Seahawk News
September 2, 2023
Sunderland Promotes Integrity, Responsibility, Independence & Trust
A Welcome from Ms. Merillat
Hello Seahawk Family!
My name is Amanda Merillat, and I am the Assistant Principal. I was born and raised in Calvert County. I attended CCPS K-12th grade. I earned a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from Coastal Carolina in South Carolina and my master’s degree in administrative leadership from Notre Dame of Maryland University. I began my teaching career in North Carolina, right outside of Charlotte. I then moved back home and spent 17 additional years teaching grades K through 4th. I taught at Calvert and St. Leonard Elementary. After 18 years of teaching, I left the classroom to become an Instructional Coach, right here at Sunderland Elementary. I was here for 1 year working with teachers and students to improve instruction. I then worked at St. Leonard Elementary for 2 years as the Dean. Each of these experiences have prepared me and taught me so much and I am grateful for that. I have a strong belief that ALL children can learn and grow alongside their peers. I am a strong advocate for inclusive learning and for creating strong relationships while implementing rigor and strong instruction in each classroom. School was such a positive experience for me growing up. I enjoyed the academics, social times, and playing sports. I want to create that for our students. I enjoy the positive impact that I can have on so many students, families, and educators.
When I am not at Sunderland, my time is spent with my AMAZING family. My husband and I live in St. Leonard with our 3 children: Denver (15), Aspen (13), and Brooke (13). Our weekends and evenings are filled with their busy sports schedules. When we are not on the soccer fields, we enjoy attending church together, boating, swimming, traveling, and snow skiing.
I look forward to getting to know all of you this year.
Information to Know
New This Week
- 4th and 5th Grade from Mrs. Gross
Welcome to the 2023-2024 School Year!
All CCPS students in 4th and 5th grade have the opportunity to sign up and learn how to play a Band or String instrument. If you would like your child to sign up for Band or Strings this year, please click on the QR Code below and sign up for the 2023-2024 school year. A paper copy of the sign-up form is also attached. Classes for 2nd year students will start next week on Thursday Sept. 7. Classes for 1st year students will start the week of Sept 11 – 15. Band & Strings schedules will be emailed after the sign-up information is received. Band & Strings schedules are also available on the Band & Strings Webpage. To expand students’ knowledge of careers and opportunities we would like to highlight the careers of our Sunderland parents and guardians. Please complete the form for the possibility to be featured on our career bulletin board and a feature on the Seahawk News Show. All careers are important and valuable. Please consider sharing with our students so they can begin to know what is available for them. https://forms.office.com/r/KgpmBjWS3V
Pre K-2nd Grade: For student safety, drivers will keep all students in grades Pre-Kindergarten – Second on the bus until a parent/guardian/or family member comes to the bus door to receive the student from the bus. This will help the driver become familiar with who should be getting the students as well as making sure that all the students are getting off the bus with a responsible party.
Please mark your calendar: SES Fall Picture Day will take place on Monday, September 25th!
Repeated from Last Week
- We welcomed several new Seahawk families into our nest on Friday! Attached below is the Powerpoint with information we shared. Please do not hesitate to contact the school with questions after viewing the information.
- You will receive a folder of information this week with forms to return to school.
- The Statement of Understanding must be completed for all students. It states that you have reviewed the expectations for school and reviewed the Code of Conduct with your child.
- If your child has a device (cell phone) in their backpack, it must be registered with the school. The phone must be turned OFF, not just silenced in school. It may not be used during the school day. No pictures should be taken on the bus.
- Forms for Free or Reduced meals is included, along with the information from Child Nutrition.
- The Use of Technolgy letter is included. Students use school provided devices and the letter reviews the security and more.
- Pre K and Kdg Staggered start info is: Staggered Start Schedule: Head Start, Pre K, Kindergarten (finalsite.net)
- With staggered start, conferences take place on August 28th and 29st. On August 30th, half of the students attend school while the other half does not. Then on August 31st, the other half attends while the first half that attended on Wednesday, will not. This allows the students to meet others and learn some routines. The teacher will introduce them to their morning routine and their cubbies, etc. On Friday, September 1st, all Pre K and K students will attend, except 3 year olds in the Special Ed. Pre K 3. Your classroom teacher will discuss which staggered start date your child will attend.
- CCPS Parent Information- There is a great deal of information, including the forms being sent home, on the Parent website: Parent/Guardian Information - Calvert County Public School District (calvertnet.k12.md.us)
- Online payments for the Seat Sack and the agenda book can be found at our school website: Home - Sunderland Elementary (calvertnet.k12.md.us)
- Laptops: All 3rd -5th graders will receive a laptop for school use. Students will be using the device at school. Laptops will not be sent home for use. Homework assignments will not require computer use.
Transportation
- CCPS sent an email regarding Bus Routes on Thursday. It is attached below, along with the Rules and Regulations for Riding the Bus.
- On the first day of school, our staff will be tagging the student’s backpack to be a bus rider or daily car rider. If your child is only being a car rider due to late registration, please let us know. We will tag them as a daily car rider until a bus is assigned for them. We would then change the tag to a bus tag.
- For Pre K and K families: Please rest assured that we have all hands on deck to make sure students are able to learn their path to their class. Teachers and assistants will be meeting students in the hall to assist them and give them clues to helping to find their class each day. The students do an amazing job within the first week!
- Please see the letter from attached Transportation. If you registered after 8/16/23, you may not have an assigned bus yet. They have worked on route assignments, and you should hear from transportation by Wednesday.
- Daily Car Riders must complete the following link: https://forms.office.com/r/8YAbzZK1Cs
- This information will be used for Monday's sign out. This form is to be completed for those who will be Daily Car Riders only. By listing adults to pick up, you are giving that adult permission to pick up your student. We encourage all students to ride the bus.
- Please tell your child that they will NOT have their name called. They are to dismiss when they hear Daily Car Riders are dismissed. This list will be shared with the teachers, too.
- Please have your ID at all times when entering the school to pick up your student. You will need to have your ID out to show the staff, even if we know you!
- Daily Car Riders: One adult will be expected to come into the cafeteria to sign out their Daily Car Rider student(s). We will open the exterior cafeteria door at 3:55PM (1:55PM on Early Dismissal Days) to allow for students to be signed out. Promptly at 4:05PM (2:05PM on Early Dismissal Days), Daily Car Riders will be called to the cafeteria. You and your child will exit. When you sign in, you will be given a card signifying how many students you are picking up. You will turn in your card as you leave the cafeteria. If an adult is not present by 4:05PM (2:05PM on Early Dismissal Days), the student will be sent home on their assigned bus.
- If your child is a bus rider and needs to be picked up due to an appointment, please arrive at the front office before 3:45PM (1:45PM on Early Dismissal Days).Our office staff and duty staff start preparing for Daily Car Riders and bus dismissal at 3:55PM (1:55PM on Early Dismissal Days) With the change from a 30minute bus window to 10 minutes, we will need to keep our focus on the dismissal process.
- We are able to manage Non-Daily Car Riders but we are still not able to accommodate Drop in, Surprise Car Riders. For Non-Daily Car Riders, you MUST send a paper note, NOT AN EMAIL, with your child, EACH day that you plan for them to be a car rider. Please let your child know that they must dismiss with the Daily Car Riders at 4:05PM when announced. We will NOT call individual students down for dismissal. Please do not send a note saying “every Tuesday” instead, send a note every Tuesday. We can not expect teachers to keep up with all students’ special request schedules. We ask that you send a paper note each day because there could be a sub in the class instead of the teacher.
- Please complete the survey questions below by Monday, August 28th by noon so that we can be prepared for this new procedure. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Kasulke at kasulkep@calvertnet.k12.md.us
♥️Volunteers♥️
EVERYONE must reapply for being a volunteer. The system was cleaned out and you must reapply. Remember, if you want to be a chaperone or work events, you must be approved. If you are an employee of CCPS, you still need to complete the volunteer process for participation in events at school.
Even if you are not sure if you will be able to attend anything, please sign up early. Here’s the CCPS link of info:
Become a Volunteer - Calvert County Public School District (calvertnet.k12.md.us)
General Information about Sunderland Elementary School
· Instructional School Day - 9:25AM – 4:05PM
- Arrival window for cars and bus: 9:15AM-9:25AM
- Dismissal window for Daily Car Riders- 3:50PM-4:05PM
- Dismissal window for bus: 4:10PM-4:20PM
· School Colors - Blue and White – Friday Spirit Days- Classes are assigned a Flock color as well. More to come on that!
· School Mascot/Motto -“SPIRIT” the Seahawk -Sunderland Promotes Independence Responsibility Integrity and Trust
See the attached information regarding meals and more!
Counselor's Corner
Who are the School Counselors at SES?
Welcome back Seahawks! We are so excited to be back at school, and we enjoyed seeing all our returning students and meeting our newest Seahawks! We were happy to visit each classroom on the first day of school to say hello and welcome back and cannot wait to begin our Classroom Counseling lessons in a few weeks. Next week we will meet with all new students in 1st – 5th grades in our “New Student Lunch Bunch”. Our new student lunch bunches give us an opportunity to meet all new students, new students to get to know us, as well as one another. If you are in need of school supplies, please contact one of us for assistance. We hope everyone had a fabulous first week back at school. Enjoy the long weekend, and we can’t wait to see you on Tuesday!
Michele Shade, School Counselor, Last Names A-K, shadem@calvertnet.k12.md.us 443-550-9474
Danielle Hilton, School Counselor, Last Names L-Z, hiltond@calvertnet.k12.md.us 443-550-9387
Calendar of Events
Community Resources and Fliers
The following link includes events, activities, and opportunities for young people offered by organizations in the community.
These events and activities are not sponsored by the Calvert County Board of Education or Calvert County Public Schools. We provide equal opportunities to outside agencies to distribute materials that offer opportunities to students and/or their parents, but that permission should not be considered a recommendation or endorsement by the school district.