Originally delivered on 2/14/2022 12:37 pm

SUBJECT: SCES PTA Post Feb. 14 - Feb. 18

PTAPostHeader
Week of Feb.14 - Feb. 18

Important Upcoming Dates:

Feb. 14Valentine's Parties at School
Feb. 21Holiday - No School
March 1SCES PTA Meeting
March 24Early Release Day
March 25SCES World Culture Day

This is a weekly e-newsletter compiled by the Sligo Creek Elementary School (SCES) PTA to share current and upcoming school events and other information important to our school community. Please subscribe directly under your profile on the PTA website. We encourage all SCES families to sign up. Previous issues of the newsletter are available on the PTA website here: https://scespta.membershiptoolkit.com/pta-post-newsletter.

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Para leer el boletin, de click con el boton derecho del raton (mouse). Elija "traducir" seleccionando "espanol". Use el navegador the internet Google Chrome o MIcrosof Edge.  

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Pour lire la newsletter en français, ouvrez-la à l'aide du navigateur Internet Chrome ou Microsoft Edge. Faites un clic droit et choisissez "Traduire" puis sélectionnez le français. 

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።berarÄ« werek’etuni be’āmarinya lemanibebi ye Chrome yebeyinemerebi āsashi bemet’ek’emi yikifetuti ፡፡ bek’enyi t’ek’i yadirigu ina “terigumi” ni merit’ewi kezÄ«ya āmarinyani yimiret’u።    

በራሪ ወረቀቱን በአማርኛ ለማንበብ የ Chrome የበይነመረብ አሳሽ በመጠቀም ይክፈቱት ፡፡ በቀኝ ጠቅ ያድርጉ እና “ተርጉም” ን መርጠው ከዚያ አማርኛን ይምረጡ   

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The PTA Post is online here: https://scespta.membershiptoolkit.com/pta-post-newsletter 

PEP logo with tagline
Parenting Seminars - Respond with Your Availability by Feb. 15

The PTA Wellness Committee plans to sponsor two virtual seminars, offered by the Kensington-based Parent Encouragement Program (PEP) to our SCES community.  You can read more about PEP here - www.pepparentonline.org.   

We're looking for convenient times to schedule these one-hour seminars, on each of the following topics:  


1. Raising “I Can” Kids: Tired of hearing the words ‘I can’t’? Looking for ways to empower your children with a positive ‘can-do’ attitude during difficult times? Learn strategies to increase your child’s sense of feeling connected, capable, competent and courageous.  


2. "Reset Your Parenting: From Pandemic Mode to a New Normal"  It's time to talk about helping families – parents and children – hit that “reset button” to find a new normal as we emerge into a later phase of the pandemic with the promise of vaccines combined with continued need for caution.  As we emerge from a year of limitations, how do we help our children feel a new sense of confidence, hope, and motivation? What can parents do to reestablish structure with kids and foster their independence?  


If you are interested in attending one or both of these seminars, please help us by responding to this Doodle poll with your availability by Tuesday, February 15th.  Please confirm any/all dates that you are available, and we will do our best to choose dates that work for the highest number of people.  


https://doodle.com/poll/eq3zn9kb3ds5deik?utm_source=poll&utm_medium=link  


Many thanks for your interest!  

Rectangle with painted-looking stripes in black, red, green, and yellow behind bold white text reading
Black History Month Resources
Image of tree with world flags as leaves and the words
Call for World Culture Day Presenters

SCES is excited to host an in-person World Culture Day (WCD) on Friday,March 25!

Click here for the flyer. 

WCD will be held during school hours in the Outdoor Classroom or, in the event of rain, spread out across the school foyer area.

Volunteers make WCD one of the highlights of our school year. Please join us to share photos, music, dance, art, language, or other cool things about your country and culture. 

Make your presentation interactive and exciting for an in-person, PowerPoint-free setting! We’ll cover the cost of your materials including poster board, printing, lamination, and so on.

Please contact farahnageer@yahoo.com if you have any questions.

Sign up to be a presenter here:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508044dafab2ea31-sces1  

Grocery Gift Card Collection

As we celebrate the caring nature of our school community this Valentine’s Day, please consider helping to alleviate food insecurity for some SCES families. Spring break is around the corner, and we need to collect 70 gift cards for families by Friday, April 1.  

Thanks to your support during the Salamander Stride, we've been able to purchase coats, clothing, and school supplies for students in need. However, as a PTA we're discouraged from purchasing and distributing gift cards because of potential tax and tracking issues.  

If you're able to donate a $25 gift card (or a gift card in any amount) from grocery stores such as Safeway, Giant, Costco, or Target, please place the card(s) in an envelope and drop them off on school days--clearly marked to the attention of Ms. Check--or mail them to:                     

   Sligo Creek Elementary School  

   Attn: Jessica Check  

   500 Schuyler Rd  

   Silver Spring, MD 20910  

  

You can also send funds via Venmo or Zelle directly to Laura Fruge:  

   Venmo: @Laura-Fruge   

   Zelle: 202-256-4874   

Laura will purchase grocery gift cards to share (receipts provided upon request).  


Gift cards are distributed to families once in the Fall and once in the Spring, and then as needed during the school year.  

If you or your family can benefit from a gift card, please contact Ms. Check at Jessica_Check@mcpsmd.org or Mme. Johnston at Jeanne_K_Johnston@mcpsmd.org.  

Thank you for contributing in so many ways to our community!

*Speaking of which, from parachuting sharks to puppy pencils, you shared more than 40 boxes of adorable Valentines with students to hand out at school today. Thanks so much! 

Photo of a smiling Jessica Check wearing glasses, a headband, and an orange shirt with the phrase
Welcome, Ms. Check!

A few weeks ago, Sligo Creek Elementary School welcomed our new school counselor, Ms. Check. A note from Ms. Check follows:

Hello and bonjour fabulous SCES community! My name is Jessica Check, and I'm very excited to be the new school counselor at Sligo Creek Elementary! My own children Sylvie & Elliot both attended SCES before going to Oakview, and I love being back in this warm and welcoming community. I've been a counselor with MCPS for four years, and was a teacher and writer before moving to counseling. I am passionate about issues related to equity, restorative justice, anti-bias work and mindfulness, and seek to provide all students with a safe and loving space where they can feel free to express themselves. I love spending time with my family and rambunctious dog, watching old movies, reading books, and doing crosswords in my free time. I look forward to meeting you all in person!

If you see Ms. Check around, please give her a wave and let her know how happy we are to have her with us!  

Volunteer Coordinator Needed

Ms. Nesmith could use some help in the form of a Volunteer Coordinator. We're in the fortunate position of having a long list of potential volunteers for outdoor lunch, bulletin board creation, updating the sign out front, etc....but Ms. Nesmtih and the front office staff could use some help marshaling those resources. If you're interested in taking on this important new volunteer opportunity, please email communications@scespta.org.

Also, we're still looking for that PTA Vice President candidate! Is it you? If you're still thinking about it and need more info, please reach out. All board members' emails are below.

Photo of staff lounge with various homemade and purchased treats and a cute homemade sign reading

Thanks for treating our staff to special Valentine's Day treats! And thanks to our Teacher Appreciation Committee for making the staff lounge look special with student artwork sprucing up the walls. 

Image of gardening bag with various tools, gloves and seed packets
Ace Hardware Fundraiser to Support the Outdoor Classroom Ends Today

Today is the day to get all your spring gardening and hardware needs at Ace Hardware!  Silver Spring and Takoma Park Ace Hardware stores are partnering with SCES and SSIMS to support our Outdoor Classroom. Through TODAY, Monday, February 14, all customers at both stores will be asked to round up their sales totals to the next-highest dollar, to give the extra change to buy much-needed equipment for instruction in the Outdoor Classroom.  

Latest from MCPS

Things to Know (Thurs, Feb. 10)  

https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/publicinfo/community/school-year-2021-2022/Community-Update-20220210-final.html


County and MCPS COVID Vaccine Partnership

To find a clinic that is convenient for you, visit https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/Coronavirus/Vaccinations/ and make your appointment today!  

  

Say Yes to the Test!  

If your student has not opted in to COVID-19 testing at school, please opt-in today.  

Flyer in English  

Information in Spanish  

Information in Amharic  

Information in English  

Easy Ways to Support SCES


SCES has received nearly $300 from AmazonSmile so far this year. Please turn on AmazonSmile and point your donations toward SCES!  

Sign Up for AmazonSmile:  

1. http://smile.amazon.com

2. Sign in with your Amazon.com credentials.

3. Choose Sligo Creek Elementary School as your charity of choice.

4. Add a bookmark for http://smile.amazon.com to make it even easier to return and start your shopping at AmazonSmile.

Turn on AmazonSmile in the Amazon Shopping app:

1. Open the App and find 'Settings' in the main menu.

2. Tap on 'AmazonSmile' and follow the on-screen instructions to turn on AmazonSmile in the App.  


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Scan Receipts for BOX TOPS  

1. Download the BOX TOP$ for Education App  

2. Select Sligo Creek Elementary School (zip code 20910).  

3. Look for the BOX TOP$ logo when shopping.  

4. Scan your grocery receipts within 14 days of purchasing.


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Mabel's Labels  

If you find yourself needing some personalized name labels, please consider supporting this fundraiser, and the PTA will earn 20% from your purchase! Your labels will ship to your house for free. They're great for lunch boxes, backpacks, clothes, shoes -- you name it!  

To purchase, go to campaigns.mabelslabels.com and search for "Sligo Creek ES PTA." 

This fundraiser will run continuously, so it will be there whenever you have a labeling need.

AmazonSmile, BoxTops, CocaCola GIVE and Harris Teeter logos
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