Beacon Bulletin

Piney Point families,

I hope that everyone is enjoying the last few days of summer vacation. With summer coming to a close, I wanted to share some additional back-to-school information.

Student classroom assignments will go live in HAC on August 16th at 5PM. Please note, the teachers listed in Clever and Schoology are not final. Official student placements will be available in HAC on August 16th. If you need support accessing HAC there will be a HAC support table set up in the cafeteria at Open House on August 19th.

We have been working hard at PPES over the summer to prepare for another fantastic school year. One of the more visible changes you will be able to see is the addition of our HVAC system. Crews have been working extremely hard to complete the project and get our building ready for students and staff . We thank you in advance for your patience as we work through the highs and lows for a new HVAC system..

Communication is critical to ensuring a successful school experience for students and parents. I want to assure you that I will do my best to keep you informed of important dates, events, and other relevant school information. Throughout the year, we will use several modes of communication including SMORE newsletters, the school webpage, email, and Schoology. Please make sure that all of your contact information is up-to-date.

Be sure to review this entire newsletter each week as it will provide you with valuable resources and information.

I am excited to see all of you in the upcoming weeks! Please enjoy the last bit of summer, and together, let's make the 2024-25 school year a great one!

Mrs. Zeier

Welcome back Beacon Families. Open House will be on Monday, August 19th. Kindergarten students will attend from 1:00-2:00 and grades 1st-5th from 2-3:30pm. You may bring in your school supplies on this day as well. If you need assistance with buses, car rider tags, HAC, ect. we will be in the Cafeteria to answer your questions. Please take some time to find out your child's bus in the links below. This will help us with a smooth arrival and dismissal on Wednesday.

Aug 16th- Home Access Center ( HAC) Opens at 5pm

Click here for a list of requires items to register a student

1. Be sure to look up your child's bus number, bus stop, and approximate times. The HERE COMES THE BUS app will allow you to track the bus. Please remember these are approximate times.
2. The first few days, buses will take longer to arrive on their return routes as we need time to check and double-check that all 500 students are on the correct bus. Thank you in advance for your patience!
3. PreK & Kindergarten Students -To ensure safety, a responsible person (at least 13 years old) must be on time to meet the bus at the bus door at the assigned stop for Pre-Kindergarten and/or kindergarten students. This includes morning and midday loading along with midday, afternoon, and evening unloading. Please see the letter below for additional information.

Dear Families of PPES PreK and K Students:

Welcome to a new school year! We are excited to have your young Beacon at PPES. The safety of your student is of the utmost importance. This includes the bus ride to and from school. In order to support our dedicated bus drivers in achieving this goal, please review the St. Mary’s County Public Schools procedures on dropping off Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten students at bus stops in the afternoon:

To ensure safety, a responsible person (at least 13 years old) must be on time to meet the bus at the bus door at the assigned stop for Pre-Kindergarten and/or kindergarten students. This includes morning and midday loading along with midday, afternoon, and evening unloading.

When a responsible person is not available to receive a Pre-Kindergarten and/or Kindergarten student on a return trip home, the driver will return the student to the school. Parent(s)/legal guardian(s) will be notified by the principal to come and pick up their child from the school. The school administrator will discuss this concern with the parent(s)/legal guardian(s).

If a second incident occurs, the child will be returned to the school and the parent(s)/legal guardian(s) will be notified to pick up their child at school. The regulation will again be reviewed with the parent(s)/legal guardian(s). The school administrator will mail a follow-up letter to the family indicating that a third incident may result in the loss of transportation privileges.

If a third incident occurs, the child will be returned to school. Parent(s)/legal guardian(s) will be notified to pick up their child at school. Transportation privileges will be revoked at that time. A written notice will be mailed to the family by the principal.

Please review this information in the SMCPS Student Handbook. Feel free to contact the Transportation Department or Ms. Smith, PPES assistant principal overseeing buses, at -alsmith@smcps.org with questions on these procedures.

If you have not already done so, please complete the meal benefit application if you think that your family may qualify. If you do not qualify or choose not to fill out a form, your student has the option to purchase breakfast and/or lunch each day. Payment may be in the form of cash or check payable to PPES, or by creating a My School Bucks account. Pease see link below for the application and My School Bucks link.

Click here to check your child's breakfast/lunch balance and add money to their account

If you are planning on volunteering regularly for your classroom teacher, you will need to complete the SMCPS Volunteer application. However, if you are volunteering as a chaperone on a field trip, you do not need to complete the application. You will need to sign in and out at the Main Office using your state issued ID. If you do not have your ID you will not be permitted to enter the school or chaperone on a trip. We have a 100% ID CHECK, NO EXCEPTIONS! There is no application fee for school volunteers. Parental involvement is a key component to student success. Thank you for your support.

Birthday treats present the potential for allergic reactions for many of our students. They also interrupt instruction. However, we understand that some students enjoy celebrating their birthday with their friends at school. Because of all of these factors, birthday treats may NOT be edible. Gift bags with stickers, pencils, crayons, erasers, and/or other small toys are acceptable. They can also be shared at recess or the end of the day which doesn’t compromise instructional time. Parents who wish to provide birthday treats to a class are asked to notify the homeroom teacher in advance and to drop them off in the front office as early as possible.