Eagle Express
Wed. Oct 28 Schools Closed for Students-Staff Professional Learning
Tues. Nov. 3 Schools Closed, Election Day
Mon. Nov. 9 Picture Make-up Day
Wed. Nov. 11 Veterans Day
Mon. Nov 23 In-Person Conferences Only
Tues. Nov 24-Wed. Nov 25 Virtual Conferences Only
Simply scan the QR code and follow the directions to access your child's picture ordering gallery. No need to contact Customer Service for an access code! *Student last name and Student ID number will be required for data security.*
If at any time you have questions about the Code Lookup or are having difficulty navigating the site, you can still reach out to our Customer Service team via the Live Chat on our website, www.strawbridge.net .
Bullying Prevention
October is Bullying Prevention Month. This year at VES, we will focus on the topic of bullying prevention using planned activities that promote kind treatment of others. Activities include classroom discussions during SEL (social emotional learning time), spirit days, and students signing an "upstander pledge".
The focus of the discussions will be peer conflict/bugging vs bullying. See HERE for information about the difference between peer conflict/bugging vs. bullying. We will also focus on strategies for handling peer conflict and bugging/bothering. See HERE for information about strategies for handling conflict/bugging.
Young Authors’ Contest, Grades 1-5
The Howard County Literacy Association invites students in grades 1-5 to submit their original poems and/or short stories to the annual writing contest called The Young Authors' Contest. Please see the Young Authors’ Contest Guidelines for information about the rules and guidelines. Stories and poems must be typed and saved as a Word Doc. All entries must have a completed YAC Cover Sheet sent as a PDF. Submissions must be emailed to Shereen_Naylor@hcpss.org by December 11, 2026. All Young Authors’ Contest information can be found on the HCLA website. Howard County Literacy Association welcomes parents as members. Visit the HCLA Welcome Page for information about joining.
Safe Bus Behaviors
We want all of our students to have a safe and positive experience while riding the bus. As we continue to reinforce our schoolwide expectations, please take a moment to review the following bus expectations with your child:
Stay seated: Students should sit flat on their bottoms and remain in their assigned seat while the bus is moving.
Use a quiet voice: Students should use a Voice Level 1 or 2 and talk only with the students sitting near them.
Follow directions: The bus driver is responsible for the safety of everyone on the bus. When the driver gives a direction, students are expected to follow it the first time.
Keep phones put away: Students should not have phones or other personal devices out while riding the bus.
Respect others: Students should use kind and respectful language and keep their hands, feet, and belongings to themselves.
If students are having difficulty following these expectations, the bus driver or school administration may assign individual seats or assigned seating for the entire bus to help ensure that all students can ride safely.
Thank you for talking with your child about these expectations and for partnering with us to make sure our buses are safe, respectful, and positive spaces for everyone.
Personal Belongings at School
Please help us ensure that students are not bringing personal belongings to school, such as toys, trinkets, or other items that may become distracting during the school day. While we understand that students may have special items they enjoy, these belongings can be misplaced, damaged, or become a distraction to learning. School staff cannot be responsible for items that are lost, misplaced, or broken.
If a classroom offers a special reward or activity, such as bringing a stuffy to school for the day, students are welcome to participate in that activity on the designated day.
We also recognize that some students benefit from using a fidget to support focus and self-regulation. Fidgets should be discussed with the classroom teacher and, when appropriate, remain in the classroom. If a fidget becomes a distraction or interferes with a student's learning, the teacher may ask the student to put it away.
Thank you for helping us keep our classrooms focused, safe, and ready for learning!
Family File
We have nearly 313 families that have not completed the Family File. You must complete the family file for each of your children. Parents who have forgotten their login credentials for Family File may click the “Forgot Password” link on the sign-in page. If you need additional assistance, please call Veterans Elementary at 410-313-1700.
Student Absences
Send absent notes to vesabsence@hcpss.org including the child's full name, teacher name and explaining why your child will or was absent. If your child is ill for 5 days or more, you must provide a doctor’s note.
Reminders for P.E.
Sneakers for PE!
The PE department is asking that families pay super close attention to what shoes you are sending your children into school every day. As part of HCPSS safety policy for Physical Education class, all students must wear sneakers in order to participate in PE. Since students have recess daily, we recommend that they wear sneakers every day in order to play safely on the playground, however it is especially important for PE class. We have had an alarming number of students wearing crocs to PE class, which even in "sport mode", are unsafe for dynamic physical activity.
Safe shoes include sneakers, running shoes and tennis shoes. Unsafe shoes include boots, sandals, crocs (or any croc like shoe), flip flops and anything with a heel. If your child wears other shoes on PE days, please make sure to send a pair of sneakers in their backpack for PE class. Please check your child's PE canvas page to find out what days they have PE class. Since HCPSS uses a color calendar for related arts, the days can be a tad confusing. If you need to reference it, the color calendar is linked here
If your child does not have fitting sneakers or if you have any questions, please email your child's PE teacher and we can assist in making sure they have access to sneakers for PE.
Student Meals & Payments
HCPSS will continue to use LINQ Connect, a secure, online portal that allows families to make online payments to their child’s meal account, monitor their child’s account, schedule automatic recurring payments, set up low balance alerts, submit a Free and Reduced Meals program application, and more. Complete information on the HCPSS Food and Nutrition Services program is available online.
Free and Reduced Meals Enrollment
Changes to federal law may have impacted students’ Free and Reduced Meals Program (FARMs) eligibility for the 2026-2027 school year, and families that previously received direct certification this year may not be automatically enrolled. All eligible families are urged to complete a FARMs application, available online or via paper form.
Parent Lunch Visits
Parent lunch visits are no longer permitted at any HCPSS school. Limiting access during the school day ensures safe and secure school communities by removing unnecessary access to students and school buildings, reducing disruptions, supporting student routines, and minimizing non-essential traffic in student areas. Parents are encouraged to communicate with school staff to stay engaged in their child's learning and seek opportunities to volunteer in an official capacity at the school.
Student Personal Device Use
Parents/guardians should remind students that personal technology devices are to be put away and silenced, and not a distraction during the student day. Some exceptions may apply, including for students whose IEP, 504 or health plan allow for device use.
Weapons
The safety and well-being of our students are our top priorities. Therefore, I want to remind you that weapons of any kind are strictly prohibited on school grounds. Students found in possession of a weapon, or any object used as a weapon, will face serious disciplinary action in accordance with our policies. We are committed to maintaining a safe and secure environment for all students. Any reports of weapons or threats to bring a weapon to school will be thoroughly investigated to ensure the safety of our community. It is essential for our students to feel safe in order to learn and thrive. I encourage you to speak with your children about the importance of fostering a secure school environment. Please review HCPSS Weapons policy here
Student Code of Conduct
The Student Code of Conduct is updated for the 2026-2027 school year and can be found online. The HCPSS Student Code of Conduct provides a framework to support behavioral goals and disciplinary policies. All students are expected to be aware of and abide by this Student Code of Conduct. They are designed to foster a sense of belonging and affirm positive behaviors. At Veterans, we implement programs such as social-emotional learning, Positive Behaviors Interventions and Supports (PBIS), and restorative conversations to help teach and reinforce school-appropriate behaviors and build community amongst our students and staff. We encourage you to read the Student Code of Conduct carefully and discuss the information with your children.Updates to the Student & Parent Handbook are being made and families will be notified once those are completed.
Multi-Tiered System of Supports Implementation
The Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) is a proactive, data-informed framework that helps ensure every student receives the academic, behavioral, and social-emotional support they need to succeed. In HCPSS, MTSS is not an add-on. It is how we strengthen learning for every student by providing high-quality instruction for all and timely, targeted support when needed. Veterans Elementary is piloting an MTSS schedule this year!
Volunteer Opportunities
We are excited to invite volunteers back into the building! All volunteers must complete a Confidentiality Training Course about protecting the privacy of our students, staff, and schools, and the Child Abuse and Neglect Training about reporting any suspicion of child abuse or neglect to the Howard County Department of Social Services. The two online trainings MUST be completed by anyone who wants to volunteer in the building/classroom and be a chaperone on field trips. The Confidentiality Agreement and the Abuse Training Certificate must be signed and returned to the School Office.
Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
Park & Recreations Before & After Care
We have a temporary chiller in place to help keep our building cool. It is located on a portion of the blacktop, so we ask that families using before- or after-care enter through the front doors of the building. Please use the front entrance for before- and after-care drop-off and pick-up through October.
