November 28, 2024

The Scholastic Book Fair is coming soon! Every purchase directly supports our school.

Dates: December 2- 5 during your student's media class

Special Event: Book Fair Family Night

Date: December 3, 2024

Time: 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM

eWallet & Shop Online: Set up a cash-free eWallet for easy shopping. Friends and family can contribute too! Can’t make it in person? Shop online, and orders over $25 ship free! All online purchases also benefit our school. https://www.scholastic.com/bf/nantucketelementaryschool3

Volunteer Opportunities: Please consider volunteering to assist students with purchasing books. As a reminder all volunteers must complete the AACPS background check, view the Child Abuse/Sexual Harassment video, and submit Child Abuse/Sexual Harassment Video Verification Form.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090D4FABAA28A4F49-53039175-nantucket

If you have any questions, please contact Renee Starks at rstarks@aacps.org.

Thank you!

The Nantucket Media Team - Mrs. Reymann, Mrs. Tankersley, and Ms. Starks

December is #AACPSAttendtoAchieve

To foster a culture of consisten attendance and highlight the importance of regular school attendance, Anne Arundel County Public Schools is launching a districtwide attendance competition during the month of December. The initiative aims to encourage students to attend school regularly, thereby enhancing their academic performance and overall well-being. This competition will take place during the entire month of December 2024. There are a variety of ways in which students and schools can earn recognition for encouraging and engaging in positive attendance.

Students will be recognized for outstanding attendance (attending 14/15 days in December) and improved attendance (an individual improved attendance of 10% or more from November).
Classrooms will be recognized for outstanding attendance (95% or higher average daily attendance) and improved classroom attendance (a classroom that has shown significant improvement of 10% or more from November).
The top 10% of schools at each level that made the largest gains with average daily attendance during December 2004 as compared to December 2023 wil be recognized.
The top 10% of schools at each level who have shown the highest percentage of reduction in chronic absenteeism during December 2004 as compared to December 2023 wil be recognized.

#BePresent is a community/school partnership designed to increase and improve community relationships within schools. Mentors and volunteers will assist school-based staff and administration with ensuring a safe and orderly school environment by being present during the school’s daily function. Mentors and volunteers are invited to have a greater presence in schools as a way to enhance relationships and make school operations safer and more efficient.

What will you do in a school? Although each school has unique needs, some possible activities might include:

helping with arrival and dismissal.
assisting staff during lunch and recess.
being present in hallways during class changes.
supporting specific programs/activities.
mentoring a student or small group of students.
reading with a student

Are you interested in learning how you can #BePresent to support Nantucket's Starfish? Please contact our School Counselors Mrs. Dring and Mrs. Brauer for more information!

Are you prepared for virtual learning in bad weather?

As we move closer to the winter season, we all need to be prepared for virtual learning due to weather related closures. In the event of inclement weather, the Superintendent of Schools may recommend schools shift to a Virtual Instruction Day. When this happens, students will access instruction online. All students will need access to a device for learning. If your child does not have access to a device, you can apply for a loaner device through AACPS.

AACPS Student Device Loaner Program

Registration for the AACPS Student Device Loaner Program, which provides a device to students that need a device to support learning at home, is now available. If approved for participation in the program, students will be assigned a Chromebook that will need to be transported back and forth between home and school as it will be used by the student throughout the school day. Complete information about the program can be found at www.aacps.org/deviceloanerprogram.

Here Are a Few of Their Favorite Things!

As the holiday season is upon us, it’s the perfect time to get to know the wonderful people who make Nantucket special! Ever wondered what brings a smile to NES staff members’ faces? Now you can find out!

Click the link below to uncover some of their favorite things:

Festive drinks they love to sip on
Sweet and savory treats they can’t resist
Go-to stores and restaurants
Beloved colors that brighten their days
Favorite sports teams they cheer for
Hobbies that keep them inspired

Get a glimpse of the personal touches that make our staff truly unique and bring joy to the heart of our community. You might even find some inspiration for gift ideas!

✨ Click Here to Explore Their Favorites ✨

School Hours

Our instructional hours are 8:00am- 2:25pm. Students may start entering the building at 7:45 am. Please note that there is NO adult supervision prior to 7:45 am. Students must be in the building by 8:00 am in order to not be marked tardy. Any student who arrives after 8:00 AM must enter through the main entrance. Dismissal will begin at 2:25 pm. Please note: Tardies and early dismissals are recorded on a student's PK/K progress report/ Gr. 1-5 report card.

Please review our arrival and dismissal procedures found on our website.

Car Rider Arrival Reminders:

Car Riders must be able to independently be able to enter and exit the vehicle. Drivers should not get out of the car.
When dropping off your student, you should pull up as far as you can go before your student gets out of the car. Do not stop to be close to the door.
Follow the direction of the adults on duty who are guiding you to move your car forward.

Parents always have the option of parking in a parking lot and using the crosswalk to walk their student to the sidewalk instead of being a car rider.

School Meals

Breakfast is available in the school cafeteria each morning. Breakfast cost is $1.50 full price and is free for students qualifying for the free/reduced priced program.

Lunch may be purchased at school for $2.75. Milk may also be purchased during lunch for $0.55. You may pay for lunch in advance and use them as you like. This is encouraged as it avoids “lost” or “forgotten” monies. Checks/cash (payable to Nantucket Elementary Cafeteria) will be accepted in the school’s cafeteria or Meal Pay Plus offers you a convenient, easy, and secure way to make prepayments using your bank account or your Visa or MasterCard. Visit mealpayplus.com for more information and registration.

Application forms for free or reduced lunches need to be filled out online at the beginning of the school year. Families may qualify according to the federal income eligibility guidelines. All applications are kept confidential and are accepted at any time during the school year.

Health Room News

Greetings from the Health Room!

Welcome back! Nurse Lauren and Mrs. Gina are excited to be back at Nantucket! Nurse Lauren splits her time with another local elementary school but is accessible by email nurse3282@aacps.org . Mrs. Gina, our Health Assistant will be here to care for our day-to-day needs. Our phone number is (410) 451-6135.

If your child requires medication during the school day, or for emergency purposes, please remember to have the student's doctor complete the Parent Request to Administer Medication at School form. A copy of the form can be found here. If you have a student with other healthcare needs or you have any questions, please reach out to our Nurse Lauren via email. Please check your student's take-home folder, we may be sending things home that may require your signature and need to be returned. Please remember that students may not carry medications at school without express consent from the health room. Medication drop-offs need to be an adult-to-adult transfer, please have a trusted adult bring the medication to the health room.

Be sure to send an extra set of clothes for your child to be kept in their locker. This helps ensure a quick return to class for students of any age. Spills, trips, and mishaps happen! Please help us and your student be prepared to face life's unexpected challenges.

Birthdays at Nantucket

Nantucket Elementary recognizes that birthdays are a special day for our students. In order to maintain a safe environment for all of our students, food items WILL NOT be accepted to distribute to classmates. Parents may send in small non-food treats to be distributed to students at the end of the day. Thank you for your cooperation in keeping all of our students safe at Nantucket Elementary.

Additionally, please note that teachers and staff are unable to participate in distributing communications/invitations or email addresses related to birthday celebrations. All planning for birthdays needs to happen outside of school so that it does not take away from the purpose of instruction.

Recess Happens Daily

All students participate in 30 minutes of recess daily. Please make sure your children come dressed appropriately for the weather. If the temperature is 32 degrees or below or if the wind chill makes it feel 32 degrees or below, the students will not go outside for recess. If the weather dictates indoor recess, students will participate in 30 minutes of indoor recess in their classrooms.

During recess, students are not permitted to engage in any form of tag-like game playing or football playing. These games tend to lead to misunderstandings that result in big emotions.

School Attendance

Regular school attendance is very important to your child’s academic progress and success in school. Please try to schedule dental/medical appointments and other commitments for after school hours whenever possible. Please read the Attendance Section in our Family Handbook for more information regarding Attendance.

At our Attendance Committee Meeting in November, the committee discussed all students who have 6 or more cumulative lawful and unlawful absences and 12 or more tardies and/or early dismissals.

Chronic absenteeism includes students who miss 10% or more of enrolled instructional days. AACPS recognizes a direct correlation between attendance and other academic measures, including grades and state test scores, so monitoring, communicating, and supporting families is necessary for improvement. Even if your student has had lawful absences and you have provided doctor's notes, you may be contacted about your child's chronic absenteeism.