RES Family Update

It's time! Enrollment is now open for eligible PreK and Kindergarten students, and all other students new to Caroline County Public Schools.

Please note:

• If your child is currently in a Caroline PreK class, there is no need to enroll again.

• If your child is currently in PreK-3, they need to be enrolled for PreK-4 at their school of residence and requalified.

For more information about the enrollment process and PreK / Kindergarten, please visit carolineschools.org.

#CarolineFamily

May

25 - No School - Memorial Day

26 - RESCHEDULED - Grade 5 Field Trip/Manship & Gieraltowski - Ches Bay Environmental Center - 9:30 - 2

29 - RESCHEDULED - Field Day

June

8 - 5th grade day (Rain Date 5/9)

17 - 1 PM Dismissal

- Last Day for Students

Parents, when dropping off in the morning and picking up children at the end of the day, please escort your children through the parking lot. Make sure they are with you as you all walk through the parking lots to and from cars. Safety first.

Field Day has been rescheduled for Friday, May 29

Additional parking will be available inside the fenced area on Seward Road. Avoid parking that may block our neighbors' driveways. All parents will need to check in at the front door entrance prior to attending Field Day. Be sure to bring your photo ID.

Caroline Families, registration opens April 1!

Start your summer planning now with a FREE PROGRAM for rising 6th, 7th 8th and 9th graders!

Summer Career Enrichment Program

Session I: July 6 – July 16

Session II: July 20

– July 30

Location: North Dorchester High School in Hurlock

Free bus transportation

Breakfast & lunch provided

This program will engage students in hands-on activities that lead to career paths in cybersecurity, media arts, video design, health, computer science, and engineering.

Classes offered will include: Animation, App Development, Chess, Cyber Security, Drones, Media Arts, Presentation/Graphic Design, and Robotics.

The program is in partnership with People for Change Coalition, Mid-Shore Regional Council, Rural Maryland Council, and Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot County Public Schools.

For more info: contact@pfcoalition.org, 310-772-1552

To enroll under COSSA, families are required to submit a new application annually between March 1 and June 1.

The 2026-2027 COSSA application will be available online only. As

part of the application process, you must upload current proof of residency. Applications submitted without the required documentation will be denied.

A list of acceptable proof of residency documents is provided within the application.

If a COSSA application is not received by June 1, your child will be expected to return to the school serving your residence for the 2026-2027 school year.

Appeals will not be granted for applications submitted outside of the required timeframe.

Students approved for COSSA are expected to maintain compliance with attendance, behavior, and academic progression requirements as outlined in the application. Specifically, students must

maintain:

Regular attendance (no more than five unlawful absences per semester),

Appropriate behavior (no more than two suspension incidents or a long-term removal), and

Satisfactory academic progression.

Failure to meet these requirements may result in a return to the student’s home school at the next natural break (quarter or semester).

For additional information regarding Change of Student School Assignments and to access the COSSA application, please visit: carolineschools.org/page/student-services#assignment

All COSSA applications will be submitted to Mr. Kirk Howie, Director of Student Services, for review and approval. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Student Services at 410-

479-3253.

As the parent or guardian of a child receiving special education services in Maryland, you should have received a copy of the Maryland Special Education Parent Involvement Survey in the mail. By completing the survey, you can tell us how your child’s school partners with you. Your feedback will help guide efforts to
improve special education and related services in your local school system.

OPTION 1: Complete the hard-copy survey recently sent to you and return it in the postage-paid envelope by June 5, 2026.
OPTION 2:
Complete the survey online at www.mdparentsurvey.com.

OPTION 3:
Scan the QR code to complete the survey online on the flyer below.

Caroline County Food Services will once again be providing free meals for children 18 and under during the summer.

June 29 through August 16 (closed Thursday, July 2)

REGISTER HERE FOR SUMMER MEALS!

Home delivery – 7 days of breakfast & lunch delivered to your door step – one delivery per week.

Visit carolineschools.org or call Food Services 410-479-3261 for more info.

Check MDSummerMeals.org to find other sites.

Maryland Sun Bucks Back for Summer 2025!

Eligible children receive $40 in June, July and August, for a total of $120 per child.

MOST students are automatically enrolled and do not need to apply. Your program enrollment letter or letter of eligibility will come in the mail.

Click here for more information.

USDA Notification to the Community

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online, from any USDA office by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant's name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

1. Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 lndependence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20250-9410
or

2. Fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442;
or

3. Email: program.intake@usda.gov

Choptank Community Health: School Based Health Care

Ridgely Elementary School: Tues/Thurs 8-4

Denton Elementary School

303 Sharp Road, Denton | 667-248-8020

Monday-Thursday, 8:00 am – 6:00 pm

Federalsburg Elementary School

302 South University Avenue, Federalsburg | 410-754-5857

Monday-Thursday, 8:00 am – 6:00 pm

Greensboro Elementary School

627 N. Main Street, Greensboro | 410-482-9148

Monday-Thursday, 8:00 am – 6:00 pm

Colonel Richardson Middle School

25390 Richardson Road, Federalsburg | 410-754-9580

Monday and Wednesday, 7:30 am – 5:30 pm

Colonel Richardson High School

25320 Richardson Road, Federalsburg | 410-754-0750

Tuesday and Thursday, 7:30 am – 5:30 pm

The School Based Health Centers are a partnership between the school system and Choptank Community Health System. School Based Health Centers deliver quality, age-appropriate health care so children are ready to learn. Services provided include: sick care, follow-up for acute or chronic health care needs, prescriptions, oral health programs, health risk assessments, behavioral health services. Whenever a student is seen in the School Based Health Center, a report is shared with his/her primary care physician or dentist.

Health Centers are located at all schools. Hours of operation are posted at each site. Parents/legal guardians may enroll their children in these programs by completing the SBHC enrollment form:

Student Enrollment Forms - English | Spanish | Haitian Creole

Please remember, for all notifications, parent/guardian numbers and emails are taken directly from information provided by the family in PowerSchool.

School delays and closings are shared via:

• a phone call, text, and email through our notification system

• a message on the CCPS Mobile App the district website (carolineschools.org)

• social media: Facebook (Caroline County Public Schools and all school pages), and Instagram (carolineschoolsmd)

• some local news and radio stations

The process for making weather-related decisions is outlined on carolineschools.org.

We understand many of our families are impacted by the suspension of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits due to the ongoing federal government shutdown. We want to reassure parents and guardians that free breakfast and lunch at every school will continue to be available for all students every day. These meals are funded through a separate program and are not affected by SNAP.

In addition to daily breakfast and lunch at school, all of our schools continue to offer

weekend food support through the Backpack Program, made possible by Food for Learning. This program provides shelf-stable food for students to take home on weekends. For more information and to request services, please complete a Backpack Program form.

Lastly, meals at participating afterschool programs will continue to be served.

Additional Resources for Families

• For a local listing of community resources, including food, please visit Caroline Better Together.

• For resources throughout the mid-shore, please visit the Mid Shore Health Improvement Coalition.

• For resources through the state, please visit the 211Maryland website.

If you have any questions or need assistance connecting with these resources, please contact your school’s Community School Coordinator or school counselor.

This information may also be viewed on the CCPS website.

"Tis the Season" for hats, scarfs and coats. Head lice infestations are more common in certain seasons like winter, particularly when children are in close contact with one another. The primary reason for this seasonal occurrence is the increased physical proximity among children, or where they share personal items like hats, headbands, and scarves. Please remember to regularly inspect your child's scalp and hair for signs of lice, especially during peak seasons. Early detection can prevent the infestation from spreading to others. Have a Healthy Holiday Season!

Parents, please do NOT park/wait (between the posted) signs on Central Avenue near the right hand turn on to Seward Road while waiting in the car rider line. Also, avoid waiting at the end of Seward Road. This makes it difficult for cars trying to turn back on to Central Avenue at the stop sign after dropping off students.

Also, do not pull into the side parking lot until 8:30 AM. This allows staff to access all of the parking spots as they arrive.

Thank you.

Dismissal is a very busy time of day in the front office.

1. To ensure the safety of all students, we respectfully request that when necessary, parents that need to change the regular dismissal for their child/children to contact the main office before 12:00 PM. This will allow the office staff adequate time to coordinate the change with the classroom teacher.

2. Parents that come to the school to pick up their child/children after 3:30 PM, will be directed to the walker area/picnic table area to pick up their student(s). Students will be called from their classroom and be dismissed from the media center with the walkers.

Welcome back! We’re so glad to have your children with us for the 2025–2026 school year!

To keep you informed and involved, we’re continuing to use Rooms, our two-way communication tool that helps you stay connected with your child’s teachers and school staff.

And this year, Rooms has improved some of their features:

• SMS Text Notifications
  You’ll now receive text message notifications whenever a new message or announcement is sent in Rooms. Each text includes a direct link to view the content in your mobile browser or in the app.
  
  → Click here to learn how to set your notification preferences.

• One Messaging Inbox
  Our school app has been updated to give you one, single place to see all of your messages across all children. From this inbox, you can read, reply, or start new messages. This feature is available through the CCPS App, available in the App Store and Google Play.
  
  

• Upgraded Messaging Features
  Our messaging experience now lets you react to messages with emojis, respond in threads, send photos and videos, mute group messages, and more!

Check out this overview of the new experience, or watch this short video (video in Spanish or click on Haitian Creole) to learn more about what’s new for this year.

We’re here to help make communication simpler, more consistent, and easier to manage this year! Please let us know if you have any questions.

The 2025-26 Student Benefits Form (Household Income Data Collection) information is used to help provide school meals at no charge to all students, along with other districtwide services. It also provides individual benefits to students and families such as:

• discounts for summer and recreational programs
• internet access
• fee waivers for SAT and AP testing and college applications
• eligibility for Maryland Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

USE this link to complete the form.

25-26 Student Benefits Form-Household Income

Need to provide or update your student's information? Parent/Guardians should use the Year Round Form, also in the parent portal in PowerSchool.

Visit carolinecps.powerschool.com and log in to the PowerSchool Parent Portal. (You must log in via a browser, not the app.)

From the Parent Portal:

1. Select the student you wish to update along the top.

2. Select the Student Information Update form icon on the left side for the applicable school year.

3. Verify the student's date of birth.

4. Select ‘Begin Form’.

If you are unable to access either form, please contact the school to update your child's information. This information is also available on the district website.

Parents Right to Know:

The Federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) contains several provisions that promote a parent/school partnership through communication. One such provision gives parents the right to ask for and receive information about the professional qualifications of their child’s classroom teachers. A parent may request the following information:

• Any college or university degree, major or certification held by the teacher
• Whether the teacher is certified by the State of Maryland to teach a particular grade level or subject area
• Whether the teacher holds a conditional teaching certificate
• The qualifications of the paraprofessionals serving the student
  

If you would like to request the professional qualifications of your child’s classroom teachers or paraprofessionals, please submit a written request to the principal. The principal will provide the information to you within 30 business days of the date of your request.

Parents may also request information on the level of achievement and academic growth of their child, if applicable and available, on each of the State academic assessments.

Parents will receive timely notice if the student has been assigned, or has been taught for four or more consecutive weeks by a teacher who does not meet applicable State certification or licensure requirements at the grade level and subject area in which the teacher has been assigned.

Parents May Request Teacher Information:

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 provides parents of students attending Title 1 schools the opportunity to request information about the professional qualifications of their child's teachers. Parents of elementary students may request in writing to the school principal information about their child's teacher including college/university degrees of certification held, subject area of the teacher's degree or certification, and Maryland certification status. Additionally, if your child is served by paraprofessionals, parents may request their professional qualifications.

Parent Information Resource Center:

Parents are encouraged to visit our Parent Information Resource Center (PIRC) located in the lobby outside of the front office. The PIRC has a variety of parenting resources and informational brochures and flyers. These materials are all free. Parents can find the School Improvement Plan, RES School Family Engagement Compact, booklets from The Parent Institute on topics such as “Seven Habits of Highly Responsible Students; Help Your Child Balance School and Extracurricular Activities; and Helping Children Learn to Resolve Conflicts.” Parents can also find information regarding Caroline County Recreation and Parks, Caroline County Library, Imagination Library and Maryland Department of Health . Please be sure to check out our Parent Information Resource Center next time you come to the school.

Last year, our Title I Parent/Family Engagement funds provided important resources to our students and families, including family academic nights and engaging materials for all elementary schools. Each year we base our programs on your feedback. Please help us again this year by taking the Title I survey.

Current Family Engagement Plan: English | Espanol | Kreyòl ayisyen

OFFICE HOURS:

The RES front is open Monday - Friday from 8:00 AM - 4:15 PM.

Use this link to view the CODE OF STUDENT CONDUCT:

https://www.carolineschools.org/documents/code-of-student-conduct/17009381

Use the link below to view the school calendar:

carolineschools.org/page/school-calendar

RES is a progressive community of learners collaboratively supporting each other through intentional planning in a risk-taking and trusting environment, leading to rigor, student autonomy, and mastery of content standards in all learning settings.

Email: sutton.lee@ccpsstaff.org
Website: ridgelyes.org
Location: 118 North Central Avenue, Ridgely, MD 21660
Phone: 410 479 3243