White Marsh Elementary School

The Bears have a full week of school ahead of them!

On Wednesday, our Spiritwear sale begins. See the photo of this year's design, and more information below!

There will be a Site Based Volunteer Training on Friday at 9:30 in the cafeteria. Remember, all parents wishing to support our school by volunteering or chaperoning must complete this training annually.

Please see the information below about Emergency Information forms- all parents are asked to complete this form annually. Please complete the form if you have not done so already.

Also, the grace period for Free and Reduced Meals is ending. If your student received Free or Reduced Meals last year, you must apply again this year for them to continue receiving those benefits. If not done soon, students will be charged full price for those meals.

Have a great week!

Sincerely,

Principal Steele

It is time to order your spiritwear! Check out the new design! Order forms will be sent home this week in Wednesday folders. The spiritwear sale ends on October 4. This will be the only opportunity to order spiritwear this school year.

Last year, your student took state assessments (MCAP, or Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program) in the areas of English Language Arts and Mathematics. We have received individual score reports, and they were sent home with students last week. Score reports were in a plain white envelope with your student's name on it.

These reports reflect a snapshot of each child's progress towards meeting the Maryland College and Career Readiness expectations. School staff will use this data as we plan for student instruction this school year. We will also be meeting with students to review their areas of strength, and areas for continued growth.

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: Thursday and Friday

B Week: Wednesday and Thursday

On October 10, 2024, Frank Kros will present, ‘A New View of ADHD for Parents: What Works, What Doesn’t, and Why’ from 6 pm- 8 pm at the Forrest Career & Technology Center, Dohrman A. The workshop is free but registration is required via email to parnersforsucess@smcps.org

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.

Oct 1 PTA Meeting, 6:30 pm

Oct 4 Grade 2 to Calvert Marine Museum

Oct 4 WMES Spirit Day!

Oct 4 Spirit Wear Sale Ends!

Oct 7 Fall PIcture Day

Oct 14 2 hr. Early Dismissal/Parent Conferences

Oct 15 School Dance!

Oct 16 Book Fair Begins!

Oct 18 2 hr. Early Dismissal, Professional Responsibilities

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.

Now is the best time to submit an application for Free and Reduced Meals. Remember- these applications must be submitted every year.

Information- Meal Benefit Information

Online Meal Benefit Application

SMCPS will post bus information here. Please note that it may not be available for a few more days. As a rule of thumb, please plan for students to be at the bus stop 10 minutes before the estimated time of arrival. Also know that buses may run slower the first few days of school.

If you wish for your student to be a daily car rider, you must complete an application (this must be done annually). Applications may be picked up in the Cafeteria at Open House.

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