Welcome New
Ashburton Families
2012-2013
School Year
• Mrs. Charlene Garran – Principal
• Ms. Barbara Cino – Assistant Principal
• Mr. Paul Dowell – Teacher
• Ms. Monteforte – Teacher
• Ms. Amy Hirsch – Teacher
• Ms. Joanna Robbins – Teacher
• Mrs. Erin Burrell – Teacher
• Mrs. Yvette Killian – Special Education Teacher
• Ms. Abigail Locke – Special Education Teacher
The First Day
• The first day of school is Monday,
August 27th. We look forward to
meeting and greeting your child.
• During arrival that first morning,
parents of kindergartners are welcome
to join Mrs. Garran, Ms. Cino, the PTA,
and others for Tea and Sympathy in
the Media Center.
Kindergarten Name Tags
• Please send your kindergartner with a NAME
TAG. Your child should wear this tag for the
first two weeks. It should have the following
information:
Name:_______________________
Address: ____________________
Teacher’s Name: ______________
Phone Number#: ______________
Bus Color/Number: _____________
Walker / Car Rider: _____________
Meet in the Gym Lobby, Breezeway, or Drop-Off Loop
• An information card is helpful for all students
who are not familiar with their new information.
Students can keep this information in backpacks.
Backpacks
• Your child should have a BACKPACK with
his/her name on it. It should be LARGE
enough to hold standard pocket sized
folders. Your child will have a home/school
folder in their backpack daily with important
notices, newsletters and homework. Please
empty the folder each night and send it
back the following day.
Dress
• Please dress your child casually and comfortably.
We have active days planned. Kindergartners use paint,
glue and play dough; and we’ll play outdoors. Clothes
should be washable.
• Sneakers are safer for active play and required for P.E.
– Crocs and flip-flops are cute, but not safe for the playground.
• The health tech has some spare clothes for the
occasional emergency, however kindergartners may
keep a set of clothes in a sealed plastic bag at the
bottom of their backpack. Please keep it up to date in
terms of size and season. 
• Please dress your child for the weather.
• If your child wears rain boots, you may want to send a change of shoes for
the day.
Specials
•
•
•
•
•
Art
Music
PE – Physical Education
Computer Lab
Media Center
• Chorus & Instrumental Music
– Grades 4 & 5
Lost and Found
• To help prevent lost belongings, please label
all of your child’s possessions, including
clothing (especially coats, jackets, sweaters,
and vests).
• Lost items are placed in the lost and found
box located in a hallway closet outside of the
APR. Parents are encouraged to check the
lost and found box at anytime. 
– Lunch Box – Please make sure you label the lunch
box. We have a special LOST and FOUND for lunch
boxes in the cafeteria.
Items to Keep at Home
• All toys, candy and chewing gum
should stay home. These are not
allowed in school.
• Cell phones, electronic devices,
trading cards, and no Heelies.
– E-Readers are permitted with parental
and principal permission. Please request
a permission slip.
Homework
•
MCPS policy states that homework is for reinforcing and practicing
concepts learned in school.
•
Kindergartners will receive a quarterly homework calendar and it will be
sent home in their folder.
•
Students will be assigned a weekly homework assignment to reinforce
the skills taught during the week. This homework is not required to be
returned.
•
Keep your child engaged at home. Kindergartners should work
approximately 10 minutes per night to work on the objectives being
taught in class to reinforce those skills.
•
Read, Read, Read!
Grades 1-5:
• Usually assigned Monday-Thursday
• Math, Reading, Spelling
• Special Projects
Home Supplies
• To complete homework students will
need a place at home with some basic
supplies: pencils, scissors,
(Kindergarten-safety scissors)
crayons/colored pencils, glue, tape,
and extra paper.
Buses
•
If you do not live within walking distance to the school your child will
ride a school bus.
•
The school bus is free!
•
Each bus has designated routes and bus stops that correlate to
addresses.
•
Each bus is called a different color, however all the buses are actually
yellow. 
•
On the first day of school please have your child ride the bus to school
because he/she will get a sticker with their bus color on it when he/she
exit which lets teachers know what color bus they ride. 
•
5th grade patrols ride the bus with students and 4th grade students will
escort students to their buses.
•
ALWAYS communicate with the teacher when there is any changes in
the departure routine.
– We have copies of the arrival and departure bus schedule. If
you have any specific questions regarding bus stops and
routes, see Marney Jacobs in the office. She is an expert! 
Bikes and Skateboards
Students are permitted to travel to school on a bike or
skateboard following the guidelines:
– Students are responsible for locking bikes to the bike
racks. Ashburton has two bike racks located in the
front and back of the school. Ashburton ES is not
responsible for damaged, lost, or missing bikes.
– Skateboards can be stored in the school office and
retrieved during dismissal.
– Students MUST not ride bikes or skateboards on
school property. Students must walk the bike or
skateboard once they are on school property.
– Students should wear a safety helmet.
Lunch
• We do offer hot lunch everyday at school.
• Printed menus are sent home bi-monthly. Lunch menus are
also posted on this website:
http//www:montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/foodse
rve/menus/cafemenus.shtm
• Each student is issued a four digit pin number that allows
them to access their account.
– Please make sure that you are monitoring your SNAP lunch
account balance. You should deposit money into your account
first thing in the morning or parents can send money in with
students and it will be put into their account before lunch.
Paying during your lunch time will only hold up the line.
– You can use the computerized/prepayment system @
www.mylunchmoney.com/ (This may take 1-2 days to activate.)
– Students must have money in their account in order to buy hot
lunch.
• Lunch Prices: Breakfast – $1.30 / Lunch - $2.50
• There are two hot lunch items everyday for students to
choose from or a cheese pocket.
For Example…
• Monday, August 27th
#1 - Chicken Nuggets w/ Tator Tots
#2 - Grilled Cheese Sandwich w/ FF Potatoes
Baby Carrots & Fresh Fruit
#3 - Cheese Pocket
• Tuesday, August 28th
#1 - Personal Pizza-Cheese or Pepperoni
#2 - Hot Dog w/ Baked Beans
Red & Green Pepper Strips, Hummus, Assorted Fresh Fruit
#3 - Cheese Pocket
Milk Choices: 1% or Fat Free Milk - White, Chocolate, Strawberry
Students will always have access to the water fountain.
Ashburton Expectations
• We expect Ashburton Stars to focus on learning.
• We expect Ashburton Stars to respect everyone.
• We expect Ashburton Stars to solve problems
appropriately.
• We expect Ashburton Stars to think before they act.
• We expect Ashburton Stars to use their hands for
helping.
• We expect Ashburton Stars to listen and follow
directions.
• We expect Ashburton Stars to be kind to others every
day.
Behavior Management System
Blue: Student went above and beyond
expectations for the day.
Green: Student was a T.Q. star.
Yellow: Student needed reminders
to follow directions/rules.
Red: Student broke a school rule – The teacher will
call home and/or the student was sent to the office.
Allergies
• If your child has any allergies (food or
otherwise) please notify your child’s
teacher and the health room in writing
immediately!
• Since children will be eating a snack daily
in the classroom it is even more important
that we are aware of all allergies.
• (Snack time varies in Grades 1-5)
Snacks
• Your child will have a daily afternoon snack in Kindergarten.
• Please provide your child with 1 healthy dry snack each day.
Teachers will not provide snacks.
• Examples of healthy dry snacks are: one piece of fruit, one
granola bar or one snack sized baggie of dry cereal.
• Please do not send in a special drink for snack time. Students
are permitted to use the water fountain.
• Please do not put the snack in lunch bags. Students often eat
these snacks as lunch items and then they are without a snack
in the afternoon.
Report Cards/Conferences
• The parent conferences will be held on
November 12th and 13th. There will be signup sheets for appointment times at Backto-School Night.
• Kindergarten report cards go home twice a
year: February and June.
• Grades 1-5 report cards go home quarterly
You will learn more about Standards Based Grading
and Reporting during Back to School Night.
Birthdays
• We do not have birthday parties for the students
in school; however, your child may bring a special
book to share with the class. Teachers will make
this day very special for your child.
• If your child has a summer birthday they may bring
a book to share on his/her ½ birthday. Please
coordinate dates with the classroom teacher.
• We recognize birthdays on the morning
announcements. Students are excited to come to
the office for their birthday surprise in the
morning. 
• Student are not permitted to distribute invitations
to individual students, unless they invite ALL
students in the class.
• Grades 1-5:
– Please see teacher for guidelines regarding birthdays.
Parties
• We have two class parties each year –
– Halloween and Valentine’s Day
• Room parents help organize the classroom parties.
ALL parents are welcome to volunteer! Please
coordinate with the room parent.
• There is always an alternative party option if your
child does not celebrate Halloween or Valentine’s
Day. Please inform the classroom teacher if your
child will not participate in the party.
Note:
• All snacks/food MUST be store-bought!
• Please work with the teacher on specific treats/food items
as we have many students with allergies.
Half-Days
• Dismissal is at 12:35. It is very important
your child’s teacher knows where your
child is going on half-days. Please provide
a note to the teacher if your child is not
going to leave school the way they do for a
normal dismissal.
• Please make sure your paperwork in the
office is update because your child can not
be released to anyone that you have not
given permission to on the release form.
Attendance
• Student success in school is directly tied to daily attendance.
Students needing to leave school early need a note from their
parent or guardian. For security reasons, you MUST always sign
your child in and out of the school building when arriving or
departing at a time other than the scheduled arrival and dismissal
times.
• When your child is absent, please call the office at 301-571-6959
by 9:30 a.m. to let us know. You can also email the teacher and
Dana Lynch, attendance secretary. (Dana_R_Lynch@mcpsmd.org)
• When a child returns to school following an absence, s/he must
always bring a dated note from a parent or guardian stating the
reason for the absence.
Daily Arrival Routines
•
School doors open at 8:30 a.m. and students may sit in the hallways until
the first bell. Students may not enter the school prior to 8:30 a.m.
•
The first bell rings at 8:40 a.m. and students may enter the classrooms.
•
The second bell rings at 8:50 a.m. and morning announcements begin.
The back door will be locked at this time and you must enter through the
front doors.
•
If you arrive after 8:50 a.m. you are considered TARDY. You must stop
by the office, be signed in by a parent and get a late pass. It is essential
to the instructional program that all students are on time for school each
day. If your child is absent for any reason, please call the office and
notify them that your child will be out and write a note and send it with
your child the date of his/her return.
•
- When visiting or volunteering, always sign-in and wear a
visitor sticker.
•
- Kiss and Say Goodbye Procedures-
– Say goodbye to your child at the front door. Parents should not walk students
to class unless they check in at the main office and get a visitor’s badge. This
is primarily for safety purposes. Morning arrival is not a time for parentteacher conferences as they need to have their 100% attention on the
students. We appreciate your cooperation with our procedures at Ashburton.
Morning
Procedures
Daily Dismissal Routines
Please send a note granting permission for any schedule
changes, including:
– Child to go home with Grandparent or another adult, per
your request.
– Child to go home with a friend on another bus or via other
modes of transportation – BOTH children MUST have a
note.
– Play-dates should be scheduled in advance of the school day.
– CHILDREN MUST HAVE A NOTE AND GIVE IT TO THE
TEACHER FIRST THING IN THE MORNING OR THEY
MUST GO HOME PER THE REGULAR ROUTE!
– *Please refrain from sending emails during the day to
inform the teacher of a change in a dismissal routine. In
case of an emergency, contact the office so the teacher is
notified immediately. It is always best to copy the office,
Dana Lynch or Marney Jacobs, on these emails to ensure
that the teacher receives the message.
Arrival &
Dismissal
Walkers / Car Riders
•
Please instruct your children to use a walking route that ensures safety.
•
Walkers and Car Riders who are met by adults will meet in the Gym Lobby
or ‘Breezeway’ and be released to their parents or others with permission.
You should have a plan in advance and communicate the plan with your
child. Please mark the index card with Gym Lobby or Breezeway as a
meeting place during dismissal. If you would like your child to meet you at
the Drop-Off Loop, please also state this information on the index card.
•
Please make sure you are there promptly for pick-up at 3:05 p.m.;
supervision is available until 3:15 p.m. and then students will be sent to the
office.
•
Students who are to walk home by themselves should leave the building
and walk directly home after school. Please discuss this with your child.
•
Please discuss weather emergency procedures with your child.
Name:_______________________
Address: ____________________
Teacher’s Name: ______________
Phone Number#: ______________
Bus Color/Number: _____________
Walker/Car Rider: _____________
Meet in the Gym Lobby, Breezeway, or Drop-Off Loop
Parking
• Ashburton has limited parking and one entrance for buses. To
protect the safety of the students, the driveway is blocked to
auto traffic from 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., and from 2:45 to
3:25 p.m. Only buses may enter to drop-off or pick-up.
• The drop-off in the rear of the building off Pomona Drive has
been constructed to help alleviate the congestion in the front of
the school. You may drop-off or pick-up students there or park
and walk in. The doors will be locked after 8:50 a.m.; students
who arrive after that time should not be dropped off at this
location since they would have to walk around the building to
enter. Walkers or children who are to be picked up can be met
at this drop-off loop in the afternoon.
Drop-Off Loop Guidelines
It is important that everyone follow the drop-off guidelines for picking students
up at the end of the day. The guidelines have been established for the
SAFETY of students.
Drop-off Loop Guidelines:
• Drive slowly for everyone’s SAFETY.
• Pull up to the end of the loop. You may not stay in the middle spot even if
you are the first to arrive.
• Stay in queue and once your vehicle is loaded, then you may slowly and
safely pull into the left lane to exit the loop. It is not fair for parents to pull in
and out of spots while other parents have been waiting in line.
• Do not double-park and ask students to run across a line of cars to board
your car. This was happening way too often and is completely an unsafe
practice.
• Do not park and leave your car in the drop-off lane. If you need to park,
please use the spaces provided or the road.
Drop-Off Loop Guidelines (Continued)
• If you park in the spaces, you must get out of your vehicle to escort your
child across the lot. Please do not wave your children across the street to
your car. Back out carefully as other cars queue up along the drop-off lane.
• Refrain from delaying the queue by using your cell phone or other things
during pick-up.
• Ashburton’s staff and patrols are there to assist in arrival and dismissal;
however, they are not to cross the parking lot nor wait with your child after
3:15 p.m. Students that are not picked up by 3:15 p.m. will asked to wait in
the main office. If staff is giving you a direction, it is only because they are
looking out for your child’s safety. Please be respectful. We truly appreciate
your cooperation!
• If you are not able to follow these guidelines, please park and pick up your
child from the gym area. Any parents that are available to help with
supervision during dismissal time, please contact the main office. Your
support would be greatly appreciated! I know you would agree that we all
want to create a safe environment for our students. Please help us create
that safe environment and follow the safety guidelines during dismissal time.
Thank you for your cooperation!
Ashburton Staff, Parents, & Students
Weather Delays
• Please listen to the radio or TV for weather delays and
school closings.
• MCPS also posts the announcement online at
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/
• Email Alerts: Subscribe to MCPS Newsfeed to receive
alerts to your computer or phone about early
dismissals, emergencies, and other news.
http//www:montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/newsfeed/
Safety Drills
• Evacuate (Fire Drills)
• Shelter
• Lockdown
• Tornado Drills
Safety System:
Cameras
Computerized Sign-In
Field Trips
• Field trips are an important part of the instructional
program of each class. Students will go on different field
trips throughout the year.
• When a field trip approaches, teachers will send home a
permission slip form and ask for chaperones. Written
permission from a parent or guardian is required for a child
to attend. Parent chaperones aid the teacher with
supervision on these outings; however, regulations prohibit
siblings from attending.
• There is usually a fee for bus transportation; often there is
also an admission fee. Financial assistance is offered by the
PTA through Mrs. Gillespie, counselor, for those children in
need; please contact Mrs. Gillespie directly.
MCPS Curriculum 2.0
•
•
Ashburton Elementary School is using the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS)
Curriculum 2.0: Elementary Integrated Curriculum (EIC) in Kindergarten-Grade 3.
MCPS Curriculum 2.0 is built around developing students' critical and creative thinking
skills, as well as essential academic success skills, so that students are well prepared for
a lifetime of learning. We are upgrading the existing MCPS curriculum for the
elementary grades in a way that will better engage students and teachers, and dedicate
more learning time to subjects such as the arts, information literacy, science, social
studies and physical education. By blending these subjects with the core content areas of
reading, writing, and mathematics, students will receive robust, engaging instruction
across all subjects in the early grades. In short, we are building a stronger foundation
at the elementary level.
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/2.0/
•
Math Assessments - MAP-P: Measures of Academic Progress – Primary Grades
•
– Fall, Winter, Spring
•
Reading Assessments - mClass
– Fall, Winter, Spring
– Goal: Level 4/6 or higher 
– Differentiation
» Small Group Instruction (Reinforce, Re-teach, Enrichment)
Kindergarten
Stars of the Week
– A different student in each class is recognized every
week. Every student SHINES at Ashburton!
– Students will design a poster like the one displayed to
the right. Students should bring in pictures and complete
an ‘All About Me’ poster, which will be displayed in the
hallway.
– Students will be announced on AETV by Mrs. Gillespie.
Students will come to the office for a TQ Star
certificate and to have their picture taken to be
displayed on AETV and in the office.
– Students will join Mrs. Garran, Ms. Cino, and Mrs.
Gillespie for a special TQ Star celebration. Students will
receive a special TQ Star gift.
Differentiation –
Small Group Instruction
Centers
Centers
Ashburton Elementary School –
A Great Place to Learn!
• Differentiated Instruction:
– Small Group Instruction
• Departmentalization in Grades 4 & 5
• After School Activities
– School & PTA Sponsored
• Parent Involvement
• Student Recognition
– Birthday Announcements
– TQ Stars (Top Quality Stars)
• Weekly Announcements, Pictures, Awards, & Special
Recognition from Administration and Mrs. Gillespie
– Kindergarten Stars of the Week
– End of the Year Awards in Special Areas
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/ashburtones/
PTA
Parent Teacher Association
• President: Wendy Calhoun
• Co-Administrative Vice Presidents:
Marci Norton & Grace Yeh
• Co-Membership Vice Presidents:
Jen Luna & Shannon Ross
• Treasurer: Marc Schulhof
• Secretary: Allison Chung