State’s Attorney’s Office of Montgomery County is hosting a contest that challenges teens to create an original video to promote awareness of the dangers of opioid abuse or overdose and fentanyl among teens. The video contest is open to all students grades 6 through 12 living in Montgomery County. 

The top prize is $1,000; second place is $750; third place and fan favorite winners will receive $500. Students can enter the contest on their own or as a group; however, students may only participate in ONE entry. If a student in any way participates in more than one PSA video, all of those entries will be disqualified.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER and for step-by-step information on how to upload your video.

Oct. 21 - MCPS STEAM Festival

The STEAM Festival highlights the educational, cultural and financial impact of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts And Mathematics (STEAM) in the county. Families can participate in hands-on activities, talks, lab tours, nature experiences, exhibits and performances. The event will be held 10 a.m.-- 1 p.m. on Saturday, October 21st at the Wheaton and Edison high school campuses, 12401 and 12501 Dalewood Drive in Silver Spring.

MCPS to Host Girls’ Summit 

The district is inviting all MCPS families to the Girls’ Summit on Saturday, Oct. 21 at Clarksburg High School. This event will provide informative workshops geared towards middle and high school girls on a variety of current topics. Join us for a chance to network, participate in fun activities, learn valuable skills and enjoy a fashion show presented by White House Black Market celebrating diverse body types! 

Sessions will be provided in English and Spanish, and will be organized by grade level. Student Service Learning (SSL) hours will be available for students. Topics and activities will include:

• Healthy relationships/dating violence
• Social media use and mental health, including cyberbullying
• Self-esteem
• Identifying symptoms of depression and anxiety
• Healthy eating and body image
• Music therapy, Zumba and Kaiser Permanente spin bikes for art therapy
• Narcan kits will be distributed and training will also be available. 

Make sure to RSVP (using this link) today!

ParentVue

ParentVUE provides a way to view all school related information and data for all your students. Register for athletics, special programs, communicate with teachers, and verify your student information annually. To register for ParentVue, please use the links below!

English /  español  / 中文  / français / Português / 한국어 / tiếng Việt / አማርኛ  

Birthday Celebrations

As a school, we celebrate student birthdays by announcing them in the morning announcements. We don’t have classroom or lunch celebrations. Please do not send cupcakes, cakes, or treat bags to celebrate birthdays.