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The Seahawks Call
August 28th - September 10, 2023
A message from Principal Taylor.........................
The first week of school will focus on explaining classroom expectations and school-wide rules. Teachers understand in order for teaching and learning to take place, having effective classroom management is key. Therefore, all teachers will devote the entire week going over their classroom rules with positive and negative consequences clearly defined; procedures for entering and exiting the classroom, what to do when a student is absent, how to turn in assignments, what to do if you finish an assignment early, and expectations when there is a substitute.
Students will also spend time learning the true meaning of our RISE expectations that are highlighted in the Seahawks Pledge recited every morning. Students are expected to demonstrate Respect, Integrity, and Self-Control in various locations (ie. classroom, bus, hallway, cafe', bathroom, etc.) so they can excel and exceed all expectations. We will share all the wonderful ways we plan to recognize and reward students for exhibiting RISE behaviors.
We are committed to increasing and cultivating staff and student relationships, strengthening the bond between home and school, and ensuring a safe and orderly environment for staff and students. The first step to accomplishing these things is effective communication, which is why we are sharing these expectations so everyone is on the same page.
Lastly, as a reminder, Open House for all students will be held on Wednesday, September 13th from 6-8 pm. Open House provides a more in-depth meeting with teachers, learning about school policies and procedures, county curriculum, classroom schedules and teacher expectations.
Student-Parent Handbook for SY 23-24
NO OUTSIDE FOOD FROM RESTAURANTS OR FAST FOOD CAN BE DROPPED OFF FOR LUNCH!
NO BREAKFAST BEING SERVED ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!
Searching for SY 23-24 PTSO Officers
Unfortunately, we do not have any PTSO Officers for this school year. Therefore, we are opening up nominations again for PTSO Executive Board Members for the 2023-2024 school year. In every organization, we have to have leaders. Without PTSO officers, there can't be a PTSO!
Current positions available are:
President
Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary
Please email principal Taylor at staylor@ccboe.com to submit your name and interested position.
Morning Drop Off Procedures
We have a new bus coordinator this year and his name is Mr. Vaughn Evans, STEM teacher.
• Students should not get dropped off to school earlier than 7:10 a.m.
• Car rider line starts from Willow Lane, which is accessed from Route 6. Cars will not be permitted to enter or exit via Oak Avenue to avoid bus traffic flow.
• Please follow the flow of cars along the flag poles around the parking lot.
• Be courteous if you arrive to school before you are ready to drop off by parking in a parking space. Please avoid sitting and waiting in the drop-off line as this causes a backup and prohibits those who are ready to drop off, to do so.
• Students exit the vehicle when your car is sitting parallel to the school (facing the soccer fields).
• Most times, about six-eight cars are dropping off all at once. Therefore, if you are the first car in the next group to drop off, please make sure you are pulling up the entire way to the designated staff member, or all the way up to Willow Lane if no staff member is there, to prevent causing a HUGE gap in the car line, as well as tensions to rise among drivers.
• After drop off, please turn left and exit using Willow Lane. Do not turn right and exit using Oak Avenue. Remember, buses are coming off Oak Ave.
Thank you, in advance, for adhering to these procedures and ensuring our students get into school quickly and safely. Please see the map below to understand car rider pick up traffic pattern.
Bus Dismissal Procedures
Please make sure you are following the bus dismissal procedures as listed below.
- When students are dismissed to their buses, they are expected to exit the building and go directly to their bus.
- Each afternoon, school buses park in a designated bus slot.
- Staff members will provide students with assistance during the first days of school to ensure they know their bus number and their designated bus slot.
- During dismissal, staff members on duty will assist all students to their buses as they learn their bus numbers and locations.
- Staff members are also there to monitor students and ensure a safe and orderly dismissal process.
- Students who miss their bus will be directed to go to the main office to call home for parent/guardian to pick them up.
Afternoon Pick-up Procedures for Car Riders
Please make sure you are following the afternoon pick-up procedures for car riders as listed below. Please see the map below to understand car rider pick up traffic pattern.
- After all school buses have been dismissed, the front parking lot becomes available for student pick up by parents/guardians, and day care providers.
- There will be designated school staff directing cars to pull into actual parking spaces. Generally, two cars fit into one parking space.
- Students will identify the driver or vehicle from vehicles waiting in actual parking spaces.
- A staff member will signal for the student to walk to the car. (Students will not be released to any vehicles not parked in a parking space.)
- Designated staff will signal cars to exit the parking lot. (Be mindful to drive slowly off campus as there may be other students walking and getting into their vehicles.)
Bus Pass Procedures
Ø Bus passes will only be accepted by sending in a written note or email. NO PHONE CALLS!
Ø A note from the parent/guardian of the student who is being dropped off at a different location will need to have the following information:
· The date(s) the bus pass will be needed
· Your Child’s name
· Your Child’s original bus #
· The name of the student your child will be riding home with
· The bus # of the student your child will be riding home with
· The location that both students will be dropped off
(Bus Pass Example: On Sept. 7th, Michael Jordan who normally rides bus 23, will need a bus pass to ride with Lebron James who rides bus 6. Both of the students should get dropped off at the corner of Chicago Avenue and Cleveland Lane.)
Ø A letter from parent/guardian who is receiving the other student must be provided just acknowledging the bus change and giving permission.
(Example: I, Gloria James, parent of Lebron James acknowledge and consent to Michael Jordan riding bus 6 home with my son on Sept. 7th.)
Ø All notes/emails must be received no later than 12pm on the day the request is being made. If it is a 2-hour early dismissal day, the notes/emails must be received no later than 10am on the day the request is being made.
Milton Somers Attendance Information
** ALL ATTENDANCE NOTES ARE TO BE SUBMITTED VIA E-MAIL OR TO THE 1st PERIOD TEACHER.**
** THE ATTENDANCE SECRETARY IS UNABLE TO ACCEPT ATTENDANCE EMAILS OR PHONE CALLS FROM STUDENTS.**
** Please email or send in absence notes to your student's 1st Period teacher and/or Attendance Secretary. The email for the Attendance Secretary is scrout@ccboe.com.
** A note for early dismissal is only required when the person picking up is NOT the parent/guardian. If there is no note or email that your child is being picked up by someone other than the parent/guardian, your child will not be released until we have written permission.
** The attendance secretary is not responsible for robocalls. They are auto-generated and go out for excused and unexcused absences.
** All late arriving students should check in with the office and sign-in on the kiosk.
** Attendance notes need to be submitted within 5 days of the absence for them to be excused. Any notes submitted past 5 days must be from a doctor to be excused.
** It is not necessary to email the attendance secretary when your student is absent due to school testing, field trips, etc.
** If your student is marked absent and you know he/she is present, please reach out to the teacher directly to question this absence. The attendance secretary has no way of knowing why the teacher marked your child absent!
** To check your student's absences, please go to ParentVUE and look under "Attendance".
Important Dates to Remember!
(Monday) - August 28th
- First Day of School for Students
- LPBK Ball football fields from 5-8 pm
- LPYSA from 5-8 pm
(Tuesday) - August 29th
- LPBK Ball football fields from 5-8 pm
- LPYSA from 5-8 pm
(Wednesday) - August 30th
- LPBK Ball football fields from 5-8 pm
- LPYSA from 5-8 pm
(Thursday) - August 31st
- LPBK Ball football fields from 5-8 pm
- LPYSA from 5-8 pm
(Friday) - September 1st
- LPBK Ball football fields from 5-8 pm
- LPYSA from 5-8 pm
(Monday) - September 4th
- LABOR DAY! Schools and Offices Closed!
- LPBK Ball football fields from 5-8 pm
(Tuesday) - September 5th
- Math iReady Assessment
- LPBK Ball football fields from 5-8 pm
(Wednesday) - September 6th
- Math iReady Assessment
- LPBK Ball football fields from 5-8 pm
(Thursday) - September 7th
- Math iReady Assessment
- LPBK Ball football fields from 5-8 pm
(Friday) - September 8th
- Math iReady Assessment
- LPBK Ball football fields from 5-8 pm
(Saturday) - September 9th
- LPBK Ball football fields from 7 am - 7pm
From the Library Circulation Desk.................................
Welcome back to the Somers Library!
All students are scheduled for regular library visits through their Language Arts classes. They may also visit the library outside of scheduled class visits with a pass. We have lots of new books that are anxious to meet your students!
Somers Seahawks also have access to eBooks and audio books through Destiny, our online library catalog. Students access Destiny through their Clever accounts. And watch this space for information about our newest resource, Sora!
Information you'll find helpful for the first week of school!
SCHOOL SUPPORTS
Sandra Taylor - School Principal - staylor@ccboe.com
Chris McAllister- 6th Grade Administrator - cmcallister@ccboe.com
Shaneha Harvard-Lamb - 7th Grade AP - sharvard-lamb@ccboe.com
Marlon Walker - 8th Grade AP - mwalker@ccboe.com
COUNSELING SUPPORTS
John Craddock- 6th Grade with last names A-L and 7th Grade Counselor - jcraddock@ccboe.com
Megan Chappelle - 6th Grade with last names M-A and 8th Grade Counselor - mchappelle@ccboe.com
INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP TEAM
Jody Bell - Reading Resource Teacher (Reading) - jbell@ccboe.com
Jennifer Branham - Instructional Resource Teacher (Math) - jbranham@ccboe.com
Jasmine Proctor - Learning Resource Teacher (Gifted Education and Testing Coordinator) - jnproctor@ccboe.com
Email: somersms@ccboe.com
Website: https://www.ccboe.com/schools/somers/
Location: 300 Willow Lane, La Plata, MD 20646
Phone: 301-934-4663
Twitter: @miltonsomersms