Leonardtown Elementary

Oct 2 - 6: Maryland Mobile Science Lab (all classes visit during school day)

Volunteers Still Needed! Sign Up HERE

Oct 6: Boosterthon Fun Run: Students are encouraged to wear their dark blue LES t-shirts.

MYSTERY DAY: When we get half-way to our Boosterthon fundraising goal, students will be invited to participate in a "Stuffed Pet Parade". Students will be invited to bring a favorite stuffed animal to school.

Oct 9: Virtual Instruction Day AND Parent Conference Day

Oct 13: Osprey of the Month Celebration

Oct 18: Bike Rodeo 3:40 - 5:00 Gr 2 - 5

Unity Day

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

Save the Date: This year’s SMCPS STEAM Festival will be held on Saturday, October 28th from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at the St. Mary’s County Fairgrounds. Admission is free and open to the public. Wrap up the fall festival season with a day of learning, food trucks, and STEAM-related fun!

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

We’re on our way to reaching our PTA reach the goal of $20,000 for School Support (ie: student clubs, activities, teacher appreciation, school grants, and community programs but we need YOUR help!

You can help our school in 3 Easy Steps:

💻 Register your student(s) on mybooster.com. (They’ll get a FREE reward!)

🎁 Spread the word by sharing your donation page link with others. If you are able, please consider donating to our school. Every SHARE and DOLLAR DONATED earns you entries toward our Disney Grand Prize Giveaway!

We’ve got a big goal so we are trying to let EVERYONE know how they can help! Who do you know from another state who can donate? Head to mybooster.com and share your donation page with them!

Our students are so excited, thanks for helping make our fundraiser great!

Visitors to the LES Fun Run are welcome. Please sign in at the main office before making your way to the event. Please park in the staff/visitor lot. Our rear loading dock area will be significantly limited by the Mobile Science Lab. Visitors will not be allowed to visit classrooms or linger in the cafeteria or hallways.

The event will be held on the back playground according to the following schedule:

9:30 - 10:00 PreKindergarten (Alternate location will be used: gym)

10:00 - 11:00 Grades 1, 3 and 5 +PLUS+ Ferris' Kindergarten

2:00 - 3:00 Grades Kg, 2, and 4 +PLUS+ Hayden's 3rd Grade

We are just 1 week away from our first Virtual Day for students in the 2023-24 school year. Students will complete work "asynchronously". This gives the greatest amounts of flexibility, as there will be no required virtual meetings with teacher(s). Students will complete assignments assigned by their teachers. Teachers will host Office Hours, to support and answer questions, if necessary. Students are not required to meet with the teacher, but can choose to if they want assistance or have questions about what to do.

The next scheduled Virtual Day for students is March 22nd. The format for this day is supposed to include "synchronous" activity.

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.

Students in Grades 2 - 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.