ELC, Waldorf's 'The Loop'

Good morning! What a wonderful first week! It has been so exciting to watch your children get into a routine of being at school. This is going to be a wonderful experience for them and our staff is so excited to be a part of this journey with you. We appreciate your continued support.

While school supplies are trickling in, please prioritize sending in a change of clothes including socks, and if possible, shoes for your child. If your child is still toileting, please be sure to send in the needed supplies such as pull-ups, diapers, and wipes. Please also be reminded that we have a rest time each day, so please send in a nap mat, blanket, or so something for them to lay on their cot. A full list of school supplies can be found attached below.

Please also ensure that your child's coats, lunchboxes, nap mats, etc. are labeled with their name.

Thank you for helping make the ELC such a great place to be!

-Mrs. Carrington

Thank you to all of our families for your flexibility, patience, and understanding this week as we worked through transportation and other school logistics. We truly appreciate your support as we get the school year off to a great start.

Now that we have found our rhythm with arrival and dismissal, you may notice that these parts of the day begin moving a little faster. For families with students who ride the bus, buses may begin arriving at bus stops a little earlier in the afternoon for drop-off. Morning pick-up times should remain pretty close to the times families are currently seeing.

If you have any questions or concerns about transportation, please reach out to Mr. Hawkins at chawkins@ccboe.com.

Goodbyes can be tough for both young children and parents as they navigate their first school experience. As your child enters preschool, separation anxiety may sink in and trigger stress and mixed emotions on both ends. Join us as we explore why separation anxiety is a normal part of early childhood development and how families can help their children build confidence, security, and independence along the way. Participants will learn practical strategies for creating consistent goodbye routines, reducing morning stress during morning drop-offs, supporting emotional dysregulation, and responding to clingy behaviors.

Join our school counselor, Ms. Moore, and our school social worker, Ms. Harley on Wednesday, September 9 from 12:00 - 1:00 pm for our first Parent Power Hour of the year! More information below.

QR code not working? Sign up using this link!

Our character trait for the month of September is RESPECT. At school, we are helping our preschoolers learn that respect can look like using kind words (i.e. please, excuse me, thank you, no thank you), following directions, listening when others are talking, taking care of the classroom and materials, and keeping hands and feet to self.

At home, parents and families can support this month's learning by noticing and celebrating the small moments when your child demonstrates respectful words, kind actions, and positive choices. Through explicit teaching, modeling and practice at home, we are certain preschoolers can transfer what they've learned across school settings and routines.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the DADvisory Council, and we are excited to celebrate A Decade of Dads: Driven, Active, and Dedicated!

We would like to invite you to our first-quarter DADvisory Council meeting on Thursday, September 24, 2026, from 6:00–8:00 p.m. at the Board of Education, Jesse Starkey Building, located at 5980 Radio Station Road, La Plata, Maryland 20646.

During this special kickoff meeting, we will reflect on the purpose and impact of our work, build meaningful partnerships, and establish shared goals that support student success. We are also honored to welcome two distinguished guest speakers: Nathan Monell, former Executive Director of the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA), and Shawn Owens, a founding member of the DADvisory Council.

To register, please scan the QR code on the flyer below or click here.

For more information, feel free to contact Thelma Dorsey at tmdorsey@ccboe.com or 301-392-5519.

We look forward to having you represent the Early Learning Center, Waldorf and to seeing you there!

Monday, September 7- Labor Day (Schools/offices closed)

Wednesday, September 9- Parent Power Hour: See Ya Later, Alligator! How to Cope with Separation Anxiety

Friday, September 11- School Spirit Day: Wear Red, White & Blue for Patriot Day

Monday, September 14 - Thursday, September 17- ELC, Waldorf's Grandparents'/Special Person's Week (Flyers will be sent home in your child's blue folder this week.)

Friday, September 18- Teacher In-Service Day (No school for students)

Looking ahead...

Monday, September 21- Friday, September 25- School Spirit Week: Attendance Matters (More information to follow.)

Thursday, September 24- 2-Hour Early Dismissal

Tuesday, September 29- ELC, Waldorf Open House 5:30-7:00 pm

Based on your child's classroom schedule, they will have P.E. on either C or D days. Please ensure that they are wearing proper footwear on those days. Sneakers are preferred.

Assorted cereal will also be available as a breakfast choice each day.

• Our school is eligible for free breakfast this year! All students will be offered breakfast each morning. Lunch is $2.95 per student. Reduced meal price is $0. Students may also buy milk for $.50 to accompany their lunches from home. Families are encouraged to set up a MySchoolBucks account to manage their children's breakfast and lunch funds.

• This week hard copies of the Meal Benefits (Free and Reduced Lunch) forms will be provided to students who did not receive them during your conferences this week, but paper copies usually take longer to process. We recommend filling the form out electronically by clicking here.

We value our home-school connection! Collaboration with your child’s teacher and administration is important to a successful year and open communication is vital to ensure a productive home-school partnership throughout the year. Please do not hesitate to share any great ideas, questions, or concerns with us.

You can access our website by clicking here. You can also follow us on Instagram @elcwaldorf.

All students will be provided with a daily take home folder. The folder will be sent home with your child each day and should be returned to school the following day. School communication, as well as important classroom information such as your child's work, and community event flyers, will be sent home in these folders.

In addition, our newsletter, affectionately titled 'The Loop', will be sent to your email weekly for now, but will move to bi-weekly as the school year progresses. Please read the newsletter to stay "in the loop."

• Ms. McClure, our art teacher, is collecting items for her fun projects this year. Please consider donating items such as toilet paper and paper towel tubes and paper pulp egg cartons. These items would be a huge help in preparing for these upcoming projects!
• Ms. McClure, who is also our Physical Education teacher, would love you to send in a picture of your child participating in a sport or exercising at home and with their families. If you take a picture of your student exercising at home, playing a sport or other physical activity, print it or email it to her at mmcclure@ccboe.com and she will put it on her class bulletin board. She will be putting all of the pictures on the 'Pups at Play' board in the front of the school.
• If you haven’t already, please send in a family photo for the family wall in your child's classroom. A 4x6 or 5x7 photo is requested and can be sent in with your child throughout the week or emailed to your child's teacher.

• If you child requires medication at school, please contact Nurse Brittany at bmanns@ccboe.com, to schedule a drop-off time.
• All medications should come unopened, in original packaging from the pharmacy, with their name and administration directions. They should have a medication administration form for each medication they bring filled out/signed by the doctor. No medication or forms will be accepted unless all required information is brought together upon arrival.
• Beginning of Year Medical Forms are due Monday, September 14, 2026.

Our address is 3155 John Hanson Drive Waldorf, MD 20601.

Our phone number is 240.776.5803.

Our fax number is 301.944.0893.

Student Hours are from 9:45 a.m. - 4:05 p.m., with doors opening at 9:30 a.m.

Office Hours are from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Students are considered tardy, if they arrive after the 9:45 a.m. bell. If you need to pick your child up early, please do so before 3:45 p.m.