Spotlight, Week of April 28 – Bells Mill Elementary School PTA

Below please find Mrs. O’s Spotlight for the week of April 28. You can also click here for a PDF.

Week of Apr.28

Mon., Apr. 28 Vision/Hearing Screening for K-1 and those new to MCPS

Bicycle Safety Week for Gr. 3-5 during PE classes

3D game Design, 3:30-4:30, rm. 219

Claymation, 3:30-4:30, rm. 163

Tues., Apr. 29 Art Escapades, 3:30-4:30 pm, rm. 163

Guitar, 3:30-4:30, rm. 165

Chess, 3:30-4:45 pm, Media Center

Gr. 4 Poetry Night, 7:00 pm, APR

Wed., Apr. 30 Beginning French, 8:00 am

Chess, 3:30-4:45 pm, Media Center

Thur., May 1 Beginning Chinese, 3:30-4:30 pm, rm. 218 (last session)

Big Learning Science for Gr. K-2 in rm. 150

Big Learning Science for Gr. 3-5 in rm. 148

Art Escapades, 3:30-4:30 pm, rm. 163

Adventure Theater, 3:30-4:30 pm, rm. 128

Tae Kwon Do, 3:30-4:30, gym

I9 Soccer, 3:30-4:30 pm

Fri., May 2 Wear your school colors!

Intermediate Spanish, 8:00 am, rm. 239

PlayWell TEKnologies Legos, 3:30-5:00 pm, rm. 163

Scrabble, 3:30-4:45 pm, Media Center

International Night, 7:00 pm-8:30 pm

A Look Ahead

May 6 PTA Meeting, 7:00 pm, APR

May 8 Chorus Concert, 7:00 pm, APR

May 19-23 Geography Bowl for Gr. 3-5

Register now for Camp Bells Mill for our students entering Grades 1-5 and Kinder-Camp for students entering Kindergarten. Camp will be held July 7-25, 8:30 am to noon. The cost is $450 for 15 half-day sessions. There are opportunities for tuition reduction based on income eligibility. Our own great teachers will offer fun activities in science, technology, arts and crafts, and physical education. Visit the Bells Mill home page for registration forms.

Attention Gr. 2 parents, this is a final reminder that your child recently brought home a parent input form. We use this form to gather information about students for the upcoming school year, including screening for gifted and talented programming. It’s important that we receive your input about your child. If you have not already done so, please return the parent input form as soon as possible to your child’s teacher or the assistant principal. Call the office if you need a form.

The Annual Montgomery County Housing Fair and Financial Fitness Day will be on Saturday, May 3, 2014, 10:00 am-3:00 pm, in the Activity Center at Bohrer Park (next to Gaithersburg HS), 506 S. Frederick Ave., Gaithersburg, MD. The fair will offer a free homebuyers class, housing counseling, legal advice, free credit reports, free resources about other county social services, and rental resources. For more information visit www.montgomerycountymd.gov/DHCA .

Thanks to Max Brodsky and Family for their donation of new nets for our outdoor basketball hoops. We appreciate their thoughtfulness.

The spring season of the MCPS Parent Academy has begun. The Parent Academy helps equip parents with the tips and tools they need to help their children succeed. All of the workshops are free and are held at schools and locations throughout the county. Don’t miss sessions on college entrance exams, effective parenting strategies, cybersafety and social media. Childcare and interpretation services are provided.

The MCPS summer school program helps keep students engaged and learning over the summer. Registration for the 2014 high school and elementary school summer school programs has begun. Visit http://montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/extendedhours/summerschool/high.aspx#sites for more details on the registration process.

Join the MCPS Educational Foundation for a night of fun and entertainment at one of three “Are You Up to the 5th Grade Challenge?” events in May. The events will test local celebrity contestants on their knowledge of 5^th Grade facts. Students from dozens of MCPS elementary schools will be participating. Proceeds will directly support the mission of the MCPS Educational Foundation, which provides grants, programs, and scholarships that improve educational opportunities for MCPS students. The “5th Grade Challenge” events will be held:

Tuesday, May 6, 7 p.m., at BlackRock Center For the Arts, 12901 Town Commons Drive in Germantown,

Tuesday, May 13, 7 p.m., at AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center, 8633 Colesville Road in Silver Spring

Wednesday, May 21, 7 p.m., at the F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, at Rockville Civic Center Park, 603 Edmonston Drive in Rockville.

MCPS is seeking public input on Policy CNE: Facility Improvements That Are Not Funded with Montgomery County Revenues, which guides facility improvements that are paid for through contributions. The Board of Education’s Policy Management Committee is scheduled to review the policy during the 2014-2015 school year, and public input will be an important part of the process in determining what changes will be considered. The MCPS Division of Long-range Planning will hold three community meetings to gather public input. The dates and locations of the meetings are:
Monday, May 5, at Seneca Valley High School, 19401 Crystal Rock Drive in Germantown

Wednesday, May 7, at Springbrook High School, 201 Valley Brook Drive in Silver Spring

Thursday, May 8, at Winston Churchill High School, 11300 Gainsborough Road in Potomac

All meetings will be held in the school media center from 7 to 9 p.m. For more information, visit http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/policy/pdf/cne.pdf.

MCPS is proud to be a partner in the 2014 Gaithersburg Book Festival (GBF) on Saturday, May 17, on the grounds of Gaithersburg City Hall. The GBF has a great lineup of authors and activities for children of all ages. Several members of the MCPS community will be conducting readings at the festival and there will be many programs, workshops, and activities in the Children’s Village that are designed to promote interest in reading and writing. MCPS will also have a booth at the event with news and information about the district and staff members who can answer your questions. For more information about the GBF, visit gaithersburgbookfestival.org/.
MCPS parents, staff and community members are invited to the Special Education Summit, Leading the Way Today, Partnering for a Better Tomorrow. The summit will take place on Saturday, May 17, 8:15 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. at Rockville HS, 2100 Baltimore Rd., Rockville, and will feature resources and workshops for families of students with disabilities. To register for the summit, visit www.mcpsparentacademy.org or call 301-517-5940. The summit is free. Childcare, a light breakfast, and box lunches will be provided.

Thank you for being partners in your child’s education.