Galway Chronicle

The Galway Pledge : We pledge to respect one another, to be trustworthy and fair. We will care about each other, and be good citizens. Above all else, I will take responsibility for my actions, in a quest to build a better you…and a better me.

Volume 6 Issue 5 December 4, 2015

Dr. Dorothea Fuller, Principal

Nichola Wallen, Assistant Principal

Our Vision: Galway Elementary School will empower students to be valued, productive members of a global society.

Principally Speaking: Thoughts on “You Matter ”

This week fourth and fifth graders had their first town hall with a theme of

“You matter”. Town halls are an opportunity for students to celebrate aca-

demic successes, student leadership and make commitments to demon-

strate ROARS behavior. This is where students learn to celebrate one an-

other. It is also an opportunity for the administration to share a positive

teaching that addresses social emotional learning.

It is so important that our students know that they are more than a score or

a number on a test. Every student counts, every student is important.

Every student has the potential to make a positive difference in their world

and many are demonstrating that positive difference now. You often hear

me speak about future scientist, engineers, inventors, writers, entrepre-

neurs. I use that language because I want students to feel confident about

themselves as learners in reading , writing, math, and critical thinking. I

also want them to be confident that they are contributors to their commu-

nity and their families. I believe every one of them will play a significant

role in making the world we live in a better place.

The Y ou Matter Manifesto by Angela Maiers has the following tenants:

1. You are enough

2. You have influence

3. You are a genius

4. You have a contribution to make

5. You have a gift to give, that others need

6. You are the change

7. Your actions define your impact

8. You matter

Let your children know they matter to you and to the world everyday.

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before beginning to

improve the world.” Anne Frank

UPCOMING EVENTS

Galway Chronicle 5

UPCOMING EVENTS

December 8

PTA Meeting 6:30 pm

Grades K & 1-Songfest

December 10

Google Expeditions Virtual FT

Grades 2-5

December 11

Volunteer Training 10:00-11:00

Progress reports come home

December 17

-Flu Shots at Galway

-Art Show at Springbrook High

6:00-8:00 pm

December 21-23 Spirit Week

December 21

-”Celebrate Your Team Day”

-Winter Concert-BCMS-7:00 pm

-4th and 5th Grade Choirs plus

Instrumental Music

December 22

-”Mixed Match Clothes Day”

-HardWork Café

December 23

“Pajamas and Books Day”

December 24-January 4, 2016

Schools Closed-Winter Holidays

ATTENTION ALL GRADE 2 PARENTS:

Our school is in the process of gathering information about Grade 2 students to help make appropriate instruction-

al program recommendations for the upcoming school year, including screening for Gifted and Talented (GT) iden-

tification. This process is referred to as SIPPI, which stands for Student Instructional Program Planning and Imple-

mentation. During the weeks of December 2–15, all Grade 2 students and new students in grades 3-5 in Montgomery County

Public Schools will be assessed using the InView™ which is an assessment of cognitive abilities that measures the skills and abilities

most related to academic success.

Galway grade 2 students will take the InView on Monday, December 7, Tuesday, December 8 and Wednesday, December 9. We

will begin testing about 9:30 AM both days. It would be very helpful if doctors’ appointments were not scheduled during the morn-

ing on these two dates. If your child is sick or a doctor’s appointment couldn’t be scheduled for another time a make-up test will

be administered to your child when he/she returns to school.

Google Pioneer Expedition Program

Galway Elementary won a lottery to participate in virtual field trips offered through the Google Pioneer Expedition Programs. You

may have seen this program featured on a CBS This Morning broadcast. Students in grades 2-5 will have an opportunity to go on

field trips in places where school buses can’t take them on December 10. The field trips will align with the curriculum, but allow

the students to use modern technology. We are so excited that our school was chosen to participate in this experience.

Music Treat at the PTA meeting

Come to the PTA meeting on December 8 at 6:30 pm. You will meet the new PTA president, Mr. Willie Calderon, and the other

officers. You will also have an opportunity to give feedback on PTA initiatives.

The kindergarten and first grade teams have prepared a special treat in song for parents. A special thanks to Ms. Jones and Ms.

Kelly, our music teachers, for preparing our students for their first concert, and of course our wonderful teachers who believed

in their students’ ability. Come out and enjoy our youngest students !

Galway Chronicle 5

Winter Concert

The Galway Elementary Winter Concert will be held on Monday, December 21, 2015 at 7:00 PM at Briggs Chaney Middle School.

Students in 4th Grade Chorus, 5th Grade Chorus, Beginning and Advanced Strings, and Beginning and Advanced Band will be

performing. We will also be performing the concert for the students at Galway ES that same day at 10:00 AM. If you are unable

to attend the evening performance, please make sure you attend the daytime concert. Your children should attend both con-

certs. Attendance at performances helps students understand their commitment to a group endeavor and helps them see the

results of their hard work. Please mark your calendars.

The required dress for all 4th/5th grade chorus and instrumental students is white shirts/blouses and black/dark navy pants or

skirts. Please make sure your children come to school on Tuesday, December 8th dressed in black and white with their instru-

ments and music.

PREPARING FOR COLDER WEATHER

As we experienced this week some severely cold weather, parents are reminded to make sure children are

dressed appropriately for outdoor activities. All students should bring a jacket, coat and/or sweatshirt for our cold

weather days. We will be going out for recess every day unless it is raining. During the winter months, we will

monitor the temperature carefully and decide whether to go out or stay inside based on the temperature outside. Having our

students ready for the cool and colder temperatures is important and we appreciate your help!

Sign Up for the 2015 School-Based Flu Vaccine Clinics

The Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will conduct free nasal spray flu vac-

cine clinics (FluMist) in all MCPS elementary schools the week of December 14, 2015. Galway will give the flu

mist vaccine on December 17.

All clinics are free, but registration is required due to limited vaccine supplies. Parents/guardians must sign up for their child(ren) to

receive the flu vaccine by contacting the school health room. Health room staff will send home the Vaccine Information Statement

and parental consent forms only to the families who contact the health room to set up an appointment. For more information, visit

the DHHS website at http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/flu or call 311.

Regístrese para las Clínicas de Vacunación Contra la Gripe del 2015 en las Escuelas

El Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos (Department of Health and Human Services - DHHS) del Condado de Montgomery

llevará a cabo clínicas de vacunación contra la gripe en aerosol nasal (FluMist) en todas las escuelas elementales de MCPS la

semana del 14 de diciembre de 2015. Galway dará la vacuna contra la gripe niebla el 17 de diciembre .

Todas las clínicas son gratis, pero se requiere inscripción debido a los suministros de vacunas limitados. Los padres/guardianes

deben registrar a su hijo/a para recibir la vacuna contra la gripe poniéndose en contacto con la enfermería de su escuela. El

personal de la enfermería enviará a casa la Hoja de Información Sobre la Vacuna y el formulario de consentimiento de los padres,

sólo a las familias que se pongan en contacto con la enfermería para hacer una cita. Para obtener más información, visite el sitio de

internet de DHHS en http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/flu o llame al 311.

Helping Children Cope with Terrorism: Tips for Families and Educators

MCPS has posted a tip sheet from the National Association of School Psychologists that will help guide you in your conversations about terrorism with children. The tip sheet, Helping Children Cope with Terrorism, is available on the parent page of the MCPS website at www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/parents/.

Cómo ayudar a los niños a confrontar con el terrorismo: Consejos para las familias y los educadores MCPS ha publicado una hoja de consejos de la Asociación Nacional de Psicólogos Escolares que le servirá de guía en sus conversaciones sobre el terrorismo con los niños. La hoja de consejos, Cómo ayudar a los niños a confrontar con el terrorismo, está disponible en la página para padres del sitio de internet de MCPS en www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/parents/.

Galway Chronicle 5

PARTNERSHIP FOR ASSESSMENT OF READINESS OF COLLEGE AND CAREERS (PARCC)

TEST RESULTS The timeline for the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) test has been

published. The Maryland State Department of Education will release the elementary and middle school student data at their

State Board of Education Meeting on December 8, 2015. The elementary PARCC test results will be mailed home by Decem-

ber 18, 2015. Parents will also receive a Parent Guide to the PARCC Score Report for English Language Arts and Mathematics.

Information about PARCC is available on the MCPS website at http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/parcc/

High school data was scheduled for release on October 27, 2015.

First Grade News Mr. Aaronson• Mrs. Adler • Ms. Ballard •Ms. Cordova

• Ms. Goocharan • Mrs. Jenkins • Ms. Palmer

Reminders: Our Winter Concert is

Tuesday December 8th. The performance is at 6:30, students should arrive at 6:00. Check your child’s homework folder for more information.

Please be sure to check your child’s folder every day for important information from their teacher

Don’t forget to check and sign the behavior calendar in your child’s homework folder every night

Please make sure you complete your child’s reading log each night

Thanks for your support!

Don’t forget to visit our classroom website: http://galway1st.weebly.com

You can also follow us on twitter: https://twitter.com/galway1st

Contact Information Max_Aaronson@mcpsmd.org shannon_m_adler@mcpsmd.org Caitlin_E_Ballard@mcpsmd.org Katya_M_Cordova@mcpsmd.org Jessica_Goocharan@mcpsmd.org Carise_M_Jenkins@mcpsmd.org Karen_L_Palmer@mcpsmd.org

Spotlight on Academics

Reading: This month we will be reading informational texts. Students will be reading to find the main topic and retell key details. First graders will also be using illustrations and details from the text to describe key ideas. Some helpful questions to ask your child are: What do you see? Which details from the text are important? How do you know? Writing: This month we will begin writing opinion book reviews. Students will select and name a book, state an opinion about the book, provide reasons for the opinion and a give a sense of closure. Math: This month we are learning strategies to solve 1 and 2 digit addition and subtraction problems. We are also working on doubles addition and doubles plus one addition facts. Ask your child to sing their doubles rap! Social Studies: This month we will begin learning about the differences between the past and present, people and objects. We will also focus on important events from the present and long ago. Science: This month we are learning all about magnets! We will be conducting several experiments with magnets and testing magnetic and nonmagnetic materials. Students will also predict, test and describe the effects of objects on magnets.

THIRD GRADE NEWS

December 2015

REMINDERS: Friday, December 4th

Field trip – MD Science Center Thursday, December 24th-Janurary 4th

Winter break – no school CELEBRATIONS: 3rd grade students have made great progress towards fluency with multiplication and division facts within 100. 3rd grade students were incredibly engaged during guest reader day and reading night. CONTACT INFORMATION:

Ms. Cottrell: Caroline_F_Cottrell@mcpsmd.org Ms. Smalley:

Kara_A_Smalley@mcpsmd.org Ms. Curry:

Bethany_A_Curry@mcpsmd.org Ms. Homsher:

Rachel_A_Homsher@mcpsmd.org Ms. O’Connor:

Amanda_K_O’Connor@mcpsmd.org Mr. Albinson:

Maxwell_S_Albinson@mcpsmd.org HOME EXTENSIONS: CultureGrams is an interactive website that supports learning about cultures from around the world. As students learn about wonders from around the world in social studies, they can glean further information at home. In addition to text, students can view images, maps, and more. Follow the link by clicking on the Media Center link on Galway’s webpage http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/galwayes/

SPOTLIGHT ON ACADEMICS Our Thinking and Academic Success Skills (TASS) for Marking Period 2 (MP2) are Metacognition and Evaluation READING: Students will begin comparing the themes, settings, and plots of stories written by the same author. We will look at stories involving the same or similar characters. Also, students will be asked to examine the author’s craft while analyzing texts. WRITING: Students will draft an informational writing piece that examines how technology has changed through time in order to meet the wants and needs of people. SCIENCE: We will conduct experiments in order to examine how changes in temperature affect the properties of materials. MATH: Students will interpret multiplication and equal share situations. Also, we will learn how to use the distributive property to solve for the area of quadrilaterals. SOCIAL STUDIES: We will examine how people modify and adapt to the environment.

FOURTH GRADE NEWS

December 2015 REMINDERS: December 11th

Progress Reports go home December 21st

Winter Concert Decmber 23rd- January 4th

Winter Break CONTACT INFORMATION:

Mr. Lotz: Francis_G_Lotz@mcpsmd.org Ms. Julian:

Irene_N_Julian@mcpsmd.org Ms. Price:

Julie_S_Price@mcpsmd.org Ms. Thompson:

Erinn_E_Thompson@mcpsmd.org Ms. Daffan:

Jessica_M_Daffan@mcpsmd.org HOME EXTENSIONS: Math for the Holidays Cooking provides an excellent opportunity for your child to see how math applies to real life. If you’re doing the cooking, perhaps you could let your child do the measuring—under your guidance of course! Ask such questions as:

Which is greater—a teaspoon or a tablespoon?

Which is smaller—a cup or a pint? How many cups are in a pint? How many tablespoons will it take to fill a

cup? (Estimate first and then measure them. Compare the estimate with the actual measurement.)

SPOTLIGHT ON ACADEMICS Our Thinking and Academic Success Skills (TASS) for Marking Period 2 are ELABORATION and PERSISTENCE/ MOTIVATION/ EFFORT READING: Early in the 2nd marking period, students discussed the characteristics of plays, compared a visual representation of a play with the text, as well as discuss poetic elements including verse, rhythm, and meter. Students will compare the themes of the play and poem previously read with a traditional tale. WRITING: Students composed poetry using a variety of strategies. By incorporating similes and metaphors in their poetry, students develop an understanding of how to apply language skills when composing any type of writing. Students analyze the themes in poetry and ways authors choose to conclude their poems. SCIENCE: Students will identify and describe various habitats found within an ecosystem, then identify factors that affect an organism’s ability to survive in an ecosystem as well as events that may contribute to changes in an ecosystem.

MATH: Students extend understandings about place value and properties of operations, including the distributive property, to multiply a whole number of up to 4 digits by a 1-digit whole

number. Rectangular arrays, area models, and equations are used to represent and explain calculations. SOCIAL STUDIES: Students are challenged to identify opportunity costs of decisions made by individuals, businesses, and government. As part of the Maryland Economics Inquiry project, students assess the present state of their community and propose a specialized business to fulfill a community want.

In math, we are beginning to study operations

with fractions. The students will study fractions

with various math tools like pattern blocks,

number lines, and rods. This will build a visual

foundation which will allow the students to

transition to paper and pencil activities.

**Please continue studying math facts at home!!!

In science, we will learning about magnetism and

electricity. We will have built simple circuits that

the students will use to determine if an object is a

conductor or an insulator. We will investigate

magnets, conduct investigations with magnets,

and use circuits and magnets to construct

electromagnets.

In social studies, we have started to research

Spotlight on Academics

background information about the historical

movement your child selected to research.

Montgomery County has made a “Livebinder” with

resources your child may use to conduct research

at home. It may be accessed from home by using

the following link:

http://www.livebinders.com/play/play_or_edit?id=4

87367

If your child does research at home, please remind

him/her to write the name of the source on their

notes. A works cited list is required for this inquiry.

In reading we continue to apply different reading

strategies to comprehend text. Ask your child to

share a reading strategy that he/she has learned

recently to help become a better reader. Please

continue to have your child read for at least 30

minutes each night and record it on the reading log.

Reminders

We need tissues, PLEASE!!!!! We are close to

running out of tissues. As the weather gets

colder, more children are catching “bugs”. Please

help our children stay healthy this winter!

Thanks!

Please replenish your child’s school supplies as

well and/or donate some to our class (specifically

pencils). Students spend a great deal of time

looking for a pencil, and this impacts the amount

of instructional time in a tightly packed day.

Thanks!

Home Extensions

Students can reinforce concepts taught in school by

visiting some of these sites:

Reading/Writing:

http://www.storyjumper.com/book/create (Create a

story or read a story)

http://www.carnegielibrary.org/kids/storymaker/emb

ed.cfm (Create a story)

http://www.abcya.com/subject_verb_agreement.htm

(Subject-verb agreement)

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/grammar/punctua

tion.htm (Punctuation game)

Science:

http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/travoltage

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/scienceclips/ages/6_7/

electricity.shtml

Math:

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/math.htm (Scroll down

to find the section on fractions)

December 2015