Mariner News
Matapeake Elementary School
October Newsletter
MES Vision
Matapeake Elementary School students will graduate with the skills necessary to pursue their professional pathway and be empathetic contributors to society.
MES Mission
The mission of Matapeake Elementary School, in partnership with families and community members, fosters a learning environment to educate and empower students academically, socially, and emotionally to prepare them for career, college and life success.
Principal's Corner
Dear MES families,
Our MES students are thriving since they have been back in school! I have been so impressed with the level of engagement on the part of our students, staff and parents; we are so appreciative of our families for being supportive and involved at EVERY level. Our MES community is so phenomenal!!
Happy FALL! We hope you all are staying dry this weekend and enjoying the temperatures that fall brings to our region:) Please remember that with fall and cooler temperatures comes our allergy and cold season. Don't forget to send your children with a coat or sweatshirt for the change in weather.
I am very pleased to report we have over 50 students in fifth grade that will be participating in band this year. This is an excellent opportunity for children to get involved in some aspect of school. Thank you to Mr. Buie for coordinating the task of teaching our children how to play instruments. I look forward to the concert on December 14th.
If your family is in need of before or after care for K-5 students and you would like to explore an Alphabest scholarship, please contact me at carrie.mitten@qacps.org. I will pass on the names received to the Alphabest director. For more information on the program, please go to alphabest.org/queenannecountymd or contact Brenda Kimble at bkimble@alphabest.org.
Finally, we want to remind everyone of our School Store fundraiser! This fundraiser has been done at MES for years and it allows our families to email their friends and other family members to help support our school. The recipient of the email can choose how to support; Donate a gift card directly to the classroom teacher (100% of the donation goes to the teacher), order products like magazine subscriptions ( a portion of that goes to the school), or buy products from select stores online through the website (a portion of that goes to the school). Students earn points towards prizes for gift card donations and purchased subscriptions. We want to thank all of our families for their generous support.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions! MES is the BEST!! Have an amazing weekend!
Sincerely,
Carrie L. Mitten, Principal
Dates to Remember
- School Custodian Appreciation Day
October 4, 2022
- Band Begins
October 6, 2022
- 2nd Grade Field Trip
October 7, 2022
- Drop, Cover & Hold Drill
- QAC Health Department - Flu Mist for Students
October 11, 2022
- Mid Trimester Reports Go Home
October 12, 2022
- Fire Drill
October 14, 2022
- Bus Evacuation Drill
- 5th Grade Field Trip
October 19, 2022
- Kindergarten Field Trip
- Shelter in Place Drill
October 21, 2022
- No School - Professional Development Day
October 27, 2022
- Star Student during Lunches
October 28, 2022
- Halloween Parade & Parties 2:00
- All family members planning on attending must complete the Volunteer Training.
See Mrs. White's Corner
October 31, 2022
- No School - Conference Prep
Mrs. White's - Assistant Principal Corner
Hello! We had had a wonderful start to the school year. One of my roles as Assistant Principal is coordinating volunteers for different activities outside of the classroom. It is important that you complete the Volunteer Training and submit the form on slide 20. We are looking for volunteers to help with lunch duty. Our lunches begin at 10:30 and end at 12:45. You do not need to stay the whole time. Your responsibilities would include opening up items and monitoring students as they enjoy their lunch time. There will always be two staff members on duty with you. The other activity available right now is School Store, we open the store on Fridays and could always use a few extra hands. Please reach out to me with any questions you may have.
Ms. Osborne's - Reading Corner
Mrs. Herold's - Math Corner
I am so excited to be MES’ math specialist! It has been great getting to know all of the kids and helping them love math!
We are thrilled at Matapeake to have First in Math for grades 1-5 again this year! We received a generous donation from the Jacob Sloan Foundation to offer this research-based program for our students. First in Math promotes fact fluency and computation skills through motivating, game-based practice. Students will be playing First in Math in their classrooms and in the Computer Lab each week. Students can also play at home! You can play by going to www.firstinmath.com and logging in using your child's 5 digit computer Id and computer password. (First grade uses their initials as their password.) If you need this information, just let me or your child's teacher know. We have already solved over 79,257 problems as a school in just a short time!
We had over 100 students that turned in their summer math participation form. We had a great celebration with popsicles and stamp sheets. We have smart math students at MES!
Mrs. Moller's - Counselors Corner
We are off to a great start at MES! We will once again implement the Zones of Regulation curriculum to address the social-emotional needs of our students. The lessons are designed to raise awareness of the spectrum of emotions, develop strategies to handle each zone, and heighten knowledge of the impact of individual behavior on others. The zones each have a different color and are:
Red - angry, mad
Yellow - frustrated ,upset
Blue - sad
Green - happy
The staff at MES will regularly conduct SEL check-ins to maintain constant connection with the emotional needs of each student. This is an essential component of the learning process, and vital to the growth of each child. Please continue to reach out to us to help with any social-emotional need your child may have. An issue of concern to you, is a concern for us!
What is Happening in the Classrooms?
PK News
Wow! What a great first couple weeks of school! Mrs. McGowan's friends have been working hard to learn the rules and routines of school. We have been learning all about who we are and how we are the same and different. In math we have been learning about sorting. Our pre-k students have learned how to sort by color, shape and size. Sorting is a skill you can continue to practice at home with your child! Soon we will begin learning about feelings and counting to 10. When reading with your child make sure to ask them the job of the author and illustrator. We have been working on that daily. I am so proud of the progress our young learners have already made so far, as they adjust to coming to school full day for the first time.
K News
Kindergarten is off to a great start! We have spent the last month learning about our school, rules, routines, and getting to know new friends. Thank you for all the supplies to help start our year off on the right foot.
October brings more fun and learning. In reading we will be reading stories about tools, shapes, bugs, and pumpkins. In mathematics we will continue counting objects and writing the number in each group, as well as comparing numbers. October also brings our first field trip to Wicked R. Ranch. We will get a chance to see animals on the farm and learn about how they are taken care of. Keep an eye out for the field trip permission slip to come home soon. If you are interested in becoming a chaperone please complete the volunteer training on the MES website. We will also have our Halloween parade and socials. Be on the lookout for more information when it gets closer.
1st Grade News
First grade has been busy establishing routines, getting to know one another, and making new friends! We are practicing our reading and writing our letters. We are learning new addition strategies to build our fact fluency. We have begun talking about the zones of regulation and different ways we can talk about how we feel on the inside.
2nd Grade News
Second grade is off to a great start! It has been wonderful getting to know the children and their families. In math, we have started a new curriculum called iReady. The first unit focuses on using various strategies to add and subtract numbers to 20. We have also graciously been gifted First In Math from the Jake Sloan Foundation. Your child should have their username and password. This is a wonderful homework activity to add to their nightly reading routine. In class, we have also started our Wonders reading program. We will continue to read stories and discuss characters, setting and plot through various written response activities. Looking ahead, we are excited for our field trip to Adkins Arboretum on October 6th. Thank you for your support as we embark on the best year ever!
3rd Grade News
The third-grade students have had an amazing start to their school year! We are so thankful to have a group of kids so excited to learn. During our reading and science blocks, we will be starting our unit on inventors and inventions. We will read a variety of informational texts to investigate the questions; what does it take to solve a problem and how can problem-solving lead to new ideas? This month we will be continuing our first math unit where we use 3-digit numbers to practice place value, addition, and subtraction. Students are already impressing us with their ability to use a variety of strategies to represent math equations; including using place value blocks, number lines, partial products, and their favorite, standard algorithm.
4th Grade News
We are having a great start to the school year in 4th grade! During the month of October, 4th grade will be focusing on rounding, addition and subtraction skills in math class. In reading we will also be working on identifying important elements of the plot in fictional stories and summarizing them. We will also focus on comparing and contrasting important ideas found in informational texts. Science classes have been busy working through the engineering design process and will soon get into animal structure and function. In social studies students are exploring map skills and will soon dive into learning the differences between primary and secondary sources. We are also getting excited for our service learning project! We will be collecting food for our food drive! More information to follow soon.
5th Grade News
Fifth grade is full swing at MES! In Reading and Writing students are comparing and contrasting texts and answering questions using text evidence in the form of direct quotes and paraphrases. In Math, students are using the formula for volume (L x W x H = V) to determine the volume of regular and irregular rectangular prisms. Students have been applying math concepts to their Science units to solve real world problems and are learning about World Geography and early American colonization in Social Studies.
Mr. Buie's - Music Corner
Mr. Ensor's - PE Corner
It has been a great start to the school year. Students are getting in a rhythm and routine in class. K-2 class will continue to develop chasing and fleeing skills through tag games and begin their initial work on throwing. Grades 3-5 are finishing strategy tag games and will move into throwing over the coming months.
If any families have lightly used tennis shoes (especially ones that are velcro) that they are willing to donate, I'd like to add some pairs to the used shoe cart for students who forget to wear the correct shoes on PE days. Thank you and keep moving!
Mrs. Francis' - Art Corner
Students are off to a wonderful start in art this year! They have been busy creating sketchbook covers and working hard on our Art to Remember fundraiser artworks.
Kindergarten and first graders have also been busy with collaborative paintings. They started by painting simple circles on a large piece of paper and added layers of circles around, small and large circles and details to fill the team paintings.
Second grade through fifth grade have been looking closely at sketching animals. With the sketch, students have added color in unconventional ways such as using the side of an unwrapped crayon to color and overlap to achieve color blends.
Keep an eye out for the Art to Remember flyers which will be going home with information about the art fundraiser toward the end of October.
Mrs. Clow's - Media Corner
Coming soon is our big Conflict Resolution Bookmark Contest. This contest is statewide and Queen Anne's County Public Schools have swept the awards 3 years in a row! Stay tuned!
Ms. Dailey's - Computer Lab Corner
Welcome back and as always thank you for sharing your wonderful children with me. This is my 15th year at MES in the computer lab and I am proud of the work I see on a daily basis!
Grades 2-5, our weekly focus is on keyboarding skills. Please have them practice 10-15 minutes a day at home. 15-20 minutes once a week is just not enough! They use www.typingclub.com and or www.typing.com. Talk to them, watch them, type with them~it’s a lifelong skill. I know many of you use computers and keyboards in your daily life, let them watch you and including them, may just be the conversation some need to give up the “hunt and peck” method.
PreK, K and 1st are learning parts of the computer, with emphasis on the mouse! We have 29 desktop computers in the lab and for many this is the first time a mouse is being used. Just learning to “left click” is a challenge. Any home help you can give would be appreciated.
First in Math is back, thanks to the Jacob Sloan Foundation and their generous payment for the program for each and every student 1st through 5th. Students play in the lab with focus each week on a different skill.
We have the first few weeks behind us, kids are comfortable with our routines and happy to be back together. So am I.
Arrival & Dismissal Procedures
Morning Car Drop Offs
Student safety is always an ongoing concern of our school community. Please follow the following procedures as you drop your child off for school in the morning.
Please do not drop off students until the buses begin unloading as there is no supervision of students at school until 8:55 a.m.
When you enter the parking lot, please keep to the right and follow the cones around the parking lot.
Proceed through the lot to the drop off zone next to the center sidewalk. This is the area between the concrete barriers and the sidewalk.
Please pull forward as far as possible, drop off your child and continue out to the parking lot exit.
Staff members will monitor this area to help facilitate our students’ safe arrival.
To further expedite the process, make sure your child is ready to get out of the car and they have all their belongings organized so that the drop off does not take additional time while students gather their belongings.
If you arrive after 9:10 a.m. on a regular day or after 10:45 a.m. on a delayed opening and the front doors to the school are closed, you will need to park your vehicle and escort your child to the office to sign him or her in. Students are considered tardy if they arrive after these designated times. Parking is not allowed along the curbing in the parking lot. Please park vehicles in designated spaces in the parking lot. Please do not drop students off in the bus loop.
Dismissal
You must have valid photo identification in order to pick-up a student. Your name must be listed as the person picking up the child.
Staff will be at the exterior cafeteria doors beginning at 3:45 pm.
Pick-up persons will present their photo ID to sign out students at the exterior door to the cafeteria.
Students who are car riders will be seated in the cafeteria. As adults are verified, students will be sent to the second exterior cafeteria door and released to their families.
Adults are encouraged to park in the closest middle school parking lot for efficient access to the cafeteria.
AlphaBest - Before/After Care at MES
Matapeake Elementary School
Cafeteria/Gym
Hours: 6:30-9:00 am and 3:45-6:00 pm
Pricing per week per child:
3 Day Package
3 days AM and PM $68
3 days AM OR PM $54
5 Day Package
5 days AM and PM $98
5 days AM OR PM $68
PTA News
Parent Teacher Association
Join Today! PTA Membership Form
The Matapeake Elementary School PTA is seeking the support of community members, caregivers, parents, and family to make this an exciting and enriching school year for our children.
Our PTA supports critical academic needs, is an active voice on decisions that impact our children’s health, safety, and quality of education, and builds a stronger, more inclusive school community.
We can do more together! By joining our PTA and increasing our membership, even by one, you will help to make it possible to do activities for our children, the teachers/staff, and our school community for example:
· Students – Assist students in need, Scholastic Magazine Subscriptions, Special Friend/Student Events, Book Fair, 5k, Bag Bingo, 5th Grade Graduation and more
· Teachers and Staff - Back to School Lunch, Teacher Appreciation Week, Supplies and more
· School Community- Giving Trees and more
Joining is Easy! It will take you just a few minutes. You can join by completing the attached form and returning the form with your dues to school.
We hope you can make it!
Our first General Meeting was held at Back to School Night where our budget was approved.
Executive Team Meetings -
General Membership Meeting -
MES PTA Officers
2022-2023
President
Amber Bowles
443-336-5483
1st Vice President
Jennifer Parks
716-713-9257
2nd Vice President
Veronica Beck
443-988-1706
Secretary
Heather Sowells
(301)-467-5630
Treasurer
Julia Connelly
410-251-7854
Teacher Liaison
Brayden Buie
Matapeake Elementary School
Email: carrie.mitten@qacps.org
Website: https://www.qacps.org/Domain/124
Location: 651 Romancoke Road, Stevensville, MD, USA
Phone: 410-643-3105
Facebook: facebook.com/MatapeakeElementaryPTA