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Dear Laurel Woods Community,

We had a wonderful week celebrating Black History Month across our school community. Approximately 155 students, families, and community members joined us for our Black History Month Trivia Night. It was an engaging evening filled with delicious food, lively dancing, and fun, friendly competition. Thank you to everyone who attended and helped make the event such a success. We look forward to building on this tradition and hope even more members of our community will be able to join us next year!

We also ended the week with Coffee and Conversation with families. We were excited to welcome a special guest who joined us to help answer family questions and address topics that came up during our January Coffee and Conversation. Thank you to everyone who participated and shared their thoughts. For any follow-up questions, we will include additional information and responses in next week’s newsletter. Stay tuned!

Warmly,

LWES Admin

At its February 26 meeting, the Howard County Board of Education approved calendar adjustments to ensure the school system meets the State’s required days and hours, including:

• Tuesday, March 3: Scheduled as an early dismissal, becomes a full day for students.
• Monday, April 6 (Easter Monday): Scheduled as schools/offices closed, becomes a full day for students. The State Board of Education granted HCPSS a waiver to open school that day.
• Wednesday, April 15: Scheduled to be closed for students and designated as a staff professional learning and work day, becomes a half-day for students with the standard 3-hour early dismissal and half work day for staff.
• Thursday, May 14: Scheduled as an early dismissal, becomes a full day for students.
• Tuesday, June 16-Thursday, June 18: Scheduled as inclement weather makeup days included in the 2025-2026 school year calendar, become half days for students.

Barring any additional inclement weather days, the last day of school will be Thursday, June 18, 2026. Updates to the June calendar include the following:

• Thursday, June 11–Monday, June 15: Scheduled as early dismissals, become full school days
• Monday, June 15: Last day for half day pre-K / RECC .
• Tuesday, June 16–Thursday, June 18 (last day of school): Schools dismiss three hours early with half work days for staff. June 16 will be designated for staff articulation.

Any future disruptions to the calendar due to inclement weather will require additional solutions to be communicated if/when needed. An updated HCPSS online calendar is available now at www.hcpss.org/calendar. An updated PDF calendar will be available online by Friday, Feb. 27.

Registration assistance is available throughout the school day: 8:30am-3:30pm.Please visit https://www.hcpss.org/enroll/ in order to enroll your student and for more details.

Age Eligibility for Kindergarten:

• Kindergarten is a mandatory grade in the state of Maryland.
  

• Children must be five years old on or before September 1st to attend kindergarten.

• Children entering kindergarten in the fall of 2026 must have been born between September 2, 2020 and September 1, 2021.

• Students will be enrolled in the attendance area in which they live. Please refer families to School & Bus Locator to confirm the assigned school.

Every child who is 5 years old on or before September 1 must be enrolled in a kindergarten program this fall or have an approved waiver.

If you need assistance, please call 410-880-5960 or visit our front office between 8:30am-3:30pm.

The LWES Early Childhood Classes are making preparations for the upcoming 2026-2027 school year. Beginning now applications for general education students to participate as peers through the Learning Together Program (LTP) are available. These classes include general education and special education students. The program’s focus is helping all children develop communication, literacy, math, problem solving, motor, and social skills. Parents of children who will be 3 by September 1st, may apply.

In alignment with Maryland’s Blueprint for the Future, new applications for students turning 4 by September 1 are not available. The Howard County Public School System continues to offer Prekindergarten for income eligible children who will be 4 years old by September 1. For additional information contact the school or visit: https://www.hcpss.org/schools/pre-k-programs/

This engaging opportunity invites students ages 8–14 to submit a short essay or video showcasing a creative talent or business idea, or to participate as vendor exhibitors to pitch and sell their products and services. Participants can win prizes such as laptops, gift cards, art supplies, and trophies; entries and registrations are due by March 31, with an awards ceremony on April 25. See this flyer. for details.

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.

March

• 03.02- 03.06: College & Career Week
• 03.03: NEW Full Day for Students - NEW
• 03.04: Class Pictures
• 03.05: 7:00pm Wizard of Oz Parent Meeting
• 03.13: 9:30am Sing a Rainbow - with Maryland Opera; United Way Recess Partnership Days
• 03.14:Pi Day
• 03.16: 9:00am Kindergarten In-House Library Visit
• 03.17: 11:00am Howard County Library! 3rd Grade
• 03.19: 7:00pm PTO Meeting
• 03.20: Schools Closed
• 03.25: 5:00pm Maryland Science Center's Family Science Night
• 03.26: Clubs/groups Pictures
• 03.30-04.03: Spring Break

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

Thank you for your patience and flexibility as we navigated arrival and dismissal during the recent snow. Now that conditions have improved, we wanted to provide an update on our arrival and dismissal procedures.

Our morning arrival procedures will remain the same, with car loop using the inner loop and all students entering through the front of the building (or the side entrance for Early Childhood and Kindergarten).

For afternoon dismissal, we will also continue to have all students exit through the front of the building (or the side entrance for Early Childhood and Kindergarten). The only change in the afternoon is that our car loop will return to the access road.

Having all students enter and exit through the front or side entrances allows us to provide greater safety and security across the entire LWES campus. Additionally, reducing the number of crosswalks used during car loop helps create a safer route for both students and staff serving on arrival duty.

Thank you for your continued support in helping us maintain a safe and smooth process for everyone.

We are excited to invite our families and community members to join us as Mystery Readers at LWES! 📚✨ This is a fun and meaningful way to share your love of reading while connecting with our students.

Mystery Readers visit classrooms to read a special book aloud and help spark a joy for reading. You are welcome to bring a favorite book (all selections will be pre-approved) or work with the teacher to choose one.

On the day of your visit, the fun begins as students try to guess who their Mystery Reader is using clues! 🤔 Clues will be collected from each reader ahead of time and shared with the class before your visit.

If you are interested in participating, please complete the form. We would love to have as many families and community members as possible join in this special experience!

Thank you for helping us create engaging, joyful, and memorable reading moments for our students. ❤️

As you know, we are working toward our goal of a 95% attendance rate. For the past three weeks, we have maintained an attendance rate of 93.9%, and we would love your help in increasing that for the upcoming week! Every day matters, and your support makes a big difference in helping our students succeed.

To help motivate and celebrate our students, 3rd and 4th grade recently earned Pumped Up Recess from our November/December Attendance Challenge. These grade levels achieved 95% or higher attendance for 10 days—what a great accomplishment! 🎉 We had planned to celebrate earlier, but due to snow days, we rescheduled and celebrated this past Friday.

Students enjoyed a variety of fun and unique recess options, including a dance room 💃, game room 🎲, Perler beads room, and even Hover Soccer ⚽. It was wonderful to see their excitement and teamwork throughout the celebration. Students had a great time!

Our next incentive is Attendance Bingo, which will take us all the way to Spring Break! Classes are working hard to fill up their BINGO boards by showing up each day and being ready to learn. As a school, students can earn exciting rewards such as a schoolwide Pajama Day, a PJ and Plushie Power-Up Day, or even a fun PJ Parade! 💤🎈

Thank you for partnering with us to support strong attendance and help our students build positive habits that lead to success.

Monday, March 23, 6:30-7:30 p.m., virtual event link here This workshop is designed for parents and caregivers who want to better understand speech and language development in children ages 5–11. The workshop will address topics including what typical speech, language, and communication skills look like during the elementary school years, where to turn if you have concerns, as well as online resources available to families. Registration is required.

Calling all young athletes ready to learn, grow, and compete! The Western Howard County Warhawks football program provides a fun, safe, and supportive environment where players of all experience levels can develop their skills and confidence. Our dedicated coaches focus on fundamentals, teamwork, sportsmanship, and leadership—both on and off the field.

Whether your child is new to football or looking to build on their experience, the Warhawks offer an inclusive program that emphasizes player development, physical fitness, and a true love for the game. Most importantly, we pride ourselves on building a strong football family where athletes make lasting friendships and unforgettable

See Howard County Rec and Parks Activity Guide or www.gowarhawks.com in February 2026 for registration and cost. Registration is now open.

HCPSS families are invited to attend the 2026 Family Academy Conference on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, from 5:30–8:30 pm at Long Reach High School. This free, districtwide event brings families, educators, and community partners together for an evening of learning, connection, and support. Families can enjoy a light dinner, a community resource fair, interactive workshops focused on academic achievement and well-being, and free childcare. Workshops will include topics such as college and career readiness, special education supports, curriculum updates, and hands-on learning strategies for use at home. Interpretation services will be available.

Register online: English, Español, 中文, 한국어

Saturday, March 14, 2026 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. at the Cedar Lane School

The HCPSS Special Education Resource Fair provides families with information available from the community and HCPSS to support their students receiving special education and related services. Get connected to: Services within HCPSS, Recreational Activities, Camps, Community Groups, Service Providers, Transition Information, Assistive Technology, Behavioral Health, Howard County Government Resources, and Much More!

This spring, HCPSS again will offer its Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions program (SPACE), a no-cost, evidenced-based training program to assist parents/guardians in helping their children manage anxiety. HCPSS will offer five SPACE groups, listed below. Each group will be facilitated by two licensed HCPSS mental health staff members.

• Two groups for parents of middle and high school students (one virtual and one in-person)
• Two groups for parents of elementary students (one virtual and one in-person)
• One group for parents of Pre-K students (ages 4 & 5)

All groups will meet weekly, starting the week of March 9, 2026 and ending the week of April 27, 2026, for a total of seven sessions. There will be no meetings the week of Spring Break (March 30-April 6, 2026). Register here

The HCPSS Family Empowerment Academy is designed to equip parents and guardians with practical strategies, resources, and insights to support their children’s academic, social, and emotional success. The academy will take place on four consecutive Saturdays- March 7 through March 28, 2026, from 9:00-10:30 AM- and will feature interactive learning experiences, guest speakers, and opportunities to connect with other HCPSS families. Participation is limited to 30 participants, and registration is first-come, first-served. Attendance is encouraged for all four sessions. Language interpretation and childcare will be provided. Please complete the application form to be considered for participation.