Aviator Updates
SY23 CWFDES FAMILY ISSUE #7
B WEEK: October 10-14
Hello Aviator Families!
I want to extend an enormous THANK YOU to all of you who filled out the "Parent/Guardian Home-School Connection Survey" that I emailed last week. Our instructional leadership team has dug through the results and are finalizing our school improvement plan with your feedback in mind.
Here are a few tweaks we are making up front:
- The Aviator Update will be sent on Sunday (rather than Monday morning) to give you time to look it over and plan for the week ahead.
- The email with the Aviator Update link will have a bulleted summary of highlights from the update.
- All new info will be on top of the update, followed by "old" (but still pertinent) information.
- Each Aviator Update will include a calendar with notable dates (rather than the list).
- Parents/Guardians will receive text message reminders about 2-HR Early Release Days, Spirit Days, etc. Information on how to sign up for text message alerts is below.
- The previous week of the Duke Morning News will now be available to view in the Aviator Update.
- Many of you requested more volunteer opportunities; you will find more information on that below.
I can't tell you how much I appreciate the time you took to fill out the survey and for all the positive feedback; I'm on Cloud 9! There were a few comments that I would have liked to reach out about, but because the survey was anonymous, I'm inviting you to contact me or Mr. Adams directly if you have any questions/concerns.
Kindly,
Ms. Katie Kortokrax, Principal
Calling all volunteers!
If you are interested in working weekly with students in grades K -2, please complete this quick survey. We are looking for volunteers to work with pairs of students or individual students. You will work with students on reading and writing trick words, reading decodable text, counting, or practicing Math concepts.
If you have questions please contact Kim Gray at kmgray@smcps.orgOnline Federal Impact Aid Forms
SMCPS receives federal grant funds to operate and maintain our schools for federally-connected students. To receive these federal funds, the United States Department of Education (USDE) requires the school system to survey each student.
Online Federal Impact Aid Forms are now available through your student’s Home Access Center (HAC). Once logged in, directions to access the online form can be found HERE. A video with instructions is available HERE. The form can now be accessed in Spanish by clicking on the Globe in the top right-hand corner once the form has been started. The deadline for the online submission of Federal Impact Aid Survey forms is November 14, 2022. For more guidance on how to access the Federal Impact Aid Survey, please visit here.
Thank you for your ongoing support of our school!
Online Emergency Information Update
Online Emergency Information Update Forms are now available through your student’s Home Access Center (HAC).
The deadline for the online submission of Emergency Information Update forms is October 31, 2022. Select the link for the Blank Emergency Form.
Thank you for completing this important action item as soon as possible. Effective communication is critical to the success of St. Mary’s County Public Schools (SMCPS)!
Unity Day - Wednesday, October 19, 2022
The key message of this day is to unite for kindness, courage, and inclusion in order to prevent students from being bullied.
Duke Elementary - The best place to work, learn and play.
Stem For All (5th Grade)
Mark Your Calendars. Duke Spirit Night @ MOD Pizza on Monday 10/24.
SPOOK-tacular Donut Bar
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0b4fa9ac2cabfc1-spooktacular
Duke Elementary - Where Children SOAR!
Primary Fridge of Fame Recipients
Intermediate Fridge of Fame Recipients
Cafeteria Corner
Meal Benefit Application
My School Bucks
School Menu
Check our Nutrislice Webpage to:
- View Helpful nutrition info
- Download our FREE mobile app!
- Menus may be subject to change due to supply shortages.
NEW! Menu Changes
Due to supply chain issues, menu changes occur. We recognize that the decision to bring lunch from home or purchase lunch from school is often dependent on the menu.
[Current] Lunch Changes for this week:
- 10/10 ~ 10/11 Turkey sandwiches will be served instead of the Hummus Turkey Wraps, If/when Turkey sandwiches are sold out, we will serve Turkey Ham sandwiches.
Is Your Schoology Parent Portal Set Up Yet?
If you have NOT YET navigated to the Schoology Parent Portal, PLEASE make this your school support goal. Staff and administration will be utilizing Schoology for communication with families. If you do not know how to get logged into Schoology, this simple guide could get you started!
Joke of the Week
October 10th was such a great day! A real "10/10".
Do you have a joke that you'd like featured in the weekly update? Click here to submit it!
Helpful Links
PTA Membership Link: We love our PTA. Members can be as involved (or not involved) as they would like. We appreciate any support you can offer; click here to sign up!
Register to be a Volunteer: New for the 2022-23 school year. Volunteers must apply annually for approval. Vetting of applications can take several weeks. Field trip chaperones must have successfully completed the volunteer application process before they can be considered.
Here Comes the Bus App: This application allows parents, guardians and students to receive push notifications and email notifications for when their student’s bus approaches their bus stop.
CWFDES Absence Reporting: Click here to report absences to ensure they are marked lawful.
MySchoolBucks: MySchoolBucks is an online payment service that provides a convenient way for parents/guardians to pay for school-related purchases by using their credit/debit card or electronic check.Captain Walter Francis Duke Elementary
We welcome your questions and inquiries. Please call 240-309-4658, refer to the SMCPS Back to School website, or our CWFDES website for additional information.
Katie Kortokrax, Principal
Zach Adams, Assistant Principal
Email: klkortokrax@smcps.org
Website: https://schools.smcps.org/cwfdes/
Location: 23595 Hayden Farm Lane, Leonardtown, MD 20650
Phone: (240) 309-4658
Twitter: @CWFDES_SMCPS