The Panther Post

Week of October 12th

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Greetings LWES Community!

We had another amazing week at Laurel Woods, filled with learning, laughter, and community connections! 💙

On Tuesday, our second-grade Panthers welcomed community volunteers for CAW to Action Day! Together, they built and tested balloon-powered LEGO cars, putting teamwork, creativity, and engineering skills into action. Thank you to our volunteers for sharing their time and talents!

On Thursday, our Kindergarten and First Grade Family Night brought families together to explore ways to support reading in kindergarten and math in first grade. Thank you to our families and staff for making this a wonderful evening of learning together!

Our staff also enjoyed some friendly competition during Community Connection, with our partners from Blossoms of Hope joining the fun! They presented us with a generous donation to support social-emotional learning, our Zen Dens, and efforts to uplift and celebrate staff throughout the year. We are so grateful for their continued support!

And we have another reason to celebrate: seven “green” attendance days in a row, with school-wide attendance averaging 95.7%! Thank you, families, for helping our Panthers come to school ready to learn. Let’s keep this streak going! 💚

Thank you for helping us build a bright future together!

~Dr. Burks, Ms. Geiser, & Dr. Andrade

✅ Let’s Get Every Panther’s Family File Ready!

A big thank-you to the families who have already updated their Family File! If yours is still on your to-do list, please take a few minutes to complete it in HCPSS Connect.

Updated information helps us reach you quickly, keep your child safe, and prepare for exciting experiences, including upcoming field trips! Family File completion is required for students to participate.

A few quick reminders:

Complete Family File each school year for every child.
Sign in with your parent/guardian account. Your username is the email address provided at registration; you can reset your password on the login page.
Review contact information, emergency contacts, health details, permissions, and arrival/dismissal plans.
Mark phone numbers as mobile to receive important text alerts.

Click the button below to check this off your list today! 💙

Update your Family File Now

💙 A Few Minutes Can Open the Door to Extra Support!

Thank you to the families who have already submitted their Free and Reduced Price Meals (FARMs) application! If you haven’t yet, we encourage you to apply- you may qualify for meal benefits and additional resources, including discounted internet, college application fee waivers, and reduced JumpStart tuition.

A new application is required every school year. Benefits from last year continue for only the first 30 school days, so please apply promptly to avoid a gap in meal benefits.

Applying is easy:

Apply online—select your preferred language at the top left of the page.
Prefer paper? Contact our front office for an application and return the completed form to school.

Need a hand? We’re happy to help! Stop by the front office for support completing your application.

Learn more about FARMs and additional benefits or contact Food and Nutrition Services at 410-313-6743.

Healthy Choices Take Center Stage!

Join us in celebrating National School Lunch Week, October 12–16! This year’s theme, “Cafeteria Circus: Where Healthy Choices Take Center Stage,” celebrates how nutritious lunches help students learn, grow, and thrive.

School lunches include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and milk to fuel a great day. Encourage your child to try something new!

A huge thank-you to our wonderful cafeteria team: Brenda Zowd, Manager; Hui Xie; and Katelyn Vogelpohl, for keeping our Panthers nourished and ready to learn! We appreciate the care you put into serving our students each day! 💙

🤝 🌟Partnership Spotlight🤝 🌟

🐾 Community Corner! 🐾

Updates for the Week of October 12, 2026

We continue to plan resources and support for the current school year, including holiday support. To help us plan, we want to hear from you. What do you need? How can LWES support your family?

Please note that the information shared in this form is accessible only to members of our Student Support Team and will be kept confidential within that team.

Family Needs Survey/encuesta sobre las necesidades de la familia

Virtual Family Resource Center - CHANGE of OPERATION PLEASE READ!

To help us restock and fulfill orders more efficiently, we will now accept orders once per month. Once the order window closes, all requests will be processed and fulfilled by the following Friday. Order dates for this school year are listed below. If you have an urgent need or require immediate assistance, please contact a member of our team.

Family Resource Order Form/Formulario de pedido de recursos para la familia

Currently Closed - will open for order November 1, 2026

Laurel Woods Farmers Market

The market is this Tuesday, October 14th . Free produce from Gorman Farms from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM (or until supplies last).

Laurel Woods English Classes

English Classes for registered students Tuesday, October 13th from 6pm - 7:30pm. .Registration is currently closed. If you are interested, please contact Alesia Richter at alesia_richter@hcpss.org.

Roving Radish Marketplace

Marketplace will be at Laurel Woods on Wednesday, October 14th from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM. All Exclusive Members receive 2-3 free items each week and 50% off all products.

We're so excited to share that Roving Radish gift cards will be back for eligible families starting this January! Just like last year, we'll have a limited supply and will make sure everyone who qualifies has a chance to apply. Stay tuned for more details soon! In the meantime, we'd love to see you at our Farmers Market for FREE produce every Tuesday at 11:00 AM right here at Laurel Woods.

Wishing you a fantastic week ahead! If you have any questions or need assistance with any of our programs, please contact a member of your Family Resource Team!

Alesia Richter - Community Schools Site Coordinator
Monica Maiden - Black Student Achievement Liaison
Gabriel Zaldivar - Hispanic Student Achievement Liaison
Nikee Singh - Family and Community Engagement Contact

Kelly Golatt - Family and Community Engagement Contact

Related Arts Color Days for this Week

PTO Panther Tracks

LWES PTO October 2026 Newsletter

💙 Hello Laurel Woods Families! 💙

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who was able to join us for our Ice Cream Social! We had a GREAT turnout, and we hope you all had a wonderful time and enjoyed some delicious ice cream!

As we kick off the school year, our PTO goal is to reach 100 members, and we’re currently at 25! Thank you so much to everyone who has already signed up and shown their support. If you haven’t joined yet, we’d love to have you! Please see the flyer attached to join!

Your membership and donations make such a BIG difference at LWES! They help us:

Fund fun events like our Ice Cream Social and Trunk or Treat.
Show our amazing teachers some extra love during Teacher Appreciation Week.
Provide much-needed PE equipment for our students.
Support the theatre department.
Bring exciting and educational assemblies to our kiddos!

Every membership helps us do more for our school community, and we are so grateful for your support!

One more exciting reminder! We still have 24 Domino’s Slice the Price cards available! Each card is valued at $20, and you can get one for FREE!Thank you again for being such an important part of our LWES community. We can’t wait to see what we accomplish together this year!

It’s that time of year again! Our biggest event of the year, TRUNK-OR-TREAT, is just a few weeks away!

Want to join in the fun? You can:

Sign up to decorate a trunk and hand out treats!
Donate candy to help fill our trunks!
Donate non-candy treats, goodies, or fidgets for students to enjoy!

Sign-up Here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050A45A5AA22A0F58-66355905-tunk

Let’s make this year’s Trunk-or-Treat a fun and memorable event for our LWES community! We can’t wait to celebrate with you!

Upcoming PTO Events October

*10/13/26- Meadowfarms Fundraiser Begins

*10/15/26- Trunk or Treat 5-8pm

*10/18/26- PTO Garden Club 9:30-11am

*10/22/26-Noodles and Co Dine Out- 🍜 (Location:Towne Centre at Laurel 14700 Baltimore Ave, Laurel, MD 20707)

*11/19/26- PTO Meeting via Zoom

Join Us & Get Involved!

We believe our school community is stronger when families come together! 💙 We encourage all families to participate in school events, activities, and celebrations throughout the year. Whether you can volunteer your time, attend an event, share your talents, or simply show your support, every contribution makes a difference.

We also invite you to become a PTO member! PTO membership is a wonderful way to stay connected, support our students and teachers, and help make meaningful experiences possible for our school community.

Your voice. Your involvement. Our students. Our community.We hope you’ll join us at upcoming events and consider becoming a PTO member. Together, we can make this a wonderful school year for every child! 🌟

Upcoming Dates and Events

October

10/12- 10/16: National School Lunch Week
10/13: PTO Meadowfarms Fundraiser Begins; 10:00am- 12:30pm LWES Farmers Market 2026
10/15: 5:00-8:00pm PTO Trunk or Treat
10/16: School closed for students- Staff Workday; Musical Auditions
10/18: 9:30-11:00am PTO Garden Club
10/20:10:00am- 12:30pm LWES Farmers Market 2026
10/22: PTO Noodles and Co Dine Out- 🍜 (Location:Towne Centre at Laurel 14700 Baltimore Ave, Laurel, MD 20707)
10/27: 10:00am- 12:30pm LWES Farmers Market 2026; 4:30-6:15pm 2nd & 3rd Grades Family Night; End of 1st Quarter
10/28: School closed for students- Staff Professional Learning/Workday
10/29: 3rd Grade Field Trip to Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

November

11/01: Native American Heritage Month Begins; Daylight Saving Time Ends
11/02: Paws for Cause: PTO Dine Out at Chuck E. Cheese
11/03: Schools and Offices Closed- Election Day
11/04:10:00am- 12:30pm LWES Farmers Market 2026
11/05: 3:15-5:30 Spring Musical Rehearsals
11/06: Q1 Report Cards available in Synergy
11/10: 10:00am- 12:30pm LWES Farmers Market 2026
11/12: 3:15-5:30 Spring Musical Rehearsals
11/16-11/20: American Education Week; LWES Book Fair
11/16: Fall Picture Day - Make Up Sessions
11/17: 10:00am- 12:30pm LWES Farmers Market 2026
11/19: 7:00pm-8:00pm PTO General Meeting
11/23-11/24: LWES dismisses at 12:14; Parent/Teacher Conferences; LWES Book Fair
11/24: 10:00am- 12:30pm LWES Farmers Market 2026
11/25-11:27: No school

For a complete list of dates and events visit https://lwes.hcpss.org/events

In case you missed it...

Learning Behaviors

Learning Behaviors are learned actions that enable students to access learning and interact with others productively in the community. These behaviors are developed in and outside of school. They complement the curriculum content taught in the elementary grades and are a natural part of learning about oneself while interacting with others. Learning Behaviors are reported on during each quarterly report card. Please read more HERE.

October 2nd was National Custodian Day!

A huge shout-out to Mr. Curry Jr., Mr. Asante, Mr. Carter, and Ms. Streeter for all they do to keep Laurel Woods clean, welcoming, and ready for our students each day!

From greeting students with a smile to helping set up and clean up for our many school events, our custodial team plays an important role in making these opportunities possible for our school community. The next time you see them, please take a moment to say thank you and let them know how much we appreciate their hard work!

Helping Families Understand What Your Child is Learning by Grade Level

Our children have a lot to learn each year and our curriculum offices have provided a great resource for families to help you understand the material and provide suggestions on how you can support learning at home.

Take a moment to look at each of the different grade level Family Community Canvas pages. Make sure you click on the yellow bar in the right corner, to find specific information on each curriculum area.