Doswell E Brooks Elementary School

Doswell Owls,

Welcome back to another exciting year at Doswell E. Brooks Elementary School!

I hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. As we begin this new academic year, I want to extend a warm and heartfelt welcome to our returning students and a special greeting to all our new students and their families.

In particular, I want to welcome our "neighbors" from Concord Elementary. We are thrilled to have you join the Doswell family!

What is ParentVUE?

Beginning with the 2024-25 school year, Synergy will replace SchoolMAX as the student information system for Prince George's County Public Schools. Families will now use ParentVUE, in place of Family Portal, to access important information about their students.

ParentVUE is the portal that allows parents and guardians to view information about their student, including classroom assignments and scores, attendance, transcripts, graduation status and more. In ParentVUE, families can also update their phone numbers and emergency contact information and access the Online Registration (OLR) Application.

Check out PGCPS.org for further details

Dear Families

Please note that if you are not at the bus stop to pick up your Pre K and or K students the bus will bring your students back to school.

School hours are 9:30 AM 3:40 PM On the first day of school, all students will report to the cafeteria. Students in grades 4-5 will be directed to their classrooms from the cafeteria. Signs and school maps will be provided to assist you. Students will be permitted to enter the building after 9:05 AM. Only those students registered in the Before and After Care Program will be permitted to enter the building between the hours of 7:00 AM and 9:05 AM.

We are hoping to have AlphaBest return to our school this year. It will depend upon the number of Participants. Registration information to follow soon.

School hours are 9:30 AM until 3:40 PM. On the first day of school, all students will report to the cafeteria. Students in grades 4-5 will be directed to their classrooms from the cafeteria. Signs and school maps will be provided to assist you. Students will be permitted to enter the building after 9:05 AM.

We are working hard to bring back our "AlphaBEST Extended Day program for Before and After School Care." To reinstate, the program, we need a minimum enrollment of 20 students. Your participation is crucial to make this happen.

Only those students registered in the Before and After Care Program will be permitted to enter the building between the hours of 7:00 AM and 9:05 AM.

AlphaBEST Extended Day program for before and after school

Grades Pre-K-5

2024-2025

Ms. Nicole Carroll

Area Manager

240-448-8809

ncarroll@alphabest.org

www.alphabest.org

At the end of the day, car riders, van riders, and Before and After Care will be dismissed first. No students will be dismissed to parents between the hours of 3:05 pm and 3:40 pm unless there is an emergency. This is a very critical time of the day when students and teachers are preparing for dismissal.

The school system’s Department of Transportation will send letters by the end of August designating students’ pick up and drop off times. For the system to work effectively, it is critical that we have the correct address information for home and daycare. Several students’ report cards were returned to the school. If you did not receive your child’s report card via the mail please check with the school prior to the opening of school to make sure we have your correct address.

You can access information on specific bus stops and times at the Prince George’s County Public School website (www.pgcps.org). Please be mindful that, during the first week of school, bus schedules may vary. Please allow 30 minutes leeway for pick up and drop off times.

MySchoolBucks, owned and operated by Heartland Payment Systems, is an online payment service that provides parents the ability to securely pay for meals, monitor student cafeteria purchases, make tuition payments for Before and After School Extended Learning programs, and receive email notifications for low account balances. With MySchoolBucks, payments can be made 24/7 using a Visa, MasterCard, Discover, credit or debit card, and mobile app.

• Online Payment Service
• Mobile App

By cash, cashier's check, or money order

Send payment to your school's cafeteria so your child's account may be updated.

Meal Prices

There is no cost to students who are eligible for Free or Reduced Price Meals.

Please check out PGCPS.org for further information

Apply for Free and Reduced Priced Meals

If your child is to take medication during the school day, prescription or non-prescription, a Medication Authorization Form must be obtained from the school nurse. Students are not to have medication from over the counter or a doctor on their person. This includes inhalers. Please do not put your child or other children in danger. It is also important that immunization information for all students is current for the 2024-2025 school year. Students will be excluded from school if their immunization information is not current. Again, please take care of immunization issues before the start of school or your child will be excluded. Parents get very angry when their children are excluded from school for not being immunized but remember this is the law.

Class Dojo is our Connection with Families

Once school opens, please make sure you sign up with ClassDojo. You do not have to sign up for the app, you could still access ClassDojo online and visit the website daily for messages and updates in the School Story. All School Communication goes through Class Dojo. If you are not signed up, it will be difficult to stay up to date with what is going on in our school community. Messages make it easy to communicate with teachers and other staff members throughout the day. Also, messages and updates can be translated into more than 35 languages! Be sure to sign up as soon as possible!

Looking forward to a great start of the year!

Buses are the priority the first few days. Students in grades Pre-K, K, and 1 who are bus riders will be given name tags with their bus information. Bus colors are posted in rooms. These students will also be given bus vest so that they may easily be identified. Please make sure students wear the vest at least the quarter of the school year.