It is the most wonderful time of the year - back to school! 

We hope everyone had a wonderful summer and we are getting excited for the 2023-2024 school year. Though it is exciting, back to school can also be overwhelming, especially for those new to the Sligo community. Here are a few notes we hope you find helpful.

School Supplies

The official Sligo Creek ES school supply list, broken down by grade, can be found here:

School Supplies List

Back-to-School Fair at Wheaton Westfield Mall: Saturday 8/26 from 10-1

All MCPS students and their families are invited to kick off the new school year at the Back-to-School Fair. The event is a wonderful opportunity for families to learn about the school system and county programs and services, while enjoying family-friendly activities, entertainment, a free COVID-19 vaccination clinic and more. More information at:

https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/community-engagement/fair/

Back to School Night- Kindergarten Only: Thursday 8/24 from 6:30-7:30

SCES is hosting a back to school night for all incoming kindergarteners at the school! We are so excited for all of our new families!  Childcare will be provided for school age children only by Kidsco staff.  Infants and toddlers are welcome to stay with their caregivers.

Sneak Peak Open House: Friday 8/25 from 2:30-3:15

SCES is hosting a sneak peek of Sligo Creek. Students and parents are welcome to visit their classroom and become reacquainted or acquainted with the school.  

Car Circle

We know everyone is eager to efficiently and safely get their kids to school and timely on to work or other appointments.  Due to construction, please leave extra time for pick up and drop off if your child is a car rider. For safety, neighborhood relations, efficiency, and fairness, the following protocols exist for arrival (and dismissal):

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wk-HX-rYmyQvXyyLRuNUrjDOEvvpypsPCf6shuWWows/edit?fbclid=IwAR0OXXP11cxRgpSuDxwg_qgmvwZoMF9S6Tc8djEllD2BE6O3MyNBV_FMfak

Buses

SCES is still waiting on final bus routes.  MCPS notes that some bus routes may change. Additionally, some routes may experience service delays due to staffing and the need for multiple runs. Updates regarding delays and uncovered routes will be communicated on a daily basis by schools and available on the MCPS website at https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/

SCES Listserv

SCES PTA has a listserv for caregivers and teachers of SCES students.  If you would like to join, please visit https://groups.io/g/sligocreek

Major platforms you need an account for with MCPS for elementary school

1. ParentVUE: how to access grades and a route for emailing teachers.  It is also vital that you have the correct email address with ParentVUE so the school can reach you with communications, which come from NoReply Synergy or Blackboard.   

2. Canvas/MyMCPSClassroom — separate from ParentVUE, but you must access it through your ParentVUE account. It gives alerts about assignments and grades — and you can see a bit more into what’s due in each classroom. This is for those who want a deeper dive into what is going on for their students and perhaps an earlier heads up about how things are going in the classroom.  

3.AlertMCPS: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/emergency/alertmcps.aspx  This provides information about school closures or other emergencies.  

4. School Cash Online: https://www.schoolcashonline.com — all school financial obligations outside of cafeteria meals.

5. My School Bucks — https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/getmain?requestAction=home  This year, meals (lunch and breakfast) will not be universally free.  If you are not a FARMS family (free or reduced price meals based on economic circumstances), and your student wants to buy lunch in school, they will need a mybucks account with money in it. 

Additional Resources

The MCPS Fall 2023 School Reopening guide is available at:

https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/reopening2023/

In case you didn't receive it, Principal Nesmith's Summer Newsletter, August 2023 can be found at:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xj5vlrIPemb2lt0T4xpv03WRFg0foHIWO4yNwsPxOUE/edit

Another great SCES tradition is the Welcome Back Social! This PTA-hosted event will be on Friday, September 8 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on the Sligo Creek playground. Teachers will also be celebrating the beginning of this school year with us.  Mark your calendars!

We are gearing up for our fall season of Sligo Creek Striders run club. We have an awesome group of coaches back again this season and are currently recruiting more coaches. No running or coaching experience necessary!! Our season runs from mid/end September to early/mid November. The exact dates are still to be determined.  We will meet either Mondays or Wednesdays (once a week) from school dismissal (3:50) until 5 pm at the SSIMS track.

The PTA-sponsored Sligo Creek Striders after-school run club: 

• Introduces students to running as a lifelong form of exercise with a focus on participation and self improvement. 
• Improves social emotional skills and provides opportunities to socialize and bond with other young runners.

The Sligo Creek Striders are gender and ability inclusive for grades K-5. The kids run with friends every week and the season ends in a fun run celebration. 

We will send out a separate sign up for students to join the club in a couple of weeks but we need to make sure we have enough coaches. If you are interested or would like to know more, please email sligocreekstriders@gmail.com. Again no running or coaching experience necessary!

We'll be doing a first stock of the lounge on the first day of school—Monday, August 28th. Our next stock will be on Tuesday, September 5th, and then generally every Monday after.  Sign-up for slots of your choosing on the SignUp Genius. Items can be dropped off or mailed Claire Darby's house. Please message her for my address. (Facebook messenger, or cell/email contact is available on the SignupGenius.)

You can also order off our Amazon wish list and have items sent to her house if that's easier. Please still sign up on the sign up genius as well so others can see what is covered!