Dear Parents and Guardians:

Thank you for a smooth start to the 2007-08 school year! Most of our students have settled in nicely and all classes are well underway. As we begin to transition into the academic routine, it is important to highlight some ways in which this year will differ from those past. Please take a few minutes to read this information carefully, and discuss it with your child.

The district has changed its marking periods to nine weeks in length. This means that your child will receive a formal report card four times this year, once every nine weeks. We plan to distribute report cards on November 2^nd, January 29^th, April 8^th, and June 6^th.

Montgomery County Schools will also introduce a new report card format (view: front and back) this year. There had been some concern regarding the previous card, and the new format is the result of months of hard work within a committee of representatives from across the county. You can see a copy of the new format in our main office or on the CES website.

Additionally, starting this year, students in the third grade will begin receiving letter grades in subject areas. This is a nice fit for our building; making the grading consistent across all three of our levels.

In preparation for the above changes, CES has moved its Parent Conference Week to September 25-28. Please disregard any previously scheduled dates. The September dates place us near the halfway point of the first marking period, enabling struggling students the time needed to improve grades. Teachers can also use this time to help answer your questions about how any of the above changes might impact your student. We encourage you to contact your child’s teacher to schedule an appointment!

Looking forward to all that this year holds,

Jason E. Garretson

Principal