Academic Notes
Students in grades 3-5 who are interested in Band and Orchestra should sign up using this link provided by Ms. Maltese by September 13. This is a wonderful opportunity for your child to learn an instrument!
We are implementing a new Literacy curriculum in Grades K-5 this year. The curriculum is called CKLA. This curriculum provides rich opportunities for students to build strong basic reading skills, as well as the ability to read broadly about a variety of topics. I am excited to see how our students grow as readers with these new resources. I encourage you to review the CKLA Program Guide and the CKLA Caregiver Hub.
Counseling Notes from Ms. Mason
If a student is in need of a uniform, please reach out to me
All classroom teachers have a jumbo attendance calendar in their classroom. We track daily class attendance using red, yellow and green squares. Help make it a “Green Day” by sending your child to school daily.
MTSS Notes from Ms. Farley
Students have been learning about the 4 R’s: Respect for Self, Respect for Others, Respect for Learning and Respect for Property. I encourage you to ask your child about the school and classroom expectations/routines
Title I Notes from Ms. Greene
PTA Notes
Helpful Information for Families
School Meals
Please complete your child’s lunch application as soon as possible. Apply for free or reduced meals here.
School Hours
Students arrive between 7:45 - 7:55 am. Instruction begins at 8:00 am. Students are dismissed at 2:25 pm, and must be picked up no later than 2:40 pm.
Dismissal Changes
Please be sure to clearly communicate any changes in dismissal routines to our front office staff by 1:30 pm. This would include early dismissal or changes in your child’s afternoon transportation.
Car Rider Loop Arrival and Dismissal
Car riders and walkers enter through the back doors. Supervised drop off is between 7:45- 7:55 am. Staff unload students from the car rider loop during this time. Please remain in your vehicle, with your child, until staff direct you to pull forward to safely unload along the curb. Please do not park, do not exit your vehicle, and do not allow children to exit the vehicle until you are assisted at the curb by a staff member or PTA volunteer. If you arrive after 7:55 am, you will need to park and walk your child into the main office to sign in. Do not drop children off on Green Street or at the back doors when staff are not outside to supervise. These rules are for the safety of the children.
When arriving for dismissal, please ensure your child’s name card is displayed on the dashboard. Pre-K and Kindergarten families should arrive at 2:15 and use the center lanes. Families of students in grades 1-5 should arrive in time for a 2:25 dismissal. Please teach your child how to buckle themselves in, this is not the responsibility of school staff. Please pull forward through the loop as directed. Do not exit the vehicle to retrieve your child or to buckle in your child. After 2:40, children whose parents are late to pick them up will be brought to the main office. Parents will need to park and walk to the main office entrance to retrieve their child.
Bus Routes
Bus 403 is the Blue Bus and Bus 404 is the Green Bus. Please check online for the bus stop times and locations. I encourage you to sign up online for bus notifications. This system will send a text and email if your assigned bus is going to be late or out of service.
Green Wednesday Communication Folders
School-wide communications will be sent home on Wednesday. Your teacher may send items on other days, so please check your child’s backpack daily, and especially remember to check their green Wednesday folders!
Parent Visitors
If you would like to visit your child at school during the instructional day, we kindly ask that you communicate this request at least 24 hours in advance to the teacher. We cannot accommodate surprise drop in visits from parents during the day. We appreciate your support in maintaining a safe learning environment for all students.
Birthday Celebrations
We know that birthdays are a special day, but we ask families to please be considerate of the needs of the whole class in celebrating your child’s birthday at school. We recognize children’s birthdays on the announcements, and teachers take time to recognize birthdays in age-appropriate ways in class as well.
In consultation with the teacher, parents may:
Send in simple store-bought treats, such as cupcakes, to be consumed at lunch for the entire class. Store bought treats must be nut-free and must list the ingredients on the packaging
Send small favor bags containing non-edible items such as pencils, stickers or playdough in with their child for the entire class
Plan with the teacher for one family member to visit the class at a specified time to distribute the treats or favors, or to be a guest reader of the child’s favorite storybook.
Parents may not:
Send whole cakes, pizzas or other food items requiring the teacher to serve
Send home-made food items
Send balloons or other large celebratory displays
Send large gifts or gifts/favors only for certain children in the class
Bring multiple family members or friends to school to celebrate in the classroom
Family Communication
AACPS uses the Rooms feature of the AACPS App to communicate with families. We are no longer using Class Dojo or Google Text to communicate. I encourage all families to download the app and to check Rooms for updates from the school. For more information about Rooms click here. I also encourage parents to activate their Powerschool Portal so that you can see grades and assignments in real time. Click here for more information about Parent Portal.
Attendance
When students miss a day or two of school each month, those absences can quickly add up and impact their academic progress. Please do your best to schedule appointments and family activities when school is not in session. Please send a note to school when your child is absent. You will always receive an automated attendance call from the district, even if you have notified us in advance of the absence. Let’s work together to prioritize being attendance HEROs: Here in school, Every day, Ready to Learn, & On Time!
School Uniform Requirements
Navy blue or white collared polo shirts are worn Monday - Thursday.
Navy blue sweaters or sweatshirts may be worn over the collared shirts in cooler weather. (Students may not wear jackets, hoodies or patterned sweatshirts.)
Khaki or Navy blue bottoms (skirts, shorts or pants) are worn Monday - Friday.
Solid color blue, white, brown, or black socks may be worn. No patterned socks. If girls wear tights or leggings under their skirts, please be sure they are solid blue or white.
Close-toed shoes (No slippers, flip flops or open-toed sandals)
Green polo shirts or Annapolis Elementary spirit shirts may be worn on Fridays.
Families may contact school counselor Janetta Mason for uniform assistance.
Annapolis Elementary Cell Phone Policy
AACPS does not permit the use of cell phones and related electronic devices (Apple watches, etc..) in school. Student use of cell phones in the classroom is disruptive, and interferes with instruction. Parents can communicate with students through the main office. If a child does bring a cell phone to school, the cell phone must remain turned off and be stored in the student’s locker throughout the day. If a student does not comply with these rules, the following will occur:
First infraction: Student will receive a verbal warning, be instructed to store cell phone in the locker, and parent will be notified.
Second infraction: Student will receive a Minor Incident Referral and parent will be notified
Third infraction: Students will receive a Minor Incident Referral, cell phone will be confiscated for parents to pick up from the main office.
