White Marsh Elementary School

Last week was our first full week of school, and the Bears are already working hard. I'm sure your student(s) were tired by the end of the week! All of our students are doing a great job; routines are being established, classroom and schoolwide expectations are being reviewed, and students are working collaboratively with their classmates. Our school rules are Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be Ready to Learn. Ask your student how they can demonstrate these rules in all areas of our school including Classroom, Hallway, Restroom, Cafeteria, Playground, Bus, and more!

This will be an "A Week", and we begin with the Labor Day holiday. There is no school for students on Monday.

On Wednesday, the PTA will meet at 6:30 pm. Parents are invited to participate in person (in the Cafeteria) or online via the Zoom link. Thanks to all who came out last Wednesday for the Popsicle Social; we had a great turnout, and everyone had a good time!

Friday will be a White Marsh Spirit Day! The Bears are invited to wear their White Marsh shirts, or lots of blue!! If you are new to WMES and do not have a Spiritwear shirt, no worries- the Spiritwear sale will begin on September 25, 2024. A flier will come home in a future Wednesday folder, and information will be on a future Smore.

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

Have a great week!

Sincerely,

Principal Steele

The Kindergarten Bears send a big thank you to Miss Connie, driver of Bus 638 for spending some time today teaching us about parts of a school bus and how to ride safely! The Bears learned bus safety rules, all about emergency drills, the importance of listening to the driver and just being safe while riding the bus!

On occasion, WMES will send texts to families. Usually it is to report a delayed bus, or a reminder of something occurring at school. The link to text information is at the bottom of this newsletter.

Now is the time for students to sign up for Band, Chorus or Strings. Band and Chorus is offered to students in Grades 4 and 5, while Strings Instruction is offered to students in Grades 3, 4 and 5. Please see the sign-up form that was shared in Class Dojo.

Chorus

Band information

Band registration link

Strings registration link

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.

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)

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!

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.

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.

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.

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