White Marsh Elementary School

The Bears had a great first week back! Thanks for all of your support at home! We held our very first assembly on Friday to review expected schoolwide behaviors- see a photo below!

As our students begin to get in the swing of things, a few reminders:

• Complete the Free and Reduced Meal application if needed; students must re-qualify every year. If they are charging meals, you will be responsible for the full price cost.
• Students in Grades 3,4,5 should be charging their laptops at home each night- this is their homework
• Plan to attend the WMES Site based volunteer training on Friday if you wish to chaperone soon, or volunteer in our building. There will be future sessions offered, but they have not yet been scheduled
• Notify the Main Office if your contact information (last name, phone number, Emergency Contacts) has changed

As you noticed above, this is a "B Week". Your student's schedule may be different, especially regarding specials. Please refer to the schedule that teachers shared so that you are aware.

This week, we will have a PTA sponsored Popsicle Social on the playground on Wednesday from 5 - 6:30 pm. White Marsh Bears are invited to attend with their families to meet friends and enjoy some time with classmates.

On Friday, a Site Based Volunteer Training will be held in the Cafeteria, starting at 9:30. If you plan to volunteer or chaperone at our school this year, you must attend one of these trainings prior to working with students.

Have a great week!

Sincerely,

Principal Steele

We are the White Marsh Bears

Strong and mighty White Marsh Bears

Respectful, Responsible, Ready to Learn

Gonna raise my hand and wait my turn

Never a quitter, always a learner

We are the White Marsh Bears!!

Our staff is also impacted by new guidelines regarding the use of cell phones during instruction. Please know that if you reach out to teachers during the day via Class Dojo or email they may not receive the message until after dismissal. For changes to your student's dismissal procedures, or other important messages, please call the Main Office.

Here Comes the Bus®

Available to parents of students riding SMCPS School Buses

• View the real-time location of your child’s bus
• Access the app from your smartphone, tablet or computer
• Receive push notifications or email alerts
• Send your child to the bus stop at just the right time, every time

How to get started:

1. Download the Here Comes the Bus app* or visit herecomesthebus.com
2. Click the Sign Up button
3. Enter school code (86563) and click “Next” followed by “Confirm”
4. Complete the “User Profile” box
5. Under “My Students,” click “Add.” Enter your child’s last name and student ID number
6. Once you confirm your information, you’re ready to begin using Here Comes the Bus!

All absences count towards a child's school attendance, including both lawful and unlawful. Remember, students missing 1 day will miss 7 hours of instruction. We need the Bears here all day, every day. See the Student Handbook for more information on absences. Feel free to reach out to Nurse Parrish if student health concerns/questions arise.

If your student rides the bus, there must be someone at the bus door 13 years or older to get them on and off the bus every day. If no one is there, the bus will have to return them to school in the afternoon. Repeated incidents may result in a loss of bus transportation privileges.

You will receive a weekly Smore newsletter from Principal Steele on Sunday evenings. The newsletter will be sent to the email we have on file in the Main Office. Newsletters are also posted on our website. Please be sure to be familiar with the information in each newsletter; current information is kept at the top, and review information is posted under the "General Reminders" section.

In addition to the School Newsletter, your child's classroom teacher will communicate with you on a regular basis. You are invited to sign up for the Class Dojo.

White Marsh has many opportunities to volunteer, including field trip chaperones, classroom support, Media Center support and field day volunteers. At WMES, all volunteers are required to attend a site based training session annually, prior to working with students.

SMCPS has modified the requirements for school volunteers. All volunteers must review the Child Abuse and Sexual Harassment (C.A.S.H) training and the Volunteer Manual annually. Information about volunteering at WMES will be shared at our first site based training on Friday, August 30 at 9:30 am.

Sep 2 Labor Day Holiday, No School for Students

Sep 6 WMES Spirit Day! Wear Blue, or School Spiritwear!

Sep 9 Grade 5 Field Trip to Sotterley

Sep 12 PTA Fundraiser at Standard Sweets, 5-7 pm

Sep 19 2 hr. Early Dismissal

Sep 20 Professional Day, No School for Students

Sep 25 WMES Spiritwear Sale begins (Information will be in Wednesday folders)

This presentation was made to the SMCPS Board of Education on August 14, 2024. Please review it and this video, as there are recent changes.

Be looking for a paper version of the WMES Family Handbook to come home the first week of school. In addition, we have created this electronic version of the WMES Family Handbook for you to view. It has important information about school policies and practices, including Volunteer Information, Breakfast and Lunches, School Celebrations, and more!

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.

A copy of the current School Supply List can be found on our school website. Feel free to have students bring their school supplies to Open House so that they don't have to carry them on the bus the first day of school.

Now is the best time to submit an application for Free and Reduced Meals. Remember- these applications must be submitted every year.

Information- Meal Benefit Information

Online Meal Benefit Application

SMCPS will post bus information here. Please note that it may not be available for a few more days. As a rule of thumb, please plan for students to be at the bus stop 10 minutes before the estimated time of arrival. Also know that buses may run slower the first few days of school.

If you wish for your student to be a daily car rider, you must complete an application (this must be done annually). Applications may be picked up in the Cafeteria at Open House.

As a reminder, returning students should have their devices (and charger) at home. Students in Grades 3-5 will transport their device to and from school daily. Students in Grades 1 and 2, wait for information from your teacher about bringing your device to school. This device is checked out to your student, and families may be responsible for replacing the device if damaged or lost.

For more information including replacement fees, see the SMCPS Student Device and Resource Accountability document.

Please note- when signing out a student from school you will be asked to present your photo ID every time.

From the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE)-

Chronic Absenteeism: Students are chronically absent when absent 10% or more of the school days while enrolled at that school. For example, a student who is registered to attend a school for 30 days and who is absent 3 of those 30 days is considered chronically absent.

WMES will follow up with chronically absent students through the Pupil Services Team, Pupil Personnel Worker, and the Department of Student Services. In order to reduce the number of our students with Chronic Absenteeism, incentives to encourage good attendance include participation in the Bear Crawl, Running Club, and School Dance.

Julia Steele, Principal

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