7400 Bellefield Avenue, Fort Washington, MD 20744  |  (301) 449-4966  |  www.pgcps.org/applegrove

STUDENT ATTENDANCE MATTERS! 

Do you know that children who miss at least two days of school a month …By the end of the school year students can have missed so much instruction that they experience difficulty learning to read, mastering important math concepts, passing courses and ultimately graduating from high school?

💭 What makes it hard for you as a parent to get your child or children to school every day? 💭 

Contact Mrs. Epps, Ms. Worrell, or your child's teacher at (301) 449-4966 to get support today!

STUDENT ATTENDANCE MATTERS! 

Glowing with Greatness! 🌟✨ Our students lit up the dance floor at the PBIS Glow Party—celebrating positivity, hard work, and school spirit! #TooLegitToQuit #PBISGlowParty

This week, we celebrate National School Counselor’s Week! Join me in showing gratitude to Mrs. Epps (Robbin.Epps@pgcps.org), professional school counselor, and Mr. Red (pg_redietu.haile@pgcps.org), mental health support, for their unwavering dedication to our students' academic success and well-being. Their impact goes beyond guidance—they are true champions of student support! Be sure to take a moment to send a word of thanks and acknowledgement for all they mean to our community!

Parents, do these short, engaging and impactful activities daily for reinforcing key skills at home while fostering a love for learning.

English Language Development: 

• Label in English: Point to items in the picture or objects around the house, say the word in English (if you know it), and encourage your child to repeat it. You can also use a bilingual dictionary or a translation app to learn the English word together, if applicable.

• Sight Word Practice: Use flashcards with common English words. Practice saying and using them in sentences. Use a translation app (Google Translation) to learn the English word together, if applicable.

• Repetition Practice: Repeat new words or phrases to build pronunciation confidence.

• Word Practice: Practice spelling and writing new vocabulary words in sentences.

Pre-Kindergarten:

• Reading: Read a storybook together. Ask your child to point to pictures that match the words or describe what’s happening.

• Math: Count objects around the house, like toys or utensils. Practice identifying shapes in the environment (e.g., "Find something shaped like a circle").

• Critical Thinking: Play “I Spy” to encourage observation skills and ask open-ended questions like, “What do you think will happen next in the story?”

Kindergarten:

• Reading: Practice letter recognition by identifying letters on cereal boxes, street signs, or in books. Have them sound out simple three-letter words (e.g., cat, dog).

• Math: Count forward and backward to 20. Use household objects to practice simple addition and subtraction (e.g., “You have 2 apples, and I give you 1 more. How many do you have now?”).

• Critical Thinking: Sort objects by size, color, or shape and ask your child why they grouped them that way.

First Grade:

• Reading: Practice sight words or play a word-matching game. Read a short story and ask your child to retell it in their own words.

• Math: Use everyday activities like setting the table to practice counting by twos. Practice simple word problems using addition and subtraction.

• Critical Thinking: Solve simple puzzles or riddles. Ask your child to predict what will happen next in a story and explain why.

Second Grade:

• Reading: Read a short passage together and ask your child to identify the main idea and key details. Encourage them to read aloud to build fluency.

• Math: Practice skip counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s. Use coins to teach the value of money and create simple math problems.

• Critical Thinking: Play “Would You Rather?” games with reasoning (e.g., "Would you rather eat ice cream or pizza? Why?").

Third Grade:

• Reading: Read a nonfiction article or book and discuss what they learned. Introduce vocabulary words and ask them to use them in sentences. 

• Math: Practice multiplication facts through flashcards or apps. Solve real-world math problems, like calculating how much something costs with tax.

• Critical Thinking: Encourage your child to ask “why” questions about the world and research answers together.

Fourth Grade:

• Reading: Read a chapter from a book and discuss the characters’ actions and motivations. Have your child write a summary in their own words.

• Math: Practice multiplication and division facts through flashcards or apps. Solve multi-step word problems or practice fractions using objects like pizza slices. Practice rounding numbers in everyday contexts.

• Critical Thinking: Play strategy games like chess or card games that involve planning and decision-making.

Fifth Grade:

• Reading: Discuss a news article or nonfiction text and ask your child to express their opinion and back it up with evidence from the text.

• Math: Practice multiplication and division facts through flashcards or apps. Work on decimals and percentages, such as calculating discounts or tips while shopping. Practice long division with real-world examples.

• Critical Thinking: Debate simple topics (e.g., "Should recess be longer?") and encourage your child to present clear arguments and counterarguments.

Please view the video on activating a ParentVUE account for parents who previously had a SchoolMAX account.

Please view the video on activating a ParentVUE account for parents who did not have an activated SchoolMAX account.