The Wolf Howl

Happy New Year and Welcome Back to School!

I hope everyone is refreshed, rejuvenated and ready for an exciting second semester. As I look back at 2022, I am again reminded of the high level of dedication and effort that our staff, students and families, put forth to make Watkins Mill Elementary School the best it can be!

Readiness for potential virtual instruction on inclement weather days is a MUST. If you need an MCPS Chromebook for home use, you must complete the following link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdDNdqO31soXKLffjcEzgVQ9C2Z2koPm6ifKm7-K77e44ZhAg/viewform Once the form is completed a Chromebook and charger will be sent home with your student for home use. Please complete the link now so we can all be prepared.

Additionally, safety remains our top priority. This is a friendly reminder that the staff is available from 8:40 – 9:00am to supervise student arrival. For safety reasons, you may not drop off your child before 8:40am. If your child arrives to school after 9:00 they are tardy and must be escorted by you into the building. You should then report to the office for a late pass.

Lastly, every Friday is Watkins Mill Pride Day. Get your spirit wear now so you can participate! Visit our online store at https://www.watkinsmillspiritwear.com/ There are over 80 available items and 12 different designs. Personalization is also available!

Have a wonderful January.

No School - Winter Break

Tuesday, January 2

PTO Interest Meetings

Thursday, January 5

Option 1: In-Person @ WMES 9:00am

Option 2: Virtual on Zoom 7:00pm

Krispy Kreme Fundraiser

January 9-February 9

Family Market Day

Tuesday, January 10

4:00pm-6:00pm

California Tortilla Fundraiser

Tuesday, January 10

11:30am-8:00pm

Virtual Parent Café

Thursday, January 12

7:00pm

No School

Monday, January 16

WMES Dental Days

Monday, January 23 & Tuesday, January 24

WMES & WMHS KPOP Dance After-School Workshop

Tuesday, January 24

3:15pm-4:15pm

Instrumental Music Winter Concert

Wednesday, January 25

7:00pm

WMES Culture Night

Thursday, January 26

6:00pm-8:00pm

No School

Friday, January 27

We are looking forward to bringing our school community together to celebrate all of the different backgrounds we represent here at WMES! This event will take place on Thursday, January 26 from 6:00pm-8:00pm inside of WMES. Please join us in the fun and consider hosting a table to share your culture/country/background!

Click HERE to register to host a table! See flyer below for more details.

If you have a middle or high school student who would like to volunteer at the event to earn SSL hours, please share this Volunteer Registration Form!

Our next WMES Family Market Day will take place on Tuesday, January 10 from 4:00pm-6:00pm at our school! Bring your own bags or boxes and come fill them with all FREE produce, non-perishables, and other food items to take home! This month, we will have Sheppard Pratt's Neighborhood Safety Net Program and the Fatherhood Initiative Program joining us to support our school community. All Family Market Day items are limited and will be given on a first come first serve basis! Please see the flyer below for more details.

Please consider purchasing California Tortilla on Tuesday, January 10 any time from 11:00am-8:00pm! All sales that mention Watkins Mill Elementary School will have 25% donated to our school! Funds raised will be used towards assemblies, events, and materials for our students and families. Thank you for your support!

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr., MCPS schools engaged in a variety of community service projects as an act of kindness. At Watkins Mill Elementary School, our students wrote "Thank You" cards to frontline workers in our community, including doctors, nurses, firefighters, and policemen!

Great news! We have partnered with Holy Cross hospital to provide a 6-week parent workshop, 100% FREE to WMES families! The Road to Health workshop provides information about healthy food choices, physical activity, weight management, Type 2 Diabetes risk factors, and more! The classes will take place virtually on Mondays from 6pm-8pm, from February 27-April 3 (English session) and January 9-February 13 (Spanish session). Participants who complete the program will receive a food box from Hungry Harvest!

Click here to view the flyer with more details and registration!

Great news! The Smile Mobile School Dentist will be returning to our school for our annual dental visit on Monday, January 23 and Tuesday, January 24!

If your student was seen by the school dentist in the fall, they are already cleared to be seen again during the spring visit for a 6-month cleaning! If your student does not already have a dentist they see regularly and you would like them to be seen by the full service school dentist during our Spring Dental Days, please complete the attached form and return to school OR complete the form online at www.MySchoolDentist.com

***Please read important tips below:

• The permission slip must be filled out COMPLETELY for your student to be seen by the school dentist!

• If you DO have dental insurance (Medicaid included), be sure to fill out the information fully to sign up for a FREE SCHOOL DENTAL VISIT

• If you do NOT have dental insurance, please select to either pay the fee of $70.00 for your student to be seen OR select the box to request a donated care form for a FREE SCHOOL DENTAL VISIT

• If you have any questions, please call the school or send Mrs. Aceves a message at Chelsea_J_Aceves@mcpsmd.org or on Class Dojo!

"Where can I learn more about children's mental health?"

Always seek immediate help if a child engages in unsafe behavior or talks about wanting to hurt themselves or someone else. Refer to this list of local and national resources: Where To Get Help

It can be hard for families to tell the difference between challenging behaviors and emotions that are consistent with typical child development and those that are cause for concern. In general, if a child’s behavior persists for a few weeks or longer, causes distress for the child or the child’s family, and interferes with functioning at school, at home, or with friends, then consider seeking help.

Listed below are informational resources on a variety of mental health topics to help families and educators support student success.

What is Mental Health? | Español

Supporting Children’s Mental Health | Español

What to Expect: Healthy Mental and Emotional Development

Facts for Families: Early Childhood Mental Health

Facts for Families: When to Seek Help

Facts for Famlies: Well-being and Resiliency

Resilience Guide for Parents and Teachers

The Road to Resilience | 10 Ways to Build Resilience

Parents Guide to Getting Good Care

Finding Culturally Proficient Mental Health Providers

Therapy in Color

ADHD | Español

Anxiety | Español

Autism

Bipolar Disorder | Español

Care for the Caregiver

Child Abuse and Neglect

Depression

Divorce

Eating Disorders

E-Cigarettes

Grief | Grief after a Traumatic Event | Helping Children Cope

OCD

Oppositional and Defiant Disorders

Psychosis

Self Injurious Behavior | Español

Stress

Substance Use | Español | Keeping Youth Drug Free

Suicide | Start the Conversation | Support for Suicidal Thinking and Threats | Español

Tourettes and Tics

Trauma | Español | Adult Survivors of Trauma

Watkins Mill Elementary School is excited to continue our Friday Bags program in partnership with Watkins Mill High School and Manna Food! Every Friday, students who have signed up for Friday Bags will receive a bag of food to take home for the weekend. The amount of food and food items in the bag will vary based on each week's distribution.

If you would like your student(s) to receive Friday Bags this school year, please contact your student's teacher or a member of our WMES Family Support Team!

The Board of Education approved the 2023-2024 school year calendar.. The new calendar offers an increased focus on professional development for teachers, while aiming to limit instructional disruptions.

Click here to view the 2023-2024 School Year Calendar

MCPS continues to work with the local health department to closely monitor local disease trends and provide support to schools and worksites. COVID-19 and influenza rates have increased in our region. We continue to reinforce good infection control and health behaviors that help reduce the spread of respiratory viruses. Check out fact sheets from the Maryland Department of Health (MDH), and MDH’s resource pages for influenza and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV).

There are several free tutoring options available to MCPS students. FEV Tutor and Tutor Me Education offer free, virtual tutoring. By logging into their Clever accounts, students can join a tutoring session. Both companies offer the same two services: On-demand homework help that require no scheduling and scheduled, ongoing tutoring for longer term support.

FEV Tutor

More information linked in English and Spanish

To set up tutoring: mcps@fevtutor.com

*Offers tutoring without cameras for students in grades 3-12 who learn best without a camera.

Tutor Me Education

More information linked in English and Spanish

To set up tutoring: MCPS@tutormeeducation.com or 240-618-2549

English conversation classes are available online and in person at the Gilchrist Center's Gaithersburg and Wheaton sites. No registration required! See dates and times here. To receive information about upcoming registration for computer, citizenship preparation, and English (ESOL) classes, please sign up for updates.

In collaboration with MCPS, the Literacy Council of Montgomery County (LCMC) is offering free English as a Second Language classes for MCPS parents. Parents with questions regarding class availability and the sign-up process should email Kevin Ralph from LCMC at kevin@lcmcmd.org or call 240-665-0471.

Click Here to Register

The Montgomery County Maryland Bar Foundation Pro Bono Program Legal Clinic

is resuming free in-person consultations twice per month at the Gilchrist Immigrant Resource Center's Gaithersburg and Wheaton sites! Visit the website for details.

For further information about pro bono services, please see brochure.

Rita Rosenkrantz Family Law Training Program provides FREE LEGAL TRAINING to attorneys who agree to take a pro bono case. To learn more about the basics of family law training and how to access the webinar, please visit the Bar Foundation CLE page of the BAMC website at www.barmont.org. For additional information, please contact Yesenia at 301-340-2534 or Yesenia@BarFoundationMC.org.

Special Immigration Juvenile Status (SIJ) information is available in English and Spanish.

If your student(s) would benefit from having a use of an MCPS Chromebook device for home use during the school year, you can request a home device HERE.

*Requesting the device implies consent of use in accordance with MCPS policy (IGT-RA) and acknowledgement that the Chromebook, software, and issued peripherals are owned by MCPS.

SchoolCash Online is an easy to use and safe way to pay for your children’s school fees. Now, with a few clicks, you can pay for your child’s yearbook, class trips and so much more from your own home. All you have to do is register an account, attach your children and in no time you will be able to make payments online.

Click here to view instructions in English

Click here to view instructions in Spanish

The MCPS Fall 2022 Parent Academy To Go session will begin on September 14. Please join us to engage in virtual workshops that will provide tips, tools, and strategies to support your child’s academic progress and social emotional well-being. Please see the schedule and register for upcoming workshops below.

Click here to view available MCPS Parent Academy Workshops

MCPS offers numerous ways to learn about potential school closures, delayed openings and early dismissals when there is inclement weather.

• ConnectED System Email and Text Messages
  Please make sure emergency contact information on file at your child’s school is up to date.
• AlertMCPS and MCPS Alerta (Spanish)
  Receive text messages or emails from MCPS during weather-related emergencies and other major events that impact school system operations. Parents can also sign up to receive alerts specific to their child’s school.
  Subscribe to AlertMCPS
• MCPS homepage
  www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org
• MCPS cable channels
• Comcast 34 (1071 HD), Verizon 36 or RCN 89
• Recorded information
  301-279-3673
• Ask MCPS
  240-740-3000. Staff take calls from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mondays through Fridays, in English and Spanish.
• Twitter, Facebook and Instagram in English and Spanish
  http://twitter.com/mcps
  https://twitter.com/MCPSEspanol
  https://www.facebook.com/mcpsmd
  https://www.facebook.com/mcpsespanol
  https://www.instagram.com/mcps_md
• Local radio and TV stations

This resource guide provides contact information to support students and families in need of community resources. Additionally, it may be used to provide resources for suspended students and students suspected of being involved in gang activity, meeting the related COMAR requirements. School staff may refer students and their families to any of these services, as needed.

Montgomery County Recreation Center membership passes will be free for County residents in 2023. Starting Jan. 3, a free pass will provide access to fully equipped fitness rooms, open gym (drop-in) activities and game rooms at any community recreation center during regularly scheduled hours.

Click HERE to learn more

Montgomery County Recreation is hosting two free summer camps fairs to help families plan for their children’s summer activities. The first will take place on Saturday, Jan. 7 at East County Community Recreation Center, located at 3310 Gateshead Manor Way in Silver Spring. The Nancy H. Dacek North Potomac Community Recreation Center located at 13850 Travilah Road in Rockville will host a fair on Sunday, Jan. 22. Both fairs will take place from 1 – 4 p.m.

Montgomery County Recreation provides hundreds of healthy summer camp programs at locations throughout the County. Parents are encouraged to plan early for the summer months as many camps fill up quickly.

New this year, experience camp at the fairs with games and activities you would see at summer camp! Make sure to stop by to check out the gaga pit, arts, crafts, games, snacks and more.

At the fairs, families can meet with recreation staff members and talk with instructors to ask questions and learn more about the offerings. You will also be able to register for Rec Assist, the department’s financial aid program, on site.

Registration for summer camp programs opens on Tuesday, Jan. 17. You will be able to view camps online, as well as a digital and build your own guide beginning Jan. 6. Those who attend the second event, on Jan 22., will be able to register their child for camps on site.

Good news! Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is now open to 20886 zip code residents! This is a FREE program for ANY family that live within this zip code with a child from age 0-5 years old (EACH child in the family has an opportunity to register)!

Families can register online for each of their children to receive one brand new shiny book in the mail monthly until the month of their 5th birthday! Some books are even bilingual!

Items to note:

• Processing takes up to 6 weeks from the time of registration to the time of first book arrival

•Families must notify Imagination Library of address changes to continue receiving the books so books can be mailed to new address

•Families MUST confirm email address after registering before processing begins*

See flyer below to for registration link and more information!

If you are in need of diapers and/or wipes at any time throughout the school year, please complete our WMES Diaper Request Form at the link below!

WMES Diaper Request Form

Mrs. Brooke Simon, Principal

Ms. Alejandra Olavarrieta, Assistant Principal

Mrs. Frances Avila-Miller, Assistant School Administrator

Email: Chelsea_J_Aceves@mcpsmd.org
Website: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/watkinsmilles/
Location: 19001 Watkins Mill Road, Montgomery Village, MD, USA
Phone: (240) 740-5280
Facebook: facebook.com/WMESCommunity
Twitter: @WMESCommunity

• Call: 240-740-3000
  Provides answers to community questions in English and Spanish from 7:30 a.m.
  to 4:00 p.m., Mondays through Fridays

• E-mail: ASKMCPS@mcpsmd.org

• Visit: Department of Family and Community Partnerships (DFCP) at 850 Hungerford Drive, Rockville, Maryland 20850