Heron Update

Dear HES Families,

Next week is Attendance Spirit Week! Please see the flyer below for daily themes.

Our PTO will hold its first meeting of the year on Tuesday, September 16th at 5:30pm in the HES media center. All are welcomed and encouraged to attend!

A friendly reminder that next Thursday, September 18th is a 2 hour early dismissal, and Friday, September 19th is a professional day for staff, no school for students.

Take Care,

Mrs. DiRenzo

September 15 -18: Attendance Spirit Week:

September 16: PTO Meeting at 5:30 pm (HES Media Center)

September 18: 2 Hour Early Dismissal

September 19: Professional Day - No School for Students

September 23 - Boosterthon Kick Off

September 24: Fall Picture Day

September 24 - October 1 - Boosterthon Program Days

October 2 - Boosterthon Event Day

Monday, September 22, 2025

Teacher’s Lounge

9:00-10:30 am

Special Presentation

Welcome back as we begin another school year at Hollywood Elementary School! My name is

Ms. Sully, and I am the Military Family Life Counselor here at HES.

Please join us in the Teacher’s Lounge next Monday morning for our first Military Parent

Coffee Hour of the 2025-2026 school year! We will be having a wonderful speaker this month

from NAS Patuxent River for networking and discussion:

Dawn Simpson, School Liaison Officer

Fleet and Family Service Center

You will hear from Mrs. Simpson regarding all the resources available to our military families

at Fleet and Family Service Center on Base. There is the Exceptional Family Member

Program, Ombudsman Support and the Family Advocacy Program, just to name a few. If you

are new to the area, this would be a great opportunity to get this important information and

network with other HES military families.

We will have coffee, tea and muffins. Please join us for a great presentation! You may sign up

on the RSVP Link in the Parent Newsletter online.

Please RSVP online by

by Wednesday, September 17, 2025

Military Family Life Counselor

Hollywood Elementary School

301-373-4350 ext. 30121

"The Maryland Center for School Safety and the Maryland State Police Department have asked that we pass along A Parent’s Guide to Firearm Storage to help avoid tragedy and make Maryland a safe place for children."

Begin the FARM application process here

2025-2026 Instructions for Applying for Meal Benefit

2025-2026 Meal Benefit Application

2025-2026 Meal Benefit Application Parent Letter

En Espanol

2025-2026 Instructions for Applying for Meal Benefit (Español)

2025-2026 Meal Benefit Application (Español)

2025-2026 Meal Benefit Application Parent Letter (Español)

Requests for Letters

Use this form to request a copy of your student's meal benefit letter

Pay Student Meal Account Balances

Use MySchoolBucks to pay account balances

Families can request more information by contacting SMCPS' Food and Nutrition Services Office at 301.475.4256, Option 5, or via email at foodservice@smcps.org.

Click here to check your child's breakfast/lunch balance and add money to their account

St. Mary’s County Public Schools is launching a comprehensive Facility Utilization and School Boundary Study initiative to guide how our schools serve students and families in the years ahead. Your input matters. Whether you join a meeting, offer feedback, or follow along with updates, your voice will help shape the future of education in St. Mary’s County.

For more information please click on the link below

• Redistricting Information

Our school has a parent representative and staff representative on the district-wide Community Engagement Redistricting Team. The representatives will help ensure communication of the work, timeline, and community engagement opportunities by sharing information on surveys and community engagement events through school, community, and social media resources. You can reach out to them for additional information or to share your perspective.

• Kim Jordan (kimskeggs@gmail.com) - Parent Representative
• Amanda Pasquale (adpasquale@smcps.org) - Staff Representative

As we embark on a new school year, we want to highlight a key area of focus this year at Hollywood Elementary School: attendance. This year, we will continue to be placing greater emphasis on ensuring that every student attends school regularly and on time.

Good attendance is crucial to your child’s success. Consistent presence in the classroom not only helps students stay engaged with their lessons but also builds habits of responsibility and discipline. It enables them to fully participate in educational activities, benefit from continuous instruction, and achieve their academic goals.

We have class and grade level attendance incentives in place to motivate and celebrate our students.

We understand that there may be circumstances that affect your child’s ability to attend school, and we are here to support you in any way we can. However, we encourage you to prioritize school attendance and to work with us to address any barriers that might arise.

Together, we can help our students thrive and reach their full potential. Thank you for your support and cooperation in this important matter.

Welcome Back to School!

It’s hard to believe we’re already wrapping up our second full week! It’s been wonderful to see everyone back in the building — and to see how much they’ve grown over the summer.

As we settle in, here are a few important reminders:

Health & Wellness

• Back-to-School Germs: Illnesses are already making their rounds. Please remind your child to wash their hands frequently and cover coughs/sneezes.

• “Too Sick for School?”: Be sure to review the When Is Sick Too Sick for School? flyer (linked/attached below) to help guide your decisions.

Reporting Illnesses

• If your child has a communicable disease (e.g. pink eye, strep throat, COVID, etc.), please report it to me. This information is kept confidential and helps us monitor trends and take steps to limit exposure school-wide.

Medication at School

• If your child needs to take medication during school hours, an SMCPS Medication Form must be completed by a physician and signed by a parent.

• All medications must be dropped off by an adult. Please do not send medication with your child.

• If you’re having trouble arranging drop-off, please reach out — I’m happy to help.

Vision & Hearing Screenings

• Screenings for all Pre-K, Kindergarten, and 1st Grade students will begin on September 15th.

• If you do not wish for your child to participate, please contact me before that date.

I’m looking forward to a fantastic school year! As always, if you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Warmly,

Nurse Briggs

The school based health clinics has updated their website with a new link to register students. The link can be found at https://smchd.org/sbhc/ and then you would click the blue button that says "Click Here to Enroll now for Faster Service". The school based health centers are a great way to see a provider without the long wait times at urgent care! See their website for more information.

PE:

MUSIC:

ART: The HES Art education program is looking for donations of the following:

Please review the following documents in regard to student accident insurance.

Informative Letter to Parents

Fact Sheet

Enrollment Information

Spanish versions available:

Informative Letter to Parents - Span.

Fact Sheet - Span.

Enrollment Information -- Span.

If you have any questions about your HAC account, please contact the HES office for assistance.

https://www.smcps.org/hac

Please note that HAC opens at 5:00 pm on August 15, 2025.

Schoology is a very helpful tool and resource for teachers, students, and families. Please ensure that you are able to access Schoology for updates and information from the school and your child's teacher. If you need support in obtaining your Schoology log in information please email schoology@smcps.org for support. Please click Parent Notifications for directions to ensure your notifications are set to receive important information about your student.

Do you have the Schoology App?

Log Into the Schoology Mobile App

If you already have a Schoology account, download the Schoology app from Apple App Store, Google Play or the Amazon App Store. Tap the app icon to open it on your device.

You can use an email address or username to log into the application, depending on how your account was set up:

Log in through your School

1. Use the keyboard to enter SMCPS. As you type, matching choices populate in the list. The name, ID number, city, state, and zip code for the school should appear below.

2. Tap the name of your school or organization when it displays.

3. Use the email address or username to log in to the application, that was sent to you via email from Schoology with an app password. If you are an SMCPS student or teacher this is NOT your SMCPS password.

4. Tap LOG IN to complete.

If you are able to sign in with Google, and you are an SMCPS student or staff, please use that login process and follow the provided instructions in the prompts.

Want to enable notifications? Please check this document

Both new and previously registered volunteers must complete a new volunteer application. The application process will end on May 1 of each school year. There is no application fee for school volunteers. Parental involvement is a key component to student success. Thank you for your support.

Student Handbook - A Guide for Students & Families

Code of Conduct - A Guide for Students & Families

SMCPS Updated Cell Phones Implementation VIDEO

Please review laptop expectations by sharing this presentation with your child. Classroom teachers will be reviewing laptop expectations with students at school as well. Thank you!

HES Laptop Expectations

Need to purchase a laptop charger?

You can do one of two things:

1. Email your child's teacher or the Library Media Specialist Miss Hazuda (sjhazuda@smcps.org) that you wish to pay for the missing laptop charger. A fine then can be assessed so that you can pay using My School Bucks, sending in cash, or a check (made out to SMCPS).

OR

2. Go directly to the DELL store. You can purchase directly from their website and have it shipped to your home.

Ensure one of these links is being used:

www.dell.com/mpp/smcps (click Shop Recommended Solutions to get to the discounted power cords)

www.dell.com/mpp/smcps-chargers (leads directly to the purchasing portal)

If you purchase from Dell, please make sure that you label the charger with the student's first and last name before sending it to school. If you have any questions, please contact your child's teacher or the Library Media Specialist Miss Hazuda (sjhazuda@smcps.org).

Students are responsible for the care and upkeep of all of their SMCPS-assigned resources, both print and technology. This newsletter and this document outlines all of the policies and procedures in addition to pricing for lost or damaged devices.

School Messenger Text Messaging FAQ's

• If you are interested in being involved with the HES PTO, please email heronpto@gmail.com
• HES PTO has a new Spirit Wear company. On top of the company getting amazing reviews for their customer service and quality, our HES PTO earns 10% in commissions for all our sales!! Woohoo!! Items will ship directly to your house as well. https://1stplacespiritwear.com/schools/MD/Hollywood/Hollywood+Elementary+School

PTO Updates

• Join us for our first PTO Meeting on Tuesday, September 16 at 5:30 in the Media Center. We’ll discuss plans for this year, approve the budget, and fork committees for various events and tasks!

• PTO is looking for a dinner food truck or two on October 24 from 5-7 for Trunk or Treat. If you have a dinner food truck or have connections in the community please email us at HeronPTO@gmail.com to discuss options and our vendor fee. At this time we already have enough dessert vendors. A call for trunks and additional information is coming soon!

  
  

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS AND EVENTS FOR FAMILIES:

• College 101 Series Thursdays in Sept: The College Search (9/11), Applying for Admission (9/18), and How to Pay for College (9/25). All sessions are virtual via TEAMS. Flyer attached. Register at https://www.navymwrpaxriver.com/slo-webinar-registration

• Smooth Move Workshop: Sept 4, 10 a.m. via TEAMS. A helpful class for military families getting ready to PCS. Topics include pre-departure considerations, arrival recommendations, tips to manage stress, plus other helpful resources! Flyer attached. Register at https://www.navymwrpaxriver.com/slo-webinar-registration

• Pax River Teen Center Sept calendar (free for all students with base access ages 12 y/o, 7th – 12th grade): The Teen Center program operates after school Monday-Friday from 2 – 6 pm. At times, occasional Saturday events or events that happen later in the evenings are scheduled as well. The program offers a range of activities including STEM, Fine arts, outdoor recreation, character & leadership, and volunteer opportunities. It is free with the exception of field trip expenses. https://www.navymwrpaxriver.com/programs/d3389edd-6dac-452a-815a-37af5fcbc584.

• Joint Base Andrew Air Show/STEAM event Sept 12, 2025

• Special Ed Q&A with Naval District Washington Special Education Liaison: 2nd Tuesdays of the month, 12-1 p.m. via Teams. Registration not required. QR/Link to join is on attached flyer.

• Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council Listening Sessions at Pax River – Sept 30 (in person at Pax River Fleet and Family Support Center), Oct 1 (Zoom). Help MD Developmental Disabilities Council learn about the needs of military-connected families related to supporting their family members with developmental disabilities. Flyer attached with QR Code/virtual meeting link.

MARINE CORP MILITARY KIDS RUN - Held on OCTOBER 25, 2025 in Arlington, VA at the North Pentagon Parking Lot, this one-mile fun run is the perfect place for your family to enjoy pre- and post-event hospitality, activities, entertainment, games, and mascots to make this an unforgettable event. Every runner receives a medal and event shirt. Scan QR code on flyer or visit www.marinemarathon.com to register. For groups with 15 or more runners, please contact mcmregistration@usmc-mccs.org. **HEALTHY SCHOOL AWARD - School groups compete to win the annual Healthy School Award. Top 5 schools receive $1,000.**

Birthday treats present the potential for allergic reactions for many of our students. They also interrupt instruction. However, we understand that some students enjoy celebrating their birthday with their friends at school. Because of all of these factors, birthday treats may NOT be edible. Gift bags with stickers, pencils, crayons, erasers, and/or other small toys are acceptable. They can also be shared at recess or the end of the day which doesn’t compromise instructional time. Parents who wish to provide birthday treats to a class are asked to notify the homeroom teacher in advance and to drop them off in the front office as early as possible.

...provides a rich educational experience that focuses on preparing well rounded students that are ready to succeed in their future college and career endeavors. Hollywood educates and inspires our diverse population in a safe and respectful environment. Students are engaged in authentic learning experiences that foster work habits and skills necessary to become collaborative, dedicated, and productive citizens.

Ms. Erin DiRenzo, Principal

Email: eedirenzo@smcps.org

Mr. Chris Rodkey, Assistant Principal

Email: cnrodkey@smcps.org

Website: https://schools.smcps.org/hes/
Location: 44345 Joy Chapel Road, Hollywood, MD, USA
Phone: (301) 373-4350
Twitter: @hes_smcps