Join us for our March PTA meeting to hear about upcoming PTA events, volunteer opportunities, and an update from Mrs. Heifetz. Bar-T child care will be available for RPES students. We hope you can join us!
Join us for Cultural Heritage Night on Wednesday March 19 from 7-8:30pm. This family-friendly event for a night that celebrates culture and diversity at RPES. Please sign up here to indicate interest in hosting a booth to showcase a country or culture - if you're unsure please still fill the form out so we can be sure you are included in communications. If you have any other questions or ideas please contact Amy amyhaddad28@gmail.com
Community Service Night is back! It is on Thursday, February 20 at 7pm in the All Purpose Room. We will be packing backpacks, organizing supplies, and creating positive cards for an amazing organization, Comfort Cases. www.comfortcases.com Their goal is to provide a bag filled with personal items for children as they transition into foster care.
Please let us know how many will be attending (RSVP HERE button below). **NOTE: If you have children in both the lower and upper grades, then plan to attend the second session.
Packing Backpacks, Card Making & Mindfulness Activity.
Packing Backpacks, Card Making And Mindfulness Activity.
KINDERGARTEN - TOILETRIES
1ST GRADE - COLORING BOOKS / CRAYONS
2ND GRADE - STUFFED ANIMALS
3RD GRADE - BLANKETS
4TH GRADE - PJS SIZES 3-6
5TH GRADE - PJS SIZES 7-10
What: Join us our February PTA meeting + special parent presentation on online safety for children!
Where: RPES School Library (enter through main entrance and walk straight down the hallway)
When: 7-8pm
PLUS: Your RPES student can attend Bar-T for FREE during the meeting and enjoy pizza dinner!. Drop your student at Bar-T in the All Purpose Room. PLEASE RSVP SO WE HAVE ENOUGH STAFF AND PIZZA.
Come try your luck at Bingo and win fun toys and prizes! It’s free to play bingo, and we’ll also have raffle items (tickets for purchase) and a bake sale to benefit the 5th grade promotion.
Win a fun prize or just have fun playing bingo with friends! No RSVP necessary - just come have a fun evening at Ritchie Park!
Volunteers are needed to make this fun evening a success!
PLUS, THE PTA IS INVITING RPES FAMILIES AND SMALL BUSINESSES TO CONSIDER DONATING A BASKET, GIFT CARD, OR OTHER ITEM TO THE RAFFLE:
What: Join us our December PTA Holiday Mixer & Meeting!
Where: RPES School Library (enter through main entrance and walk straight down the hallway)
When: 7-8pm
Join us in the library from 7-8pm for our December PTA Meeting. We’re going to take some time to socialize and enjoy some treats, hot cocoa, and sparkling cider. The holiday mixer will be from 7-7:30 with the meeting from 7:30-8:00pm.
PLUS: Your RPES student can attend Bar-T for FREE during the meeting and enjoy pizza dinner and a small treat!. Drop your student at Bar-T in the All Purpose Room. PLEASE RSVP BY MON, DEC 2 SO WE HAVE ENOUGH STAFF AND PIZZA!
Our holiday fundraiser this year is focusing on No-Work and No-Fuss. This means the PTA won’t ask you to buy (or sell) wrapping paper, bake cookies, sell candy, buy chocolate bars, or any other items. Instead, we are asking you to donate directly to our PTA so 100% of your donation goes to the PTA budget and 100% of your donation is tax deductible. Your contribution benefits our school by supporting school-wide events, purchasing classroom materials and equipment, and much more!
Week 1 Grade-Level Prize: Pajama Day + Popsicle Party - Awarded to the Grade with the Largest Number of Donations
Week 2: Schoolwide Dance Party for reaching $2500 total funds raised
Week 3/ FINAL WEEK Grade-Level Prize: No Homework Pass + Lunch Bunch with the Principal - Gradewide prize for the Grade that has raised the most funds - this is cumulative and all donations will count towards this week!
Week 3/FINAL WEEK School-Wide goal of $5500 raised: the school wins a visit in each class from the school mascot, bringing special treats and prizes to all classes!
GIFTCARD DRAWING:
Two chances to win a $50 Gift Card. Every donation made will receive an entry into the drawing.
PRINCIPAL FOR A DAY PRIZE DRAWING:
One student will win Principal for a Day. Entry to the drawing for each donation can be made in a child's name (grandparent/family member donations also count!).
TEACHER WISHLIST PRIZE:
The teacher whose class has the largest number of donations will receive $100 to use towards their Amazon wishlist for classroom items/supplies.
Show the flyer (click below) when you order in-person OR use code DONATECHICKEN on the Shack App for pickup, delivery or kiosk (in store) when checking out. This is valid for the whole day - so order lunch, a snack, dinner, or dessert and you’ll help support the PTA!
What: Join us our November PTA meeting!
Where: RPES School Library (enter through main entrance and walk straight down the hallway)
When: 7-8pm
PLUS: Your RPES student can attend Bar-T for FREE during the meeting and enjoy pizza dinner!. Drop your student at Bar-T in the All Purpose Room. PLEASE RSVP SO WE HAVE ENOUGH STAFF AND PIZZA.
Please join the Ritchie Park Community at Skate Night. Come dressed in costume (optional) for a great evening of skating fun!
Tickets are required for anyone who wishes to skate.
Skate rentals are optional and for those who don't have their own skates.
If you would like to join skate night and did not purchase tickets or rentals by the deadline, please email Mihaela Biro, PTA VP of Programs at programs@ritchieparkpta.org
If you would like to attend and need a reduced price, please send a confidential email to the school counselor: Rachel_S_Greif@mcpsmd.org.
Jaimie Luger owner of Caden Cole Photography and fellow Ritchie Park parent is generously teaming up with the PTA to offer highly discounted Holiday Mini sessions for Ritchie Park families and staff!
When: Saturday Oct 26th 8am to 4pm, Sunday Oct 27th 8am to 4pm, Tuesday Oct 29th 4pm to 8pm (by appointment only - sign-up here)
Where: NEW LOCATION: Caden Cole Photography Studio: 15752 Crabbs Branch Way Derwood, MD 20855
Cost: $150 (normally $299)
Proceeds: $50 from every session is donated to the PTA to help fund events, activities, and support to RPES and our amazing community!
Jamie's photos are dreamy and her ability to catch beautiful family photos, even with kids who don’t want to cooperate is outstanding. This is a great opportunity to get some updated family photos and to support the school! Families can choose their backdrop and a plain back drop will be available for families of all faiths.
This is for Ritchie Park families and staff only and sessions are by appointment.
What: Join us our October PTA meeting!
Where: RPES School Library (enter through main entrance and walk straight down the hallway)
When: 7-8pm
PLUS: Your RPES student can attend Bar-T for FREE during the meeting and enjoy pizza dinner!. Drop your student at Bar-T in the All Purpose Room. PLEASE RSVP SO WE HAVE ENOUGH STAFF AND PIZZA.
This is an event for the whole family! We’ll have pizza and desserts for sale plus games and an inflatable obstacle course to celebrate the start of school and to come together as a community. Bring your blankets, lawn chairs, and join the fun!
Rain date is Friday, September 13, 2024.
What: Join us for the first PTA meeting of the 2024-2025 school year!
Where: RPES School Library (enter through main entrance and walk straight down the hallway)
When: 7-8pm
PLUS: Your RPES student can attend Bar-T for FREE during the meeting and enjoy pizza dinner!. Drop your student at Bar-T in the All Purpose Room. PLEASE RSVP SO WE HAVE ENOUGH STAFF AND PIZZA.
The PTA is pleased to sponsor Popsicles with the Principal. Come meet our new Principal, Mrs. Cassandra Heifetz. PTA volunteers will be passing out popsicles from 5-7. This event will take place by the front entrance of RPES. We hope you can join us!
The Central Area Summer Advocacy Meeting brings together several area school clusters to inform MCCPTA (the county association of PTAs) advocacy priorities for the coming year. These are the issues MCCPTA will focus on before the school district and Board of Education.
RSVP at: https://bit.ly/2024CentralSAAM
Celebrate the end of the year with ice cream! Come get a special treat, compliments of the PTA. The Staff Member of the Year will be announced at the ice cream social. We hope you can join us!
Calling all Book Lovers! The Ritchie Park Book Swap is back and we need books! Please set aside any gently used 1st-8th grade level books that could be donated to our Book Swap! We are in particular need of books suitable for older readers. Our goal is for each student to take home a “new” book for the summer regardless of whether they donate one, but this requires some generous donations! Please do not send picture books, books in poor condition, and books that are from your own childhood. Books will be collected May 28-June 5.
The Book Swap will take place during school hours on June 6-7. Sign up to volunteer to help set up prior to the swap and during the swap here https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4EA8AC2BA3FFC25-49773032-ritchie#/)
Please contact , Ellen Weiss at ellenrweiss1@gmail.com, with any questions.
Please join us for a very brief, yet important, PTA meeting to elect our PTA Board for 2024-2025 followed by a community meeting led by Dr. Tamitha Campbell regarding the search process for a new principal.
Bar-T will be available for childcare and we will be providing pizza, but RSVP's are required to ensure adequate staffing is available:
If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact Amy Haddad president@ritchieparkpta.org.
Come out and mingle with the RPES parent community at our inaugural parent night on Sunday, June 2, 2024 from 6-8pm. We'll provide appetizers and refreshments - the bar will be open if you want to purchase additional food or alcoholic beverages. It's a great way to catch up with old friends - and make some connections in our wonderful community. Please RSVP so we can plan ahead.
This year our Art Show will feature a theme... Maryland! Each student's art will relate to a place or symbol of our state!
We have teamed up with Artomé to have every student’s work framed to be displayed at the show. Each student will have the opportunity to purchase their professionally framed work. The cost is $25 per frame, $22 will go to the company Artomé for the actual frame and $3 will go to the Ritchie Park art department for new supplies such as paint, paper, clay, and other exciting mediums!
You will be able to purchase the frame the night of the show, but it is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to pre-order the frame on Artomé’s website beforehand.
If you choose not to buy the frame Artomé will take your student's artwork out of the frame at the end of the night and hand it back to Ms. Goldberg. Artwork without a frame will be passed back during the week to the artist it belongs to. If other family members would like to purchase a reproduction of your student's artwork you can order a framed copy from Artomé during the virtual event and Artomé will ship it to them.
We invite all students to participate by bringing in their exciting STEAM projects to display at the event. Whether it's a science experiment, a piece of art, a technological innovation, or a mathematical model, we welcome all contributions!
You can sign up to bring your project here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/16674XZF7dHjxIXHqs5dXBG1KkEQbwdJ355qBjMxUN3E/edit
Deadline to submit a project is Sunday, May 19th. Each participant will get a certificate of participation
We're also seeking volunteers to assist on the day of the event. We need help with the science tables and art projects to ensure everything runs smoothly. If you're interested in lending a hand, please let us know by emailing Nat Gorman at nattng310@gmail.com or signing up here.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeAZd1fBQ2X1w0foiQ8GypJif0JKK4Kk_km1QQaLLRGDPaGcQ/viewform
Plus, don't miss the science assembly by Circus Science with Gregory May at 7:00 pm!
Stay tuned for more surprises and details about the event. We promise an evening filled with wonder and excitement for the whole family.
The 5th Grade Geography Bowl will be taking place soon. Each 5th grade student has an opportunity to complete and study a packet of information on Europe, Africa and Asia. The top 3 scorers on the test, for each class, will represent their class and participate in the annual Geo Bowl. The winning class will receive the coveted trophy their teacher will proudly possess for the year…until next year’s Bowl. In addition, the winning class will earn a PTA sponsored ice cream party, with a little something special for the winning participants! Students love the opportunity to make signs and cheer on their fellow classmates for this friendly competition.
Field Day is coming up at RPES! This day can not happen without parent volunteers to help run stations. It is a fun day full of a ton of activities. Please consider volunteering. Thanks! Rain date is 5/16.
This event is for kids AND adults!! Students, parents, teachers and all staff are encouraged to bike or walk to school on Wednesday, May 8.
Here’s what you need to know:
Rockville City Police will be helping cyclists and pedestrians cross at two locations in the morning AND the afternoon:
Wooton Pkwy and Falls Road
Falls Road and Dunster Rd
Students bicycling MUST wear helmets!
Rain or shine event!!
We’re excited to join thousands of students across the country taking part in this event.
Join us to hear about upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, and to stay in the know about what’s going on at RPES.
On Friday, May 3rd from 9:15am-11am Ritchie Park will be hosting a Kindergarten Registration Fair for parents and guardians only. Check out our FLYER for more details and for the link to sign-up to attend.
Come cheer on the parents and staff as they team up to play kickball. Teams will be separated by grades - K-2 vs. 3-5. This event will take place behind Ritchie Park on the baseball field.
A big thank you to JT Burton, of the Jeweler Burton Group of Compass Real Estate for helping organize and sponsoring this event. JT and his team have previously sponsored the Ritchie Park PTA golf tournament, and generously offered to assist with this special event. To learn more about JT, visit www.JewelerBurton.com
Join us to hear about upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, and to stay in the know about what’s going on at RPES.
Set-up your child’s eWallet so they can shop the book fair without cash.
Donate directly to the Book Fair and help us ensure every student can leave the Fair with something they’ll love! Sponsor 1 student for $10, or contribute any amount. You can deposit funds directly into our school’s Scholastic Book Fair eWallet account at https://bit.ly/RPSponsor24
The Ritchie Park Book Fair is an opportunity for students of all ages to build their home libraries and further their love of reading. All purchases benefit our school.
It’s coming this Friday, March 22nd! Are you ready? Here is information about our BIG Event!
Wear Maryland Colors: To help make this event tremendous we are asking all students, staff, and participants to wear Maryland Colors (red, gold, black, and/or white)!
Parent Relay & Parent Volunteers: We still need parents to sign up to run laps for the parent relay or sign up to volunteer to help make this event a success. Please take some time to review and SIGN UP for relay and/or volunteer slots.
For the past 3 years, RPES has celebrated Maryland Day with a schoolwide running event. Parents are invited to join, and the event has gained recognition throughout the local community and beyond. More info to come for 2024 planning and volunteer opportunities.
Why Maryland Day?
We are named in honor of the longest serving Governor in Maryland history! To help our students understand why we are celebrating Maryland Day, here is some information about our namesake Albert Ritchie!
Wear Maryland Colors
To help make this event tremendous we are asking all students, staff, and participants to wear Maryland Colors (red, gold, black, and/or white)!
Metric Marathon
Our main event is a metric marathon 16.3 miles. We will be running laps around the building. Each lap is .268 miles in length and a total of 61 laps will be achieved. We will be having a relay team of students, staff, parents, and RM Track Team relay!
Making It Festive
We will have balloons and a DJ to keep up the momentum and fun! We encourage students to make posters or cheers to help maintain the fun and excitement. We also will have some chalk to write messages of support on the bus loop when runners aren’t going by!
Maryland Facts
Each time staff crosses the start line a 4th grader will be sharing a Maryland Fact on the microphone!
