PES Family Newsletter

• Monday, December 4 - Friday, December 8: Inclusive Schools Week
• Friday, December 8: PTA Hot Cocoa Social 3:30PM
• Tuesday, December 12: PES Family Bowling Night (Reservations Required)
• Monday, December 25 - Monday, January 1, 2024: School Closed Winter Break

As we step into the magical month of December, I wanted to take a moment to share some updates, express gratitude, and extend warm wishes to each and every one of our families.

Celebrating Achievements:

This month, we reflect on the achievements and growth of our students. Their hard work and dedication have been truly inspiring, and we are proud of each milestone they've reached. Thank you for entrusting us with your children's education; it's a privilege we take to heart.

Upcoming Festivities:

The holiday season is upon us, and our school is buzzing with excitement. We have a variety of festive activities and events planned, including PTA Hot Cocoa Social on 12/8. We invite you to join in the merriment as we create lasting memories together. Look out for detailed information in the coming days.

Important Dates and Reminders:

As we approach the end of the semester, please be aware of upcoming dates, including the start and end of the Winter Break. It's a time for our students to relax and recharge, and we hope your family enjoys a wonderful holiday season filled with warmth and laughter.

Winter Break: 12/25/2023 to 01/01/2024

School Resumes: 01/02/2024

Expressing Gratitude:

I want to express my deepest gratitude to our incredible families. Your support, involvement, and dedication to your child's education make our school a vibrant and nurturing community. Thank you for being an essential part of the Parkway family.

Warmest Wishes for the Season:

May the holiday season bring you moments of joy, togetherness, and peace. However you choose to celebrate, may it be filled with love and happiness. Wishing you a December brimming with warmth and memorable moments.

Thank you for being an integral part of our Parkway Elementary School community. Here's to a joyful and festive December!

Yours in Education,

John Ridenour, Jr.

Principal

Parkway Elementary School

Monday, December 4 -

Tip Your Hats to Inclusion (Hat Day)

Tuesday, December 5 -

Tie Dye Tuesday, No two tie dyes are exactly the same, but there is beauty in all of them.

Wednesday, December 6 -

Wacky Wednesday to show your uniqueness

Thursday, December 7 -

Be Comfortable, Be You (Wear PJs)

Friday, December 8 -

Wear School Colors to show we are all ONE

Panda Families--

In the next few weeks, your child will take the iReady middle-of-year assessment in ELA and Math. This, non-graded assessment, helps teachers and students see areas of growth as compared to their beginning of the year assessment. The information provided from the diagnostic can be used to target skills and support individual learners.

We will be testing from 12/11--12/22. Please make sure your child gets a good nights' rest, is on time for school and ready to try their best!

-Ms. Krauss & Mr. Lepeonka

Parkway is excited to participate in the Frederick County Spelling Bee again this year. Mrs. Krauss has visited Third, Fourth, and Fifth grade classrooms to share the exciting details. If you child is interested in taking the qualifying test, please have them talk to their language arts teacher. Students who qualify will participate in the Parkway Spelling Bee on January 11th. Please direct all questions to Ms. Krauss, alicia.krauss@fcps.org.

Good attendance requires a strong partnership between home, school, and students; communication is an important component of that partnership. To that end, parents/guardians and students will hear from the school when there are concerns about attendance. We may do any/all of the following:

• Meet with the student (to understand what is impacting their attendance and offer supports to help).
• Call and/or meet with a parent/guardian (also to understand what is impacting their child’s attendance and collaborate on solutions),
• Send letters to notify families of attendance.

We understand that a student’s attendance at school can be impacted (positively or negatively) by many factors; it is our goal to understand what is affecting it and work with the family to affect positive change. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to the school if you are struggling with your child’s attendance - we are here to help!

FCPS is using a new portal for school meal related information. Go to the parent portal at http://linqconnect.com/ where you can:

- Apply for meal benefits (FARM)

- View menus, meal prices and a la carte prices

- Add money to student accounts

- Transfer funds between students

- View student meal transactions

- Set low-balance notifications

Breakfast is FREE to ALL PES Students this year!

Upcoming events

• Join us after school on the playground for a hot cocoa social next Friday, Dec. 8 – All are welcome!
• PTA meetings will be held January 18, March 13, and April 30 at 6 pm at Parkway. We will be offering a hybrid option and hope you can join us!
• We have begun planning the multicultural night event and look forward to sharing more in the future. We welcome your ideas and support to help plan this event celebrating our Parkway community. Join us at out next planning on Monday, December 11 at 7 pm in the Media Room at Parkway.
• We will be having a fundraiser night at Chipotle on February 27 from 4-8 p.m. Dine in or carry out dinner at the Chipotle located at 997 W Patrick Street. A portion of the proceeds will go to Parkway PTA and be used to support activities for Parkway kids, families, and teachers.

Email: John.Ridenour@fcps.org
Website: https://edu.fcps.org/pes/
Location: 300 Carroll Parkway, Frederick, MD, USA
Phone: (240)236-2600