Dragon Tales
Dr. Samuel A. Mudd Elementary School
January 22, 2024
Volunteer Opportunities
As a reminder in order to volunteer in a Charles County Public School you must complete the volunteer screening process. For several field trips such as trips to the Aquarium, you will need to submit an email to Leslie Smallwood Lsmallwood@ccboe.com and your child's teacher informing them of your interest so that we are able to send you a link to complete for you to become an approved volunteer. When completing the form, you need to use a desktop computer. The form is unable to be completed using a cellular device.
Dismissal Reminder
Change in student transportation/dismissal must be made prior to 12:00 pm and if you are picking up your child(ren) early, you must pick them up prior to 2:45 pm. Also, all parents/guardians must have a government issued ID.
When picking your child up in the afternoon from parent pick up, make sure you have your parent pick up cards that were provided to you at the beginning of the school year. If you have an emergency and have to send another adult to pick your child up, that person must have the parent pick up card/correct identification and you have informed the correct staff members.
Also, if you come to the school after dismissal, please do not drive in the bus lane. Our final bus arrives around 3:35 pm. You may park on Stone Avenue, but you may not drive in the bus lane.
Other Reminders
- Students should arrive to school between 8:25 am-8:45 am. Students arriving at 8:46 am are considered tardy and will need to be signed in by a parent/guardian at the main office. In order to enter any CCPS school, you must have your ID.
- Please make sure when dropping your students off in the morning, you are mindful of our drop off procedures. No cars are allowed in the parking lot until after 8:45 am. Only school buses and daycare vans are allowed in the parking lot prior to 8:45 am.
- Students will not be dismissed after 2:45 pm. We request any change in transportation is communicated by 12:00 pm on that day. Make sure to email Ms. Booze dbooze@ccboe.com; Ms. Soderstrom ssoderstrom@ccboe.com and your child's teacher. All requests must be in writing.
- If your child is being picked up early from school and a parent or guardian is not picking your child up, we must have in writing that you are giving that person permission to pick your child up from school.
- Dr. Mudd is no longer allowing outside food to be brought in for students to eat for breakfast or lunch.
Upcoming Dates/Events to Remember
Grade Level News
Kindergarten News
Kindergarten Reminders
-Continue practicing sight words, counting to 100, completing daily assigned homework, and read daily for 10 minutes.
-Make sure your child has extra clothes at school.
100th day update
As of January 19, 2024, our 100th day will be on February 6th,
First Grade News
We are finishing up our unit on light. In the past few weeks, we have been talking about different forms of light. Refer to the videos with your students to review.
Here is a list of sight words we have introduced so far. Please remember to practice sight words often and read with your child for 20 or 30 minutes each night.
Here are some videos to help with counting by tens and identifying place value of tens and ones. There are the skills we are working on in class now.
Please remember it is very cold outside, so your student should come to school with a coat daily, and if they are cold in the classroom, they are welcome to wear a small jacket.
Thank you!!!!!
The First Grade Team
Second Grade News
Hello Second Grade Families!
The winter has provided us with a couple of snow days! It has been a while since this has happened in our area. Please always watch the news, check the X feed, or check on ClassDojo for updated information regarding any delays or closings. As the winter season is in full swing, please make sure to watch the weather and for students to drewss appropriately for school. Please remember that if there are any delays, students should have breakfast prior to school. Breakfast is not served on days where there a delay.
Our math journey will be taking us to working with the hundreds place. If students are still having any trouble, please continue to work with them practicing adding and subtracting with 2-digit numbers.
Students will begin by looking at the large square base-ten block, and its corresponding base-ten drawing, to visualize 100, and to establish that 1 hundred equals 10 tens, which equals 100 ones. They will then develop an understanding of a hundred as a unit. They will learn that the digits in three-digit numbers represent amounts of hundreds, tens, and ones. Students will read and write three-digit numbers in different forms, including using base-ten numerals, number names, and expanded form.
Students will write expressions and equations based on the base-ten blocks and base-ten drawings that they see. They recognize that the value of the digits in a three-digit number is revealed when using the fewest number of blocks to represent the number.
In reading, we will be learning about different kinds of weather and how weather may change from season to season. We will read books and poems about weather and watch a video of a cool weather experiment. Children will also write a poem about how the daily weather affects them. Please encourage extra reading practice daily. Students need to be able to comprehend as well as be able to explain and write about what they are reading.
If you are interested in being a chaperone, please email Leslie Smallwood, parent liaison at Lsmallwood@ccboe.com
This step must be done first in order to be able to be a chaperone on any trips. Our next trip is on February 29th to the National Aquarium! Each class will be able to take two chaperones for free. Thank you for your continued effort to help our students grow to be the best they can be!
Ms. Alexander, Ms. Bland, Mrs. Buitrago-Curtis, and Mr. Foster
Third Grade News
Parents please remember:
- Check folders and agenda books daily.
- Let the office know by 12:30 of any changes to dismissal.
- Breakfast is over at 8:55 so please be on time for school.
- Send a water bottle to school for your child.
- The weather is changing please make sure we have coats.
- Please if you can send in tissues, glue sticks and pencils. We are running low.
Reading Reminders:
- Your child should be completing the homework packet daily and practicing their spelling words. The spelling words match the phonics skills being taught in class.
- We are starting our unit on Farming.
- Have your child practice writing by writing a letter to a teacher.
- If you are able have your child, get on IREADY My Path at home for extra practice.
- Encourage them to read every night for 20 minutes.
Math Reminders:
- We are continuing to work on multiplication facts. Please work at home on facts and skip counting.
- We are starting our unit on division, being able to multiply is very important.
- We will need to review place value.
- Have your child work on adding and subtracting using expanded form.
- If you are able at home, please have your child get on IREADY My Path for math.
Celebrations
Our 100th day will be during the first week of February if the weather permits. Please donate Cheerios, skittles, marshmallows, pretzel sticks, Foot Loops, M and M's, Popcorn. Please ask your teacher if there is anything else needed.
Valentines' Day - Please make sure your child has cards to hand out that are labeled with names. Please no peanut treats due to allergies.
Fourth Grade News
The 4th grade team had a blast on our field trips to the Science Center and National Aquarium!
In math, we are finishing place value, writing numbers in expanded form, and ordering numbers from least to greatest/ greatest to least. We are moving on to rounding numbers up to 100,000. When rounding, we say, “Five or more, raise the score! Four or less, let it rest!” Consider practicing writing numbers in expanded form and adding/subtracting with regrouping at home. This will help prepare students for our next skill of adding and subtracting using the standard algorithm.
In reading, we are continuing Module 5. We will be working to monitor & clarify as we read to ensure understanding, as well as identifying the central idea, text structure, and text & graphic features of a selection. Additional information on vocabulary and spelling words will be sent home with students in black Tuesday folders for practice at home. Consider reading with your students to enhance their comprehension strategies as well.
As a reminder, winter coats remain in lockers during the school day and are not permitted in classrooms. Students may bring a hoodie or sweatshirt to wear in chilly areas of the building instead.
Feel free to reach out to the team via email/Talking Points, or schedule a phone conference as needed.
Ms. Butler, Ms. Doss, Mrs. Forbes, Ms. Williams
Fifth Grade News
5th Grade Field Trip Information
On January 30th or 31st students will participate in water activities that promote safety and awareness of water dangers. This is not a program to teach students to swim. Groups will be determined based on student’s water ability (basic, intermediate, or advanced). Don’t overestimate your child’s ability in water. Permission slips were due to homeroom teachers January 17th. If you haven’t sent it back yet, please do so ASAP.
Students will need the following items. They can bring these items on the day of the trip.
Swimsuit is preferred. (For boys, a pair of shorts. For girls, a one-piece or two-piece that covers the stomach).
Additional change of clothes (advanced and intermediate group only).
Towel
Plastic bag for wet clothes
Try to label each item with the child’s last name.
Lunch (If they are not bringing one from home, students can receive a lunch from the cafeteria)
Chaperones requested. Reach out to your child’s homeroom teacher for more information.
5th Grade Upcoming Dates
Quarter 3 begins – Friday, January 19th
i-Ready Testing – Tuesday, January 23rd - Thursday January 25th
Super Science Night – Wednesday, January 24th
Report Cards posted – Monday, January 29th
Early Dismissal Day – Wednesday, February 7th
Reach out to your student's homeroom teacher with any comments, concerns, or questions.
Baker, Bommer, Ford, Greene
Special Area News
Science News
Welcome to the 3rd quarter! What will students be learning about in science this quarter?
2nd grade – Water Cycle
3rd grade – Fossils/Traits
4th grade – Energy and Natural Resources
5th grade – Review and Test Taking Strategies for MISA (Maryland Integrated Science Assessment) for 5th grade.
Students in Mrs. George’s class create a STEM project by building a house out of cards that can withstand a “blizzard.” We tested it by piling books on the roof.
Students in Ms. Ford’s class created a poster on ways to solve the human impact on the Earth’s resources.
Library News
January Beanstack Challenge!
January’s Beanstack reading challenge is “Winter Reading 2024: Where We Come From.” Every time you read with your child, try to log their minutes on Beanstack. The top readers will win a free book from Scholastic books, which is the company that supply’s our book fairs.
Minutes can be logged in the Clever application.
Students select the red “Log Reading” button at the top, left corner of the screen.
Scroll down to “Log Minutes.”
Follow the directions on the screen.
Our reading goal is 7,935 minutes. We can do it! The challenge ends January 31st.
Winter Snow Day Reading!
Charles County Public Schools has a new eBook platform called Sora. Students have access to many of their favorite titles at their finger-tips. This winter is an active one. If you’re home on a snow day, reading a good book is a great way to spend time warming up.
How to Access Sora
Log into Clever from your child’s StudentVUE account.
Select the icon (see image) labeled Sora.
Select a book and start reading!
After you’re done, log those reading minutes in Beanstack, also located in Clever.
Congratulations Ayva Gantt!
Ayva participated in the Instant chorus concert. Great job Ayva!
Support Staff News
iReady
We are getting ready to begin iReady testing for grades 1-5. Scholars are finishing reading iReady diagnostic being that we had two snow days and it threw off our schedule and will take the math iReady diagnostic on January 25th and 26th. Please be sure your scholar gets plenty of rest and you work on test taking strategies with them. This includes:
Reading each of the answer choices before selecting a response
Going back in the passage to look for the answer or clues
Summarizing the text as you read (stopping periodically to make sure you understand)
Using key details and what you know
Double checking your answer in math to make sure you get the same answer each time
Using the tools that are available (ruler, counters, underline tool etc.)
Taking your time and reading everything fully
Gifted
Information regarding gifted screening will go home at the end of the year (June 2024). This includes scores and the decision that is made for students who will receive services. Please note that those who are identified in need of services will receive services beginning the 2024-2025 school year. If you received a parent questionnaire, please be sure to return it as soon as possible.
4th Graders
Information regarding the Maryland Day Essay was sent home in the fall. If you are interested in completing the Maryland Day Essay, please contact Dr. Blue for another copy of the flyer. Essays must be submitted to your classroom teacher so they can be sent to Central Office by Wednesday, January 31, 2024.
HOW TO PRACTICE MATH AT HOME
When you are at home with your child, turn everyday situations into math fact equations.
If you are giving your child some grapes as a snack. Give them a handful and then ask a question like this, “I give you 8 grapes. How many more grapes would you need to have 12 grapes?”
Maybe you only allow your child to have 15 minutes of screen time a day. Your child is about to watch a video, you could say something like this. “You have 15 minutes of screen time a day, this video is 6 minutes. After watching this video, how many more minutes of screen time can you have?”
Here are some more ways on how to practice basic math facts at home:
Grocery shopping: If we buy two cartons of eggs with 12 eggs in each carton, how many eggs will we have in total? If we already have 6 eggs at home, how many eggs will we have altogether?
Baking: If we need 1 cup of flour for a recipe and we have already used 2 cups, how much more flour do we need? If we need 3 cups of sugar and we have 1 cup, how much more sugar do we need?
Money: If you have $10 and you want to buy a toy that costs $6, how much money will you have left? If you want to buy two toys that cost $4 each, how much money will you need?
Time: If it takes 30 minutes to walk to the park and 15 minutes to walk back, how long will the round trip take? If we leave the house at 2:00 pm and it takes 45 minutes to get to the store, what time will we arrive?
Sports: If a soccer team scored 3 goals in the first half and 2 goals in the second half, how many goals did they score in total? If they scored 5 goals in total and 3 were in the first half, how many goals did they score in the second half?
You can turn anything into a story problem where students can practice using math facts!
Stay tuned to the next newsletter for more activities to do at home with your child to practice their facts.
We all use math in our daily lives. From counting money to measuring ingredients, we use math in various forms every day. It is crucial for children to learn and understand math concepts from an early age. It lays the foundation for when they move on to higher level math. One of the key aspects of math learning is practicing math facts. By developing proficiency in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division students can improve their problem-solving skills and build confidence in their mathematical abilities.
Wise Dragons Afterschool Program
The Wise Dragons Afterschool Program is now providing dinner for our students on Wednesdays. If your child will not be partaking in the meals served on Wednesdays, please consider providing them with a snack. Snacks are not being provided on Wednesdays when dinner is available to our students.
Please see the operation schedule for Dr. Mudd Wise Dragons Afterschool Program.
The Wise Dragons Afterschool Program is Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, from 3:15 PM to 6:00 PM.
There is no Wise Dragons Afterschool Program, on Wednesday, January 24, 2024. Please be mindful that we encourage your child to fully attend all days of the program. This program provides additional academic support as well as enrichment opportunities.
Dr. Mudd Community School Resources
Dr. Mudd Community School is here to assist our families and students with wraparound services and resources. Please contact Andrill Harris, Community School Coordinator to inquire about the Food Pantry operation and the usage of the Parent Business Center. These resources are available to our parents, students, and families. Mrs. Harris can be reached via email asharris@ccboe.com or by phone, at 301.753.1762
Dr. Mudd Community School Upcoming Events
Community Day, Saturday, April 27, 2024
This year's Community Day will be a combined collaboration of four Community Schools: J. P. Ryon, Dr. Mudd, Dr. Brown, and Eva Turner Elementary Schools. This event will provide local and surrounding area resources while promoting physical and mental health well-being. You can expect to enjoy activities, music, food, and giveaways. The location of this event will be at J.P. Ryon Elementary School.
Please contact the above school Coordinators if you have recommended vendors or are interested in being a volunteer.
Look for Parents QT (Quality Time) Night. An opportunity for parents to have quality time for a date night and self-care activities.
Parent Liaison Corner
Reminders:
There will be 2 Title l events this week.
Tuesday, January 23, 2024 -Desserts with Dads
Wednesday, January 24, 2024 Science Night
Lost & Found:
Parent's, if your child/children have lost any personal items, please have them check with the main office. There is a Lost & Found area that students can check.
Volunteers Needed!
We are still in need of Parent Volunteers. If you are interested in chaperoning or volunteering at Dr. Mudd Elementary School, there are still many opportunities. There is a short process to complete for approval. You may reach me at Lsmallwood@ccboe.com or 301~753~1762. We love our volunteers and appreciate your support and service.
Parents here some important facts when reading with your children:
Reading together helps develop special bonds.
Reading helps children develop cognitive skills.
Increases concentration and improves language skills.
Encourages children to develop a lifelong love of reading.
Reading prepares children for academic success.