Before we jump into January, please join me in reflecting on the delightful activities December brought to all of us. Some are pictured below, but there were so many more in this wonderfully magical month! Many thanks to all our staff & community partners who made all of this "wonderfulness" possible for all our students! 🐼❤

January's Wellness theme is EMPATHY. Throughout the month, we will engage our students in learning about and practicing empathy in their classroom, our school, and our community. You may wonder, why we need to teach and foster empathy to all the students in our school?

Here FOUR reasons!

1. Empathy builds community in each classroom & throughout the school
2. Empathy promotes considering others & taking selfless action
3. Empathy helps children build resilience
4. Emathy positively impacts student achievement

If you want to learn about how you can foster empathy in your child, visit this family-centered website, or this video. Thank you for joining us in our quest to create a kinder, more empathetic school and world!

Panda Love to all!

Mrs. Schou

"The magic in new beginnings is truly the most powerful of all"

-Josiyah Martin

Jan. 3: Schools Reopen

Jan 4: Glee Club

Jan. 9: Guitar Ensemble & Drama Club

Jan. 11: Glee Club

Jan. 12: Steel Pan Band

Jan. 16: Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration: Schools and Ofices closed

Jan. 18: Glee Club

Jan. 19: 6:30 Polar PANDAmonium Winter Concert & Celebration of Learning

Jan. 24: Ms. Colvin & Ms. Peck classes to ELMS

Jan. 25: Ms. Buckler's class to ELMS

Jan. 25: 3:30: Glee Club

Jan. 26: 5th Grade to Science Center

Jan. 26: 2:00-3:00: 3rd Grade Fossil Gallery

Jan. 26: Steel Pan Band

Jan. 27: Professional Day: No school for students

End of 2nd Marking Period

Jan. 31: 4:30: Literacy Tertulia

Feb. 7: Report Card Distribution

Remember, every Wednesday is Wellness Wednesday!

Free & Reduced School Lunch Program

The meal benefits that allowed us to provide free meals to students regardless of income status has ended. Free and reduced-price meals are still available, but families must submit an application for this benefit.

There are many additional benefits of submitting a meal application form. These perks include waivers on college applications, dual-enrollment courses with the College of Southern Maryland, and discounted fees to participate in St. Mary’s County Parks and Rec programs. Families can request more information by contacting SMCPS' Food and Nutrition Services Office at 301.475.4256, Option 5, or via email at foodservice@smcps.org.

SMCPS Schoology Google Site

Schoology has a Mobile App!

Directions to Log Into the Schoology Mobile App.

Any new families that did not receive the notification about their Schoology Parent Account should email schoology@smcps.org so we can have our SMCPS Schoology Team investigate and provide answers.

New for 22-23: Volunteers must apply annually for approval.

Applications are accepted until May 1st. There is no application fee.

Vetting of applications can take several weeks. Field trip chaperones must have successfully completed the volunteer application process before they can be considered.

Select the link apply: School Volunteer Portal.

Join our team! Select this link for more information.

• SMCPS has multiple positions available to support our students and staff, including full-time and part-time positions in various areas. Employment opportunities can be found on the SMCPS website: https://www.smcps.org/hr/employment-opportunities

• The Abacus Corporation provides part-time/temporary positions to support SMCPS as well. Various positions are also available through the Abacus Corporation and can be found on their website: https://www.abacuscorporation.com/find-jobs

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