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Dear South Lake Community, The staff of South Lake Elementary School join me in welcoming all new and returning families to school on Tuesday, September 3rd! There is great excitement for the start of the new year with many new faces. This newsletter will provide you with information about the opening of school, important school year dates, and important rules and policies. Information regarding bus transportation, lunch meal accounts, and recommended school supplies are also posted on our website. Keep this first newsletter handy, as it will answer many of the questions you may have throughout the school year. Please make certain to complete and return all forms sent home with your child during the first week school. It is imperative that we have updated and current information on file in the office. We are pleased that over 250 of K-2 students attended the Extended Learning Opportunities during the month of July. This summer program was designed to help students retain what they have learned and prepare them for the new school year. Over 80 of our upcoming 3-5 graders participated in the STEP enrichment program for a challenging learning experience. Over 100 of our upcoming 3-5 graders attended the BELL program to support them in building their learning skills. What a wonderful summer of learning. Congratulations staff and students for making certain that everyone is prepared for a productive school year. Students and parents will be able to meet their new teachers and visit their classrooms during Open House scheduled on Friday, August 30th from 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. Be sure to join us to learn about Title 1 programs and services. Assistance will be available in completing forms and answering question for the 2019-20 school year. I hope that you are ready and excited about beginning another terrific year at South Lake Elementary. I am confident that with our professional, dedicated and caring school staff and our supportive school community, we can make our school an extraordinary place for students to learn, achieve, and grow. Sincerely, Celeste King
P r i n c i p a l l y S p e a k i n g . . .
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August / S EPT EM B ER 20 1 9
Celeste King Principal
Leah Levy
Assistant Principal
Aaron McKinley
Assistant School
Administrator
Important Dates
Event Date Professional Days for Teachers Mon. 8/26— Fri. 8/30
Open House Fri. 8/30 ~ 2:00 pm—3:00 pm No School Mon. 9/2
First Day of School Tues. 9/3 ~ 9:00 am—3:25 pm Back to School Night Tues. 9/10 ~ 6:30pm—8:00pm
Family Market Tues. 9/24 ~ 5:00 pm
No School Mon. 9/30
Daily Schedule
Arrival Students who walk to school or are dropped off by car should not arrive to school prior to 8:40 a.m. There is no supervision before 8:40 a.m. Students arriving at school by car should be dropped off in the “student drop-off” adjacent to the bus lane no later than 9:00 a.m. Students arriving after 9:05 a.m. must be signed in by an adult in the main office. For safety purposes we ask that students are not dropped off at the curb. Please accompany
your child into the office. Please do not drive into the bus circle as this may back-up our busses and cause unsafe conditions for our
students. It is very important that your child attend school every day. If s/he must be absent, please send a note explaining
why s/he was absent. Unexcused absences will result in attendance letters and calls/visits from the pupil personnel worker.
Breakfast Breakfast will be served to all students each morning from 8:40 - 9:00 a.m. at no cost. Students arriving to
school after 9:00 a.m. will not receive breakfast. The instructional day begins promptly at 9:05 a.m.
Dismissal Students will be dismissed from their classrooms at 3:25 p.m via our Silent Dismissal system. The
announcements flash on the classroom Promethean board screen to alert students and staff when a group is dismissed.
Walkers and car riders will be dismissed by grade level. If you are picking up a walker, please wait outside the building until your child is dismissed.
Kindergarten walkers will be dismissed through the doors closest to the parking lot in the rear of the building; Pre-K/ Head Start and second grade walkers will be dismissed through the front doors closest to the flag pole; all other walkers will be dismissed through the front doors closest to the main office.
Car riders should be picked up in the “student drop-off.” If you are picking up your child by car, please do not park or leave your car unattended as this causes unsafe conditions for all.
Students are not permitted to walk across driveways or streets without an adult. Buses will be dismissed in the order in which they arrive at school. There should be
an adult waiting for your child at their designated bus stop in your neighborhood. Be sure to take a close look at the bus schedules if your child will ride a bus to and/
or from school. Review the bus color with your child so he/she knows which bus to ride. Please be sure to create an emergency plan just in case you are running late. There will be no supervision for
your child after school. It is the responsibility of parents to provide the school office in writing, the name of any person who will pick up
their child(ren) at any time during the school day or at dismissal. Students will not be released to ANYONE not listed on the Emergency Information Form or without a note from their parent/guardian. A photo ID is required to release students from school to anyone other than a parent.
If your child needs to leave school early, we must receive a written note in the morning. If you need to pick up your child early, please come to the office by 3:05 p.m. After this time, students will only be dismissed at 3:25 p.m. Students must be signed out of the building by an authorized adult before being dismissed early.
Hands on Safety
Safety Preparedness Throughout the school year every school in the county is required to have drills designed to show
students what to do in the event of an emergency. We conduct a fire drill to ensure that all students
know how to vacate the building in a safe and timely manner. Attendance is taken outside until all
students and staff have been accounted for. Parents are asked not to approach the building or their
child if there is a drill in progress.
Lock down and Shelter Drills These drills occur periodically throughout the school year. These drills are to instruct students what
they are to do in the event that an emergency situation should occur near or in the school. There are
very specific instructions for students and staff should an unlikely event occur during the school day.
If you see a sign on the door that reads “Drill in Place” you will need to wait until the drill ends
before being permitted to enter the building. During a “Lockdown” drill no one is permitted to enter
or leave the building. During a “Shelter” drill the doors are secured but instruction continues to take
place as usual within the building. These drills are to make certain in the event of an unlikely
occurrence, staff and students will be prepared and know how to stay safe.
Entering the Building All visitors will be buzzed into the building to enter the office. Once inside the office, they will be
required to show ID and if they are going into the school, will be signed into the Visitor Management
System. All visitors required to enter the school through the office and to be signed in. They will also
be required to sign out when they leave the building. Montgomery County Public Schools has put this
system in place to ensure the safety of all students and staff.
Emergency Contact Information We implore parents to keep their contact information current and accurate. It is so important that
the office have current working phone numbers for parents and the
designated emergency contact. Whether you have a sick child, or your
child has an appointment, or in the event of an emergency, if you send
someone to pick up your child that does not have authorization and
identification, we will not permit your child to go with that person.
PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION IS
ALWAYS UP TO DATE!
Attendance Policy It is the policy of South Lake Elementary that all
students attend school on-time every day.
Absences from school, other than illness, are
discouraged. Parents must send a note to school
explaining the reason for their child’s absence.
A doctor’s note is required after an absence of more
than 3 days. If your child will be missing school,
please call the school AND send in a note the next
day. If your child has a fever or is vomiting, please
keep them home to avoid spreading illness.
To avoid loss of instructional time, attempt to
schedule medical appointments before or after
school hours when possible.
If your child will be out of school for 15 or more
school days, they will be withdrawn from school
and will need to re-enrolled upon their return.
Vacations are not considered excused absences. à
Please call the office if an emergency arises that will
prevent your child from coming to school
Our motto at South Lake is “Attend to Achieve!”
Cell Phone Use Students are not permitted
to make or receive phone calls on cell phones during the school day. Emergency messages only will be deliv-ered to students by the of-fice staff. Changes in the way a student is to go home must be sent to school in writing. We cannot call into the classroom after 2:30 p.m. to change the way in which you wish your child to go home as it disrupts classroom instruction and dismissal procedures. In the event of an emergency, you can fax the office a note with the change in your child’s dismissal at 301-840-4549.
Cell phones are not permit-ted in school without the ex-plicit consent of the princi-pal. Requests must be made by parents in writing. If stu-dents bring a cell phone to school without permission, the phone will be confiscat-ed. Cell phones will not be returned to the student at the end of the day. Parents must come to the office to pick them up.
How important is attendance?
Attendance is important because students are more likely to succeed in academics when they attend school
consistently. It’s difficult for the teacher and the class to build their skills and progress if a large number of
students are frequently absent. In addition to falling behind in academics, students who are not in school on a
regular basis are more likely to get into trouble with the law and cause problems in their communities.
A 2008 study conducted by the Rodel Community Scholars at Arizona State University that tracked students
from kindergarten through high school found that dropout patterns were linked with poor attendance,
beginning in kindergarten. Gregory Hickman, director of the Rodel Community Scholars program and former
director of the Arizona Dropout Initiative, notes they discovered that as early as kindergarten, behavioral
differences are apparent between those who go on to graduate and those who drop out, with dropouts
missing an average of 124 days by eighth grade.
School budgets may suffer when students don’t attend. In many states, school budgets are based on the
average daily attendance at a
school. If many students enrolled
at a school fail to consistently
attend, the school has less money
to pay for essential classroom
needs.
When do you know that a
student is missing too much
school?
Based on new research from the Baltimore
Education Research Consortium, it’s
possible to know as soon as September
that students are missing too much school.
Absenteeism in the first month of
school predicts poor attendance
patterns throughout the year and
provides an early warning sign according to researcher Linda S. Olson. Olson examined attendance in the
Baltimore City Public Schools for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade students in September and
throughout the rest of the 2012-13 school year.
The study found:
• Students who missed fewer than 2 days in September typically had good attendance for the rest of the
year.
• Half the students who missed 2-4 days in September went on to miss a month or more of school.
• Nearly 9 out of 10 students who missed more than 4 days in September were chronically absent that year.
How can we help?
South Lake staff is here to help ensure your child receives a consistent high-quality education. In addition to
teachers and administrators, we have several staff that can work with you to ensure consistent attendance.
Mr. Tony Maturana, Pupil Personnel worker
Mrs. Dary Herrera-Jurado, Parent Community Coordinator
Ms. Maria Romero, Parent Community Coordinator
Please contact us if you have any questions or need assistance. We are looking forward to a fantastic school
year with all students having consistent attendance!
The Six Tenets of Effective Communication
The communication process at South Lake is essential to having a wonderful experience in our school community. It is imperative to follow some basic tenets of communication to maintain quality, honest relationships that are proactive and responsive to any challenges we may encounter. Suspend Judgment: When you hear about a concern, please immediately share what
you heard as objectively as possible and seek to get clarifying information regarding the information that was shared.
First Contact the Primary Person Involved with the Concern: If an incident occurs in
math, please contact the math teacher to investigate the concern brought to your attention. Always try to start with the individual who is the source of the issue.
Follow Up: If you make a phone call or send an e-mail to anyone in our school
community, including the principal, and you do not get a response in 24-48 hours, please alert our office staff immediately. Inform our office staff that you attempted to get in touch with an individual in our school community and you did not hear from them after 48 hours. Please be mindful of holidays, weekends, etc. If there is an emergency situation, please call the office immediately.
Share Your Concern In a Timely Fashion: If something occurs that sounds like a
concern please alert us immediately. This will allow us to investigate the concern and address the issue before it escalates.
If You Have a Question Ask: Any question that clarifies your understanding is an
important and valid question that needs to be addressed. In the event you do not know how to approach a sensitive issue contact your PTA
advocate: I meet with the PTA President on a regular basis as well as stay in constant communication during the week. If you have a concern in which you are not sure how to engage our school community they will be happy to provide confidential guidance on the vehicle and process for addressing your concern.
Silence is detrimental and gossip is counterproductive! If you operate off of the information from one source without obtaining additional information, you will more than likely walk away with limited information that can compromise your emotional wellbeing and the relationships with individuals within our school community. If you embrace the tenets of communication outlined above it will contribute to your having a positive experience in our school community. Thank you ever so much for your continued support and we look forward to working with you this year!
FREE LUNCH! Please sign up for the school year at
MySchoolApps.com.
MySchoolApps.com is now open to submit the 2019-2020 Free
and Reduced Priced meals applications. If you have any ques-
tions, please call 301-284-4900.
BACKPACKS
Through the generosity of businesses, foundations, associations, faith-based organizations, educational institutions, staff, and community members, MCPS has provided
18,534 students with backpacks filled with school supplies to start the school year off . South Lake is a recipient of this generosity. If you are in need of a backpack, please let us know as we have many to share!
FROM THE HEALTH ROOM If your child has a fever or is ill with a
contagious illness or infection or is vomiting, please keep him/her home! Students should be fever-free for 24 hours before returning to school. We don’t want other students to get sick!
Medication(s) can only be administered to your child at school when the form “Administration of Medication to a Pupil” is completed and signed by your child’s physician.
Students may not have prescribed or over- the- counter medications in their possession at any time on school property. Parents must deliver medications to the health room. All medications must be administered to a student in the health room.
Please review good hygiene practices with your child: ~ Wash hands regularly – especially after using the bathroom ~ Cover nose with inside elbow when coughing or sneezing to prevent spreading germs. Use a tissue to blow your nose. ~ Do not share drinks or food with other students as they may have allergies that could make them very ill.
INTERESTED IN LEARNING ENGLISH?
ADULT ESOL
CLASSES ON MONDAY
AND WEDNESDAY
MORNINGS
9:00—11:00 A.M.
IN THE STAFF LOUNGE
CONTACT LINKAGES
TO LEARNING
301-337-3427
________________________________
ADULT ESOL
CLASSES ON
MONDAY AND
WEDNESDAY
EVENINGS
6:00 - 9:00 P.M.
CALL 240-324-6682
OR E-MAIL
Community News and Events
Get up to 30 pounds of free groceries for you and your
family. There will be fresh produce as well as pantry items.
There is a family market once a month during the school
year at South Lake. Please bring your own reusable bags.
Food is on a first come first served basis! We open our doors at 5:00 pm so get here early to get a number and get in
line. Mark your calendar for all the family markets
throughout the year! In the event of inclement weather,
family market will be rescheduled.
PTA Meetings
and Events 2019-2020
September 17th 6-8pm October 15th 6-8pm
November 19th 6-8pm December 10th 6-8pm
January 14th 6-8pm February 11th 6-8pm March 17th 6-8pm April 14th 6-8pm May 12th 6-8pm
Fall Book Fair November 4th—11th
Stay tuned for more
events throughout
the year!
The South Lake Parent-Teacher
Association (PTA)
Welcomes you to another
great school year!
President Nicole Bayles Vice-Presidents Adama Moussa-Harouma & Danielle Sultan Treasurer Leah Levy Secretary Esperanza Raphael
Saturday School Enrollment Open
Registration for the George B. Thomas, Sr. Learning Academy (Saturday School) is open. Saturday School provides academic tutoring and instruction with certified teachers in a nurturing and supportive environment. The program is in 12 school locations across Montgomery County and runs from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. with breakfast provided at 8:00 a.m. To register, go to: https://www.saturdayschool.org/register/
.
ENROLL YOUR CHILD IN PRE-K/HEAD START!
Registration continues through the summer for Prekindergar-ten and Head Start programs for children who will be 4 years old by Sept. 1, 2019. MCPS of-fers a free prekindergarten program in schools throughout the county for income-eligible families. This program gives children the skills and knowledge they need to be ready for kin-dergarten. This fall, MCPS will open an ear-ly childhood center at MacDonald Knolls. Classes on site will in-clude early childhood special edu-cation classes and full-day Pre-kindergarten classes for income eligible four-year-olds. Additional sites throughout the county will also offer full-day Prekindergarten classes. Regis-ter today! Spaces are still avail-able for the 2019-2019 pro-gram. Please call 240-740-4530 for more information.
How to Receive MCPS Emergency Information MCPS Web: Home page http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org Weather-related messages are posted in
English and Spanish. Make MCPS your home page
Text and Email: Alert MCPS—Alert MCPS provides you with emergency information about school
operations via text messages (i.e. SMS text or email messages) to devices you register. Signing up for Alert
MCPS is free, but your wireless carrier may charge you a fee to receive text messages. This service is provided
in collaboration with the Montgomery County government. Weather-related messages are sent in English and
Spanish. Sign up for Alert MCPS http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/emergency/alertmcps.aspx
Text and Web: Twitter A Twitter account allows you to follow MCPS text-message updates on your
computer or on your cell or other mobile device. Twitter updates will include emergency message and other
school system news. http://twitter.com/mcps Follow us on Twitter now https://twitter.com/mcps
TV: MCPS Cable Channels—Emergency announcements are posted on the following cable channels.
Comcast Channel 34 Verizon Fios Channel 36 RCN Channel 89
Telephone Information Line: 301-279-3673 Recorded emergency information. Telephone: Ask MCPS:
240-740-3000 Staff takes calls from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Mondays through Fridays, in English and Spanish.
Web: MCPS Newsfeed Receive alerts and news on your
computer. Subscribe to the MCPS Newsfeed now
TV and Radio: Local Stations Tune in to local TV and radio
stations for information.
Get the latest MCPS Information!
Sign up for Quick Notes for current MCPS
information. Here is a link:
http://news.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/current -
issue-quicknotes/
index/1332612387832009#/signup