Leonardtown Elementary

Monday: Open House Kg - Gr 5

Wednesday First Day of School Kg - Gr 5 AND Pre-Kindergarten Orientation (11:00 am)

Thursday: Bus transportation for Pre-K students begins

Sept 4: Schools Closed: Labor Day

Sept 6: PTA General Membership Meeting: 6:30 pm

Sept 21: 2 Hr Early Dismissal: No Pre-K classes

Sept 22: No School for Students: Professional Day

Sept 26: Fall Picture Day

The complete 2023-24 school year calendar is linked below.

As the new leader of your child's elementary school, I find myself faced with competing priorities. Maintaining a safe campus for all students and staff is a priority, and another is extending a warm, welcoming feeling. I tend to believe that people are good and have good intentions. I also think that part of the charm of Southern Maryland is the home-town feel. However, I will not turn a blind-eye to the tragedies that have befallen our country and schools, and I will hold tightly to the procedures that are intended to keep our students and staff safe. So, this is the challenge; create a warm and welcoming feeling for our community while maintaining high standards for school safety.

Below I have highlighted some of the features that help us maintain physical safety, as well as some of the practices that we will employ. Secondly, I have included some ways for you to stay involved in your child's elementary experience. I hope that despite the changes to some of our practices, you will find that Leonardtown Elementary invites your active participation and involvement in your child's schooling.

Leonardtown Elementary is equipped with many state-of-the-art safety features, including security cameras, protective glass shields on interior and exterior windows, an electronic access control system, interior safety locks, and emergency communication systems. This year, a new security vestibule has been added, and a new full-time Safety Assistant has been employed.

Visitors will be asked to remain in the security vestibule unless they are participating in a scheduled meeting/conference, volunteering, or meeting with the nurse to accept an ill/injured child. Visitors will not be allowed to attend lunch periods with students.

Here are some ways you can participate in your child's school life:

• Join the PTO
• Become a registered volunteer

• Read the weekly news bulletins and enjoy photos of school activities
• Learn how to enable Schoology notifications
• Email your child's teacher
• Check your child's backpack for school work, art projects or important notes
• Ask questions about your child's day
• Participate in a parent-teacher conference
• Attend scheduled 504 or IEP meetings for your child
• Connect with our school counselor (Ms. Bronzell)
• Sign up with our Military Family Life Counselor (Ms. Christensen)
• Read to and with your child

We want to be partners in your child's education. We want to have safe schools. I am up for the challenge of creating a school atmosphere that appropriately prioritizes both!

This week's most important tasks:

• Placard request for Daily Parent Transport (if this is your daily dismissal choice)
• Free-reduced price meal application submitted

Next Up:

• Acceptable Use Policy submitted (for each child)
• Volunteer application: training completed, application submitted

Come to school to meet your child's teacher, walk through the classroom and drop off supplies. Students are encouraged to attend. There is no formal program at any grade level, so we recommend attending according to the schedule below. This will help alleviate crowding in the parking lot, hallways and classrooms.

Last Names A-L

1:15 – 2:15pm

Last Names M-Z

2:30 – 3:30pm

Pre-K students participate in an orientation on the first day of school from 11am - 12 pm. The teachers will help you and your child get acquainted with the program.

Pre-K students do not ride the bus on the first day.

Plan to bring your child to LES and stay with them. Bus transportation for Pre-K students will begin on Thursday, August 24th.

If you are electing to transport your child home from school, you need to sign up for a carpool pass PRIOR TO THE 1ST DAY OF SCHOOL by entering information in this Daily Parent Transport Survey. Your carpool pass will be ready for pick-up on Monday at Open House if you complete the survey by COB Thursday, August 17th. You will be asked to present ID in order to receive your pass.

• Completion of the survey will generate an assigned number that will enable staff to match a vehicle with a child/children. You will only need 1 number for your family.
• Up to 3 passes with the same number may be generated for you.
• You do not need a pass in order to drop your child off in the morning.
• Student pick up begins at apx. 3:45.

ONLY students who have been signed up for daily parent transport (using the form above) and have an assigned placard number will be released as walkers. This will expedite our dismissal procedures while still ensuring that our safety protocols are followed. Once a placard has been issued you will have the choice of driving (through the carpool loop) OR walking to the covered walkway. Your placard must be presented whether you drive or walk. The assigned number is part of our system for identifying and releasing your child(ren).

Greetings from the Military Family Life Counselor. I hope everyone had a relaxing and eventful Summer. I am looking forward to meeting with the “military children” again in August, If you have already signed a permission slip last school year, you do not need to sign it again.

For anyone who is interested in the program, I will be at the Open House on August 21st ready for questions and sign-ups. You can also call or email me starting August 21st .

Last school year we enjoyed the Lunch Bunches, friendship groups and individual sessions. I am here to support the military children and their families at Leonardtown Elementary School and Thank You for your service.

Anni Christensen

Military Family Life Counselor

Leonardtown Elementary School

240-572-6780 abchristensen@contracted.smcps.org

All students are required to have an acceptable use policy agreement (AUP) on file. This is to be completed by the PARENT or GUARDIAN of the student.

Forms submitted with an email address ending in "@k12.smcps.org" indicate a student account completed the form. This will automatically invalidate the form.

The entire Acceptable Use Agreement is linked here.

This needs to be completed for each student you have in the school system. At the end of the form you have the option to submit another response for your additional students.

All SMCPS students are responsible for the care of their assigned devices, chargers, and school resources. This document outlines the established protocols for care and liability of all SMCPS resources.

In recent weeks, phishing attempts have been targeted at SMCPS student accounts using methods outside of SMCPS managed services.

Phishing is a method where malicious individuals attempt to trick you into providing them with information about you and your online account information. These methods can take many forms, so staying vigilant for anything that seems out of the ordinary when online is important.

Additionally, please note that SMCPS IT support will never contact you on Discord, Steam, or any other application that is not managed by SMCPS and will never ask you for your account password. If you are contacted on any outside application stating to be SMCPS IT, please DO NOT respond, block/report the individual and inform your site administration so that it can be escalated. Contact your building-level tech or the Department of Information Technology Services (ITS) at your first leisure for more information.

Elementary Meal Prices:

• Breakfast: $1.75
• Lunch: $3.00

Follow the links below to apply for free and reduced meals (FARM) for the 2023-2024 School Year. The application must be submitted each school year.

Begin the FARM application process here

2023-2024 Instructions for Applying for Meal Benefit

2023-2024 Meal Benefit Application

2023-2024 Meal Benefit Application Parent Letter

EN ESPANOL

2023-2024 Meal Benefit Application (Espanol)

2023-2024 Meal Benefit Application Parent Letter (Espanol)

An electronic application submission is preferred, though paper copies will be made available.

There are a lot of additional benefits by submitting a meal application form. These perks include waivers on college applications, dual-enrollment courses with the College of Southern Maryland, and discounted fees to participate in St. Mary’s County Parks and Rec programs. Families can request more information by contacting SMCPS' Food and Nutrition Services Office at 301.475.4256, Option 5, or via email at foodservice@smcps.org.

Menus for School Meals are visible through Nutrislice. Check it out!

If you want to view your child's meal purchases and add funds, use the My School Bucks link.

Your child's teacher will be able to share information about how snacks are handled.

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.