Willie's Chatter

Welcome back to Williamsport Elementary School! We hope you had a wonderful summer break. We are excited to begin a new school year and look forward to working with you and your child(ren) throughout the year.

A special thank-you to all of the families who attended our Back-to-School Event(s)! We hope you enjoyed the pizza provided by our PTO while learning more about your child’s new grade level, curriculum, expectations, and the exciting areas of learning planned for this school year.

Below are a few important school policies and procedures that will help ensure a safe, successful, and smooth school year for everyone. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school.

A special thank-you to our Williamsport PTO for providing pizza at our Back-to-School Event(s). We greatly appreciate your continued support of our students and school!

Thank you as well to all of our parents, guardians, and volunteers who attended and helped make our Back-to-School Event(s) a success. Your partnership means so much to us!

My Door Is Always Open

As we begin another school year, please remember that my door is always open. If you have a question, concern, idea, or simply need assistance, please reach out. Open communication between home and school is essential to our students' success.

We are excited for another great year at WES!

WE ARE WILLIAMSPORT S.T.R.O.N.G.!

🐾Setting Goals • Taking on Challenges • Reflecting & Learning • Open to Feedback • Never Giving Up • Growing Every Day🐾

Until next month,

Rhonda Smith

Principal

We will continue celebrating student birthdays by giving each child a birthday pencil in the office.

Students may also choose to:

• Donate a book to their classroom.
• Bring a non-edible treat to share, such as pencils, erasers, notebooks, stickers, etc.

Food and edible treats are not permitted to be brought to school for students to share. This includes cupcakes, cookies, candy, and other food items.

Birthday Invitations

✉️Birthday invitations will only be distributed in the classroom if the entire class is being invited.

✉️If you choose not to invite the entire class, invitations plus the appropriate postage must be sent to the front office. Our secretaries will mail the invitations directly to the students.

📫If invitations are sent to school without postage, they will be returned home with your child until the appropriate postage is provided.

🦺The safety of our students and staff is our top priority.

🪪When visiting, volunteering, or picking up your child, please enter through the front doors and be prepared to present your driver's license when signing in.

🪪Anyone wishing to volunteer or visit the school must complete a volunteer application and receive approval prior to the visit. Volunteer applications cannot be completed and approved at the time of arrival.

🦺Thank you for helping us maintain a safe and secure learning environment for all students.

⏰Our instructional day begins at 8:25 AM and ends at 2:55 PM.

⏰If your child arrives late, please walk your child into the front office and sign them into the building.

⏰If your child is absent, please send a written note with your child upon their return. The school has provided each student with a notepad to make documenting absences and obtaining signatures easy.

⏰If your child is tardy due to a doctor's appointment, please provide a doctor's note.

Early Dismissal

🔔If you need to make a change to your child's dismissal or pick up your child early, all changes and early pickups must be made prior to 2:30 PM.

🔕After 2:30 PM, we will not be able to honor changes to dismissal plans. This is an extremely busy time of day as we prepare to safely dismiss approximately 560 students.

🔔Thank you for helping us ensure a safe and orderly dismissal.

🚪School doors open at 7:55 AM for student arrival.

🚪Please do not drop off your child before 7:55 AM unless your child is attending the YMCA before-school program.

PREK–Grade 2 & Mrs. Rishell's Class

⬅️Students in PREK–Grade 2 and Mrs. Rishell's class will use the drop-off/pick-up loop on the left side of the building near the Kindergarten wing.

🚗Please remain in your vehicle. School staff will assist your child and ensure they safely enter or exit your vehicle.

🅿️Please help us be good neighbors by not parking along Byrkit Street. You may also park in the large parking lot across the street and walk your child to the school.

Grades 3–5 & Magnet Grades 2–5

➡️Students in Grades 3–5 and Magnet students in Grades 2–5 will use the drop-off/pick-up area on the right side of the building near the Gymnasium/Cafeteria entrance.

🚗Please remain in your vehicle. School staff will assist your child and ensure they safely enter or exit your vehicle.

🅿️You may also park in the large parking lot across the street and walk your child to the school.

Parents are asked to wait for their children only in these designated areas.

Walking Your Child Into the Building

🅿️If you need to walk your child into the building, please park in a designated parking space. Do not park in either drop-off/pick-up loop.

🅿️When vehicles park in the loops, it creates significant backups and delays for other families.

Bus Loop

🚌All bus riders will be dismissed through the front doors.

🚌The bus loop is reserved for buses. Please do not use the bus loop for student drop-off or pick-up.

🚌 Posted signs indicate that the bus loop is not to be used between 7:30–8:30 AM.

🚌Thank you for helping us keep arrival and dismissal safe and efficient!

👟Students must wear closed-toe shoes with at least a heel strap. This requirement helps ensure students' safety during recess and other activities when they are running and playing outside.

👟On PE days, students must wear sneakers.

▶️Students are also not permitted to wear hats in the school building on a daily basis, except when worn for religious reasons.

📅We are excited to host our annual Grandparents Day on Thursday, September 17, from 8:45–10:30 AM.

🪪All grandparents attending must have an approved volunteer application on file prior to the event.

🪪Please note that we will not accept or approve volunteer applications on the day of the event.

🪪All volunteer applications for Grandparents Day must be submitted by Friday, September 11.

🐯Thank you for taking care of this important requirement in advance so we can welcome our grandparents and keep everyone safe!

⌚📱🎮In accordance with Maryland's student device expectations, cellphones, smartwatches, and personal electronic devices are not permitted to be used during the school day.

⌚📱🎮This includes:

• Cellphones
• Smartwatches
• Earbuds
• Headphones
• Smart glasses, including Meta glasses
• Other personal electronic devices

⌚Students who bring these devices to school must keep them powered off and stored in their bookbag, locker, or cubby for the entire school day.

📱The only exception is for students with a documented medical need that requires access to a cellphone or other device.

🎮Thank you for partnering with us to ensure that students are focused on learning and that our school environment remains safe and distraction-free.

September 4 - 2 hour early dismissal

September 7 - No School

September 11 - Grandparents Day forms due

Week of September 14 - Book Fair

September 17 - Grandparents Day

September 28 - 2 Hour Early Dismissal; Roy Rogers PTO Restaurant Night 5:00 - 8:00 PM

October 1st - Dental Van Visit - See our Dental Van section of the newsletter for more information

📱301-766-8415

🏨Ms. Leah Mara - maralea@wcps.k12.md.us

301-766-8415 (phone)

🩺Ashley Franklin - frankash@wcps.k12.md.us

301-766-8416 (phone)

📒 Pam Dodd - doddpam@wcps.k12.md.us

301-766-8451 (phone)

🏡Lindsey Marin Meekins - marinlin@wcps.k12.md.us

301-766-2818 (Call/Text)

⭐Heysel Chavez Prudencio - chavehey@wcps.k12.md.us

Se habla Español

301-766-8569 (Call/Text)

If parents want to receive text messages they will need to change that setting themselves because it is automatically toggled off. See attached video for ​a walkthrough.

*Go to the three lines in the left corner
*Click account
*Click notifications
*Click the down arrow for Williamsport Elementary and/or Washington County Public Schools
*Turn text notification on by sliding the button over

🪥Family Healthcare of Hagerstown provides a Dental Van through their Health Smiles in Motion Program

🪥Visits are scheduled throughout the school year for students with completed paperwork

🪥They provide services through a dentist and dental hygienists and can complete routine exams, x-rays, cleanings, fillings, sealants, extractions and fluoride all on site

🪥Questions? Contact our Community School Manager for more information

Lindsey Marin Meekins

Community School Manager

301-766-2818 (call/text)

🌳Williamsport Elementary School has been a Green School since 2008.

🌳We are at sustainable status with our 5th award given in 2024.

🌳The Maryland Green School program was developed by a diverse team of educators representing the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE), Office of the Governor, the Maryland Association of Student Councils, Maryland Department of Education, Department of Natural Resources and Maryland Department of the Environment. The program is administered through the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education.

🌳The Maryland Green Schools Award Program recognizes Maryland schools that include environmental education in the curricula, model best management practices at the school and address community environmental issues.

Pack a No-Waste Lunch

Pack a lunch with no leftovers in food or packaging. Why use paper or plastic bags when you can substitute sustainable packaging like reusable cloth bags, stainless steel and yes, even glass containers, cloth napkins and reusable tableware. Be sure to talk with your child about the no-waste goal and encourage him/her to bring home anything he/she doesn't eat to snack on later in the day.

What is PBIS?

PBIS stands for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. It's a framework used in schools to improve student behavior and create a positive school environment. The main goal of PBIS is to establish a social culture and the behavioral support needed for all students in a school to achieve social, emotional, and academic success.

September Celebration: Friday, September 4, 2026

Theme: Welcome Back, Wildcats!

• Wear Williamsport Wildcat gear/colors to celebrate the start of a great year!

• Celebrations will include Game Play, STEM Activity, Directed Drawing, and a craft that matches the theme of the month!

Remember our behavior expectations are: Respectful, Responsible, Fair, and Honest.

Williamsport Elementary School – Pam Dodd- School Counselor

Dear Parents and Guardians:

I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself, my name is Pam Dodd and I will be your child’s school counselor during the 26/27 school year.

As a school counselor, my primary responsibility is to promote the academic, personal and social development of all students. I look forward to offering support to the students, staff, families and community. I will be meeting with students individually and in small groups, conducting classroom lessons, collaborating with teachers and staff, meeting with parents and consulting with community organizations to benefit and meet the needs of all Williamsport Elementary students and families.

My small groups help to support the social and emotional development of students, which has a positive influence on academic development and success. Each group will meet for approximately 30 minutes on a weekly basis for 6-8 weeks during the school day with minimal time away from classroom instruction.

During group meetings, children will have the opportunity to learn new skills and behaviors through discussion of ideas, feelings, behaviors, attitudes, and opinions. The children will participate in a variety of activities relating to the group topic. These activities may include drawing, role-playing, playing learning games, relaxation exercises, and practicing new behaviors. Your child may be asked to practice and share these new skills with you at home.

As the parent/guardian, you can always feel free to contact me to discuss any questions regarding your child. School counseling is based on a trusting relationship between the counselor and the students. Confidentiality is a key feature of the counseling experience. The information discussed during the counseling meetings will not be shared with anyone, except in situations required by law. These situations are described below:

• In the case that your child is in danger of harming him/herself or others, then I am required to inform you (as the parent/guardian) and our administration.

• In the case that your child shares any type of abuse, then I am required by Maryland state law to report that to the proper agency.

I am here to help students achieve their personal/social and academic goals, as well as provide support for the parents and teachers.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions at 301-766-8451 or doddpam@wcps.k12.md.us

Respectfully,

Pam Dodd

Upcoming Dates:

September 4 - 2 hour early dismissal

September 7 - No School

Week of September 14 - Book Fair

September 17 - Grandparents Day

September 28 - 2 Hour Early Dismissal; Roy Rogers PTO Restaurant Night 5:00 - 8:00 PM

📝Review school rules with your child

🍎Send in snack donations to your child’s teacher.

💧Pre-k classrooms can use baby wipes (students help with cleaning up breakfast using wipes).

🛏️Wash rest time blankets when sent home and return on Mondays.

📁Please check folders daily. Return to school each day.

⛔Do not send toys from home to school.

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Thank you for supporting your child’s learning at home and at school. Kindergarten can be a big adjustment for some students, but we continue to see our K friends grow daily as they learn new things here at school. We look forward to a great school year!

Kindergarten Team

Ms. Michael, Ms. Matulonis, Mrs.Miles

Click our newsletter link below!

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Please click the newsletter below to see what we are learning this month!

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Things to Remember…

September 4th- 2 hour early dismissal day: 12:55 p.m.

September 7th- No School, Labor Day

September 28th- 2 hour early dismissal day: 12:55 p.m.

Sign Reading Calendars for September–Due Oct. 1st

September

Welcome to a new school year! 🌟 We are excited to begin a year filled with learning, curiosity, and lots of BIG thinking! September is all about building our Magnet classroom community and introducing students to tools that will help them become deeper thinkers.

This month, we are introducing four Depth and Complexity icons: Big Idea, Details, Language of the Discipline, and Unanswered Questions. In second grade, students will learn to look beyond the basic answer by thinking about the big idea, noticing important details, learning and using subject-specific vocabulary, and asking questions that make them wonder and want to learn more.

We will practice using these thinking tools in both ELA and Math! Students will use the icons to dig deeper into stories, explore new vocabulary, explain their mathematical thinking, and look closely at math problems. 💡

🚌We are planning a field trip to the Williamsport C&O Canal on September 9th and you can be on the look out for permission forms and more information in the Wildcat folder.

💧Water fountains are only used to fill water bottles.. Please have your child bring a water bottle to school every day. They can refill it as needed.

🧥The temperature is fluctuating inside and outside the building! Your child may wish to bring a sweatshirt or jacket if the air feels cool to them. We have lockers so one could be kept here for days that they need it.

🔠🔢Students should be reading nightly and completing math homework to practice math fact fluency and what we are learning in class.

September

During the month of September, our third-grade Magnet students will become familiar with or review the Depth and Complexity icons. These icons help students dig deeper into concepts, analyze themes from multiple angles, and develop critical thinking skills across all subjects.

Using The Wind in the Willows, our scholars will apply these prompts to analyze characters and big ideas:

• Rules & Guidelines: Exploring Mole's rules for adventure—such as staying with a friend and trusting instincts—alongside Rat's rules for living peacefully by the river.

• The Big Idea of Friendship: Analyzing how companionship provides strength, security, and mutual empathy during life's journeys.

• The Big Idea of Home: Investigating the concept of home as a source of stability, personal identity, and emotional belonging.

Students will also engage in the Six-Thinking Hats protocol in order to conclude whether or not “Toad will learn from his mistakes”. The Six Thinking Hats is a structured technique that's often used for problem-solving, but it also works well for generating and exploring ideas.

🔢Do you need help supporting your 4th grade student with math this year?

🔢Be sure to view the 4th grade newsletter for a helpful video and tip sheet.

🔢Still have questions?

🔢Be sure to reach out to your student's math teacher for additional support!

September

Welcome back! We are off to a great start. This marking period, we are focusing on "Power and Systems," which helps students understand how things work together to solve real-world problems. We are also beginning our first iSTEAM unit, where we connect science, technology, engineering, arts, and math to explore Native American history, explorers, and energy. Students will even build their own energy-powered devices to bring stories to life!

In math, we are practicing multiplication facts, factors, and multiples to help us solve problems quickly. Homework is assigned weekly and due on Fridays. Each morning, students have time to review their work and correct any mistakes. By staying on top of their homework, students earn "Willie bucks" as a reward for their effort.

🔢Do you need help supporting your 5th grade student with math this year?

🔢Be sure to view the 5th grade newsletter for a helpful video and tip sheet.

🔢Still have questions?

🔢Be sure to reach out to your student's math teacher for additional support!

September

Welcome back! We are off to a fantastic start this school year! During this marking period, students will explore how different systems work together and influence one another. In our first iSTEAM unit, students will look at how Earth’s natural systems interact and use science and civic principles to discover ways to protect our environment. They will even step into the role of an environmental protection team to see how these ideas connect to our government. It is going to be a fun, hands-on, multi-subject learning experience!

In math, we are establishing our classroom routines while diving into key concepts like order of operations and volume. Students will receive weekly homework assignments that are due every Friday. Each morning, students will have time to review their work and learn from any mistakes. Completing their homework earns them extra Willie bucks as a reward for their hard work!

📅Important dates: Outdoor school will be September 14, 15, 16. Our extended day will be the 16th.

📚Welcome to the 2026-2027 school year! 📚

I am so excited to have your child join me in the very best place to be... the Library! Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions!

Library Time

Students will visit the library 1-2 times a week during a scheduled time with their class. They will be able to check out books, listen to stories, participate in STEM activities, complete projects, and learn skills for research.

Open Hours

If a student finishes their book before their scheduled library time, there are open hours that they may visit during to return their book(s) and check out a new one.

Lost Books

If a book is lost, remind your student not to panic and that honesty is always the best policy. Most books are not lost, simply misplaced. Check your car, backpack, and places you frequently visit. If you truly feel it is gone for good, let me know and we can work out the best possible solution together.

Damaged Books

If a book is damaged, don't panic. Place it in a bag and send it back to the library. Please do not attempt to repair the damage on your own. I will assess the damage once the book is returned and may be able to repair it!

Contact Info

Lynn Wilcox, NBCT

wilcolyn@wcps.k12.md.us

301-766-8415

Williamsport Elementary School Physical Education

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Williamsport Elementary welcomes you to a great year in Physical Education, which we believe will be exciting and enjoyable! At Williamsport your child will participate in PE class once a week(some weeks twice) with Mr. Bokman during their regular encore time within our four day encore rotation. In addition they will have another PE/Health class with Mr. Aaron on a different rotation schedule that runs on days two and four only.

To ensure each child will have the opportunity to explore and strengthen their physical capabilities, as well as have a healthy and safe learning experience, IT WILL BE NECESSARY that your child dress suitable for physical education class. We suggest comfortable clothes that allow your child to move their bodies and rubber-soled shoes or sneakers. For safety reasons there may be activities that your child will not be allowed to participate in if they are not wearing proper clothing or footwear.

If at anytime your child needs to be excused from class please send a note in with your child. If it is something that is going to limit your child for more than one class please provide a doctor's note. If you feel that there are any physical limitations your child may have that we are not currently aware of please inform the physical education department. Thank you and we look forward to another great year here at Williamsport Elementary School!

Mr. Bokman and Mr. Aaron

WES PE and Health Teachers

🎷WELCOME BACK! IT’S GOING TO BE A GREAT SCHOOL YEAR!🎻

THERE ARE STILL OPEN SPOTS IF YOU WANT TO PLAY IN THE BAND OR ORCHESTRA (GRADES 4 AND 5) AND THERE IS STILL TIME TO SIGN UP!

🎷BAND

Mr. Sullivan will come around to each class the first week of school and hand out information about getting started.

Email if you have any questions: sullikev@wcps.k12.md.us

🎻ORCHESTRA

Mrs. Niang will also be visiting classes to hand out information for orchestra students and anyone who is interested in signing up.

Email if you have questions: Niangsky@wcps.k12.md.us