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Community Back to School Information 2022
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Welcome Back to The Castle!

This newsletter contains information about:

Arrival & Dismissal Survey

Bus Routes & Dismissal Routines

Calendar - MCPS

Classrooms at Each Grade Level

Communication Chart

Communication Methods

Events for Back to School

Family Supports

Free & Reduced Meals Applications

Health Protocols

Instructional Schedule

Leader in Me

ParentVUE in Synergy

Personal Mobile Device Policy

PTA Updates

School Cash Online

School Construction & Addition Project

School Hours

School Supplies (Suggested)

Staff Updates

Student Handbooks

Tech Support

Vaccination Requirements

Verification of Student Information

MCPS Communication Channels

ARRIVAL & DISMISSAL SURVEY

Please complete this brief survey to let us know how your child will get to and from school. This will ensure we have the correct information before the first day of school: https://forms.gle/MrRCCMrDDVSzLE6BA.

Students thrive from routine, so please begin to talk to your child about how they will get home. Please practice these routines prior to the first day of school. This would also be a good time to discuss safe habits for coming to and returning from school.

BUS ROUTES & DISMISSAL ROUTINES

School bus transportation is provided for students who live more than one mile from their home school. If you live within one mile of the school and do not see a stop on the list that is in your neighborhood, your child is not eligible for transportation. Please see additional information linked below:

Bus information and directions:

Bus routes and times:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1s3p9RAGsbJppfgt0zkmGWcfThyotfbq9/view?usp=sharing 

On the first day of school, please have your child take the transportation method that they will normally take. This will help students get into the correct routine, while also helping us gather the correct information. For example, if a student will normally take the blue bus, please have your child take that bus to school on the first day, rather than a family member bringing the child to school for a special day. Seeing that child get off the bus will help us to associate each child with each route, while also helping your child get into the correct routine.

MCPS SCHOOL CALENDAR

Below is the MCPS school calendar. Mark your calendars for early dismissals and school closings.  Please stay tuned for additional school events and activities. You can also visit: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/calendar/2022-2023%20Traditional%20School%20Calendar.pdf.

* If the school year is disrupted by emergencies and schools are closed three or more days, dates identified as possible make-up instructional days include: October 24 and November 7, 2022; January 27, March 31, April 3, April 4, April 21, and June 20-23, 2023.

CLASSROOMS FOR 2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR

Class

PEP/Pre-K

Kindergarten

Grade 1

Grade 2

Grade 3

Grade 4

Grade 5

Class 1

Ms. Chow

(PEP Full Day)

Ms. Dixon

Ms. Diaz

Ms. Amoruso

Ms. Amos

Ms. Avent

Mr. Marroquin

Class 2

Ms. Garrett (PEP INC & Collaboration)

Ms. Fasulo

Ms. Grillo

Ms. Hughitt

Ms. Bemley

Ms. Hobson

Ms. May

Class 3

Ms. Moon  

(PEP Classic)

Ms. Jones

Ms. M. Lawrence

Ms. Moore

Ms. Cuneo

Ms. Kim

Mr. Mizelle

Class 4

Ms. Samuels

(Pre-K)

Ms. D. Lawrence

Ms. Pierre-Louis

Ms. Sebesky

Ms. Katz

Ms. Reid

Ms. Welch

Class 5 

Ms. Terry (PEP INC & PEP Classic)

Ms. Mitchell

Ms. C. White

Ms. Smith

Ms. Mason

Ms. Townsend

(Ms. Lacsamana - ELC & Math 5/6)

Class 6

Ms. Riebman

Ms. D. White

Ms. Shearin

Class 7 

Ms. Robey

Ms. Vieira

COMMUNICATION CHART

With many Greencastle staff members, we know folks often wonder who to ask for certain questions. While this communication guide is created with families in mind, it can also serve as a helpful resource for staff. It is located on the Quicklinks on the left side of our website and is also directly linked here:  Greencastle Communication Chart.

COMMUNICATION METHODS

We believe consistent communication is very important. This occurs in a variety of ways:

Phone and Email – Our school phone number is (240) 740-1420. If we are on the other line when you call, or if you call before or after the main office is open, please leave a message. We return all calls within 24 hours.

If you are unsure who to direct your question to, please see our communication chart. It is posted under the Quicklinks on the Greencastle website and is also directly linked here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/18nVulHk6EVEa-kthowGmPedQBKQQ2rbq/view?usp=sharing.

All staff email addresses are also available on the Staff Directory portion of our website: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/greencastlees/staff/directory/. Staff will respond to your message within 24 hours.

School Website - Our school webpage will contain updates of upcoming school events, special activities, school information, and direct links to supplemental activities for students. The news and announcements section on the main page will be updated regularly with timely information that is needed before the next issue of the Greencastle Gazette is published: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/greencastlees/.

Greencastle Gazette - This is a comprehensive monthly parent newsletter that will be published on the first school day of each month. It will include school information and announcements, a calendar of Greencastle events, and MCPS announcements. It will be posted on the news and announcements page of our website and emailed via ConnectEd. Past issues can be found here: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/greencastlees/quicklinks/administration/ 

ConnectEd – These messages are sent via recorded phone call and email. We send weekly ConnectEd messages to the community every Sunday night with upcoming school news and announcements. Occasionally, we send additional messages about school events and available resources. We also utilize ConnectEd with emergency information that needs to be sent to the community immediately. As such, it is extremely important that your contact information is correct in Synergy. Please be sure to keep it updated.

Twitter – Follow our Twitter account @GreencastleES! We will regularly share school information, events, celebrations, announcements, etc. via this account.

BACK TO SCHOOL EVENTS

Prior to Open House during the week of August 22, all classroom teachers will make phone calls to students and their families. During these calls, teachers will introduce themselves and invite families to the event. This will also let families know who their child(ren)’s homeroom teacher will be. Teachers will share their individual Zoom links for families who are not able to make it in person. Families will also be able to see their child’s assigned teacher in ParentVue in Synergy as of Wednesday, August 24.

Further details about Back to School Night will be communicated in September.

FAMILY SUPPORTS

We want to ensure families know that we can provide a wide variety of support and/or connect families with helpful resources. This can include support with food, clothing, shelter, and/or mental health. Please reach out to the school if you need support by contacting our Parent Community Coordinators, Glenda Roberts (Glenda_E_Roberts@mcpsmd.org) or Getasew Mebrate (Getasew_J_Mebrate@mcpsmd.org). You can also call the school’s phone number and ask to speak to them. Additionally, families can reach out to our Linkages Family Case Manager, Nicole Elliott at NElliott@ymcawashdc.org.

FREE & REDUCED MEALS (FARMS) APPLICATIONS

This year’s application for Free and Reduced Meals is now available online at www.MySchoolApps.com. This form needs to be filled out each year by families who qualify for Free and Reduced Meals (FARMS). We have paper applications available in the main office for families who need one.  Additional information about the program and eligibility can be found here: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/food-and-nutrition/meal-payments/#FARMS.

This year, both breakfast and lunch will be free for all students whose families qualify for free OR reduced meals. If a family does not qualify or complete an application, the cost will be:

Families who meet certain federal income standards are eligible for free meal benefits. All children use their MCPS ID number at the register so confidentiality is maintained and no child is overtly identified as receiving free or reduced-price meals. Only one application is needed for all students in a household. A new application must be completed for any family requesting assistance this school year.

For more information and How-To videos, visit the Food Services website: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/food-and-nutrition/ 

If your family does not qualify for Free and Reduced Meals and you need to add funds to your student’s cafeteria account, you can either:

https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/getmain.action?clientKey=&requestAction=home 

Additional information about cafeteria services, as well as further instructions for MySchoolBucks can be found here: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/food-and-nutrition/meal-payments/.

 

In addition, the number of families who complete a FARMS application is VERY important for our school community. For the past two years, we have been a Title I school because of our FARMS percentage. Title I status is determined by the FARMS percentage as of October, so it is important to fill this out before then.

As a Title I school, we were able to hold a full day ELO summer program for five weeks this year. We have also used our additional funding to hire numerous staff members to support teaching and learning. We use funds to purchase instructional materials related to math, science, reading, and technology. Additionally, many of our after-school activities and evening events would not be possible without our Title I status.

We want to maintain our Title I status so we can continue to offer summer programming next year, keep all of our amazing staff members, host after-school enrichment opportunities, and continue to purchase materials to enhance students’ learning experiences. Please fill this form out at www.myschoolapps.com and encourage your neighbors to do the same.

Anyone who needs support or assistance completing the FARMS application is welcome to contact our Parent Community Coordinators, Glenda Roberts (Glenda_E_Roberts@mcpsmd.org) or Getasew Mebrate (Getasew_J_Mebrate@mcpsmd.org). You are also welcome to call the school’s phone number and ask to speak to them.

HEALTH PROTOCOLS

MCPS is planning to share health and safety protocols with schools soon. As soon as we receive that information, we will update this section.

INSTRUCTIONAL SCHEDULE

Here is the link to this year’s instructional schedule for our kindergarten through fifth grade classes:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1TT2axxtuAK_Nd2ig3J9_qkeAxABtrgsO1ndetfG2pfc/edit?usp=sharing.

LEADER IN ME

This year, we will be starting a new Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) program called Leader in Me. We will provide specific lessons to students within our daily SEL time period, in addition to infusing the 7 Habits throughout the school day.

Here is some additional information from Leader in Me:

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Each new school year brings opportunities for academic growth and growth in all areas of development. Although children must be knowledgeable when they graduate, they must also be healthy, engaged, responsible, and caring people.

As a Leader in Me school, we believe that every member of your family has greatness and we can’t wait to learn and grow from you! Leader in Me (LiM) is an evidence-based, comprehensive school-improvement model - developed in partnership with educators and FranklinCovey - that empowers students with the leadership and life skills they need to thrive in a global community.

Our school will work to operate through a uniquely different lens. Leader in Me is about empowering your child to reach their full potential while ultimately finding their voice. As a school, we will keep the five core commitments, or Core Paradigms, in mind:

Not only do these paradigms apply to your student, they apply to all of us!

Leader in Me provides our school with the language to lead the school in a way that addresses all areas of development. As each child discovers and develops their unique gifts and talents, they are given opportunities to lead. As leaders, they become active, engaged partners in their own education, and their self-confidence, responsibility, and initiative grows. The children quickly understand the benefits of different gifts and talents; they learn to listen to new ideas, work together to achieve results, and motivate one another to be the best.

Together, we will see each child grow throughout the year!

PARENTVUE IN SYNERGY 

Synergy is the student information system utilized by MCPS. If you activated your account last year, please log in to review and/or update your contact information.

If you have not yet activated your account, please contact the school so we can send you an activation key. Families who have difficulty activating accounts can contact us at the school or the helpline at (240) 740-7023.

If your contact information, phone number, or email changes during the school year, you can login to ParentVue and update this at any time. Updated and correct contact information is important when we need to reach you in case of an emergency.

ParentVUE Quick Guides for Families:

ParentVUE Support Guide

PERSONAL MOBILE DEVICE POLICY 

MCPS has updated the policy on Personal Mobile Devices (PMDs). Here is a summary of what this means for Greencastle:

An informational flier with additional information can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eowlLog5Wly9828YtyFwRXF_wySghvAF/view 

PTA UPDATES 

We are pleased to announce that Greencastle PTA is excited for the 2022-2023 school year. We are kicking off the school year with a Back-to-School event. Come out to meet the 2022-2023 PTA board, as well as enjoy fun activities for the family. There will be pizza, chips and beverages for sale. If you have not already done so, this would be a great opportunity to join the PTA and hear about their monthly events.

 

We look forward to seeing you there!

SCHOOL CASH ONLINE 

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 echeck. 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 will receive a notification with their student(s) PIN information required for adding a student to their account beginning Monday, August 15, 2022.  Communication will be in the form of MCPS email or USPS mailer for those that do not currently have email on file with MCPS.

 

The MCPS Help Desk has set up a community support drop box (see below) for community support: communitytechsupport@mcpsmd.org

 

Additional resources are currently being developed and will be added to the parent portal and MCPS website as soon as they are available.

Registration instructions are linked below:

SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION AND ADDITION PROJECT

Over the summer, we have had a few small construction projects:

               

We are excited to share that a future project to build a school addition has begun its first phase. Funding was approved for the initial planning phase. Over the summer, we met with MCPS planners who came to walk through the school and learn more about our needs. Throughout this process, there will be numerous opportunities for staff and community members to be engaged and involved in the planning. We will continue to share updates as they arise.

SCHOOL HOURS

The first day of school for students is Monday, August 29.

School Hours

School Hours (PEP Full Day and K-5)         9:00 a.m. - 3:25 p.m.

Students Enter the Building                                8:45 a.m.

        AM Pre-K & PEP                        9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

        PM Pre-K & PEP                        12:55 p.m. – 3:25 p.m.

Teacher Hours                                         8:25 a.m. - 3:55 p.m.

SUGGESTED SCHOOL SUPPLIES 

The list below shows suggested school supplies that families may want to obtain. We have many supplies available for students at school, but we understand some families prefer to get their own. All K-5 students will be given a supply bag at the beginning of the school year. This supply bag will include:

Grades K-3

Grades 4-5

  • 1 pencil case
  • 1 notebook
  • 1 folder
  • 2 pencils
  • 2 black pens
  • 2 pencil cap erasers
  • 1 large eraser
  • 1 five-pack of crayons
  • 1 pencil sharpener
  • 1 glue stick
  • 1 8-inch rules

  • 1 pencil case
  • 1 spiral notebook
  • 1 folder
  • 3 pencils
  • 3 pens
  • 3 pencil cap erasers
  • 1 large eraser
  • 1 five-pack of crayons
  • 1 pencil sharpener
  • 2 glue sticks
  • 1 highlighter
  • 1 ten-pack of colored pencils
  • 1 pair of scissors

Suggested supplies for students in kindergarten through fifth grade are shown below as noted by the teachers. Families of students in PEP or Pre-K should contact your child’s teacher. The list can also be viewed here:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SpWYStZIW5WcCRxtoyjIcI5XXTbGHiPwvB-sK75dSF4/edit#gid=0 

A printable list can also be viewed on the next page:

Items (with descriptions)

K

Gr. 1

Gr. 2

Gr. 3

Gr. 4

Gr. 5

Binder, 3-ring, clear view, 1"

X

X

X

X

Binder, 3-ring, clear view, 2"

X

Composition book, soft cover

X

Composition book, hard cover

X

X

X

X

X

Composition book, primary-style

X

Crayons, regular (box, no sharpeners)

X

X

X

X

Crayons, large box

X

Dividers, notebook, 1/5 cut, clear tabs

X

X

Erasers, large, latex free & Eraser Caps

X

X

X

Folders, pocket, 3 hole punched

X

X

X

Glue sticks, non-toxic, purple

X

X

Glue sticks, non-toxic, clear

X

X

X

X

X

Headphones, for computer use

X

X

X

X

X

X

Highlighters, various colors

X

X

Markers, non-toxic, various colors, box

X

X

X

Markers, dry erase, various colors, box

X

X

Notebook, spiral, 1 subject, wide rule

X

Page protectors, plastic

X

Pencil box

X

X

X

X

Pencils, #2 (box)

X

X

X

X

X

Pencils, colored (box)

X

X

X

Pens, ball point, black (box)

X

Pens, ball point, red (box)

X

Pouch, zippered for binder use

X

X

X

Ruler, 12", millimeters/inches

X

X

Scissors, blue tip

X

X

Scissors, pointed

X

X

Sticky Notes, 3"x5" (pack)

X

X

X

STAFF UPDATES

We say farewell to some Greencastle family members who are seeking new opportunities for professional growth or personal/family changes. We are sad to see them go, but we wish them well on their new journeys:

We wish each of them the very best on their new adventures!

The following changes are happening in-house:

We are excited to welcome our New Knight family members!  

We are still in the process of hiring a part-time (.5) music teacher, a part-time (0.5) special education teacher, a paraeducator, and a building services assistant manager.

STUDENT HANDBOOKS

Available at this website (https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/students/rights/) are the MCPS handbooks for:

All handbooks are available in English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, and Amharic.

TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT 

Families in need of support with MCPS technology can utilize the Community Tech Support Portal (https://montgomery.service-now.com/csm) and the Community Tech Support Portal Support Guide: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cczbhEXF7x3TBquSMQGUGsxIcqsm_BtG2KBBi_bA0_0/preview. 

VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS 

State law requires all Maryland students who are new to MCPS to provide documentation about required vaccinations. Please note this is pre-existing law and does not include anything related to COVID at this time. The law requires that families provide proof of vaccinations within 20 days of the first day of school.

Parents/guardians may contact their healthcare provider for a copy of their children’s vaccination records to verify which vaccinations have been received to date. Families may also view and print their child’s vaccination records at the Maryland Department of Health Center for Immunization website: https://md.myir.net/. All healthcare providers in Maryland are required to record vaccinations administered on ImmuNet, Maryland’s secure immunization information system.

Hard copies of the vaccination records should be submitted to Greencastle’s health room staff. Please note that students who have not provided documentation of required vaccinations to our health room must be excluded from school beginning September 19 until documentation is provided. Please call our health room with any questions.

ANNUAL VERIFICATION OF STUDENT INFORMATION 

Parents/guardians will be able to start updating and adding emergency contact information as soon as they activate their ParentVUE accounts using Synergy Online Registration. This annual verification of student information will include the FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) notification and notice for Directory Withholding. Families will have the option to elect to withhold all or select directory information as in previous years. 

MCPS COMMUNICATION CHANNELS

MCPS connects with families and staff in a variety of ways. You are encouraged to share information from our newsletters and social media channels.

QuickNotes:   A newsletter emailed to all families every other week. Find the latest edition here.

QuickNotes is also available in other languages to share with multilingual families:

Español (Spanish)                 中文 (Chinese)                  Français (French)               한국어 (Korean)

         Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)           አማርኛ (Amharic)               português (Portuguese)

Ask MCPS / Spanish Hotline

General information about MCPS Call: 240-740-3000 | Spanish Hotline: 240-740-2845

E-mail: ASKMCPS@mcpsmd.org

Social Media - Connect With Us

MCPS:                        MCPS en Español:                        MCPS-TV:

                                                                                

https://twitter.com/mcps        https://twitter.com/mcpsespanol         https://twitter.com/MCPSTV

                                                                                

https://www.facebook.com/mcpsmd         https://www.facebook.com/mcpsespanol     https://www.youtube.com/user/MCPSTV

                                         

https://www.instagram.com/mcps_md/  https://www.youtube.com/user/MCPSTVespanol

Greencastle Elementary School is a global community of lifelong learners that works together to provide a nurturing environment where everyone is respected and empowered to become their best selves.