Lunch with your child
You must complete the Confidentiality Training Course and Child Abuse and Neglect Training every year. 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 to attend.
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. (i.e. 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.
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.
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:
Download the app
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
