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Route 40 Elementary School
Jacqueline Hawkins, Principal
April 5, 2024
"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."—Eleanor Roosevelt
Registration for PreK and Kindergarten is now open. Please use this link or share if with someone that may need to register their child. https://www.gcps.net/enrollment
Early Dismissal April 8, 2024
On Monday, April 8, 2024, Garrett County Public Schools (GCPS) students will be dismissed three (3) hours early. This schedule change is due to the solar eclipse and the students' normal dismissal time. Parents/Guardians are asked to make arrangements for this change to ensure the safety of all students during the eclipse.
After-school activities may continue as usual—please consult the leader of your activity for additional guidance. Schools may also provide more information to families this week regarding this change. School personnel should follow the inclement weather guidance for staff release and ensure bus runs are completed.
Upcoming Solar Eclipse
Garrett County Public Schools (GCPS) is providing advance notice about the solar eclipse occurring on April 8, 2024, two weeks from today. The peak time of the eclipse will occur during student dismissal. We encourage parents and guardians to discuss safety precautions with their children during this event.
While solar eclipses can be a fun and exciting event for the whole family to enjoy, it is important to remember that looking directly at the sun during an eclipse can cause permanent eye damage. To ensure that your child is safe during the eclipse, we recommend that parents discuss the following safety precautions with their children:
- Do not look directly at the sun during the eclipse, even if you are wearing sunglasses or using a camera or telescope.
- Use special eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewers that meet international safety standards to view the eclipse.
- If you cannot access special glasses, you can create a pinhole projector or use a colander to project the eclipse image onto a piece of paper.
- Avoid reflective surfaces, such as water or shiny metal, which can reflect the sun's rays and cause eye damage.
Additional information about the eclipse may be found at https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/.
Spring Picture Day
Spring pictures are scheduled for Wednesday April 24th. This will also be the class picture day. Order forms were sent home this week. You can also order online using the Lifetouch Link.
APRIL HAPPENINGS:
April 1st - Schools Closed - Easter Monday
April 2nd - Schools are NOW OPEN
April 4th - End of 3rd Term
- All County Band/Chorus Practice @ GC
- PTO Meeting - 6:30pm
April 6th - Students Art Fair - Garrett College 9:00am - 2:00pm
April 8th - 12:15 Dismissal - Solar Eclipse
- CogAT Testing - 2nd Grade
April 9th -CogAT Testing - 2nd Grade
- BOE Meeting
April 10th - 12:15 Dismissal - Staff Development
April 11th - Report Cards to Parents
- Dental Lessons by Health Department
- PTO Meeting 6:30pm
April 15th - PK & K Registration
April 22nd-26th - Spring Book Fair
April 24th - Spring Pictures/Class Pictures
April 26th - 5th Grade - Career Day @ Garrett College
🥛 Weekly Breakfast & Lunch Menu 🍕
💡 Reminders
Changes in Transportation
Please remember that if there are ANY changes to your students transportation, you must send a note in with your child or call the school at 301-689-6132, please make sure that you speak to someone, do not leave a message. If the phones are down, the messages don't always come through until later. We ask that you please DO NOT email Mrs. Bolden or your child’s teacher with the change, we may not see the email in time. If you have questions please contact Mrs. Bolden.
Absences
If your child is absent for any reason, GCPS requires a note be sent within 3 days of returning to school. This way the absence can be coded appropriately. After the 3rd day the absence is unexcused. Please send a note in with your child to be turned in to their teacher or you can email Mrs. Bolden about the absence.
Advance Absence Approval
If your child will be absent for personal reasons(vacations) and you know in advance, there is a form that needs to be filled out and signed by the classroom teacher and Mrs. Hawkins. You can email Mrs. Bolden or send a note and request the form be sent home with your child a week prior to the absence. Any questions please feel free to contact the office.
Parent Volunteers
Parent volunteers are a vital part of our school routine. We host a regular work session to help prepare supplies on Thursday afternoons from 1:00 – 3:00. If Thursdays don’t align to your schedule, please feel free to call and set up another time to join us. We value the assistance volunteers can provide to our educational program.
Medication Form
If your child needs to take medicine at school, we need to have the form below completed by the ordering physician. This includes prescription and over the counter medications. Please call the school and talk to the nurse for more information.
You can shop at the following link for a school spirit wear. Orders will be delivered to the school.