Cub Corner

Dear Woodward Mill Parents and Guardians

Thanks for a amazing first FULL week of school! We appreciate you.

Dr. Sonya Brown

Proud Principal

Woodward Mill Elementary

Translate the Cub Corner into another Language! 🗣️

Important Dates 📅

August 20, 2026 - PTA Spirit Night (Details below!)

August 26, 2026 - Cub Scouts Classroom Visits

August 27, 2026 - Curriculum Night (5:30pm to 7:30pm) and Cub Scouts Sign Up (6:30pm) - See information below.

September 7, 2026 - Labor Day (No School)
September 15, 2026 - Grandparents and Granola (more information coming soon)

Click here for the WMES Parent Calendar

Click here for the GCPS 2026-2027 school calendar.

School Supplies 🎒

Click here for the 2026/2027 School Supply List

PTA Spirit Night

Curriculum Night

Woodward Mill Relay for Life

Dear Parents,

Welcome to the Relay For Life T-Shirt initiative hosted by Woodward Mill Elementary School!

Every Monday is Relay For Life Day at WMES, and we invite you to join our staff and students in showing school spirit while supporting the fight against cancer.

Our parent and student sign-up begins today: Friday August 7, 2026 - Friday, September 4, 2026

To order a shirt for your child, please visit https://sfnd.io/rflcommunity

To order a shirt for yourself, please make sure to include your student's name, grade level, and homeroom teacher when placing your order.

Thank you for your support in making a difference!

The WM Relay for Life Team

Relay for Life T-Shirt - Order Here!

Chorus Club

Attention 4th and 5th Grade Students & Parents! 🎵

Are you interested in joining the chorus this year? Read below for details on how to get involved and sign up!

What is Chorus?

Chorus is a fun, high-energy group where students sing a wide variety of music, move together, and build their vocal skills. We practice weekly to prepare for exciting performances at WMES events, such as Winter Wonderland and International Night, as well as other special opportunities throughout the year!

Rehearsal Schedule

When: Thursday mornings, 7:15 AM – 8:00 AM
Where: WMES Music Room
First Meeting: Thursday, September 3, 2026

Participation Fee

Cost: $20.00
Includes: Chorus performance t-shirt, music, and snacks provided for after-school rehearsals.

How to Sign Up

Register online through MyPaymentsPlus.
Registration Dates: Monday, August 17 – Friday, September 11.
Note: Students must be fully registered before attending their first rehearsal.

We have so many talented singers at WMES that I hear in music class daily, and I would love to have those beautiful voices join us in the chorus!

Musically yours,

Mrs. Deal

Questions? Please email me at Amy.Deal@gcpsk12.org

Library Media Center

Ms. Mann and Ms. Swift are excited about a new year and new books! We can’t wait to see our Cubs’ smiling faces in the library starting Monday, 8/10!

A few reminders:

Every WMES student gets a chance to come to the library every week. Please check your teacher’s newsletter for your library day and help students return books on time so that all Cubs have access to books every week!
Should a student lose a book or damage it beyond repair, the replacement costs are $5 for paperbacks and $15 for hardcover books. All fines must be paid on MyPayments Plus. We cannot accept cash or checks - sorry!
Questions? Please email sarah.mann@gcpsk12.org Happy reading!

Beanstack Update

Many of our Cub friends did a great job reading over the summer! Stay tuned for more information on our Summer Reading Celebration.

Log your reading minutes on Beanstack and earn prizes! Beanstack is even easier to access this year! What's New? All students and staff will now access Beanstack directly through the GCPS Portal then LaunchPad. There will be no need to remember a separate Beanstack username or password.

Readers' Rally

Informational Readers Rally Meeting

When: Wednesday August 19, 2026

Time: 7:15am

Location: WMES Library

Green and Healthy Schools

WMES is a certified Green and Healthy School for the 2026-2027 school year. We met program requirements due to our hands-on learning experiences in the area of STEM and core content area connections throughout the school.

Literacy Tip of the Week: Talk about Pictures!

For Our Emerging Readers (Non-Readers)

Before reading the words in a book, spend time looking at the pictures together. Ask your child:

What do you see?
What do you think is happening?
How do you think the character feels?
What do you think will happen next?

Talking about pictures helps children build vocabulary, develop comprehension skills, and understand that stories have a beginning, middle, and end.

Try This: After reading, ask your child to "read" the story back to you using only the pictures. This builds confidence and helps develop important early literacy skills.

Remember: Even if your child cannot read the words yet, they can still be a reader by talking about and understanding stories!

Family Challenge: Read one picture book together this week and encourage your child to tell the story using the illustrations.

Free Family Literacy (English) Classes

Family Engagement Orientation

Walk-A-Weigh

Star Student

Samuel is a fantastic example of the 3 B's at Woodward Mill: Being Respectful, Responsible, and Safe. He greets others warmly with a "good morning" or "hello" in the hallways and takes his role on safety patrol seriously, consistently following expectations to ensure everyone stays safe.

Communication Tools for the 2026-2027 School Year

ParentSquare allows you to connect with your child's teacher and receive messages from the school.
ParentVUE allows you to register your child online, see grades, class schedule, clinic visits etc.
MyPaymentsPlus allows you to check and add money to your child's meal accounts and pay for any school activities or fines assessed.

ParentSquare Support

ParentVUE Support

MyPaymentsPlus Support

GASP

GASP is back at Woodward Mill for the 2026-2027 school year! Click on the link below to learn more. They will also be at Open House if you would like to speak to them in-person.

GASP Website