Diamond Gems Page 1 of 16

hImer

June 2014

Volume 3, Issue 10 Diamond Gems Upcoming Events:

June 10

th 9:30 am – Fifth

grade promotion

June 12th 4:00-6:00 pm –

Mrs. Lange’s Farewell

Celebration

June 13th 1:00 pm – Early

dismissal, last day of

school

Diamond Elementary School 4 Marquis Drive Gaithersburg, MD 20878

“Excellence Through Effort”

Message from the PTA President

Dear Diamond Families,

As we close this school year I would like to introduce our new PTA President, Darwin Johnson.

Darwin has graciously agreed to take on this role, even as he juggles a full-time job and

responsibilities at home with his wonderful wife, Gwen and their two children, Douglas (2nd)

and Courtney (Kindergarten). I know we are in good hands. I will be staying on as Secretary,

Kristina Wesselink is our new VP of Fundraising, Stephanie Theeler is our new VP of Community

and Chris Chimera is our new Treasurer. We have a great board, and we hope to serve you well

next year. See a full list of our "thank yous" later in this newsletter.

Our Funds for Causes fundraiser made $3,200 for our PTA. Thanks to everyone who

participated! Our PTA received a GOLD Award for increasing our membership this year by

14%!!! (That's 89 more members than last year!)

Our last order of business is a farewell celebration for Mrs. Lange on Thursday, June 12 from

4:00 to 6:00 pm. We hope you can join us to say goodbye to our spectacular principal, who has

served Diamond for 16 years. Many have expressed an interest in contributing towards a gift.

Please send checks made out to Diamond PTA and we will include your name on the card with

our gift.

It has been an honor to be your PTA President for the past two years. Thank you for the

opportunity and I will see you around school!

Best,

Shannon Phelan

McKenzie and Anna's Mom

PTA President 2012-2014

shannonphelan@gmail.com

Diamond Gems Page 2 of 16

Diamond Elementary Principal, Mrs. Carol A. Lange

Assistant Principal, Ms. Cathy Shinn

Administrative Secretary, Mrs. Dee Dee McCaffrey

Attendance Secretary, Mrs. Kim Irish

School Hours: 9:15 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

4 Marquis Drive

Gaithersburg, MD 20878

301-840-7177

www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/diamondes/

Muffins for Moms

We had a very successful Muffins for Moms event on Tuesday, May 6, with a wonderful turnout of more than 700 moms, grandmas, aunts and children! The muffins, coffee and orange juice were very well received!! Thank you to the Firstfield Road Starbucks Coffee for their very generous donation. We would also like to thank the PTA Committee for sponsoring this very successful and fun event, and Mrs. Lange, our school Principal, and Ms. Shinn, our Assistant Principal, for their assistance greeting parents, and support during the whole event. We had a wonderful and very dedicated committee who helped put this event together. Which included: Ramiro Gutierrez, Chad Duhon, Henry Marraffa, Marc Rubman, Bill Garrett, Deuaraja Rao, Leon Shiu, Bill Gormley, Yared Amanuel, and Yash Vasavada. We were so thankful for assistance from Tony Washington, Luis Rosales and Dennis Fitzwater, of Building services, for all their help prior to, during, and after the event. We greatly appreciated the help from Mrs. Kim Irish and Mrs. Dee Dee McCaffrey throughout the planning of this event. We could not have done it without your ongoing support and assistance!! Thank you! Mary Kate Gutierrez and Allyson Levine - Co-Chairs

Diamond Gems Page 3 of 16

-

June 2014 - We’re highlighting…

“Mrs. Rachel Palmeiro”

What grade do you teach or what position do you have? Kindergarten Have you ever taught another grade? If so, what? 2nd grade Where were you born? Irving, Texas What was the name of your Elementary School? Jennings Elementary When you were in elementary school, what was your favorite subject? Reading Where did you go to college? Miami University, Ohio What is your favorite color? Blue What is your favorite sport to watch or to play? Baseball – Go Reds! What was your favorite childhood book? The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash What is your favorite book? The Help What is your favorite hobby? Dancing and crafting Do you have a pet? If yes, what kind & what is the name? Dog, Kenny, a cockapoo What is your favorite food? Tacos and watermelon What is your favorite board game? Sorry What is the name of your favorite restaurant? Cosi What is your favorite movie? Annie the Musical

“Olivia Joan Solomon” What is your name? Olivia Joan Solomon What grade are you in? 3rd Who is your teacher? Mrs. De Vries What is your favorite book? The Magic School Bus series What is your favorite food? Fried rice Do you have a family pet? If so, what kind? No Do you have any brothers or sisters at Diamond? If so, how many and what grades are they in? No How many people are in your family? Four What is your favorite vacation location? Myrtle Beach, SC Where would you like to visit? A water park What is your favorite color? Pink, purple, and blue What is your favorite subject in school? Writing What is your favorite movie? Veggie Tales What is your favorite hobby? Drawing Do you play sports? If so, what? No What is your favorite sports team? None Do you play a musical instrument? If so, what? Piano Where do you want to go to college? I don’t know What do you want to be when you grow up? I don’t know

Diamond Elementary School 4 Marquis Drive

Gaithersburg, MD 20878

PHONE: (301) 840-7177

Absences: Please call the office, 301-840-

7177, to report student absences.

WEBSITE:

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/diamondes/

PTA

Let’s get to know Diamond’s Staff and Students!

Diamond Gems Page 4 of 16

Finn’s Fun Health and Fitness Facts Summer is here and it is important to remember to protect your skin. Keeping

safe in the sun is simple and can be fun. Here's how…

Choose a Broad-Spectrum Sunscreen Choose a sunscreen that contains SPF 15

or higher for UVB protection. There is no rating to tell you how good a sunscreen

is at blocking UVA rays. So when it comes to UVA protection, you need to pay

attention to the ingredients. Look for a sunscreen that contains zinc oxide or

titanium dioxide, because the compounds are less irritating than others and do not

get absorbed into the skin.

Slather on the Sunblock – No Exceptions Always apply sunscreen 15 to 30

minutes before going outside, and reapply every 2 hours, sooner if the child has

been swimming. Use about 1 ounce (or 2 tablespoons) to cover your whole

body. Don't skimp. A number of studies show that people simply don't use enough

-- and only get 10% to 25% of the benefit.

Other healthy skin habits:

Stay in the shade when possible

Wear sunglasses

Stay inside when UV radiation levels are highest, usually from 10 a.m. to 4

p.m. in the U.S.

Wear a broad-brimmed hat

Wear sun-protective clothing, preferably with a UVP (ultraviolet protection

rating) on the label. At least wear clothes that are dark and tightly woven,

which offer a bit more protection.

Have a safe summer break – see you next school year!

Diamond Gems Page 5 of 16

Diamond PTA Yahoo Group!

Get school and PTA information and news!

Join the Group by sending an e-mail message to:

diamond_elementary_school-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

All Parents are strongly encouraged to sign up! It’s FREE and easy and open to all Diamond families and staff. Be sure to include the following in your subscription e-mail:

Your First and Last Name

the First and Last Name(s) of your student(s) and the name of their Teacher(s)

your student’s grade level

This information is needed for the PTA to identify you as a Diamond parent or guardian in order to grant your membership request. Group membership is also available for Diamond staff! Beth Kennington, Yahoo Group Moderator diamond_elementary_school-owner@yahoogroups.com (240) 994-1400

Attention Classroom Volunteers!

If you are interested in being a classroom volunteer, please sign up with your child’s teacher. In addition, please email our Volunteer Coordinator, Amy Galler - amygaller@yahoo.com.

Diamond Gems Page 6 of 16

Diamond Gems 2014/2015

Teacher and Staff Highlight Column!

We would like to highlight a teacher or staff member in the PTA Newsletter, the “Diamond Gems”

each month. We hope this will be a fun way for the Diamond community to learn about a teacher/staff member in a different fashion. Each month, the person will be randomly selected. Please know that this is strictly optional. If you choose to participate, please complete and return this questionnaire to the PTA mailbox as soon as possible. Many thanks for your participation!

Question Answer

What is your name:

What grade do you teach?

Have you ever taught another grade?

If so, what?

Where were you born?

What was the name of your Elementary School?

When you were in elementary school, what was your favorite subject?

Where did you go to college?

What is your favorite color?

What is your favorite sport to watch or to play?

What was your favorite childhood book?

What is your favorite book?

What is your favorite hobby?

Do you have a pet? If yes, what kind and what is

the name?

What is your favorite food?

What is your favorite board game?

What is the name of your favorite restaurant?

What is your favorite movie?

Diamond Gems Page 7 of 16

Staff Appreciation

Dear Diamond Families,

Thank you for all your help and support during Staff Appreciation Week. Thank you to all our wonderful

parents and children that took their time to write a thank-you note to their teachers. The staff and

teachers were pleased and appreciative. We would also like to thank everyone that helped throughout

this school year providing donations. The staff and teachers enjoyed "healthy snacks" and lunch, and

some won gift cards in the raffle. Thank you very much to Shannon Phelan, Kristina Wesselink, Nazanin

Kholdebarin, Sandee Taggart, Pooja Bakshi, Vandana Lakhiani, Kathryn Woodrow, Mariana Roja, Kanya

Sanders, Allison Fisher, Gee Gerka, Elizabeth Vuong, Charise Tang, Laura Cole, Stephanie Theeler, Amy

Galler, Heather Locraft, Mary Jo Bernardo, Emer Daily, Maryann Parmach, Abee Arnold, Shilta Nistane,

Mary kate Gutierrez, Maricel Elsworth, Katie Dyson, Jen Forman, Yolanda Pupo-Ortiz, and students

Eddie and Edgar Ponce.

Have a great and safe summer!

Marlene Ponce

Staff Appreciation Chair

CULTURAL ARTS On Thursday, May 8 the 2nd grade and 5th grade students capped their study of the Solar System with a journey inside the Sky Dome Traveling Planetarium that came to Diamond ES. Sky Dome is a portable, inflatable planetarium and was set up in the Gymnasium. The students crawled through a tunnel to enter the dome and were introduced to a "star filled" sky. Using a laser pointer, the presenter guided the students through the stars of the Northern Hemisphere exactly as they appeared on the day of the presentation. Students were taught how to identify stars and constellations and were introduced to Greek mythological characters and shown how these heroes of the past could be found at night. The students were treated to a slide presentation which enhanced the presenter's tour of the Solar System. It was a wonderful workshop and enjoyed by all students and staff. Thank you very much to our enthusiastic presenters, Derek and Janet McDonald, from Mobile Ed Productions. THANK YOU to the PTA and Diamond ES staff for supporting so many fantastic educational programs for our students and staff this year. This was a very exciting and productive year for the Cultural Arts Committee! Patty Markey PTA Cultural Arts Chair

Diamond Gems Page 8 of 16

4Th

Grade Mother-Daughter Book Club

Did you know that there is a "4th grade Mother-Daughter Book Club" at Diamond? The group of moms and daughters meet with Mrs. Gross in the Media Center each Wednesday after school. The group in sponsored by the City of Gaithersburg, thanks to a grant that Mrs. Gross was awarded. The goal of the club is to promote literacy in school, at home, and within the community. Mother-daughter book clubs are a way to keep girls reading for fun. Through discussion, the girls have learned public speaking skills while expressing opinions and substantiating them. This club has provided a safe environment to make academic and social connections in a community of caring friends.This has been a wonderful way to promote literacy as well as build self-confidence as it is very important for students to continue to read outside of their academic classes.

The following students and their mothers participated in this weekly club:

Laura De Leoz

Ashley Lentz

Megan Locraft

Sydney Shaw

Dhanvi Vasavada

Dwiti Vasavada

Here is what a few of the girls have to say about the book club:

Dhanvi Vasavada- "I like the book club because you get to read fun books with your mom & your friends moms!" Megan Locraft - "I love that everyone gets a chance to read out loud...and the snacks!" Dwiti Vasavada - "You get to read interesting and fun books!" Ashley Lentz - "I love sharing what I like about the book!" Before spring break the book club finished their first book of "The Kingdom Keepers" series by Ridley Pearson. It was a hit with both mothers and daughters. The book club is currently reading, "Tuesdays at the Castle" by Jessica Day George. The book club continues to enjoy reading and spending time together. Thank you, Mrs. Gross for pursuing the grant, and to both Mrs. Gross and Mrs. Lentz for hosting the book club in the library each Wednesday. Happy Reading!!

Diamond Gems Page 9 of 16

Diamond Elementary

Group Piano Lessons

Coming again this fall!

School Year 2014-15

(2nd thru 5th graders)

After school at Diamond!

Great price!

All levels welcome!

Year-long program!

Experienced Piano Teacher!

More information to be in the Back-to-School packet this August.

Ms. Rocio Paul, DES Group Piano Chair Email: RJP1207@yahoo.com

Diamond Gems Page 10 of 16

Thank you from Shannon Phelan

Thanks to: Mrs. Lange, for being a mentor, a guide, a confidant – for your stability in times of shakiness, for your care

for the students, staff, teachers and parents of Diamond Elementary; Ms. Shinn, for taking phone calls at every hour,

for your fresh ideas and enthusiasm; Beth Kennington, for your commitment to Diamond students through advocacy,

for telling us what we need to do to support our children, you will be missed!; Patty Markey, for your remarkable ability

to find cultural arts programming to match our curriculum, for your smile and helpfulness all around, you will be missed!;

Phaedra Stewart, for taking on the role of Treasurer, for being flexible and helpful, even during miscommunications

and problems, you will be missed!; Brooke Bernal, for being both Membership Chair and VP of Fundraising, for

coaching Girls on the Run (GOTR) for two seasons, for making the time (even with a full-time job) to work for the

betterment of our school, for your friendship and loyalty; Kristina Wesselink, for your shoulder, upon which I have

shed many a tear, for your unending support and help; Abbe Arnold, for showing me the ropes, not being afraid to tell

the truth, for your commitment, for coming early and staying late, for spirit wear and BTS socials and everything in

between; Rick Chimera, for stepping up to serve as a Delegate, for advocating on behalf of our children, for

volunteering beyond what is expected or asked; Nazzi Kholdebarin and Reza Emtiaznoori, for making our

annual International Night a success year after year, for encouraging others to get involved in the PTA, and Nazzi for

singlehandedly chairing the Winter Coat Drive; Sara Lang, for the marquee, for the Food Drive, for letting me vent on

the side of the road!; Shannon Glerum, for giving up a whole week for the Book Fair, for doing it SO well that we can’t

replace you!; Shannon McKenna, for the thankless job of counting Box Tops and Labels for Education, for being

diligent and patient; Liz Pilloff, for your constant help with everything, including the Food Drive!; Katie Brown, for

your help with the Directory and for letting me come over whenever I need to; Kristin Johnston, who puts this

Newsletter together, dealing with all of us who forget deadlines, for calming me down when I get upset; Allison Fisher,

for printing and editing the newsletter, for taking on this thankless task, even when the copier breaks and you have to get

your little ones from preschool – you never complain!; Brigitte Rowe, for being in charge of FLES and coaching GOTR

in the Fall, for asking me to coach and getting me RUNNING, for your 20 years of friendship and help; Amy Carino, for

the Valentine’s Dance, for standing in the rain with me, tearing tablecloths off of the tables, for always knowing when I

need a hand; Heather Locraft, for Restaurant Nights, for supporting your kids’ schools every day; Katie Dyson, for

Restaurant Nights, for helping every time we need you; Allyson Levine, Donuts for Dads and Muffins for Moms, for

watching out for the kids of Diamond; Mary Kate Gutierrez, for showing me how to fill up a water balloon (yes, that

happened), for Donuts for Dads and Muffins for Moms, for Origami Owl necklaces; Marlene Ponce, for Chairing our

Staff Appreciation committee, and making them feel loved and appreciated, for taking time off work and for the sleepless

nights; Eileen Heaps, for organizing the Room Parents, for answering the same questions hundreds of times, for your

patience; Fed Bernal, for letting us borrow your wife for all of this PTA work, for coaching GOTR for two seasons, for

your friendship; Nisha Manikoth, for counting all of the UNICEF money and organizing that community service which

serves so many; Rocio Paul, for chairing Group Piano, for loving our school and its children, for your ear, which I bent

a lot this year; Kristin Chu, for helping our school get Giant Bonus Bucks, which are a direct donation to our school!;

Julie Sabag, for taking on the Dol”Finn” Dash this year, for all of your hard work; Sima Berman, for setting up our

After-School Activities; Sandee Taggart, for knowing how to throw a great movie party!; Fatma Sabri, for showing

parents opportunities for their children’s growth; Amy Galler, for training classroom volunteers and submitting hours; to

ALL of the volunteers who have helped in classrooms, have given their time, their money, their sweat and tears to

this school, THANK YOU…and last, but certainly not least…thanks to my husband, Paul Phelan, who coached GOTR

for two seasons, who supported me through everything PTA related and otherwise, who continues to be my very best friend – I couldn’t do any of this without you.

Diamond Gems Page 11 of 16

PTA Executive Committee and Chairpersons

Executive Committee Name Email

President (Optional one or two year term)

Darwin Johnson Darwin.johnson1214@gmail.com

VP – Fundraising (Optional one or two year term)

Kristina Wesselink Littlestewie1@gmail.com

VP – Community (Optional one or two year term)

Stephanie Theeler stheeler@hotmail.com

Treasurer (optional one or two year term)

Chris Chimera chrischimera@comcast.net

Secretary (optional one or two year term)

Shannon Phelan Shannonphelan@gmail.com

PTA Committee Chairperson Email After School Activities Valerie Holford valerieholford@rcn.com

Annual Fundraiser OPEN

Back to School Social Abbe Arnold jasabbe2@verizon.net

Book Fair Shannon Glerum shannonglerum@yahoo.com

Box Tops & Labels for Education Shannon McKenna wrigley317@comcast.net

Cultural Arts Mary Jo Dibernardo

Emard

mjdibernardo@hotmail.com

Curb Appeal Karen Rogers Shanekaren99@gmail.com

Diamond Gems Newsletter Kristin Johnston

Allison Fisher

kristinjohnston1@yahoo.com

allisonfisher16@gmail.com

Diamond’s Marquee Sarah Lang sarahklang@gmail.com

Directory Cynthia Miller Drcyn74yahoo.com

Dol”Finn” Dash & Training Julie Sabag jnstarley@yahoo.com

Donuts for Dads

Muffins for Moms

Allyson Levine

Mary Kate Gutierrez

allysonlevine1213@gmail.com

mkmcg72@gmail.com

Family Fun Finn-Go Night Abbe Arnold

Nazzi Kholdebarin

jasabbe2@verizon.net

nazzi74@gmail.com

Family Fun Movie Night Sandee Taggart Sandra.taggart@sprint.com

Family Fun Valentine’s Dance Heather Locraft

Allison Fisher

hlocraft@gmail.com

allisonfisher16@gmail.com

Fifth Grade Picnic Abbe Arnold Jasabbe2@verizon.net

FLES (Foreign Language) Brigitte Rowe brigitterowe@gmail.com

Food Drive Sarah Lang

Liz Pilloff

sarahklang@gmail.com

lizpilloff@hotmail.com

Giant A+ Bonus Bucks & Target—

Take Charge of Education

Kristin Chu kristinchu1@verizon.net

Giant Bulletin Board Jennifer Gormley Jennifer.gormley@yahoo.com

Girls on the Run Paul Phelan

Fed Bernal

Brooke Bernal

paulphe@gmail.com

fedbernal@gmail.com

brookebernal@yahoo.com

Group Piano Rocio Paul Rjp1207@gmail.com

International Night Chair &

Co-Chair

Nazanin Kholdebarin

Reza Emtiaznoori

nazzi74@gmail.com

2014 - 2015

Diamond Gems Page 12 of 16

PTA Committee Chairperson Email

MCCPTA Delegates (2) Rick Chimera Rick.chimera@domo.com

Membership Brooke Bernal

Shannon Phelan

brookebernal@yahoo.com

shannonphelan@gmail.com

Parents’ Night Out Heather Locraft

Katie Dyson

hlocraft@gmail.com

katiedyson@verizon.net

Northwest Cluster Rep. Rick Chimera rick.chimera@domo.com

Principal’s Coffee Jaime Craig

Elizabeth Vuong

Email.jaime.craig@gmail.com

Elizabeth2278@gmail.com

Quince Orchard Cluster Rep. Shannon Phelan shannonphelan@gmail.com

Nominating Committee Co-chairs OPEN

Restaurant Night Heather Locraft

Katie Dyson

hlocraft@gmail.com

katiedyson@verizon.net

Room Parent Coordinator Eileen Heaps eileenheaps@yahoo.com

Snowman Shuffle Fundraiser (if this

event is scheduled)

Fed Bernal

Paul Phelan

fedbernal@gmail.com

paulphe@gmail.com

Special Needs Representative Fatma Sabri zhra@hotmail.com

Spirit Wear Liz Pilloff

Holly Reed

lizpilloff@hotmail.com

hollylowreed@gmail.com

Staff Appreciation Chair

& Co-Chairs

Kristy King

Carmel McGuire

Kristina Wesselink

seagokristy@hotmail.com

carmelmcguire123@yahoo.com

littlestewie1@gmail.com

UNICEF Nisha Manikoth nishanatesh@hotmail.com

Volunteer Coordinator Amy Galler amygaller@yahoo.com

Winter Coat Drive Nazzi Kholdebarin Nazzi74@gmail.com

Yahoo Group Moderator Elizabeth Vuong

John Vuong

Elizabeth2278@gmail.com

johnqvuong@gmail.com 5/19/2014

www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/diamondes/PTA

Email darwin.johnson1214@gmail.com if you are interested in any of the above openings

Diamond Gems Page 13 of 16

Diamond Gems Page 14 of 16

Diamond Gems Page 15 of 16

Diamond Gems Page 16 of 16