The Glade Gazette

July 2nd & 3rd: Schools closed in observance of Juy 4th

July 28 & 30: Meet & Greet Administration at the Walkersville Library

July 28 at 5 pm, all ages - One Up Games: Family Retro Gaming at the Library, this is your chance to step back in time and relive the golden era of gaming. Experience the thrill of playing on original Nintendo systems, from the classic NES to the latest consoles, alongside Xbox and PlayStation favorites.

July 30 at 11:30, PreK & Kindergarten only - School Skills At The Library, a weekly program designed for caregivers and their children, ages 3-5, to have fun and explore together. Builds school skills and social- emotional development.

Glade is closed on Fridays - Summer Four-Day Work Schedule. Office will be open to the community Monday through Thursday from 8:30am-3:00pm. Extended hours are also available by appointment. Please call the front office prior to stopping by to ensure the staff member you need assistance from will be available.

Dear Glade Families,

As I prepare to begin my new role as Glade's Principal, I want to take a moment to share how excited I am to continue serving this incredible school community in a different capacity.

I believe that strong schools are built on meaningful relationships, high expectations, and a shared commitment to helping every child succeed. I look forward to partnering with you to create a learning environment where all students feel safe, supported, challenged, and inspired to reach their fullest potential.

I am eager to listen, learn, and get to know the aspirations that make our school special. Together, we will continue to build a culture where every child feels a sense of belonging and develops a love for learning. To help me please complete the Glow & Grow Feedback Survey. Your feedback will help Glade Leadership celebrate the practices, traditions, and experiences that make our school special while also identifying opportunities for growth and improvement.

Thank you for welcoming Mrs. Hamilton into our school community. I am excited about our journey ahead and look forward to a great school year. Please know that our doors will always be open, and we value your partnership in supporting our students.

I hope you are enjoying a wonderful summer and I look forward to the upcoming Meet & Greet opportunities at the Walkersville Library.

Gladefully,

Mira Ivanova

Teachers who put relationships first don’t have students for one year; they have students who view them as ‘their’ teacher for life. I believe that ALL students can achieve, staff have a duty to advocate for them.

Facts about Mrs. Hamilton

• Grew up in Adamstown

• Played collegiate soccer in Alabama

• Masters in Leadership at Hood College

• 14th year in education, 9th year in FCPS

• Assistant Principal at Kemptown Elementary - 2 years

• Experience as Assitant Principal at Carroll Manor Elementary

I am so excited to begin the new school year and can't wait to meet each and every one of you!

Mrs. Hamilton

School-wide Attendance for SY25-26 increased by 0.9% compared to SY24-25 and is above 95%. We will continiue monitoring attendance daily and will contact you once your child(ren) starts accummulating 3, 5, 10 or more absences.

School-wide students not chronically absent increased by 5.6% compared to SY24-25.

This achievement and growth in attendance reflect the commitment of our students, families, and staff to making attendance a priority. Great work, everyone—your commitment to attendance is helping our entire school community thrive!

All absences require a parent note or they will be marked unlawful. Be sure to include the child’s first/last name and teacher name. Even if you have called the school to report an absence, we still require a note upon returning to school. You may print one off - ABSENCE NOTE or email a note to GES.Attendance@fcps.org

You can support maintaining our perfect attendance by sending your healthy child to school each day on time. Instruction begins at 9:00 every morning and ends at 3:30 pm.

VACATIONS - Per Board of Education Policy 430-02 Student Attendance, Absences for students who take trips during the school year will be considered unlawful. However, these absences will not be considered as truancy, for a maximum of 5 days, per school year, with prior written notice to the principal or designee. Students shall be permitted to make up missed classwork, homework and assessments missed while absent. Email written notice to GES.Attendance@fcps.org

You can also support by planning vacations around the FCPS calendar and State Assessments.

State assessments are tentatively scheduled for:

MISA - Grade 5 - April 5-14, 2027

MSTAR Reading (formerly MCAP) - Grades 3-5 - April 15-30, 2027

MSTAR Math (formerly MCAP Math) - Grades 3-5 - May 3-21, 2027

At the end of SY25-26 we started practicing a school-wide dismissal, where all students were either dismissed or were at their dismissal location by 3:40 pm. Glade will continue with this practice for SY26-27 to ensure staff can meet their contractual planning time and prepare for the next day.

NEW!!! To allow for a safe and smooth dismissal, the Front Office will be closed for visitors between 3:20 and 3:40 pm every day. No students will be dismissed from the Front Office during this time.

WALKERS: Only students who live or whose childcare provider is within 1.25 miles or less from Glade will be dismissed as walkers.

CAR RIDERS: You can drop off your child between 8:30 and 8:55 am and pick them up after 3:30 pm. While the dismissal line may appear long at times, our staff works efficiently to ensure a quick, safe and smooth process, and the line typically moves quickly.

BUS RIDERS: Buses depart in two loads, A & B. A loads leave Glade no later than 3:35 pm and B loads leave around 3:45-3:50 pm. Occasional delays will be communicated with affected families via School Messenger. School buses are considered an extension of the school building and all rules and regulations apply accordingly. Students are expected to abide by the Student Code of Conduct while riding on an FCPS bus for any purpose.

Any changes in your child's dismissal or transportation home needs to be shared with the front office before 2:30 with either a note, phone call or email to Glade.ES@fcps.org. If there's an emergency, and you have to make a change after 2:30 pm, please CALL the office. If you email the teacher only and they are absent, nobody will get that information. Thank you.

The Online Enrollment Portal for the 2026–2027 school year (SY27) is now open! Frederick County Public Schools transitioned to a new Enrollment Portal after May 29. If you registered before this date and have not yet received an acceptance decision, you will need to re-register again.

Income guidelines for approval can be found here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Oazmz_pAPSz2nn8dlJDzI9L0AynAQoi2/edit?gid=97339937#gid=97339937

To be considered for PreK registration, the following documentation is required:

● Birth Certificate

● Proof of Residency

● Proof of Income (W-2 forms, Tax Return, or SNAP Benefits letter)

For PreK registration, please visit: https://www.fcps.org/academics/early_childhood_education/pre-_k_application_process

For Kindergarten registration, please visit: https://www.fcps.org/academics/early_childhood_education/kindergarten_enrollment

Please pass this information on to your friends and neighbors with PreK and Kindergarten aged children at home. Early enrollment can support informed staffing decisions.

Children and teens ages 0–18 can pick up free shelf-stable food packs at the Walkersville Branch Library. Prepackaged meals are also available for pick up by parents. Food packs, provided by Helping Hands, Caring Hearts and generously funded by Glade Valley Community Services and the Town of Walkersville will be available on Tuesday mornings starting June 16 and ending August 11. Packs are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis as early as 10 am.

Frederick County Public Schools will be Serving Free Summer Meals at Three Locations

FCPS Food & Nutrition Services will be serving a free breakfast and a lunch at various open sites to anyone in the community 18 years old or younger. Those over 18, who are enrolled in an educational program for people with disabilities, will also be served.

This program will be available from Monday, June 22, 2026 – Thursday, August 6, 2026.

Meals served Monday - Thursday
Breakfast will be served from 8:30am-9:30am
Lunch will be served from 12:00pm – 12:30pm

Meals will not be served on Thursday, July 2 or Friday, July 3rd, 2026.

Free Breakfast and Lunch will be served Monday – Thursday at the following sites:

Butterfly Ridge Elementary School
Entrance point will be located at the front doors of the school
Breakfast: 8:30am-9:30am
Lunch: 12:00pm-12:30pm

Lincoln Elementary School
Entrance point will be the side doors located at the cafeteria
Breakfast: 8:30am-9:30am
Lunch: 12:00pm-12:30pm

Waverley Elementary School
Entrance point will be located at the front doors of the school
Breakfast: 8:30am-9:30am
Lunch: 12:00pm-12:30pm

Please note:

• Children must be present to get a meal
• A child or adult cannot pick up a meal for a child who is not present
• All meals must be consumed at the site where the meals are served
• Children cannot take meals home
• Meals will not be served on July 2nd or July 3rd, 2026.

The last day of summer meals service to the community will be Thursday August 6th, 2026.

If you have questions, contact FCPS Food and Nutrition Services at 240-586-8152.

Consider joining the Frederick County Public Library summer reading challenge: https://www.fcpl.org/participate/summer-challenge

Play the following math games with a deck of cards: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1b0u3XPaKZItWI5vu11LyfafubvHMhy79/view

Glade Elementary will only have one School Counselor for SY26-27. Mrs. Gordon will continue supporting classrooms and individual students to build coping skills, study habits, and sense of belonging within our school community! Please do not hesitate to reach out to her with any concerns or questions: Lauren Gordon - Lauren.Gordon@fcps.org

Mrs. Leahy will support Glade Elementary in the capacuty of a Behavior Support Specialist. She will be pushing into classrooms to support students who experience behavioral, social-emotional, or self-regulation challenges. Her new role will focus on prevention, intervention, coaching, and collaboration. Please do not hesitate to reach out to her with any concerns or questions: Kim Leahy - Kimberly.Leahy@fcps.org

Important System Update: Volunteer Training Pause

To prepare for the upcoming school year and upload the new FY27 training modules, the platform must undergo a complete system reset.

• Blackout Dates: June 16 – July 15 (No new volunteer training or processing can take place).

Thank you for understanding and for your continued support of our schools!

• Address change: Please provide a new proof of residency (a copy of a property tax bill, gas bill, electric bill, water/sewer, cable bill or a signed current lease/rental agreement; NO phone bill or mortgage statements).
• Custody change: If there is a change in child custody, please make sure you share that information with your child’s teacher and the office. It is extremely important that a copy of the court document be delivered to the school and placed in the child’s permanent record folder. Should the school not have this documentation, we have no recourse but to release your child to either parent upon request.
• Weapons: Possession of any firearm or other weapon by a student on school property is strictly forbidden. This also includes look-alike weapons. The penalties for violation are detailed in the Discipline section of the FCPS handbook. Please remember it is a serious offense to possess a weapon of any kind on school property.

Website: https://education.fcps.org/ges/

Location: Glade Elementary School, 9525 Glade Road, Walkersville, MD, USA
Phone: tel:227-203-1700
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/GladePTA