Leonardtown Elementary

Monday, Aug. 19: Grades K - 5

• Last Names A-L 1:15 - 2:15
• Last Names M - J 2:30 - 3:30

Wednesday, Aug. 21: Pre-K

• Pre-Kindergarten Orientation 10:30 - 11:30 am (Parent attends with child)

• Bring school supplies.
• Meet the teacher(s).
• Communicate how your child will get HOME from school.
• Bus routes will be posted in the gym.
• Placard pick-up numbers will be available in the main hallway.
• Bring daily medications to the nurse.

Grades 3 - 5: Released first into the building.

Staff in hallways help students navigate to their homerooms.

Grades 1 - 2: Form a line single line and are escorted to the gym to meet their teachers. If students do not know their teacher's name, we will assist.

Kindergarten: Teachers and paraeducators meet students outside.

Students will enter the building after grades 1 - 5.

If your child has an older sibling who wants to help, the children can stay together until the younger child gets to their Kg line or the line for Grades 1 and 2 that goes into the gym.

All students within the LES school boundaries have access to bus transportation. Your child's assigned pick-up/drop-off location is based on the 5-digit street address provided at registration. The bus stop locator and assigned routes are expected to be available on August 1, 2024.

Bus Stop and School Locator

Arrival: 8:45 -9:00 am.

For safety reasons drivers must remain in the vehicle. Students will exit on the passenger side of the car. <<<THIS WILL BE ENFORCED>>>

There may be times when you need to exit the car to assist your child. Please plan to park and escort your child to a staff member on the sidewalk when this occurs.

Departure: 3:40 - 3:55 pm.

Present your placard number (visible on the rearview mirror), and your child(ren) will be escorted in groups to the carpool line. For safety reasons drivers must remain in the vehicle. Students will enter on the passenger side of the car. <<<THIS WILL BE ENFORCED>>>

Walkers: 3:40 - 3:55 pm.

Present your placard number (carried in-hand) to the staff member positioned at the carpool loop under the sidewalk awning by the mailbox. Your child(ren) will exit the building by the Kg playground and walk along the sidewalk to greet you. There is no daily sign-out for walkers. You must commit to parent pick-up and complete the form to receive a placard.

Lunch and recess are times when students should be socializing with peers. For many students this is a highlight of each day! We want students to enjoy this time, with minimal adult interference. We provide staff supervision and provide structure, based on safety and student needs. For our youngest students, adult assistance is often needed to open containers, monitor eating habits, and maintain cleanliness. Our staff are well-versed in teaching students how to navigate cafeteria-style eating.

While we know that parents enjoy being able to engage in their child's school experience, we do not accommodate cafeteria or recess visitors. If you want to see your child during any part of the school day, let our safety assistant know, and we will have your child meet you in the office.

Elementary Breakfast: $1.75

Elementary Lunch: $3.00 (increases to $3.25 for middle and high school)

WHO CAN GET FREE MEALS? All children in households receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA), foster children, children certified as homeless, runaway, migrant, Head Start, Early Head Start, Even Start, or children who have been Medicaid matched through the Maryland Direct Certification System will receive free meals regardless of your income. Also, your children can get free meals if your household’s gross income is within the free limits on the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines.

PLEASE consider applying for free/reduced price meals even if you will not take advantage of this program. Our school receives Federal Funding based on the percentage of students who meet the qualifications.

The form must be completed each year.

Questions can be directed to SMCPS Food and Nutrition Services:

Phone: 301-475-4256 x 2

Email: foodservice@smcps.org

2024-2025 Meal Benefit Application

2024-2025 Meal Benefit Application Parent Letter

En Espanol

2024-2025 Meal Benefit Application (Espanol)

2024-2025 Meal Benefit Application Parent Letter (Espanol)

We respect the many different ways that families like to recognize their child’s birthday. In addition to class recognitions of birthdays, our entire school community recognizes birthdays at our monthly Community Gatherings.

Some families choose to provide a small trinket to mark their child’s birthday. Edible treats are not distributed for student birthdays. If you are planning on providing something for the class on your child’s birthday, we ask that you follow these guidelines:

• Inform your child’s teacher if you intend to provide something for the class.

• Trinkets/non-food items will be passed out by the child and his/her teacher near the end of the school day. This helps to minimize distractions to instruction and ensure that items are not lost or broken during the course of the school day.

• Flowers, balloons and other celebratory deliveries will not be taken to the classroom and cannot be sent home on buses.

The school system does not provide medical payment coverage for student accidents that result

from school-related activities. Instead, it is the responsibility of the parent(s) or guardian(s) to

provide such coverage.

Plans are available to all St. Mary’s County Public School students regardless of

whether they participate in activities sponsored by the school or other sponsors. The Bob

McCloskey Insurance group’s website is www.bobmccloskey.com/k12voluntary and it provides

more information about the types of coverage available.

Premiums are not collected by the school. It is the parent’s responsibility to enroll for this coverage

online. Coverage becomes effective the date online enrollment is completed, the first day of school

or the date the enrollment and premium are received by the company, whichever is later. Once

effective, coverage continues until the policy expires (policy term being 8/01/2024 – 07/31/2025).

Detailed information is linked below in English and Spanish.

At registration, you provided contact information that is linked in your student's record. This includes parent name(s), email and phone contact information. Our communication systems are designed to gather this information for message distributions. If you are not receiving email or phone communications from Leonardtown Elementary School, please contact our main office.

Email Communications from the Main Office will be sent on a weekly basis, beginning Aug.25 , 2024.

Phone Communications from the Main Office will be sent on a monthly basis, beginning Sept. 1, 2024.

Emergency Contacts are utilized when a parent cannot be reached. Emergency Contacts will not be included in all-school email or phone communications.

You can OPT IN to receive text messages from SMCPS and LES.

SchoolMessenger does not charge recipients for the text messages that they receive; however, wireless providers may charge for individual text messages depending on the plan associated with the wireless device.

Text “Y” or “Yes” to our school’s short code number, 67587.

After you text the key word, YES, to the short code (67587), the system will respond back:

Opt-in Response: You are now registered to receive approx 5 msgs/mo. Txt STOP to quit, HELP for help. Msg&data rates may apply. schoolmessenger.com/tm

If you do not receive this automated response, contact the school to make sure SMCPS has the correct number on file. If not, your child’s school will be able to change it. Once it’s changed, you can text YES to 67587 the next business day.

The St. Mary’s County Health Department (SMCHD) is hosting free back-to-school vaccination clinics for children ages birth to 18 years living in St. Mary’s County. Appointments are recommended. The following vaccines will be available:

• Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough)
• Meningococcal (meningitis)
• MenB (Serogroup B Meningococcal)
• HPV (human papillomavirus)
• Varicella (chicken pox)

A parent or guardian must be present and bring the child’s immunization record and any related school forms. Marylanders can view and print their official vaccination records through MyIR, Maryland’s free immunization record portal. A Spanish-speaking interpreter will be on-site to assist community members as needed.

To make an appointment, please call 301-475-6807 or 301-278-1412. Clinics are still open on the following dates and locations:

Spring Ridge Middle School-Based Health Center

• Saturday, August 24, from 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
• Saturday, September 21, from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Margaret Brent Middle School-Based Health Center

• Tuesday, August 13, from 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
• Saturday, September 14, from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

For more information about vaccination recommendations by age, please visit smchd.org/immunizations or call the SMCHD Health Clinic at 301-475-4330.

Use the button above to navigate to the 2024-25 School Supply Lists.

Most families choose to bring supplies to the Open House.

Our PTA is looking for active members and supporters. Sign up or renew today for just $10.

Last school year, the LES PTA hosted a variety of events, including a holiday movie night and a Valentine MVP dance; provided grant funding to teachers for classroom needs, helped fund Club Osprey needs and much more. They hope to build upon last year's success with even more events and opportunities planned for the 2024-2025 school year.

If interested in learning more about the PTA, complete an interest form at lespta.fillout.com/2024interest or email their president, Beth Fuller, at pta@lesospreys.org.

Membership is only $10 for parents, guardians, grandparents and other community members, and $5 for LES teachers and staff.

Upon your arrival and presentation of photo ID your child will be called out of class

to meet you in the office vestibule.

With advance notice by 12 noon and presentation of photo ID, your child will be called out of class

to meet you in the office vestibule.

"Dentist Appt" or "Therapy" are examples of valid reasons. "Home" is not a valid reason.

We cannot safely and efficiently account for students at dismissal without the full attention of our staff between 3:20 and 3:55 pm, and therefore, we will only handle emergency sign-outs during this time frame. If you have extenuating circumstances that warrant early release and you cannot abide by the above timelines, you must speak directly with the principal.