Breast Cancer Awareness Month is an international health campaign that’s held every October. The month aims to promote screening and prevention of the disease, which affects 2.3 million women worldwide. Known best for its pink theme color, the month features a number of campaigns and programs — conducted by groups ranging from breast cancer advocacy organizations to local community organizations to major retailers — aimed at:

• supporting people diagnosed with breast cancer, including those with metastatic breast cancer

• educating people about breast cancer risk factors

• encouraging women to go for regular breast cancer screening starting at age 40 or earlier, depending on personal breast cancer risk

• fundraising for breast cancer research

We will conduct our Fall bus evacuation drills in the mornings the week of October 21st – 25th. On the assigned day of the drill, the school bus drivers will perform a front exit, back exit and split exit drill. Barstow staff members will be present to facilitate the process and assist as necessary. Please support the school bus drivers and school staff by talking about school bus safety with your child. The general expectations are to:

• Sit in your seat, on your seat

• Keep your hands and feet to yourself

• Talk quietly and respectfully to the students beside you

Barstow Elementary is so excited to invite you to join our Community Business Partners program! As a Community Partner, you will be contributing to an incredible cause - the development of our future leaders! In return, we want to provide your business with maximum brand awareness in our community!

During the month of October, we will be focusing on Kindness. Kindness is defined as being nice and friendly to people wherever you go.

• What can you do to be kind to others?
• How does it feel when people are kind to you?
• How can you show kindness to others online?
• Have you ever intentionally excluded other kids from joining your group, game, or activity? If yes, why? How do you think it made them feel?
• Are there kids that you see being mean to other kids at school? If yes, what could you do to make them feel more valued and appreciated?
• What is the kindest thing anyone has ever said to you?
  

It is time to participate in our annual Federal Impact Aid Survey! Federal Impact Aid supports funding for local school districts with concentrations of children who have parents/guardians in the uniformed services or parents/guardians employed on eligible Federal Properties. Last year, your cooperation with completing and returning this form supported Calvert County Public Schools with receiving Federal Impact Aid funds.

Please follow the directions below to complete your form online. The direct link to access Home Access Center (HAC) to complete your form is Login (calvertnet.k12.md.us).

Kindly submit your completed form(s) no later than October 31, 2024. It is important that all CCPS parents/guardians complete and sign this form for each child; even if you are not active military or a civilian working on federal property on September 30, 2024.

All information collected is confidential and used only for the stated purpose. The Impact Aid grant application provides only collective information on the numbers and locations of our federally connected students.

Thank you for your continued support of the Calvert County School District!

Please feel free to submit a Free and Reduced Meal Benefit Application any time during the year!

This 30 day period ends Wednesday, October 9, 2024. Please note that on October 10th, 2024, students who have not completed a new application or are in households not approved for meal benefits for the current school year will automatically be charged full price for all meals.

Families are encouraged to become active participants in their child’s education. Throughout the school year, many opportunities are provided for family participation and involvement. All adults attending for special school-based events where adults will be interacting with the students that occur within the school day MUST be APPROVED VOLUNTEERS. This is to ensure the safety of all students since the adults will be within the school and engaging with all students within a classroom.

If you are visiting the school for business purposes such as, register, withdrawal, drop off medication, meet with a teacher for a conference, where you will not interact with the student population, you are not required to be an approved volunteer, but must be scanned through Raptor to ensure safety of all students and staff as a Visitor. You will be accompanied by a staff member during your time in the school.

Both Volunteers and Visitors are to report to the front office at the building you are visiting, be prepared to sign in with the Raptor registration system and wear a badge while on school grounds. During the instructional day, we request your support in fulfilling our responsibility to maintain a safe environment which is focused on learning and minimizes distractions. Classroom visits are to be scheduled in accordance with the CCPS visitation policy.

Calvert County Public Schools uses Raptor for visitors and volunteers to sign in and sign out. All volunteers will need to review the volunteer handbook and watch the volunteer training video before completing an Online Volunteer Application. Volunteers must be approved before they may begin service as a volunteer in any school buildings. Please note, the procedures for policy 8123 states that all volunteers must be at least twenty-one years of age unless he/she is the parent of a child in school.

The Online Volunteer Application works best on a laptop or desktop computer. Completing an application on a mobile device will not properly submit and could cause an issue with your application being received and/or approved.

1. Read the volunteer handbook.
2. Watch the volunteer training video below.
3. Complete the online application using a laptop or desktop computer.

Save the Date for the PTO Harvest Festival!

If you'd like to volunteer or host a trunk for Trunk or Treat, please sign up

• October 8: PTO Spirit Night at Rita's
• October 14: 2-hr Late Arrival for Parent Conferences
• October 17: PTO Trunk or Treat
• October 18: No school for students
• October 31: End of MP1
• November 1: 2-hr Early Dismissal
• November 15: PTO Movie Night
• November 18-22: BOOSTERTHON

Regular attendance at school is vital to your child’s educational development. School attendance laws in the State of Maryland require that children attend school regularly; students absent 10% or more of the total number of enrollment days are considered to have chronic absenteeism. In accordance with CCPS Students’ Rights & Responsibilities Attendance Policy, schools will monitor student attendance, collaborate with families experiencing attendance concerns, provide resources and develop plans as appropriate. Students who are chronically absent will be considered for retention. When students are absent, you will receive an automated phone call to alert you to the absence.

Lawful absences: If a student is absent due to illness, or another legitimate reason, they must bring a written note signed by the parent or legal guardian, or a doctor’s note if they have been seen. The note must be sent in within three days of the absence.

Make-Up Work Requirements: It is the responsibility of all students, whether the absence is lawful or unlawful, to obtain and to complete the work provided by each teacher. All make-up work will be graded in accordance with the regular classroom grading policy if it is completed within the established timeline. Generally, students will have one day to make up work for each day of absence. Teachers are not expected to provide schoolwork before absences.

Tardiness (Late Arrival) & Early Release & Parent Pick-up

All students arriving after the school start time MUST BE SIGNED IN by an adult in the school office. Students arriving after the start of the school day will be considered tardy. Students leaving before the end of the school day will be identified as having an early release.

Please note: Unless it is a school or system wide emergency, parents must provide written permission for anyone to pick up their child from school. A written note is required each time your child is picked up by someone other than the parent or legal guardian, even if the person is listed on the Emergency Form.

We kindly request that, due to increased allergies, students with diabetes and other health concerns, non-food items such as pencils, stickers, trinkets, etc. be sent in to share with the class. No food items are permitted. Please communicate with the teacher in advance if you are planning on sending nonfood items in to celebrate your child’s birthday or other celebration.