TERPS TIDBITS

Dear Arnold Families,

Welcome back! We hope you had a great spring break!

Teacher of the Year

Congratulations to Mr. Martin for Arnold’s Teacher of the Year! He was a semi-finalist for the AACPS Teacher of the Year and will be honored Friday at the Teacher of the Year Dinner.

Earth Day

In recognition of Earth Day, students are encouraged to eliminate plastic waste in lunches by using reusable containers, lunchboxes/bags/etc. this week. Families are also encouraged to find ways to reduce waste at home.

Terrapin Release

Arnold's 4th graders are raising a baby northern diamondback terrapin, King Bob (KB), in Mrs. Powers' classroom as part of the T.E.R.P. program through Arlington Echo and AACPS! KB will be released onto Poplar Island Tuesday, contributing to important conservation research. Through this program, students learn about Maryland’s state reptile, collect growth data, and support efforts to protect terrapin populations.

Volunteer Appreciation Week

In honor of National Volunteer Week this week, we would like to say thank you to all of our volunteers who support our school and give their time and talents to make our school and community events successful.

Save the Date: May 19, 2025

We will be hosting a Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast on May 19th  for our amazing volunteers. More information will be coming soon!

Bus Driver Appreciation

Tomorrow is Bus Driver Appreciation Day! Make sure you thank the bus driver for keeping our students safe to and from school every day.

Have a great week!

Shauna Kauffman

Principal

Kristin Addleman

Assistant Principal

Kindergarten Registration

It is that time of year again. Kindergarten Registration is almost here. Kindergarten registration begins on Tuesday, April 8, 2025.

Please use the link below to enroll your Kindergarten Student.

https://secure.aacps.org/webapps/SEFP/en-US/OSS/Enrollment

Children must be five-years-old on or before September 1 to enroll in kindergarten.

Your child will not be enrolled until all required documents have been received.

Please contact Ms. Becky at rshavatt@aacps.org with any enrollment questions.

Arnold Elementary
4/25/2025
Online Code: arnold25

https://vando.imagequix.com/J9FRB96

FIELD DAY

Mr. Gardner would like to give Arnold parents a heads up that field day is right around the corner. The date is scheduled for Friday June 6th from 815 to 1015 for K-2, and 1215 to 215 for grades 3-5. The rain date will be either Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday of the following week but an exact make up day will be chosen as we get closer to field day. The Arnold newsletter will send out a sign-up genius link for parents to volunteer in early May. All volunteers must have a current background check or fingerprint card on file. Please contact Mr. Gardner at algardner@aacps.org if you have any questions.

Over the summer many families move to new homes outside of the Arnold attendance area. When a child transfers to another school, there are certain documents that need to be completed and given to the family to take to the new school when they register.

If one of the scenarios below applies to you please complete the transfer/ withdrawal form linked below and return it to the school by Friday, May 30th, 2025.

• I will be moving out of the Arnold attendance area over the summer

• I will be attending a private school next year

• I have a 5th grade student who will NOT attend Severn River Middle School

If none of the instances mentioned above apply to you, please disregard this letter.

With this information, school personnel will be able to accurately complete the necessary transfer forms, which will be given to your child on the last day of school. These transfer forms must be taken to the new school at the time of registration.

Transfer/ Withdrawal Form

If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Becky at rshavatt@aacps.org.

Vacation Planning

To help you with vacation planning and to avoid extra days out of school, we want to share a list of the weekdays between now and the end of the school year that are holidays or break time.  Hopefully you will plan family vacations during these days off so your child will not lose important instructional time and fall behind.

• Monday, May 26th – Memorial Day

• June 14th-August 24th-Summer Break (Dependent on inclement weather days)

Volunteer and Chaperone Information

Thank you for showing interest in chaperoning/ volunteering at Arnold Elementary! We appreciate you taking the time to help our school, however, in order to volunteer/ chaperone, you must complete either a commercial background check or get fingerprinted at the Board of Education. Here’s some information on what you should do!

All applications should be submitted electronically at least 3 weeks prior to the intended school event.

Best practice is to complete a background check at the beginning of the school year!

Commercial Background Checks

Who needs a commercial background check?

• All chaperones and volunteers without one-on-one unsupervised or unrestricted access to students

• Must be done through AACPS, regardless of clearance or completion through another provider.

• If you already have a fingerprint card, you do not need to complete a commercial background check! Please bring the fingerprint card to the school so that we can make a copy of it to have on file.

How long does a commercial background check last?

• Two (2) years

How much does it cost to complete a background check?

• They are free to apply/complete!

How do I apply for a commercial background check?

• Go to https://onboard.screenid.net/gen/inquiries/ and select continue.

• Input the information required and select submit.

• Once you press submit, go to your email and continue with the process via the link in the email from ScreenID

Fingerprint Cards

Who needs to get fingerprinted?

• All overnight volunteers or chaperones

• All drown proofing volunteers or chaperones.

• All Polar Bear Plunge volunteer and chaperones

• Any volunteer or chaperone with one-on-one unsupervised/ unrestricted access to children

• Student teachers

• All Student Services Interns/ Practicum students

• Any intern with one-on-one unsupervised/unrestricted access to children

How long does a fingerprint card last?

• Forever/ We keep fingerprint cards on file for as long as your students are in the school.

• Keep your fingerprint card where you can find it

• Once you receive it, stop by the school so we can make a copy of it to have on file.

How much does it cost to get fingerprinted?

• Sixty-five dollars ($65.00)

How do I get fingerprinted?

• Fingerprint-supported background checks must be scheduled through the Fingerprinting Office at 410-222-5045.

• The Fingerprinting Office is located at the AACPS Central Office on Riva Road and is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, during the school year.

Volunteer/ Chaperone Video

Where can I find the video?

• You can find the Sexual Harassment/ Child Abuse Training Video here at https://www.aacps.org/Page/2460

Do I need to fill out the Volunteer Video Verification form?

• Yes! Please fill out the form after watching the video and submit the form to the main office!

Please contact Ms. Valerie at vaholland@aacps.org with any questions regarding your background check.