It has been an exciting week here at GKES with our FUN RUN on Monday! We met our goal for student/staff acknowledgements, new PTO startup, student assemblies, field trips, and school community needs. Thank you to everyone for your ongoing support for making GKES one of the best! 👻

Wednesday, October 25th kicks off our Red Ribbon/Fall Spirt Week! Red Ribbon week is each year to remind our children to make safe choices for their bodies and overall well-being, say no to drugs of any kind! See below for spirit dress up days! We cannot wait to see everyone in their outfits!

Friday, October 27, 2023 is an early dismissal day at 12:45 p.m. for PK-5.

Our Staff worked at the beginning of the school year to create collective commitments for the important work we do each day with our children and each other. Out of those collective commitments came our mission and vision below. We value your feedback so please let us know if you have any questions about the mission and vision of GKES. Thank you.

Mark Your Calendar: Our 1st School Improvement Team Meeting for 2023-2024 will be held virtually on Tuesday, November 7, 2023 at 3:30 p.m. Our entire school community is a part of our Team. All are welcome to join us to review and discuss the following topics.

• Mission
• BOY Reading Data
• Volunteers
• Technology
• Stakeholder Survey
• Student Expectations and Behavior- Social and Emotional Support
• Student Acknowledgements

Wishing you well,

Dr. Contina Quick-McQueen

Principal

Effective communication is critical to the success of St. Mary’s County Public Schools (SMCPS). This will be crucial not only for emergencies but for our ability to communicate with families in general. Online Emergency Information Update Forms are now available through the student’sHome Access Center (HAC). Once logged in, directions to access the online form can be found HERE. A video with instructions is available HERE. It is vital that all information is updated in eSchool. The deadline for the online submission of Emergency Information Update forms is November 14th, 2023. Please click here for the Blank Emergency Form

1. Avoid violent or bloody images. It is okay to look "scary," but there is a difference between frightening and gruesome.

2. Eye and face masks are acceptable (make sure that vision is not impaired). Makeup should be minimal and applied at home. *Remember--learning will still be taking place. So, your child will be asked to remove his/her mask until appropriate.

3. No Inflatable costumes, please!

4. Please make sure that your child's costume has nothing hanging below the wrist or ankle. Tripping and/or getting materials caught is a major concern.

5. Make sure that your child is able to remove their costume without help for bathroom use.

6. No Props (ex. toy guns, knives, swords, wands etc.).

7. Weapons of any kind are not permitted.

8. Remember that students scheduled for Physical Education on the 31st will still have class. Costumes for those students, therefore, should be selected with safety and maneuverability in mind.

🕷 Fun crafts with stuff you really do have around the house

🍪 A quick and easy recipe for green monster sprinkle cookies

🎶 A clean, fun Halloween-themed playlist

25-31 Fall Spirit/Red Ribbon Week

26-PTO Trunk or Treat

27- 2-Hour Early Dismissal Day PK-5; End of Quarter 1

28- SMCPS STEAM Festival

November

2- Veterans Day Assembly

7- Virtual School Improvement Review Team Meeting

9- Grades 2-5 Bully Free Assembly featuring Optimus Prime @ 9:30 a.m.-10:15 a.m.

9-PTO Movie Night

10- No school in observance of Veterans Day

22-24- No school in observance of the Thanksgiving Holiday; Office is closed

We are looking for interested volunteers to sponsor a club for our children this fall and spring. If you are interested in leading a club to nurture our children beyond the school day, please reach out to cfquickmcqueen@smcps.org. If you are not sure but may be interested when you hear more, please reach out to us so we can discuss more. Thank you for your support.

Club Examples:

Art Club (will only need to volunteer to be available during club hours-Yellow Door in Leonardtown, Maryland will lead the Club)- (Grades K-5)

Running Club (spring)-(Grades K-5)

Robotics Club (fall or spring)- (Grades 3-5)

Destination Imagination (Grades 2-5) (students will compete at the regional level in the spring)

Chess Club (Grades 3-5)