Ridgeview MS - Parents

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MCPS INFORMATION

Information from MCPS will be shared and updated on this page of the Ridgeview Website. Please return to this site frequently for the most current information.

Be Well 365

MCPS has launched a new initiative, Be Well 365, which will address the physical, social, and psychological well-being of our students. Students perform better academically when they are healthy in body, mind, and spirit.

Be Well 365 will work to ensure that students have the necessary skills to become positive members of the school and broader community; manage their emotions; build academic and social resilience; identify and access support for themselves or a friend; peacefully resolve conflict; and make positive decisions.

The district has launched a webpage with more information on each component of this initiative. You can view this webpage here.

You’ll be hearing much more about Be Well 365 as we get closer to the start of the 2019–2020 school year.

High School Career Readiness Camps

MCPS is offering summer readiness camps for students to explore skilled and professional careers and match their career goals and interest with career academies and high school programs. The camps will take place from 8:15 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Thomas Edison High School of Technology from Monday, July 15, 2019, to Friday, August 2, 2019. Students currently in Grade 8 are invited to attend. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Leslie A. Cardenas, transition specialist, Transition Services Unit, at 301-649-8008. To register, visit this link.

MCPS Summer School Registration Under Way

Summer school registration is under way for the high school regional summer school program. The high school program is open to all students who are residents of Montgomery County, whether or not they are enrolled in MCPS. The high school program will be offered at four locations: James Hubert Blake, Winston Churchill, Gaithersburg, and Northwood high schools. The first session runs from Monday, June 24 through Friday, July 12; the second session runs from Tuesday, July 16 through Thursday, August 1.

Parents/guardians should contact the summer school coordinator at their child’s school for information on the middle school program. More information is available here.

Changes to the 2018–2019 School Calendar Due to Inclement Weather (English and Spanish)

Inclement weather forced MCPS to close schools on four days this winter. The 2018–2019 MCPS school calendar includes 182 instruction days, 2 more than the minimum required in the state of Maryland. As a result of these closures, MCPS will need to use two designated make-up days to ensure that it meets the state-required number of school days. The school year will be extended to June 14, 2019, and schools also will be open on June 5, which was a previously scheduled professional day for staff. June 14 will be an early release day for all students.

Equity Accountability Model Now Available

The MCPS Equity Accountability Data Dashboard provides information on the strategies the district is using to monitor and report student achievement. MCPS created the Equity Accountability Model to provide a way to look at the impact of a school specific to the achievement of all students. You can view the dashboard and learn more here.

Registration for the 2019 Career Readiness Summer Camps Now Open

Do you have a child in middle school who is interested in robotics, engineering or culinary arts? Does the student like working with cars or computers? Registration for the 2019 Career Readiness Summer Camps is now open! Camps will take place at Gaithersburg High School from June 24 through 28 and Thomas Edison High School of Technology from July 8 through 12. You can view the 2019 Career Readiness Camp Offerings here. The cost for each student is $50/camp and reduced cost is available for students who qualify for financial aid.

Update on the Fiscal Year 2020 Operating Budget Recommendation for MCPS

County Executive Marc Elrich released his Fiscal Year 2020 Operating Budget recommendation on March 15. The recommendation includes $2.6 billion for Montgomery County Public Schools. The county executive’s recommendation includes a $2.5 million increase above the minimum funding Maintenance of Effort, however, the recommendation is $14.5 million less than the Board of Education’s request. Visit www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/press/index.aspx?pagetype=showrelease&id=8304&type=&startYear=&pageNumber=&mode to read the joint statement from Board President Shebra L. Evans and Superintendent of Schools Jack R. Smith. The county executive’s recommended budget will now go to the Montgomery County Council for review. The Council will hold public hearings on the budget in April and will take action on the budget in May. Stay informed on the budget by visiting this link.

Prekindergarten/Head Start Registration Under Way
Parents/guardians who want to register their child for an MCPS prekindergarten or Head Start class for the 2019–2020 school year can do so starting March 1. Children must be four years old on or before September 1, 2019, and families must be income-eligible to apply. For more information about eligibility guidelines, location and times of community registrations, or required documents to complete an application, please call 240-740-4530.

Apply Now to Become an MCPS Summer RISE Host

Calling all Montgomery County businesses, government agencies, and nonprofits! MCPS Partnerships Unit is now taking applications to become a host for the 2019 Summer RISE program!

Summer RISE provides rising Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) juniors and seniors with career-based learning experiences and helps employers to cultivate a talent pipeline. Summer RISE provides educational learning opportunities and introduces students to career options. For more information about Summer RISE and how to register as a host, visit here.

Student Service Learning Hours

Students should become involved in service activities and earn Student Service Learning (SSL) hours. Students can participate in a range of activities—working at a soup kitchen, cleaning up a local park, or collecting items for a clothing or food drive. All MCPS students need 75 SSL hours to graduate from high school.

Visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/volunteercenter/ to check out the various organizations and opportunities that are already approved for SSL hours.

What Does Your School of the Future Look Like?
The physical classroom and school environment affects teaching and learning and MCPS wants to know how students use those spaces on a daily basis. Students in all grade levels are invited to participate in a survey for them to share their feedback.

Parents/guardians of elementary students are encouraged to talk with their children about their learning environments and help them complete this survey.

Middle and high school students may share their feedback here.

MCPS will collect survey results through the beginning of January and the information will be used to support continuous improvement of its educational facilities. After results have been collected, students will have the opportunity to participate in a contest to envision the future of schools and help influence future design. More information about the contest will be provided in the coming weeks.

¿Cómo Te Parece Que Debería Ser Tu Escuela del Futuro?

La apariencia física del salón de clase y el ambiente escolar afectan a la enseñanza y al aprendizaje y MCPS desea saber cómo los estudiantes usan esos espacios diariamente. Los estudiantes de todos los niveles de grados académicos están invitados a participar en una encuesta creada para que ellos compartan su opinión.

Se alienta a los padres/guardianes de los estudiantes de las escuelas elementales a que hablen con sus hijos sobre sus entornos de aprendizaje y que les ayuden a completar esta encuesta:

Los estudiantes de las escuelas de enseñanza media y las escuelas secundarias pueden compartir su opinión aquí.

MCPS recogerá los resultados de la encuesta hasta principios de enero, y la información se utilizará para apoyar el mejoramiento continuo de sus instalaciones educacionales. Una vez que se hayan recopilado los resultados, los estudiantes tendrán la oportunidad de participar en un concurso para imaginar el futuro de las escuelas y ayudar a influenciar diseños futuros. En las próximas semanas se proveerá más información sobre el concurso.

What's Good, MCPS?

MCPS has created a new webpage to celebrate the good news about the district’s great students, staff, and schools. What’s Good, MCPS stories are collected from social media, MCPS community and staff newsletters, local media, and more. You can also join in the conversation and tell us about the great things you are seeing in MCPS by using the hashtag #WhatsGoodMCPS on social media or by submitting the following form when you hear about other good news:. The webpage will be updated regularly so check back frequently.

New Anonymous Tip Line Available
The Safe Schools Maryland Tip Line is an anonymous reporting system used to report threats to the safety and/or well-being of students.

Students, parents/guardians, faculty, staff, and members of communities throughout Maryland may use this anonymous, app- and web-based reporting system to share their concerns, such as:
·         Mental health crises
·         Bullying
·         School and community violence
·         Drug activity
·         Abuse
·         Harassment
·         Other issues affecting our Maryland students

The Safe Schools Maryland Tip Line is a tool for proactively addressing harmful situations and helping students who need it. By using a variety of communication modes to support the reporting and routing of tips, The Safe Schools Maryland Tip Line empowers the citizens of Maryland to create a culture of preparedness, prevention, and school safety for our students. For more information, to share a concern and to download the app, visit safeschoolsmd.org/.

Seasonal Flu Prevention Tips

Here are some additional steps that you and your family can take to help prevent the spread of the flu and other seasonal illnesses:

1.      Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze, or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer. MCPS-approved hand sanitizer dispensers are available for use at various locations throughout schools (e.g., near the cafeteria or all-purpose room, near the main office).
2.      When coughing or sneezing, cover your nose and mouth with your sleeve or a tissue and throw the tissue in the trash.
3.      Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth to minimize the chance for infection.
4.      Stay home from work and school if symptoms develop such as fever, coughing, sneezing, runny nose, headache, and body aches.
5.      If you have concerns about the health of your child, please contact your physician immediately or, in an emergency, dial 911.

Additional flu prevention information can be found at the following websites:

Centers for Disease Control: www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/preventing.htm
Montgomery County: www.montgomerycountymd.gov/resident/flu.html

MCPS Parent Academy

The MCPS Parent Academy offers parents/guardians and community members the opportunity to attend workshops that provide information, resources, tools, and tips to support their children’s success in school. The 2019 winter season of workshops has begun. You won’t want to miss sessions on mindfulness, college and career planning, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) resources and much more.

Parent Academy workshops are free. Childcare and interpretation services are provided at all sessions. A full list of courses is available on the Parent Academy website . Registration is available here.

2019–2020 School Year Calendar

For a detailed explanation of the calendar process, visit the 2019–2020 calendar webpage. If you would like to offer comment on the calendar, please do so using the drop box provided on the calendar information webpage.

MCPS Online Resources

MCPS Homework Resources (Online Databases for Students)Please email or ask Mrs. Portocarrero-Pitt (P2) or Mrs. Green, Media Assistant in the Media Center for home access login and passwords.

The most recent list of login/passwords will be shared with staff and students.

Homework Hotline Live Celebrating 33rd Season

Need homework help? Then call Homework Hotline Live. With HHL, you get free after-school homework help from MCPS teachers. You can call the live TV show at 301-279-3234 or send a question online via text or e-mail. When school is in session, watch teachers answer your homework questions live on MCPS-TV from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. You can also get online help from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Monday through Thursday. Go to www.AskHHL.org for more info and to download the free HHL app! If you call in and correctly answer a BrainTeaser question, you could win an HHL 8GB Flashdrive! Tune in to see the HHL Mathema-Chicken pluck out some math questions.

·         HHL General Info:

o   Telephone: 301-279-3234

o   Text: 724-427-5445

o   Live TV show on Comcast 33, Verizon 35, RCN 88

o   www.AskHHL.org
If you have any questions about signing up for conferences or need additional support, please contact Monica Kellner by calling 240-406-1300 or by emailing Monica_G_Kellner@mcpsmd.org.

Help Us Improve How You Get MCPS Information

How do you like to receive news and information? What MCPS news is important to you? Take this survey and tell us about your communication preferences. Your responses will be used to improve how you get information from MCPS.

Stay Informed with MCPS QuickNotes

MCPS QuickNotes is a bimonthly newsletter that provides MCPS families with important news and information about MCPS programs and activities, plus emergency information. MCPS QuickNotes is offered in seven languages: English, Spanish, French, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Amharic. Visit news.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/ to read the latest edition.

Changes to the MCPS Curriculum

MCPS is making changes to the K–8 curriculum for English and mathematics. The district is in the process of evaluating and selecting new curriculum and instructional materials and during the next several months, MCPS will work with staff, members of the community, and other partners to gather feedback and outline the selection process. Parents/guardians and members of the community can ask questions and share their thoughts on the process by completing a brief survey. Please visit the website for regular updates on the curriculum selection process. You can read the message from the chief academic officer here.

Student Rights and Responsibilities and Code of Conduct

In order to ensure a safe, productive, and positive learning environment, MCPS publishes two documents that help students, parents/guardians, and staff understand school rules and regulations; the expectations for student conduct; and the possible consequences for violating the rules. A Student’s Guide to Rights and Responsibilities is an overview of the rights and responsibilities students enjoy in MCPS and a summary of the laws and regulations that affect students. The MCPS Code of Conduct provides an overview of discipline procedures and protocols and the range of consequences students could face for violating various policies, regulations, and rules. The guide also discusses the MCPS philosophy to discipline. All families received a copy of these documents and are encouraged to review them with your child(ren). The documents are available online. They can be found here:

www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/students/rights/.

Saturday School

The George B. Thomas, Sr. Learning Academy, Inc. kicks off its 2018–2019 season of Saturday School on Saturday, September 15. Saturday School is a low-cost tutoring and mentoring program that provides a sixth day of learning and helps MCPS students enhance their mastery of core academic subjects. Students who are in need of additional academic support can attend sessions at 1 of 12 locations across Montgomery County. Classes begin on Saturday, September 15 and will end in May. Registration is $40 for students who receive Free and Reduced-price Meals System (FARMS) services and $85 for non-FARMS students. For more information visit George B. Thomas, Sr. Learning Academy.

RMS Parents Information

Information from RMS will be shared and updated on this page of the Ridgeview Website. Please return to this site frequently for the most current information.

RMS Grading and Reporting Info

RMS PTSA Parents

Sign-up for the RMS PTSA either through the A to Z Connect website; or fill out this form and drop it off in the main office.

A Parent's Guide to RMS Grading and Reporting at Ridgeview Middle School

Please take a moment to review the Grading & Reporting procedures here at Ridgeview MS. For any questions, please contact your child's counselor or their grade level administrator.

A Parents Guide to Grading and Reporting at RMS

RMS PTSA INFORMATION

Information from RMS PTSA can be viewed by clicking on the link below.

www.mccpta.org

To join RMS PSTA Group please email Megan Peluso at rmsptsa@yahoo.com PTSA

Ridgeview Middle School

16600 Raven Rock Dr., Gaithersburg, MD 20878

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