Important PPES Information:
Piney Point families,
- Welcome back! I hope you had a great Spring Break. We have had some exciting new additions to our school over the break. Our Media Center and Second grade classrooms received new furniture. stay tuned for some photos.
- Attention 5th grade parents!- On April 24th, we will be having a Part Committee meeting for anyone wanting to coordinate the Luau this year. Meeting will be held at PPES at 10:00 am
- Pre-K Parent & Family Engagement Event Pre-K students, their families, and local private providers are invited to attend Language, Foundational Literacy, and Math Skill night scheduled for Thursday, April 4, 2024, from 6:00-7:00 p.m. at the Dr. James A. Forrest Career & Technology Center in the Dohrman rooms. Please refer to the flyer here to register and learn more about fun learning stations, icy treats, goodie bags, and more!
- Applications for STEM 6 will open on April 2 and close on April 30, 2024. No late applications will be accepted. The online application will be found on the Academies page of the SMCPS website.
- The annual Academy Open House will be held virtually on Wednesday, April 10th starting at 5:30 pm. More information is available via the Academy Open House Google Site.
- Parents or guardians of children receiving special education and related services were mailed the Maryland Special Education Parent Involvement Survey from the Maryland State Department of Education, Division of Special Education/Early Intervention Services during the week of February 12, 2024. Parents are asked to complete the survey and return it in the postage-paid envelope by May 24, 2024. The Survey may also be completed online. Your feedback will help guide efforts to improve special education and related services in your local school system. Your voice can make a real difference for your child and many other children across the state of Maryland. To learn more, please visit https://www.mdparentsurvey.com.
- Summer Sports Academies: SMCPS and SMC R&P have partnered to offer the new Summer Sports Academies. Campers will be instructed by area high school coaches. Camps are held Monday - Thursday. Click below for more information. Registration begins March 1st. Don't miss this opportunity.
- While attendance at school everyday is so important, we really need all intermediate students at school for our MISA (science grade 5) and MCAP (ELA and Math grades 3, 4, 5) state testing in March, April, and May. Parents and guardians, please write down these dates now to ensure students are here at school for these important days:
- Grade 5 ELA- April 8 , 11, 12
- Grade 4 ELA- April 15,16,17,18
- Grade 4 &5 Math- May 1, 2, 6, 8
- 3rd Grade ELA MCAP is April 12, 15, 16, and 18th
- 3rd Grade MATH MCAP is May 9, 13, 15, and 16th
Be sure to review this entire newsletter each week as it will provide you with valuable resources and information.
~Mrs. Zeier
THANK YOU!!!
Thank you to the following businesses who sponsored our Beacon Bolt (Boosterthon) shirts this year. With their generous donations we were able purchase shirts for our entire school!:
- Russell's Corner Store
- Bin There Dump That
- Stormwater Management Systems
- ProPlumb
- Capt'n Pat's
- Herring Lawn and Land
- Larry Hill and Son's Excavating
- Winter's Heating and Air
- Dyson Building Center
- Weis Markets
- Dr. Dhillon
- On Wednesdays we will be wearing blue to support Autism Awareness month
- April 5th- PTA Meeting 8am
April 10th- Paint Night
April 10th- Spring Pictures (Individual, Class and Panoramic)
April 10th- Report Cards Available on HAC
April 15- Purple Up Day
April 16th- School-wide PJ Day
April 21st- PPES Clean Up day 1-4pm ( more info to come)
Boosterthon Beacon Bolt Fun Run Dates:
Kickoff: Monday, April 22
Huddles: April 23-29
Boosterthon Event Date: Tuesday, April 30, 2024
Summer Sports Academies
SMCPS and SMC R&P have partnered to offer the new Summer Sports Academies. Campers will be instructed by area high school coaches. Camps are held Monday -Thursday. Click below for more information. Registration begins March 1st. Don't miss this opportunity.
Math Information for Parents
Happy Math Education Month! In April, we join educators all over the world in celebrating how much math enriches our lives and our communities. The importance of math education stretches far beyond academic success and the earlier we teach students essential math skills, the more they’ll be prepared to thrive in every aspect of their lives.
Here are six games that can easily be played while traveling around in your car:
Numbers to 100: Just like the Alphabet Game, try to find numbers in order from 1 to 100 on road signs, license plates, maps, etc. This game can be played at any level. Adjust the number down to 20 for young children or up to 200 for older children.
Don’t Say My Number: In this game, someone chooses a number that no one is allowed to say. Go around the car and count by ones — but skip any number that contains the number selected earlier. For example, let's say the number not to say is 4. That means you can't say 4, 14, 24, 34, or any number in the 40s. It would sound like this: "1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, etc." If anyone messes up you have to start again. See how high you can count but don’t say my number!
Shape Search: Choose different two- and three-dimensional shapes and find them all around as you are driving. You can start with a triangle and work your way up to different sided shapes, like an octagon. Kids love searching for shapes in the real world.
What’s My Number? Think of a number and give clues to help your child figure out the number.
Collect My Data: Pick a category of items to collect data on, like animals, colors, signs, etc. Once your child has picked his category, he can create a tally chart of the items and mark off every time he sees one. When you return from your trip, he can graph his data to show which item was seen the most or least. It’s a great keepsake of your family trip!
Map It Out! Before you leave on a trip, have your child map out the route you are traveling. They can calculate the number of miles, total amount of time, and different paths you will take. Your child can monitor your traveling progress along the way and will have a better understanding of when you will be arriving at your destination.
April is School Library Month
- Check out this School Library Month newsletter. It has great resources on ways to incorporate reading every day!
- Please remember to return library books on time. At the end of each month, Mrs. Anderson will send out notices reminding students of books that are overdue or of fines that need to be paid.
To see what your student currently has checked out to them or any fines that have been assessed, the student can login to Destiny through Clever or via Direct Login. Here are the steps for the direct login.
Go to elibrary.smcps.org.
Click on the appropriate school.
Select the “Login” option from the top right of the page.
Enter the correct login credentials. Your login information is the same as your regular login credentials.
Username: 3 initials and last 4 digits of student ID number (Example: abc1234).
Password: regular network password
After logging in, click the “My Info” tab at the top and the student’s current checkout and fines (if applicable) will be displayed.
SMCPS provides some wonderful databases and ebook options for our students. Use the link provided to access the SMCPS Database and Ebook S’More.
Need a laptop charger?
Need to purchase a laptop charger?
You can do one of two things:
1. Email your child's teacher or the Library Media Specialist Mrs. Anderson (lwanderson@smcps.org) that you wish to pay for the missing laptop charger. A fine then can be assessed so that you can pay using My School Bucks, sending in cash, or a check (made out to SMCPS).
OR
2. Go directly to the DELL store. You can purchase directly from their website and have it shipped to your home.
Ensure one of these links is being used:
www.dell.com/mpp/smcps (click Shop Recommended Solutions to get to the discounted power cords)
www.dell.com/mpp/smcps-chargers (leads directly to the purchasing portal)
If you purchase from Dell, please make sure that you label the charger with the student's first and last name before sending it to school. If you have any questions, please contact your child's teacher or the Library Media Specialist Mrs. Anderson(lwanderson@smcps.org).
Join the PTA
It's time to renew your PTA membership dues!
2023-2024 Membership/Dues Cost: $20
Dues payment link:
https://pineypoint.memberhub.com/
Why join the PTA?
- Your membership dues help us achieve our goals of helping students, teachers, and staff.
-You will receive school updates. Signing up will keep you in the loop with what’s going on at PPES.
-Signing up to join the PTA is not a commitment. We won't force you to volunteer- but we do appreciate all the help we can get! If you join there are also no meetings to attend.
Thank you for your support!
Birthday Treats
Hello Families!
The school based health clinics has updated their website with a new link to register students. The link can be found at https://smchd.org/sbhc/ and then you would click the blue button that says "Click Here to Enroll now for Faster Service". The school based health centers are a great way to see a provider without the long wait times at urgent care! See their website for more information.
What Do You Do If Your Student Is Ill?
While school attendance is vital to your student’s education, a sick child belongs at home. Please review the Sick Day Guidelines below to assist you in making that decision
KEEP ME HOME IF...
- I have a temperature higher than 100°F.
- I'm throwing up or have diarrhea.
- My eyes are pink and crusty.
SEND ME BACK TO SCHOOL WHEN...
My symptoms have significantly improved or resolved.
I haven't had a fever or fever-reducing medication for 24 hours.
I haven't thrown up, had diarrhea or had medications to control these symptoms for 24 hours.
If antibiotics have been prescribed, I have been taking them for at least 24 hours.
CALL THE DOCTOR IF...
I’ve had a temperature higher than 100°F for more than 2 days.
I've been throwing up or having diarrhea for more than 2 days.
I've had cold symptoms for more than a week and they aren't getting any better.
I still have asthma symptoms after using my asthma medicine (and call 911 if I'm having trouble breathing after using an inhaler).
KEEPING YOUR STUDENT WELL
Hand washing is the number one way to stop the spread of disease. Twenty seconds of soap and water scrubbing before meals and after bathroom breaks is a great way to start this healthy habit. Encourage this practice at home.
Ensure adequate exercise and rest periods.
Provide proper nutrition, including a good breakfast.
Encourage good daily hygiene, including brushing teeth.
Review the rules of safe play.
Please click the link below for information regarding your child's bus number, bus stop location, and pick-up and drop-off times. If you have specific questions regarding bus transportation, please call the Department of Transportation at (301)-475-4256.
For all parents of PreKindergarten and Kindergarten students: An adult must be present at the bus stop when students are being picked up or dropped off. If an adult associated with a PreKindergarten or Kindergarten student is not present at the bus stop at the end of the school day, the bus driver will return the student to the school and the parents will be contacted to come to the school to pick up the student.
Volunteer Application
Schoology
Connect with Mrs. Zeier
Email: tbzeier@smcps.org
Website: https://ppes.smcps.org/
Location: 44550 Tall Timbers Road, Tall Timbers, Maryland 20690, USA
Phone: 301-994-2205