We are so excited to meet everyone tomorrow afternoon! I hope that everyone had an amazing summer and I can't wait to hear all about it from your children.

I feel strongly in the power of being informed below you will see my commitment to you has your child's principal. I am looking forward to working with you all this year.

As your child's principal, I commit to the following principles to create a strong partnership between our school and families:

1. Building Positive Working Relationships: I will actively engage with parents, caregivers, and families. We’ll work collaboratively to foster a supportive and inclusive school community. Open lines of communication will be a priority.
2. Holding Students Accountable: I’ll encourage responsibility and growth in our students. Together, we’ll help them develop character, resilience, and a sense of ownership in their education.
3. Listening and Communicating Effectively: I value your input. I’ll actively listen to your concerns, ideas, and feedback. Timely communication will be a priority, whether through newsletters, meetings, or digital platforms.
4. Supporting Teachers for Optimal Learning Environments: I’ll collaborate with teachers to create the best possible learning experiences for your children. By supporting our educators, we’ll ensure a nurturing and effective classroom environment.

Thank you for entrusting your children to our care. Let’s work together to provide an exceptional educational journey! 🌟

As always please reach out with any questions or concerns you might have.

My Contact Information:

Jamie Smith

smithjal@calvertnet.k12.md.us

443-550-9483

Drop off and Pick up

Important: If someone other than the parent/guardian is planning on picking up your child, authorization must be provided. Please email conklinc@calvertnet.k12.md.us or moweryb@calvertnet.k12.md.us with permission.

EVERYDAY CAR RIDERS

•Drop-Off – In the morning we have a Kiss and Go area at the south entrance to the building which is supervised by school staff at 8:35 a.m. Please do not let children out before staff are on duty. Please line up in your vehicle in the staff parking lot to the right of our building. We recommend arriving by 8:25 a.m. Doors open at 8:35 a.m. We have staff members at drop-off assisting students each morning. Any student arriving after 8:45 a.m. needs to be signed in by an adult in the main office.

Kiss and Go in the Mornings:

Due to safety reasons, please do not let children out of the car before staff are on duty by 8:35. We ask that you slowly enter the parking lot and patiently wait until it is your turn to drop off (we want to get everyone inside the building as quickly and safely as possible). Please know that a left-hand turn onto H.G. Truman Rd is prohibited. Please only make a right-hand turn out of the parking lot due to the traffic pattern and safety. We also ask that you let our buses entering the parking lot take priority and not block their entrance lane. We appreciate everyone adhering to these procedures to keep everyone safe.

•Pick-Up - Please Park in the staff parking lot at the far right of our building, and walk to the main entrance in front of the building. Doors open at 3:15 p.m. We will direct you to the cafeteria to sign out your student. Please have a Photo ID with you. We dismiss car rider students to the cafeteria at 3:25 p.m.

Sign your child out on the Everyday Car Riders sheet in the cafeteria. Your child will meet you in the cafeteria for dismissal. Parking is limited. Please do not block the bus lane in front of the school.

•For the first week or two of school, all students who are picked up at the end of the day are considered Surprise Car Riders.

•After the first week of school, parents who plan to pick up their child every day may request from the office an Everyday Car Rider form. Once completed, this form will be kept on file so that in the event of an emergency we’ll know that your child doesn’t normally ride a school bus.

•PLEASE NOTE THAT EVERYDAY CAR RIDER MUST BE SIGNED OUT LIKE ALL OTHER STUDENTS BEING PICKED UP AT THE END OF THE DAY!

SURPRISE CAR RIDERS

If you are picking up your child at the end of the school day, and your child is not an Everyday Car Rider, they will be considered a Surprise Car Rider.

Procedure:

• The parent/guardian should write a note to their child’s teacher and send it to school in the morning indicating that the child will be picked up that afternoon. Include on the note who will be picking up the child. If the teacher/office does not receive a note and the parent has not signed the child out by the time the child’s bus is called, the child must ride the bus.

• Parents should arrive at school by 3:15 pm and go to the cafeteria. In the cafeteria, there is a Surprise Car Rider sheet where parents/guardians can sign their children out. Please wait in the cafeteria for your child.

•At 3:30, after the afternoon announcements, Everyday Car Riders are called, and then Surprise Car Riders are called by name and told to report to the cafeteria for dismissal.

•Parents and students should exit through the front lobby doors.

Updates in Student Dress Code Policy

The Board of Education has updated Policy 3170 Regarding Student Dress, specifically related to students wearing hoods on their heads while in school. The updated policy states:

Students are permitted to wear hats or headwear as long as the student’s face and ears are visible and are not obscured, and the student’s identity is not concealed. It is important to note that hoods have been removed from allowable headwear. Hoods are not permitted to be worn on the head inside CCPS school buildings. Please help us message and enforce this expectation whenever they wear a garment with a hood attached (i.e., jacket, sweatshirt, etc.).

We are confident that, with your support, CCPS students will follow expectations and contribute to a more focused, engaging, and supportive educational experience for all. Thank you for your partnership with successful implementation of the updated dress policy regarding hoods.

Electronic and Communication Devices Calvert County Public Schools and its employees are not responsible for the theft, damage, loss, or destruction of cell phones or smartwatches and personal electronic devices brought into school, onto school property, to a school activity or onto a school bus by a student, whether allowed or prohibited. Students may bring cellular phones/smartwatches to school, but are not permitted to bring in other electronic or communication devices (such as personal laptops) because CCPS provides laptops to students in grades 3-12 and iPads for students in grades PreK-2. Calvert County Public Schools believe there are positive and negative aspects of allowing students to have cellular devices/smartwatches on school property. However, based on local and national data, cell phones and smartwatches have the potential to disrupt classroom instruction and the overall school climate. Thus, guidelines are in place to ensure that the possession and use cell phones/smartwatches at schools, on the bus, and during other school-sponsored activities (i.e., field trips) are described by student level below.  The use of a cell phone/smartwatch or personal electronic device to secretly record or intercept a private conversation is a violation of state law. Violations may be reported to the authorities.  The camera/audio/video function of any device must not be used on school property unless used for instructional and/or academic purposes and with the approval of administration and/or teacher.  If there is an emergency, parents/guardians are encouraged to contact the school. All cell phone/smartwatch guidelines, expectations, and discipline consequences apply even if communicating with parents/guardians.  Personal cell phones/smartwatches must not be used as a hotspot, as this circumvents protections built into our network.  Smartwatches are required to be turned off throughout the school day and follow all other cell phone guidelines.

Please see the bus locater link below. At this time bus routes are not published or finalized. Transportation should be communicating more information with parents/guardians once they complete bus routes. You can check back with the link at any time.