Weekly Firefly Newsletter

page background

Weekly Message from Mrs. Fish

Dear Flower Valley Community,

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday break and enjoyed much needed time with family and friends. It was wonderful to have everyone back at school Tuesday. I missed them all so much!

Next week, we will be concluding our FVES Kindness Movement with special activities related to kindness. We have had several students and staff recognized for their acts of kindness. Way to go!

We also have picture retakes Monday. Check out the information below if your child was absent or will need retakes.

I also wanted to share some bittersweet news with the community. Our wonderful Ms. Radhakrishnan will be leaving us Friday, December 9th. While we will miss her terribly, she is pursuing another opportunity in the district. Please join me in thanking her for her service to Flower Valley and congratulating her on this new opportunity.

With Firefly Pride!

Mrs. Fish

Important Items in This Week's Newsletter

Week of Kindness
Picture Retakes Monday
Focus Groups at FVES
Your Story Matters: MCPS Wellness Series
Counseling Corner
PTA Corner
Important Dates in December
Available Tutoring Opportunities for Students
Curriculum Corner
School Meals, FARMS, My School Bucks, and Lunch Menu
School Visitors and Volunteers
Attendance, Early Dismissals, and Transportation Changes
School Cash Online
Covid and OUTCLASS: Out of Class On Demand Resources for Students
Helpful Resources
Save the Date
School Contact Information

Closing Out Our FVES Kindness Movement with a Special Week of Kindness

To finish up our FVES kindness movement, our wellness team has organized special kindness activities for this upcoming week. Our students will be participating in activities such as reading stories about kindness, filling our kindness buckets, focusing on positive affirmations and being kind to ourselves, and showing our kindness spirit Friday, December 9th, by wearing something that makes you feel good about yourself or wearing something that represents kindness. Let's keep the FVES kindness going!

Picture Retakes Monday

If your child will be taking retakes, please have them bring the original photo package, including original envelope and all picture products, to turn into the photographer when they come to sit for a new picture. They do not need to fill out a new order form.

For students who were absent, their name is already on the list as needing to participate in retakes. The order form was sent via email earlier this week and is on our school website. Please fill this out and have them take this with them for their pictures.

FVES Parent Focus Groups

We are planning our second parent focus group to help guide our work at FVES. The focus group meeting will only take about an hour of your time. We are seeking parental representation from all grade levels to provide us with insight regarding the educational program at FVES. We will be focusing our conversation on our school goals which include professional learning for academic excellence (specifically differentiation and enrichment), race and equity, and student and staff well-being. If you would like to participate in our upcoming focus group which will be held at the beginning of December, please complete the interest form linked here. Thank you, in advance, for your time and continued support.

MCPS Wellness Series: Your Story Matters

MCPS is hosting its second “Your Story Matters” forum, focusing on mental health in communities of color for parents and guardians featuring a panel discussing and informative workshops on productive approaches to supporting youth, as they manage issues such as anxiety and depression and develop a positive mental attitude. Attendees will learn from fellow parents, mental health professionals and community partners.

Panel discussions will be focused on the African American, Asian and Hispanic communities; a panel will be presented in Spanish. Topics will focus on anxiety and depression, grief during the holidays and academic stress. Panels will also examine the stigma around mental health in those communities of color.

RSVP to attend. For more information, contact the Office of Well-Being, Learning and Achievement at 240-740-5630.

Richard Montgomery is located at 250 Richard Montgomery Drive in Rockville.

Tuesday, December 6, 2022, Richard Montgomery High School, Rockville MD

6:00 p.m. Welcome

6:30 - 8:00 p.m. Program Begins – Panel discussion and Workshops

Counseling Corner

Are you interested in volunteering at lunch and/or recess? Please reach out to Mrs. Atanda at Jennifer_T_Atanda@mcpsmd.org.

Please complete the following google form if you are in need of resources for your family such as Friday Snack Bags, Holiday Giving donations, backpacks, or other resources. You may also reach out to Mrs. Atanda, School Counselor, at Jennifer_T_Atanda@mcpsmd.org or 240-740-1780. You may also send a note into school with your child.

Available Tutoring Opportunities for Students

There are several types of free tutoring services available for MCPS students. FVES has teachers who will be tutoring some of our students as part of the CARES Act services. Students are selected based on their current reading and math data including their levels of proficiency. If your student is identified, we will work to secure a tutor and contact you to coordinate dates and times for tutoring. During these sessions, FVES staff will provide additional support using Benchmark/and or Eureka curriculum, as well as Tier III evidence-based intervention programs.Students not selected for CARES tutoring may sign up for online tutoring services through FEV Tutor or Tutor Me Education.

Curriculum Corner

Benchmark: All grade levels have started Benchmark Advance Unit 2, which focuses on narrative texts. Students will analyze and write about characters in depth. Identifying key events will help students summarize a text. In addition, students will build their vocabulary by identifying shades of meaning for related verbs or adjectives.

Eureka Math: MCPS has a dedicated website which has support for each Eureka module in every grade level. Here is a Eureka Math support page for families. You will need to create an account to access the family resources called "tips for parents." "Homework Helpers" are tips for parents that are included with each homework assignment in the Math Succeed (HW) book. Additionally, this is a google document that contains helpful videos for parents to use. There are general Eureka videos and grade level specific videos included.

Please keep an eye out for grade level bi-weekly communication regarding details about what is happening in each of our classes.

School Meals, FARMS, My School Bucks, and Lunch Menus

Beginning school year 2022-2023, students who qualify for reduced-price meals will not be charged for lunch - meaning that students who qualify for reduced-price meals will eat for free! To learn more about eligibility for Free and Reduced Meals (FARMS) and apply for FARMs, click here. Deposits into lunch accounts can be made by any student and can be made ahead of time via the MCPS online payment system, My School Bucks. Details about how to add money to your student’s account can be accessed here. Menus can be accessed here.

School Visitors and Volunteers

Anyone visiting FVES must sign in at the main office and bring identification with them. We aren't able to have parents eating with students in the cafeteria due to space, but you can certainly sign your child out for lunch if you would like to enjoy lunch together.

If you are interested in serving as a volunteer, please contact Mrs. Atanda at Jennifer_T_Atanda@mcpsmd.org.

Attendance Information

If your child is going to be absent, please email your child's teacher and Mrs. Sintetos at Catherine_G_Sintetos@mcpsmd.org or call the office at 240-740-1780. When your child is absent, please send in a note explaining the reason for the absence. If your child sees the doctor, please bring in a doctor's note.

If your child is going to be arriving late, you need to bring your child to the main office and sign them in. If you will be picking up your child early, please let Mrs. Sintetos and your child's homeroom teacher know in advance.

Covid Safety Protocols

When your child is symptomatic, it is encouraged that a home or PCR test is administered. Only positive test results need to be reported using the MCPS COVID-19 Reporting Form. Individuals who have a positive COVID-19 test should report their positive result and follow CDC guidelines for isolation. Details regarding the MCPS back to school Covid safety protocols can be accessed here.

January 17th - Group/Class Pictures

February 2nd: Winter Instrumental Music Concert at FVES, 7:00pm (Note the date change)

February 10th, 6:30-8:00pm - PTA Sponsored Bingo

February 14th, 2:30-3:15pm - Valentine’s Day Parties

March 26th, 2-3pm - PTA Sponsored Fun Run

April 20th, 5:30-7:30pm - PTA Sponsored STEM Night

April 24th-28th - PTA Sponsored Book Fair

April 26th - Spring Individual and Grade 5 Panoramic

May 6th, 10:00-2:00pm - PTA Sponsored SAVERS Donation Drive

Field Day, TBD

May 16th, Time TBD - FVES International Night and Art Expo

May 19th - K, 1, 2 Field Day (rain date - May 30th)

May 21st, 2-5pm - PTA Sponsored Carnival

May 24th - 3, 4, 5, Field Day (rain date - May 31st)

June 1st: Spring Instrumental Music Concert at FVES, 7:00pm

5th Grade Promotion, Date and Time TBD

*Please remember these dates are subject to change. There will also be several PTA sponsored virtual nights for families throughout the year.

We are here to serve & help you!

Our office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00AM to 4:30PM Below are emails and phone numbers for the following departments:

Administration (240) 740-1780

Mrs. Angie Fish, Principal – Angie_L_Fish@mcpsmd.org

Ms. Angela Castillo, Assistant Principal - Angela_M_Castillo@mcpsmd.org

Main Office Staff (240) 740-1780

Mrs. Padma Radhakrishnan, School Administrative Secretary – Padma_Radhakrishnan@mcpsmd.org

Mrs. Cathy Sintetos, Attendance Secretary – C atherine_G_Sintetos@mcpsmd.org

Counseling Office (240) 740-6680

Mrs. Jennifer Atanda - Jennifer_T_Atanda@mcpsmd.org

Ms. Colleen Smith - Colleen_B_Smith@mcpsmd.org

All Staff Directory

Flower Valley Elementary School

Be bright! Be kind! Be you!

We inspire all children to become critical thinkers who are imaginative, adaptable, and collaborative. We strive to cultivate peaceful, life-long learners who contribute positively to the community around them.

Email: Angie_L_Fish@mcpsmd.org
Website: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/flowervalleyes/
Location: Flower Valley Elementary School, Sunflower Drive, Rockville, MD, USA
Phone: 240-740-1780
Twitter: @AngieFish_FVES

Loading indicator