THE BRIDGE

Our mission is to ensure that all students acquire knowledge, develop skills, and improve work habits to enable them to become productive members of society. We will maintain high expectations for all students, to sustain a positive school climate, ensure a safe and orderly school environment, monitor students' progress on a frequent basis, adjust instruction, and promote effective home-school communication.

High Bridge Elementary School is a community of diverse learners, where all students can develop their talents and gifts to be prepared for college and careers. Through real world experiences, 21st century instruction and the integration of all cultures, students will achieve academic success and become lifelong learners.

Dear High Bridge Elementary School Community,

During March and April, students in grades three through five will be taking the summative assessments required by the state of Maryland. These assessments are part of the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) and measure students' performance in reading and math. Additionally, our fifth-grade students have just completed the Maryland Science Assessment.

All students from kindergarten through fifth grade will also be participating in other assessments. We encourage you to talk to your children and motivate them to do their best, as well as to practice the test-taking strategies they have learned from their teachers.

If you have any questions regarding these assessments, please feel free to contact your child's teacher or Ms. Tasco. We urge all students to put forth their best effort, as the results will become part of their permanent records.

Warm regards,

Principal Christian

Third Quarter - Progress Report Cards Available as of 3/11/2025

(This will be reported to parents thru ParentVUE.)

March 10 - Harriet Tubman Day

March 17 - REGULAR SCHOOL DAY FOR STUDENTS

March 17 - St. Patrick's Day

March 20 - International Day of Happiness (Spring Begins)

March 21 - World Down Syndrome Day

March 31 - Eid al-Fitr* (starts at sunset 3/30) – Schools and Offices Closed

April 3 - End of 3rd Quarter

April 4 - Grading & Reporting Day for Teachers – 3-Hr. Early Dismissal for Students

April 13 - 20 - Passover

April 14 - 17 - Spring Break - Schools are Closed

April 18 -21 - Spring Break/Easter Holiday - School and Offices are Closed

March 10 - Thank your child when they do something kind for someone else.

March 11 - Encourage your child to smile when friends say hello to them.

March 12 - After your child does something kind for someone, ask them how it feels.

March 13 - “Pay it forward” next time you're in the drive-through or toll bridge.

March 14 - Help a neighbor shovel their sidewalk or mow the lawn.

March 15 - Think of 3 daily affirmations to recite with your child: “I am kind,” etc.

March 16 - Coach your child to pay attention to people's facial expressions.

March 17 - Address rudeness right away when your child exhibits it and explain why.

March 18 - Have your child make a “Kindness Coupon Book” to give to others to redeem.

March 19 - Encourage your child to let others go first at something.

March 20 - Have your child help you take back the grocery cart to the store or to the cart rack.

March 21 - Encourage your child to be kind to a classmate that may not have a lot of friends.

March 22 - Together, make a dessert for your neighbor.

March 23 - Have your child call their grandparents and ask questions about when they were a kid.

March 24 - Tape a video message for faraway friends to send to them.

March 25 - Next time you walk by an expired parking meter, drop a few coins in.

March 26 - Have your child pick out flowers to donate to a nursing home.

March 27 - Together with your child pick up litter on the beach or in a park.

March 28 - Take the time to write a great online review for a restaurant you love.

March 29 - Together with your child write a thank you note to your mail carrier.

March 30 - Contribute used books to the library or school media center.

March 31 - At work, add a positive comment to the conversation if the chatter becomes negative.

To remain in compliance with Administrative Procedure 5134. Please RETURN the attached form (completed) to your student's teacher with your requested statement. This Publicity Release Form will remain in effect through September 2025.

Thanks in advance!

According to PGCPS Administrative Procedure 6130 - GUIDELINES FOR OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES AND PLAYGROUND AND RECESS SUPERVISION - All students are prohibited to participate in the following during recess; dodge ball, football or any tackle activities or games.

We are excited to share the latest happenings in the Primary TAG (Talented and Gifted) program! Our students have been diving into an engaging study of the history of skyscrapers, and we can’t wait to see the creativity and learning that will unfold over the next few months.

Upcoming Art and Engineering Projects:

In Quarter 3, our students will combine art and engineering in an exciting project: designing their own city skyline! They will explore the historical significance of skyscrapers and gain hands-on experience in architecture and structural design. As part of this interdisciplinary unit, students will also conduct a fun and educational experiment, using geometry and cross-bracing to build stable structures. Through this experiment, they will better understand how engineers work to ensure buildings are both functional and safe.

Field Trip to the National Building Museum:

To bring this study to life, students will take on the role of civil engineers during a field trip to the National Building Museum this April. This field trip will provide a deeper understanding of architecture and city planning, and will allow students to explore the museum’s exhibits related to building design and structural integrity.

We are looking forward to seeing the students' creativity shine and how they apply their learning to real-world engineering challenges.

Thank you for your continued support of our TAG students. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about these upcoming projects, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Please be reminded that MCAP is approaching. Please be mindful of testing preparation/learning platforms that supports the success of our scholars.

MCAP Test Prep for Reading:

support.mdassessments.com - familiarize students with format and test questions

belearninghero.org - offers grade-level reading resources, tips, and activities to support literacy at home.

https://www.readworks.org/- free reading comprehension passages for all grade levels.

commonlit.org - free digital library with fiction and nonfiction texts, plus comprehension questions.

newsela.com - engaging real-world reading materials at various reading levels.

achievethecore.org - parent-friendly guides explaining reading standards.

khanacademy.org - reading lessons aligned with grade-level expectations.

DreamBox Challenge Starts This Week!

We are excited to announce the launch of our DreamBox Challenge beginning this week! Starting this week, every student is encouraged to spend 20 minutes on DreamBox after school to strengthen their math skills in a fun and engaging way.

Why is this challenge important?

Here are three key academic benefits of DreamBox for our students:

Personalized Learning: DreamBox adapts to each student’s individual learning pace and skill level, ensuring that they receive targeted lessons that help them grow.

Boosted Math Fluency: Regular practice on DreamBox helps students develop stronger math fluency, reinforcing foundational concepts and improving problem-solving skills.

Data-Driven Progress: DreamBox provides real-time data that helps teachers identify areas where students may need extra support, allowing for more effective and personalized instruction.

We hope that this challenge will be a fun way to reinforce learning at home while providing meaningful practice to enhance our students' math abilities.

Thank you for your continued support!

Reminder:

Students may log in to Clever from any device to access Dreambox. Parents may also use the directions below to set-up a family account for the app.

Logging in to Your Student's Math Account

Parents may set up a Math Family account directly from the DreamBox Math student environment. To do this, the student needs to log into their school DreamBox Math account in Clever on a laptop, Chromebook, or desktop computer.

VIDEO DIRECTIONS ENGLISH: https://youtu.be/5pDeE4M2Pgs

SPANISH VIDEO: https://youtu.be/xFMACe57WSg

What is Dreambox?

DreamBox Math is an engaging and adaptive math program that integrates curriculum and continuous formative assessment to personalize instruction, develop conceptual understanding, build critical skills, and improve achievement for every student, regardless of where they are in their learning journey.

As our students gear up for MCAP this Spring , there are several ways you, as parents, can help support their learning and confidence. Here are some simple, effective tips:

1. Use IREADY Math IReady Math provides practice that mirrors the types of problems students will encounter on assessments. This makes it a great way to prepare for tests and build test-taking strategies, while also strengthening key skills.

2. Review Key Concepts Together
   Take time to review the main topics that will be on the test. For example, if the test will cover multiplication or fractions, go over problems related to those areas. You can use flashcards or online resources to reinforce these concepts.

3. Practice with Real-Life Scenarios
   Encourage your child to apply math in real-world contexts. For example, ask them to help with cooking measurements, counting change, or calculating time. These practical applications reinforce their math skills.

4. Practice Time Management
   When practicing with sample tests or homework, encourage your child to manage their time. Set a timer for 20 minutes and see how many problems they can complete, focusing on both accuracy and speed.

By staying supportive and reinforcing these habits, your child will feel more prepared and confident for MCAP .

Effective immediately, we are encouraging students to bring a refillable thermos to school. They are welcomed to refill them at our water station dispensaries (which were replaced by the PGCPS provided water bottles) throughout the school. This will avoid water spillage in the hallways and lessen (or prevent) injuries. Your support is appreciate. (Originally Posted 9/30/2024)

The purpose of this title is to provide all children significant opportunity to receive a fair, equitable, and high-quality education, and to close educational achievement gaps.

El propósito de este título es brindar a todos los niños oportunidades significativas de recibir una educación justa, equitativa y de alta calidad, y cerrar las brechas de rendimiento educativo.

L’objectif de ce titre est d’offrir à tous les enfants une opportunité significative de recevoir une éducation juste, équitable et de haute qualité, et de combler les écarts de réussite scolaire.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1G6qJzaJNLhT5hcqVtJlIQ8PhaANuz-F9/view?usp=drive_link

If you need assistance with anything please call the office or email the appropriate staff member. We will work to answer all of your questions and/or concerns.

Office hours 7:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Student Arrival will begin at 7:30 a.m. (NEW SY 24-25 SCHOOL TIME!)

Dismissal will begin at 1:40 p.m. (NEW SY 24-25 SCHOOL TIME!)

(Please be advised, Early Dismissal ends at 12:40 p.m.)

School Phone number 301-805-2690

Registration Secretary: Ms. Adams- celestial.adams@pgcps.org

Principal's Secretary: Mrs. Barboza- nancy.barboza@pgcps.org

Assistant Principal: Mrs. Harris- natasha.harris@pgcps.org

Arrival

Bus Riders - Students who arrive on the bus will be dropped off in the back of the school and supported by staff to transition to their classroom.

Parent drop-off (See below for more detail)

Under the direction of the staff, parents are to pull up all the way forward, in one lane only. Parents please do not get out of your car. Students should exit from the right passenger door, only.Make sure students have everything they need (book bag, lunch box, etc.) in order to keep the line moving and not hold up traffic.

Dismissal

Bus Riders - Students assigned to a bus will ride the bus each day. Students cannot switch buses unless approved by transportation. Please check the StopFinder mobile app for information about your child's bus stop.

Parent Pick-Up - If you are picking up your child at the end of the school day. Please go to the rear of the school. You will be able to sign your child out from a staff member. The person picking must be the parent/guardian or listed on the emergency contact/pick-up form.

Due to a significant number of students with allergies, no food items should be provided during birthday celebrations. Instead of bringing food, parents may consider providing school supplies to the class on the birthday of a student.

We appreciate your patience and understanding of this new policy. We want to ensure a safe environment for all of our students.

Thank you.

Please follow the procedure listed below to maintain a safe and efficient parent drop-off procedure. Thank you for working to ensure this process is safe for our students.

• Enter the parking lot through the driveway to the left of the school entrance

• Students will exit their cars from the right lane only (Single line for cars only)

• Pull your vehicle to the end of the walkway as directed by school staff before taking your child out of the car

• Please be sure to make a right turn onto High Bridge Road. (This will ensure that traffic does not back up on High Bridge Road - During the hours of 7:30-7:45 AM.)

• Follow directions from the school staff on duty to exit the parking lot

• Students will eat breakfast from 7:30-7:45

• Class begins promptly at 7:45.

Please access the link below:

https://www.pgcps.org/globalassets/offices/school-health/docs---school-health/When-to-Stay-Home-From-School-or-Work.pdf

Feel free to reach out to Nurse Weinstein (sandra.weinstein@pgcps.org) if you have any further questions or concerns.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vR2WTfnRls2lB1p_j__PwfQ6NxwZd4qJAxSyZsSkE3yRdrsCoOrygLZMNtglHSLvf4z0XjRnQE7Dh5i/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000&slide=id.gff059e1e8a_0_0

Please access the attached Code Look up for further information regarding school pictures. If you have questions about the Code Lookup or are having difficulty navigating the site, feel free to reach out to Strawbridge Customer Service team via the Live Chat on our website, www.strawbridge.net

Parents must enroll in the ParentVUE portal to receive an invitation to activate the app once downloaded from the App Store or Google Play. Families must have an up-to-date email address in ParentVUE (new for 2024-25 school year) to activate the subscription. If a family's email address in ParentVUE is not current, the app will not work as the student schedule will not populate.

Track in the App: https://www.pgcps.org/offices/transportation/track-bus

Greetings from the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO),

Happy March! We have a few exciting events to announce that are taking place this month!

We will have our monthly general meeting on Thursday, March 13th at 6:00 PM. This meeting will be virtual. Please utilize the meeting link below:

HBES PTO General Body Meeting

Thursday, March 13 · 6:00 – 8:00pm

Time zone: America/New_York

Google Meet joining info

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/xwr-nxmv-dtw

Or dial: ‪(US) +1 818-960-3304‬ PIN: ‪552 826 040‬#

More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/xwr-nxmv-dtw?pin=5421204986472

Join other parents and caregivers on Wednesday, March 19th, for a free educational webinar presented by an Internet safety expert about the risks our students face online in an AI driven world. Topics include online gaming, online scams targeting kids and teens, managing screen time and bullying, app settings for age-appropriate content, and much more! We are so excited to join PTO Today to have our school be a part of this free parent education webinar presented by Trend Micro Internet Safety for Kids and Families. The webinar will be available in English, Spanish, and with American Sign Language interpreters. The zoom link will be provided one-two weeks prior to the event.

We will be having a High Bridge Elementary PTO Fundraising event on Friday, March 28th at our local Red Robin restaurant in the Bowie Town Center. Red Robin will give 20% of food sales back to the PTO so please share the information with family, neighbors, and community to support our school's PTO. The event is ALL DAY which is fantastic and includes dine in and to-go orders. Details and instructions can be found in the attached event flyer or on the event website https://redrobin.force4good.com/event/ad55678c-4a7b-4cd4-9e34-747ea2a23479. Show the flyer or mention the fundraiser to your server to have your sales counted. Thanks in advance for your support!

Lastly, don't forget to join and support the PTO! Membership forms were sent home a few weeks ago inviting you to become a member. If you did not receive one or misplaced it, then no problem. There are extra forms in the paper display tower as you enter the school. The cost is $15 per family/teacher for the 2024-2025 school year which goes towards programs and events for the students, teacher appreciation, and much more! Members can vote on important issues and events at our school that affect your children. Anyone that has an interest in enhancing your child's school experience and education can join the PTO such as parents, grandparents, aunts/uncles, etc.

Payment options for dues now also include Zelle. You can Zelle your payment to highbridgeesptotres@gmail.com. Just be sure to turn in a form to the front office with Zelle written at the top. We'd love for you to join!

Thank you for your support! Email us at highbridgeespto@gmail.com with any questions.

Prince George's County Public Schools provides a student information system access portal that allows authorized caretakers to log into ParentVUE from any computer with an Internet connection and view the child's student information, including current attendance records and assignment scores.

What is ParentVUE?

Beginning with the 2024-25 school year, Synergy will replace SchoolMAX as the student information system for Prince George's County Public Schools. Families will now use ParentVUE, in place of Family Portal, to access important information about their students.

ParentVUE is the portal that allows parents and guardians to view information about their student, including classroom assignments and scores, attendance, transcripts, graduation status and more. In ParentVUE, families can also update their phone numbers and emergency contact information and access the Online Registration (OLR) Application.

Attendance continues to be important this school year and every school year. Please ensure your child is present and on time for school every day. If your child is sick or is presenting with any symptoms and therefore is unable to attend school, please notify your child's teacher immediately, and upon his/her return to school please write them a note to give to the teacher.

For all absences, the parent/guardian must submit a letter of explanation with dates of absences to the school upon your child’s return to school to be categorized as “lawful” or “unlawful.”

Pursuant to ANNOTATED CODE OF MARYLAND, Education Article, Sections 7-301, 7-302, and 8-403 and Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) 13A.08.01.01, 13A.08.01.02, 13A. 08.01.03, and 13A.08.01.04 each child who is five (5) years of age or under eighteen (18) years of age must attend school regularly during the entire school year.

Unlawful absence or truancy is defined as the act of a pupil being absent from school for a day or any portion of a class for any reason construed as unlawful or unexplained as defined by the above statutes.

https://www.pgcps.org/offices/humanresources/fingerprinting

PGCPS TV

Vendor Managed Child Care

School Violence Resources and Support

Update!!!

We will be resuming our normal cafeteria procedures effective immediately. As part of this process, students’ breakfasts will be delivered directly to their classrooms.

Please follow this procedure closely. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Principal Christian and/or Assistant Principal Harris

Stay connected with PGCPS by signing up for email alerts and text messages. Help setting up an account can be found here.

High Bridge Elementary School

Website: https://www.pgcps.org/schools/high-bridge-elementary
Location: 7011 High Bridge Road, Bowie MD
Phone: 301-805-2690