THE BRIDGE
Week at a Glance - December 16, 2024
Why we SOAR?
Mission
Our mission is to ensure that all students acquire knowledge, develop skills, and improve work habits to enable them to become productive members of society. We will maintain high expectations for all students, to sustain a positive school climate, ensure a safe and orderly school environment, monitor students' progress on a frequent basis, adjust instruction, and promote effective home-school communication.
Vision
High Bridge Elementary School is a community of diverse learners, where all students can develop their talents and gifts to be prepared for college and careers. Through real world experiences, 21st century instruction and the integration of all cultures, students will achieve academic success and become lifelong learners.
From Principal Christian's Desk
Dear High Bridge Elementary School Community,
As we approach the festive season and the much-anticipated winter break, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude for your continued support and partnership throughout this school year. It has been a wonderful time filled with growth, learning, and memorable experiences for our students.
The coming weeks will be full of excitement as we celebrate the season with various activities. Here are a few important reminders and updates to keep in mind as we prepare for the break:
1. End of Term Dates:
Our last day of classes before the break will be Friday, December 20, 2024 (at 10:40 AM). Students will resume school on Monday, January 6, 2024.
2. Special Events:
Winter Concert
We invite High Bridge Elementary families to join us for our Winter Concert, which will take place on Wednesday, December 18, 2024 at 6:00PM (at High Bridge Elementary Multipurpose Room).
Sprit Week
Monday - Crazy Socks/Hair Day!
Tuesday - Ugly Sweater Day!
Wednesday - Wear your favorite headwear for Holiday Headwear Day!
Thursday - Wear something representing your favorite holiday character!
Friday - Pajama Day!
3. Classroom Celebration:
Teachers will communicate directly regarding classroom-specific activities or celebrations. Please be mindful due to the great number of students with allergy concerns, there will be no food products incorporated in the celebratory events.
4. Preparation for the New Year:
While we encourage rest and relaxation, we also recommend keeping students engaged in Dreambox, reading and other fun learning opportunities during the break.
This season offers a perfect time for reflection and connection. We are so proud of the hard work and achievements of our students and are excited for the new opportunities the upcoming year will bring. With that being said, we will not disseminate a weekly newsletter until the week of January 13, 2025.
On behalf of the entire staff at High Bridge Elementary, we wish you a joyful and restful holiday season. Thank you for being an essential part of our community, and we look forward to continuing our journey together in the new year.
Warm regards,
Principal Christian
Shout Out Time!!!!
Did you know:
THE TROPHY HAS ARRIVED!!!!!!
As shared prior, High Bridge Elementary English Language Development Department has been named the Super Star School of the Month of November! Our students have made incredible progress in Joy School English, and this award celebrates their hard work and our teachers' support......
DON'T FORGET.....When you see Mrs. Hentz, Dr. Parks, and Mrs. Renta let them know how proud we are of them!!!
PGCPS PUBLICITY RELEASE FORM
To remain in compliance with Administrative Procedure 5134. Please RETURN the attached form (completed) to your student's teacher with your requested statement. This Publicity Release Form will remain in effect through September 2025.
Thanks in advance!
ATTENTION ALL PARENTS!!!!
According to PGCPS Administrative Procedure 6130 - GUIDELINES FOR OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES AND PLAYGROUND AND RECESS SUPERVISION - All students are prohibited to participate in the following during recess; dodge ball, football or any tackle activities or games.
Practicing Math at Home (Dream Box)
We strongly encourage children to use Dreambox Math for additional practice. Students may log in to Clever from any device to access Dreambox. Parents may also use the directions below to set-up a family account for the app.
Logging in to Your Student's Math Account
Parents may set up a Math Family account directly from the DreamBox Math student environment. To do this, the student needs to log into their school DreamBox Math account in Clever on a laptop, Chromebook, or desktop computer.
VIDEO DIRECTIONS ENGLISH: https://youtu.be/5pDeE4M2Pgs
SPANISH VIDEO: https://youtu.be/xFMACe57WSg
What is Dreambox?
DreamBox Math is an engaging and adaptive math program that integrates curriculum and continuous formative assessment to personalize instruction, develop conceptual understanding, build critical skills, and improve achievement for every student, regardless of where they are in their learning journey.
Refillable Thermos are WELCOMED!
Effective immediately, we are encouraging students to bring a refillable thermos to school. They are welcomed to refill them at our water station dispensaries (which were replaced by the PGCPS provided water bottles) throughout the school. This will avoid water spillage in the hallways and lessen (or prevent) injuries. Your support is appreciate. (Originally Posted 9/30/2024)
HIGH BRIDGE is a TITLE ONE SCHOOL
What does this mean?
The purpose of this title is to provide all children significant opportunity to receive a fair, equitable, and high-quality education, and to close educational achievement gaps.
El propósito de este título es brindar a todos los niños oportunidades significativas de recibir una educación justa, equitativa y de alta calidad, y cerrar las brechas de rendimiento educativo.
L’objectif de ce titre est d’offrir à tous les enfants une opportunité significative de recevoir une éducation juste, équitable et de haute qualité, et de combler les écarts de réussite scolaire.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G6qJzaJNLhT5hcqVtJlIQ8PhaANuz-F9/view?usp=drive_link
School Visitors
If you need assistance with anything please call the office or email the appropriate staff member. We will work to answer all of your questions and/or concerns.
Office hours 7:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Student Arrival will begin at 7:30 a.m. (NEW SY 24-25 SCHOOL TIME!)
Dismissal will begin at 1:40 p.m. (NEW SY 24-25 SCHOOL TIME!)
(Please be advised, Early Dismissal ends at 12:40 p.m.)
School Phone number 301-805-2690
Registration Secretary: Ms. Adams- celestial.adams@pgcps.org
Principal's Secretary: Mrs. Barboza- nancy.barboza@pgcps.org
Assistant Principal: Mrs. Harris- natasha.harris@pgcps.org
How Does High Bridge Move......
Arrival
Bus Riders - Students who arrive on the bus will be dropped off in the back of the school and supported by staff to transition to their classroom.
Parent drop-off (See below for more detail)
Under the direction of the staff, parents are to pull up all the way forward, in one lane only. Parents please do not get out of your car. Students should exit from the right passenger door, only.Make sure students have everything they need (book bag, lunch box, etc.) in order to keep the line moving and not hold up traffic.
Dismissal
Bus Riders - Students assigned to a bus will ride the bus each day. Students cannot switch buses unless approved by transportation. Please check the StopFinder mobile app for information about your child's bus stop.
Parent Pick-Up - If you are picking up your child at the end of the school day. Please go to the rear of the school. You will be able to sign your child out from a staff member. The person picking must be the parent/guardian or listed on the emergency contact/pick-up form.
Birthday Celebrations
Due to a significant number of students with allergies, no food items should be provided during birthday celebrations. Instead of bringing food, parents may consider providing school supplies to the class on the birthday of a student.
We appreciate your patience and understanding of this new policy. We want to ensure a safe environment for all of our students.
Thank you.
Parent Drop Off Procedures
Please follow the procedure listed below to maintain a safe and efficient parent drop-off procedure. Thank you for working to ensure this process is safe for our students.
Enter the parking lot through the driveway to the left of the school entrance
Students will exit their cars from the right lane only (Single line for cars only)
Pull your vehicle to the end of the walkway as directed by school staff before taking your child out of the car
Please be sure to make a right turn onto High Bridge Road. (This will ensure that traffic does not back up on High Bridge Road - During the hours of 7:30-7:45 AM.)
Follow directions from the school staff on duty to exit the parking lot
Students will eat breakfast from 7:30-7:45
Class begins promptly at 7:45.
WHAT TO EXPECT HIGH BRIDGE FAMILY!
Scheduled Events
Second Quarter - Progress Report Cards Available 12/18/2024
UPDATE!!!!
(This will be reported to parents thru ParentVUE.)
December 16 to 20 - SPIRIT WEEK
December 17 - Strawbridge Studios - Fall Retake Picture Day
December 18 - 4th Grade Field Trip (Chesapeake Art Center)
December 18 - Winter Concert @ 6:00 PM (High Bridge Elementary Multipurpose Room)
December 20 - Teacher Planning Half-Day – 3-Hr. Early Dismissal for Students (Dismissal will begin at 10:40 AM, Early pick up will end at 9:40 AM)
December 23 - January 3 - Winter Break - School and Offices Closed
January 20 - Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday - School and Offices Closed
January 24 - End of the 2nd Quarter
Parent Resources
Strawbridge Access Information
Please access the attached Code Look up for further information regarding school pictures. If you have questions about the Code Lookup or are having difficulty navigating the site, feel free to reach out to Strawbridge Customer Service team via the Live Chat on our website, www.strawbridge.net
Transportation Information (Parent)
Parents must enroll in the ParentVUE portal to receive an invitation to activate the app once downloaded from the App Store or Google Play. Families must have an up-to-date email address in ParentVUE (new for 2024-25 school year) to activate the subscription. If a family's email address in ParentVUE is not current, the app will not work as the student schedule will not populate.
Track in the App: https://www.pgcps.org/offices/transportation/track-bus
Parent Teacher Organization
We are pleased to announce that the Parent-Teacher Organization now has a full executive board in place. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the parents who have supported this process through their participation and encouragement.
Your commitment to fostering a strong school community is truly appreciated, and we look forward to working together for the benefit of our students and school.
Thank you once again for your support!
Our email address is highbridgeespto@gmail.com
ParentVUE (Synergy) - NOW THERE'S A LINK ON THE PGCPS HOME PAGE
Prince George's County Public Schools provides a student information system access portal that allows authorized caretakers to log into ParentVUE from any computer with an Internet connection and view the child's student information, including current attendance records and assignment scores.
What is ParentVUE?
Beginning with the 2024-25 school year, Synergy will replace SchoolMAX as the student information system for Prince George's County Public Schools. Families will now use ParentVUE, in place of Family Portal, to access important information about their students.
ParentVUE is the portal that allows parents and guardians to view information about their student, including classroom assignments and scores, attendance, transcripts, graduation status and more. In ParentVUE, families can also update their phone numbers and emergency contact information and access the Online Registration (OLR) Application.
Stay Connected!
Attendance continues to be important this school year and every school year. Please ensure your child is present and on time for school every day. If your child is sick or is presenting with any symptoms and therefore is unable to attend school, please notify your child's teacher immediately, and upon his/her return to school please write them a note to give to the teacher.
For all absences, the parent/guardian must submit a letter of explanation with dates of absences to the school upon your child’s return to school to be categorized as “lawful” or “unlawful.”
Pursuant to ANNOTATED CODE OF MARYLAND, Education Article, Sections 7-301, 7-302, and 8-403 and Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) 13A.08.01.01, 13A.08.01.02, 13A. 08.01.03, and 13A.08.01.04 each child who is five (5) years of age or under eighteen (18) years of age must attend school regularly during the entire school year.
Unlawful absence or truancy is defined as the act of a pupil being absent from school for a day or any portion of a class for any reason construed as unlawful or unexplained as defined by the above statutes.
Fingerprinting and Background Checks for Applicants, School Visitors, Volunteers and One-time Volunteers
From the Cafeteria.......
What are we eating in December?
Update!!!
We will be resuming our normal cafeteria procedures effective immediately. As part of this process, students’ breakfasts will be delivered directly to their classrooms.
Please follow this procedure closely. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Principal Christian and/or Assistant Principal Harris
School Messanger
Stay connected with PGCPS by signing up for email alerts and text messages. Help setting up an account can be found here.
High Bridge Elementary School
Website: https://www.pgcps.org/schools/high-bridge-elementary
Location: 7011 High Bridge Road, Bowie MD
Phone: 301-805-2690