18820 Strawberry Knoll Road Gaithersburg, Maryland 20879

E. Frank Kaplan, Principal Rosemary Ford, Assistant Principal

Web Site Address—http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/strawberryknolles/

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August 30, 2013

Welcome to a New School Year!

Can you believe we completed our first week of school? We have already seen

an air of confidence among our Kindergarten students as they can now locate

their classrooms, enter their SNAP account PIN numbers, and assemble in their

designated recess lines. I laughed with genuine appreciation when corrected by

one of our newest Noble Knights this past Monday. Unfortunately, the student

forgot his teacher’s last name and as such could not find his recess line. So I

asked, “Is your teacher a boy or a girl?” The student replied, “She’s a woman!”

We not only welcomed 95 Kindergarten students to our school, but an additional

36 new students in first through fifth grade. Each new school year brings

changes and opportunities. This year’s no exception as 10 new staff members

joined our Strawberry Knoll family, along with Dr. Smith, Associate Superinten-

dent, and Dr. Greene, Director of School Support and Improvement, both for

the Northeast Consortium, Gaithersburg, Magruder, and Sherwood cluster ele-

mentary schools. Learn more about our newest Strawberry Knoll staff in our

next “Knoll News!”

Curriculum 2.0 updates and resources you may access throughout the year are

included in today’s publication. We value our partnership with you and as such

will continue to communicate via our bi-weekly principal’s newsletter, grade-level

publications, and updates posted on our school’s homepage. Some staff have

suggested I “tweet.” Stay tuned!

Although the year is new, our school’s culture and reputation remains the same.

As this is our school’s silver anniversary, traditions of sorts have evolved during

our 25 years. That said, we held our first Town Hall meeting of the year this

afternoon, “Flamingo Friday!” Some of our talented staff performed skits be-

fore our Noble Knights and modeled the positive behaviors we expect to see

among our students. Students assisted our newest staff in a game that required

participants to provide information related to Strawberry Knoll’s mascot, school

colors, opening year, building design, significant staff members, and unique days

of the week. Pride filled the gym when students and staff ended this after-

noon’s gathering with the singing of, “The World is a Rainbow!”

Enjoy the upcoming Labor Day weekend. Safe travels to those of you destined

for points beyond the metro area. We look forward to seeing our students on

Tuesday, September 3, 2013. Happy New School Year!

E. Frank Kaplan

Proud Principal

Upcoming Dates and Events

June 12 9:30 a.m. Town Hall Meeting

June 13 9:30 a.m. Fifth Grade Promotion Ceremony

June 25 Report Cards Mailed Home

August 23 Open House

August 26 First Day of School for Students

September 19 7:00 p.m. Back-To School Night

Join Us for Next Friday’s Fun-Run/Walk and SKES/P.T.A. Family Picnic!

Prepare to join us for our upcoming Fun-Run/Walk and SKES/P.T.A. Family Picnic on Friday, September 6, 2013. As in year’s past, this year’s Fun-Run/Walk

course will consist of a 1.6 mile loop around Quail Valley. Registration for next

week’s fun-fit activity begins next Friday, September 6, 2013, at

5:45 p.m. The race/walk will begin at 6:00 p.m. Our family picnic will begin

soon after our first runners complete the race. We look forward to seeing you!

Speed Limit and Pedestrian Safety Update

Now that school has resumed, it’s important for us drivers to follow the speed limit, particularly in

school zones, and remain mindful of pedestrians. Thank you for driving the speed limit (25 MPH) along

Strawberry Knoll Road and throughout Quail Valley. We appreciate your vigilance of students and

families as they walk to and from school each day. As we adults are role models for our children, let’s

continue to use designated crosswalks here at the Knoll and throughout the school community.

“Change is Our Friend!”

Dr. Bill Wilhoyte, Strawberry Knoll’s first principal reminded staff during the school’s first year in

1988 and during his four years at our school, “Change is our friend!” We thank you and certainly our

Noble Knights for respecting the necessary change we made regarding our students’ morning arrival

procedures. Those students who arrive for breakfast may enter our school starting at 8:20 a.m. All

other students will assemble by the front doors (near the drop-off/pick-up circle) and enter our

school at 8:30 a.m. As always, if there’s a need for our Strawberry Knoll parents/guardians to enter

the building, we ask you first ring the buzzer and then report to the Kare-A-Lot Office where we can

welcome you!

New and Improved MCPS QuickNotes: Subscribe today!

The MCPS QuickNotes newsletter has been redesigned to make it quick and easy for you to get the news and

information you need about Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). MCPS QuickNotes will be published more

often, with a new edition delivered to your inbox every other week during the school year. MCPS will continue to

send emergency notifications, such as school closures and delays, and other information through MCPS Quick-Notes. Visit www.mcpsquicknotes.org to subscribe!

NO SCHOOL

For

Staff and Students

MONDAY,

SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

Labor Day

NO SCHOOL For

Teachers and Students

THURSDAY

SEPTEMBER 5, 2013

Rosh Hashanah

MCPS QuickNotes Nuevo y Mejorado: Suscribase Hoy! El boletín informativo, MCPS QuickNotes, ha sido rediseñado para hacer posible que recibas las no-

ticias y la información que necesitas de Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) de manera rápida y

facil. MCPS QuickNotes será publicado más a menudo, con una nueva edición que será enviada a tu

buzón de correo electronico, cada dos semanas durante el año escolar. MCPS continuará enviando men-

sajes de emergencia, tales como cierres y retrasos, y otro tipo de información a traves de MCPS QuickNotes. Para suscribirse, visite www.mcpsquicknotes.org!

Curriculum 2.0: Building a Stronger Foundation

MCPS is continuing to introduce its improved curriculum for the elementary grades—Curriculum 2.0. It

is designed to provide a strong foundation in the areas of reading, writing and mathematics, while plac-

ing a renewed emphasis on other areas, such as social studies, the arts and physical education. Curricu-

lum 2.0 also helps students develop the creative and critical thinking skills that are important for suc-

cess in the 21st century. This year, Curriculum 2.0 will be implemented in grades K–5 in all schools.

More information is available on the website at www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/2.0/.

Currículum 2.0: Construyendo una Base Solida

MCPS continúa la introducción de su currículum mejorado para los grados de educación elemental—

Currículum 2.0. Éste currículum está diseñado para proporcionar una base sólida en las áreas de lec-

tura, escritura y matemáticas, mientras pone un enfoque renovado en otras áreas de aprendizaje como

los estudios sociales, las artes y la educación física. El Currículum 2.0 también ayuda a los estudiantes a

desarrollar las destrezas de pensamiento crítico y creativo que son tan importantes para tener éxito

en el siglo XXI. Éste año, el Currículum 2.0 será implementado en los grados K–5 en todas las escuelas.

Más información se encuentra disponible en el sitio de internet www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/

curriculum/2.0/.

How to Receive Emergency Information from MCPS

MCPS parents can receive emergency information from the school system in a variety of ways including

MCPS QuickNotes, Alert MCPS, Twitter, the MCPS website, MCPS TV, and a recorded telephone in-

formation line. Please visit www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/emergency for more information on how to

keep in touch with Montgomery County Public Schools and stay informed in times of emergencies.

Cómo Recibir Información de Emergencia de MCPS

Los padres de estudiantes de MCPS pueden recibir información del sistema escolar en casos de

emergencia de varias maneras incluyendo MCPS QuickNotes, Alert MCPS, Twitter, el sitio de Internet de MCPS, MCPS TV y la línea de información con mensajes grabados. Para más infor-mación de cómo mantenerse en contacto con Montgomery County Public Schools y mantenerse informado durante emergencias visite www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/emergency.