Beacon Bulletin

Piney Point families,

• The Maryland Special Education Parent Involvement Survey for SY24 is now available for parents to complete. It is important to get as much feedback as possible from our families and school communities.

Survey Link: https://www.mdparentsurvey.com

Parent Survey Letter

Frequently Asked Questions Flyer

• Beacon Bolt T-shirt donations.

Piney Point Elementary is so excited to launch our Shirt Sponsorship program! Through this program, we will be able to provide an item of spirit wear to EVERY student in our school, while also raising needed funds for our students, staff, and programs this year. Please click here for more information on how to contribute!

• 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

Please remember that even when it's hard to get to school because we are tired or feel behind it ultimately makes things easier for our students when they are in the building. Attending school, even when we are tired and "just don't feel like it", also builds healthy life and work habits for the future.

• February 28th- Paint Night
• March 1st- no school for students Professional Day
• March 2nd- PTA Purse BINGO
• March 11, 12, 13, 14th- 5th grade MISA testing

• March 20th- 5th grade to the Kennedy Center

• March 22nd- Virtual Instruction Day & 2 hour early dismissal

• March 23rd- April 1st- Spring Break

• April 2nd- Students Return

• • Boosterthon Beacon Bolt Fun Run Dates:

    • Kickoff: Monday, April 22

    • Huddles: April 23-29

    • Boosterthon Event Date: Tuesday, April 30, 2024

Please click on the below button to access the survey for your child to receive a Beacon Bolt t-shirt. We will be collecting shirt sizes until March 8th. This year the shirts will be yellow with blue sneakers on them. Please complete the survey before March 8th to ensure your student receives the correct size shirt.

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.

• https://www.stmaryscountymd.gov/recreate/camps

• https://www.stmaryscountymd.gov/docs/thescoop.pdf

The Maryland School Report Card provides information about our school's performance for the 2022-2023 school year. You can find a link to our school's SY23 report card by visiting the Quick Links on our school's website. In addition, you can view the January 11 presentation to the Board of Education about system-wide data or visit www.smcps.org/about-us for additional information

• Remember to read nightly and practice your sight words!

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).

Our biggest fundraiser of the year, the Purse Bingo, is on March 2nd. We are looking for sponsors. Sponsorships help offset the costs of purchasing purses. Below are the suggested amounts. Please email the PTA if you're interested in sponsoring (piney.point.pta@gmail.com). Thanks to Conor Loughran for being our main event sponsor!

Family sponsor amounts:

Blue $25

Gold $50

Beacon $75

Business sponsor amounts:

Blue $100

Gold $150

Beacon $250

• Mar 2nd: Purse Bingo at the Second Dist. Vol. Fire Dept. Hall. Tickets: $35 in advance, $45 at the door. There will be food and drinks for purchase, a 50/50 raffle, and brown bag raffle items. Tickets go on sale for PPES families on Jan 15th.

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!

Evening Counseling: SMCPS is once again offering School-Based Counseling Support in the evening for SMCPS students. Counseling support focuses on the following areas: Healthy Relationships, Social Skills, Self-Esteem, Stress Management, Worry, Sadness, and Emotional Regulation. Services will be located at Margaret Brent Middle School and Greenview Knolls Elementary School on Tuesday evenings from 4-7:30 p.m. Please complete the Parent Contact Form for Evening Counseling to request services.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have. The best way to reach me is to email me at klpelton@smcps.org.

Looking forward to a great year!

Ms. Pelton

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.

Email: tbzeier@smcps.org
Website: https://ppes.smcps.org/
Location: 44550 Tall Timbers Road, Tall Timbers, Maryland 20690, USA
Phone: 301-994-2205