The Dolphin Whistle

Hispanic Heritage Month for Kids

Hispanic Heritage Month Read Alouds

5 Hispanic Heroes Who Changed United States History

National Museum of the American Latino

National Hispanic Heritage Month

The Waters Landing Elementary School Staff wants to thank staff members Mrs. Hernandez, Mrs. Rodriguez, Ms. Romero, Ms. Short, Mr. Baez, Mrs. Campos, Mrs. Clerch, Mr. Oviedo, Ms. Acevedo, Mrs. Watkins, Ms. Tejada, Mr. Marquina and Mrs. Madris and parents Ms. Barnes, Mrs. Ramos, Mrs. Ramirez, Mrs. Cervello, and Mrs. Chavez for the delicious Hispanic Heritage themed luncheon yesterday. What a treat!

What is a Disability?

Kids Meet a Deaf Person

Kids Meet a Man in a Wheelchair

Kids Meet a Woman with Alzheimer's

Desmond and Georgia Meet a Woman with Tourette's

Be an Upstander - Prevent Bullying

Chester Raccoon and the Big Bad Bully

Bullying Reporting Forms

You can sign up to volunteer for lunch and recess, Mother Figure Monday, and Father Figure Friday in the "Useful Links" section at the bottom of this newsletter.

Remember to wear orange on Wednesday, October 21, 2026 for Unity Day. The purpose of Unity Day is to bring communities together against bullying and to promote kindness, acceptance, and inclusion for all students.

See the MCPS School Year calendar online here, or download the family-friendly calendar here.

Sign up to donate candy or decorate your trunk here.

Thank you parents for making sure you are able to see messages through Parent Square. This is our primary mode of communication for all school activities, messages from teachers, and emergency notifications.

Please download the app if you haven’t already done so. The system shows us that only 58% of families have downloaded the app. .

ParentSquare Quick Guides

• English
• Spanish
• French
• Korean
• Chinese
• Vietnamese
• Portuguese
• Amharic

If you bring your child to school late, and your child will be going home a different way than their usual, you need to message the teacher to let him/her know how your child will be dismissed.

Please remember that changes should be rare. For student safety, students should have a set routine for how they go home.

If your child is attending an after school club, make sure the teacher knows which club and which day(s) he/she attends. If they ride a daycare van, the daycare must also be notified not to pick up your child on that day(s).

Does your child believe vegetables “come from the store?” Does your child love growing plants? Then they will be among friends in the Waters Landing Garden Club! The purpose of the WLES Garden Club is to build community by planting and maintaining vegetables, flowers, and herbs in our newly built community garden at the back of our school. We want every child to know how food gets from farm to table! Selected activities for our club include: planting seeds, taking care of seedlings, transplanting plants outside, and harvesting any vegetables that grow. If you think your child would be interested in becoming a member of our Garden Club, please fill out this Google form by Friday, October 23rd.

Your student’s Spring 2026 Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) Individual Student Report (ISR) is now available electronically in Synergy for students who participated in ELA, Mathematics, Science (Grades 5).

The MCPS Department of Food & Nutrition Services serves more than 18 million high-quality meals each year. The menus are planned by licensed, registered dietitians and include local ingredients and international flavors that reflect our diverse community. Purchased foods, recipe ingredients and preparation techniques are reviewed to ensure our menus comply with nutritional guidelines. What’s for breakfast or lunch? Find your school’s menus, with pictures and nutritional information.

Your voice matters, and we want to hear from you! As MCPS continues its elementary and middle school closure and consolidation study, families, staff and community members are invited to upcoming engagement meetings to learn more, ask questions and share their perspectives.

We want everyone to be able to participate!

• Childcare: Families who need childcare during an engagement meeting are encouraged to complete the childcare request form or scan the QR code below.

• Language access: Interpretation will be available in Amharic, Chinese, French, Korean, Spanish, Portuguese and Vietnamese, as well as American Sign Language (ASL).

As we've shared in previous updates, MCPS is facing sharply declining enrollment; this study is about planning responsibly for the future while considering other factors such as building conditions, educational opportunities and the needs of our communities. Community engagement is essential to that work.

Explore the Study, FAQs and Meeting Information

MCPS is facing some difficult realities: aging school buildings, declining student enrollment and construction costs that continue to rise. During its Oct. 15 meeting, the Board of Education received an off-cycle update to the Capital Improvements Program (CIP), with only minor adjustments requested to the existing plan. But the presentation highlighted a much larger challenge: the need to make thoughtful, sometimes difficult decisions about how the district invests in its facilities.
With enrollment projected to decline further and many schools in need of significant repairs, MCPS must find new ways to provide safe, healthy and effective learning and working environments. The proposed adjustments focus on critical infrastructure and exploring alternative approaches to future construction projects.
The hard truth is that doing nothing is not an option. Learn more about the challenges facing MCPS, the proposed adjustments and what comes next.
Read the full story

To prepare for the chilly weather ahead, MCPS will begin the changeover process from air conditioning to heating in all schools, facilities and office buildings on Oct. 19. This process takes time and can be complicated. It is not as simple as flipping a switch. Maintenance teams must gradually transition building systems, check equipment and make adjustments to ensure heating systems are operating properly and safely. Because the changeover happens across hundreds of buildings, temperatures may vary from building to building — and even from room to room — as the process gets underway
Keep an eye on this HVAC Changeover Status website for updates.

https://mcpsmd.info/ParentHubEnglish https://mcpsmd.info/ParentHubEspañol

Father FIgure Friday SIgn Up

Mother FIgure Monday Sign Up

Parent resource page

Previous editions of The Dolphin Whistle

Refrigerator Curriculum (overview of what students are learning)

Report a Student Absence

Saturday School information

Waters Landing Elementary School Bus Routes:

Morning Bus Routes Afternoon Bus Routes

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

(240) 753-9472

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