Leonardtown Elementary

Oct 9: Virtual Instruction Day AND Parent Conference Day

Oct 13: Osprey of the Month Celebration (By Invitation)

Oct 18: Bike Rodeo 3:40 - 5:00 Gr 1 - 5

Unity Day (Wear Orange)

Oct 20: 2-Hr Early Dismissal

Oct 23 - 31: National Red Ribbon Week

Oct 25: PTA General Membership Meeting (6:30)

Oct 27: 2-Hr Early Dismissal

Our Community raised $20,329 in the PTA Boosterthon. Thank you for the outpouring of support. Students seemed to enjoy the Fun Run...we ran, we walked, we showed school spirit! The PTA will be able to fully fund their proposed 2023-24 Budget and is enthusiastic about supporting the work we do to educate with Passion, Purpose and Pride!

The carryover period for Meal Benefit forms ends on 10/5. This means that if we do not have a new meal benefit form for a student and they were using last year's form to get meals, they will lose their benefits on 10/5.

Parents can fill out the forms online for the quickest turnaround time, but we still accept original paper forms through metro only. I've attached a graphic with a QR code that takes you directly to the form. You can also visit myschoolapps.com and enter your zip code to find the application for SMCPS

St. Mary's County Public Schools (SMCPS) is encouraging all parent(s)/guardian(s) to please take the time to access and complete the online Impact Aid form located in the Home Access Center (HAC). Directions to access the online form can be found HERE. A video with instructions is available HERE. The form can now be accessed in Spanish by clicking on the Globe in the top right-hand corner once the form has been started.

Impact Aid surveys will be digitally collected for this school year. Families who cannot complete the digital survey can either contact their child’s school for a paper copy

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 November 14, 2023. Please click here for the Blank Emergency Form.

FREE Flu Shot Clinics Announced.

Our PTA has decided that they will not be hosting the Fall Trunk-or-Treat this year. Please don't fret! We will be involving the students in Red Ribbon Week celebrations, including a fun-filled Spirit Week with various themes. Stay tuned for more information.

Unity Day (October 18th) we will encourage everyone to wear orange. Unity Day celebrates kindness, acceptance and inclusion and reminds us to stand up against bullying.

The Leonardtown Veteran's Day Parade (November 11th) will also be a fun fall event for our school community. Each year, students from our 5th grade classes are invited to submit an essay on "What Veteran's Day Means to Me", and select candidates then present their essays during the ceremony in the Square. The parade is great fun, too. We hope you'll consider attending.

We will be hosting "Spirit Days" associated with the Red Ribbon Week. Please note, that Halloween (October 31st) will be incorporated into our Spirit Week themes for the Red Ribbon Celebration. Students will be invited to dress as a Book Character and "Close the Books" on drugs.

For this day and all Spirit Days, dress should be conducive to learning. No masks are permitted. Students should be able to navigate the hallways, buses and bathrooms without incident, and therefore inflatable suits are not allowable.

Students in Grades 1 - 5 and a parent are invited to come out for a fun and informative bike rodeo! An adult must be present and transport the bike/scooter/helmet.

Sheriffs’ Deputies will be at school to demonstrate proper bike safety including how to wear a bike helmet and rules of the road. Students will be able to test out their new skills with a “Ride Around Cone Town” complete with STOP signs and other obstacles.

RSVP to Ms. Litten. ralitten@smcps.org

Questions have been raised about student use and care for their laptops. At L.E.S., we accept that this is a shared responsibility between student, staff, and families.

Here are some things we are doing at school in this regard:

• Teaching students proper care for laptops: SLIDESHOW HERE
• Teaching students responsible use by navigating only to approved sites. (Clever is the preferred method)
• Positively reinforcing students for being prepared for learning when they have necessary tools (i.e. charged laptop).
• Assisting students with running updates and problem-solving tech issues (including submitting help-desk tickets)
• Balancing the need for students to learn and apply technology skills within a framework of developmentally appropriate practices. (Students in upper grades will use on-line learning platforms with greater frequency than students in primary grades. All students will use Schoology for instructional purposes at least 1 time weekly.)
• Appropriating school resources in order to support charging needs.
• Investigating options for providing laptop sleeves for students who are in Kindergarten, Grade 1 or are new to LES

Here's how you can help:

• Make sure your child's laptop and charger are easily identifiable (Most have their names penned on them!)
• Designate a safe space in your home for keeping the charger and laptop when not in use.
• Talk with your child's teacher if you have questions about how/when the laptops are being utilized or when to expect the device to come home.

We understand that technology resources are both necessary and expensive. While loss and some damages can be avoided, there may be times when incidental damage occurs. Though we have a system for recording and reporting damage, charges for damage can be waived at the school-level or appealed at the system-level.

The SMCPS Student Device & Resource Accountability page has additional information for your reference.

If you would like to be part of a committee that examines technology care and use at Leonardtown Elementary, I encourage you to participate in our School Improvement Team meeting on Tuesday, October 17th at 4 pm.