Glen Haven Elementary School PTA

This Week and Beyond:    

• Sept 23- 27 – Start with Hello! Spirit week
• Sept 27 – 2nd Cup of Coffee- Merienda- Principal’s Book of the Month (8:40 am – 9:40 am)
• Sept 30- No school for students and teachers
• Oct 1 – Parent Information Session/PTA Meeting (6:30 pm – 8 pm)
• Oct 1-31 – Kids Helping Kids food drive!
• Oct 2 – National Custodial Worker’s Recognition Day; Drama Club parent meeting (5:30 pm – 6:30 pm)
• Oct 4 – Early release day for all students (12:55 pm)

Announcements:

• Start with Hello! Spirit week is September 23-27. Social isolation is the overwhelming feeling of being left out, lonely or treated like you are invisible. Young people who are isolated can become victims of bullying, violence and depression. As a result, many further pull away from society, struggle with learning and social development, or choose to hurt themselves or others. We can change this! Sandy Hook Promise’s Start With Hello Week is this September 23–27, 2019. Start With Hello brings attention to the growing epidemic of social isolation and empowers young people to create a culture of inclusion and connectedness within their school, youth organization and community.
  • Monday Sept 23: Say “Hello” day. Wear green! Students will receive a nametag. Make a point to greet everyone by name today.
  • Tuesday Sept 24: Random Acts of Kindness day. Teachers will be on the lookout for acts of kindness today! Examples could include: giving a compliment; inviting someone to play; helping someone with their things; holding the door for someone. What are some other ways you can be kind?
  • Wednesday Sept 25: Free to be Me day. Wear something that shows everyone what you love (i.e., a favorite team, favorite show or game, favorite animal, favorite color).
  • Thursday Sept 26: Mix It Up day. Wear “mixed up” clothes. Sit with someone new at lunch. Invite someone new to play at recess. Do something new!
  • Friday Sept 27: Glen Haven Community day. YOU are an important part of our community! Wear GHES gear or green/blue. Show that everyone belongs at GHES!

• First Parent Information Session/PTA Meeting: Please join us Tuesday October 1 for our first Parent Information Session/PTA Meeting of the year! We hope all families will be able to join us Tuesday evening- FREE pizza will be served at 6:30 PM and the presentation/meeting begins at 7:00 PM. Alphabest will provide supervision for school-age children from 7-8PM. ***PTA meetings are hosted by the PTA and OPEN TO EVERYONE- membership is not required to attend!!***
  • Wanna join the team? We are still looking for volunteers to lead Membership, Audit, or Read-a-Thon; and to serve as a Delegate to the larger regional PTA or bilingual volunteers for the Translation committee.
  • For your future planning: Parent Information Sessions/PTA Meetings convene on the first Tuesday of the month, unless otherwise noted.
    • Save the dates! Oct 1, Nov 5, Dec 3, Jan 7, Feb 4, Mar 3, Apr 14, May 5, Jun 2

 

 

•  Meet the new PTA Leadership for 2019-2020

Glen Haven PTA Leadership Team – 2019-20
Position	Serving
Executive Committee
President	Larry Finkelberg
Vice President	Jessica Sniffin & John Nangle
Vice President – Communications	Katie Campana-Scherer
Treasurer	Catherine Beaudette
Secretary	Heather Ginn
Delegates	Doug Ryan & co-Delegate
Committee/Task Leads
Membership	VACANT
Staff Appreciation	Laura Ortiz
Translation	Marco Molina et al.
Room Parents	Amy Richardson & Liana Black-Knight
After School Activities	Betsy Rakola
Fundraising and Community Events	Heather Ginn & Catherine Beaudette
–Fundraising. and Community Events activities:
Book Fairs	Suzanne Feinspan & Roxana Finkelburg
Movie Nights	Karin Fleschner & Marianne Toussaint
Spirit Wear	Corinna Burnham
Dine Out Nights	Olga Yakimakho
2nd Cup of Coffee	Matthew Rakola
Box Tops	Jeanane Pierre Louis
Election Day Bake Sale (2020 Primary)	Scott MacRae
Sweep the Creek	Matthew Rakola
Read-A-Thon	VACANT

• Kids Helping Kids food drive! For the entire month of October, our school will be collecting non-perishable food items to help fight hunger in Montgomery County. Donations go to Manna Food Center. Most needed items include:

 

• • Grains: instant oatmeal packets (original); brown rice; whole grain pastas
  • Proteins: tuna, salmon, chicken (in water); dry/canned beans (low sodium); natural nut butters
  • Fruits and veggies: canned vegetables (low sodium); canned fruit (in juice); fruit cups
  • Other healthy items: shelf-stable, individual milk boxes; cooking oils and spices; instant formula and baby food
• Positive Communication With Your Child. Is it difficult to interact with your child? During this workshop, you will learn strategies to strengthen family communication, explore techniques to understand verbal cues, and establish age appropriate expectations for behavior and consequences. Presented by Parent Assistant Resource (PAR). Recommended for families of elementary, middle, and high school students. Join us Wednesday November 20 for Parent Academy: Positive Communication (GHES Media Center; 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm).

Reminders:

• School Hours are 9:00 am – 3:25 pm (doors open at 8:40).       Please be mindful that instruction for students begins at 9 am. Because we want to assure that students have the entire school day to use for lessons and school work, parents who need to be in the building at or after 9 am will need a guest sticker.

• MCPS provides meals for students with negative account balances through Dine with Dignity program. Launched in November 2018, the Dine with Dignity program allows students with negative account balances to enjoy traditional breakfast and lunch choices at no cost. Families will be asked to pay off, or to contribute within their means when they can, toward the outstanding balance on their student’s lunch account; the Dine with Dignity Fund pays the remainder. Community members who would like to contribute to the Dine with Dignity Fund can donate online at: https://www.mcpsfoundation.org/pages/our-programs/dine-with-dignity-program

Other ways to help out the PTA:

• Help our PTA by purchasing items with the Box Tops for Education logo then clip and send them to school to be collected.  The classroom that submits the most Box Tops each month will celebrate with a popcorn party and an overall winner will get a class pizza party at the end of the school year!
• Sign up for eScrip at escrip.com earn special savings for you and money for the Glen Haven PTA.
• We now have a new way to support your Glen Haven PTA! If you shop on Amazon, use our Amazon Smile link (https://smile.amazon.com/ch/52-6018965) to donate some of the proceeds for your purchase to Glen Haven PTA. You’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate 0.5% of your purchase to the Glen Haven PTA!
• Register your Giant card at https://giantfood.com/school-rewards/.  For each purchase that you make, Giant will donate to Glen Haven Elementary.

Class Dojo:  Please make sure you set up a Class Dojo account for your child.  Your child’s teacher has the information regarding how to set this up or you can click on this link- https://classdojo.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/205417305-Create-a-Parent-Account#web. The school uses Class Dojo for most communications so it is very important for you to have access to your child’s account and check for announcements daily.

Like us on Facebook!  Glen Haven PTA @glenhavenpta (https://www.facebook.com/glenhavenpta/)

Community Events and News:

Story Time at the National Postal Museum. Taking place every Monday, the program includes a book reading and activities for little ones in the museum’s education space. Stay to explore the rest of the museum, which is full of interactive exhibits that all ages can enjoy. Story Time is at 10:30am and repeated at 11am. Admission is free. Check out their calendar: https://postalmuseum.si.edu/visit/calendar.html

Montgomery Parks Programs and Activities – Montgomery County Recreation and Montgomery Parks have hundreds of exciting programs and classes to promote active and healthy lifestyles. For more information, visit ActiveMONTGOMERY (https://apm.activecommunities.com/montgomerycounty).

Local Libraries

(http://host.evanced.info/montgomerycountymd/evanced/eventcalendar)

Silver Spring Library

Special Events:

 

• Early Learning with the Infants and Toddlers Program (10/07 at 10:30 am).  Does your child have difficulty following the activity of a typical storytime? Montgomery County Infants and Toddlers will present a special early learning program for 24 months- 4 years for a very limited group of families. Please register starting September 30th (8pm) for an eight week session. Families will be expected to attend all eight sessions. 5th floor program room.

 

 

Ongoing:

 

• Chess Club (Tuesdays at 3:00 pm)
• Baby Storytime (Tuesdays at 10:30 am and 11:30 am)
• Preschool Story Time (Tuesdays 1:30 pm)
• Pajama Story Time (Tuesdays 6:30 pm)
• Toddler Story Time (Wednesdays at 10:30 am and 11:30 am)
• Lego Weekend Play (Saturdays at 12:30 pm; Sundays at 1 pm)

 

 

Wheaton Library

Ongoing:

• • Toddler Storytime (Wednesdays at 10:30 am)
  • Building Block Time (Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:30 am)

 

Kensington Park Library

Special Events:

 

• Yoga and Mindfulness for Preschoolers (10/05 at 10:30 am). For ages 2-5 and their families. Bring your own mat or towel as there will only be a limited supply available. Join us for 45 minutes of uninterrupted, tech-free family time in which every single person gets to stretch, move, laugh and relax. This Yoga event is presented by Starlight Family Yoga.
• Yoga and Mindfulness for Elementary Age (10/05 at 11:30 am).  For ages 6-10 and their families. Bring your own mat or towel as there will only be a limited supply available. Join us for 45 minutes of uninterrupted, tech-free family time in which every single person gets to stretch, move, laugh and relax. This Yoga event is presented by Starlight Family Yoga.

• Ongoing:

• Pajama Storytime (Mondays at 7 pm)
• Chess Club (Tuesdays at 6 pm)
• Storytime for Babies (Wednesdays at 10:30 am)

• • Homework Help (Thursdays at 5:30 pm)

 

 

 

——————————–

School Information for Parents:

Parent guides to the Elementary school curriculum: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/elementary/guides.aspx
The MCPS Parent Academy – The Parent Academy is designed to inform and empower families as advocates and partners in their children’s education. Workshops provide families useful information that will help them support their children’s academic and social-emotional well-being, as well as helping them to be college and career ready. Sign up for FREE workshops at www.mcpsparentacademy.org

Student safety: As parents and caregivers, we often have questions about student safety. You can find information about how Montgomery County Public Schools approaches student safety at https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/publicinfo/community/school-year-2018-2019/Ensuring-Student-Safety.html

A Look Ahead:

• Oct 9 – No school for students and teachers
• Oct 14 – Columbus Day: Open house for parents & guardians (9 am – 11 am)
• Oct 17 – Fall Academic Night (6:30 pm – 8 pm)
• Oct 25 – 2nd Cup of Coffee- Merienda- Principal’s Book of the Month (8:40 am – 9:40 am)
• Oct 23-31 – Red Ribbon week
• November is Military Family month!!
• Nov 5 – Parent Information Session/PTA Meeting (6:30 pm – 8 pm)
• Nov 8 – Early release day for all students (12:55 pm)
• Nov 11 & 12 – Early release days for all students (12:55 pm); Parent-Teacher conferences
• Nov 20 – Parent Academy: Positive Communication (GHES Media Center
• 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm);Report cards distributed
• Nov 22 – 2nd Cup of Coffee- Merienda- Principal’s Book of the Month (8:40 am – 9:40 am)
• Nov 25 – Coat Drive begins!!
• Nov 26 – International Night (6:30 pm – 8 pm)
• Nov 27 – Early release day for all students (12:55 pm)
• Nov 28 & 29 – Thanksgiving; offices and schools closed
• Dec 3 – Parent Information Session/PTA Meeting (6:30 pm – 8 pm)
• Dec 16-20 – PBIS Spirit week
• Dec 20 – 2nd Cup of Coffee- Merienda- Principal’s Book of the Month (8:40 am – 9:40 am); Winter Sing-a-Long (Prek-2nd; 2 pm – 2:45 pm); Winter Wonderland class activities (2:45 pm – 3:15 pm)
• Dec 23-31 – Winter break: No school for students and teachers; Offices closed Dec 24-25
• Jan 1 – New Year’s Day: offices and schools closed
• Jan 7 – Parent Information Session/PTA Meeting (6:30 pm – 8 pm)
• Jan 14 – Winter Concert (6:30 pm – 8 pm)
• Jan 20 – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day: offices and schools closed
• Jan 24 – Early release day for all students (12:55 pm); 2nd Cup of Coffee- Merienda- Principal’s Book of the Month (8:40 am – 9:40 am)
• Jan 27 – Professional day for teachers; no school for students
• Jan 27-31 – The Great Kindness Challenge
• Feb 4 – Parent Information Session/PTA Meeting (6:30 pm – 8 pm); Report cards distributed
• Feb 7 – Drama Club Carnival!! (6:30 pm – 8:30 pm)
• Feb 17 – President’s Day: offices and schools closed
• Feb 28 – Early release day for all students (12:55 pm); 2nd Cup of Coffee- Merienda- Principal’s Book of the Month (8:40 am – 9:40 am)
• March is the Month of the Military Caregiver!!
• Mar 3 – Parent Information Session/PTA Meeting (6:30 pm – 8 pm)
• Mar 27 – Early release day for all students (12:55 pm); 2nd Cup of Coffee- Merienda- Principal’s Book of the Month (8:40 am – 9:40 am)
• Mar 30-April 3 – College and Career Awareness week!!
• April is the Month of the Military Child!!
• April 2 – Light it Up Blue (Autism awareness)
• April 3 – Career Day (9:15 am – 11:15 am); STEAM Day (1:15 pm – 3:15 pm)
• Apr 6-13 Spring Break: No school for students and teachers; Offices closed April 10 and 13
• April 14 – Parent Information Session/PTA Meeting (6:30 pm – 8 pm); National Assistant Principal’s Day!!
• April 15 – Drama Club parent meeting (7:30 pm – 8 pm); Report cards distributed
• April 22 – Secretaries Day!!
• April 23 – Take your Child to Work day!!
• April 24 – 2nd Cup of Coffee- Merienda- Principal’s Book of the Month (8:40 am – 9:40 am); Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast (9:45 am – 10:45 am)
• April 28 – No school for students and teachers
• April 30 – Spring Academic Night (6:30 pm – 8 pm)
• May is National Military Appreciation Month and Children’s Mental Health Month!!
• May 1 – School Principal’s Day!!
• May 4-8 – Teacher Appreciation Week!!
• May 5 ­- Parent Information Session/PTA Meeting (6:30 pm – 8 pm)
• May 6 – National School Nurse Day!
• May 12 – Spring Concert (6:30 pm – 8 pm)
• May 22 – Drama Club performance (7pm – 8:30 pm)
• May 25 – Memorial Day: Offices and schools closed
• May 29 – Drama Club performance (7pm – 8:30 pm)
• June 2 – PreK-2^nd Field Day; Parent Information Session/PTA Meeting (6:30 pm – 8 pm)
• June 3 – 3-5 Field Day
• June 10 – Pre- K Promotion Celebration (9:30 am – 10:30 am)
• June 11 – Grades 1 & 2 Awards Assembly (2 pm – 3 pm); Grades 3 & 4 Awards Assembly & Picnic (9:30 am – 10:30 am); Grade 5 Promotion (6:30 pm – 8 pm)
• June 12 – Kindergarten Promotion & Picnic (10 am – 11 am)
• June 15 – Last day of school for students!!! Early release day for all students (12:55 pm)
• June 16 – Professional day for teachers
• **June 23 – Report cards mailed home