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Dear Laurel Woods Community,

May 5th–May 9th is nationally recognized as Teacher Appreciation Week. At LWES, we take this opportunity to celebrate all of our staff members, because every adult in our building plays an important role in supporting our students each and every day. No matter their title, their impact is meaningful and lasting.

We are also incredibly grateful to our PTO, who has planned an amazing week to celebrate and recognize our staff, along with opportunities for students and families to participate throughout the building. Please see the flyer below for more details on how to join in the celebration!

Thank you, as always, for your continued support of our incredible LWES staff. We are truly grateful each day to work alongside such a dedicated, caring, and hardworking team.

Warmly,

Tanisha

We have remained steady at 93.9% over the past several weeks. Last week, we saw a positive increase to 94%, including two days with attendance at 97% or higher. Thank you for your continued partnership. We look forward to having all of our students in class each day!

In our continuous effort to build and maintain a strong LWES community, we would like your feedback on our initiatives this school year. Our partnership with you is vital to our students' success, and your insights help us refine our programs to better serve each family.

Please take a few minutes to complete our 2026 Family School Partnership Survey. Your responses are confidential and will be used to guide our future planning.

This weekend, our Best Buddies After School Program, led by Ms. Hendricks and Mr. Egert, proudly participated in the Best Buddies Friendship Walk at the University of Maryland. The Best Buddies Friendship Walk is the leading walk in the country supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities

We are so proud of our students for showing up, participating, and representing what inclusion looks like in action! 💜

3rd, 4th, and 5th grades have now completed the ELA MCAP assessment. Any students who missed a session will have opportunities to make it up this week. We are so proud of how hard our students are working during testing.

As a reminder, all testing takes place in the morning, so arriving on time is key. Thank you for helping set our students up for success each day!

Tips for Test Days:

• Make sure your child gets a good night’s rest and eats a healthy breakfast before testing, either at home or at school.

• Students should arrive at school on time (8:45) on testing days so they do not need to be pulled out of class instruction for make-up sessions. If your student eats breakfast at school they should arrive at 8:30. Breakfast ends at 8:45.

• Please avoid early dismissals during testing sessions to ensure their time is uninterrupted.

• Personal electronic devices (cell phones, iPads, smart watches, etc.) are not permitted in the testing areas.

All students in grades 1-4 will take the Measured Academic Progress (MAP) assessment during the Spring testing window. Grades 1 & 2 will take it for both ELA and Math and grades 3 & 4 will take it only for Math. Grade 5 does not take MAP in the Spring.

The data from the MAP assessment will help schools and teachers measure your student’s academic progress. The MAP test does not affect grades and the difficulty adjusts depending on how your child responds. To learn more about the MAP assessment, please visit: https://www.nwea.org/the-map-suite/common-questions-families/

Please note that there is no need for your child to study for the MAP assessment. Arriving on time to school on testing days is very important, however, if your child is absent, makeups will be offered within the testing window. As usual, please make sure they are well rested and eat their normal breakfast the day of testing.

The Spring testing schedule is:

• Grade 1 - 5/4 ELA, 5/14 Math

• Grade 2 - 5/4 ELA, 5/14 Math

• Grade 3 - 5/15 Math

• Grade 4 - 5/15 Math

• Grade 5 - N/A

Thank you for submitting questions through our Open Feedback Form. Below are the most recent questions (italizced and underlined) and responses:

• Why is the bus evacuation drill only for students who ride a bus? Shouldn’t ALL students know what to do in case of an emergency on the bus - like when they are on a bus for a field trip? Everyone’s safety should be considered. The bus evacuation drills are scheduled and structured by our Central Office, which is why they are currently conducted with students who regularly ride the bus prior to school. That said, we agree that all students should have a basic understanding of bus safety, especially for situations like field trips. To support this, we will provide teachers with materials (such as slides) to review with their classes so that all students are familiar with what to do in the event of an emergency while on a bus.
• Is it possible to schedule dress up days around the related arts schedule? For example, picture day ALWAYS falls on a day there is PE. Next week, “dress to the 9’s” falls on PE day as well. I want my child to fully participate, but that’s hard to do if she’s required to be in athletic gear due to PE. We understand the challenge you’re describing and appreciate you wanting your child to fully participate in both activities. Because PE is part of the daily schedule across grade levels, it’s not feasible for us to plan school-wide dress-up days around related arts. However, students are welcome to bring a change of clothes or shoes so they can participate in both the dress-up day and PE comfortably.
• I’m concerned about the safety of students and families with the new drop off and dismissal procedures. With so many students exiting from the front of the building, it creates a problem of overcrowded sidewalks and no place for families to go except sometimes into the bus lane. I’ve witnessed a student push off of one of the buses as it was turning through the bus lane. Small children are especially at risk. I understand the reasons why dismissal was moved to the front, but the blacktop offered a safer alternative as well as a chance for families to build community with one another. It is also strange to me that kindergarten now exits by the dumpsters instead of out of the kindergarten doors. Thank you for sharing your concerns and for taking the time to describe what you’ve observed. Student and family safety is always our top priority. We are continuously monitoring, revising, and adjusting our arrival and dismissal processes to ensure they are as safe and efficient as possible. We recognize that having more students exit from the front of the building has created some challenges with space and flow, and we are actively looking at ways to address those concerns. We also appreciate your perspective regarding the kindergarten dismissal location. The hallway referenced is adjacent to one of our PreK classrooms and has traditionally been used for our PreK program entry and dismissal, which informed that decision. That said, we understand your concern and will continue to reflect on whether adjustments are needed. In the meantime, we will reinforce expectations around staying clear of the bus lane and maintaining safe movement during dismissal. We will also continue gathering feedback and suggestions from families and staff as we refine our procedures and plan for the 2026–2027 school year.
• The morning car loop in the lower lot also feels unsafe for students, teachers and safety patrols. Many parents are dropping off in the lower lot as directed, however many parents pull into the upper lot, especially as they get closer to the 8:45am bell. At this time students are still crossing in the crosswalk as cars are continuing to pull in or back up, etc. Carloop was safer in the park access road as students never had to cross an active roadway to get to the building. We understand your observations regarding the lower lot and the challenges that arise when families enter the upper lot, particularly closer to the 8:45 bell when there is increased traffic and student movement. We will continue to reinforce expectations with families about using the designated drop-off location and avoiding the upper lot during arrival times. We also have staff and safety patrols assigned to support students at specific crossing areas, and we will revisit our supervision and traffic flow to see where additional adjustments can be made to improve safety. We recognize that the previous car loop had advantages, and we are continuing to monitor and refine our current procedures.
• Why has admin switched so many veteran teachers grade levels for next school year? Why would you replace an entire grade level ?(5th grade) this is concerning especially as that is a big test taking year as well and now there will not be any teachers with 5th grade experience. Staff morale is low and parents have been concerned about teacher retention (this was brought up at a previous coffee and conversation). This seems like it is purposeful and trying to push good teachers out of LWES. The trending data from 2025-2026 HCEA Job Satisfaction Survey Trend Report for Laurel Woods is one of the worst in the county. Why is administration moving so many teachers for next school year? This will only hurt the students in the long run. Parents have a right to discuss this poor trending data with administration, as it affects our children the most. Parents are very concerned about this trending data and the rumblings of unwanted movement amongst staff. It’s very convenient that you did not hold an April coffee and conversation. We understand that staffing changes can feel unsettling, especially when they impact multiple grade levels, and we appreciate the opportunity to provide some context. Decisions about teacher placement are not made lightly. When considering staffing for the upcoming school year, we look at a variety of factors, including teacher strengths, experience, areas of passion, and most importantly student data and trends. These decisions are made with the goal of maximizing staff strengths and using data to maximize student progress and learning across all grade levels. While there are changes within our 5th grade team for next year, we are confident in the collective expertise of the staff and the support structures in place to ensure a successful year for students. We also recognize the concerns you’ve raised regarding staff morale. As shared this year’s job satisfaction survey data does reflect areas for growth. Change can be challenging, and we are committed to continuing to build strong relationships, improve communication, and support our staff in meaningful ways as we move forward. Staffing for next year is still being finalized. In June, we will share an update with our school community once placements are more settled, and we will provide a mid-summer update if additional changes occur so families remain informed. If you would like to discuss your concerns further, we encourage you to reach out to Tanisha to schedule a time to talk. Regarding Coffee and Conversation, we did not hold a session in April. Attendance at our March Coffee and Conversation had decreased, and our March meeting was shorter than anticipated. We made the decision to pause in April in hopes of encouraging stronger participation in May. We look forward to connecting at our upcoming May Coffee and Conversation, where we will share updates on our focus areas: Reading, Math, Attendance, and Behavior, and gather family feedback on how we can continue strengthening our partnership in these areas and beyond.

During one of our Coffee and Conversations, the opportunity for students to participate in Scouts came up. As Spring rolls around and the weather gets warmer, Scouting America has some exciting activities coming up and invites all youth to come participate and have fun. Whether you are in kindergarten to 5th grade, we have fun festivities for all ages!!!

Check out this link to learn more about the available opportunities.

The Virtual Family Resource Center is currently closed for restocking. We are planning to restock and open for orders May May 17th. Please return reusable bags. Thank you!

Sun Bucks are Back - Maryland SUN Bucks helps families with school-aged children who receive free or reduced-price meals buy groceries during the summer break when school meals are unavailable. Families who qualify for the Maryland SUN Bucks program will receive $40 for June, July, and August (a total of $120) for each eligible student. If you have any questions, call 1-800-332-6347 and select the Maryland SUN Bucks option. Sun Bucks Flyer 2026 ESP (1).pdf Sun Bucks Flyer 2026 ESP (1).pdf

Guaranteed Income Pilot Program - In partnership with Howard County Government, the Community Action Council of Howard County The GBI2 Pilot Program provides eligible families with $500 per month for 12 months. An additional $500 per month will be placed into a savings account at a local bank. These savings will be released in July 2027 after the participant completes a financial literacy program through a designated CAC partner.

The goal of this program is to support economic mobility and self-sufficiency. For eligibility and application process, please go to the website.

https://cac-hc.org/gbi2/

Roving Radish The market will be at Laurel Woods this week on Wednesday, May 6, 2026

Howard County Mobile Library: Wednesday, May 20th 5pm - 6pm. Books, activity kits, and other library materials, Information on Library classes and events & Information on community resources/service.

ABOVE After School Basketball Program - has opening: $175 a month. Meets every day after school until 5:15 pm. Please contact Alesia Richter with any questions.

Mobile Library is returning to Laurel Woods on Wednesday April 22nd from 5pm - 6pm. Students and families will have the opportunity to check out free books and materials. All returns can be made to Laurel Woods.

English Classes - Tuesday, May 5th 6pm - 7:30pm. This is for returning students that registered at the start of the year. We plan to have a new class beginning in September. Registration will be in August. Look here for more information!

Let's Celebrate ALL the Cultures and Traditions that Make our Community Special! May 15, 2026, 6:30-8:00p.m. Families can: Bring Food, Perform in the arts showcase (rehearsal 5/12 4-6pm), Set up a display (i.e. flag, poster board, clothing artifacts, decorations, etc.) Or, attend and enjoy the festivities Register by May 1st, https://forms.gle/Uj6g7UNT1vvyAfk37

Laurel Woods and Blossoms of Hope have officially signed a formal partnership! We are grateful for their support of Laurel Woods!

We truly value input from our families and community partners as we strive to grow and improve. Your feedback helps us better serve our students—so please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts with our LWES administrative team. Your response can remain anonymous, or you can provide your name for a follow-up phone call.

💙 Hello Laurel Woods Families! 💙

Happy May! We can’t believe we have made it to the final stretch of the school year! We have some upcoming events and recaps to share with you, but first, take a moment to read about the differences between being a PTO Member and serving on the PTO Board. The PTO is in need of individuals to serve on the PTO executive board for the 2026-27 school year - in fact, without these volunteers the PTO will move to an “inactive” status which will mean PTO sponsored events and initiatives will not happen for the 26/27 school year. If you are interested in serving on the PTO Executive board, please email Kelly at ptolwes@gmail.com and be sure to join us on Thursday, May 21st to vote on the future of the LWES PTO.

📅 Upcoming PTO Events

Mark your calendars! Here are some of the awesome events and initiatives we’ve got coming up:

☀️ Sunshine Families - Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week - May 4-8
This week we will be showering our teachers and staff in little and big ways to show how much we appreciate them! This year’s theme is “Thank you for being a part of our story!” The PTO will be providing lunch, breakfast, snacks and treats throughout the week. You can donate money here if you’d like to be a part of these efforts!

We are also asking for students to get involved:

🧁🍭🍫Monday: Bring a sweet treat for a teacher or staff member

🩷💜💙Tuesday: Wear your teacher’s favorite color. Color list here.

📝🗒️✏️Wednesday: Choose a teacher and give them one of these notes.

🌷💐🌻Thursday: Bring a flower or a picture of a flower to a staff member.

🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻Friday: Give a high five to every staff member you see!

🌎International Night - Friday, May 15th

We are excited to promote and support International Night on Friday, May 15. Join us for to experience the many cultures that make up our vibrant school community! 6:30-8pm in the LWES Cafeteria

📅 PTO General Meeting – May 21st
Mark your calendars! Our May PTO General Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 21. This will be an important meeting as we determine the future of the PTO - We’d love to see you over Zoom!

🎉Save The Date - End of Year Block Party - Thursday, June 4th

Thank you for participating in our events!

📕 Yearbook sales are now closed. The PTO will have a limited number of yearbooks available for sale at the End of Year Picnic.

🌟Get Involved!

Our last meeting this year will take place from 7-8pm on May 21st. All meetings will be on Zoom. At our next meeting, we will share a recap of the year, end of year events and vote on board positions for the 2026-2027 school year!

Looking for even more ways to lend a hand? Read on!

• Sunshine Families: Help show love to our teachers with appreciation events in April, and May.

• Media Center Volunteers: contact Sarai_Gray@hcpss.org for details.

• Would your restaurant like to host a LWES PTO fundraiser? Let us know!

• PTO Board Positions for the 2026-2027 school year

Have a great idea for an event or project? Let us know—we’d love to hear from you!

Reach out to ptolwes@gmail.com to sign up for any of the opportunities above or recommend your own!

📱 Stay Connected

Follow us on Facebook to stay up to date on events, reminders, and ways to be involved.

Warmly,

💙 The LWES PTO

May

• 05.01: Last day to purchase Yearbook online
• 05.02: 8:30am Best Buddies Walk at University of Maryland College Park
• 05.04-05.08: Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week
• 05.06: National School Nurse Day
• 05.07: 7:00pm Spring Musical - Wizard of Oz
• 05.08: 7:00pm Spring Musical - Wizard of Oz
• 05.13: 4th Grade Field Trip to Maryland Zoo
• NEW - May 14: Full Day for Students - NEW
• 05.14: National Speech Pathologist Day 💬💙
• 05.15: 6:30pm Culture Night
• 05.18: National Speech Pathologist Day
• 05.19: 5:15pm Middle School Transition Night
• 05.21: 7:00pm PTO Meeting
• 05.22: Field Day
• 05.25: Memorial Day- School Closed
• 05.27: Eid ul-Adha-School Closed
• 05.29: 8:45am Coffee and Conversation w/Admin

June

• 06.02: 5th Grade Simulated Congressional Hearings (SCH)
• 06.03: 9:00am FSP Steering Committee Meeting
• 06.04: 6:00pm- PTO Block Party
• 06.05: LWES Field Day Rain Date
• 06.08: HCPL Summer Reading Presentation
• 06.16-06.18: Early Dismissal, 12:15 pm
• 06.16: 8:30am 5th Grade Promotion Ceremony
• 06.17: 5th Grade Picnic
• 06.18: Last day for students

For a complete list of dates and events visit https://lwes.hcpss.org/events

MSDE will host virtual Math Policy Family Information Sessions in June 2026 to support family understanding of upcoming mathematics initiatives and updates for the 2026–2027 school year. Schools are asked to share this opportunity with families through their usual communication channels; participants must register in advance to receive session links. Click here for details and dates/times.

Save the date!

Kindly note the changing temperatures and encourage your child to bring a water bottle to school. The decision to go outside or stay inside for recess, physical education, or any other outdoor activity is the decision of the administrator at individual schools. Generally, it is assumed that students will be outside for recess, outdoor eating, physical education, or any other outdoor activity when the temperature combined with the wind chill is not less than 20 degrees Fahrenheit or the heat index reading is less than 95. Please be sure children are dressed appropriately for the weather. See more details at this link.

Families, as the weather becomes more spring-like, we ask your assistance in helping ensure our students are following the HCPSS Dress Code guidelines. Here is a reminder of what Policy 9210 outlines that students must wear to school daily…

• Shirt
• Bottom (e.g. pants, sweatpants, shorts, skirt, dress, and leggings)
• Shoes (curricular-specific and activity-specific shoe requirements are permitted)
• Students are permitted to wear:
  • Hats, hoods, and headwear (so long as the student’s face is visible and wearable technology is visible to ensure it is not interfering with instruction and student safety)
  • Ripped jeans, as long as undergarments are not exposed
  • Tank tops, including spaghetti straps, halter tops, and strapless tops
  • Athletic attire
  • Clothing with commercial or athletic logos provided they do not violate Section IV.G.3.
• Certain body parts must be covered for all students. Clothes must be worn in a way such that the chest, midriff, pelvic/groin area and buttocks are covered with opaque material.
• Students are not permitted to wear attire, including wearable technology that is disruptive to the school environment, that promotes illegal or harmful activities, or that could endanger the health or safety of that student or others during school hours and school-related activities.

On Friday, Quarter 3 report cards were sent home in your child’s bookbag. You can also access your child’s report card through Synergy.

To access your child's report card, you may view/download report cards by taking the following steps:

• Log in to HCPSS Connect Synergy using parent/guardian credentials
• Select More Options from the left panel
• Select Report Cards from the middle
• Select the report card you wish to access

We are so proud of all of our students and how hard they are working! Please take this time to reflect and celebrate your child's accomplishments. This is also a great time to set goals and discuss areas for growth. If you have questions, please reach out to your child's teacher.

The Standards Based Instruction and Reporting Family and Community Resources Canvas course provides important information about SBIR. This includes documents to assist in Understanding Your Child's Report Card.

Academic Performance Codes represent what has been learned - where the student is in relation to the expectation of the grade level standard. It is intended to reflect the progress toward meeting the Maryland College and Career Readiness Standards for their current grade level.

For students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), detailed progress toward IEP goals is provided in the Annual Goal(s) Progress Report that is sent at the same time as the HCPSS report card. A student’s IEP goals address the identified skills that support their progress toward meeting grade level standards. See this Guide for Families of Students with IEPs, Understanding Report Cards.

This week we celebrated Administrative Professionals Day. We want to recognize our LWES secretaries who work so hard to support all of our families, students, and staff with a smile each and every day. Please be sure to show your gratitude when you see them next.

• Ms. Julie Metakes, Principal Secretary
• Mrs. Nicole Cestola, Teachers' Secretary
• Ms. Leila Scott, Teachers' Secretary

On Friday, we had two teams compete in Battle of the Books at Merriweather Post Pavilion. We are so proud of their hard work, dedication to reading, and outstanding sportsmanship. We are also incredibly grateful to our families who generously volunteered their time as coaches and our staff who helped support these efforts!

We’re excited to celebrate math in a fun and engaging way all month long! During Spirit Week, students will have the chance to show their school spirit while building excitement around math.

We encourage all of our families to join in the fun by helping your child participate and get excited about the activities. We can’t wait to see our students showing their spirit and love for learning! ➕➗

It might feel early, but it’s never too soon to start thinking about school supplies for next year! 🎒✏️

Keep an eye out for end-of-year and summer sales—it’s a great time to grab deals on essentials and spread out the shopping. Whether it’s picking out a favorite notebook, fun folders, or the perfect set of pencils, getting a head start can make back-to-school season a little easier (and more fun!).

Check out the link below for our school supplies for SY26-27 😊

Our school is committed to creating a safe, welcoming, and respectful environment for every student. As part of that commitment, we want to share information about how we prevent, respond to, and investigate incidents involving hate and bias.

Incidents related to hate or bias can have a serious impact on students’ emotional well-being, sense of belonging, and ability to fully engage in school. Harmful language, slurs, symbols, jokes, threats, exclusion, or online behavior targeting someone’s identity can affect not only the person directly involved, but also others in the school community who may feel unsafe or unseen.

We believe that addressing these incidents requires a strong partnership between school staff, students, and families.

What We Mean by Hate/Bias

A hate- or bias-related incident is behavior that targets or demeans a person or group based on actual or perceived identity. This may include race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or other aspects of identity. Some incidents may involve student discipline or policy violations, while others may still require school follow-up, support, and education because of their impact.

How Families Can Help

• Talk with your child. Encourage honest conversations about identity, belonging, respect, and how to respond when harm occurs. Ask your child what they are seeing or hearing at school and online.

• Reinforce that words and symbols matter. Help children understand that comments framed as jokes or trends can still be harmful and may create fear, humiliation, or exclusion for others.

• Encourage reporting. If your child experiences or witnesses a hate/bias concern, encourage them to tell a trusted adult at school as soon as possible. Reporting helps us respond, support students, and address harm. Reports can be made at https://stopbullying.hcpss.org/report/bullying.

• Stay engaged in online activity. Digital communication can spread harm quickly. Monitoring online interactions and talking openly about respectful digital behavior can help prevent escalation.

• Partner with the school. When concerns arise, your communication and support are important. Working together helps us respond thoughtfully and consistently.

When a report is made, school administrators will review the concern, gather information, and determine appropriate next steps in alignment with school and district procedures. Responses may include student support, family communication, restorative measures, disciplinary action, safety planning, and broader school or classroom follow-up as needed.

If your child reports a hate/bias concern, or if you become aware of one, please contact a school administrator and use the established reporting process. Even if you are unsure whether an incident meets a specific definition, we encourage you to share the concern so it can be reviewed.

Thank you for your partnership in helping us foster a school community where every student feels safe, affirmed, and respected.

This summer program is open to all HCPSS students who will be in grades 6-12 for the 2026-27 school year.

• The purpose of the Legacy Leadership Institute is to: cultivate collaboration among students across middle and high schools throughout HCPSS, establish common practices, themes, and plans for GSAs/SAGA clubs for the 2026-27 school year, and for students to participate in student growth and leadership activities.
• If you know of a student who would be a candidate for this program, please share the application form The application form will close on Friday, May 15th and students selected to participate will be notified by Friday, May 29th.

The Mental Health Community Advisory Council (MHCAC) is a group of Howard County mental health professionals and community members who seek to remove barriers and build awareness of mental health support for our children and families.

Please view their MHCAC Spring 2026 Newsletter filled with mental health resources, upcoming events, Spring Break Tips, coping skills, and kindness resources, in your school newsletter.