Aviator Updates
SY23 CWFDES FAMILY ISSUE #18
B WEEK: January 2-6
Greetings Duke Families!
Happy New Year! I hope the winter break provided many opportunities for creating special memories, time with loved ones, and a whole lot of joy and laughter.
As we transition back to school this week, teachers and staff will be providing opportunities for our students to review and practice our schoolwide expectations. Ask your child how they can show service, ownership, accountability and respect in each area of our school (including the bus)!
Please know that we are in the process of hiring a new front office secretary, as Ms. O'Keefe is no longer with us. In the mean time, please send any inquiries to Ms. Toothacker at cctoothacker@smcps.org.
We are all excited to welcome our students back to school on Tuesday. It will be A Great Day to Be an Aviator.
Happy New Year!
Katie Kortokrax
Model United Nations Opportunity for 5th Graders!
The St. Mary's Association of Model United Nations (SMAMUN) has organized an annual MUN conference for over a decade, which has allowed hundreds of students in the county to engage in the field of international affairs as well as with each other.
This year's conference will be held on February 10th and 11th, 2023, and registration is open until January 10th.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Recommendation Letters
Would you or your student like to write a letter of support for either of our CWFDES nominees for the SMCPS titles? If so, please write and submit it to klkortokrax@smcps.org by 5:00 pm on Thursday, January 5.
Thank you!
American Heart Association Kids Heart Challenge
Our American Heart Association Kids Heart Challenge event will kick off on January 9th! All donations will be made online. Students will take part in fun heart healthy activities during the week of February 14 to celebrate their hard work in helping the American Heart Association. The celebration will occur during their scheduled PE time. February 20th will be the last day to raise online donations. Students will receive the wristband and key tag items as they earn them. Any other thank you items (jump ropes, socks etc) will be ordered on or about February 20th and normally ship to our school sometime in March.
We need your help to accomplish our goal of having 100% of our families to know Hands-Only CPR, and you can help us by registering your child and spreading the word.
Here’s how you can help:
Register: CWFDuke Registration
Complete Finn’s Mission: Watch a 2-minute video to know Hands-Only CPR, spot the signs of a stroke and more!
Share with friends and family through social media, text and/or email
Our goal is to have 100% of our students register online and complete Finn’s Mission.
The class that has the most Finn’s Missions complete will get an extra 30 minute PE class.
Student Writing Contest Announced
Submissions will be accepted until January 30th, to ensure pick up by the Feb. 1 deadline. Please have your child turn work into his/her homeroom teacher along with the completed cover sheet. (See below)
Winter Concert
Thank you to all who came out to support our students and our music program!
NEW! Menu Changes
[Current] Lunch Changes for this week:
[Last Week's] Duke Morning News
Stay tuned for this week's Duke's Morning News in next week's update!
CWFDES - Where Children SOAR!
Intermediate Fridge of Fame Recipients
Joke of the Week!
What does a field grow on Jan. 1?
New Year’s hay.
Do you have a joke that you'd like featured in the weekly update? Click here to submit it!
Not receiving text messages from CWFDES on your cell phone? This message is for you!
SMCPS School Messenger system automatically creates distribution lists for emails, text and phone calls based on specific registration information. There are a maximum of 2 contacts that can be set up for this purpose.
If you have questions about which numbers are aligned for your child's emergency notifications, you can check the "Registration" tab in Home Access Center.
Once you have the correct numbers in our Student Contact List, you need to agree to receiving text messages. You can simply text "Y" to 67587.
Attached is a pdf of the SchoolMessenger Text Messaging instructions that were outlined above.
As always, feel free to call us if you have questions.
Helpful Links from Previous Updates
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.Meal Benefit Application: Families must submit an application to receive free or reduced-price lunch.
Interested in Subbing at Duke? You will need to attend a one-day virtual class. Pick one day from the several class dates available. Contact Cindy Toothacker with questions at cctoothacker@smcps.org.
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