MESSAGE FROM OUR PRINCIPAL:
Hello, UMS Families!
I hope this newsletter finds you and your family doing well. We have now been in distance learning for 6 weeks and we are missing everyone!
By now, you have heard that (Governor Hogan/Dr. Salmon) all Maryland public schools including Frederick County public schools will remain closed for the remainder of the school year. Distance learning will continue. While many of us anticipated this announcement, the reality and final decision comes with much sadness and many mixed emotions.
This week we celebrated our teachers and staff during Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week. While traditionally we celebrate our staff all week, this year, we could not be physically together. Administration sent out 2 videos of appreciation (one with sentiments from our parents/community & the other from our Administrative team), our counselors created a video with student submissions, and our wonderful PTSA also sent out suggestions to recognize our talented staff. I sincerely appreciate all of the messages you have sent this week. Many messages have brought tears to our eyes and I cannot convey in words how much we miss our students and staff. Our teacher's dedication and commitment to our students remain high during this unprecedented time. I am so proud of the work they are doing and the collaboration that occurs during virtual meetings. We continue to adjust our virtual instruction and while at times things may be frustrating, please remember this is the first time we have ever had to do this. Our staff is balancing home and work demands like our students and families. We continue to refine our practice based on our student/parent feedback. I am proud of our students and our families who are also juggling a myriad of responsibilities at home. My heart breaks for our families who have been impacted by this COVID pandemic, including our essential workers who are on the front line. I am sad for our students, especially our 8th graders (and our seniors in high school). All of our students and teachers continue to be on my mind and there have been many sleepless nights as I think about everything we are missing and how difficult this time has been for everyone. While the future remains uncertain, I encourage you to channel your Hawk Pride & continue to do your best during this time. Continue to explore how you can support your family and community. Our community is innovative and extremely supportive and there are so many ways for you to contribute while maintaining social distancing. Continue to work with your teachers and do everything you can to keep your grades high and end the year strong. For those having difficulty, please know we will work together to fill the gaps when we return to the building. Please reach out to us so we can provide additional supports to assist.
Thank you for your continued patience, partnership, and support during this time. I know we are all looking forward to returning to a sense of normalcy as soon as it is safe to do so. Sending everyone a virtual hug and cheers of support for everything our students, teachers, and families have accomplished during this unprecedented time.
Future decisions related to the operation of schools and school-related activities will be determined by the indicators in the Governor's Roadmap to Recovery and the guidance in the Maryland State Department of Education's Recovery Plan for Education.
We know you have many questions, and FCPS will continue to post updates as new information becomes available. www.fcps.org/update.
We will also continue to send FindOutFirst emails. If you know of any parents that are not receiving these notices, please encourage them to contact their school and ensure their email address is on file. A FOF account is generated based on the contact information we have for our families. All of our UMS correspondence is also archived on our website if you have missed any publications or need to refer back to prior information.
A MESSAGE FROM OUR SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST: I hope you are all safe and healthy. I started a blog where I will post important and helpful resources/articles for parents and staff. I will also have appointments available everyday between 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. to meet virtually with parents and staff in order to answer questions or address other concerns about students.
Meetings will take place via Google Meet or over the phone. If you are interested in setting up an appointment, please email me directly at erica.truexchun@fcps.org.
The blog address is: https://schoolbunny.edublogs.org/
I look forward to hearing from you!
Erica Truex Chung FCPS School Psychologist
YEARBOOKS: Students will be receiving yearbooks - please see this last opportunity to purchase one.
AWARD CELEBRATIONS:
We will celebrate our students with end of the year Virtual Award Celebrations. Please stay tuned for more information. While we cannot be together, we do want to make sure our students receive their award certificates and recognition for this school year.
INTERIM DATE:
LAST DAY OF SCHOOL:
FREE WI-FI IN COUNTY:
MEAL SERVICES & LOCATIONS:
A MESSAGE FROM OUR UMS CAFETERIA STAFF:
We miss all our UMS students, we wish you all well, and good luck to our 8th graders as they transition to high school next year!
Sharon Eburg UMS cafeteria manager
PANDEMIC BENEFIT TRANSFER FUND(S):
http://education.fcps.org/ums/
3511 Pontius Court Ijamsville, MD 21754 240-566-9200 Fax 240-566-9201