Ashburton Elementary School 6314 Lone Oak Drive, Bethesda, MD 20817 * 301-571-6959

PRINCIPAL’S NEWS

October 1, 2014

Dear Parents/Guardians,

We are off to a great start to the school year! Ashburton’s enrollment continues to increase across all

grade levels and our first grade enrollment was large enough to warrant a seventh teacher during the

beginning of September. We welcome Ms. Taylor Garber to our first grade team and Mrs. Robyn

Goldman as our new Reading Initiative teacher. We’ve also needed to re-do our bus routes several times

with almost 600 students riding the bus now. We know that the changes can be difficult and appreciate

your understanding that each bus needs to be safe and not overcrowded.

We are thrilled that the expanded parking lot provides many more spaces; including three visitor spots

across from the main entrance. Please note that the parking lot remains closed to cars during arrival of

buses (8:20-9:00 a.m.) and dismissal (2:45- 3:20 p.m.). During the PEP mid-day pick-up and arrival, from

about 11:15- 12:45 p.m., please be very careful in using our parking lot and drop-off loop. The buses have

priority over cars and we ask that you avoid parking in the loop so that buses may pass through safely.

I had many parents report that cars are parking in ‘No Parking Zones’ or blocking driveways on Pomona

Drive in the back of the building. Please be respectful of our neighbors and obey the signage. Also, please

remember to only make a Right-Turn when exiting the back loop.

We had a fantastic turn-out for both the Back to School picnic and our Back to School Night. We heard

many positive comments from parents about the smooth start—thank you!

We have many exciting things happening this month and this year. Please refer to your calendars that

were sent home in the summer (also listed on the Ashburton website). In the past few years many of you

requested that you receive the newsletter electronically and we appreciate your efforts to help us save

paper. Following in this newsletter is a form to complete and return

if you prefer to get a paper newsletter. We are a green school and

this effort saves printing at least 650 copies of the newsletter, but if

you prefer a paper copy, we are happy to get one to you. If you do

not return the form, you are agreeing to get the newsletter

electronically through the list-serve or on our school website. We

urge you to join the list-serve in order to receive timely and

important information from the PTA and school throughout the

month. To subscribe send an email to AshburtonESPTA-

subscribe@yahoogroups.com

We will take part in Walk to School Day on October 8th. We have

participated in this International Walk to School Day for a number

of years to promote pedestrian safety and a healthy lifestyle. We will

celebrate it a little differently this year and encourage families to

walk directly to the school, if they can. As noted earlier we have so

many families that depend on the bus for transportation and have

grown so much, the tradition of driving/walking to the library and

then walking to school needed to be updated. We will do a variety of

Important Dates:

October 7-Volunteer Training 9:30

a.m. or 7:00 p.m.

October 7- PTA Meeting 7 p.m.

October 8- Walk to School Day

October 13- Open House 9:00-12:00

for Parents

October 17–No School for Staff and

Students- Statewide Teacher’s

Convention

October 22- Dine Out with Ashburton

at BGR

October 24-Family Fall Festival 6:30-

8:30 p.m.

October 30- Halloween Parade and

Parties 1:45- 2:45 P.M.

October 30- End of the First Marking

Period

October 31 –Professional Day- No

School for Students

activities at school that include all children about healthy lifestyles and pedestrian safety.

October 13th, Columbus Day, is our annual Open House. All parents are invited to visit classrooms from

9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. (Afternoon PEP class parents may come in the afternoon.) To make the visit

enjoyable for all and so that you do not disrupt instruction, please do not bring younger siblings and silence

cell phones when in classrooms.

Thank you to our parents who have been able to volunteer at lunch and recess, especially for our large

kindergarten group. We appreciate your support and need your helping hands. Contact your child’s teacher

for classroom volunteer opportunities. I look forward to seeing you at our many events this month!

Sincerely,

Charlene Garran, Principal

Ashburton Updates and Reminders:

Absences:

Please remember: State regulations require us to have a written note when your child is absent. Please call

the school and leave a message on the answering machine or email the teacher or Mrs. Lynch

(Dana_R_Lynch@mcpsmd.org) to let us know when your child is not at school. Mrs. Lynch may need to

call you if you do not call us.

Arrival Time:

School starts at 8:50 a.m. and children are marked late if they enter the classroom after that time.

Children miss critical instructions and organization for the day when they come in late, which can impact

the rest of the day. Please make every effort to send children to school on time and plan to keep afternoon

appointments to a minimum. Teachers plan instruction until the end of the day. Please note that a record of

your child’s attendance becomes part of their permanent school file.

Emergency Contact Information:

Please update emergency information as needed. We’ve already had a number of instances where children needed to

call home for forgotten lunches, where the office needed to contact parents regarding transportation, or the health

room has needed to contact parents regarding illness. We must have current phone numbers in case of a real

emergency.

Lice:

We are a typical school and have occasional cases of lice. We urge parents to call the school and let the

health room know if you find lice in your child’s head. The health tech tracks the number of cases so that

we may be proactive in notifying parents in classrooms or for the whole grade level (if there are multiple

classes involved or the students switch classes). Our Health tech, Mrs. David needs to check students after

they have been treated in order to return to class. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. You can

find more information and treatment procedures by using the following websites:

http://www.cdc.gov/lice/head/index.html and www.KidsHealth.org.

Air Conditioning to Heat Change-over:

MCPS will change over schools from air conditioning to heating after October 1st. During this period of

unpredictable weather and indoor temperatures, please have your child wear layers so that they can be

comfortable. Additionally, please note that we send children out for recess every day unless it is raining or

temperatures are below 32 degrees. Children should come to school prepared to go outside for recess with

coats, hats, gloves each day.

Cafeteria Supplies: Please provide your children with forks, spoons, and napkins when they bring

lunch from home. The cafeteria is not required to provide utensils for children not purchasing school lunch.

Please label lunch boxes. There are many that look alike and we’ve had some mixed up lunch boxes already

this year.

Halloween at Ashburton:

Halloween is celebrated at Ashburton with a parade and class parties on October 30th. All parents and

siblings are invited watch the parade which starts at 1:45 p.m. We know you will not only be impressed with

our students parading as they show off their costumes, but will also enjoy the Walter Johnson jazz ensemble

during the parade. Classroom parties start immediately after the parade ends and end about 2:45 p.m.

Room parents will request either monetary donations or food for class parties. Please keep in mind healthy

snacks, all food must be store-purchased, and ask the teacher about any food allergies. Please do not bring

balloons to school as they cannot go home with students (they are not allowed on the bus). Please choose a

costume that is appropriate for your child. It should fit and not impede movement. Please do not send masks

to school and do not choose a costume that is gory. We do not allow any weapons as part of costumes even if

the weapons are plastic. Leave costume weapons at home. If you have any extra costumes that can be

donated for children who may not have a costume, please send them in to the school office. Forms will go out for an alternative activity for families who do not celebrate Halloween.

Walk to School Day:

Join Ashburton students, staff, & community by walking to school (or to the bus stop)

on October 8th. We are not meeting as a school at the Davis Library this year, but hope you join us

in this walk from your home to school or home to bus stop.

Why?

1. It’s Fun!

2. Healthier Habits

3. Cleaner Environment

4. Promoting Safety

5. Community Benefits

PEP

(Preschool Education Program)

Theme of the month: My Family

Dear Parents,

We are wrapping up our first unit:

Ready for School, and now we are moving

on to our next unit for

the month of October,

which is “My Family”.

This Theme will run

from October 3rd until

October 31st. We will

be learning about

family structures,

family roles, family fun and how our

families are different from one another.

Key Messages

Week 1: Who’s in my family?

Week 2: We take care of each other.

Week 3: Family Fun

Week 4: All kinds of families.

VOCABULARY: family, kindness,

mother, father, brother, sister,

grandmother, grandfather, cousins,

relatives, thankful, together, celebrate,

tradition, alike, similar, love.

STORY TIME & SUGGESTED

READING:

Bear’s Busy Family by Stella Blackstone

Herman the Helper by Robert Kraus

The Napping House by Audrey Wood

Llama Llama Misses Mama by Anna

Dewdney

The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn

We Are All Alike…We Are All Different

by Cheltenham Elementary School

Daddy Calls Me Man by Angela Johnson

Mama Zooms by Jane Cowen-Fletcher

Feast for 10 by Cathryn Falwell

Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto

You and Me Together by Barbara Kerly

Building a House by Byron Barton

Changes, Changes by Pat Hutchins

Celebrating Families by Rosmarie

Hausher

Evening Meals Around the World

by Michele Zurakowski

Bedtime Hugs for Little Ones by Debby

Boone

Families by Ann Morris

What a Family by Rachel Isadora

Who’s in a Family? by Robert Skutch

SONGS/FINGER PLAYS:

The More We Get Together This is My Family Eat it Up Mommy Took Me to the Store My House With My Family On Our Camping Trip Grandma and Me We’re a Happy Family

ACTIVITIES/PROJECTS:

Identify who’s in your family

Play pretend/act out family roles

Build a house for your family out

of blocks

Create a family tree

Name and identify shapes when

creating a house.

Count how many members are in

your family.

Sort pictures of family members in

to categories of boy or girl.

Create an All About My Family

book

Draw and label life portraits of

families

Look at old family photos and talk

about how we grow

Help set the dinner table, or do

household chores

together

Read stories together

as a family

Go on family outings

(grocery shopping, out

to dinner, to the zoo)

SNACK/COOKING IDEAS:

Make food from different cultures and

talk about how different families eat

different things.

Make a family meal together: Give

your child opportunities to mix, Have

your child give you suggestions for a

shopping list. Write a list and then

take it to the

Store and work together to find all

your items.

Pour, roll…etc. to make a healthy

family meal.

*Although we include special theme-related snacks in our monthly units we also provide daily healthy choices for snack such as fresh fruit, pretzels, yogurt, etc.

NOTES & REMINDERS:

Picture Day is on Thursday,

October 2nd and Friday October 3rd.

No school on Friday, October 17th

No school on October 31st

Thank you for your support! Please feel

free to contact us with questions,

concerns, good news, etc.

- - The PEP Team

October

Happenings in

Kindergarten

Language Arts

Early emergent readers will compare the similarities and differences of literary and informational books as they identify the front cover, back cover, and title page of a book. Students use their listening skills to confirm understanding of a text read aloud by asking about key details. With prompting and support, students ask and answer questions about key details in a text and describe the relationship between illustrations and the text in which they appear.

Writing We will continue to work on handwriting and learning the correct way to form letters. Please reinforce this at home, it makes a big difference! We will also be working on writing concepts such as leaving spaces between words, sounding out unknown words, and using details in our pictures to tell a story. Math We have been counting and writing numerals, sorting, and collecting data. In the upcoming weeks, we will continue to collect data and compare numbers using greater than, less than, and equal to. Don’t forget to practice counting and number sense with your child every night! Science We will use our five senses to observe weather patterns and changes. October Focuses:

The seasonal change to fall, and its effect on the living world around us.

The Water Cycle

Weather tools and data collection

Social Studies Students have been working on identifying symbols and practices associated with the United States of America. They will also learn about people important to the American political system. Halloween Festivities There will be a school-wide parade in costume, and will be followed by a Halloween party in each classroom. Room parents will be in contact for ways you can help out! Field Trip Kindergarten will be visiting Imagination Stage on October 14th to see the Night Fairy. --The Kindergarten Team

First Grade News Dear First Grade Families, We are off to a fabulous start! Our students are already working hard learning in first grade.

As we begin a new month, we wanted to let you know what we will be focusing on in all areas of the curriculum. Reading and Writing: Teachers have begun to pull students into small groups for reading. First graders will be reading at their own level and continue to progress at their own pace. Each night students will be coming home with reading homework. Please be sure to have students complete their reading homework each night and return it

back to school the next day. In Writer’s Workshop, students will be participating in a shared research project about an animal. This project relates to our upcoming field trip to the National Zoo on October 7th. It also integrates with reading and science. Math: First Graders are learning how to decompose numbers leading up to ten. Also, they will be solving various types of word problems that can be solved using addition or subtraction. At home, students can continue to

practice counting-on or back from a selected number up to 120. Science: First Graders will have the opportunity

to investigate, observe, and record observations

of class lima beans. Also, students will be

learning about food groups and how to eat

healthier. They will continue learning about how

animals meet their needs, along with how

animals protect themselves using their senses.

Social Studies: In social studies students will learn about leaders from the past and present. They are also going to learn about important American symbols.

Reminders:

1. National Zoo

field trip is Tuesday, October 7th. The permission slip and money are due on Friday, October 3rd.

2. Our spelling program will be starting this month. Teachers will provide more information as it approaches.

We are excited for a great month

of learning in October. Thank you for your support.

Sincerely, The First Grade Team

Second Grade Town News

The second graders have had a busy first

month of school. We have learned how to work

together to solve problems, create class rules and

learn new routines.

In reading, we’ve been working on

literary text. Students have been learning about

point of view, character traits, problem and

solution, story elements and comparing and

contrasting different versions of a story. Next we

move into nonfiction text where we will be

discussing main idea, text features, vocabulary

and author’s purpose.

We are all finishing up our personal

narratives in writing. Students were asked to

write about a personal experience. Next we will

learn about healthy eating as we begin our units

on writing to inform and opinion writing.

In math, we’ve been spending time

discussing place value including writing

numbers in different forms (expanded form,

standard form and written form), number

comparisons using <, > and = and mental

strategies for computing ten and 100 more and

less than a given number. Next we will be

moving into word problems and graphing.

Social Studies focused on problem

solving through evaluating differing points of

view and creating rules. We have also been

evaluating responsibilities that students have in

the classroom and at home. Next we move into

civics, where we will be discussing leaders,

democratic symbols and rights and

responsibilities of citizens.

In science, we’ve

learned about different types

of rocks and soil. We are

currently discussing the

water cycle, as well as the

dangers of water pollution.

We are off to a great

start in second grade! If you

have any questions or concerns, feel free to get

in touch with your child’s teacher through email,

handwritten notes or phone. We’re all looking

forward to a great school year with your support

and collaboration.

-Miss Ashin, Ms. Bouquet, Ms. Fox, Mrs.

Holder, Ms. Locke and Mrs. Murshed

Third Grade News

We have had a great start to the

school year! Third graders are

becoming accustomed to new routines,

curriculum, and expectations. We

encourage you to discuss your child’s

weekly behavior with him or her on

Fridays when the reflections come

home.

Math:

In Math, we will be starting our

unit on multiplication and

division. Students will be learning the

connections between multiplication

and division as well as various strategies

to solve problems. We will be working

on solving for the unknown variable and

solving multi-step word problems. At

home, we encourage you to practice

facts with your child. You can use

flashcards, websites, tablet applications,

or other games to help your child with

his or her facts in all operations. You can

use the following link for some great

math websites:

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org

/departments/hiat/websites/math.shtm

Reading:

In reading during the month of

October, we will begin to study non-

fiction texts. Students will learn cause

and effect relationships as well as

comparing and contrasting topics. We

will also be working on identifying text

features (both in print and on the

web). At home, you can support your

third grader by reviewing everyday

cause and effect relationships (i.e. it

rained very hard so there was a flood).

Writing:

In writing, we will be working on

an inquiry project about how we can

contribute to create a thriving

community. Students will use a variety

of sources to research an environmental

or human issue to write an informative

opinion piece. We will be working on

conventions of writing as well as adding

descriptive words to our writing

pieces. At home, we encourage you to

look for examples of other community

members working to make a difference

in our community!

Social Studies:

In social studies, students will be

working on history and economics. We

will be comparing the US

government of today

with that of the Roman

Empire. We will also be

exploring public goods

and services and the role

of taxes to pay for these

goods and services. At home, we

encourage you to follow the upcoming

November elections and review with

your child the voting and election

process in our democracy.

Science:

In science, students will continue

our study of force and motion. We will

be discussing gravity and factors that

affect the motion of an object – friction,

pushes vs. pulls, etc. The end project for

this unit will allow students to build their

own marble run using various

variables. At home, you can help your

third grader by practicing to change

the motion of different objects.

Reminders:

If you have not signed up for a

parent/teacher conference, please

contact your child’s teacher. Please

continue to sign the Friday Reflections

each weekend and work with your third

grader to master his or her spelling

pattern through their Words Their Way

Word Sorts when they come home.

Thank you for your support and

dedication!

The Third Grade Team

News 4 You

It has been a wonderful start to the new

school year and getting to know each and every

one of the fourth grade students! We enjoyed

meeting all of the parents that came to Back to

School Night and are so grateful for all of the

support we received. We are looking forward to

an enjoyable year ahead! We are working hard

to meet your student’s academic needs. During

the month of October, fourth graders will be

covering several concepts across all academic

areas.

The Reading /Language Arts curriculum

has been focusing on Historical Fiction. Your

students are currently writing a Historical

Fiction story in which they researched a setting

to support their information. Our Informational

Text unit focuses on Science and Social Studies

concepts. This month your student will study

spelling and vocabulary words on alternating

weeks with a quiz at the end of the week. Your

child is expected to read at least 20 minutes a

day and 25 self-selected books by the end of the

school year, which averages to be 2-3 books per

month.

We have been studying geography in

social studies. Students learned how Native

Americans in the 1600s used the environment

for food, clothing, and shelter. Students will be

comparing Native Americans who lived in

several different regions to Native Americans

who lived in Maryland. Students will continue

to examine how these groups used the

environment to meet their needs.

Students are currently working on items

related to Number and Operations in Base Ten.

This includes adding and subtracting multi-digit

whole numbers using the standard algorithms, as

well as solving multi-step addition and

subtraction word problems. Students will soon

move on to concepts related to Operations and

Algebraic Thinking which includes interpreting

a multiplication equation as a comparison, and

multiplying or dividing to solve word problems

involving the multiplicative comparison.

Students will wrap up the first marking period at

the end of the month with representing and

solving comparison word problems using all

four operations. Please remember that students

have a graded check-up at the end of each week.

Look for it the following week in your student’s

data notebook so it can be reviewed by you. This

is just one of many types of assessments.

Our first science unit is centered on

ecosystems. The students have built aquariums

and terrariums in class and make observations of

the changes occurring regularly. Students will

also be exploring the web of relationships that

link organisms to each other and to their natural

environment. Our first field trip to the

Smithsonian Environmental Research Center in

Edgewater, Maryland will take place this month.

Many thanks to the parent volunteers! We will

also begin the “Our Neighborhood Our

Watershed” program in which we explore the

impact of our schoolyard on the health of the

Chesapeake Bay.

Students are taking home Friday

Folders at the end of each week. Empty folders

are expected to be returned the following

Monday. If you have yet to schedule a Parent/

Teacher conference for either Monday,

November 10th, or Tuesday, November 11th,

please contact your child’s homeroom teacher.

Data Notebooks will go home with each student

a couple of times a month. Please review the

items in the Data Notebook but do not remove

any items. Please do not remove any papers

from your student’s multi-subject binder either.

We will do routine binder cleanouts and tell the

students what can be removed. We appreciate

your understanding.

The Fourth Grade Team,

Mrs. Brenner, Mrs. Burton, Ms. Greco, Ms.

Imhof, Ms. Leiser, Ms. Schultz, and Mrs.

Weaver

Fifth Grade’s Fabulous News

Here is what will be going on in the

classrooms in the month of October:

Math

Math 5 students will continue their

exploration of decimals. Using their

understanding of place value, students

will learn how to compare decimals,

round decimals, and add and subtract

decimals. To practice these skills at

home you can play around with money!

When shopping, ask your student which

item costs more, which item costs less,

and you can ask your student to round

the cost to the nearest dollar or to the

nearest dime. A great website to check

out is:

http://www.mathsisfun.com/decimals.ht

ml

Towards the end of the month, the

students will transition to division and

explore how to divide multi-digit

numbers by two-digit multiples of ten.

This month in compacted math, the

students will be extending the work they

have been doing with fractions during

the first half of the quarter. That work has

stressed understanding what it means to

multiply fractions, rather than merely

completing the algorithm. During the

second half, they will apply similar

strategies in the domain of division. The

students also will be using their

foundational work with the division of

whole numbers to divide unit fractions

by whole numbers and whole numbers

by unit fractions. They will be using

visual fraction models and relating

multiplication and division to solve

division word problems and create their

own word problems.

The students also will use their

understandings of fractions to show and

interpret a data set of measurements

using a line plot. Then the class will draw

upon their previous work with place

value and operations with both whole

numbers and fractions to perform

operations with decimals, again

emphasizing the meaning of the

operation over the algorithm. During the

last week of the marking period, the

students will work on measurement

conversions, within the customary and

metric systems, to solve multi-step

problems.

Reading

In reading, students are already

switching genres to Tall Tales. This is

leaving a lot of students disappointed,

since they were incredibly enthusiastic

about studying the genre of adventure

with the book Fearless by Elvira

Woodruff. Students will finish reading

Fearless as they work in their Literature

Circle groups. As they share

responsibilities of roles in Literature

Circles, students are working on their

collaboration and flexibility skills. As we

study Tall Tales such as John Henry,

students identify hyperbole and analyze

the mood, tone, and theme as well as

the elements of plot. To build

vocabulary skills, students used context

clues to identify the meaning of

homographs.

In order to extend your child’s learning

at home, consider the ideas listed

below:

read a variety of texts including

adventure stories and tall tales

o Adventure stories include

action, antagonists vs.

heroes, and have

experiences that are real

or fantasy. (example: Julie

of the Wolves by Jean

Craighead George)

o Tall Tales are traditional

tales that may extend

truths and often explain

events in nature or origins

of mankind. (example:

Paul Bunyan and Other Tall

Tales by Jane Mason)

identify and explain the mood,

tone, or theme in movies and

music

o tone: the author’s attitude

toward a subject

o mood : the feeling the

author creates for the

reader

o theme: the author’s

message

Listed below are some possible

questions to ask your child:

How does your favorite song or

book affect your mood?

How do multimedia (movie)

elements (lighting, dialogue,

sound/music, camera angles)

deliver the author’s message?

How do a character’s actions

influence the plot of the story?

Writing

The students have shifted from the

narrative writing of their first writing

projects to informative (explanatory)

writing. After learning about both

renewable and non-renewable sources

of energy, they are researching, taking

notes, and organizing their research

notes. The students will be sharing the

knowledge of energy sources by

presenting their research findings about

an energy source in an informative

writing piece.

In both the informative and opinion

writing, the students will be working on

using information from other sources

effectively in their writing and taking

their writing through all the steps of the

writing process, so that it is organized

and presented logically, and with

respect to the opinion writing, most

convincingly. They will work on how to

use information from sources, as well as

the conventions of English to make their

writing clear, coherent, and powerful.

Science

In science classes, the students are

developing their understandings of

motion, describing it qualitatively and

quantitatively. They are applying the

laws of motion, as they are observing

the effects of forces on motion in class

investigations and in the world around

us.

As their understandings of the physics of

motion are growing, they are working

collaboratively to design amusement

park rides, considering how the laws of

motion would affect the movements of

their proposed rides. The students are

cooperatively critiquing and revising

their ride designs. By doing so, they are

gaining a sense of how engineers work

to identify and solve design problems.

In coordination with their writing work on

energy, the students are learning about

forms of energy, renewable and

nonrenewable. They are discovering

how resources are converted into

power sources for homes, transportation

and the conveniences of modern

life. They also are delving into the costs

and benefits of different forms of

energy, environmental as well as

financial ones.

Social Studies

In Social Studies, students have been

focusing on the time right before the

American Revolutionary War. They just

finished learning about the Boston Tea

Party. In October, students will study the

Boston Massacre. They will read primary

and secondary sources about the event

and decide who they think was

responsible for the massacre - colonists

or soldiers. Also, in October, students will

analyze the roles and viewpoints of

individuals and groups involved in the

battles at Lexington and Concord.

Students will then analyze viewpoints of

people and groups during the writing of

the Declaration of Independence.

Finally, students will read about different

people during the Revolutionary War,

and describe how experiences

influenced their opinions and choices

related to the Revolutionary War. For

Economics, students will focus on the

British and economic policies in the

American colonies. Students will analyze

impacts and challenges of becoming a

new nation after the Revolutionary War.

In order to extend your child's learning

at home, consider the ideas listed

below:

~To reinforce Boston Tea Party events:

http://www.havefunwithhistory.com/act

ivities/btp.html

~To reinforce Boston Massacre events:

http://www.ducksters.com/history/ameri

can_revolution/boston_massacre.php

http://www.ushistory.org/us/9e.asp

Reading Corner -Ms. Weigle

The school year has started, reading

tests have been taken (see below), and students

are learning. What are they learning? Here is an

overview of the Reading/Language Arts

Program.

Reading is the ability to get information from

print. Students learn to “figure out” words AND

understand what they mean. This understanding

(comprehension) is the largest part of our

reading instruction. Students learn to answer

literal, inferential, and evaluative questions.

Writing is the ability to share thoughts with

others through a written format instead of

through talking. Since others need to be able to

read what has been written, writing involves

spelling, grammar, handwriting, and

keyboarding, as well as the writing process.

Listening is an active process that goes well

beyond just hearing. Listening involves hearing

and paying attention to spoken words, as well as

understanding syntax and vocabulary. All of

this must be done in order to make meaning of

what has been said.

Speaking involves the ability to communicate

effectively with a variety of audiences and for

different purposes. This includes the ability to

use appropriate vocabulary and grammar for the

situation.

How do teachers know just what your

child needs to learn in these 4 parts of the

Reading/Language Arts Program? We observe

students and their work. We also give tests.

Tests can show your child’s strengths and

weaknesses. Tests can also show the teacher

what your child already knows and what your

child needs to learn. Here is an overview of the

county’s 2 main reading assessments:

Montgomery County Public Schools Assessment

Program – Primary Reading (MCPSAP-PR) and

Measures of Academic Progress – Reading

(MAP-R).

All kindergarten, first and second

graders take the MCPSAP-PR. This is an

individual test, given by your child’s teacher.

This test begins with beginning reading skills,

such as identifying letters, identifying beginning

sounds in words, showing basic knowledge

about books, playing with sounds, and reading

sight words. As the child’s reading skills

increase, the test includes reading books, orally

retelling the story, answering oral

comprehension questions, and finally, writing

answers to questions. Books start out at a

beginning level and increase in difficulty. The

three testing windows for this test are September

2 - 26, January 5 - 30, and May 5 -29. This test

is one indicator that shows the student’s

reading/writing level and also shows areas of

strength and weakness. This helps teachers plan

for appropriate instruction.

MAP-R is given to all third, fourth and

fifth grade students to assess reading

achievement. It is given on the computer. This

means that the computer can personalize the test

for each student, depending on his or her

answers. This is also a nationally normed test.

The three testing windows for this test are

September 8 to October 30, January 5 to

February 27, and March 30 to June 10. The

purpose of this test is to help teachers identify

students’ strengths, and weaknesses, thereby

helping teachers focus instruction so all students

can become better readers.

These two reading tests are in addition

to PARCC (given to third, fourth, and fifth

graders) and WIDA (given to English Language

Learners). As you can see, MCPS is trying to

insure that all students have focused instruction,

so they can become better readers.

As we help your children develop skills

in Reading/Language Arts, we need your

support. Please continue to read to your children

and encourage them to read. Remember, the

more they read, the better readers they will

become.

Ashburton Elementary School

6314 Lone Oak Drive * Bethesda, MD 20817 * (301) 571-6959

Dear Ashburton Parents,

In an effort to conserve paper and our resources, in an effort to conserve paper we will not send home the

multi-page monthly newsletter to each family except for families who choose to receive paper copies. We

understand that some families may not have computer access at home or prefer to receive a paper copy.

We need families to indicate in writing if they prefer to receive a paper monthly newsletter by checking

off below and returning the form by October 10, 2014. Please return the form ONLY if you prefer

to get a paper copy; otherwise we will not send you one. The newsletter contains important information

from the principal, calendar updates, curriculum information from each grade level, and columns from

our specialists in addition to the PTA newsletter. This information will be posted on the school website

and the PTA list-serve. If you select and join the PTA list-serve, the newsletter will be sent directly to

your email.

To access the website go to montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/ashburtones/. The newsletter is

posted on the home page and you can click on the tab on the left labeled Principal’s Newsletter.

To join the PTA list-serve, please email AshburtonESPTA-subscribe@yahoogroups.com and you

will receive notices from the PTA.

We will continue to send home paper notices of important and timely information. Please feel free to

contact me or Laura Chace, Ashburton’s PTA President, if you have any questions or concerns about this

process.

Sincerely,

Charlene Garran, Principal

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------

Please return to your child’s teacher by October 10, 2014.

RETURN THIS FORM ONLY if you prefer to receive a paper newsletter.

Parent’s Names: ______________________________________________________ (Please Print)

Parent Signature: ______________________________________________ Date: ____________

Children’s Names & Teachers: _____________________________________________________

UPCOMING EVENTS(October 2014)

Oct 7(Tuesday): 9:30 am Parent volunteer training session

PTA Meeting and Volunteer Training 7pm -8pm (free childcare provided)

Oct 8(Wednesday): Walk to School Day

Oct 13(Monday): Open House for Parents 9am - 12pm

Oct 17(Friday): NO SCHOOL. Statewide Teachers Conference

Oct 22(Wednesday): Dine Out at BGR in Cabin John

Oct 24(Friday): FALL FESTIVAL!!

Oct 30(Thursday): Class Halloween Parties and Parade 1:45pm

Oct 31(Friday): NO SCHOOL. Professional day for teachers

News from our President and PTA Board

Dear Ashburton Families,

The first month of school has flown by and it is hard to believe that October is here! The PTA

has been hard at work signing up new members and hosting events. The best way to stay

informed about happenings at Ashburton and to take an active role in your child’s education is to

join the PTA. Dues are only $10 per member, but donations are always appreciated. Please

keep in mind that you have to renew your membership each year. Joining the PTA has

never been easier - we are now online!

Visit https://sites.google.com/site/ashburtonpta/home to join the PTA now!

The new PTA website is a valuable resource for all parents. We are now able to post

information about upcoming events, announcements and more. The PTA website also houses

our fabulous after school activities website where you can find out all about the PTA sponsored

after school activities. Please spend a few minutes getting educated on all that Ashburton has to

offer.

If you have not done so already, subscribe to the PTA list-serve to stay informed about events

and happenings at Ashburton. Ashburton is a green school and we do not send home flyers on

all of our events and activities - they are posted on the list-serve and on our PTA website.

There are actually two list-serves - the PTA list-serve and the Ashburton Community list-serve:

To subscribe to the PTA list-serve, which only sends out information about school and PTA

sponsored events and after school activities, please send an email to: AshburtonESPTA-

subscribe@yahoogroups.com

PTA Insider – October 2014

To subscribe to the Ashburton Community List-serve, which has information for and from the

overall community, please send an email to:

AshburtonESDiscuss-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Some of you have asked how the PTA spends the money that it raises each year. In addition to

holding school events such as Tea & Sympathy, Back to School Picnic, Fall Festival (please

note: this year it is on Friday, Oct. 24th), Family Bingo Night in January, International

Night in March and Spring Fling in May, the PTA also offers a number of grants to the school

community to host cultural arts activities, the Young Authors Conference and other special

events for the students. We also pay for things such as library and media center equipment,

computer equipment, Ashburton clubs, reducing cost for field trips for all students, scholarships

for children/families in need and this year we will continue to fund projects, activities, and

events as requested by the administration on behalf of the students and staff. Once approved, the

budget will be posted on the PTA’s website, and Board members are happy to answer any

questions you might have.

We are fortunate to have a very engaged community here at Ashburton and we hope that you

will all take advantage of the many events we host each month. October is a busy month and we

kick it off with a PTA Meeting on October 7th that will focus on Volunteer Training for anyone

who wants to volunteer in a classroom or at lunch and recess. We will hold two Volunteer

Training sessions on October 7th - one at 9:30am and one in conjunction with the PTA

meeting that evening, at 7pm. Childcare is always available free of charge during PTA

meetings.

I hope that you were able to participate in some of the fun events we held last month, such as the

Ledo’s Dine out (record attendance!), Skate Night (also record attendance) and the Back to

School Picnic. Many more events are on tap for October so mark your calendars!

We are looking forward to another wonderful year at Ashburton!

Have Fun, Make Memories, Get Involved!

All the best,

Laura Chace Ashburton PTA President on behalf of the PTA Board

Support Ashburton Through Grocery Store Programs Every time you shop at Giant, Safeway, or Harris Teeter’s, you can help raise money for Ashburton through their

grocery store programs. Please look for a flyer to send back in with your information, and our wonderful Bonus

Bucks Chairperson – Mary Miller can input your data, or you can follow the link provided by the listserv and

register directly. Please keep in mind that you need to re-register each year, so even if you registered last year, you

need to do it again. This is such an easy way to support your school, and our goal is to have 90% of Ashburton

registered within the next month!