Veterans Elementary
Newsletter
The Eagle Express
Thurs. Oct.2nd School and Offices Closed
Fri. Oct. 10th Spirit Day~ Power in Pink Day: Wear Pink!
Mon & Tues Oct. 13th & 14th Individual Pictures
Fri. Oct. 17th Schools Closed for Students
Mon. Oct. 20th Schools and Offices Closed
Fri. Oct. 24th PTA Trunk or Treat
Fri. Oct. 24th Spirit Day~ College Day: Wear your favorite college gear
Fri. Oct. 31st Half Day
Dear Veterans Families,
As we welcome October, we’re excited to share some updates and reminders for the weeks ahead. The crisp fall air is here, so please remember to dress your child in layers to keep them comfortable throughout the day.
Looking ahead, parent-teacher conferences will take place November 24th - 26th. Scheduling details will be shared soon so families can plan ahead. In the meantime, you can continue to monitor your child’s progress through Canvas. Please keep in mind that teachers may take up to three weeks to update their gradebooks.
We’re also thrilled for our Fourth Annual Trunk-or-Treat, sponsored by our PTA, on Friday, October 24, 2025. It’s always a wonderful way for families to come together and celebrate the season. While we enjoy this community event, please note that our school does not host in-school Halloween festivities. Students should not wear costumes on Friday, October 31, 2025.
A friendly reminder: teachers have up to 48 hours to respond to emails during the school week. If you don’t hear back right away, please allow that window of time before sending a follow-up. For urgent needs, the front office is always the best point of contact.
Finally, to help us ensure a safe and smooth dismissal, we ask that families who walk to pick up students use the designated parent waiting area. This helps keep our doorways clear for students and staff as they exit. We truly appreciate your cooperation.
Thank you for your continued partnership and support!
Alexcia Redd, Keri Golibart and Jessica Legambi
Announcements
Testing: MCAP (Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program) student score reports will be coming home within the next week. Please take time to review your child’s results and reach out to your child’s teacher if you have any questions.
Parent Teacher Conferences: Parents will be able to sign up for parent teacher conferences starting October 6th. This can be done through Synergy.
Interpreter Request for November Parent/Teacher Conferences
If your family needs an interpreter for November Parent/Teacher conferences, please contact Mr. Sung Kim by email at sung_kim@hcpss.org or by phone at 410-313-1706 and provide your name, your student's name, and the requested language by Monday, October 6. We will reach out to you to make the necessary arrangements.
Community Information
Friendly Reminders
Lunch with your child
You must complete the Confidentiality Training Course and Child Abuse and Neglect Training. Return the 2 signed certificates to school. Once completed, sign-up to have lunch with your child using the Reservation Form. No siblings are L=
Arrival & Dismissal
Student arrival is from 9:10am- 9:25am. Students should not be dropped off or left unattended before 9:10 am. Parent/Guardian is responsible for their child’s supervision until the VES school doors open at 9:00am in the morning.
If your child has a change in their dismissal plans, please provide VES office staff AND the classroom teacher with this information by sending us an email to vestransportation@hcpss.org. We ask that you make your request no later than 2:00 pm. We will not honor a change in dismissal plans without parental approval. Please indicate the student's name, the date of the transportation change and the details of the transportation change in the email. (ie. will be a car rider instead of bus rider)
Early dismissals require you to sign your child/ren out by scanning the QR Code located on the table and near the door bell. Complete the Google Document and be ready to present your ID/License to the secretary. Early dismissals should be requested prior to 3:15pm.
Please bring your cell phone to scan the QR code.
Please be prepared to present your Photo ID.
Please plan accordingly. Students will be dismissed from class upon their parents’ arrival and after they have signed the student out from the front office. We cannot have the student dismissed ahead of parent arrival.
Student Absences
Send absent notes to vesabsence@hcpss.org including the child's full name, teacher name and explaining why your child will or was absent. If your child is ill for 5 days or more, you must provide a doctor’s note.
Lunch with your child
You must complete the Confidentiality Training Course and Child Abuse and Neglect Training. Return the 2 signed certificates to school. Once completed, sign-up to have lunch with your child using the Reservation Form. No siblings are allowed.
Reminders for P.E.
Sneakers for PE!
The PE department is asking that families pay super close attention to what shoes you are sending your children into school every day. As part of HCPSS safety policy for Physical Education class, all students must wear sneakers in order to participate in PE. Since students have recess daily, we recommend that they wear sneakers every day in order to play safely on the playground, however it is especially important for PE class. We have had an alarming number of students wearing crocs to PE class, which even in "sport mode", are unsafe for dynamic physical activity.
Safe shoes include sneakers, running shoes and tennis shoes. Unsafe shoes include boots, sandals, crocs (or any croc like shoe), flip flops and anything with a heel. If your child wears other shoes on PE days, please make sure to send a pair of sneakers in their backpack for PE class. Please check your child's PE canvas page to find out what days they have PE class. If your child does not have fitting sneakers or if you have any questions, please email your child's PE teacher and we can assist in making sure they have access to sneakers for PE.
Family to Staff, Feel-good Feathers
Have you been impressed with the efforts of a VES Staff member? If so, take a moment to send them a Feel-good Feather to brighten their day! Some Family to Staff shout outs will even be highlighted in each Eagle Express and shared with staff. Thank you for the encouragement! Click here to give a shout- out!
Military-Connected Families at VES
We are looking to identify any active-duty or recently retired military-connected families. Our Purple Patriots, a student-led group, will be offering support and building connections for our military students. Some activities may include quarterly get-togethers and other opportunities to celebrate and support our military community.
If you are a military connected family, please complete this form. If you have any questions, please contact Kathy_Lane@hcpss.org.
DIBELs Universal Screener Notification
Students in Grades K-5 will be participating in the Beginning of the Year (BOY) DIBELs Universal Screener. The purpose of the screener is to identify potential reading difficulties in students. Please find more information regarding the DIBELS Universal Screener here.
Discretionary Days
HCPSS students are granted 3 days a year to use at their discretion for scheduled interviews with prospective employers, visits to post-secondary institutions, family trips, civic engagement, and other special events.
Such absences may not occur during exam or state-mandated testing periods unless authorized by the principal/designee.
A written request for such absences to be lawful/excused should be submitted at least one week in advance to the principal/designee. Please download the PDF fillable Discretionary Absence Form and email it to vesabsence@hcpss.org. The form is also available in Chinese, Korean, and Spanish
If you are requesting a day for a religious holiday not identified by the Howard County Public School System school calendar, please download the PDF fillable Religious Obligation Form and email it to vesabsence@hcpss.org
Safety Protocols for After-School Hours
We ask for your cooperation in maintaining a safe and secure environment after school hours by adhering to the following protocols:
Classroom Access:
After school, classrooms are closed to students and parents. If an item is forgotten, students and parents must first seek permission from a building administrator and the Night Chief Custodian before entering a classroom.
After-School Programs and Parks and Recreation After Care:
Once after-school programs have concluded (such as Girl Scouts), an adult or staff members will escort students to the front door for pickup. For students in Parks and Recreation aftercare, parents are asked to enter the building from the blacktop, ring the bell, and wait for authorization from staff before entering.
Students on School Grounds:
Students not involved in a supervised activity are expected to leave school grounds at the end of the school day.
Rodent Control In Schools
We are reaching out to ask for your help keeping our school pest-free all year long and want to share a few things to keep in mind as you send your child to school each day. Since food is one of the main reasons rodents try to get inside a building, please consider the following guidance:
Send snacks and lunches in sealed, hard plastic or metal containers rather than loose in bags. Rodents can easily chew through paper and thin plastic.
Use reusable lunchboxes with zipper closures, and make sure the zipper fully closes.
Send foods with strong odors like peanut butter and sweet treats in airtight containers.
Remind your child to bring home any uneaten food daily—don’t store snacks in desks, lockers or cubbies overnight.
Make it a routine to empty and wipe down lunchboxes every day.
Please reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you for helping to make this a great year for your child.
Animals on School System Property & Service Animals
Animals in schools or offices, whether leashed or not, present health, safety, environmental and liability concerns. Students and staff may be exposed to potential physical health hazards, such as bites and/or allergy-related health problems. As a result, animals are prohibited from HCPSS building (there are a few exceptions). Animals are also prohibited from school system property during arrival, dismissal, recess and other Howard County Public School System sponsored events.
Use of Tobacco or Electronic Smoking Devices on School System Property
As a reminder, when attending events on school property, adults and visitors are expected to follow HCPSS policy. This includes smoking cigarettes or the use of electronic smoking devices, such as vapes, within the building and on the school grounds.
Policy 1050 states: The use, sale, promotion, or distribution of any tobacco product, cigarette rolling papers, or electronic smoking devices by students, HCPSS employees, and visitors is prohibited at all times and on all property owned, leased, or under the control or sponsored by HCPSS at all times.
Zum App
Using the app will allow you to track your child’s bus in real-time, receive pick-up notifications if you choose, and view the driver for each ride.
To start using the Zum app, please follow these instructions:
Log in to your account with the phone number or email address you have listed on your child’s record in Family File in HCPSS Connect
Verify your access by entering the one-time code sent to your device
Check the notification settings to ensure you’re receiving Zum notifications, if desired, so you’ll know when the bus is
Hispanic Heritage Month September 15th - October 15th
September 15 marked the beginning of National Hispanic Heritage Month! During this time, we celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month by appreciating the rich history, culture, heritage, and contributions of individuals and their family members who came from Mexico, Spain, the Caribbean, and South and Central America.
Student Behavior Intervention
The Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) is committed to providing a safe, engaging, and supportive school environment that fosters the social and emotional safety, dignity, and well-being of all students. HCPSS acknowledges the need for employees
to use an array of research-based positive behavior interventions, strategies, and supports to address student behaviors and keep students safe
to minimize the practice of exclusion from the classroom environment
to minimize the practice of physical restraint (which may only be used when necessary to protect a student or other person from imminent, serious, physical harm and only after other less intrusive, nonphysical interventions have failed or been determined inappropriate).
It is an expectation that HCPSS employees will be responsive to all incidents of exclusion or physical restraint and appropriately case manage impacted students to minimize unsafe behaviors and maximize instructional engagement.
Additional information can be found at HCPSS Policy 9400 - Student Behavior Intervention. If you have any questions regarding this policy or its implementation, please contact a school administrator.