White Marsh Elementary School

Summer break is coming to an end...school starts this week!

We look forward to seeing you on Monday, for Open House. Our new Kindergarten students are asked to be here promptly at 1:30 pm. Students in Grades 1 - 5 can visit any time between 2:30 and 3:30 pm. If your student(s) ordered a SchoolKidz supply kit, it will be available in his/her classroom.

There is a lot of important information in this newsletter, including changes to buses, and SMCPS Volunteer procedures. Please review the entire newsletter carefully!

If you come to Open House, there will be several stations set up in the cafeteria, including:

Bus Information

HAC (Home Access Center) Information

Free/Reduced Meal Applications

Car Rider Applications

Adding funds to MySchoolBucks

Unless your student is an Every Day Car Rider, please put him/her on the bus on Wednesday morning; do not bring them to school. This allows our bus drivers to begin putting faces with names and bus stops, and helps to ensure a smooth transition home.

Be looking for many important documents to come home in the first few weeks of school, including those from your child's teacher, WMES, and SMCPS. One of those documents will be a tri-fold titled WMES Family Handbook. See this document for practices/procedures specific to our school.

I look forward to seeing everyone soon! School starts at 9 am on August 24, 2022.

-Mrs. Steele

There have been major changes to our buses, bus drivers, and bus routes this year. All parents should confirm their child's bus using the Bus Stop and School Locator. Also, be aware that some of our drivers are driving different routes this year.

Remember that the pick up and drop off times noted are estimates only; a good rule of thumb is to be at the stop 10-15 minutes before the identified time.

Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten Parents: Remember that a responsible person 13 years old or older must meet the bus at the bus door when picking up and dropping off. The driver will not release a student of this age with no one at the stop, and the parent will need to pick the student up at school. See the Student Handbook for more information.

***Important***Meals this year are no longer free to all students, as they have been the past few years. In order to be eligible for free or reduced meal prices, you must apply. Information and the application can be found here. If your student has had free or reduced meals in past years, you MUST re-apply each year. "Take Home" meals have ended; students will not have an option to receive them this year.

The price of breakfast for Elementary students: $1.45; lunch is $2.75.

School Meal Benefit Forms: School Year Meal Benefit forms for SY 2022-2023 are now available online! Easily fill out your new meal benefit form by visiting https://www.myschoolapps.com/Application on the www.smcps.org website. Families can request more information by contacting SMCPS' Food and Nutrition Services Office at 301.475.4256, Option 5, or via email at foodservice@smcps.org.

"My School Bucks" is a program that allows families to pay for lunches or other school payments via their computer or smartphone. To register for My School Bucks, click here.

Beginning this year all school volunteers must apply annually for approval. The School Volunteer Portal is now open for applications. The application process will begin on August 1 and end on May 1 of each school year. There is no application fee for school volunteers.

Students are encouraged to bring a water bottle to and from school daily. Please have it marked with your student's name!

Our school's student attendance suffered greatly last year. Approximately 50% of our students had 10 or more absences, and this does not include Covid related absences. As you can imagine, missing school is not conducive to academic achievement. Our students need to be in the building all day, every day, so that they can receive the instruction our teachers provide. Please familiarize yourself with the SMCPS Attendance information, specifically lawful and unlawful absences. WMES will strictly adhere to those types of absences this year. As necessary, WMES will follow up with excessive absences and chronically absent students with the Pupil Services Team, Pupil Personnel Worker, and the Department of Student Services.

Attendance Information: SMCPS Student Handbook

ALL students in SMCPS must have a completed Acceptable Use Agreement on file for School Year 2022-2023.

These are due by September 15th.

Elementary (PreK-5th) Link: https://bit.ly/22022-2023_Elementary_AUPForm

Click here for the electronic copy! Please review the handbook carefully. It contains much important school information, including Student Attendance, Transportation, and changes to the Personal Electronic Devices (cell phones) practices.

All WMES students are encouraged to ride the bus daily. If, however, you will need to provide transportation for your student to and from school every day, you are encouraged to apply for a Daily Car Rider tag. Car Rider tags do not transfer from last year; you will need to re-apply each year.

Documents for daily Car Riders are below. Be sure to familiarize yourself with both the Arrival and Dismissal Procedures. Complete the Car Rider application, and bring it in to the Main Office by August 22 (a table will be set up at Open House) so that you can receive your car tag. For those needing printed documents, they are now available in the Main Office.

Student Resource Accountability: Students are responsible for the care and upkeep of all of their SMCPS assigned resources: print and technology. The student accountability document is also linked in this SMORE.

Parents who have other medical insurance may use this plan to cover deductibles and co-insurance payments not paid by their basic carrier. Parents who have no other medical coverage, may be able to use this plan to help with bills resulting from accidents. Even minor injuries can cause large medical bills like emergency room charges by the hospital, emergency room doctors, radiologist fees for reading X-rays, laboratory fees for testing, etc. Also offered is an optional Extended Dental coverage plan. Forms and information will be sent home to families the first few days of school

Sep 5 Labor Day Holiday, No School for Students

Sep 7 PTA Meeting, 6:30 pm, Media Center (also offered virtually)

Sep 22 2 hr Early Dismissal

Sep 23 Professional Day, No School for Students

Our school supply list has been posted on our website; find it here. If you happened to order supplies from SchoolKidz, those orders will be available for your student at Open House.

SMCPS Text Alerts are a great way to get information quickly. They are not sent often, and usually only in the event of an unexpected school delay or closure. On occasion, WMES will send a text alert about a late bus, substitute bus, or school event. Click the link for information about registering for text alerts.

Has your phone number changed? Has your daycare changed? Have you had a change to those people you have listed as emergency contacts? If the answer is yes to any of these questions, please call the Main Office (301.472.4600) to have those changes made in our system.

Email: jwsteele@smcps.org
Website: schools.smcps.org/wmes
Location: 29090 Thompson Corner Road, Mechanicsville, MD, USA
Phone: (301)472-4600
Twitter: @wmes_smpcs