Monocacy Valley Montessori Public Charter School

Parent Newsletter
MVMPCS CALENDAR:
Fri., 11/8Prospective Parent Tour, 9:15 a.m.; Report Cards Issued Thurs., 11/14L.E. to Gov. Thomas Johnson High for Performance, 9:00 a.m.12:00 noon; MVMPCS Drama Performance Space Pirates, 6:00 p.m. Fri., 11/15MVMPCS Drama PerformanceSpace Pirates, 6:00 p.m. Sat., 11/16 Building & Grounds Volunteer Work Day, 9:00 a.m. Wed., 11/20MMCI Annual Meeting, MVMPCS, 7:00 p.m. Thurs., 11/21Absentee Photo Make-Up Day, 11:00 a.m.1:00 p.m. Fri., 11/22Community Coffee, 9:15 a.m.; 2 hour early dismissal at 12:45 p.m.; no After Care. Mon., 11/254 Hour Late Arrival for Parent Teacher Conferences, K8th Grade Students arrive at 12:45 p.m., No PreK or Pre-School students attend; No Before Care. Tues., 11/263.5 Hour Early Dismissal for Parent Teacher Conferences, Students dismiss at 12:15 p.m.; Lunches served on an early schedule. No After Care. Wed., 11/27Fri., 11/29School ClosedHappy Hanukkah and Happy Thanksgiving! Wed., 12/4Hearing & Vision Re-checks

November 7, 2013
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Dear Families, Report cards will be sent home tomorrow on Friday, November 8th. Please take the time to highlight the great things your child has accomplished during Term 1 and discuss with your child a plan to improve in areas that may need improvement. FCPS continues to work on ways to identify bullying in all schools and how it should be handled and reported. Please take the time to read the following information and review it with your child(ren). Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect. To promote safety and provide an optimal environment for student achievement, FCPS trains employees to establish clear behavior standards and to make every effort to: *Be aware of problems *Provide proper guidance and supervision *Consistently and fairly enforce policies Bullying incidents, however, tend to occur out of sight of school staff. Research and experience show that a comprehensive approach that includes students and families has the most promise in reducing bullying and the harm it causes. Bullying is repeated, persistent and aggressive behavior that occurs in a context where there is a real or perceived imbalance of power and that is intended to cause fear and/ or harm to another person's body, feelings, self-esteem or reputation. Report Bullying: It is not helpful to simply tell a child to ignore bullying, and FCPS does not encourage a child to fight the bully. Children need a trusted adult to turn to when they feel threatened. Teach them to contact a school counselor, administrator or teacher to report bullying. Use the FCPS Bullying, Harassment or Intimidation Reporting Form available at every school and the FCPS online home page via the Forms tab. At MVMPCS, we continue to work with all students on how to stop not so nice behavior before it becomes bullying and how to report all incidents of bullying. Have a wonderful weekend. Cita

MVMPCS DRAMA CLUB PRESENTS: SPACE PIRATES NEXT WEEK LAST CHANCE TO PURCHASE ADVANCE TICKETS Tickets for the fall MVMPCS production of Space Pirates are now on sale. The show dates are Thursday, Nov. 14 and Friday, Nov. 15 at 6:00 p.m. each night. Seating is limited. Advance tickets cost $4 per child and $6 per adult from now until tomorrow, Nov. 8th. Starting on Monday, Nov. 11th ticket prices will be $6 and $8. For your convenience, there is a new box office email for reservations: mvmpcsboxoffice@gmail.com. You may email to request tickets and the order will be filled and waiting the next afternoon. All tickets that have been requested must be purchased by Fri., Nov. 8th!

Tickets will be on sale at school each morning at 8:45 a.m. and each afternoon at 3:45 p.m. (Fridays at 2:45 p.m.) We look forward to seeing you at the show!
COFFEE FUNDRAISER ORDERS DUE TOMORROW! Just a friendly reminder that this Friday, November 8th is the last day we will compile group orders for Dublin Roasters. So please turn your order forms and checks by Friday. Please see the display in the hall outside the office. If you aren't ready to order this round, no worries, we will do another group order in early December! Also, you can purchase the coffee any time directly at Dublin, just call ahead to make sure there is some on the shelf. Our blend is very popular!! Online orders are always an option as well. Thank you and enjoy your coffee!! Jennifer Nichols, Community Outreach Committee

MVMPCS NEWSLETTER
VOLUNTEERS WANTED FOR MVMPCS BLDG. & GROUNDS WORK DAY, SATURDAYNOV. 16

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FREDERICK COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT SCHOOL HEALTH PROGRAMFLU SEASON INFO With flu season upon us, it is important that we work together to keep our children healthy. Viruses spread easily among children in schools, and families with school-age children have more infections than others, with an average of one-third of these family members infected each year. By keeping our children flu-free, we benefit the community as a whole. You can help prevent the spread of flu or help your child get better if he/ she does get sick by following a few simple steps: If possible, you and your child should get a flu shot for seasonal influenza and a flu shot for pandemic H1N1 influenza when available. Remind your child to cover his/her nose and mouth with a tissue when sneezing or coughing and dispose of the tissue immediately wash hands as soon as possible. Have your child wash his/her hands frequently with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds Disinfect frequently-touched surfaces and shared items at least once a day. Ensure that bathrooms are stocked with soap, hand towels and tissues. Teach your child not to touch his/her mouth, nose and eyes If your child is sick and has a fever, keep him/her at home to prevent the spread of illness to others. If you are concerned about your childs flu symptoms, call your health care provider early. Common symptoms of flu include fever of 100 degrees or higher, severe headache, muscle and body aches, exhaustion, and dry cough. Additionally, children often exhibit other flu symptoms that are rare in adults, such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Some children might benefit from an antiviral medication, which can be prescribed by a health care provider and can help lessen the duration of the virus and reduce the risk of complications, such as pneumonia. To be effective, antiviral medication should be taken within 12-48 hours after flu symptoms begin. Keep your child at home if he/she is sick for at least 24 hours after he/she no longer has a fever without using fever -reducing medications. Keeping children with a fever at home will reduce the number of people who may get infected. If your child has been diagnosed with the flu or other contagious illness such as chicken pox, strep throat, mononucleosis, please notify the health room. This information is necessary so health staff can communicate with parents of students that have medical conditions that compromise their ability to fight infection. If you have any questions or would like additional information about preventing and treating the flu, please contact the health room at 301-668-0667.

The building and ground committee needs volunteers on Saturday, November 16 at 9:00 a.m. to help spread mulch in the front courtyard. Please email me to let me know if you plan on helping. We need at least 8 people willing to break a sweat! We will also like to borrow a few wheelbarrows, so please let me know if you are able to loan us one. This is a great way to meet your volunteer hours and make a huge impact on the day to day experience of your child. Thanks in advance!
Erin Frank kfrank1@mac.com

MMCI'S INTERNATIONAL POTLUCK AND ANNUAL FUND ANNOUNCEMENT IS THIS SATURDAY AND YOU ARE INVITED! Join us to honor our International heritage on Saturday, Nov. 9 from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m.! You are encouraged to bring your favorite dish and come dressed in attire from around the world. We'd love to see your recipes and flags as well. Children are welcome to present their International Children's Day work (reports or musical performances are welcome). Parents are also welcome to speak of or perform representing their native land. Families can email Liz at sealsrest@gmail.com or Jennifer at jenleader@hotmail.com if interested in presenting. Parents interested in helping with games or crafts are also encouraged to email Jennifer at jenleader@hotmail.com. The event will be held at the Tuscarora Rec Center on 6321 Lambert Drive , Frederick MD 21703.

PARENTTEACHER CONFERENCES TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY, NOV. 24 AND NOV. 25

Parent/teacher conferences will be held on Monday and Tuesday, November 24 and 25. Students will arrive 4 hours late on Monday. Arr ival begins at 12:45 p.m. and school starts at 1:00 p.m. Ther e will be no Befor e Care and Pr eK/ PreSchool students do not attend.
On Tuesday, students will be dismissed at 12:15 p.m., 3.5 hours early. Lunches will be ser ved on an ear ly schedule. There will be no After Care. Conference sign-ups will be on available online through Pick A Time scheduling website. Sign-up instructions will be sent home soon!

MVMPCS ATTENDANCE YEAR TO DATE: 96.79% MD STATE REQUIRED ATTENDANCE: 94%