White Marsh Elementary School

Monday is Picture Day! All students will have their picture taken, but if you wish to purchase pictures students must present their form on Monday, or have ordered online. See the information below.

Congratulations to Mrs. Reifinger's class- they won the Attendance Trophy for August and September! Last week we held our first Bear Crawl of the year; we had over 100 White Marsh Bears roaring down the hallways to celebrate their Perfect Attendance for those two months!

The graph below shows how close the race was for first place! But the data also shows that our overall attendance was down compared to last school year for the same time period. Let's change that in October!

Attendance is extremely important, and it is a focus area on our School Improvement Plan. As we tell our students, if you miss one day of school you miss almost 7 hours of instruction and learning that you will never get back. Please help us make attendance a priority. Return students to school if they have to leave for a medical appointment- that will help them earn their Bear Crawl. Of course, some absences are unavoidable, and we understand that. Reach out to Nurse Parrish if you ever have questions about illnesses.

Parent Conference Day is right around the corner- October 14 is a 2 hr early dismissal. Your child's teacher may be reaching out to you about conferences on this day or others in the near future. Please take advantage of the opportunity to meet with teachers to discuss your child's progress. We want you to be partners in your child's learning, and keep lines of communication open. If getting to school is difficult, opt for a phone conference. Also, we have a translation service that we could use when needed.

Have a great week!

Sincerely,

Principal Steele

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.

Good news! Your students will be getting a new school laptop as part of the SMCPS laptop refresh schedule. They are responsible for turning in their current laptop and charger. Please send in the laptop and charger immediately, if they are not already at school.

From the IT department: The IT team will collect the old device, assess for damage, issue fines for any lost or damaged laptops/chargers and then hand out the new device to the assigned student.

Click the photo below, and use code 24whtmrshstm25 to pre-order. See the information that was sent home in Wednesday folders.

As we approach the cooler months, nighttime temperatures have dropped significantly, which means our buildings may feel quite cool in the mornings, even though we're not yet ready to turn on the boilers and switch to heat. Given these fluctuating temperatures over the coming weeks, we encourage everyone to dress appropriately for the weather. Layering is recommended to ensure comfort throughout both the warmer and cooler parts of the day.

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: Wednesday and Friday

B Week: Wednesday and Thursday

Oct 14 2 hr. Early Dismissal/Parent Conferences

Oct 15 School Dance!

Oct 16 Book Fair Begins!

Oct 16 Unity Day- wear orange!

Oct 18 2 hr. Early Dismissal, Professional Responsibilities

Oct 21 - 25 Bus Driver Appreciation Week

Oct 21 Book Fair Open for Parents, 4:30 - 6 pm

Oct 22 Dress for Success Day

Oct 22 Site Based Volunteer Training, 3 pm

Oct 23 Running Club Begins, Gr 3-5, Pick up at 4:20

Oct 24 PTA Boo Thru! 5 - 6:30 pm

Oct 25 End of MP1

Oct 25 Kindergarten Field Trip

Oct 28 - Nov 1 Red Ribbon Week/Spirit Week

Oct 30 Character Tea

Oct 30 Running Club, Gr 3-5, Pick up at 4:20

Oct 31 Parents- Emergency Information Forms are Due to SMCPS

Please join us at MBMS on Friday, October 25th from 5-7 PM for our Track n Treat Fall Fundraising Event! This year, we will have face painting, pumpkin painting, Halloween-themed games, trick or treating, costume contests, a food truck, and our 5K race! It is just $5 for kids (3 and under free) and no cost for adults if you have kids with you. If adults want to participate in the 5K, it is a $10 entry. Kids also gain automatic entry into the race with their $5 fee. Please direct any questions toward Patrick James (ptjames@smcps.org) or Summer Wood (smwood@smcps.org). Use this link to sign up through MySchoolbucks. Put on your best costume and come join the festivities!

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