Mayo Elementary
October News
Welcome, Fall!
It's the time of year when the weather is cooler and we are looking ahead to the holidays. Please be sure to dress your student appropriately for school. Sneakers are always a safe option for footwear and raincoats with hoods are easier to navigate than an umbrella. Recess is more enjoyable when you have a hat and gloves in the cold weather. Please be sure to label everything with your child's name so we can return it to them if items are misplaced.
As always, safety of our students will be a priority. We are following AACPS protocols, but we need your help to keep all staff and students healthy. Students must wear their masks correctly, covering their nose. Masks should be washed nightly, and please keep a clean spare mask in your student's backpack. Click here for information on what families can do to keep us all healthy, and please be sure to keep your student home if they have any symptoms mentioned here on the AACPS Daily Screening Student Checklist. If you ever have a question, please call the school and ask to speak to the Health Room or email our school nurse, Mrs. Hutzell, at nurse4212@aacps.org.
Sincerely,
Lenora Fox
Principal, Mayo Elementary
You may have noticed new faces in the office!
If your child is absent or has a change in dismissal, please email your child's teacher and copy the office staff, Donna Hardesty dmhardesty@aacps.org and Lise DuFour ldufour@aacps.org.
Parent-Pupil Survey now online
Each year, Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) is eligible to apply for federal Impact Aid grant funds. Impact Aid is a federal formula grant program designed to assist local school districts that enroll federally-connected students. Federally-connected students are children of active duty uniformed services personnel, children who live on federal property or in subsidized federal housing, and children whose parents are employed on eligible federal properties.
AACPS anticipates receiving approximately $2,000,000 in federal funds from the Impact Aid grant. The funds become a part of the school system’s general operating budget and are critical to maintaining high standards for educational excellence.
We need your assistance in identifying students with federal connections to ensure that AACPS can obtain its fair share of funds from this program. Please complete the Federal Impact Aid Parent-Student Survey for your child(ren) online at https://secure.aacps.org/webapps/SEFP/en-US/OOF/Federal. Please be assured that all information provided will be treated confidentially.
If you have any questions, please call Angie Smack in the AACPS Finance Office at 410-222-5200. Information about the Impact Aid Program can be found on the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://oese.ed.gov/offices/office-of-formula-grants/impact-aid-program/.
Picture Day
Halloween Parade
On Friday, October 29th, students may wear their costumes to school, given the following guidelines:
- Students should be able to navigate the school day with ease. For example, if glass slippers are part of the costume, please send your child in tennis shoes instead.
- While all students are required to wear face masks in the building, costume masks may not be worn to and from school or in the classroom. If the costume mask is part of the costume, your student may wear it for the parade.
- All costume props must be safe and align with the Code of Student Conduct. No swords/guns/knives, etc. should come to school, even if they are a costume prop.
- Teachers will not be able to dress students.
We will not be able to welcome outside food and volunteers in the classrooms. Please send your child with their own snack they may eat in their classroom during their designated party time.
Parent Teacher Conferences
If you are not scheduled for an October conference, there are additional conference days in the AACPS calendar for November 22 & 23 and March 7 & 8. Families will have the option to conference via Google Meet or phone.
Brightspace
What is Brightspace?
Brightspace is a learning management system (LMS) that teachers and students use for online teaching and learning. Brightspace is a multimedia environment designed to support all aspects of learning. Features include dynamic learning dashboards where students, families, and teachers can track student engagement and achievement; communication tools to support teacher-student-family connection and interaction; and easy access to lessons, assignments, learning resources, and assessed work/grades. This video provides a helpful explanation, along with this AACPS resource, Brightspace for Families. Additional information will be forthcoming from AACPS regarding Brightspace.
Dismissal
Harvest for the Hungry
From October 1st- November 23, our school will be participating in Harvest for the Hungry. By partnering with the Anne Arundel County Foodbank, AACPS works to donate funds that support the Backpack Buddies program. This program helps to put food into the hands of students and families who need it most. This year, the program will be ALL virtual, so there will be no food donations collected at the school. This link will take you to the site to donate to an awesome cause!
Veterans Day
On Thursday, November 11th Mayo Elementary will celebrate Veterans Day honoring all our Veterans, but especially our families here at Mayo. Students will be watching a virtual program in their classrooms that will also be shared on Brightspace.
During our program we would like to honor any Veteran or Military member from our Mayo families. We would like to recognize them in the video presentation, similar to last year. If you already sent your family Veterans pictures and information, there is no need to send it again. However, if you are NEW to Mayo and if you or a family member are interested, please email Mrs. Brewer their name, a picture in uniform, and job title. Also, please include a sentence or two explaining previous employments, deployments, assignments, or anything regarding their service that seems pertinent.
We look forward to celebrating our heroes on Veterans Day. Please send your information to arbrewer@aacps.org by Monday, November 1st so we have plenty of time to put our program together. I look forward to honoring our Veterans on November 11th. Thank you!
News from the Edgewater Public Library
The Edgewater Public Library can be a great resource for families, so we wanted to share upcoming events for elementary aged kids. There are options to participate either in person or online. Here are a few highlights; these events require registration, which will open 2 weeks before the program:
- Thursday October 7 at 7pm, online: An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe. Poe will be joining us to tell stories and answer questions; a perfect way to get in the spirit of Halloween!
- Saturday October 16 at 11am, online: SERC Science To Go: Plant Defenses. This program will be virtual, but there will be hands-on, interactive elements you can do from home. You can register for the program and then pick up a kit at the library.
- Thursday October 21 at 7pm, at the Edgewater Library: Family STEM night. Join us for a fun evening of experiments about the heart and lungs!
In addition to these upcoming events, the public library also has ongoing services such as homework help and educator resources. We encourage you to explore some of the resources noted above!
Mark your calendar for upcoming important dates
October 1-November 23: Harvest for the Hungry
October 5-6: MCAP gr.4,5 ELA
October 7: MCAP gr.4,5 Math
October 20: 2-hour early dismissal for Teacher PD. Project Unity Day, wear orange
October 21: 2-hour early dismissal. Parent/Teacher Conferences
October 29: Halloween Parade (in-school)
November 8-12: Mayo Book Fair
November 11: Veterans Day
November 11-12: 2-hour early dismissal - End of 1st MP