Sligo Creek Elementary School PTA
SCES PTA
Newsletter
Volume 11, Issue 3
4, 2009
PTA President’s Column
It is December. The time of year when we
feel pulled in a million directions, our wallets
are stretched to the max, and our children are
bombarded with toy commercials. So not to
bombard you with words, I will make my
missive short and to the point, if not sweet.
As many of you know, I work as a school
psychologist for Howard County Public
Schools and early this week, I sat down to an
email from the superintendent. He stressed the
axiom, “we need to do more with less” and this
rings true for the Montgomery County school
system and our children’s classrooms as well.
This is a time of year for giving, and it is my
hope that in all of the holiday rush, you
remember that SCES needs your help to remain
strong. Send in your receipts, check out our
website, attend our fundraisers, and most of all
volunteer your time to fill in the gaps created
by this budget shortfall. Here are some things
your money
Principal’s Letter
Dear Parents,
Many thanks to our Executive PTA
Board and parents for your involvement in our
recent boundary study and your advocacy for
the needs of Sligo Creek. Your hard work is
greatly appreciated and we are the beneficiaries
of your work. Just to review that in November,
Page | 1
Friday, December
and support has gone to:
• The K-2 literacy night which hosted
over 70 parents
• The Pasta Dinner raised $1500 and fed
340 people
• The development of the website with
links to painless fundraising
• The student directory
• The Beautification committee to
provide mulch and plants for the
grounds
• The provision of meals and treats for
staff appreciation
• Scholarships for students to attend the
Afterschool Programs
• Emergency funds for field trips
We cannot be our children’s classroom
teachers, but we can support and provide the
needed resources to those teachers and staff in
this time of need. Thank you.
Warm wishes for a joyous holiday season
from my family to yours.
Jennifer Lage
PTA President
the Board of Education approved boundary
changes that will have implications for us.
Beginning next fall, students in the academy
entering kindergarten and first grade living in
Takoma Park will go to Takoma Park
Elementary School. Students entering second
and fifth grade will remain at Sligo Creek for
the 2010-2011 year. Takoma Park academy
students entering third and fourth grade will
attend Piney Branch Elementary School. Over
the next several years, our enrollment in the
academy program will decrease by
approximately 130 students. To offset this
decrease, the Board also approved redistricting
some 25 students from East Silver Spring who
live on the south side of Silver Spring to us.
The purpose of that is to hopefully ensure that
we are able to have two classes at every grade
level in the academy.
We will continue to meet with the
Office of School Performance, staff, parents
and the administrators of the schools involved
to insure a smooth transition for all students.
As we move forward, we will provide
opportunities to meet with
(continued on page 4)

Based on available data, the new

Board of Education Sets
New Boundaries for
Sligo Creek
On November 19, 2009, the Board of
Education established new school boundaries
for Sligo Creek Elementary School. Under the
new boundaries, the section of Takoma Park
that is currently assigned to Sligo Creek will be
reassigned to Takoma Park and Piney Branch
elementary schools. In addition, a section of
downtown Silver Spring will be reassigned
from East Silver Spring to Sligo Creek
elementary school. The new boundaries will
take effect next school year, except for students
who will be in grades two and five next year.
Affected students in the second grade next
school year will remain at Sligo Creek for one
more year and then transfer to Piney Branch for
third grade. Affected students in the fifth grade
next year will remain at Sligo Creek and then
move on to Silver Spring International Middle
School. The boundary changes affect the
assignment of students in the Academy
program only.
boundaries should provide an enrollment of
around 210 students in the Academy program
by the 2011-12 school year, once the
boundaries are fully phased in. This will
represent a net loss of around 150 students.
This level of enrollment does not guarantee two
classes per grade in every grade, but makes
such an outcome more likely while keeping
enrollment levels within the capacity of our
school facility. Please keep in mind that the
new boundaries will have a real impact on
many people within our school community.
Many students will be leaving our school next
year to attend other schools, while Sligo Creek
will be welcoming around 25 new students
from downtown Silver Spring. In addition, the
school administration will face challenging
decisions on staffing changes based on our new
enrollment numbers.
(continued on page 3)

The purpose of the boundary change is to

relieve over-utilization at our school. The new
boundaries are based on a proposal put forth by
the Sligo Creek PTA. The PTA was concerned
that an earlier boundary proposal by
Superintendent Weast would leave us with an
overly reduced enrollment in the Academy
program and jeopardize the school’s ability to
provide two classes per grade. Agreeing with
concerns expressed by the Sligo Creek PTA
and echoed by dozens of Sligo Creek parents,
the Board voted unanimously to modify the
superintendent’s recommendation in order to
increase our school’s enrollment and reduce the
possibility of having only one class per grade in
any class. The Board’s decision should be
viewed as a vote to preserve the quality of
education for all children at our school.
 estudiantes. Este nivel de matrícula no
garantiza dos clases por grado en todos los
La Junta De Educación grados, pero aumenta la probabilidad mientras
Asigna Nuevas mantiene un número de estudiantes acorde con
la capacidad del recinto escolar. Recuerde que
Fronteras Para Sligo las nuevas fronteras tendrán un impacto real en
Creek muchas personas dentro de nuestra comunidad
El 19 de noviembre del 2009, la Junta de escolar. Muchos estudiantes dejarán nuestra
Educación estableció nuevas fronteras para la escuela el próximo curso, mientras
(continúa en la página 3)
escuela primaria Sligo Creek. Según estas
nuevas fronteras, la sección de Takoma Park
que actualmente está asignada a Sligo Creek
será reasignada a las escuelas primarias
Takoma Park y Piney Branch. Además, una
sección del centro de Silver Spring (downtown)
será reasignada de la escuela primaria East
Silver Spring a Sligo Creek. Las nuevas
fronteras entrarán en vigor el próximo año
escolar, excepto para los estudiantes que
estarán en los grados segundo y quinto el
próximo año escolar. Los estudiantes afectados
que estén en segundo grado el próximo año se
quedarán en Sligo Creek un año más y después
serán transferidos a Piney Branch para el tercer
grado. Los afectados que estén en quinto
permanecerán en Sligo Creek y después
pasarán a la escuela secundaria Silver Spring
International. Los cambios fronterizos sólo
afectan a los estudiantes en la Academia, no en
el programa de inmersión al francés o el de
autismo.

El propósito del cambio fronterizo es

disminuir la sobre utilización de nuestra
escuela. Las nuevas fronteras se basan en la
propuesta hecha por la PTA de Sligo Creek, la
cual estaba preocupada porque una propuesta
previa del Superintendente Weast nos habría
dejado con una matrícula muy reducida en la
Academia y pondría en peligro la capacidad de
la escuela de proveer dos clases por grado. La
Junta concordó con las preocupaciones de la
PTA, también manifestadas por docenas de
padres de Sligo Creek, y votó unánimemente
para modificar la recomendación del
superintendente para aumentar la matrícula de
nuestra escuela y reducir la posibilidad de tener
una sola clase por grado. La decisión de la
Junta debe ser vista como un voto para
preservar la calidad de la educación para todos
los niños de nuestra escuela.

Según las estadísticas disponibles, las

nuevas fronteras deben proveer una matrícula
de cerca de 210 estudiantes en la Academia en
el curso 2011-12, una vez que las fronteras
estén completamente en vigor. Esto
representaría una pérdida de alrededor de 150
(continued from page 2) (continuación de la página 2)

Thanks to all who dedicated their time and
energy to this important project. For me, this
has
been a valuable lesson in civic participation and
how individuals can come together to effect
change in their communities. Please be sure to
send an email to the Board members thanking
them for hearing our concerns and taking action
to keep our school healthy and strong. The
Board email address is boe@mcpsmd.org
For more information, please refer to the
Adopted Boundary Changes memo from
Superintendent Weast accessible at
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/depart
ments/planning/CommunityInfo_Boundary2.sh
tml
Sligo Creek recibirá cerca de 25 nuevos
estudiantes del downtown de Silver Spring.
Además, la administración de la escuela
enfrentará decisiones difíciles con respecto a
cambios de personal debido a la nueva
matrícula.
Gracias a todos los que dedicaron su
tiempo y energía a este importante proyecto.
Para mí, esta ha sido una valiosa lección en
participación cívica y en la habilidad de
individuos de unirse y cambiar sus
comunidades. Por favor, envíe (en inglés o
español) un correo electrónico a los miembros
de la Junta para agradecerles el habernos
escuchado y mantener nuestra escuela fuerte y
saludable. El correo es boe@mcpsmd.org

Christopher Lage Para más información, vea el memo del

Superintendente Weast, en inglés, aquí:
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/depart
ments/planning/CommunityInfo_Boundary2.sh
tml

Christopher Lage

We Want You!!
If you haven’t served the PTA yet, we want you! Volunteering for the PTA is a wonderful way to get to
know your child's school, teachers, classmates, and their families. There are many
ways in which you can be of help to the teachers and school community.
Volunteering can be done to fit your schedule and doesn’t have to be a large time
commitment.

The PTA urgently needs a Secretary who will be responsible for taking minutes at
PTA meetings, coordinating calendar events with the Principal's secretary and assisting
with PR for upcoming events. If you are interested or have questions, please contact Jennifer Lage
(jennylage@gmail.com), Yasmina Mudarres (ymudarres@gmail.com), Sara Melnick (sara-
wes@verizon.net), Laura Foradori (lforador@yahoo.com) or Suzanne Chartol (treasurer@scespta.org).

We are also in need of:

• PTA Co-Fundraiser (contact: Madame Robinson at
Cathy_S_Robinson@mcpsmd.org)
• PTA Co-Chair for World Culture Day (contact: Caroline Wilkins at
cwilkins85@yahoo.com)
• PTA Membership Committee members (contact: Kelly Gronda at
krgronda@aol.com)
• PTA Special Needs Committee members (sign up at the PTA Website
http://www.scespta.org/volunteer.html)
• SCES Grade Team Liaisons (contact: Melissa Milkie at mmilkie@socy.umd.edu)
• SCES Lunch & Recess Volunteers (sign up at the PTA website:
http://www.scespta.org/volunteer.html)
Please visit the PTA website for descriptions of the above volunteer opportunities and for more ways to
get involved (http://www.scespta.org/get-involved.html).

The Success of Our School and of The Sligo Creek PTA Depends on Dedicated Teachers
and Parents Such as You!
Principal’s Letter (cont.)
(continued from page 1)

the community so that you have clear, accurate
information regarding the changes and the
implications for our children. We are
committed to providing the quality instructional
program that we have always delivered.
We recently held a Literacy Night for our
primary grade parents. If you didn’t attend, you
missed a special evening. The purpose of the
event was to provide materials, information and
strategies to help you provide support to your
child as a developing reader. Dinner and baby
sitting was provided. We will be holding a
similar Literacy Night for upper grades in
January. More information will be coming.
These reading nights were a result of parent
who had attended the First Grade Reading
Night last year and recommended that we
provide this for all parents.
We will be sending home a School
Directory Update as some students were
inadvertently omitted from the directory. If
your child was omitted from the Directory,
forms are available on the PTA website:
http://www.scespta.org/resources.html?submit-
confirm You can send the forms electronically
to scesdirectory2009@yahoo.com. Also, did
you know that the school directory is available
on line? Families participating in the online
directory can access the directory via the
resources page of the PTA website:
http://www.scespta.org/resources.html?submit-
confirm We hope you will access this valuable
resource.
Thank you for your hard work and dedicated
support to us and our children.
Sincerely,
Diantha Swift

Green School Initiative!

If you haven't had a chance to see the newly landscaped slope above the teachers' parking lot, be
sure to check it out! The old grass has been replaced with native shrubs to eliminate mowing the steep
slope, and provide nectar and berries to wildlife. The project was made possible through a generous
grant from the Audubon Society. A huge shout out to Gina Riazi, Tim Abrahams, Tori Hall and all
the families who helped complete this project! See the PTA Website for photos
(http://www.scespta.org/news.html).

PTA Sponsored After School Programs: Thank You to

Teachers!
The PTA Sponsored After School
Programs Committee would like to say thank
you to the teachers who have so generously
allowed the use of their rooms this Fall.
Without the willingness of teachers to open
their rooms one afternoon a week, students
would not be able to try new things and learn
new ways to calm and express themselves, so
thank you to all of the following:
Ms. Lightfoot, Art Room #17
Ms. Jennings, Art Room #12
Ms. Peggins, Room 24
Ms. Wright, Room 26
Ms. Shrank, Room 200
Ms. Dickson, Room 204
Ms. Dodson, Science Lab
And a special thank you to Ms. Matthews
in the office for helping to make sure that each
day students know which after school programs
will be running. We appreciate the support and
help teachers and staff are providing to the
After School Programs.
 The winter session of after school
programs will run from February 1 to spring Becky Sherblom
break, with registration occurring in January
after the winter break.
Book Fair: Recap and Thank You
The PTA is pleased to report that this
year’s Book Fair was a smashing success.
Although we are still figuring out the bottom
line, here are some approximations:
 Sold: over $12,000 in books
 Given away: over $1,000 in
books to students in need
 Earned: nearly $4,000 in
free books and instructional
materials for the school
Thank you to everyone who helped to
make the Book Fair so great.
Speaking of thank yous, we would
personally like to thank each and every one of
the many volunteers who made the Book Fair
run so smoothly.
Immersion Open House Dates
Sligo Creek will host three open houses for
our French immersion program: January 12,
2010, February 17, 2010 and March 25, 2010.
The time is 9:30 to 10:45; there will be a tour
of the classes, followed by a question and
answer period with Ms. Swift, the principal,
Geography Bee Coming Soon
The 4th and 5th graders will be
participating in the National Geography Bee, a
nationwide contest sponsored by the National
Geographic Society as one of their educational
outreach programs.
The school class competitions are held in
December and at the beginning of January.
Each student from each 4th and 5th grade class
is asked a total of seven questions, one question
from each of 7 categories (economic
geography, state capitals,
physical geography, world
geography, etc.) to determine a
class champion, and these
champions compete against
each other to select a school
champion. The school champion takes a written
test which is sent in to the National Geographic
Society. State finalists are chosen from these
written tests to compete in the national
These people included (and we hope we
are not leaving anyone out): Debbie Spielberg,
Alice Vorosmarti, Merry Plocki, Valerie Dulk-
Jacobs, Yasmina Mudarres, Virginia Murray,
Harry Appelman, Ashley Mattison, Cori
Vanchieri, Marielle Allor, Nathalie Peter,
Debby Goldberg, Ruth Goldberg, Judy
Ehrenstein, Maggie Briand, Lynne
Greabell, Stuart Kern, Kelly McHugh,
Stephanie Hartman, Tori Hall, Jennifer
Tyler, Nicole Breedlove, Amy Holman,
Laura Foradori, Marjolaine Souquet and
Claire Kraft
And a special thank you to Ms Elkins for
giving up her space for so long and to the
SCES office for tolerating all the general
disruption. See you next year on November 8-
12!
Sara Melnick
and Mme Gouin, the program coordinator.
Please spread the word about these dates to
anyone you know who might be considering
enrolling a student in the immersion program at
our school.
competition. Last year, Tommy Tripp, one of
Sligo Creek's fifth graders, reached the state
level competition!
Questions cover many different topics, and
vary in their degree of difficulty. If students
would like to prepare for the event, they can
listen to world and national news on the radio
and television; they can read books about
geography, newspapers and current event
magazines; then, they can find out just where in
the world these events are taking place by
looking at an atlas. They can also check
National Geographic Society’s web site for
practice items. They can have fun learning state
capitals and important state monuments and
nicknames. If the 4th and 5th grade
Salamanders learn a little bit more about
geography during the Geography Bee,
everyone is a winner!
Next PTA Meeting: January 5, 2010 at 7pm.
Free childcare in the kindergarten hallway for potty-
trained children aged 3 or older is provided. 
Meetings are open to all.
 Help us plan Sligo Creek’s
Silent Auction (to be held April 16)
****
Auction Planning Meeting
Thursday Dec. 17
3:30 p.m.
SCES Media Center
Looking for help with all event aspects – securing auction items,
food & beverages, cake walk … and more!

Want to help but can’t make the meeting?

contact: Liz Grandonico, skinnerliz@yahoo.com

YMCA Parenting Classes & Free Workshops

The YMCA Youth and Family Services offers parenting classes and free library workshops in English
and Spanish. For more information and full course descriptions: Call (301) 229-1347 or email:
parenting@ymcadc.org or visit www.ymcadc.org. To register online: Go to www.ymcadc.org. Click
on the Easy Enroll Icon and search by YMCA Youth & Family Services.

Upcoming Parenting Classes:

Parenting Children
Wednesdays, Feb 3 – March 10, 7:00 – 8:30
p.m. YMCA Ayrlawn Program Center, 5650
Oakmont Ave., Bethesda
Family Anger Issues
Tuesdays, Feb 2 – March 9, 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Silver Spring YMCA, Child Development Ctr.
9800 Hastings Drive, Silver Spring
Parenting Without Threats and Bribes
Tuesday, January 26, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Free.
Davis Library, 6400 Democracy Blvd.,
Bethesda
Choosing, Making and Keeping Friends
Monday, February 1, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Free.
Potomac Library, 10101 Glenolden Dr.,
Potomac

Improving Communication Skills for YMCA Servicios Para la Juventud y la

Couples
Thursdays, Feb 4 – Feb 25, 7:00—8:30 p.m.
United Church of Christ, 9525 Colesville Road,
Silver Spring
Upcoming Free Library Workshops:
Dealing with a Strong Willed Child
Monday, January 11 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Free.
Silver Spring Library, 8901 Colesville Rd.,
Silver Spring
Familia: Programas para los Padres
Respeto: Cómo manejar las actitudes
negativas.
Este taller será en español.
Matrícula/información en español: (301) 252-
4154
Miércoles, 13 de enero, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
GRATIS. Biblioteca de White Oak, 11701
New Hampshire Ave, Silver Spring.

Ten Reasons Children Don’t Succeed… and
Eleven Things Parents Can Do
Wednesday, January 20, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Free.
Bethesda Library, 7400 Arlington Rd.,
Bethesda
Diez Razones por las Cuales los Niños No
Tienen éxito… y Once Cosas que los Padres
Pueden Hacer
Este taller será en español. Miércoles, 27 de enero, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Matrícula/información en español: (301) 252- GRATIS. Biblioteca de Long Branch, 8800
4154 Garland Ave, Silver Spring.
School Directory
The School Directory has been sent home and the online version is available on the Resources page of the PTA
website (http://www.scespta.org/resources.html). If your child was omitted from the Directory, forms are available
on the PTA website and should be emailed to scesdirectory2009@yahoo.com by December 31, 2009. A corrected
version of the online Directory will be available in January.

A few email addresses were printed incorrectly in the Directory. The correct email addresses are:

Allison Jones- Grade 5 Teacher

Allison_M_Jones@mcpsmd.org<mailto:Allison_M_Jones@mcpsmd.org>

Linda Jones- Reading Specialist

Linda_M_Jones@mcpsmd.org<mailto:Linda_M_Jones@mcpsmd.org>

PTA and School Calendar 2009-2010

December 17 Silent Auction Planning Meeting 3:30 pm in the Media Center
December 24 – January 1 Winter Break - No School
January 5 PTA Meeting 7 pm
January 12 French Immersion Open House 9:30 – 10:45 am
January 18 Holiday – No school
January 20 Literacy Night for parents, Grades 6:30 – 8:15 pm
3-5
January 25 No school for students

SLIGO CREEK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PTA

Sligo Creek Elementary School
500 Schuyler Rd
Silver Spring MD 20910

Web site: http://www.scespta.org/

Jennifer Lage, President

jennylage@gmail.com We’re on the
Suzanne Chartol, Treasurer
Web!
Sara Melnick, Vice President for Events & Fundraising http://scespta.org
Yasmina Mudarres, Vice President for Coordination /
Laura Foradori, Vice President for Academic Support

Alice Vorosmarti, Newsletter Editor

vorosmarti@verizon.net
(301) 495-0821

Lost & Found: It’s that time of year when the Lost & Found
is overflowing with clothing, lunch boxes, book bags and
more! Check out all the items in the Gym!
 Sligo Creek Elementary School T-Shirts and
Calendars are almost gone!
Supplies are limited – order now! Make great holiday gifts!
T-Shirts are all cotton and feature the SCES 10 Year Anniversary
logo. Adult t-shirts are $12; child t-shirts are $10.

Calendar is pre-printed with important MCPS, SCES and PTA dates.

Calendars are $10.

All proceeds from the sales of calendars and t-shirts go towards the 10 for
10/dix pour dix campaign. The goal of this campaign is to raise $10,000
for the purchase of a mobile computer lab for our students.

SCES T-Shirt & Calendar Order Form

Child Name: _______________________________________

Parent Name: _______________________________________

Teacher: _______________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________

Phone: ________________________ E-mail: ___________________________

Item Price Quantity/Size Total

Calendar $10
Adult t-shirt $12 S ___ M ___ L ___ XL ___
Child t-shirt $10 S ___ M ___ L ___
Minus Discount
If you purchase any 3 items, subtract $1,
If you purchase any 4 items, subtract $2
If you purchase any 5 items, subtract $3
If you purchase any 6 items, subtract $4 etc.
Subtotal
Tax (please add 6% MD sales tax)
TOTAL
The SCES PTA accepts cash and checks. Please make checks payable to SCES PTA. All orders will be
delivered via your child’s backpack. Thank you for supporting Sligo Creek Elementary School, the SCES PTA
and the 10 for 10/dix pour dix campaign!

PLEASE SUBMIT ORDERS ALONG WITH PAYMENT IN

AN ENVELOPE MARKED “PTA T-SHIRT ORDERS”.
 STAFF GIFT FUND DRIVE: Dec. 1-18, 2009
Wondering what to get your child’s teacher this year? Rather than candy, a coffee mug, or a
gift card, consider contributing to the Staff Gift Fund. Here’s how it works:

• You make a contribution in honor of designated school staff.

• We send them a letter listing the families who designated them.
• We pool the donations and help the staff spend their gift money.

Last year, we raised over $4800, which paid for water cooler and photocopier maintenance,
decorations for the front office, staff softball equipment and fees, and small appliances for
the staff lounge.

Gift letters will be distributed to staff members just before Winter Break. You
MUST have your contribution to me by the 18th in order to be listed.

Mail your check and this form to:

PTA Staff Gift Fund, c/o Gina McNeal, 822
Larch Ave., Takoma Park, MD 20912
Questions? Contact Gina McNeal (301)270-2839 or ginamcneal@earthlink.net

DO NOT SEND CONTRIBUTIONS TO SCHOOL.

Total Amount of Gift: __________________________________(check payable to SCES PTA)

Family's Last Name(s): ________________________________________________________________

Email address (if you want confirmation):_________________________________________________

First Child's Full Name: ________________________________________________________________

Teachers/Staff (you MUST specify by name):_______________________________________________

Second Child's Full Name: ______________________________________________________________

Teachers/Staff (you MUST specify by name): _______________________________________________

Third Child's Full Name: ________________________________________________________________

Teachers/Staff (you MUST specify by name):________________________________________________