Please see below for Mrs. O’s Spotlight for the week of February 10. You can also click here for a PDF
Week of Feb.10
Mon., Feb. 10 Cyber Minecraft, 3:30-4:30, rm. 214
Intro to Minecraft, 3:30-4:30, rm. 219
Hip Hop, 3:30-4:30, gym
Claymation, 3:30-4:30, rm. 163
Gr. 3 Brownies, 3:30-4:30, rm. 235
Help Your Child Build Social Skills, 7:00-8:15 pm, Beverly Farms ES (all parents invited)
Dr. Starr’s Forum on School Start Times, 7:00 pm, Montgomery Blair HS
Tues., Feb. 11 Big Learning for K-1, 3:30-4:30, rm. 159
Art Escapades, 3:30-4:30, rm. 163
Guitar, 3:30-4:30, rm. 165
Chess, 3:30-4:45 pm, media center
MSA Basketball, 3:30-4:45 pm, gym
Gr. 2 Brownies, 3:30-4:30 pm, 124
Gr. 1 Daisies, 3:30-4:30 pm, rm. 132
Wed., Feb. 12 Beginning French, 8:00 am, rm. 240
Intermediate French, 8:00 am, rm. 223
OM Giraffes, 3:30 pm, rm. 154
Fitness Fun, 3:30-4:30, rm. 103
Gr. 4 Juniors, 3:30-4:30, rm. 239
Chess, 3:30-4:45 pm, Media Center
Thur., Feb. 13 Beginning Chinese, 3:30-4:30 pm, rm. 218
Big Learning for 2-4, 3:30-4:30, rm. 148
Art Escapades, 3:30-4:30, rm. 163
Adventure Theater, 3:30-4:30, rm. 128
Tae Kwon Do, 3:30-4:30, rm. 120
i9 Basketball, 3:30-4:45 pm, gym
Parent Resource Group Meeting, 7:00 pm, APR
Fri., Feb. 14 Wear your Bells Mill Spirit Wear today!
Intermediate Spanish, 8:00 am, rm. 239
Class Valentine Parties, 2:00 pm
OM, 3:30 pm, Media Center
Play-Well TEKnologies Legos, 3:30-5:00, rm. 163
A Look Ahead
Feb. 17 Presidents’ Day Holiday, School Closed
Feb. 18 & 19 Group and Class Photos
- Thank you to all the families who donated books for last week’s Book Drive. Enough books were collected so that every child in the school could select a book to take home. This was a great way to recycle books and keep our kids reading. Thanks to Lisa Klein and the PTA volunteers who organized, sorted and distributed the books.
- Valentine Parties will be held in homerooms on Friday, February 14, 2:00 pm. This is a reminder to parents who are planning the parties, please check with the teacher regarding food allergies in the classroom. Also, keep in mind that only store-bought food with ingredient labels may be served. No homemade items please. Fresh fruit and vegetables are suggested.
- Do you think your child has extra learning needs? Our next Parent Resource Group meeting will be held on Thursday, February 13, 7:00 pm, in the APR. Learn how to be an active member of your child’s educational team and get answers to your questions. A panel of experts will discuss how to navigate the path to help your child by working with the school and local resources. Members of the panel include: Mrs. Diane Lurye, BMES Resource Teacher; Mrs. Amy Mounce, Educational Consultant and Diagnostician; and, Mrs. Kelly Meissner, Special Project Coordinator from the Parents’ Place of Maryland. Light refreshments will be served. We look forward to seeing you there.
- Help Your Kids Build Social Skills is a presentation for parents hosted by the Churchill Cluster elementary school counselors in conjunction with YMCA Youth & Family Services. Learn how to help your child make friends and pick the right friends. Free, Monday, February 10, 7:00-8:15 pm, Beverly Farms ES. Please RSVP to our counselor, [email protected] .
- Superintendent Joshua Starr is recommending that MCPS consider changing school start and end times, also known as bell times. MCPS would like to hear from you. The remaining forum is at 7:00 pm, Monday, February 10, Montgomery Blair HS, 51 University Blvd., East, Silver Spring. Free child care (ages 4 and older) and interpretation services will be provided. For information about the bell times proposal and ways you can provide input, visit www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org, search “bell times.”
- Attention parents of 3rd, 4th and 5th graders, your child will take the Maryland State Assessments (MSA) in March . We encourage students to eat a healthy breakfast, come to school on time, and be well-rested for testing. Testing will last all morning. Students who are absent due to illness will have the opportunity to make up all or part of the tests. Parents, please refrain from making appointments for your students during these important testing dates:
Date Grade Subject
March 3 & 4 3rd & 4th Reading
March 5 & 6 5th Reading
March 7 & 10 3rd & 4th Math
March 11 & 12 5th Math
March 25 & 26 5th Science
- Mark your calendars! July 7-25, 2014, we will again offer Camp Bells Mill for students entering grades K-5. This is our popular summer learning camp taught by our own teachers which prepares students for next year. In March students will bring home letters containing registration/tuition information.
- Prekindergarten and Head Start registration begins on March 3 and will continue through the summer. These programs offer a high-quality educational experience for children in order to prepare them for success in kindergarten and beyond. Children must be four years old on or before September 1, 2014, and families must be income-eligible to apply. For more information about eligibility guidelines, locations, and times of community registrations or required documents to complete an application, call 301-230-0676 or visit www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/earlychildhood/prek/.
- Sign up for AlertMCPS to receive text messages or emails from MCPS during weather-related emergencies and other major events that impact school system operations. You can also sign up
to receive alerts specific to your child’s school. AlertMCPS messages are available in both English and Spanish. Visit http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/emergency/alertmcps.aspx to subscribe.
- Student transfer application season is open. Montgomery County parents/guardians who wish to request a Change of School Assignment (COSA) for their children may begin the process during the upcoming transfer season, which starts on February 3. All COSA requests must be submitted no later than April 1, 2014. The COSA booklet is available in schools and online.
- Superintendent’s Book Club event is set for Feb. 19. You are invited to join Superintendent Joshua Starr at a Book Club discussion on Wednesday, February 19, at 7:00 pm in the auditorium of the Carver Educational Services Center, 850 Hungerford Drive, Rockville. The Book Club will discuss Making Hope Happen by Dr. Shane Lopez, a senior scientist with the Gallup organization, who will join Dr. Starr for the discussion. The book introduces readers to the scientific study of hope, its power, how to create it, and how to teach it to others to lead happier, more successful lives. Parents, staff, students and community members who wish to be a part of the studio audience for this free event are asked to RSVP to [email protected]. Those watching online or on MCPS TV (Comcast Channel 34) can participate in the conversation by sending questions via Twitter (using the hashtag #mcpsbookclub) or by sending an email to [email protected]. Visit the MCPS website at www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org and search “Book Club” for more information.