The Tiger Times

As we enter into the last full month of our school year, I am reflecting with gratitude on my transition into this very special place. LES surely feels like home at this point, and each day I enjoy getting to know and engage with your students in new ways. My interactions with them as they share stories, celebrations, and achievements are always the highlight of my day.

Your open communication with me allows us to collectively work to solve problems and successfully meet student needs. I remain committed to transparency and responsiveness in my work with you and your families. Our students are always worth our very best efforts.

I hope that you will not hesitate to reach out at any time to share concerns, challenges, and the small wins as we continue to focus on our students first.....Every Child, Every Day at Lewistown Elementary!

Yours in Education,

Melissa Burton

We are incredibly proud of the positive way our 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students approached and completed the recent MCAP testing. Thank you for your support in getting your students to school on time and ready to learn!

From our School Counselor, Ms. Musselman:

Next Week is Children's Mental Health Awareness Week! This is what we have planned:

1. Every day on the announcements we will give a coping strategy of the day.
2. Ms. Webb has an exciting lesson and activity on the color of our feelings.
3. We will have a spirit week to include the following:

The week of May 6th-10th is Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week across FCPS. We are looking forward to celebrating and honoring the dedication of the outstanding individuals who make Lewistown Elementary such an excellent place to learn and grow.

The following news is specific just to our 5th grade students at LES:

Field Day Tie Dye

Students will tie dye shirts for field day on May 28th. Please make sure to send in a white t-shirt by May 16th. Put the shirt in a ziploc baggie with your child’s name on both the bag and shirt. Field Day is Friday, May 31st. Stay tuned for volunteer opportunities!

MAY FIELD TRIPS

Monocacy Middle School students will attend the Move-Up day with Mrs. Musselman on Tuesday, May 7th from 9:15-10:45. The class will be attending Thurmont Middle School Move Up Day on Thursday, May 30th from 9:15-10:30.

On Monday, June 3rd, we will celebrate the end of the year with a trip to Walkersville Bowling! PTA is graciously paying for the bowling, drinks, and pizza. Students will get to bowl from 12:15-1:15 pm after the morning ceremony. Permission slips will go home this week.

5th Grade Ceremony

On Monday, June 3rd we will be celebrating our 5th grade students with a variety of special events. All events and activities will be paid for by the Lewistown PTA. Parents and guardians are invited to attend the awards ceremony in the morning from 9:30-10:30 am.

*This communication was sent our prior to spring break to all families. *

In recent years, Frederick County Public Schools has been the fastest growing school district by student population in the state. More families are choosing Frederick County as the place to raise their families, and we have taken great pride in welcoming new students.

We have also taken great pride in being able to safely transport students to and from school every day through the efforts of our FCPS Transportation team, which is committed to getting students to school and home, every day, on time.

During the 2024-25 school year, the FCPS Transportation team needs to make adjustments in order to continue the reliable service families have relied on for generations. This will result in bell times changing at Lewistown Elementary during the 2024-25 school year.

Next year, the school day will begin at 9:15 a.m. and conclude at 3:45 p.m. Arrival time in the morning will be between 8:45 and 9:15 and dismissal will begin at 3:45 daily. This represents a 30-minute change from our current schedule and we acknowledge this will be an adjustment for families, for staff, and for our school community.

This change is necessary to support the growth of our community, provide more reliable arrival and dismissal times, and utilize our bus fleet most effectively to support routes in our area of the county.

We hope that by providing as much notice as possible, it will provide our families with the time to plan for this upcoming change that will take effect in the 24-25 school year.

Please check out our lost and found collection and encourage your student to retrieve any misplaced items. 😊

Mr. Shippee and one of our 2nd grade classes preparing for our Spring Showcase. We hope you will join us on May 30th at Lewistown Elementary. The program begins at 5:30 and is approximately an hour.

Beginning on July 1, 2024, Lewistown Elementary’s phone number will be changing as all of FCPS transitions to a new telecommunications system.

The phone number change is necessary for two primary reasons: (1) The current telecommunications system is being modernized to allow more system functionality and reduce maintenance and service costs; and (2) the phone number change allows for the standardization of FCPS phone numbers with a common area code and initial three digits for all schools.

Lewistown Elementary’s new phone number for the main office will be (227)-203-1620.

School based staff can be reached by calling the school’s main number and choosing the appropriate option from the call menu or by dialing a staff member’s extension at any time:

1. Front Office

2. Attendance

3. Counseling Office

4. Health Room

5. Cafeteria

1. Spanish

Lewistown Elementary has been preparing for this change by ensuring that we are updating all contact information on the school website, school messaging and other school documents. We are committed to making this transition with a minimal impact on school communications.

SPANISH TRANSLATION

1 de mayo - Anuncio a la comunidad escolar: cambios de números de teléfono

A partir del 1 de julio de 2024, el número de teléfono de Lewistown Elementary cambiará como parte de la transición a un sistema nuevo de comunicaciones a través de todo FCPS.

El cambio de números de teléfono es necesario por dos razones principales: (1) El sistema actual de comunicaciones se está modernizando para permitir una mejor funcionalidad del sistema y reducir los costos de mantenimiento y servicio; y (2) el cambio de los números de teléfono permitirá la uniformar los números de teléfono de FCPS con un código de área común y tres dígitos iniciales para todas las escuelas.

El nuevo número de teléfono de la oficina principal de Lewistown Elementary’s será (227)-203-1620.

Puede contactar al personal de la escuela llamando al número principal de la escuela y eligiendo la opción apropiada del menú de llamadas o marcando la extensión de un miembro del personal en cualquier momento:

1. Oficina Principal

2. Oficina de Asistencia

3. Oficina de Consejería

4. Sala de Salud

5. Cafetería

1. Español

Lewistown Elementary se ha estado preparando para este cambio asegurándose de actualizar toda la información de contacto en el sitio web de la escuela, los mensajes escolares y otros documentos escolares. Estamos comprometidos a realizar esta transición con un impacto mínimo en las comunicaciones escolares.

Grace and Bella were chosen to represent LES in the Honors Chorus that performed at the Weinberg Center this week. Alyssa and Ms. Sweeney were on hand to cheer them on. Way to represent LES!

Our students and staff completely enjoyed a visit from Adam Rubin, author, and Liniers, illustrator at LES this week. We were inspired to work collaboratively and think creatively. Our students asked outstanding questions of our guest speakers. Each child will receive a copy of The Truth About the Couch courtesy of the Curious Iguana in downtown Frederick.

MAY

May 7th - Monocacy Middle Move Up Day 9:15-11:00

May 14th - Schools closed for Primary Election

May 17th - Senior Clap Out (CHS students) 1:30

May 29th - 2nd grade to ESSL 11:45-1:45

May 30th - Thurmont Middle Move Up Day 8:45-10:30

May 30th - Spring Music and Art Showcase at LES 5:30-6:30

PLEASE NOTE: REVISED FIELD DAY DATES

May 31st - Field Day *****change from original date

June

June 5th - Rain date for Field Day

June 7th - Last Day of school for students - 2 hour early dismissal.

FCPS 2023- 2024 Calendar Handbook

FCPS is Now Accepting Pre-K Applications!

Applications for all residents of Frederick County are now open for students who will be 3, or 4 years old by September 1, 2024. For information about income eligibility criteria and programs offered, please visit our website at https://www.fcps.org/ece/pre-k-application

Families may apply online via the enrollment portal. Click here for English or click here for Spanish. Those unable to complete an online application may download an official FCPS enrollment form and return via PreKEnrollment@fcps.org. Enrollment Form Template: English | Spanish.

Please ensure all applications contain proof of residency, proof of birth, and proof of Total Household Income.

Translation

¡FCPS ya está aceptando solicitudes para el pre-jardín (pre-kínder)! Las solicitudes para todos los residentes del condado de Frederick ya están abiertas para los estudiantes que tengan 3 o 4 años de edad antes del 1ro de septiembre de 2024. Para obtener información sobre los criterios de elegibilidad de ingresos y los programas ofrecidos, visite nuestro sitio web en https://www.fcps.org/ece/pre-k-application Las familias pueden presentar su solicitud en línea a través del portal de inscripción. Haga clic aquí para inglés o haga clic aquí para español. Aquellos que no puedan completar una solicitud en línea pueden descargar el formulario oficial de inscripción de FCPS y enviarlo por correo electrónico a PreKEnrollment@fcps.org. Formulario de inscripción: English | Spanish. Asegúrese de que todas las solicitudes contengan comprobante de residencia, comprobante de nacimiento y comprobante de ingresos totales del hogar.

The Lewistown Elementary School Learning Community will strive to promote academic success in order to reach our full potential and strengthen our future. Everyone’s unique qualities will be celebrated and valued, and together we will Learn, Excel, and Succeed.

Website: https://edu.fcps.org/les/home

Phone: 240 236 3750

Principal- Melissa Burton

Spec. Ed Coordinator- Hannah Zebroski

Secretary- Megan Doll

Counselor- Joan Musselman

Families send all attendance notes: LEW.Attendance@fcps.org