Thursday, May 21, 2026

Exhibits - AAPI History Museum

THE AAPI JOURNEY Our first exhibit introduces Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) history from the ground up, assuming no prior knowledge. Through images, videos, and audio, we define key terms to ensure clarity, recognizing that words can carry different meanings in different contexts. This exhibit is organized under four overarching themes, guiding visitors through … Read more "Exhibits"

aapihistorymuseum.org

Core Exhibition & Virtual Tour - The Weitzman

Beginning in the 1600s when the first permanent Jewish settlers came to the New World from Brazil, our core exhibition flows chronologically as it highlights the diverse backgrounds, expectations, and experiences of Jews who first came to these shores and the generations that followed. The exhibition illustrates the choices they faced, the challenges they confronted, and the ways in which they shaped, and were shaped by, their American home.

theweitzman.org

Click here to view the full WLES Family Calendar.

Assessment Calendar

The Flying Cows basketball team has invited Waters Landing to their last home game of the season! They play at Hood College in Frederick, Maryland. Please see the flyer below. Also attached is a link for group ticketing. Click the link below to purchase tickets. Password: WLE

https://fc1.glitnirticketing.com/fcticket/web/gp_list.php?refresh=1779214188

Congratulations to our Girls on the Run Team

Our GIrls on the Run Team completed a 5K on Sunday, May 17, 2026. Congratulations! Thank you to Mrs. Keith, Ms. Lewis and their volunteer team for working with the girls this season.

End of the Year Assessments Continue

After this week, MCAP testing is complete, except for those students who were absent on a testing day. MCAP make-ups will be given Tuesday, May 25, 2026, Thursday, May 27, 2026 and Friday, May 28, 2026. Please make sure that your student is at school those three days if a testing day was missed.

The Spring administration of MAP Assessments begins next week. MAP Assessments are given three times a year in the Fall, Winter and Spring. assessments measure what students know and how they are growing academically— to help teachers maximize every learner’s potential. MAP Growth uses a Rasch unit (RIT) scale to accurately measure what students know, regardless of their grade level. It also measures growth over time, allowing you to track your child’s progress throughout the school year and across multiple years. Once your child completes a MAP Growth test, they receive a RIT score. The computer-adaptive MAP Growth assessment responds to every student individually. If a student answers a test question correctly, a harder question is provided. If a student answers a test question incorrectly, an easier test question is provided. Students demonstrate what they know, and teachers see specific areas where their individual classes may need more support.

DIBELS ® (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) is a set of procedures and measures for assessing the acquisition of literacy skills. They are designed to be short (one minute) fluency measures that can be used to regularly detect risk and monitor the development of early literacy and early reading skills in kindergarten through eighth grade.

The measures are consistent with many of the Common Core State Standards in Reading, especially those for Foundational Skills. When implemented as recommended, DIBELS results can be used to evaluate individual student development as well as provide grade-level feedback toward validated instructional objectives.

While we will not have the results of the MCAP assessments until the beginning of next school year, MAP assessment and DIBELS data will be available before the end of the school year. We will let you know how to access it once it is available.

Lost & Found

We are approaching the end of the school year and we have a mountain of clothes here in our Lost and Found. Please ask your child to check the Lost and Found to see if they can find any items that did not make it back home. At the end of the school year, all remaining clothing will be donated. Items that cannot be donated will be thrown away.

Clothes Bin

If you have clothes or shoes that you want to get rid of, please put them in small to medium size bags and place them in the Green Clothes Bin at the end of the parking lot. The large bags get stuck at the top and it will appear as though the bin is full, when in reality very few bags made it into the bin.

STEMLY, also known as Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Learning for Youth is a high-school run organization that aims to inspire future generations to go into STEM. Highschoolers would virtually teach students grades 1-6 STEM concepts and expand their knowledge, therefore giving them an academic headstart. Classes are completely free, and they are on the first and third Sunday of every month. Classes would start up July 5th. This is the registration link - https://forms.gle/7yxV9Ka7HbKT4oHY9. Zoom links will be provided through parent emails, student emails, and texts. If you have more questions or want more information follow @moco.stemly.

...these items from previous newsletters...

We want your feedback about our Title I Family Engagement

We are seeking parent input on how to best use our family engagement funds to support student success and strengthen the school-home partnership. Please complete the survey by clicking here.

Career Day is coming to the Landing

We would love to have you come and share your career with our students. Please click here to share your interest in being a speaker for Career Day..

A Message from the Physical Education Department about Field Day

Dear Waters Landing Elementary Families,

Field Day is almost here, and we are excited to announce a big change for this year’s event!

Field Day will take place on:

June 8th – Pre-K, Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, & Byrd's class.
June 9th – 3rd, 4th, 5th grades, and Ms. French, Mr. S, & Ms. B's Classes.

This year, Field Day will be an ALL-DAY event instead of a half day! This exciting change will allow students to enjoy a full day of fun and activities. Students will participate in:

Dry games and activities in the morning
Lunch break mid-day
Water games and activities in the afternoon

To help make this event a success, we are looking for parent volunteers to assist with setup, running stations, and cleanup. We would love your help for one or both days!

Volunteer time slots include:

8:15–9:15 AM – AM Setup
9:30–11:45 AM – Run Morning Stations
12:00–1:30 PM – PM Setup
1:30–3:15 PM – Run Afternoon Stations
All Day Volunteer Option

Please use the sign-up form below to volunteer:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040C4CAFAF2BABFB6-64082755-waters

The deadline to sign up is May 25th. After that date, we will organize volunteer assignments and send additional information to all volunteers via email.

Thank you for helping us make Field Day an unforgettable experience for our students!

Sincerely,
The Waters Landing Elementary PE Team (Mr. Hokanson, Mrs. Desbrow, and Ms. Holland)

Help Us Emphasize the Importance of Respecting One Another

As we get closer to the end of the year, we are having more and more issues with students playing games that involve hitting one another. Please have a discussion with your student(s) about the importance of respecting others' personal body space by not touching others, even if they are only playing around. Thank you.

Class Bathroom Breaks

Due to ongoing vandalism and daily flooding incidents, the entire school will now be taking scheduled bathroom breaks as a class. Students will still be allowed to use the bathroom at any time in the case of an emergency. During these times, they will use the downstairs bathroom outside of the main office, where staff members can actively monitor the area.

Register for Summer School through ParentVue.

Camp Rec is at the Landing this Summer immediately after Summer School! It's free!

This year WLES will host Montgomery County Recreation Camp Rec for students that attend ELO (Summer school). There are 80 slots available, so first come first served. The registration form is linked below. You can also request a paper copy from your child's homeroom teacher.

Registration forms:

Thank you!

Thank you to the PTA, NAACP, GOLPU and the rest of our parent community for their advocacy with regard to our HVAC, plumbing, and portables. Representatives of MCPS, James Duffy, Director of the Division of Facility Maintenance, and Oscar Orellano, Project Manager for the Division of Design and Construction. attended the PTA/POD meeting on Tuesday evening. This is a direct result of a letter that was written by a group of parents and extensive follow-up through emails and phone calls done by our PTA/POD President, Ms. Barnes. Here are some key items that were shared:

Our HVAC system is operational but needs attention.
The HVAC system was put in 10 years ago. The life of an HVAC system is approximately 25 years. We are not eligible for a new HVAC system at this time.
We may be eligible for a ventilation project, which would help regulate humidity throughout the building.
In the meantime, we can attempt to use the air filters that are currently in classrooms to regulate the humidity. The filters in those units need to be replaced.
Classrooms should be between 74 and 76 degrees, plus or minus 2 degrees at all times
We have a two-pipe system that is either heating or cooling. There is no in between. If it is not doing one of those processes, it is pulling air from outside.
Three classrooms need new motors in their systems. They have been ordered.
Portable construction will begin sometime in June.
The cost is one million dollars, because under new ordinances, sprinkler systems must be installed in portables.
We are waiting for the permit from WSSC to be approved for construction to start.
There is only space for two portables at WLES.
The Elementary Boundary study should shift numbers more equitably across school buildings.
Our plumbing has flow issues.
They are attempting to replace a current fixture with a power flush to see if it solves the problem. They are not sure what the next steps will be if that doesn't work.
On Tuesday, we had 28 open work orders. More have been entered since then. MCPS is working through them.
Emergency work orders should be completed within 10 days.
Regular work orders should be completed within 10 days.
A Facility Conditions Assessment (FCI) has not been done on WLES. This would identify every area of need within the building structure. We are trying to find out why one has not been done.
Several workmen have been at the school repairing items this week.

If you have any questions, please enter them here and they will be answered.

Join the POD by clicking here.

A Message from the Health Room

Register for Pre-K and Kindergarten

Are you the parent of a 3- to 5-year-old who’s ready to get started with MCPS? Prekindergarten and Head Start help 4-year-olds — and some 3-year-olds — build early skills in reading, math and social development. Eligibility is based on age and family income. If your child turns 5 by Sept. 1, register for full-day kindergarten. NOW is the time to sign up!

Interested in Volunteering for Lunch and/or Recess at the Landing?

We appreciate all of our Parent volunteers at the Landing! Please sign up to volunteer at lunch and/or recess by clicking here. Here is the Waters Landing Elementary School Volunteer Handbook. Please review it prior to volunteering at the Landing. Make sure you have done all that is outlined on the MCPS website prior to coming to school to volunteer. Always bring your state identification when you come to volunteer at school. You will not be allowed to volunteer without it.