Leonardtown Elementary

Sept 4: Schools Closed: Labor Day

Sept 6: PTA General Membership Meeting: 6:30 pm

Sept 15: Student Council Permission Slip Due

Sept 21: 2 Hr Early Dismissal: No Pre-K classes

Sept 20: Back To School Night: 6:30 pm

Sept 22: No School for Students: Professional Day

Sept 26: Fall Picture Day

If you still have not had a moment to complete the Acceptable Use Policy, please scroll to the bottom of this newsletter. This must be completed annually. The 23-24 SY form is simplified and should take less than 3 minutes to complete.

We want all students to have their forms submitted by September 15th!

The Apple Tree Book Club is a program to encourage reading through in-school recognition. Here’s how it works:

• Your Summer reading and school year reading count toward your total.

• Give your Reading Log to your Teacher when you have read at least 10 books.

• You MUST have your whole name (first & last) teacher, grade, book title and number of pages for each book on your Reading Log.

• Everyone who reads 10 books receives a pink blossom.

Pre-K and Kindergarten:

Parents may read to their children.

25 books=green apple

50 books=yellow apple

75 books=red apple

100 books=gold apple

1st and 2nd Graders:

25 pages (chapter book or magazine) = 1 book

50 pages = 2 books

25 books=green apple

50 books=yellow apple

75 books=red apple

100 books=gold apple

3rd, 4th, and 5th Graders:

Books or magazines should be at least 50 pages.

100 pg. chapter book = 2 books

25 books=green apple

50 books=yellow apple

75 books=red apple

100 books=gold apple

Every Gold Apple Reader gets ONE book donated to the school library in his/her name. A child receiving 2 or more Gold Apples will be acknowledged, but only 1 book is donated in their name per school year. Students can watch our tree in the hallway grow and grow! Class progress is displayed on the branches outside each of the classroom doors.

Student Council is a wonderful way for your student to learn more about our school and school community. Past projects have included a Food Drive, Movie Night, and even a fundraiser to purchase trash cans to help keep our playground and our environment clean. Students will also have an opportunity to listen to and address student concerns.

All students in Grades 3, 4, and 5 are eligible to participate in the Student Council.

This group is led by one of our staff members, Ms. Thomson. Meetings will happen BEFORE school from 8:15 - 8:45 am. The club begins on Tuesday, September 26th and will meet every other week. Regular participation is expected.

Be looking for the permission slip that will be coming home with your child this week.

Together with the PTA, we are going to be soliciting for volunteers for upcoming events. During the first week of October, students will get the chance to visit a Mobile Aquatic Lab on-site, and the PTA will be hosting the Boosterthon-Fun-Run.

Field trip chaperones must also have Volunteer Clearance. If any of these school events sound like something you'd like to assist with, please make sure you've submitted a Volunteer Application. It can take several weeks for the application to be processed through Safety and Secuity.

Information Flyer Here

FREE Workshop at the Forrest Career and Technology Center

24005 Point Lookout Road, Leonardtown MD 20650

October 3rd: Designed to address Grades K - 5: 6 - 8 pm

Register by emailing: partnersforsuccess@smcps.org

Our student attendance policy is based on the overriding premise that success is dependent upon a continuous and consistent classroom instructional experience.

We realize some absences are unavoidable, but we also know when students miss too much school, regardless of the reason, it can cause them to fall behind academically. Documentation of an absence must be sent to school within three (3) days of an absence, either with a written note, phone call, or through the school website portal. If you would rather submit an email, please make sure it is sent to our records secretary, Cory Hiles at cjhiles@smcps.org

We respect the many different ways that families choose to recognize their child’s birthday. In addition to class recognitions of birthdays, our entire school community recognizes birthdays at our monthly Community Gatherings.

Some families choose to provide a small trinket to mark their child’s birthday. If you are planning on providing something for the class on your child’s birthday, we ask that you follow these guidelines:

• Inform your child’s teacher if you intend to provide something for the class on your child’s birthday. The teacher may suggest an alternate day (in close proximity to your child’s birthday), if other items are already scheduled to be provided on your child’s birthday.

• Trinkets/non-food items will be passed out by the child and the teacher near the end of the school day. This helps to minimize distractions to instruction and ensure that items are not lost or broken during the course of the school day.

• Classroom teachers will not disseminate party invitations. Furthermore, confidentiality laws prevent school staff from sharing contact information with adults other than the parents or legal guardians.

• Flowers, balloons and other celebratory deliveries will not be taken to the classroom and cannot be sent home on buses.

We are happy to have the opportunity to offer Chorus, Band, and Strings music instruction to LES 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students.

Chorus (singing/voice) is open to all interested 4th and 5th grade students. Chorus singers will meet once a week for 45 minutes. Sign-ups for the LES Chorus are located inside Music Room 224 (Ms. Beard).

Band instruction begins in 4th and 5th grades, and is offered for the following instruments: flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, baritone, and percussion/bells. BAND ENROLLMENT FORM

Strings instruction begins in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades, and is offered for the following instruments: violin, viola, cello, string bass. STRINGS ENROLLMENT FORM

Students may participate in either band or strings, but not both. However, Band and Strings students can also participate in the elementary school Chorus program.

We hope that you will take time to seriously consider this matter. Participating in a musical ensemble and/or learning to play a musical instrument can be one of your child's most cherished learning experiences. Attached below are invitations to information nights at Leonardtown High School regarding Strings and Band programs. There is also a letter from the Supervisor of Instruction for Fine Arts that outlines information about acquiring instruments.