From the Desk of Principal McIntyre
Pointer Ridge Elementary October Parent Newsletter
A Message from Principal McIntyre
Dear Pointer Ridge Families,
As we welcome the month of October, I want to begin by thanking our families for the continued partnership and support you have shown throughout the opening weeks of school. Our Back to School Night was a wonderful opportunity to welcome families into our building, connect with teachers, and strengthen the home-school relationships that are so important to student success. Our Panthers have made an impressive transition into the school year and are becoming increasingly confident with classroom routines, expectations, and learning. Thank you for helping your child arrive each day on time, prepared, and ready to learn. Your partnership truly makes a difference!
We have so much to celebrate as we reflect on the start of the school year. Across Pointer Ridge, our students are actively participating in meaningful learning experiences, building relationships, and growing academically and socially. We are also proud of our continued commitment to inclusion as our Autism Program students learn, participate, and engage alongside their peers throughout the school community. In addition, we are incredibly grateful for the generosity of our community partners, whose donations and support continue to provide additional resources and opportunities for our students and staff.
From September 15th through October 15th, we proudly recognize National Hispanic Heritage Month and celebrate the rich histories, cultures, traditions, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities. This year's theme, “Unidos, Somos Más” — “Together, We Are More,” beautifully reflects the importance of unity, collaboration, and the strength we gain when we come together as a community.
We are especially excited to bring this celebration to Pointer Ridge! Please join us for our school-wide Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration on Thursday, October 15th, from 6:00–7:30 p.m. Our evening will provide an opportunity for students, staff, and families to celebrate and learn about the diverse cultures represented throughout our school community. We hope you will join us for this special evening of culture, learning, and community!
October is also an important time to check in on your child's academic progress. First-quarter Progress Reports will be available in Synergy on October 6th. I encourage families to review their child's progress in each subject area and celebrate areas of growth while identifying any areas where additional support may be needed.
As we continue through the quarter, communication between home and school remains essential. Parent-Teacher Conference Day will be Wednesday, November 11th. Conferences provide an important opportunity to discuss your child's academic progress, assessment data, classroom performance, and social-emotional development. If you are unable to meet with your child's teacher on the designated conference day, please reach out to schedule another mutually convenient time. We value the opportunity to partner with you and work together to ensure every Panther is successful.
October is also National Bullying Prevention Month, providing another opportunity to reinforce the importance of kindness, empathy, inclusion, and respect throughout our school community. At Pointer Ridge, we want every student to feel safe, valued, and connected. Throughout the month, Mrs. Buker-Sondheimer, our School Counselor, will lead students in activities and lessons that encourage positive relationships, responsible choices, and standing up for others.
As part of our school-wide commitment to bullying prevention, we will also participate in Orange Day on October 21st at Pointer Ridge, joining schools across the district in wearing orange to demonstrate our collective commitment to kindness, inclusion, and bullying prevention.
As we move through another exciting month at Pointer Ridge, please continue to check our school calendar and weekly communications for important dates, PTA activities, school closings, spirit days, and upcoming events.
Thank you for trusting us with your children and for continuing to be such an important part of the Pointer Ridge community. When our families, staff, students, and community work together, we create the conditions for every child to thrive.
One Team. One Mission. Together We Thrive.
Warm Regards,
Mrs. McIntyre, Principal
Pointer Ridge Elementary School
Curriculum Updates
Below are links for instructional updates for October. Please access the links and collaborate with your child's teacher to support classroom instruction.
Thank You for Attending Back to School Night!
Thank you to all of our families who joined us for Back to School Night! We appreciated the opportunity to welcome you into our classrooms, introduce you to our teachers, and share important information about curriculum, classroom expectations, instructional programs, and ways you can support your child’s learning at home.
If you were unable to attend or would like to revisit the information shared, please use the link below to review our Back to School Night presentations.
👉 Back to School Night Presentations –Back to School Night Presentations Link
Thank you for your continued partnership in making this a successful year for every Panther!
Building Student Leaders Through SGA
We are excited to begin our third year of Student Government Association (SGA) at Pointer Ridge! The purpose of SGA is to provide students with a voice in our school community while developing leadership, responsibility, teamwork, and service to others.
On Friday, October 2nd, students participated in our SGA elections, and we are incredibly proud of every Panther who demonstrated an interest in serving as a student leader. Candidates showed courage and confidence as they prepared and delivered campaign speeches during our morning announcements. While running for an elected office is not always easy, every student who participated demonstrated leadership, responsibility, and Panther pride!
All interested students are invited to participate in our weekly SGA General Body Meetings on Mondays after school, where they will have opportunities to share their ideas, develop leadership skills, and help make a positive difference at PRES. A special thank you to Ms. James and the PRES staff for supporting and encouraging our student leaders.
We are not just electing officers—we are building future leaders! 💙🐾
Attendance - Every Day Counts!
Regular and on-time attendance is essential to student success—every day of learning matters! Our Attendance Committee is working diligently to support students and families in maintaining strong attendance throughout the school year. Our assigned Pupil Personnel Worker (PPW), Ms. Moore, visits Pointer Ridge regularly and meets with our team monthly to review tardy and attendance data, identify students who are chronically or habitually absent, and develop plans to provide additional support when needed. We encourage all families to review our important Attendance Overview video to learn more about attendance expectations and how you can support our schoolwide attendance initiatives.
A special thank you to our Attendance Committee for surprising students with our first Pop-Up Dance Party on Friday, September 25th! We played two songs over the intercom and Panthers throughout the building took a quick break to dance, have fun, and celebrate being present at school. It was exciting to see our entire school dancing together! We look forward to more fun attendance celebrations throughout the year as we encourage our Panthers to show up, learn, and thrive every day! 🐾🎶
A heartfelt THANK YOU to our incredible Pointer Ridge families for making our Reading Rally such an amazing success! Together, our school community raised an outstanding $16,822, which will directly support our School Beautification Initiative and help us continue creating a welcoming, inspiring environment for our Panthers.
The Reading Rally was about so much more than fundraising—it was about building excitement around reading, strengthening our school community, and creating special memories for our students. I have had so much fun celebrating their accomplishments along the way—from wearing a princess dress to greeting our Panthers from the school roof! Seeing their excitement made every moment worthwhile.
I am truly grateful for your generosity, enthusiasm, and continued commitment to our students. Your support is a wonderful example of what is possible when our entire Pointer Ridge community comes together.
$16,822 raised—WOW! Thank you for investing in our school and our Panthers!
Pointer Ridge PTA – Join Us!
A huge thank you to all of our Pointer Ridge families who joined us for our Back to School Bash! It was wonderful to see our school community come together for an evening of connection, laughter, and fun. Families had an opportunity to spend time together, connect with one another, and strengthen relationships within our Panther community, while students enjoyed the Foam Blast, live animal petting experience, food, music, games, and plenty of fun! Events like these remind us that a strong school community is built both inside and outside of the classroom. Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make this such a memorable experience for our students and families.
We hope you will continue to stay connected by joining us for our first PTA Meeting on Thursday, October 8th at 6:00 p.m. in the Pointer Ridge cafeteria. Our PTA is an important part of our school community, and we encourage all parents and guardians to attend, learn about upcoming events and initiatives, share ideas, and discover ways to become more involved at Pointer Ridge.
We are especially grateful for our continued partnership with New Vision Church, which will provide engaging activities for our students during the PTA meeting so parents and guardians can fully participate. New Vision Church continues to be a wonderful community partner, generously supporting our students, families, and school throughout the year. We truly appreciate their commitment to the Pointer Ridge community and their willingness to help us create opportunities that bring our families together.
We look forward to seeing you on October 8th!
THANK YOU PTA!!!
On Thursday, the PTA had the privilege to donate a NEW refrigerator to Nurse Vaughn.
Our PTA was made aware that she was in need and wanted to express their appreciation to her for taking care of Pointer Ridge kids.
A BIG thank you to the parents that participated in the PTA Back to School Bash - because of you the PTA was able to use the money made to do this for our nurse.
Pointer Ridge invites our families to our Annual Hispanic Heritage Night
Pointer Ridge Elementary invites our families to help bring our Annual Hispanic Heritage Night to life!
📅 Thursday, October 15, 2026
⏰ 6:00–7:30 p.m.
📍 Pointer Ridge Elementary School Cafeteria
Our Pointer Ridge community is beautifully diverse, and we would love for our families to help us celebrate the countries, cultures, customs, and traditions that are meaningful to them.
Families are invited to host a Cultural Table Display representing a Hispanic or Latino country or culture. Your display might include flags, photographs, books, artwork, traditional items, music, games, information about important people or landmarks, or other meaningful items that help our students and families learn about your culture.
Families are also welcome and encouraged to wear traditional or culturally significant attire if they would like!
Table Set-Up: Participating families may arrive beginning at 4:30 p.m. to set up their tables before the celebration begins at 6:00 p.m.
Thank you for sharing your culture, traditions, and experiences with our Pointer Ridge community. Together, we can create a special evening where our students learn from one another and every family feels welcomed, valued, and celebrated! ❤️🌎
English Form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdCsXFu-NHrkV9pfw3sne_RsimZNS5wWWsXGjXUJ2cfPZhzyQ/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=100405951746812666144
Spanish Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeo9Gqf3vu0htCHJhv6NPIjq2zKRNsgIzuyxaetfksnw0mr1g/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=100405951746812666144
SPECIAL EDUCATION RESOURCE NIGHT - Supporting Students • Empowering Families • Building Partnerships
Thank you to all of our families who joined us for our Special Education Resource Night! We appreciated the opportunity to connect with families, answer questions, and share valuable information about the programs, services, and supports available to our students receiving special education services.
During the evening, families had an opportunity to meet members of our Special Education team and service providers, learn more about the IEP process and the important role families play as members of the IEP team, and explore school and community resources that support students’ academic, social-emotional, and developmental needs. Most importantly, the evening provided a welcoming space for families to ask questions, make connections, and learn more about how we can work together to support their children.
If you were unable to attend, we’ve got you covered! We encourage you to review the information and resources shared during the evening using the link below:
👉 [Special Education Resource Night Information – Pointer Ridge SY26-27 Meet and Greet Slide Show Presentation Link
Thank you to our Special Education team, service providers, and families for your continued partnership and commitment to ensuring that every Panther has the support and opportunities needed to thrive.
🎶 Come Support Our Panther Performers! 🐾
We are excited to share that the Pointer Ridge Chorus has been invited to perform at the PGCPS Arts in the Park celebration! Join us as we cheer on our Panthers and enjoy an afternoon showcasing student talent from across Prince George’s County.
📅 Saturday, October 10, 2026
🕛 12:00–3:00 PM
📍 Fairwood Park
12390 Fairwood Parkway, Bowie, MD 20720
🎟️ FREE Admission
Families can enjoy live music, student artwork, dance, theatrical performances, and our very own Pointer Ridge Chorus! Our chorus performance time will be shared once finalized.
💙💛 Come show your Panther Pride and support our talented student performers!
🎀 Breast Cancer Awareness Month - SGA Pink Week
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness, honor those who have been impacted by breast cancer, and recognize the importance of supporting one another. At Pointer Ridge, our SGA will lead a special Spirit Week to bring our Panthers together in support of breast cancer awareness. Students and staff are encouraged to participate in the themed spirit days as we show our support, spread kindness, and fill PRES with Panther Pride!
Red Ribbon Week and Bullying Prevention Spirit Week
Pointer Ridge will celebrate Red Ribbon Week by encouraging our Panthers to make healthy, safe, and positive choices. Throughout the week, students will participate in fun activities and spirit days that reinforce the importance of making good decisions, taking care of themselves, and living a healthy, drug-free life. This year’s theme, “Make a Difference. Be a Hero. Stay Drug Free,” reminds our students that their choices matter and that everyone has the power to make a positive difference!
Parents, We Need Your Help — Lost & Found Is Overflowing!
Our Lost & Found is overflowing, and we are quickly running out of space! We have collected a large number of jackets, sweaters, water bottles, lunch boxes, and other student belongings that are waiting to be reunited with their owners.
Families, please take a few minutes to review our Virtual Lost & Found posted on ClassDojo. Be sure to click on the photos and scroll through all of the images so you don’t miss an item.
‼️ IMPORTANT: All unclaimed items will be donated on Wednesday, October 14th. ‼️
Please help us by completing these steps as soon as possible:
1️⃣ Review all photos posted on ClassDojo. Click on the photos and scroll to see every item.
2️⃣ Identify any belongings that may belong to your child.
3️⃣ If you recognize an item, please email Tracy.geitner@pgcps.org and include:
- Your child’s name
- Your child’s teacher
- A description or screenshot of the item
4️⃣ We will locate the item and return it to your child as soon as possible.
Help us reduce Lost & Found items! Please label your child’s jackets, sweaters, coats, lunch boxes, and other personal belongings with their first and last name. This allows our staff to quickly return misplaced items directly to students.
Thank you for helping us clear out our Lost & Found and get these belongings back to our Panthers!
For your convenience, I am providing a link to my previous Principal Newsletters so families can easily revisit important information, reminders, updates, and resources shared throughout the school year. I encourage you to use this link whenever you need to reference information previously provided.
Upcoming Events
October 1st - Special Education Parent night
October 2nd - Teacher Professional Half-Day - Half-day for Students
October 8th - PTA Meeting 6:00pm - 7:00pm
October 12th - SGA Pink Week
October 15th - Hispanic Heritage Night
October 15th - Earthquake Drill - 10:00am
October 16th - PD Day - School Closed for students
October 21st - Rear Door Bus Evacuation Drill
October 26th - Red Ribbon Week
October 28th - Front Door Bus Evacuation Drill
October 29th - Pointer Ridge Character Book Parade (morning time will be announced)
October 29th -SGA Harvest Dance 2:00pm - 4:00pm
October 29th - PTA Trunk or Treat (evening activity)
October 30th - 1st Quarter Grading and Reporting - Early Dismissal for Students
November 3rd - Schools and Offices Closed - Election Day
November 10th - Individual Student Picture Day (Tentative)
November 11th - Parent / Teacher Conference Day - School Closed for Students
POINTER RIDGE ELEMENTARY
Email: Jamila.mcintyre@pgcps.org
Website: https://www.pgcps.org/pointerridge
Location: 1110 Parkington Lane, Bowie, MD, USA
Phone: (301) 390-0220
Twitter: @Pres_PGCPS