Frequently Asked Questions 

THE SCHOOL DAY AND CALENDAR

What are the hours of the school day?

The school day officially begins at 9:25 am and any student who arrives after that time will be marked late. Students may be dropped off no earlier than 9:10 am. Kindergarten students are dismissed at 3:45 pm and grades 1–5 are dismissed at 3:50 pm. On special early release days, kindergarten is released at 1:15 pm and grades 1–5 are released at 1:20 pm. The children do eat lunch at school on early release days.

What happens with weather delays?

Weather delays are reported through Alert Montgomery (sign up at https://alert.montgomerycountymd.gov/), the MCPS website and through all news/radio/online outlets. 

There is a weather delay. When does school start? 

A two-hour delay means school starts two hours late: 11:25am. 

STUDENT DROP-OFF, PICK-UP, BEFORE/AFTER CARE

How do I know if my child can take the bus?

The county provides bussing for students who live more than a mile from school. MCPS publishes school bus routes on their website.

If my child is a walker how do I drop him/her off? Can they bike to school?

Children are welcome to walk or bike to school. Students on foot are asked to mind cross walks and to use major intersections when traveling to school. 

What about by car? 

Please use the lower parking lot (entrance on Franklin) to drop off your child. Drop offs can begin at 9:10 am. Pull into the lower lot and follow the line of cars. Do not use the top entrance for drop off unless it is after bell time and you need to sign your child in. 

What if I need/want to walk my child to his/her class for some reason?

Please enter through the front doors of the school and sign in on the school visitor log in the front office.

Are there special pick-up procedures for Kindergartners?

Yes. Kindergartners must be dismissed to a parent or designated adult. The teachers walk down to the lower entrance (the parking lot on Franklin) with the Kindergartners.

What if my child will be going home with another student at the end of the day?

Email the teacher and front office. 

What to do if my child needs to be picked up early? 

Email the teacher and front office. 

Does KP offer before/after care? 

Bar-T offers before and after care for families right at KP. Drop ins are available if there is space but fills up fast. Visit the Bar-T website for more information: http://www.bar-t.com/school-year/.

VOLUNTEERING AT KP

 Can I volunteer in the classroom at KP?

Each teacher sets his/her own policy to determine how s/he handles parent volunteers. Back to School Night (the first week of school), generally offers sign-ups for volunteers and Room Parents. 

 All volunteers must now take child abuse and neglect training. Go to the MCPS website and click on the module, “recognizing and reporting child abuse and neglect for volunteers.” The completed form can be submitted to the main office. 

• Volunteering (Recess/Lunch): Parent volunteers are a huge help on the playground and in the lunch room. KP posts a calendar each year that requests volunteers from specific classrooms for each month, but parents and guardians can volunteer any time of the year. 

LUNCH, SNACK, AND PARTIES

 How does my child buy lunch?

With an account at MySchoolBucks.

Are there any restrictions on what my child can bring for lunch?

No. However, to accommodate classmates with severe food allergies, special seating arrangements may be made and your child may be asked to change his/her seat in the cafeteria to lessen the chance of cross contamination. Also note that some classes are designated as "peanut/nut free." If your child is in such a class, you will be notified by your teacher.

Is there “snack time” during the day?

Some grades have snack due to their very late lunch time. You will be notified by your teacher if this is the case. Students in these grades should bring a small, healthy (nut-free) snack that can be retrieved from backpacks and consumed quickly without the use of utensils. 

How do students celebrate birthdays at school?

The school acknowledges birthdays daily on KP-TV. Interested in celebrating in the classroom? KP has a strict “no food” policy. Pencils, stickers, bookmarks, or any other small item are welcome! Make sure to pack enough for everyone in the class! 

SCHOOL COMMUNICATION

Important Apps to download: 

1. ParentVUE | ParentVUE is the official secure online parent portal and mobile app for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) in Maryland. It lets parents and guardians track student attendance, view class schedules and real-time grades, see report cards, complete online school enrollment, and register for athletics 

2. ParentSqaure | ParentSquare in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is a unified digital messaging platform used for communication between schools, teachers, staff, students, and parents. It replaced the older Remind app system, allowing families to receive announcements, translate messages into multiple languages, and sign up for school events 

AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES AND SPECIAL EVENTS

How do I learn about after school activities?

Information about PTA-sponsored after school clubs or other classes/activities provided by third party companies can be found on the PTA website. KP partners with Enrichment Academies Inc. to provide an exhaustive list of afterschool clubs for KP students. The clubs run in fall, winter and spring sessions, mostly directly after school, and range from Lego club and yoga to language arts and drama. 

Other school community activities: 

Girl Scouts (and Brownies and Daisies): There are several troops at KP! 

Scouting American (formally Boy/Cub Scouts): The KP community’s cub scout troop is Pack 460! Learn how you can join at www.mdpack460.org.

Running Clubs: During the fall and spring seasons, the KPPTA organizes “running club” for students during recess. This is very popular with the students- it helps burn off the pent-up energy from desk time (plus they get a collectible charm for participating each week). Running club always needs volunteers! 

What sort of school events happen during the year? 

The KPPTA organizes many school events throughout the year- it’s a great way to meet other parents! They include:

• Kensington 8K: Raises money for KP, North Bethesda/Silver Creek and WJ and also offers a 1K and 2-mile fun run for kids. 

• Halloween parade: This takes place the afternoon of the Halloween party on the blacktop

• Science Fair: The science fair takes place in the spring and is a non-competitive, all ages opportunity for students to test and demonstrate experiments.

• Spring Picnic takes place in May and offers a DJ dance party, food trucks, and more!

ACADEMIC INFO, ARTS INTEGRATION AND SPECIAL PROGRAMMING, AND LEARNING STUDENT PROGRESS

Where can I find information on school supplies? 

Lists of school supplies by grade are shared on the KP main website over the summer, under “Back to School Information.”   

Do students have homework? 

All students receive homework. Kindergartners get monthly “packets” to complete and return to school. Homework for grades 1-5 range from weekly to daily assignments.  

How do I learn about the curriculum? 

Back to School night (usually the second week of school) is a great way to find out what your student will be working on, testing, etc. Parent-teacher conferences typically take place in November, offering an opportunity to get 1:1 time with your child’s teacher. Depending on the grade, teachers will often send completed work home. KP offers many resources to its families on its classroom page (http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/parkwoodes/classroom/), including great educational websites, schedules, word wall lists, monthly homework (Kindergarten) and more. Report cards are sent home each quarter (4 times a year) for students grade 1-5. To understand how to read your child’s report card, visit https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/grading/report-cards. The parent resources page on the KP website also has a lot of information. 

Does KP offer field trips? How do I pay for a field trip?

KP offers field trips for each grade throughout the year. A slip will come home from the teacher a few weeks ahead that you must sign. Occasionally it will also solicit volunteers. If there is a cost involved (nominal), you can either send in money or pay using the school’s new online payment system:

KP is an Arts Integration Model School. Arts Integration is an approach to teaching in which students construct and demonstrate understanding through an arts modality. Students engage in a creative process which connects an art form and another subject area and meets in-depth objectives in both. 

Does KP offer music or drama? 

Instrumental music (band and orchestra) and KP Singers (chorus) is offered during school hours for 4th and 5th graders. Children need to rent their own instruments (resources for this are generally provided). Performances are held in the winter and spring. 

TROUBLE SHOOTING

My child forgot their lunch/homework. How do I get it to them? 

Forgotten homework, lunches, etc. can be dropped at the main office during the school day.

My child has allergies. Who do I notify? 

If your child has allergies (food, bee stings, etc), make sure the school knows. Although KP is not a nut-free school, classroom food (for parties) is strictly enforced for the safety of all students. Students with food allergies have the opportunity to sit at designated tables with their peers in the lunch room to avoid cross-contamination. 

My child lost their coat/lunch box/sweater/etc. 

Clothing, lunchboxes, etc. are placed on a rack in boxes throughout the year in the lower hallway just outside of the cafeteria/gym. Please remember to label your child’s clothing (jackets), backpacks and lunch boxes!

My child is sick, but is he/she too sick for school? 

If your child is ill, please call the school office at 240-740-3700 or send an email to front office.

What is KP’s emergency protocol? 

Very rarely, schools encounter emergencies that impact the safety of the school population. Teachers/staff are well-versed in dealing with a variety of these situations. The school organizes drills to prepare the students as well. Schools participate in 1 lockdown, 1 shelter in place and 10 fire drills each year. The school makes every effort to keep families apprised of emergencies through phone calls and email. The following are procedures for such emergencies:

• Shelter in Place: Danger outside the school, parents/guardians are not supposed to enter

• Lockdown: Danger in the school. No one allowed in or out until lockdown is lifted.

• Weather: weather conditions may result in early closure or the need to keep students in the building after regular dismissal time. Families are notified as soon as possible in these cases