The Eagle's Nest

Dear Gaithersburg Families,

We are extremely excited to welcome you back to another great school year at Gaithersburg Elementary School. Our staff has been working hard to prepare for our amazing students to return after a summer of learning and fun. This year, our 2nd grade teachers are joining the Two-Way Immersion team. Our Kindergarten through 2nd grade students will all receive instruction in Spanish and English.

At GES, we pride ourselves on creating a safe and nurturing learning environment for all students. As we embark on a new year, we look forward to continuing our relationships with our families to support the success of our school. If you are new to Gaithersburg Elementary School, we welcome you and your family to our community; if you are retuning, we look forward to working with you and your child again this year.

This letter provides you with information about the opening days of school, Montgomery County Public School’s calendar, some important policies, and the bus schedules. Keep it handy, as it will answer many of the questions you may have as the school year begins. Enjoy your last days of summer. We can’t wait to see you at school-wide events and in the school building. Our first school-wide event is our Open House event on Thursday, August 24, 2023 from 2:00-3:30 p.m.

Ms. Paula Summers, Principal

Mr. Jason Berg, Assistant Principal

Mrs. Mindy Elias, Assistant School Administrator

8/24 - 2:00- 3:30 p.m. Open House and Fair

8/24 - 4:00 p.m. Kindergarten Back to School Night

8/25 - Back-to-School Blast @ Gaithersburg High School (4-7 p.m.)

8/28 - First Day of School

9/4 - Labor Day -Schools and Offices closed

8/29- PTA Meeting

9/21 - 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. BTSN for Grades 1-5

9/22 - Early Release for students (12:55 p.m. dismissal)

9/25 - Non-instructional Day - No School for students and teachers

We are now part of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which allows schools to serve all students free breakfast and lunch without the burden of collecting household Free And Reduced-price Meal (FARMS) applications.

Students:

• Free breakfast and lunch

• Reduces social stigma

• Increased access to high-quality meals

Households:

• Do not have to submit a FARMS application*

* Unless also have students enrolled at non-CEP schools

Official school hours for all students are: 8:55 a.m. - 3:25 p.m.

Doors will open for students: 8:40 a.m.

Students enter classrooms: 8:40 a.m.

Regular Dismissal will begin: 3:25 p.m.

Early Dismissal will begin: 12:55 p.m.

Parents who want to pick up their child early for a scheduled appointment must do so prior to 2:45 p.m.

Parents who want to pick up their child early for a scheduled appointment must do so prior to 2:45p.m. When a child needs to be picked up at school prior to dismissal, the following procedures will be followed to ensure that each child is released only to the parent (or designated adult) with valid identification:

• Parents / Guardians need to report to the main office to sign out the child
• Students will be dismissed ONLY from the main office
• A written release/excuse is required prior to dismissal if anyone other than persons designated on the emergency contact form are to pick up a student.

For the safety of your child and professional courtesy to our office, if you are running late to pick up your child, please be sure to call us at 240-740-4900 prior to the start of dismissal. We will not call students out of the classroom until you arrive at the main office.

Dear Parent/Guardian,

Montgomery County Public Schools has transitioned to a new online payment system called SchoolCash Online as its preferred method of payment for school-related fees such as fundraisers, field trips, obligations, etc. (Please note that the new payment system is NOT related to school cafeteria accounts)

SchoolCash Online helps parents/guardians and community members pay school-related fees safely, quickly, and easily. SchoolCash Online will help increase efficiency and security at schools by making payments directly into schools’ bank accounts and eliminating the need for teachers to handle money. In addition, once registered, you will be immediately informed about school activities!

Powered by KEV Group, SchoolCash Online is the industry leader in the management of school fees. The new system puts all of the school-related fees online for purchase so users can make purchases online using a credit card or e-check. A processing fee will be included on all items available for purchase, regardless of the type of payment used on SchoolCash Online or at the school.

Parents/guardians can register now at - https://mcpsmd.schoolcashonline.com/

Back to School Night and Orientation for families of students in Kindergarten is scheduled for Thursday, August 24, 2023, from 4:00—5:00 p.m. This is a great opportunity to learn about the expectations for Kindergarten and meet the 2023-2024 Kindergarten teachers. Kindergarten families will also hear about Two-Way Immersion.

On Friday, August 25th from 4-7pm we are going to have our first annual Back-to-School Blast - Community Engagement Day. This event will include the following:

• Free hot dogs, chips, and soda/water
• Free backpacks
• Games for the children
• Music
• Food trucks
• Information Tables
• Parent Vue sign up
• Wellness Center information

The Gaithersburg Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) welcomes all Gaithersburg families to join us in supporting our students, staff, school and community! The PTA sponsors events such as parent meetings, book fairs, fundraisers, staff appreciation, and also supports the school with funds to help pay for field trips and other needs. We hope every Gaithersburg family will join us to help with this important work. You can become a PTA member by signing up at the PTA table at Back-to-School Night or at other Gaithersburg events. You can also become a PTA member by attending one of our general membership meetings. PTA website https://gaithersburgpta.wixsite.com/gespta

Classroom assignments will be ready and posted on the front windows of the school at 12:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 24th. Teachers will be available for Open House on Thursday, August 24, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Lists will be removed after Open House. Your child’s teacher can be found via ParentVue on Thursday, August 24.

All water fountains will be turned on; however we are encouraging students and staff to bring a refillable water bottle to school each day. Please label water bottles with the student’s first and last name.

For safety reasons we will ask families to show ID to pick up students early. Please utilize our main office entrance by pushing the button to the left of the doors. One of our main office staff will communicate with you and grant access to our main office. Parents and families are welcome back to our school to volunteer in classrooms and support school events. If you are interested in volunteering to support your child’s classroom or the school, please let your child’s homeroom teacher know during open house, back-to-school night or during the first few weeks of school. We are very excited to reopen our doors to our families and the community.

MCPS Policy requires that all visitors, without exception, must check in with the Front Office staff before proceeding into the building. This policy is enforced for the safety of the students. Visitors sign in and obtain a sticker from the visitor Management System (VMS). Parents bringing items for their child (lunch, band instruments, homework, etc.) will be asked to leave the items with front office personnel so that instructional time remains uninterrupted. We ask families to notify the teacher and the office of your desire to visit 24 hours in advance in order to promote the smooth flow of the instructional program.

At Gaithersburg ES we appreciate the time donated by families and community members. If you are interested in volunteering you must contact the staff member prior and the request must be agreed upon by the staff member.

In order to volunteer:

• Pre-arrange volunteer times with staff
• All volunteers must take the Child Abuse and Neglect training.
• Must be supervised by staff while in the building near children.
• Upon arrival, must go directly to the main office to sign in to the Visitor Management System. Be prepared to show your picture ID
• Wear visitor sticker beyond main office
• Follow all school rules
• Check out at the main office through the Visitor Management System

We need about 4-6 volunteers to help out on September 19 and/or September 20 for our annual hearing and Vision screening. We will need some volunteers to help us bring students back and forth to classes. Volunteers can speak any language - all are welcome. Please reach out to our main office staff to sign up for all day, part of a day or two or if you can be here for both days that would be great, too. Our main office number is 240-740-4900.

Students will not be asked to pay for or provide textbooks, supplementary readers (such as anthologies, atlases, or workbooks), most materials of instruction, audiovisual aids, stationery items not commonly found in the home and required for the student to demonstrate mastery of course objectives, or building or office materials needed to operate schools.

Students may be asked to pay for materials of instruction that primarily fit into three categories as follows:

• Items eaten by the student as a part of the course (example: bread baking ingredients).
• Component parts of a product that will become student property (example: sculpting clay).
• Materials of instruction or items of personal use that become the property of the student (example: recorder).

We suggest that students bring individual organizational tools and personal supplies from home. In addition, there are student fees which are not course-related but local school decisions made by the principal in collaboration with the school and parent leadership. These may include fees for class snacks, special grade-level assemblies, etc. There also may be fees related to field trips, but these will be shared each time there is a trip and not in advance as a school fee.

We are committed to providing all students, regardless of their economic circumstances, with full access to the instructional program. If you need assistane for any requested expense, or with providing the organizational tools and personal supplies, please contact your child’s teacher, our counselors, or the administrative team.

Parent donations of items that enhance the classroom experience are still welcomed, either as donations from individual parents or organized by class parents or by the PTA. A list of items is included on the Student Supply Item Request. They are not required donations and no student will be expected to provide these items, however, if you care to contribute, it will be appreciated.

MCPS policy states that any student who lives within 1 mile of the school is considered a walker. We must reduce the number of cars coming to school each day because our campus is not built for the number of parents who drive their students to school every day. We really need your support in order to keep our children SAFE! If you live further than a mile within our school boundary, a bus is provided. Please see the routes below.

Students who live within walking distance of the school are expected to walk to school. We will continue to utilize the care rider pass process. IN ORDER FOR YOUR CHILD TO BE A CAR RIDER, YOU MUST APPLY FOR A CAR RIDER PASS PRIOR TO THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. Passes will be issued on a case-by-case basis. We will work with you based on your needs, but we must greatly reduce the number of cars coming to school each day in order to protect our children from the harmful traffic and situations that have occurred in the past. This is for everyone’s safety. Please come to the main office to receive your application for the car rider pass. We encourage you to carpool with other families.

If you wish to request car rider status for arrival and dismissal for the 2023-2024 school year, please complete the following form and submit it to the Gaithersburg Main Office, 35 North Summit Ave, Gaithersburg MD 20877 no later than Thursday, August 24. You can also complete this form online at bit.ly/GESCarRiderRequest.

IMPORTANT - Safety is our utmost priority for students, staff, families, and our community. Only individuals who are listed on the emergency card can pick up students from school. Please make sure you include all individuals who may pick up your child on the emergency card. No child will be placed in an Uber or Lyft without a parent.

STUDENTS WILL NOT BE ADMITTED INTO THE BUILDING BEFORE 8:40 A.M. We ask that you please say your goodbyes at the door to allow the students to learn responsibility and get started with his/her day at school. Doors will close at 8:55 a.m. and students will be marked as tardy.

Arrival will be as follows:

• Grades 1 through 5 walkers will line up in the front of the building
• Grade K walkers will enter through the side entrance near the Health Center
• Pre-K will enter through the Music Hallway doors between the Cafeteria and Health Center
• Car Riders will enter through the doors near the Health Center
• Bus Riders will enter through the Main Entrance

First Day of School - Arrival

• Kindergarten will meet their teachers in the Gymnasium
• First Grade will meet their teachers in the Cafeteria
• All students in grades 2-5 will go directly to the classrooms

Dismissal will be as follows:

• Patrols will be dismissed to their posts beginning at 3:18 P.M.
• Car riders will be dismissed to the gym to sit on their car rider number pass.
• Grades 3, 4 and 5 walkers will be dismissed via the front doors. Students with younger sibilings will go to the blacktop to pick them up.
• Students in Grades K-2 who are walkers, will be escorted by their teacher to the blacktop to meet a guardian, sibling or a person on the emergency contact card at 3:25 p.m.
• Bus riders will be dismissed to a central location to wait for the bus to arrive.

Student Birthdays at GES will be called on the morning announcements. Each student will receive a birthday pencil from the main office. Birthday balloons, food (cupcakes, cake, etc.), and parties will not be permitted due to the impact on the instructional program.

On May 2, 2022, Dr. McKnight signed an update to the COG-RA regulation regarding Personal Mobile Device (PMD) polices. As well, MCPS updated the local School Student Code of Conduct to reflect the changes to the policies and regulations.

Elementary Schools:

Students are allowed to use phones before and after the student day

They are not allowed during instructional time, during lunch/recess, and between class time or during transitional times such as arrival and dismissal inside of the school building.

Students may bring their cellphones, but they MUST remain off and inside of the bookbag or purse. They should not be used during the student day. If a student needs to use a telephone or a parent or guardian needs to talk to a student, the main office is available for emergencies.

If students do not adhere to the cellphone and personal Mobile devices, then we will follow the Student Code of Conduct for disciplinary actions.

Gaithersburg Elementary School students will have access to chromebooks at school Students will use chromebooks in the classroom.

MCPS Expectations:

• Must treat the device with care and never handle it inappropriately or in such a way that could cause possible damage or loss. If such damage or loss occurs, students and/or their families will be financially responsible for damages or replacement to their Chromebook.
• Must never leave their Chromebook in an unsecured location.
• May not remove or interfere with the serial number and other identification of the Chromebook.
• May not attempt to remove or change the physical structure of the Chromebook, including keys, trackpads, the screen cover, or plastic casing.
• May not attempt to install or run any operating system or extensions on the Chromebook other than MCPS-approved extensions.
• May not deface Chromebooks with writing, carvings, stickers, etc.