Piney Point Weekly
Week of October 3 - 7, 2022
Important Dates
Monday, October 3 - First grade field trip to Elms- Hepp & Schroyer (CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER, will be rescheduled)
Tuesday, October 4 - First Grade field trip to Elms - Bersell & Tavel
Wellness Information
Your health is important! As members of our Piney Point community, you need to take care of yourself before you can take care of others. Here are some helpful tips to work on being mentally and physically healthy.
You and your student should be eating healthy. This article lists ideas for lunches that are easy to prepare and kids can pack for themselves. Take some inspiration for your own meals as well!
Teach your students healthy habits early on in life. Whether this looks like less screen time, or more time to enjoy a good book, it's a great idea to start these great habits as soon as you can. This article shares ideas for staying mentally and physically healthy.
As we enter the Fall season, we are welcomed by pumpkin spice and cooler weather. If you can, find some time to get outside and enjoy the colorful leaves and the smell of a bonfire. For some, Fall can be a stressful time of the year and it can be difficult to stay positive despite all of the festivities. If you can relate, check out this article which has helpful tips about staying positive.
October is breast cancer awareness month. Now is a great time to ask your doctor when you should get a mammogram. According to the CDC, other than skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women. Mammograms are the best way to find breast cancer early, when it is easier to treat and before it is big enough to feel or cause symptoms. For more information, please visit the following websites.
Picture Day
Fall Picture Day is Wednesday, October 12th. Your student should
have brought a picture order form home with them. You may pre-order
your pictures by following the directions on the order form, or you can
send the order form and money in with your student on the day of
pictures. Each student will have their picture taken for the yearbook,
regardless of whether you order the pictures or not.
Art to Remember
Math Night - November 7
Mark your calendar for this fun filled learning night.
Counselor's Corner
Hello Piney Point Families,
How is October already here?! We have a lot going on this month. A new character trait (Responsibility), Unity Day (10/19 wear orange), and Red Ribbon Week (10/24-10/28). Click below for links for these special events:
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at kcwells@smcps.org or 301-994-2205 (ext. 24120).
Nominations for Cafeteria Workers
SMCPS is seeking nominations to recognize our school cafeteria workers from our parents and staff.
There is no deadline to submit a nomination. Nominations will be pulled each month to pass along our Golden Spatula Award to our cafeteria staff.
Health Office: Vision and Hearing Screenings
PTA Updates
October 3rd - Bag Bingo Donations due! When you’re out shopping, consider picking up an item or two from our list. We need these donations to fill our bingo bags. You can shop for your student’s list or for other lists. Below is the list of class themes.
October 4th - Mum order pick-up 4:30-6:00p.m. - PPES parking lot
October 8th - Registration is open for our Annual Bag Bingo! PPES families get first chance at reserving seats. To reserve a seat, you must purchase a game book for $30. Additional game books are $5 each, and will be available at the door. The Bingo is on October 8th at the Valley Lee Firehouse. Please arrive by 4:30 PM to claim your reserved seats. Bingo starts at 5 PM. Walk-ins are welcome but we are limited to 200 seats. https://forms.gle/vqaSPUT2qCDUkq3k7
October 10th - Five Guys SPIRIT night (5pm-9pm)
October 21st - Save the date - Trunk or Treat
Technology acceptable usage policy
Elementary Link: https://bit.ly/22022-2023_Elementary_AUPForm
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
School Volunteers
School Nurse Updates
The health and safety of our students and staff remain a top priority of St. Mary’s County Public Schools (SMCPS). We continue to work collaboratively with the St. Mary’s County Health Department (SMCHD) and we follow the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to protect our school community.
Preventing the Spread of Infection
Health Room
Medication Administration
Medications occasionally need to be administered to students by our nurse during the school day. Students can not transport medication of any kind to school including over the counter medications. All medication must be brought to school by a parent, guardian, or other authorized adult. Please call the school nurse if you have any questions.
My School Bucks
All students in SMCPS have been issued classroom and technology resources.* These resources may include:
Textbooks
Novels
Library Books
Laptops
Chargers
Consumables
Content/Class specific resources not mentioned above
When an SMCPS resource is lost, the student is charged the replacement cost specific to that item. When a laptop is damaged (either partially or completely), the repair or replacement cost is as shown in the SMCPS Student Device and Resource Accountability document. If a student is charged for any reason, payments can now be made through MySchoolBucks. As soon as a fee is assessed in Destiny, a REAL TIME FEE will show in the parent/guardian My School Bucks account. If your family does not already have an account with MySchoolBucks, it is not difficult to create one. Simply go to the MySchoolBucks Help page and click on the “How do I get started” option. Answers to many of your other questions can also be found there. *Please note, you can also still pay with cash or check at your school.
Ready to sign up? Visit this link.
*If you would like to see what your student currently has checked out or any fines that have been assessed, the student can login to their Destiny account.
School Meals
* The U.S. Department of Agriculture waivers that permitted distribution of free meals in school and via take-home meals have not been extended into School Year 2022-2023.
While meals are not free for all students, we are still offering the free and reduced meal program based on the status determined from the meal benefit application. Students who qualify based on income or direct certification will still receive free or reduced meals this school year. A new application must be submitted for this school year to qualify.
Elementary School Prices:
$1.45 breakfast
$2.75 lunch
- If you completed a meal benefit form last year and qualified for free or reduced meals, your child will continue to receive a free or reduced meal until October 6th. You must complete a new meal benefit form to receive a free or reduced meal for the remainder of the school year.
- For those families that did not complete a meal benefit last year, your child will need to purchase their meals. You can put money on the meal account by visiting myschoolbucks.com.
Schoology App
Bus Stop Locator/Here Comes the Bus app
Students are assigned a bus based on their physical address. If your child is coming to school or going home to another address (like a daycare), it is the parent's responsibility to communicate that information with the office. Please contact Jayne Worch at jdworch@smcps.org. If your child is a returning PPES student, you only need to communicate with the office if the transportation to or from school has changed from last school year.