The School Improvement Plan (SIP) team met last week to analyze data from mid-year assessments and to discuss progress on our goals. Mid-year assessments help us to know whether student learning is on track. We noticed that a greater number of students showed growth from the beginning of the year in reading, math, and language usage, but a lesser percent of students met their individualized growth goals. You can help to support student learning by prioritizing reading and practicing math concepts every day. Find opportunities in your child’s environment that help them to apply their skills (reading signs, billboards, fliers, menus; writing shopping lists, thank you notes, copying a recipe; counting money, telling time, estimating a bill, calculating a tip). Your child’s teachers can also offer suggestions if you need help with this.
Our data show other areas that need our attention as well. At this time, student attendance lags behind FCPS in all grades but 8th (RADAR, 2/01/23). Regular attendance promotes continuity of learning by mitigating gaps (due to missing out on new learning) or delayed mastery. Tardy arrivals continue to be a problem. There were 325 tardy arrivals in January; 1,437 year-to-date. Each tardy arrival represents a disruption to the front office as well as to the classroom. Students who arrive late do not experience the same opportunity for getting in and settled as their classmates. They miss out on the routine that their teachers have established, which is of course an integral feature of the Montessori prepared environment.
Our school survey data showed that students identified self-management as an area of need. Students would benefit from explicit instruction and modeling of these skills. One of the best recommendations I can make is to limit time in front of screens. This includes video games, social media, internet, etc. Electronic media are designed to be addictive and “the effect of social media on things like self-esteem, sleep and well-being are profound and not positive” (Dr. Pamela Cantor). Students of all ages should be actively engaged in nature, sports, dance, and anything that gets them up and moving and interacting with others. Here are some interesting articles I’ve heard or read recently. One is about teens ditching their smartphones (NYT) and the other is about students and anxiety (NPR). Finally, this website explores nature deficit disorder and the importance of being out in the natural world.
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On February 1st, a team of staff, parents, and students went to Annapolis to advocate on behalf of Frederick County Charter Schools. Parents Allison Rizzo, Julie Johnson, and I represented MVM at Charter School Advocacy Day at the Maryland General Assembly in Annapolis. We spoke with leaders and staff about the importance of facilities funding and the adverse impact it has on school programming and reduced opportunities for students.
Allison was instrumental in planning and preparing this opportunity. She shared the following: “We enjoyed the opportunity to visit the offices of Frederick County’s State Senators and Delegates to talk with them about the joy of a Montessori education and the value of offering it in public schools. This year we joined others from across the state to ask for legislation to provide fair public funding for charter school facilities. Thanks to Senator Folden, Senator Corderman, Delegate Pippy, Delegate Fair, Delegate Wivell, and Delegate Miller for spending time to meet with us. We also talked with many staff members from other offices and appreciated their interest in MVM. We look forward to continuing conversations to bring equitable funding to Maryland charter schools. Watch for more announcements about how you can support this legislative effort in the coming weeks.”
High School Update: High school information sessions have yielded a good mix of interested families including from our sister school CCM, private, public, and homeschooled students. You may have noticed that FCPS sent a county-wide announcement to all middle school families with information about high school and the lottery; we were featured on the FCPS “landing page” for several days. The January grant workbook was filed with MSDE, and the second quarter report was submitted. New high school position requisitions were completed and submitted in time for FCPS transfer season. This allows us to begin interviewing shortly. The lottery shows strong interest so far; our “pioneer class” appears to be shaping up!
During the month of February we will be celebrating Black African American History Month. Teachers will be conducting lessons along with morning announcements.
5th-8th Grade parents on the lookout for a letter later this month that will explain about The Maryland School Climate Survey
Our current attendance rate is at 92.5% Year-to-Date.
As we move into the spring season we will also be moving into the testing season. As school testing coordinator, I would like to provide the testing windows. Please know that testing is very important to our operations and would like to have all students present on test days. Hopefully knowing the testing windows will aid in avoiding family vacations during high stakes testing.
MISA Testing (5th & 8th Grades) 3/6-3/15
DIBELS (K-3rd) 4/17-5/12
MCAP ELA & Math (3rd-8th) 4/17-5/12
Social Studies (8th Grade) 5/1-5/12
We are still observing community members who are not following the procedures that have been set by the City of Frederick. Our neighbors are complaining. Please remember:
Do not call your student on their cell phone to come outside for dismissal.
For the safety of our students, Before and After Care is dismissed at the “all call” to ensure an adult is downstairs and that students are not being picked up.
Walkers are dismissed at the “all call”. For the security of our students and to ensure they are not being picked up in the carline.
“All call” is announced at 5 minutes to the top of the hour.
This month we will be studying the holidays in February that include: Lunar New Year, Groundhog Day, Valentine’s Day, Random Acts of Kindness Week, and Black/African American History.
We will be learning about Black African American historical figures.
We strive to be inclusive and diverse by teaching children an understanding of the many different people who have contributed to our country as we know it today.
We will have discussions of equity for all genders/races
We will also read many books and introduce material of famous established and new, black/African American people.
We will begin studying the continent of South America, learning about the Biomes, landmarks, and flags of South America.
We will also be learning about rainforest animals and plants, Animals of South America, and dinosaurs.
We will celebrate Valentine’s Day with cards of kindness and care.
Our cultural studies will focus on Black/African Americans in History. We are going to learn about two heroes who were born and lived in Maryland in the 1800’s and contributed to their community. Students will learn about the contributions of Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglas along with Mae Jemison and George Washington Carver.
Our math topics are rounding to the nearest 10 and 100, and 2- step math stories with mixed operations. Students are also working on fact families, multiplication, division, and dynamic addition and subtraction.
Our ELA topics are main idea, contractions, quotation marks, and pronouns. Students will determine the main idea of reading passages.
Students will be completing informational writing as they research countries, flags and animals of Europe.
As most people know, February is Black History Month and we in upper elementary are energized and inspired by the contributions Black Americans have made to our society. This month we are setting aside extra time to learn some of the well-documented stories of leadership and innovation by the many great people who helped shape our nation, but we are especially motivated to bring back to life a few important histories that have been withheld from previous generations of school children such as the accomplishments of Benjamin Banneker and newly freed slaves’ celebrations of memorial and gratitude for Union soldiers who died in the Civil War.
We are continuing our study of the earliest developments in societies through antiquity.
We will learn more about atomic structures and chemical properties of matter.
Each student has a reading and math instruction appropriate to that student’s current skill development. All students have compositional writing assignments. Be sure to ask your child about their current work in these areas.
GoTeam therapy dogs visit after school.
A HUGE thank you to everyone who made the Winter Dance a success!!! We appreciate you!
MISA for 8th grade begins the week of March 6. Please try to make sure your 8th grade student will be in attendance and on time.
Craft sale scheduled for March 24 as our final fundraiser for the Williamsburg trip. If your child wishes to participate, please let me know. Final payments will be due directly following the sale.
PE
Art
Music
Beginning in January 2023, MVMS staff started using LANSchool AIR, a tool to monitor student website use. LANSchool AIR displays a live view of each students’ computer screen in real time. This tool helps to ensure that Chromebooks are used appropriately and safely online.
Click here to read FCPS’ Internet Safety Checklist for parents.
Look for typing practice? Here are two free websites from the FCPS approved digital tools list:
MET’s Fun camp
Summer theatre camp which include musical theatre, acting, circus skills, improv, music videos and creative dramatics.
1-week sessions for young performers ages 7-16 1-week session for ages 3-6
Coming soon to MET’s family theatre series!
The Snowy Day and Other Stories by Ezra Jack Heats. When: February 11th- March 5th Click here to find out more information including where to check show times.
Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) is an all-volunteer 501(C)(3) non-profit that builds twin beds, and delivers them, FREE of CHARGE, to families in Frederick Co Maryland whose kids, ages 4-17, are sleeping on the floor, a couch, or with their parents or siblings. See the flier for more information.
http://education.fcps.org/mvmpcs/ 217 Dill Avenue Frederick, MD 21701 240-236-6100 Fax: 240-236-6101 Principal: Amy Dorman