Lyons Mill Elementary Explorer

Monday, January 20 - Martin Luther King Holiday - Schools and Offices Closed

January 21-23 - Amira Reading Testing

Friday, January 24 - End of the 2nd Marking Period - Students Dismissed 3 Hours Early at 12:30

Wednesday, January 29- Lunar New Year - Schools closed for students, Professional Development for teachers.

Thursday, February 6 - Report Cards Distributed

Monday, February 17 - Presidents Day - Schools and Offices Closed

As we honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day, we reflect on the legacy of a remarkable leader who championed equality, justice, and peace. This holiday, observed on January 15th, invites us to celebrate Dr. King's vision for a world where everyone is treated with respect and dignity.

To engage our elementary students and their families in this meaningful day, here are a few suggestions:

1. Community Service: Encourage our students to participate in local service projects, such as food drives or park clean-ups, fostering a spirit of giving and community involvement.

2. Family Discussions- Set aside time for your family to discuss Dr. King's life and achievements. Reading age-appropriate books or watching documentaries can spark important conversations about equality and social justice.

3. Creative Expression: Invite students to create artwork or write essays inspired by Dr. King's message. This could culminate in a display at school to share their reflections with the community.

4. Acts of Kindness: Challenge our students to perform random acts of kindness throughout the day, whether it's helping a neighbor or writing thank-you notes to community helpers.

By embracing these activities, we can all honor Dr. King's legacy and inspire our students to continue his work toward a more just and inclusive world. Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day!

Weather forecasts are indicating that our region will experience extremely cold temperatures early next week, with temperatures forecast to be below 10ºF with sub-zero wind chills. To prepare for this extreme cold, BCPS is:

• Urging parents/caregivers, students and staff to wear multiple layers of tightly woven clothing and cover heads, hands, and faces to minimize the amount of skin that is exposed.
  
  • Children are at greater risk for cold injuries like frostbite and frostnip because their skin cools quicker than adults. Student walkers are urged to take extra precautions.
  • Be sure that clothing isn’t too tight. Tight gloves and shoes can restrict blood flow and cause a person to cool more quickly.
    
• Preparing staff to minimize student exposure to outdoor activities by moving recess, physical education, athletic practices indoors, and any other outdoor activity or class.
  
• Watching actual and forecasted temperatures and winds to determine if delayed school openings or closures may be needed. Plans for delayed openings or closures will be communicated in accordance with Superintendent’s Rule 6303. As a reminder, BCPS has had two inclement weather closures this school year. Once we have the third full-day closure, we will transition to virtual learning.

As winter weather approaches, be prepared for emergency updates from BCPS.

Learn more about closings, delays, cancellations & postponements in the BCPS Inclement Weather FAQ at

https://www.bcps.org/about_us/emergency_notifications_school_closings_and_delays?fbclid=IwAR1rzTk9M-o8jDiJe9ms7QP_XeBq8WXPvMAHop36FjRJH1_W_6UZt6Qzq60

As we strive to support our students' academic and social development, we encourage you to reach out first to your child's teacher—whether it be their homeroom or special area teacher—if you have any questions or concerns about their performance or classroom behavior. Teachers are committed to responding within 24-48 hours.

Please email your child's teacher or contact the main office to speak any staff member:

443-809-1719

We have noticed that some parents are reaching out to the office of the superintendent before sharing their questions or concerns with anyone at our school. We want to ensure you are getting the help you need while also giving our teachers and support staff the opportunity to assist you.

If you feel your concerns are not adequately addressed, please contact Mrs. Lewis, Assistant Principal for grades K-2, or Mrs. Koch, Assistant Principal for grades 3-5. For ongoing concerns or if you require further information, Mrs. Macleod, our principal, is also available to assist you.

Additionally, our support staff are here to help with any inquiries you may have:
- Ms. Kittrell, School Counselor
- Mrs. Girardi, School Counselor
- Mrs. Stengel, Reading Specialist
- Mr. Mills, Math Specialist
- Ms. Vaughn, Main Office Administrative Assistant

Thank you for your continued partnership in your child's education!

Prior to the first day of school, we will need to know how your child will arrive to and depart from school each day. Please choose one of the following options:

If you are driving up to school to pick up your child, you need to sign up for one of the car rider zones. Please do not park in no parking zones, including, on the roundabout or in the neighborhood to pick up your children.

1. My child will ride a BCPS school bus to and from school each day. (See attached bus stops)

2. My child will be a walker. Students must live within the “walking zone” to be considered a walker.

3. My child will be a car rider.

Please see the map above and choose one of the following zones:

· Zone A - The main entrance. Pre-K ONLY Enter the main parking lot from Lyons Mill Road, travel around the parking lot loop and turn right to exit on Lyons Mill Road.

Car Rider Drop-off and Pick-up Zones KG-Grade 5 (Choose One - B, or C)

· Zone B – Ballard Green Drive. Travel west on Ballard Green Drive. The pickup zone is located just prior to the circle. After picking up your child you will proceed through the circle.

· Zone C - Wilson Shannon Drive. From Lyons Mill Road turn on to Wilson Shannon Drive and proceed to the student pick up loop on the left. You will exit back on to Wilson Shannon Drive where you can turn left on to Lyons Mill Road.

If you will be pick your child up in a car, please use the following link to register your child for a Car Rider Zone and Backpack Tag:

https://forms.office.com/r/jvcRkZnd28

When dropping off or picking up your child from school, for safety purposes all parents must always remine in their car.

Students receiving transportation services have the responsibility to follow all bus rules. These rules include:

· Follow directions the first time they are given.

· Stay seated, facing forward at all times.

· Keep all body parts inside the bus.

· Keep hands, feet, legs, arms, personal property, and your voice to yourself.

· No eating, smoking, drinking, or vulgar language at any time on the bus.

· Wait until the bus stops moving before getting out of the seat and moving forward to get off the bus.

· Always board your assigned bus and get on and off at your regularly assigned bus stop.

· Once off the bus, proceed immediately away from the bus.

If you will be picking up your child early for an appointment or other absence prior to the end of the day, please call the main office to let the teacher know your child will be leave early,

We begin preparing our students for dismissal well before 3:30 so we kindly ask that you arrive prior to 3:00 to pick your child up for an early dismissal. Once we begin calling our 700 students to their dismissal locations we will not be calling students to the main office. All students will be dismissed shortly after 3:30. Thank you!

Arrival is between 8:30 and 8:40. The bell rings at 8:40. It is very important that all students arrive to school by 8:40.

All students are expected to be in their seats and ready to begin the instructional day at 8:45 a.m. Students arriving after 8:45 a.m. are considered late and should follow these guidelines:

1. Enter through the main door and report to the office.

2. A parent must accompany the student(s) into the office and sign their child in.

To view the 2024-25 school supply list, teacher’s contact information, and more please see the Lyons Mill Elementary School website: http://bcpslyonsmilles.ss3.sharpschool.com/ OR Google “Lyons Mill Elementary School”.

School attendance is essential to ensuring student success. If your child is absent for any reason, please let your child’s teacher know and send in a note signed by the parent. Absence notes must be presented no later than five days after the student returns to school. Students arriving after 8:45 a.m. are considered tarty and must be signed in by an adult.

Breakfast:

Throughout the school year all Lyons Mill students will have the opportunity to receive a free breakfast each morning between 8:30 and 8:45. Students must arrive BEFORE the 8:45 late bell to have breakfast at school.

Lunch:

All students will have the opportunity to receive a free hot lunch or they are welcome to bring a packed lunch. We will not be accepting lunches dropped off from fast food restaurants. If your child forgets their packed lunch, you may drop it off to school prior to 10:00 am so you child can pick it up in the office on the way to the cafeteria.

How do I provide funds to my student for snacks?

Every student has an account! To add money to your student’s account for snacks, please visit www.MySchoolBucks.com Don’t worry about lost snack money, ever again!

Just a quick reminder, as per BCPS Policy students are not allowed to bring or share any outside food or drinks in the classroom. No drinks (other than water) and absolutely NO CANDY, cookies, cupcakes can come into the classroom. Students are also not allowed to bring in breakfast. The only breakfast items and drinks that can be consumed are BCPS provided items.

All open food and drinks must be eaten in the cafeteria or tossed in the trash at the end of the lunch period.

We welcome parents to visit. However, to ensure the safety of our students, Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) utilizes a system called Raptor to screen visitors and issue photo identification badges for use when guests enter the building. This process helps to ensure that your children are safe and that the building is secure. If you registered previously, you are still in the system. This process required you to give your driver’s license, or other government-issued identification card to our school secretary to scan at her desk.

Starting the first day of school, August 26, BCPS policy dictates that all visitors, including parents, grandparents, and regular volunteers, check in at the office and wear a new badge each time they enter the building. It only takes a few minutes to register for the first time. On subsequent visits to the school, you do not need to provide your license.

Since parents are with their children for Sneak-a-Peek, you will not need to be pre-registered to enter, however we strongly encourage you to stop at the office to take care of registering so that it is done for future visits.

Are you interested in volunteering with the PTA? If so, you must complete the online training for Baltimore County Public Schools. This training must be completed each school year prior to volunteering at any event where children are present. Some examples of events where PTA has needed volunteers include: Trunk-or-Treat, American Education Week, Teacher Appreciation Week, Fundraisers, Multicultural Night, Reflections arts program, or providing support onsite at school during the day!

BCPS Volunteer Application
Instructions for BCPS Online Volunteer Orientation
Safe Schools Training-New User
Safe Schools Training-Returning Users

Again, this year we are going to start off strong by teaching, modeling and positively reinforcing our LMES Code of Conduct. Our Leadership Team has prepared an exciting kick-off for the year – filled with both student and staff prizes!! Be sure to ask your child if they have received LMES Explorer tickets – We will be looking to find students who are safe, respectful, responsible and/or kind!!

The annual cost of dues for the LMES PTA is $10 ($1.03 online processing fee) per person.

To join the P.T.A., click here to register and pay your dues. Registration is for one person, not per family:

ta-04375942.memberhub.com/store?limit=21&live=true

Website: https://lyonsmilles.bcps.org/
Location: 9435 Lyons Mill Road, Owings Mills, MD 21117, USA
Phone: 443-809-1719
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lyons.millES
Twitter: @twitter_LyonsMill