Aviator Updates

Hello Duke Families,

We are so excited to see that our average daily attendance continues to increase, even with us coming back from an extended break last week! If you found that your students were struggling to get back into the swing of things, an easy way to help get students out the door and ready to learn is to establish a morning routine. A morning routine can be as simple as:

1. Wake up
2. Get dressed
3. Eat breakfast
4. Brush teeth
5. Walk to the bus stop

A consistent morning routine has been proven to have both psychological and physical benefits. Give it a try and see how your children respond!

Have a wonderful week!

Katie Kortokrax, Principal

Zach Adams, Assistant Principal

• Tues, Jan 9: Chick-Fil-A Spirit Night (5pm-9)
• Fri, Jan 12: PTA Movie Night
  
• Mon, Jan 15: MLK, Jr Day; School Closed
• Thurs, Jan 25: Winter Concert (Band, Strings, Chorus)
• Fri, Jan 26: Professional Development Day - No school for students
• End of Marking Period 2

I am THRILLED about our attendance for the first week of January! Five out of eight classes have met the 94% goal and every single class has improved from previous months. We will still reward the class with the best attendance with a cold treat at the end of the month, but if ALL classes reach the 94% goal, we will do a school-wide reward of "Music in the Cafeteria" during lunches on January 31st. Your kids will hear more about that on the Duke Morning News on Monday morning. Thank you for all you do to make sure your children get to school!

January Staff Appreciation will be on Wednesday, January 17th. We will be hosting a popcorn bar with all the toppings. Please review the available slots below and sign up to donate an item. Amazon items can be shipped directly to the Marcum home at 41456 Culpepper Way, Leonardtown. Please have other items sent into or dropped off at the school by Tuesday afternoon. Thank you for your continued support in showing the staff members at Duke how much we appreciate them!

Click here to sign-up to bring items!

Capture this year's school memories by ordering your yearbook TODAY!

Click here to order yours today.

Click here for the Menu. Due to supply chain issues, menu changes occur. We recognize that the decision to bring lunch from home or purchase lunch from school is often dependent on the menu.

• Tuesday, January 2
  
• Wednesday, January 3
• Thursday, January 4
• Friday, January 5

There are so many fantastic things happening in our efforts to support SMCPS students with disabilities. Please use this survey to share your praise, story, or news about successes here at Carver! Thank you in advance for sharing your appreciation for our special education staff members!

Select the links below to learn about available resources in our area.

• Current List of Food Pantries & Soup Kitchens in St. Mary's County
• Local Resources for Children, Youth, and Families in St. Mary's County

Calendar Survey - School Year 2024-2025: The SMCPS Calendar Committee is seeking input in the development of the 2024-2025 school year calendar. Please respond to this Calendar Survey to provide your input.

• Direct Link to survey-- https://bit.ly/SMCPS24calendar

I am so pleased to announce that registration for the 2024 Annual SMAMUN Conference is now open! Our SMAMUN Conference will take place on Friday, February 9th, 2024 and Saturday, February 10th, 2024 at Leonardtown High School and is open to any SMCPS student from 5th to 12th grade. Participants will enjoy exciting exposure to and deliberation on a variety of major real-world issues from across the globe, all through warm collaboration with fellow SMCPS students.

• SMAMUN Website: https://sites.google.com/smcps.org/smamun/home
• SMAMUN Commercial: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mIreZPPxUOy69YbNeIqeGw444g08fH2S/view?usp=sharing

In implementing the requirements and reform initiatives associated with the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, St. Mary’s County Public Schools is inviting stakeholders to learn about each pillar of the Blueprint, its requirements, and current status. As part of the Town Hall sessions, stakeholders will be able to ask questions of staff and provide input in responding to the opportunities and challenges associated with the implementation of the Blueprint.

• Pillar 1: Early Childhood Education - Tue, November 7, 2023

• Pillar 4: Resources for Student Success - Tue, December 5, 2023

• Pillar 3: College and Career Readiness - Thur, February 8, 2024

• Pillar 2: High Quality and Diverse Teachers and Leaders - Tue, March 12, 2024

All sessions will be held at 6 PM at the Dr. J. A . Forrest Career and Technology Center, and will be livestreamed at www.smcps.org/streaming.

We welcome your questions and inquiries. Please call 240-309-4658, refer to the SMCPS Back to School website, or our CWFDES website for additional information.

Katie Kortokrax, Principal

Zach Adams, Assistant Principal

Email: klkortokrax@smcps.org
Website: https://cwfdes.smcps.org/
Location: 23595 Hayden Farm Lane, Leonardtown, MD 20650
Phone: (240) 309-4658
Twitter: @CWFDES_SMCPS