ADMINISTRATIVE NOTES:
SEVERE WEATHER INFORMATION - As snowy weather approaches, this is an important reminder about FCPS emergency communication.
Watch our award-winning Weather Delays and Closings video, and read more here: http://www.fcps.org/weather. After making the decision to close for snow or other emergencies, FCPS uses MANY ways to communicate! This is partly because emergency conditions can compromise any of the methods used.
Here are places to check:
IF YOU WANT TO GET SNOW-CLOSING TEXTS VIA PHONE, BE SURE YOU HAVE ENTERED YOUR MOBILE PHONE NUMBER/CARRIER AND VERIFICATION CODE IN FOF.*
Afterschool and Weekend Activities: Generally, when schools are closed due to inclement weather, school-sponsored after-school and evening activities are canceled or postponed.
On non-school days when the Snow Emergency Plan is in effect in Frederick County, unless the Superintendent grants a waiver, all after-school, evening and weekend programs and activities are canceled or postponed, including events scheduled by outside user groups.
Exceptions: Frederick County Parks and Recreation programs operating in community gyms at schools and daycare programs operating in schools (such as YMCA before- and afterschool programs) independently make and communicate their decisions regarding schedule modifications. For Frederick County Parks and Recreation program updates, call 301-600-6291.
For Snow Emergency Plan status, tune to local radio or visit the Maryland Department of Transportation website: http://www.chart.state.md.us/StormInfo/snow_emergency_plans.asp Here are links to fliers and FCPS Regulations: How to Check School Status: English Spanish
How FCPS Decides to Cancel or Delay Schools During Bad Weather
Reg. 400-2 Closing Schools Due to Weather, Maintenance, etc Reg. 400-42 Weather Guidelines for Outside Activities
Emergency Lunches During Inclement Weather Events
The FCPS Calendar Handbook (page 5) lists information about half-day pre-k and FCPS Career and Technology Center (CTC) delays.
*To log in to your FOF account to add your mobile phone/carrier, go to www.fcps.org/fof. The Forgotten Password feature will email you a link to re-set your password. Your default username is the email address the school has on file in your child's eSchool record. *A final note: Emergency closing notices are sent from the FCPS Central Office only, not from schools.
KINDNESS T-SHIRTS - If you missed the opportunity to support our Rachel's Challenge Program and purchase an orange KINDNESS T-shirt in the last round of sales, you can still get one in December! Each shirt is $15. Please visit the PTSA website at www.umsptsa.org to purchase yours now! Ordering began on December 1 and will run through December 15.
T-shirts will be delivered to students in their 7th period classrooms on January 3rd.
12 DAYS OF UMS: Students are invited to join in our "Annual 12 Days of UMS. Beginning Today there will be a daily theme for students and staff to follow as desired. The 12 days culminates with our highly anticipated Annual Students vs. Staff Basketball game!
The themes are as follows:
CLUB INFORMATION - Our 2019-20 after-school clubs/activities are up and running! Current student club information is currently available to students on our bulletin board outside the front office. The following clubs are underway!
LOST & FOUND - We have many items in our Lost and Found bin located in the cafeteria. Students have an opportunity each day during their lunch shift to look for missing items. Items not claimed at the end of each term will be donated to a local charity approximately 2 weeks following the term's end.
FIND OUT FIRST - If you miss any of our FOF notices or are new to FOF, please know that all of our community publications are also archived on our UMS website.
PTSA MEMBERSHIP - Our PTSA membership is growing and we still need you as a member! Our PTSA provides incredible support to our families and feeder throughout the school year. Please consider joining the UMS PTSA this school year!
INTERPRETOR SERVICES - If you require interpreting services for any school event, including our upcoming concerts, spring performances, conferences, meetings, field trips, etc., please contact Mrs. Mitnick at Tamera.Mitnick@fcps.org at least 10 business days in advance.
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS & REQUIRED NOTICES:
Again this month, as required by FCPS Policy, I am sharing the required annual announcements to parents and students. Below, please find important information related to our school campus and normal operating procedures. If at any time you have questions regarding this information, please don’t hesitate to contact Administration with your concern.
FCPS Policy Updates and FYI: Books/Materials/Equipment:
Students are responsible for the careful use and protection of any books, materials, and equipment loaned or assigned to them. Students are responsible for returning these items in good condition, allowing for normal usage, at the end of the year or end of classroom use. If students do not comply with this procedure, the individual will be assessed a fee to cover the loss or damage. Our students have traditionally done an excellent job in this area and I anticipate the same this year.
Smoking:
Please be aware that there is a 24 hour/7 days a week smoking ban on all school property.
Weapons/Pagers/Laser Pointers:
Please remind your children that knives, firearms, and any other weapons or “look alikes”, portable pagers, as well as laser pointers are forbidden on school property at all times. Per FCPS Regulation # 200-29: It is unlawful for students to possess or use any weapon on school property. Students who have or use a weapon on school property will be suspended from school, and the police will be notified of the incident. A weapon is any object designed to harm another physically or an object which is used in a way that can physically harm another. This school is committed to providing each of you with a safe environment, and we will do all we can to carry out that responsibility including, if necessary, conducting searches of student lockers.
If you SEE something, SAY something! Don’t Repost it. REPORT IT!
We encourage students to report security concerns to a trusted adult (parent, school staff member, school administrator, SRO, Counselor, or local law enforcement agency. Students may also anonymously report concerns using the Safe Schools Maryland Tip Line at 833-MD-B-SAFE or https://www.safeschoolsmd.org/. In an emergency, call 911.
Safety:
Our school has monthly evacuation/fire drills to prepare our students and staff for an emergency situation. Not all of these fire drills occur on warm sunny days. If you are in the building during a fire drill, we ask that you evacuate the building promptly. In addition to fire drills, we also have severe weather drills, alternate drills such as lock down drills, as well as bus evacuation drills twice a year to familiarize the students with a bus emergency and an alternative exit. The bus drills and severe weather drills are held in the fall and spring. Please see the FCPS Calendar Handbook for complete details on school policies and regulations.
Online Free and Reduced Meal Application:
The Free and Reduced Meal application is now online. Families can apply online and the approval process is faster because the information is submitted directly to FCPS. All students received a paper application the first day of school and applicants must reapply each school year.
Typically our UMS newsletter is published monthly on the 1st Thursday of each month. For time sensitive information, we will continue to send FOF Notices. The monthly newsletter will also include a calendar of UMS events. All of our newsletters and notices are archived on our UMS website. Because we will just be returning from Winter Break on Thursday, January 2nd, our next newsletter will be published a week later on January 9, 2020. We hope you have a wonderful and joyous Holiday Season and relaxing Winter Break!
Alternative Fundraiser: THANK YOU to the parents who have already made generous donations to this effort to avoid fundraiser events and activities! With your help, we have now received close to $4000 so far which is a fantastic start to reaching our $15,000 goal! Remember, we're raising funds necessary to run programs and initiatives to support ALL UMS Students. If everyone contributed just $25, we can get there in no time! Please click HERE to make an easy and QUICK online contribution.
Remember to support Rachel's Challenge and purchase a Kindness Changes Everything T-shirt for your student. (see details above)
*Please join us at our next PTSA General Meeting, Tuesday, January 21st @ 7 PM in the UMS Media Center.
SAVE THE DATE for the following Awesome UMS PTSA Community Events:
2/14/19: Family Bingo Night- UMS- 7pm
3/12/19: Urbana Community Heritage Night- UMS 6pm
4/24/19: Harlem Wizards Community Event!
For details about events, volunteering, daily morning announcements, and fundraisers, please visit www.umsptsa.org
http://education.fcps.org/ums/
3511 Pontius Court Ijamsville, MD 21754 240-566-9200 Fax 240-566-9201