White Marsh Elementary School

Welcome to the second marking period! It's Red Ribbon Week- See the flyer below for our theme days! As the Bears dress up for each theme, please be sure students wear shoes that are appropriate for school, including recess and P.E.

Thanks so much for supporting our PTA Boo Thru last week, and especially everyone who contributed to the event. The Bears and their families all had a wonderful time!

Monday's theme is Dreamwork Presents; the Bears can wear their favorite appropriate pajamas.

Tuesday's theme is WMES Goes West; the Bears can wear their favorite western wear!

Wednesday's theme is The Mighty Bears; students can come dressed in their favorite sports team shirt. Wednesday is also the Character Tea. Congratulations to the students listed below for being recognized for Respect and Responsibility. Wednesday afternoon is Running Club. Pick up is at 4:20 at the playground fence with a photo ID.

Thursday's theme is Book Character Day! Students may dress as their favorite book character on Thursday. Please be sure they bring a copy of the book to school. Please read carefully below the expectations about costumes worn to school. Thursday is also the last day for parents to complete the SMCPS Information Forms. If you have not completed this form, please see below for the link.

Friday's theme is Roll Out the Red Carpet; students can wear as much red as possible on Friday!

Have a great week!

Sincerely,

Principal Steele

It's our very first Character Tea of the 2024-2025 School Year! Congratulations to our Bears that will be recognized at this very special event!

Respect:

Kindergarten: Jace P, Dynver H-S

Grade 1: Raelynn A, Torrence M

Grade 2: Delilah B, Stevie B

Grade 3: Brooke B, Savannah C

Grade 4: Adalynn H, Aleister B

Grade 5: Maxwell F, Jacob F

Responsibility:

Kindergarten: Noelle J, Brody W

Grade 1: Dominic S, McKenna G

Grade 2: Samual A, Edesia S

Grade 3: Lillian Y, Royce H-S

Grade 4: Adalyn B, Olivia G

Grade 5: Francisco T, Sadie W

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.

Students should bring their instruments and supplies with them on Wednesday. It's not expected for students to have all supplies and materials the first week or two of instruction. Students who are interested in renting an instrument from WMES will be notified if an instrument is available to rent from the school.

In order to participate, Band and Strings students must have their supplies!

Click Here for Band Supplies

Click Here for Strings Supplies

A Week: Wednesday and Friday

B Week: Wednesday and Thursday

Nov 5 Election Day, No School for Students

Nov 6 Running Club, Gr 3-5, Pick up at 4:20

Nov 6 PTA Meeting, 6:30

Nov 6 Report Cards Distributed

Nov 8 2 hr. Early Dismissal

Nov 11 Veterans Day, No School for Students

Nov 13 Running Club, Gr 3-5, Pick up at 4:20

Nov 18 PTA Fundraiser- Ledo Pizza

Nov 19 All County Elementary Honor Chorus Concert, 7 pm at LHS

Nov 27 - 29 Thanksgiving Break

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.

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.

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