Hello, Sussex families!

Welcome to the 2022-2023 school year! We are beyond excited for the start of the school year! It was humbling to meet so many students and families during our Summer Snowball Social a few weeks ago. A sincere thank you to everyone who was able to stop by that evening- one of the hottest evenings of the summer! I look forward to meeting more and more of you during the upcoming weeks! Please be sure to join us for Sneak-A-Peek next week and save the date for our annual Back to School Night- September 20th!

Ms. Bissell and I would like to acknowledge and extend our gratitude to our truly amazing custodial team and Sussex staff members who have been supporting the main office this summer! Everyone has been working hard to ensure Sussex is ready to welcome students back on August 29th. We are grateful to have such a wonderful and dedicated group of people!

School begins for students in grades 1-5 on Monday, August 29th. Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students will begin school according to the gradual entry schedule that has been communicated separately.

Ms. Bissell and I are here to serve you and welcome your communication. The best way to reach the administrative team is via phone to the main office, 443-809-0182, or email at jszymanski2@bcps.org and mbissell@bcps.org.

Please join us in welcoming our newest ‘ducks’ to the Sussex family!

• Ms. Briscoe, Kindergarten
• Ms. Kotowski, Kindergarten
• Ms. Hess, 2nd grade
• Ms. Drake, 4th grade
• Ms. Marsico, 5th grade
• Mr. Brinkley, Physical Education
• Ms. Rising, Vocal Music
• Ms. Peace, School Community Facilitator
• Ms. Smith, Passport Teacher
• Ms. Swecker, STEM Teacher
• Ms. Tate, School Counselor

Check out our new Community Promise! This year, we will focus on how we can be respectful, responsible, safe, and kind throughout the school and our community!

Our doors open for students at 9:00 a.m. * The late bell rings at 9:15 a.m.

Dismissal begins at 4:00 p.m.

In order to enhance safety and security for all students, we are adjusting our arrival and dismissal procedures.

Arrival

Pre-school & Pre-K: Students will enter through their exterior classroom door

Kindergarten: Students will enter through the exterior door at the end of the hallway for the lower graders

1st and 5th grade: Students will line up according to grade level at the main entrance (on the left-hand side when facing the school, near the ramp/flag pole). Students will enter through the main entry doors.

2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade: Students will line up according to grade level at the rear cafeteria entrance. Students will enter through the door near the cafeteria.

Bus riders: Bus riders will enter through the main entry doors.

Dismissal

Walkers: All walkers will exit through their exterior classroom doors (see map for assistance finding your student's classroom).

Car riders: Car riders will be dismissed from the gym.

Bus riders: Bus riders will be dismissed from the main lobby.

Below you will find two visual options of our new arrival/dismissal procedures (image document and PDF document).

Photo ID Required

Per BCPS Policy and for the safety of all students, photo ID is required when picking-up students. For the safety of your student, your child will not be released unless a photo ID can be presented by the individual picking up. Please be mindful that this includes parents and guardians. As we welcome many new staff members to Sussex, there may be new faces when picking up your child- Please do not assume someone will be able to recognize you.

Students Called to Office Upon Arrival

For the safety of students and to minimize the loss of instructional time, students will be called to the office for early dismissal once the adult picking-up the child arrives at Sussex. All adults picking-up students must come in to the main office and show photo ID.

Early Dismissal- Ending Time

To ensure all students are dismissed safely, all early dismissals will end at 3:40 p.m. This will help alleviate any miscommunication or confusion at the end of the school day. If you are picking a student up for a doctor appointment, please be mindful of the 3:40 p.m. end time for early dismissal.

If you or another adult will be picking-up your child during dismissal by staying in (remaining in) your car, you must complete the Google Form below to register and receive a vehicle hang tag this school year.

This is only for car riders. For example, if you plan to park and walk to your child's classroom to pick up your child, your child would be considered a walker- and you do not need to complete the form.

If you plan to stay in your car and go through the car rider line, your child is viewed as a car rider- and you need to complete the form.

This will help make car rider dismissal more efficient! After completing the form below, please plan to pick up your family's car tags on any of the following dates:

• Sneak-a-Peek on Thursday, August 25th, from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
• Friday, August 26th, from 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM

Please click on the link below to register to be a car rider for the 22-23 school year.

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=3cPDSRs_g0GOdLONSDpa_e45lSGLQm9Fj936FK0vJbFUN1M3Sk1GVFgxTkpHODA0MFlPRlZXQkJONy4u

BCPS has implemented changes for accessing your child's bus information (bus stop, pick-up, drop-off time) for the 22-23 school year. This year you will be able to see bus stops and times in the FOCUS system. To access student transportation information under a parent/guardian sign-on in FOCUS users should:

• Select "Child Info" under the student's name on the left side of the FOCUS window.
• Once "Child Info" is selected, users should choose "Transportation"
• Within "Transportation," users will see the Bus Number, Bus Route Name, Stop Description, and Stop Time for both the AM and PM trips.

This information will be available to families on Monday, August 22nd.

Please check your child's transportation assignments at the beginning and later in the week due to 'dry run' days, new enrollments, and other factors that may change bus schedules. In addition, families are encouraged to email Transportation_ContactUs@bcps.org with questions or concerns regarding the school bus service.

Please review Sussex's and BCPS's expectations for bus riders. Our goal is to ensure all students have a safe bus ride to and from school. Please remember, riding the school bus is a privilege.

Arrival

Each morning, students will turn in their cell phones at the front desk upon arrival at school. Students will be assigned a number for their cell phones. When students turn in their cell phones, they will place a checkmark with their name and number for their cell phones. Cell phones are locked in a cabinet throughout the school day.

Dismissal

Students will be dismissed to the front desk at dismissal and sign out their phones. A staff member will give the phone to each student based on his/her number. Students will place a check by their name and number when they pick their phone up at the desk.

If your contact information has changed over the summer and/or if you never provided the school with your email address, please be sure to update your information with our main office. We regularly send important school-related messages via phone, email, and text using our automated School Messenger system. To opt-in to text messages, text the word “Yes” to 67587.

School supply lists by grade level are available on our school website, https://sussexes.ss3.sharpschool.com/.

Students are expected to bring their fully charged device to and from school each day!

Do you have a FOCUS account for your student? Through your FOCUS account you can update your student's contact information, view your student's teacher, and more! Check out the resources below for supporting in setting up a FOCUS account and navigating FOCUS!

Friendly reminder that per BCPS Policy and Rule 5470, all food and beverages provided to students during the school day must meet the same nutrition standards as the school meals program. This means that outside food is not allowed for celebrations. Please do not send in items such as (but not limited to) cupcakes, cookies, and/or juice boxes for celebrations. Wellness Policy and Rule 5470 Updates document is attached below for your reference. You may also reference complete Policy and Rule 5470 on the BCPS website.

If you would like to celebrate your child's birthday, please consider donating a book to your child's classroom library! Other ideas include donating items for recess or mindfulness resources. If interested, please contact your child's teacher and/or administration to discuss possible/appropriate donations.

We are pleased to share that free breakfast and lunch will continue to be available to all Sussex Elementary students this year. Returning this year, students will be able to purchase snacks at lunch!

To learn more about the free meals program, including which schools in BCPS are included, see the documents below: Letter to Families CEP-2022 and CEP and NON-CEP School List-2022.

To learn how to add money to your student's 'meal account balance' so he or she can purchase a-la-carte items, snacks, and beverages, see the document below: MySchoolBucks Flyer.

Extra Set of Clothing

Please be sure to send an extra set of clothes to school for your child to keep in his or her locker. Spills and accidents can happen at any age!

Contact Information

Please provide the school with updated phone numbers! Be sure we have multiple contacts listed for your child in case he or she needs to be picked up due to illness. A student experiencing the following symptom(s) will not be able to stay in school:

• Fever of 100 or greater
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Excessive coughing
• Excessive nasal discharge
• Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis)
• Head lice

Appropriate Footwear for Physical Education (PE/gym) & Recess

For their safety, students must wear sneakers/tennis shoes for PE/gym and to climb on recess equipment. Footwear not suitable for PE/gym or climbing on recess equipment include (but not limited to): Crocs, sandals, flip-flops, boots, dress shoes.

Students may change into sneakers/tennis shoes before PE/gym or recess if they have another form of shoe they wore to school.

Absence Policy

Per BCPS and Maryland state law, students are expected to maintain satisfactory attendance at the state standard of 94%. A written explanation of each absence is required for students. Students must bring in absence notes within five (5) days of returning to school. Notes, signed by a parent/guardian, should include:

• Name of the student
• Date(s) of absence
• Reason for the absence

If a student is absent for an extended period of time due to an illness (greater than 3 consecutive days), a written statement of explanation from a doctor is required.

For more information on attendance rules/procedures outlined by BCPS, you can reference BCPS Rule 5120 on the BCPS website!

When to Stay Home from School

If your child vomited, has had diarrhea, or has had a fever (100 degrees or greater) within the last 24 hours he/she can not come to school.

Students also cannot come to school with:

• Live head lice
• Symptoms of Pink Eye (Conjunctivitis, call nurse for guidance)
• Body rash (call nurse for guidance)

Current Information/Updates on COVID-19

If your child or someone in your household has been diagnosed with COVID-19, you must notify the school nurse at 443-809-6062.

Please visit https://scs.bcps.org/common/pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=66710109 on the BCPS website for complete information about testing, isolation, and quarantine.

Please see the attached welcome back letters from BCPS!

Please review BCPS's Student Code of Conduct attached below. Also linked below is the 2022-2023 Student Handbook.

Website: https://sussexes.ss3.sharpschool.com/
Location: 515 South Woodward Drive, Essex, MD, USA
Phone: 443-809-0182
Twitter: @Sussex_ES