SLES Family Roar: Back to School

Welcome Back, Families!

What a wonderful start to the school year! It was a joy to see so many students and families at our Meet and Greet event this afternoon. We hope you enjoyed the ice cream sundaes! The excitement, smiles, and energy throughout the building reminded us just how special our school community is.

Thank you for taking the time to visit classrooms, meet teachers, reconnect with friends, and prepare for the year ahead. Your partnership and support play a vital role in helping our students learn, grow, and thrive.

As we begin this new school year, we are excited for the opportunities ahead and remain committed to creating a safe, welcoming, and engaging environment where every student can succeed. We look forward to working together to make this a year filled with learning, achievement, and memorable experiences.

As we begin this new school year, our commitment remains simple: Every child matters. Every moment counts.

Thank you for being part of our school family. We can't wait to see our students back in the building and ready for an amazing year!

Together, we're building a year of growth, connection, and success for every student, every day.

Warmly,

Dr. Nicole Jimney
Principal
St. Leonard Elementary School

VISION:

SLES is a strong family-centered community of diverse, life-long learners who set goals and show continuous growth, while feeling loved, safe, and encouraged to excel at anything we do.

MISSION:

Our mission is to create a learning environment marked by teacher passion, risk-taking, and authentic student engagement where all students feel safe and emotionally supported in order to exceed academic standards with compassion and without judgement.

CORE VALUES:

• Relationships: We build trust, belonging, and meaningful connections so every student feels known, valued, and supported.
• Rigor: We embrace high expectations, purposeful challenge, and deep learning that inspires students to reach their potential.
• Reflection: We pause, learn from experience, celebrate growth, and use what we discover to make our next step stronger.
• Equity: We honor every learner’s strengths, voice, and needs—creating access, opportunity, and success for all.

School Security measures have been put into place for the safety of all students and staff. All outside doors will always be locked. Visitors and parents coming into the building will need to bring ID and ring the doorbell outside the main entrance of the school. The office staff will grant them access into the building by “buzzing” them into the school where they can sign in at the office once they have stated the purpose for their visit. Please do not allow anyone else into the building should they arrive at the same time as you.

Tuesday, August 25- First Day of School for Grades 1-5

Tuesday, August 25 & Wednesday, August 26-PreK and K conferences (Teachers will send schedules)

Thursday, August 27 & Friday, August 28-Staggered Start (PreK & K teachers will let you know which day your student should come to school)

Monday, August 31- All PreK and Kindergarten students begin attending school

Monday, September 7-School Closed-Labor Day

Wednesday, September 9-Judy Center Event-Young Lions 10:00

Wednesday, September 16-2 hour early dismissal

Thursday, September 17 - Grades PreK-5-Introduction to SLES 5:00 and 2 Sessions: 5:30 and 6:00

Volunteer with us! CCPS uses the Raptor system for volunteers and visitors to sign in and out of schools. All volunteers (anyone interacting with children for activities such as field day, field trips, VIP Day, etc.) will need to review the volunteer handbook, watch the volunteer training video, and apply to be an approved volunteer each year before volunteering in any school.

Click HERE to become a volunteer!

Check out and follow our new official CCPS Facebook page-St. Leonard Elementary School-CCPS.

Please see the below attachment for important NEW car rider arrival and dismissal procedures. If your child will be an EVERYDAY car rider, please complete the forms survey using the QR code or link within the attachment.

Important Transportation Information for the Start of School

To ensure a smooth start to the school year, it is essential that students who will be riding the bus regularly ride the bus on the first day of school. This helps bus drivers begin to associate each student’s face with their name and address and ensures that no student is accidentally missed in the days that follow.

Transportation details—including bus number, stop location, and approximate stop times—are available in your student’s Home Access Center (HAC). This information is based on the guardian’s home address unless a different pick-up or drop-off location has been provided to St. Leonard Elementary School. If you need to make changes, please contact SLES as soon as possible.

Stay Informed with “Here Comes the Bus”
Be sure to sign up for Here Comes the Bus, a tool that shows the real-time location of your child’s bus, provides schedules, and sends notifications when the bus is near your stop.

Bus Tagging on Arrival on first day:
As students arrive by bus, staff will greet them and place a tag on their backpack with their bus number. This helps ensure they know which bus to take home. Please remember that each student may only have one pick-up and one drop-off location.

Office Line : (443)550-9760

Fax: (410) 286-4022

Principal Dr. Nicole Jimney: jimneyn@calvertnet.k12.md.us

Assistant Principal Ms. Debra Baker: bakerde@calvertnet.k12.md.us

Dean Ms. Lindsay Woodard: woodardl@calvertnet.k12.md.us

Counselor Ms. Marybeth McDermott: mcdermottm@calvertnet.k12.md.us

Location: 5370 St. Leonard Rd, St. Leonard, MD 20685

Calvert County Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, ancestry or national origin, familial status, marital status, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth programs.

Calvert County Public Schools does not refuse enrollment of a prospective student, expel a current student, or withhold privileges from a current student, or prospective student, or the parent or guardian of a current or prospective student because of an individual’s race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, age, national original, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.

Calvert County Public Schools does not discipline, invoke a penalty against, or take any other retaliatory action against a student or parent or guardian of a student who files a complaint alleging that the program or school discriminated against the student, regardless of the outcome of the complaint.

The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies:

Ø Director of Student Services

Ø Director of Human Resources 443-550-8000

For further information on notice of non-discrimination, visit the Office for Civil Rights Complaint Assessment System at: https://ocrcas.ed.gov or call 1-800-421-3481.

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Anti-sexual, Anti-racial and Anti-disability Harassment Statement Discrimination can manifest itself in behaviors such as bullying, harassment, or intimidation of individuals.

Calvert County Public Schools does not tolerate any form of harassment including, but not limited to, sexual, racial, or disability. Any individual (student, employee, or community member) who believes that they have been subjected to any form of harassment is encouraged to report the allegation of harassment. Students, parents, and community members may report allegations of harassment to: Ms. Cecelia Lewis, Director of Student Services, Calvert County Public Schools, 1305 Dares Beach Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678

Employees may report allegations of harassment to: Mr. Zachary Seawell, Director of Human Resources, Calvert County Public Schools, 1305 Dares Beach Road, Prince Frederick, MD 20678

Calvert County Public Schools is committed to conducting a prompt investigation for any allegation of harassment. If harassment has occurred, the individual will be disciplined promptly. Disciplinary actions for students found to have engaged in any form of harassment may result in suspension or expulsion. Disciplinary actions for employees found to have engaged in any form of harassment may result in suspension or termination.

Calvert County Public Schools encourages all students, parents, employees, and community members to work together to prevent any form of harassment.

For further information on notice of non-discrimination, visit the Office for Civil Rights Complaint Assessment System at: https://ocrcas.ed.gov or call 1-800-421-3481.