Farmland Elementary School

Good evening, Farmland Families,

This week was filled with exciting Read Across America events! Mrs. Gleeson brought around a mobile library cart, providing students with the opportunity to check out additional books throughout the week. All students participated in Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) daily, we welcomed Mystery Readers into classrooms, and our Book Character Parade was a huge success—full of fun and creativity!

I also want to give special recognition to Pragya in Mrs. Brothman's class. She proudly represented Farmland at the Regional Spelling Bee, and we are so proud of her hard work and dedication!

In other news, we've been watching our old playground transform into a brand-new space for our students. We're hopeful that construction will be completed this week. In the meantime, check out the progress by clicking here.

Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead!

April 

April D. Longest

Principal

Farmland Elementary School

This week in the Farmland Weekly Update:

• Maryland Integrated Science Assessment (MISA) Grade 5
• Join Us for Farmland's Annual Community Service Night
• Reminder: Dismissal Change Procedures
• Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Updates 

Click here to access last week's Farmland Weekly Update.

Maryland Integrated Science Assessment (MISA) Grade 5

On Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, 5th-grade students will be taking the Maryland Integrated Science Assessment (MISA), which is administered to all students in fifth grade, eighth grade, and high school. The purpose of the assessment is to provide educators, parents, and the public with information on student progress toward scientific literacy.

The MISA aligns with the Maryland Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The NGSS integrates three dimensions necessary to understand science: Science and Engineering Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Disciplinary Core Ideas.

Specific Information About the MISA for Grades 5 and 8 

The grade 5 MISA assesses the Elementary Grade NGSS for grades 3, 4, and 5. The grade 8 MISA assesses the Middle School NGSS for grades 6 through 8. The assessment includes disciplinary core ideas from life science, physical science, and Earth and space science.

Test Preparation and Practice

The following links provide resources that can help students prepare for the MISA.

• Grades 5 and 8 Practice Tests

If you have any questions about the assessment, please contact Ms. Strauss at pamela_a_strauss@mcpsmd.org 

Join Us for Farmland's Annual Community Service Night! 

New Date: Thursday, March 27
Time: 6:00 - 7:00 PM
Where: Farmland's All-Purpose Room

Get ready for a night of giving back, teamwork, and fun! Bring the whole family and help assemble care packages for amazing organizations like the Children's Inn at NIH, The Tree House Child Advocacy Center, and local nursing homes. Thank you to everyone who has already donated items for this event. We are still accepting donations for the grade-level bins! Please see the list below if you are interested and able to donate: 

Donations by Grade Level:

Kindergarten - Small coloring/activity books, small crayons, markers, and/or colored pencil boxes

First Grade - Mini games, small handheld gadgets (ex. pop its, mini-mazes, small blank notebooks), and/or playdough

Second Grade - Allergen-free individual granola bars and/or applesauce pouches

Third Grade - Single-serve ramen, macaroni and cheese, and/or oatmeal

Fourth Grade - Full-size toothbrushes, toothpaste, body wash, deodorant, and/or shampoo and conditioner

Fifth Grade - Full-size toothbrushes, toothpaste, body wash, deodorant, and/or shampoo and conditioner

Fifth Grade Fundraiser - Pizza, Snacks, & Goodies for Sale! 
Support our 5th graders while enjoying delicious treats! All proceeds go toward their end-of-year activities.

Please bring cash—we cannot accept credit cards!

Pizza & Snacks

• $2 per pizza slice (cheese or pepperoni)
• $15 for a whole pizza (cheese or pepperoni)
• $1 snacks & candy
• $3 Gatorade

Additional Fun Items

• $4 Farmland Putty (2 for $7)
• $1 Color-Changing Pencil

Please click here to Pre-order your pizza by 3/25/25 to guarantee dinner and support the 5th grade! Limited extra slices will be available at the event. 

Changes To Your Child's Daily Routine Procedures

IMPORTANT: If your child's dismissal procedure changes, please ensure you email the classroom teacher and include Ms. Sanchez at lupita_b_sanchezdegranados@mcpsmd.org and Ms. Harrison-Blake at theresa_t_harrison@mcpsmd.org.

In addition, if your child takes an afternoon class, please let your classroom teacher know before the first day of class. 

If your child attends Kids After Hours, please ensure Annecia is aware of any changes in dismissal. You can contact her via cell phone at 240-217-7181 or through email at annecia@kidsafterhours.com 

An email must be sent to the classroom teacher and the attendance secretary no later than 3:00 p.m.  The classroom teacher or attendance secretary will respond, acknowledging receipt of the message. 

Please try to keep last-minute schedule changes to a minimum.  If there is a change after 3:00 p.m., contact the office at 240-740-0660.

Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Updates 

Online Spring Auction - Bid on Great Items!

Farmland PTA's auction fundraiser is online NOW through Friday, March 14, at 9:00 PM! Bid on more than 100 items, including new clothing, restaurant gift cards, tickets to sports and cultural events, local experiences, summer camps, an entire YEAR of before/after school care with KAH, Principal for a Day, pizza parties and crafts with Farmland staff, and much more! Everyone is welcome to bid, and all funds raised go directly to our PTA and school. Visit the auction website here: https://www.32auctions.com/FarmlandAuction2025.

Thank you to our generous donors, especially the many local businesses and Farmland staff members who gave really enticing items and experiences. 

Staff Appreciation Soup & Salad Luncheon

It's here…staff's favorite PTA-sponsored lunch of the year! Monday, March 17, the PTA will be setting up a Soup-n-Salad Lunch for the staff. The PTA will provide all the soups and salad, but we need your help with a few paper goods, crock pots to warm the soups, snack and drink donations, as well as some volunteers to help with set up and clean up. Donations are due March 15. Thank you so much for your support! Please see the signup slots and volunteer where you can! https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/10C054DAEAE2BA6FE3-welcome