Welcome back to school! We’ve enjoyed getting to know our new students this first week and will continue to build relationships with our families. All our students came in ready for Day 1, and instruction really did start then too! Kudos to our teachers for preparing such welcoming environments.

Thank you to the over 200 people who attended our Back to School Night and Block Party! Meeting your child’s teacher right away helps us forge a partnership from the beginning. Our students also loved seeing their friends and catching up, playing on the playground and at games on the blacktop, enjoying a popsicle and getting their face painted by our own GBP resident, Mrs. Diane! We hope you were also able to visit with community stakeholders like the AAC Library and BWMC. If you weren’t able to make it, please watch this short video where I shared some of our necessary school information.

The picture above was posted in the Capital Gazette Best of 2024 Magazine. In June, I was nominated and selected as the Best Principal in Anne Arundel County. This award is truly an honor and means so much to me. Glen Burnie Park students and families always have my heart and I am humbled and honored to help them be their best selves everyday! Thank you to those that nominated and voted for me for this prestigious award!

A big thank you to AAC Rec & Parks and the Northern Anne Arundel Aquatic Center for hosting Stuff a Truck this year at the aquatic center. Many backpacks and supplies were donated specifically for our students! This will help us ensure all students have what they need on hand throughout the school year.

This year, we already have 550 students enrolled at GBPE! That’s 50 more than when we ended in June! We’ve also added three additional homerooms (now at 29 homerooms serving preK-5) and are back to housing fourth grade classes in our portable spaces. We have specific safety protocols for movement around the building and our students are already experts and following procedures! We have been very impressed with how responsible all our students have already been.

You will see links below for Parent Portal and the AACPS App. Please download the app so that you may efficiently receive notifications, including when the newsletters are published. There you will also find “Rooms” which replaces Class Dojo for ease in communicating with teachers as well as receiving information on students earning Tiger Pride Points for demonstrating excellent behaviors. It is imperative that we have your most current email and phone number for these reasons and in case of any emergency situation.

We have many exciting things planned for the year and hope that our parents and families will join in! From field trips to evening STEM events to a weekend soccer game at the Naval Academy Stadium, we have plenty of opportunities to belong, grow and succeed together!

My door is always open; I look forward to a fantastic year! On behalf of all the Glen Burnie Park Elementary staff, Welcome to 2024-2025 School Year!

In Kindness,

Mrs. McFarland

Principal

PowerSchool Parent Portal is an important feature to see your child's current attendance and grades. It also includes functionality to email you updates about both. To update your notifications in your account, please follow the instructions below.

1. Using a web browser, log into the Parent Portal. This process cannot be done through the mobile app. PowerSchool Parent Portal Link: https://www.aacps.org/page/studentparent-portal

2. In the left margin under Navigation, click on Email Notification.

3. Choose the reports that you would like to receive by email.

4. Choose the frequency you would like to receive these reports (daily, weekly, every 2 weeks, or monthly).

5. You can apply this for all students on your Parent Portal account or just one.

6. Click Submit.

Please note this process could take up to two weeks to finalize before emails begin coming from PowerSchool Parent Portal.

Rooms makes it easy for teachers and staff to communicate with parents and students. It's fully integrated into our district app so parents and guardians have one app for everything AACPS.

Teachers/Staff will publish classes, post announcements and send messages for parents/guardians and students.

Parents/Guardians and students will use the AACPS app for district and school news, events, meals, and more. Within the app, they can with to Rooms to access messages and announcements.

Previously, a paper application was sent home on the first day of school to all students and online applications were accepted. The online process has proven to be faster and more accurate, is available in English and Spanish, and can be completed on a computer or smartphone.

Apply online any time during the school year after August 1, 2024.

Link to Apply for Free or Reduced-Priced Meals: https://frapps.horizonsolana.com/welcome

• All information is confidential

• Once the online application is submitted and validated, the eligibility status of your child(ren) will be sent home.

• Online meal benefit applications are fast, easy and determined within a few days.

To learn more, visit https://www.aacps.org/page/apply-for-free-or-reduced-price-meals.

Throughout the academic year, students will have the opportunity to earn Tiger Points for demonstrating positive behaviors and Caught with Character tickets for exemplifying our monthly focus skill. This month, our focus skill is “Planning,” which involves the ability to strategize and achieve goals. Teachers will monitor and record students’ Tiger Points and Caught with Character tickets in Rooms. Families can view their child's total behavior points by clicking on "Behavior" under the Feature list. If you you select "Activity Log," it will also display the behavior your child demonstrated (e.g. Attendance or Safe Actions).

On Friday, September 13th, we will host a PBIS Kickoff Carnival to celebrate students’ dedication and efforts in exhibiting positive behavior. Students will engage in a variety of enjoyable carnival games and experience the essence of our PBIS monthly celebrations—having fun and acknowledging their hard work!

Title I Information: https://www.aacps.org/o/glenburnieparkes/page/title-i-community-schools

Forms went home with every student to join our PTO! Our PTO helps pay for student assemblies, incentives and field trips! We cannot do it alone! Please contact your child's teacher or our PTO Board with any questions: glenburnieparkPTO@gmail.com