AMS Conference – 10 staff members attended the American Montessori Society conference in Boston this month and 1 participated virtually. On Friday, March 31 a presentation of learning was given during our regular staff meeting, and recommendations for implementing strategies and resources were shared. Topics included: A Behaviorist Approach to Problem Behaviors in the Montessori Classroom, Computational Thinking, Enhancing Family Involvement through Practical Life, Equity Examined, Parent Engagement Through Homemade Materials in Public Montessori Schools, Reclaiming Self-Regulation in the Montessori Classroom, Relational Discipline, and Timeline of Wool. The information has been shared in a display in the entryway hall, and we invite community members to spend a few moments checking out this work.
A Pirate’s Life for Me – 6th, 7th, & 8th grade students put on a lively production of A Pirate’s Life for Me on March 31 and April 1. The show was sold out for both performances and many enjoyed it via live stream. It was, no surprise, highly entertaining and showcased the many talents of MVM students both on stage and those supporting behind the scenes. Ms. Shannon is an extraordinary guide and coach!
Attendance Letters – An announcement was sent to the community about unlawful absences, and over 100 attendance letters are going home with report cards. Families were reminded that students who miss an excessive amount of school due to unlawful absences may be considered for retention due to missed learning.
Meerkat Camp/Power Hour – Interest in these programs has waned (documented by attendance) and will not be offered after this year. Once the final administration of the MAP assessment has been given and the school leadership team has had time to analyze the results, we will determine whether there will be a final summer offering. Kim Cowles, our Montessori teacher specialist, has done an excellent job overseeing and implementing these programs for our students, and they have had a positive impact on closing learning gaps created by the interruption to learning during the pandemic.
Moving Up Day – Is scheduled for May 12. Families will receive a link to offer feedback on placement for their children who are moving up to the next level. Families of children staying at their same level will not receive a survey.
Maryland Report Card – School Year 2021-22 State “report card” results show that MVM academic performance dipped, especially in math. The school leadership team is addressing these concerns. Families can help by partnering with teachers to have students attend school regularly (and on time), follow through with assignments, and extend learning at home through teacher recommended activities.
This month our 3rd - 8th graders will take their MCAP Assessments. We will start testing at 9:15am on test days. Please be on time as if your child arrives after testing begins they will have to make-up the testing session. We strive for 100% attendance on testing dates and allow us to avoid make-up testing. This applies to all standardized assessments that we give. We will test on 4/18, 4/19, 4/20,and 4/21. We will continue with makeup testing through 5/12. Algebra 1 students will test on 5/3 and 5/4.
Our K-3 students will begin their DIBELS end of year assessments in reading beginning on 4/17 and will run through 5/12. We can't wait to see how much our students have grown in reading this year.
IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ALL PARENTS
As we enter the testing phase of our school year we would like to take this opportunity to remind you that electronic devices are not allowed in the testing rooms. COMAR 13A.03.04.03(B4) prohibits all electronic devices, including cell phones, in testing rooms during testing. On dates that your child tests please ensure that these devices are left at home. If your child brings these items to school they will be taken by the test administrator and stored in the front office. If the student does not turn in the cell phone or other electronic device they will be subject to disciplinary actions. If students are found to have unapproved electronic devices during testing, their test might not be scored. Please help us keep our testing area secure by leaving cell phones, smart watches and other electronic devices at home on testing days.
Please have your blue card to pick up your child. We are now in the last term and some parents are still not using their card. If you do not have your card, you will be asked to park and enter the school to sign out your child. Please do not yell at staff or Safety Patrol because you forgot or misplaced your card. Both Staff and Safety Patrol have been trained to not allow anyone without the proper documentation to pick up a student. Again this is for the safety of the children.
As a reminder, teachers give up their planning time on a rotational basis so that they can come out to do carline duty. Not all staff know all children or parents, so for the safety of your child the current blue card must be presented. We have parents making their own cards or presenting cards from years ago. Let's be good role models for our children and follow the rules. Thank you.
We will be learning about parts of a plant, parts of an insect, and types of insects.
We will also be beginning our Africa continent study, learning about desert animals, grassland animals, and other animals of Africa.
We will be learning about biomes of Africa including: desert and grasslands.
We will be starting our continent study of Africa. Investigating maps, biomes, countries, and animals of Africa. Students will research animals of Africa and prepare a presentation poster, diorama, or slide presentation. We will also continue our study of life cycles of plants and animals. We will hatch chicks after Spring break
We are presenting Number Talks that help to build mental math computational strategies, (like using doubles, near doubles, and making 10). Third graders are practicing test taking for (MCAP)The Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program, which will begin after spring break.
We are about to start our study of cells. There will be great opportunities for learning about life and for raising plants.
There are so many ancient societies and cultures. We will continue to learn about them during April and May.
Every child receives lessons and assignments in mathematics and reading based on current individual skill levels.
Every student is involved in research projects based on ancient civilizations or ecosystems.
Algebra: We have been factoring polynomials and finding the roots/solutions/zeros of quadratic functions. We are beginning to take a look at solving quadratic equations in real world situations.
7 Accelerated and Math 8: We have been working with mathematical properties to solve linear equations and identify the number of possible solutions.
Math 7: We are solving real world problems using rational numbers.
Science: We have wrapped up our unit on astronomy and are beginning to take a look at Newton’s Laws of Motion as we begin our final unit on energy and motion.
We just enjoyed a beautiful lunch at Baker Park with some lovely bonding moments.
PE
Art
Music
April is Autism Awareness month. Did you know that Autism is the fastest growing developmental disorder worldwide. There are approximately 70 million people diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). There is a very broad range of characteristics and challenges associated with Autism at varying degrees of severity. Some of these challenges can include difficulty with social communication, trouble reading others non-verbal communication cues such as facial expressions and body language, and difficulty regulating sensory input such as lights, noises, and textures. Boys are 5 times more likely to be diagnosed with ASD than girls. Some Famous people with ASD include:
I enjoy meeting with our Advanced Academic groups. Students meet once a week to engage in the development of Thinking Skills including critical, analytical, and creative thinking, and executive processes. These Thinking Skills are explicitly taught through thinking routines such as See, Think, Wonder, Chalk Talk, and Take Note. In addition, deep thinking conversations are facilitated through Socratic Seminars. The principles of Project Based Learning are incorporated into the units as a culminating activity.
Students continue to hone their math and reading skills during the Learning Lab time that is incorporated in their schedule several times a week. During this time, students engage with research based individualized instruction. Using each student’s data profile, Map Accelerator and Amplify target the skills that each student needs to focus on.
The library is in good shape and I am happy to see so many students using it. Thank you to our volunteers and students who work to keep the library running.
Many of our staff traveled to the AMS Conference in Boston. There was so much to learn and we are very excited to share our new ideas with each other. This professional development experience benefits our teachers and students.
Check out the AMS April Newsletter here.
The Frederick Book Arts Center is offering Summer Art Classes for rising 3rd-5th graders on July 17-21 from 9:00a.m. to 3:30p.m. Cost is $300 per student. For more information click here.
The Fredrick Book Arts Center is offering a summer art class for rising 6th-8th graders on July 10-14 from 9:00a.m.- 3:30p.m. Cost is $300. For more information click here.
Summer sports clinics and leagues are being offered by i9 Sports. For more information click here.
The Asian American Center of Frederik is offering a hands-on science and engineering event from April 11-14 from 3:00p.m. to 4:30p.m at Hillcrest Commons Community Center, 1150 Orchard Way, Frederick, 21703. This event is for ages 7-9.To find out how to register for this free program click here for English, here for Spanish.
The Maryland Ensemble Theatre is putting on a show called The Commedia Cinderella from April 29 thru May 21. They are also offering 2 week summer theatre camps. For more information click here.
The Monocacy Composite Youth Mountain Bike Team is holding a new rider & team info session for 6-12 grades on Wednesday, May 10 @ 6:00PM at Monocacy Village Park, 409 Delaware Rd, Frederick, 21701. For more information, click here.
Junior Achievement is offering the following two summer camps at the JA Youth Workforce & Innovation Center, 1725 Twin Springs Road, Baltimore, 21227.
Entrepreneurship Summer Experience Camp is for rising 9-12 graders, June 26-30 from 10:00AM-2:00PM at 21227. The cost is $125. More information can be found here.
Biztown Summer Venture Camp is for rising 4-7 graders, June 26-30 from 9:00AM-3:00PM. The cost is $250. Click here for more information.
http://education.fcps.org/mvmpcs/ 217 Dill Avenue Frederick, MD 21701 240-236-6100 Fax: 240-236-6101 Principal: Amy Dorman