NEWSLETTER #1 301-599-2442 Www1.Pgcps.Org/Mattaponi August 28, 2015

NEWSLETTER #1 301-599-2442 www1.pgcps.org/mattaponi August 28, 2015

WE LOOK AHEAD

September 2015

1 Back-to-School NightK - 2nd 6:00 – 7:15 p.m. and 3rd - 5th 7:30 – 8:45 p.m.

7 Schools Closed -Labor Day Holiday

8 PTO Meeting 6:15 p.m.

11 PTO Back-to-School Dance

14 Schools Closed -Rosh Hashanah Holiday

October 2015

2 Schools Closed - Professional Development Day

16 Schools Closed - MSEA Convention

30 2 Hour Early Dismissal – Professional Development Day

PRINCIPAL’S CORNER

Dr. Janice P. Hay, Principal

Welcome to the 2015 - 2016 School Year!

As we embark on a new school year, I am anticipating a year filled with academic rigor and rewarding experiences for children. Prince George’s County Public Schools has fully implemented the Common Core State Standards, which were developed to prepare students for success in colleges and careers, and to include content that is relevant to the real world in order for students to compete in a global economy. Parents, please remember that we all have a role to play in the success of our students. I am asking parents for their support to ensure that:

Students show respect and are courteous to adults and peers at all times.
Students come to school on time every day with homework completed and the needed supplies.
Students follow rules and procedures in the classroom, lunchroom, hallways, Main Office, PE/Music, school bus, on field trips, recess, and at arrival/dismissal times.
Students adhere to the Mandatory Uniform Policy.
Students give their best effort each day.
Students and parents keep in close communication with teachers, so that little problems don’t escalate into big problems (the Agenda Book and emailing are excellent communication tools between home and school).
Students have money to buy lunch or bring their lunch each day. (No sodas or food sharing in the school cafeteria.)
Students eat a healthy breakfast and get enough rest before starting each school day.
Students share graded work, bulletins, notices, and other information with parents/guardians daily.
Students read independently or with someone 20-30 minutes each evening. The research supports the benefits of this practice!

We only have one chance to provide the best possible education for each child. With your help, I am confident that “we” can get the job done. I would like to thank you for entrusting the education of your child to the staff at Mattaponi Elementary School.

Last, I would like to commend the custodians, cafeteria workers, secretaries, our nurse, aides, teachers and administrative team for their expertise and professionalism demonstrated in ensuring a smooth school opening on August 25, 2015. It was a fun and exciting first day at school!

Points of Light’s 911 National Day of Service

On September 11, 2001, our country was forever changed. This day is earmarked as a national day of service to honor the first responders, civilians, and service men and women who selflessly served to protect the citizens of this great nation on that day in 2001 and in the aftermath. To this day our service members, veterans and their families continue to traverse this world to protect the civil liberties that our nation promised. These men and women look fear in the eye and accept their positions graciously as they serve their country. These individuals not only deserve our highest form of appreciation but also a special day to remember the tragedy, celebrate the triumph, and recognize the heroism and sacrifice of America's veterans and their families.

We would like to extend an invitation to your students to attend Points of Light’s 911 National Day of Service and Remembrance event onFriday, September 11, 2015 from 8:00 am – 12:00 pm

at Lafayette Park on the National Mall, Washington, DC.

For additional information, feel free to contact JanaiaDeSheilds at 202-729-8276 or by email .

Student Attendance Policy

School achievement begins with regular attendance. Parents/guardians must ensure that all school-age children in their care are in school on time daily. Whenever absent from school, parents/guardians must provide the child with a written note upon their return to school. The following are considered lawful absences; death in the immediate family; hazardous weather conditions; illness of the student; lack of authorized transportation; quarantine; court summons or other emergency approved by the Chief Executive Officer or his designee. Once your child returns to school with an excused absence note, he/she will receive their missed classwork and assignments. Please remember, regular, punctual attendance is one of the many key factors that determines a students’ success in school!

Student school hours are 7:45 am - 1:55 pm. No students are to enter the building until 7:30 am. Please do not drop your child off until you see a staff member on duty in the kiss-n-ride. If you are picking up your child after school as a car rider, you must be here no later than 2:00 pm. Thank you for your cooperation.

How to Contact a Staff Member

Mattaponi’s school office hours are 7:15 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Teachers are available for phone calls from 7:15 a.m. - 7:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. Calls will be sent directly to voicemail during instructional time and staff members are asked to return phone calls within 24 - 48 hours, if possible. All conferences must be scheduled with teachers before coming to the school to discuss your child’s academic program or any issues that may need to be resolved. Thank you for your understanding.

School Security and Student Safety

Please help us keep our students and school safe at all times by entering only through the front door, signing in at the front office with your ID and wearing a visitor’s sticker at all times while on school property. In addition, parents/students/visitors should not be in classrooms unless a teacher is present. Items needing to be dropped off should be left in the office. Please note: Neither students or parents are permitted to enter classrooms before 7:30 a.m. or after 1:55 p.m. Children are reminded to take all necessary supplies home to complete assignments. Each student is allowed ample time to gather all belongings at the end of the school day. Forgotten items will have to be retrieved the next day. This policy was implemented to ensure the safety of our students, as they must be under adult supervision at all times. We appreciate your cooperation with complying with this policy.

Dismissal Policy

Students are expected to complete a full day of school, and the instructional day ends at approximately 1:50 p.m. to ensure a prompt dismissal at 1:55 p.m. Please allow your child(ren) to remain in class for the entire day. Early dismissal to facilitate parent convenience not only disrupts the class, but also deprives the student of valuable instruction. Also, parents are encouraged to make medical appointments after school hours. When an early departure is necessary, a note indicating the time, date, and reason for departure must be presented to the teacher at the beginning of the school day. This enables the teacher to provide the student with any homework or class assignments that should be completed. To ensure a safe, orderly and efficient dismissal process, we have made several changes to our dismissal policy. Parents are not allowed to sign our their child(ren) for early dismissal after 1:40 p.m. Parents who need to pick up their child(ren) must do so before this time. We will not remove students from school buses once dismissal has begun. This is an unsafe practice and interrupts the bus schedules for our school and all subsequent schools serviced by our busses.

Lunch Accounts

The cost for lunch is $2.75 and $1.60 for breakfast. If a student does not have lunch money, the cafeteria will provide a cheese sandwich and a drink. Parents may pre-pay for school meals and monitor account balances at

Free and Reduced Lunch Applications are Online

ApplyforLunch is an easy and convenient way for parents and guardians to submit applications for school meal benefits online. Please visit to get started.

PTO Corner – Mrs. Spencer, President

Greetings fromthe Mattaponi Parent Teacher Organization(PTO) Board. We would like to extend warm greetings to our new families and a huge welcome back to our returning families.The mission of the Mattaponi PTO is toestablish and nurture a close relationship between the parents, teachers and students by advancing opportunities in our school. We sponsor assistance to our teachers in classroom settings, raise funds for supplemental educational materials and experiences, and provide a non-biased forum for sharing information on issues that impact our children. We are kicking off the school year with a membership drive!! Families can join at anytime, however the first classroom to reach 100% membership will have a special treat from the PTO! There will be a table set up at Back To School night where your families can join.Membership is $10 per family, CASH only please!Our first PTO meeting of the school year will be heldTuesday, September 8th, from6:15pm- 7:15pm.We look forward to you all coming out to be apart of the exciting events happening all school year long! Together we can make a difference!

Feel free to contact us . We welcome all questions and suggestions!

The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor. ~ Vince Lombardi