The Weekly Update
September 30, 2024 A week
Read down for our events, and remember that you can always stay up-to-date by checking our school website.
St. Mary’s County Public Schools will celebrate Farm to School Month and Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week on Tuesday, October 1, 2024. All schools will be serving local foods during this celebration week. We encourage students to participate and eat school lunch this week!
Parent and Childcare Provider Workshop: Parents of young children and local Childcare Providers are invited to participate in a Conscious Discipline workshop Tuesday, October 15, 2024, from 5:30-7:00 p.m. The Building from the Beginning workshop will be held in the Dohrman rooms at the Dr. James A. Forrest Career & Technology Center. Mission BBQ has graciously offered to provide dinner to the first 100 people who register. Childcare is not available. Please refer to the flier here for more details. Feel free to share the Registration Form with interested families. Local childcare providers may register here and SMCPS will pursue MSDE Core of Knowledge Hours on their behalf.
Become A School Volunteer
Both new and previously registered volunteers must complete a new volunteer application every school year. All volunteers must review the Child Abuse and Sexual Harassment (C.A.S.H) training and the Volunteer Manual annually.
CLICK HERE after you've completed the trainings in order to access the volunteer application.
Please complete the meal benefit application. Some expire 10/3/24.
Online Meal Benefit Application
Menus for School Meals are visible through Nutrislice. Check it out!
Negative Lunch Balance- Please visit My School Bucks or call the school to find out your child's lunch balance. We will serve the students even with negative balances so please continue to check the account.
Updated Transportation Reminders: Please let the office know if there has been a change in transportation plans.
Morning Drop Off
Please do not pull around cars that are in front of you for safety reasons
Arrival time is no earlier than 7:45 and no later than 8:05
Cell Phone Policy- Phones must be OFF and AWAY!!!
Please view THIS presentation and this VIDEO.
Code of Conduct can be found here.
On October 10, 2024, Frank Kros will present, ‘A New View of ADHD for Parents: What Works, What Doesn’t, and Why’ from 6 pm- 8 pm at the Forrest Career & Technology Center, Dohrman A. The workshop is free but registration is required via email to parnersforsucess@smcps.org
GKES Fun Run- 1 Week Before Kickoff
Hurry, there’s only one week until our GKES Fun Run fundraiser begins! ⏰🚨 Visit MyBooster.com—we promise it just takes a minute!— to sign up your student and get ready for an EPIC GKES Fun Run on 10/11/2024! 🥳🎉
⭐️ Sign Up Now On MYBOOSTER.COM ⭐️
How to Get Started on MyBooster.com:
Click “Sign Up”
Enter your School Name
Enter your Information
VERY IMPORTANT! Once you sign up, get started by sharing via Facebook, email and text!
Tips for Success:
Set a goal for how much to raise and make a plan with your student on how to get there.
Share, share, share using our easy online tools!
Make sure to thank everyone that supported you after you reach your goal.
Thank you for helping make our fundraiser a success!
Key Dates to Remember:
💻 Sign up online OPEN at MyBooster.com – Start TODAY!
🎉 Fundraiser Kickoff in school – 10/03/2024
👟 Event Day – 10/11/2024
*Need help signing up? Video instructions HERE.
GKES Attendance Matters
Our average daily attendance for this week is 96.15%.
0-9 Days Absent = 95-100% = Attendance Very Good: Best chance of success. Gets your child off to a solid start.
10- 19 days Absent= 90-94 % = Worrying: Less chance for school success. Makes it harder for your child to make progress.
20 + days absent = 80-85% Attendance = Serious Concern: Your child will find it very difficult to make progress.
Welcome back from Nurse Farr!!!!!
For the month of October, Nurse Farr will be conducting hearing and vision screenings. Screenings are not diagnostic, but instead, are used to identify a child at risk for vision/hearing problems. These screenings are required by Maryland law and will be conducted for new Pre-K and Kindergarten students to SMPCS. Results will be sent home in your child's book bag. Please let Nurse Farr if you have any questions or concerns 301-863-4095 extension 1. Please refer to the link below regarding hearing and vision screenings for SMCPS students: SMCPS Student Handbook - Hearing and Vision Screening
Please report any communicable diseases to Nurse Farr for tracking purposes (COVID, flu, pink eye, strep, etc.), it would be greatly appreciated. If you have any questions feel free to reach out to Nurse Farr. Thank you!
The School Based Health Center has 2 locations and is a great resource and is open to all SMPCS students and staff. To enroll to receive health care services through the SBHCs, please click here or give the location center a call to make an appointment.
SMCPS Mental Health & Awareness website for Elementary School Students: Elementary Health & Wellness
From Ms. McFalls
The Zones of Regulation is a curriculum used to teach students how to regulate their emotions. You may hear conversations or comments from your students at home about the Zones Colors (red, green, blue and yellow) so we would like to take this opportunity to share with our parents/guardians some basic information.
Self-regulation is something everyone continually works on, whether we are cognizant of it or not. We all encounter situations that test our limits from time to time. If we are able to recognize when we are becoming less regulated, we are able to do something about it to feel better and get ourselves to a better place. This comes naturally for some, but for others it is a skill that needs to be taught and practiced. This is the goal of The Zones of Regulation through the association of color visuals.
Ms. Broom's Bitmoji room
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1HcrlfP4B9up3NXuq8pwFCQofd1wopaY8X43Wg1x0ZE4/edit?usp=sharing
Fundraising Plan
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jJkWor5OCpYC1Xv8SMW7CNqQfACv77de7ivwCmPN5YI/edit
The Greenview Knolls Spirit Wear store is open! There are two designs available for purchase in green, white, or black for short sleeve and long sleeve t-shirts as well as hoodies. Shipping to the school is free or items can be shipped to homes for an additional charge.
The store will close on September 30th (11:59 pm) and all orders will ship about 20 business days after the store is sent to production.
Visit https://greenviewknollsfallspiritwear24.itemorder.com/ to order.
Online Emergency Information Update Messaging: Effective communication is critical to the success of St. Mary’s County Public Schools (SMCPS). This will be crucial not only for emergencies but for our ability to communicate with families in general. Online Emergency Information Update Forms are now available through the student’s Home Access Center (HAC). Once logged in, directions to access the online form can be found HERE. A video with instructions is available HERE. It is vital that all information is updated in eSchool. The deadline for the online submission of Emergency Information Update forms is October 31st, 2024. Please click here for the Blank Emergency Form. If you have any questions, please contact The Department of Student Services at 301-475-5511 ext.32150.
🗓 Coming Up!
OCTOBER
3 Boosterthon Kick Off
11 Fun Run- Parents are invited to watch
- Grades K-2 9:00- 10:00 and Grades 3-5 10:00-11:00
14 2 hour early dismissal
16 Unity day- wear orange
18 2 hour early dismissal
24 PTO Trunk or Treat 5:30 - GK students and families only
25 End of 1st Marking Period
The vision at GKES is to create a nurturing environment for all students that promotes lifelong learning where students work hard to become respectful, responsible, and resilient.
The mission at GKES, in partnership with parents and communities, we believe that every Students Success Story becomes a testament to their determination and our unwavering commitment to fostering their academic, social, and emotional wellness.
GO OWLS!!!
