The Dolphin Whistle

Mrs. Cynthia Alvarado, Registrar

Cynthia_Alvarado@mcpsmd.org

Mrs. Evelyn Campos, Attendance Secretary

Evelyn_R_Campos@mcpsmd.org

Mrs. M. Deneise Hammond, Principal

MDeneise_Hammond@mcpsmd.org

Mr. David Kim, Assistant Principal

David_K_Kim@mcpsmd.org

Mrs. L. Orinda Nelson, Assistant Principal

L.Orinda_Nelson@mcpsmd.org

Mrs. Padma Radhakrishnan, Administrative Secretary

Padma_Radhakrishnan@mcpsmd.org

A special thanks goes out to Mrs. Williams and Mrs. Chavez for attending our Summer Leadership meeting. We hope that we can continue having a parent representative at our monthly Instructional Leadership Team meetings, which we refer to as "Oceans 25." The dates will be added to the WLES Family calendar.

We also want to thank our POD parents, Mrs. Barnes, Ms. MacDonald and Mr. DeFelice, for facilitating the Summer playdates this week. We are looking for more parents to volunteer in various aspects of our school community.

Monday, August 24, 2026 is Transition Day. It is an opportunity for our Kindergarten students and any students who are new to Waters Landing Elementary School to engage in a practice run of what a school day will be like. Buses will run on the regular schedule. There will be a Chat & Chew with the Principal for any new parents who escort their children to school that day at 9:30am in the All Purpose room. We are expecting to see all of our kindergarten students that day. Please click here if your student is in Grades 1-5 to let us know your student will be attending.

The first day of school when all students come will be Tuesday, August 25, 2026. Kidsco will open on that day.

We hope to see you at the Back to School Fair! Look for the Waters Landing Elementary School table.

Our portable classrooms should be ready for use during the first few weeks of school. Our Community School PLC and our ELD PLC will use the space to support the WLES Instructional program.

August 19, 2026

Dear Waters Landing Elementary School Community,

On Sunday, June 21st, 2026, Waters Landing experienced significant water damage as a result of a pipe burst in a classroom. Cleanup and remediation took place immediately following the pipe burst, but after further evaluation, the entire gymnasium floor needs to be replaced and will not be available for the start of SY 2026-27. The school is making alternative arrangements to ensure student programming such as Physical Education (PE) classes are uninterrupted.

We know families and staff want clear information about the condition of their school. So, as soon as these issues were identified. We are committed to responding quickly, thoroughly, and transparently, to resolve issues and to monitor conditions closely and take prompt action if new concerns arise. We want our entire school community to feel confident that every effort is being made to provide a safe and healthy environment for students and staff.

Here is what we’ve done.
Our efforts to date have tried to ensure that we have the best possible learning environment for staff and students as they return to school. As part of our commitment to transparency, below you will find an overview of the work completed so far and the plans in place to ensure our building is ready for learning.

Specifically we have completed:

• Remediation of affected spaces was completed by a third party contractor (SERVPRO) immediately after the incident, and an indoor air quality assessment was conducted as part of the restoration process, ensuring there were no remaining issues due to moisture.

• It was identified that the gym floor would need to be replaced through an insurance claim. This has been approved and we are finalizing the timeline with the contractor.

• We anticipate the replacement to start at the end of September or first week of October, the replacement typically takes 4-6 weeks.

On-going monitoring plans:

To ensure a safe and healthy environment throughout the process, we will continue to:

• Monitor the progress of repair activities, specifically to the gymnasium floor.

• Conduct regular inspections of previously impacted areas to confirm that conditions remain stable.

• We anticipate the replacement to start at the end of August and this replacement typically takes 4-6 weeks. At this time, we anticipate the gym reopening in November 2026.

Safety Comes First

Our Commitment to a Safe Learning Environment
The safety of our students, staff, and families is always our highest priority. MCPS facilities staff will remain on-site in the coming days to continue monitoring the building and to address any additional areas immediately.

Beyond that, we know families place a great deal of trust in us when they send their children to school each day. You should also know that we are committed to being transparent about the work taking place, providing updates, and ensuring that Waters Landing Elementary School remains safe and healthy in which every student and staff member can learn and thrive.

Andrea Swiatocha

Deputy Chief

Division of Facilities Management

School Hours

Arrival begins-students enter the building: 9:10-9:25am

(Students are considered late after the bell rings at 9:25am)

Instructional hours: 9:35am-3:35pm

Dismissal begins: 3:50pm

Dismissal begins on early release days: 1:20pm

We want to ensure the safety of students, their families, staff and the community during arrival and dismissal. Please remember the following as you drop off and pick up your student(s) each day:

• Cars should never enter the bus loop - only buses.
• Please avoid parking along Waters Landing Drive, Locbury Drive, and in the Waterford Townhome community near the school during arrival and dismissal, as this will cause unnecessary traffic and congestion. There is a possibility of being ticketed and/or towed if parking on townhome property.
• Please walk on sidewalks only, not cutting across the bus loop or car circle.

Bus Riders

If you live more than a mile from school, there is a bus you can ride. During the first week of school, WLES staff will be placing colorful tags on the backpacks of bus riders during arrival. This tag will let the teacher know which bus your child rides each day. It is important that an adult be at the bus stop to put students on the bus and to meet them at the end of the day. This will alleviate any potential issues that could occur in the absence of adult supervision.

Morning Bus Routes Afternoon Bus Routes

Daycare Van Riders

Several daycares in the area have vans that drop students off and pick them up from Waters Landing Elementary School each day. During the first week of school, WLES staff will be placing colorful tags on the backpacks of daycare van riders during arrival. This tag will let the teacher know which daycare van your child rides each day. During dismissal, daycare vans will pick students up at teh car circle door.

Car Riders

All cars enter the circle near the corner of Locbury Dr. and Waters Landing Dr. This is the only entrance for cars. Cars move from the circle through the connection to the staff parking lot. Continue to drive forward through the parking lot. All cars exit the parking lot by turning right on Locbury Dr. This is the only exit for cars.

For everyone's safety, the car lane is a single line during both arrival and dismissal. Please follow the directions of the Waters Landing Elementary School staff on duty at all times.

During arrival, please pull up as far as you can before stopping your vehicle. Your student(s) should exit the vehicle from the curbside only, then proceed to enter the building through the car circle door or the middle door of the school, whichever is closest.

During dismissal, students will be dismissed through the door at the end of the car circle line and escorted safely to their cars by staff and patrols. Each student, will have a number specific to them. Car tags will be provided to hang from your mirror or place on your front dashboard so that staff can read the number and request that your student come to the car circle exit doors.. The student number will also be attached to student backpacks. The numbers will be sent home the first week of school.

Kindergarten Walkers

During arrival, Kindergarten walkers should enter the building through the main entrance. A line will be formed behind a cone for families who arrive before 9:10am. There will be Waters Landing Elementary School staff and patrols available to help your child find the correct classroom.

During dismissal, Kindergarten walkers will be dismissed from the exterior doors of the Kindergarten classrooms in the Bus Loop. Each teacher will dismiss their own students. They must see the adult each student is supposed to leave with before sending the student out the door.

Walkers in Grades 1-5

During arrival, Kindergarten walkers enter the building through the main entrance. Students in Grades 2 and 4 enter the building through the car rider door. Students in Grades 1 and 3 enter the building through the middle door. Students in Grade 5 enter the building through the same door that car riders are dismissed from.

During dismissal, walkers in Grades 1-5 will exit the building through the rear door that faces the field. Families can meet their student(s) in the area outside of those doors to walk home together. Whatever path is chosen to walk home, please stay on sidewalks or grass, using caution to cross streets at crosswalks.

Please see the Arrival and Dismissal Maps below. Remember, the traffic flow is the same for arrival and dismissal.

Attendance at school is mandated by law. It is important that students attend school regularly so they can successfully learn the standards for their grade level and participate in the social emotional experiences necessary for maturation. Please notify the school when your student(s) will be absent for any reason on any given day by completing this form. The form is also located on the website under Quick links, Report a Student Absence.

If a student is absent more than 3 consecutive days, a doctor's note, written or emailed, must be submitted upon returning to school. If a student is absent for 10 consecutive days, he or she will be withdrawn from school and will need to be reenrolled.

If you are dropping your student off late to school or picking your student up early, please come inside the school office to sgn your student in or out using the KioskVUE Tardy Check-in and Early Dismissal system.

Elementary school students with excessive absences and/or tardies, both lawful and unlawful, may be referred for appropriate intervention. At the discretion of the principal/designee, students who demonstrate a pattern of absences may be referred to appropriate staff and/or outside agencies for intensive interventions designed to increase regular attendance. Please see the MCPS Regulation JEA-RA, Student Attendance for additional information.

WLES staff will be contacting you via email and phone calls if there are concerns with your child's attendance.

The expectation is that every student engage in respectful, responsible and safe behavior while they are at Waters Landing Elementary School. The Landing is a Restorative Justice School, so when students have difficulty abiding by these core values, a series of progressive steps to help the student understand the impact of their actions on the school community and to help the student make better choices moving forward will be taken. The goal is to educate and empower students to make good choices. Please review Restorative Discipline at Waters Landing or Disciplina Restaurativa en Waters Landing for more information.

This year, students, parents/guardians, and staff will sign a Learning & Community Contract that outlines what we as a community will do to support our students' learning. Please review the Learning and Community Contract or Acuerdo de Aprendizaje y Comunidad to see what the contract says.

Useful links:

• MCPS Student Code of Conduct (2025-2026 Edition) (The Student Code of Conduct is an implementation guide for students, staff, and parents/guardians to create orderly and safe learning environments in Montgomery County Public Schools.)
• Bullying Reporting Form (Online Bullying Form), (The Student Code of Conduct is an implementation guide for students, staff, and parents/guardians to create orderly and safe learning environments in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS))
• Hate-Bias Incident Reporting Form (MCPS Form 226-5) (Complete this form if you are a student victim, the parent/guardian of a student victim, a close adult relative of a student victim, bystander, or a school staff member and wish to report an incident of alleged hate bias.)
• Report of Suspected Abuse and Neglect MCPS Form 335-44 Online Form (The purpose of MCPS Form 335-44 is to provide a mandatory written record for staff, contractors, and volunteers in Montgomery County Public Schools to document and officially report suspected instances of child abuse, neglect, or mental injury)

Each student will be celebrated with birthday wishes over the announcements and the receipt of a birthday pencil on his/her birthday. Students who have birthdays in the Summer will be celebrated as well, prior to the end of the school year. No food will be shared with the class during lunch, recess or instructional time. However, you may choose to send a birthday item in for the entire class to take home that day. Please contact the homeroom teacher prior to bringing the item in to school. Parents can also bring a birthday lunch for their child only. Personal birthday invitations will not be distributed in school, unless one is provided for every student in the class. The office staff will remind any family of this as necessary.

At Waters Landing Elementary School, we celebrated Swim Up Day on the last day of the 2025-2026 school year. That was the time when students had the opportunity to meet their homeroom teacher and classmates for the upcoming school year, as well as see where their new class was located. A card was sent home in backpacks with the teacher's name on them for parents. As a reminder and for those who are new to the Landing, you will receive a message from your child's homeroom, math and English Language Arts teachers prior to the Dolphin DIve Ins.

It is the goal of the Waters Landing Elementary School staff to ensure that you always know what is happening at the school. We are partners in your children's success and as such, we must keep the lines of communication open. Teachers want you to feel comfortable sharing information with them, as they are your number one contact at the school. WLES staff will be using ParentSquare to communicate with families this year in place of Remind. We will no longer be using Remind.

You will receive a weekly newsletter, The Dolphin Whistle, from administration on Thursday evenings, unless there is a holiday. A voice message summarizing events in the upcoming week also goes out on Thursdays. You will also receive a newsletter from your child's grade level team the first week of each month.

You can expect a response from any communication to any Waters Landing Elementary School staff member to be returned within 48 hours. If not, please reach out again. It is important for us to make connections with you in order to ensure success for our student(s).

Waters Landing Elementary School is a community school. Community schools work in collaboration with community partners, local governments, and other stakeholders to identify and address structural and institutional barriers to achievement. Leveraging the power of the collective allows community schools to provide resources to students and families where they need it the most—neighborhoods that have been historically underfunded and underserved. Community schools provide a wide array of wraparound services that enhance student’s ability to be successful. Examples of wraparound services include:

• Extended learning time

• Extended school year

• Safe transportation to and from school

• Vision and dental services

• Expanded school-based health center services

• Additional social workers, counselors, and psychologists

• Additional mentors and restorative practice coaches

• Healthy food in-school and out-of-school

• Access to mental health practitioners

During this school year, we will focus on meeting the g9oals in our Implementation Plan to address the needs elevated through our Community School Needs Assessment.

This is our third year using the English Language Arts curriculum, Amplify CKLA. We will begin using Amplify Desmos Math curriculum this year. Moe information will be forthcoming about curriculum. Please click here to go to the MCPS Academics page for additional information on all curriculum your child will engage in this school year..

We are in need of new underwear and gently used or new T-shirts, sweatpants and socks for the health room in all sizes. Any items you can spare would be greatly appreciated.

During the year, grade levels participate in field trips to enhance the curriculum and extend learning. Transportation is provided by MCPS buses or private charter buses, depending on the location and length of the trip. All students must ride MCPS buses to and from field trips. Students will not be allowed to travel to field trips via parental transportation. Students attending field trips are supervised by the school and remain under school supervision until officially "signed out" by a parent. Additionally, all parents/guardians who chaperone field trips must complete the online MCPS Child Abuse and Neglect Training. All students must have written parental permission to participate in field trips. Field Trip payments must be paid in advance of the trip through School Cash Online. If necessary, cash or a check will be accepted as well. If a family has difficulty paying for a trip, please notify administration.

The first day of school is Tuesday, August 25, 2026. Students should go to their homeroom classrooms when the doors open at 9:10am. Waters Landing Elementary School staff and safety patrols will be available to assist students in getting to their classrooms. Families are not permitted to walk students to classrooms. This hinders the student from getting into the routine of walking to class without assistance from home. Families are welcome to visit the main office, if they have any concerns.

Lunch is free of charge for every Waters Landing Elementary School student. We encourage families to view information about the Division of Food and Nutrition Services and menus here.

Please see the lunch schedule below. If you plan to bring lunch for your child, please arrive 5 minutes before the start of their assigned lunch time. We do not have space in the cafeteria to allow students extra time to eat if their food arrives late. It is highly recommended that students either eat a school lunch or bring their lunch with them from home in a lunchbox/bag.

There is no recess on early dismissal or late arrival days.

Student immunizations must be up to date in order for students to remain enrolled in any MCPS school. If a student's immunizations are not up to date by the designated date in September, the student will not be allowed to return to school until they have been vaccinated. Students can be vaccinated at their primary care physician's office, a clinic, such as the Germantown Clinic or the Seneca Valley High School Wellness Center. You will be notified by the Health Room if your student needs immunizations.

All student medication authorization forms must be renewed each school year. Please bring medication along with the completed form, to the health room. Please call the health room at (240) 740-1022 to make sure our nurse, Mrs. Lange, or health technician, Mrs. Zimmerman, are available to accept medication. We cannot accept medication from a student and the office staff cannot accept medication in the absence of the Health Room staff. Please make sure to check the expiration date of the medication. Please find the necessary forms below:

• Authorization to Administer Prescribed Medication
• Emergency Care for the Management of a Student with Anaphylaxis (Epipen)

The Partners of Dolphins (POD) is a group of dedicated parents, teachers, and staff who work together to:

✅ Enhance student learning

✅ Organize fun events and programs

✅ Raise funds for classroom needs

✅ Strengthen the home-school connection

More information will be forthcoming. We need your help.

School Cash Online is an easy to use and safe way to pay for your children’s school fees. It eliminates the need for teachers and other school staff to handle money. Now, with a few clicks, you can pay for your child’s yearbook, class trips and so much more from your own home. All you have to do is register an account, attach your children and in no time you will be able to make payments online. They accept many different payment forms. Register your students here. Cash and check payments directly to schools will remain an option, if necessary.

Please see the list of recommended school supplies for students here. Parent donations of supplies will enhance the classroom experience and are very much appreciated, however, they are not required. The school will provide school supplies as necessary.

Students engage in Social Emotional Learning daily at WLES in every classroom and area of the school. Social-emotional learning (SEL) is a process that helps students develop skills that will help them be successful in school, work, and life. Self-awareness, self-control, and interpersonal skills are examples of SEL skills. People with strong SEL skills are better able to cope with challenges and benefit academically, professionally, and socially. We began teaching the Zones of Regulation school-wide last year. The Zones of Regulation provides a system of four colored zones to help students identify emotions in order to help them get to a place where they are more in control, and to reflect on times where they have been in trickier places or lost control of their emotions. Please click here to see the Zones of Regulation glossary. More information will be shared with parents in the upcoming weeks. Your child will have a SEL special every other week. Your child will also take part in SEL lessons throughout the day.

Please make sure that your students' backpack and lunch box is labeled with his or her name. Also, please make sure that your student(s) have a note with their full name, grade level, and teacher's name in the front pocket of their backpacks. It may be a good idea to attach the note to the backpack or clothing of kindergarteners, especially if this is their first school experience. They may be nervous at first, but we will ensure that they are well taken care of and that they land in the correct classroom.

At the Landing, we reorganize classes in Grades 1-5 for English Language Arts (reading and writing). This means that your child will potentially be switching classes during the school day. Students attend lunch, recess and specials (Art, Media, Music, Physical Education, STEM, and Social Emotional Learning) with their homeroom class. Your child's homeroom teacher will also teach math, health science, and social studies in Grades 1-3. New this year, only students in Grades 4 and 5 will be switching for Math. Kindergarten students remain with their homeroom teacher for the first two marking periods. You will receive communication from each of your child's teachers before the Dolphin Dive Ins.

Waters Landing Elementary School is a Title I school. Title I is a federal education program that supports schools with a large percentage of low income students throughout the nation. Funds are distributed to high poverty schools, as determined by the number of students who qualify for free or reduced lunch. The funds can be used to hire additional teachers or teaching assistants, to provide computers or software, to fund before, after and summer school programs, and to purchase additional materials or equipment. This year we were able to add the following positions to our school as a result of Title I funding:

• Math Content Coach
• Science Focus Teacher
• Social Emotional Learning Teacher

We welcome visitors at the Landing, but please be sure to adhere to our school policies. All school visitors, with the exception of MCPS employees with badges, need to check-in and check-out of the main office and scan their driver's license/identification cards through the Visitor Management System (VMS). Once the visitor clears the VMS, they must wear the badge the VMS creates and remain under supervision of an MCPS professional while with students. Any necessary disciplining of students should be handled by Waters Landing Elementary School staff, not visitors. Mark your calendar for Mother Figure Mondays and Father Figure Fridays each month when you can come and visit your child's classes. We allow visitors beginning the first week of October, in order for students to establish their routines. Thank you for your understanding.

• Complete the MCPS Parent/Guardian and Community Volunteer Form. This form serves as an introduction of yourself, your interests and availability in volunteering, and some important reminders about volunteers in school.
• Complete the mandatory online Recognizing Child Abuse and Neglect Training. This training is required for any volunteer who regularly supports schools, chaperones a field trip, etc. and is available in multiple languages. When the course is completed, a report is created to serve as proof of satisfying the training requirement.
• Provide our office staff with a copy of the completed MCPS Parent/Guardian and Community Volunteer Form and your online course grade sheet that will show 100% for completing the online Recognizing Child Abuse and Neglect Training.

There is plenty to do, both at school and in the comfort of your own home that will support Waters Landing Elementary School. Please let your child's teacher know if you are interested in volunteering. Speaking English fluently is not a requirement for volunteering. We allow volunteers after the fourth week of school in order for students to establish their routines, which will be September 21, 2026. Thank you for your understanding.