Thurmont Primary School News
May 2021, Volume 2
Principal's Message
Dear Families,
It's hard to believe we are already at the mid-term of Quarter 4, end of May and just 17 days from the end of the year. As we wind down the most historical school year we've ever had, we also want to make each and every moment count. We will continue to prioritize supporting students in believing in themselves, setting goals and working to achieve them. We hope to fill each day with exciting learning opportunities that make students look forward to and enjoy every single school day!
As we aim to finish strong, we ask for your continued support with attendance, engagement and participation. Fully virtual students should attend scheduled Google Meets for whole and small group as often as possible. They should also complete work in Schoology as assigned. In person students should report to school as long as they are feeling well. In person students should also attend scheduled Google Meets and complete assigned Schoology work on Wednesdays. As a reminder, please email tps.attendance@fcps.org along with your child's teacher if s/he will be absent.
Thank you for working alongside us to make the end of this year as unforgettable as the start!
Yours in education,
Michele Baisey
#BetterTogether
2021-2022 Decision Form
Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SY20212022_ParentDecisionForm
It is important that you carefully review and understand all the details regarding each option. Please contact your child's school if you have any questions regarding the options.
The form will close at midnight on Friday, June 4.
*Note: The FCPS Virtual Program is a newly created program and will operate differently than the prior virtual learning model. Currently, the FCPS Virtual Program is not available for students enrolled at charter schools.
TPS Reading Strategies
When your child is reading, what do you do when he or she gets to a word that they don’t know? Do you just tell them OR do you allow them to take the word apart and figure it out on their own? We want our children to struggle a little bit to give them time to use strategies to figure words out on their own. We call this productive struggle. Rather than immediately helping your child at the first sign of trouble, you should allow them to work through struggles independently before offering help. That may sound unreasonable, since many of us assume that helping students learn means protecting them from negative feelings of frustration. But for students to become independent learners, they must learn to persevere through learning challenges.
These are the strategies that we encourage you to use with your child as they come to a word that they don’t know. Teachers are using this language in the classrooms with students. When your child comes to a word he/she doesn’t know, ask them these questions and prompt them using the steps below.
How to read a 1-syllable word (Kindergarten & 1st graders)
- Look closely at the letters.
- What is the vowel?
- What kind of syllable is it?
- What sound will the vowel make?
- Finger-stretch each phoneme (sound).
- Blend the phonemes (sounds) together.
- Now, read the word.
How to read a multi-syllable word (1st & 2nd graders)
- Look closely at the letters.
- How many vowels?
- Are the vowels together or apart?
- How many syllables?
- Look for the syllable type for each syllable..
- What sound will the vowel(s) make?
- Read each syllable then blend them together.
- Do I have to adjust the vowel?
- Are the vowels long or short?
- Does the vowel have the schwa sound?
- Does the word have an affix?
- Read the word.
- Does it make sense?
Counselor's Corner
May is Mental Health Awareness Month! Some families may be helping their child(ren) through some tough emotional situations and wonder if it's time to see additional support for their child. Children's Mental Health Matters provides some helpful information on this topic.
When do I Seek Help for my child?
Mental Health, also known as emotional or behavioral health, is a vital part of your child’s overall health and development. All children experience periods of anger, frustration and sadness. However, for some children, these normal stresses can be overwhelming to the point that it interferes with the child’s everyday life; such as:
- Having difficulty at home, in school, inter-personally or within the family
- Having difficulties affecting his/her ability to eat or sleep
- Having a hard time in situations where they used to be okay
- Experiencing problems significant enough that they are causing the child or other family members distress
Families often wonder if what their child is experiencing or how they are behaving are typical states of development. When trying to separate what is “normal” from what is not, consider several things:
- How long has the behavior or emotion been going on: days, weeks, or months?
- How frequently does the behavior or emotion occur: several times a day, once a day, once a week?
- How intense is the behavior: annoying, upsetting, or very disruptive?
- Has there been a traumatic event in the child’s life, such as a death, accident, illness, or changes with the family?
In Younger Children
There are a few signs, as your child grows, that may indicate the need to seek help from a mental health professional.
Examples are:
- Intense anxiety with separation from caregiver
- Marked decline in school performance
- Poor grades in school despite trying very hard
- Severe worry, fear, or anxiety—regular refusal to go to school, go to sleep, or take part in activities that are normal for the child’s age
- Hyperactivity; fidgeting; constant movement beyond regular playing
- Persistent nightmares
- Persistent disobedience or aggression provocative opposition to authority figures
- Frequent, unexplained temper tantrums
PTA for 2021-22 School Year
Are you interested in becoming more involved in your school community? Do you want to help enhance your child’s learning experiences? If so, we need YOU!
We are looking for committed, caring and collaborative individuals to help serve on a Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Board. We believe a PTA plays an important role in the lives of the students, families and staff in our schools. We know that building a strong PTA will benefit our entire school community.
Please contact Heather Putnam (heather.putnam@fcps.org) if you are interested in supporting our Thurmont Elementary & Primary Schools (TEPS) PTA.
Roar Like a Lion Day
The Thurmont Lions Club is sponsoring a day of service for our community on June 6th from 1-4pm at the Thurmont Community Park. Activities for the whole family to get involved and support the community will be available. Click the link below for details.
Important Dates
May 24th - Interims Issued
May 31st - No School for Memorial Day
June 4th - 2021-2022 Decision Form Due
June 6th - ROAR Like a Lion Day from 1-4pm at Thurmont Community Park (sponsored by the Thurmont Lions Club)
June 16th - 2 Hour Early Dismissal - Instruction ends at 11:40am
June 17th - Last Day for Students
Contact Information
Email: michele.baisey@fcps.org
Website: https://education.fcps.org/tps/
Location: 7989 Rocky Ridge Road, Thurmont, MD, USA
Phone: 240-236-2800
Twitter: @ThurmontPrimary