A reminder that Back to School Night is scheduled for Thursday, September 12 from 6-7pm.

Thank you parents and guardians for joining us to learn about your students' school year and classroom details, goals, and objectives. Parents/Guardians will proceed directly to their student's homeroom class. There will be a brief welcome presentation, and two 20-minute classroom sessions, with ample time to transition to another classroom.

Here is information from the District Office of Curriculum and Instruction at each grade level that may be of interest to you:

Kindergarten English & Spanish

1st grade English & Spanish

2nd grade English & Spanish

3rd grade English & Spanish

4th grade English & Spanish

5th grade English & Spanish

Cultural Arts English & Spanish

Please walk or carpool, if possible, since parking is limited. When parking along Arundel Beach Road, please park perpendicular to the fence ("nose in"), without obstructing the sidewalk. This maximizes parking. As always, please be mindful of homeowners when parking throughout neighborhoods. We all play a part in our school being a good neighbor.

We look forward to seeing you!

For those new to Folger, please join us for a volunteer orientation session on Thursday, September 12 at 5:30pm, just prior to Back to School Night.

Mr. Kahn, School Counselor, will lead a presentation about the ins and outs of volunteering here at Folger. Requirements to volunteering, such as background checks and fingerprinting, will be reviewed. This session will cover the basics so that you are prepared and eligble when volunteer opportunities arise. A member of the PTO Board will also share an introduction to that side of the volunteer process, including some volunteer opportunities and needs and how to sign up when the time comes.

We are incredibly grateful for the contributions of all volunteers! Whether you give an hour or volunteer on a daily basis, help at one lunch shift, prep materials from home, lead a PTO event, chaperone on a field trip, help with grounds and gardening projects, or contribute via PTO membership, it all adds up and makes all the difference to our students' learning environment.

Following this session, both the school and PTO will be sharing specific volunteer opportunities. And of course, there will be many - something for everyone interested and available to lend a hand and share their talents. Thank you for taking the time to participate in the volunteer orientation so you are ready to respond to the volunteer call!

THANK YOU!

Welcome back Folger Owls!!!  It’s great to have all of our students back in the building!

If you’re new to Folger, or like most of us don’t remember much from before a fun summer, one of the most important things a Folger student can do is learn how to give a HOOT!  When a student at Folger HOOTs, this means they:

H – Show HONOR for their learning and school;

O – Have an OTHER PEOPLE MATTER mindset;

O – they show responsibility when they OWN IT through their actions, words, and behaviors;

T – TAKE ACTION to be the best student and friend they can be.

During the first few weeks of school, teachers are reviewing the Folger HOOTing matrix to show how they can HOOT best! Check out the primary and schoolwide HOOT matrix.

NEW TO FOLGER!!  HOOT BUCKS!!

This year students will earn and collect HOOT Bucks when they are demonstrating positive HOOT behaviors.  Each class/grade level creates a menu of fun school experiences like lunch bunches, fun seats, or other cool things.  Here is how Mr. Kahn, School Counselor and co-lead of the school PBIS team, introduced HOOT Bucks at school. Talk to your students about their efforts to HOOT, not just to earn HOOT bucks, but to do the right thing and make our school the best it can be!

Finally, did you know that Folger has it’s own HOOTing slogan?  Each day, the morning announcements sign off with this fun way to remember our HOOT expectations.  Have your student share the HOOTing chant and thank you for encouraging these behaviors!

I honor my school rules.

I am kind and respectful.

I am responsible for me!

I do something right away, when I’m asked.

HOOTing is part of PBIS, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. PBIS is a tiered framework for supporting students’ behavioral, academic, social, emotional, and mental health. The PBIS model strives to enhance social emotional competence, academic success, and school climate. It also improves teacher health and wellbeing. It is a way to create positive, predictable, equitable and safe learning environments where everyone thrives.

PBIS is a cornerstone of the Folger school culture. The Folger PBIS committee collaborates to thoughtfully implement this school-wide priority for maximum effectiveness for all students.

Thank you to the 2024-25 school year PBIS committee:

Mr. Kahn, school counselor (co-chair)

Mrs. Radi, grade 4 (co-chair)

Mrs. MacQuilliam, grade 2 (co-chair)

Ms. Collins, kindergarten

Mrs. Haughton, grade 1

Mrs. Geddings, grade 2

Ms. Whiteley, grade 3

Mrs. Kogut, grade 5

Mrs. Lawrie, cultural arts

Mrs. Cain, resource team

Please refer to the above chart to help you navigate the how-tos of late arrivals, early dismissals, absences and dismissal changes. Thank you for adhering to these procedures! We are grateful for your cooperation!

Attendance is important! Students with frequent absences, (on average missing 2 or more days per month) may experience a decline in their academic performance because it can be difficult to catch up.  According to Maryland State Department of Education, any student that has missed 10% or more of the school year is considered chronically absent, regardless of the absences being coded as excused or unexcused.  

Phone Calls: If you receive a call from our school, please listen to the message in its entirety before calling the school. It's important for you to know who called you before you call back so the main office can assist you and connect you accordingly.

A Recommendation: Consider having your student keep a complete change of clothes in their locker at all times. Accidents do happen - be it in the bathroom, cafeteria or at recess - and it's great to be prepared.

Forgotten Items - It happens! Again, everyone is getting back into the rhythm of back to school. Forgotten items present a great learning opportunity. Consider the long term goals of independence, problem-solving skills, and responsibility. No need to deliver items to school - students can navigate asking for help and working with their teacher and staff to resolve the matter. This might do the trick to set the stage for remembering items going forward.

It is highly recommended that all items be labeled with student names. Water bottles, lunch boxes, jackets - these things have a way of quickly piling up in the Lost & Found. Encourage your children to care for their belongings and check the Lost & Found. It is already starting to build and it's only been nine days of school. When we find a labeled item, we return it to the student!