HES Family and Community Newsletter

Monday, April 27th

• Tat the Teacher Sales
• Bounce Back 4-5:30
• Channel Markers 4-5:30

Tuesday, April 28th

• Tat the Teacher Sales
• School Bus Driver Day
• Judy Center Playgroup - 10 AM
• Good News Club 4-5:15 PM
• 4H Club 4-5:15 PM
• Girls On The Run - 4-5:30 PM

Wednesday, April 29th

• Amazing Shake Round 2 - Circle of Doom
• Tat the Teacher Sales
• House Meetings - PK-5th Grade - Wear your house colors
• Judy Center Playgroup- 10 AM
• Book Club 4-5 PM
• Girls On The Run - 4-5:30 PM
• PEP Family Resilience - 5:30-7:30 PM

Thursday, April 30th

• Tat the Teacher Sales
• Science Center Assembly
• Math 24 Night - 5:30 PM

Friday, May 1st

• Tat the Teacher Sales
• Lunch Hero Day - let's celebrate our cafeteria heroes!

Saturday, May 2nd

• Girls on the Run 5K - Salisbury, MD

• 1st ~ Lunch Hero Day
• 2nd ~ GOTR 5K in Salisbury
• 4th-8th ~ Teacher Appreciation Week
• 4th-7th ~ MCAP Math 3rd & 5th
• 5th ~ Amazing Shake Final Round - Lunch w/Dr. Thompson
• 8th ~ Chalk the Walk
• 8th ~ Teachers wear tattoos
• 11th-14th ~ MCAP Math 4th & make ups
• 12th - 5th Grade Field Trip to Assateague
• 13th ~ K-2nd Attendance Incentive trip - Movie Theater
• 15th ~ 5th Grade to the Y
• 18th ~ Speech Day
• 19 ~ 3rd-5th grade Attendance Incentive trip - Hyatt Pool
• 19th ~ Transition Night @ 5:30 PM
• 20th-28th ~ Duck, Duck, Drop Sales
• 20th - 3rd-5th grade Attendance Incentive trip - Hyatt Pool
• 22nd ~ Early Dismissal 12:45
• 25th ~ School Closed - Memorial Day
• 26th-29th ~ BOGO Book Fair
• 29th ~ Field Day/Duck, Duck, Drop

• 1st ~ Field Day Rain Date
• 2nd ~ Bertekun Day
• 3rd ~ Elevar Day
• 3rd ~ Parking Lot Party 1:30-3:00 (3rd-5th grade MCAP celebration)
• 4th ~ Shuti Day
• 5th ~ Tvorivost' Day
• 5th ~ Family Picnic - 5:30
• 8th ~ 2025-2026 House Championship Celebration 1:30-3:30
• 9th ~ Awards & Promotions

10:00 ~ PK3

1:30 ~ 1st Grade

2:30 - 4th Grade

• 10th ~ Awards & Promotions

1:30 ~ 3rd Grade

2:30 - 2nd Grade

• 11th ~ 5th Grade Promotion and Celebration
• 12th ~ Last Day of School - 12:45 pm Dismissal for students

We're excited to share the Family Resiliency Program, a FREE 8-week opportunity for parents and caregivers to gain tools to strengthen family connections, support mental health, and help children succeed in school.

✨ Open to parents of PreK-12 students

✨ Sessions held every Wednesday from 5:30-7:30 PM

✨ In-person sessions at Hurlock Elementary (April & June)

✨ Virtual sessions via Zoom (May)

✨ FREE dinner and childcare provided for in-person sessions

🎉 Participants who attend 5 or more sessions and complete the evaluation will receive a $50 digital gift card

This program is open to families connected to Hurlock Elementary, Warwick, Vienna , North Dorchester Middle, and North Dorchester High School.

📍 Hurlock Elementary School

🗓 Starting April 22 Spots are limited, be sure to scan the QR code on the flyer or visit the link to register today! http://tinyurl.com/PEP-HES

OR click on the flyer to sign up

BIG change this year....Spring and class pictures must be ordered and paid for before they are taken.

Registration Round-Up is almost here!

Enrollment for PreK-3, PreK-4, & Kindergarten for the 2026-2027 school year opens April 30th! The registration link will be forthcoming.

PreK-3: Must be 3 by Sept 1st | Limited spots at Sandy Hill, Maple, Vienna & Hurlock | Proof of income required

PreK-4: Must be 4 by Sept 1st | Proof of income required

Kindergarten: Must be 5 by Sept 1st | Attendance is mandatory by Maryland law

All enrollments require:

• Proof of age

• Proof of residency

• Proof of relationship

• Up-to-date immunizations

PreK spots are limited — don’t wait! Get your documents ready and register beginning April 30th!

Is your child getting ready for Kindergarten at Hurlock Elementary this fall? 🍎

The Judy Center Early Learning Hub is planning a Kindergarten Launch Pad Summer Transition Program to help children feel confident, prepared, and excited for their first day of school! 💙

Throughout the month of July, families will have the opportunity to participate in fun and engaging sessions focused on:

📚 School readiness skills

🧸 Social skills & routines

🏫 Getting familiar with the school environment

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Learning together as a family

👉 This program is for children entering Kindergarten in August 2026

👉 Parent/guardian participation is required

We’d love your input! Please take a moment to complete this quick interest form to help us plan:

📲 https://forms.gle/rWbKVGcCjGoC3tir9

Spots may be limited, so be sure to let us know if you're interested!

Honesty

Honesty means telling the truth and doing what is right, even when it’s hard. When we’re honest, people can trust us - and that’s important.

On the first day of each month, we’ll announce the character trait of the month during morning announcements, along with its definition.

• 💡 Throughout the month, our school community will spotlight the character trait and celebrate the ways students demonstrate it in their daily actions.

• 🏅 On the last day of the month, each homeroom teacher will submit the name of one student who best represented that month’s trait. These names will be announced during morning announcements.

• 🎉 Selected students will gather in the cafeteria to receive a certificate, take a group photo, and be recognized on our social media platforms.

This is a wonderful way to highlight not only academic success, but also the positive character and leadership skills that help our Eagles soar every day! 🦅

⏰ Every Minute Matters!
Please make it a top priority for your child to be in school from 8:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. every day. Consistent, full-day attendance helps your child grow, stay on track, and become the strongest learner they can be!

Did you know that:

• Children who are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days) are much less likely to read at grade level by the third grade and missing school means missing valuable instructional time.
• 5 minutes late per day equals 3.4 days of lost instruction over the school year. 10 minutes late or leaving early per day equals 6.9 days of missed learning. 15 minutes per day equals 10.3 days – more than two full school weeks.

September

Breakfast menu

PK3/4 lunch menu

Kindergarten -5th grade lunch menu

If your child has allergies our Nurse needs to know and the cafeteria needs a doctors note! Please reach out to Nurse Stacy 410-943-3303 ext 1809

If your student brings a packed lunch, please adhere to the following guidelines:

• No soda, bottled coffees, energy drinks, etc
• Suggestions for packable drinks: Gatorades, Green tea, bottled juice, and other non-caffeinated beverages.
• No candy.
• Food will not be warmed up.
• No sharing of food due to potential food allergies.

DCPS app

If you haven't registered for the new DCPS app, click the links provided below to sign up. This app is designed for everyone, including parents, grandparents, and members of the community. You have the flexibility to select specific schools for notifications, ensuring you stay informed and never miss out on announcements or exciting news. Our app allows you to conveniently chat with your students teacher, access documents, receive news updates, and stay informed about emergency notifications—all from the convenience of your pocket. Join us in embracing the features of our new app!

Download for Android https://bit.ly/3LIXLP9

Download for iPhone https://apple.co/3rH4Rgr

Arrival and dismissal times have been changed for this school year. The earliest drop off is 8:30, the bell rings at 8:45! Students are late after 8:45 and must be signed in by an adult.

The latest pick up time for students is 3:20, after 3:20 you will need to have your student on the pickup list as a walker or car rider and they will be dismissed at 3:45. Please reach out with any questions #attendancematters

Please note: Earliest Drop off 8:30am,

Class Begins 8:45am, Students are late after 8:45!

Latest pick up 3:20 pm, Dismissal begins 3:45pm

Early Dismissal Days starts @ 12:45pm

We want to keep our school safe, focused, and fun for all students. Please help us by keeping the following in mind:

• 👗 Costumes & Capes: As much as we love them, these should only be worn on special dress-up days.

• 🚫 Clothing with Weapons Pictures: No clothing should show pictures or depictions of weapons of any kind.

• 📿 Large or Chunky Jewelry: These can be unsafe on playground equipment or if swung around. Please keep them at home.

• 🧸 Toys, Stuffed Animals, & Labubu Dolls: These items are not needed during the school day and can be distracting to learning.

Thank you for your support in helping us maintain a safe and positive learning environment!

Hurlock Elementary Dress Code for 2025–2026.

👕 General Guidelines:

Tops should have straps at least 2” wide

Bottoms should extend past fingertips when arms are at sides

No rips/tears above fingertip line

Pajamas are for home—sweatpants are fine for school

No hats, hoods, bonnets or sunglasses worn in the building

Shoes need to have hard soles for safety—slippers aren’t allowed

🚫 Clothing should not:

Promote violence, illegal activity, or lewd behavior

Include vulgar, obscene, or hateful words or images

Create a safety concern

If dress code concerns come up, here’s how we’ll handle it:

1️⃣ Gentle reminder, call home, parent will need to bring clothes or we will provide appropriate clothing

2️⃣ Minor referral, call home, parent will need to bring clothes or we will provide appropriate clothing

3️⃣ Lunch detention along with the above steps

4️⃣ In person Parent conference along with the above steps

5️⃣ After-school detention along with all of the above steps

All non-school issued devices

“Elementary school students are not permitted to possess or use portable electronic communication devices while on Dorchester County Public School property or while attending any school activities."

If a student is found in possession of a phone or electronic device at school, the following process will be enforced:

• 1st Offense: the phone/smart watch/ electronic device will be confiscated and parent/guardian will be contacted to pick up the device.
• 2nd Offense: follow 1st offense PLUS an after-school detention
• 3rd Offense: follow 1st offense PLUS parent conference requested.

Important Information:

**School Hours:**

- School starts at 8:45 a.m. Students may be dropped off as early as 8:30 a.m. Please note that we do not have staff to supervise students before this time. Parents will be called to pick up their student if dropped off before 8:30 a.m.

**Drop-Off Procedure:**

- Families are requested to drop students off at the curb. Mrs. Powell and her team will ensure your student safely enters the building and gets to their classroom.

**Breakfast:**

- All students have the option of a free breakfast. To ensure your student receives breakfast, please have them in the building no later than 8:45 a.m.

**Lunch:**

- All HES students have the option of free lunch every day.

If your student brings a packed lunch, please adhere to the following guidelines:

- No soda, bottled coffees, energy drinks, etc

- Suggestions for packable drinks: Gatorades, Green tea, bottled juice, and other non-caffeinated beverages.

- No candy.

- Food will not be warmed up.

- No sharing of food due to potential food allergies.

**Dismissal Time**

- Dismissal begins at 3:45 p.m. If you need to pick up your student early from school please do so before 3:20 p.m. After 3:20 p.m., no students will be dismissed early from the office, and parents should wait in the regular pick-up line.

**Car Riders at Dismissal Time:**

- Students/families will be assigned a car tag to hang from window. This system aims to expedite pick-up and ensure students remain in the building until someone is there to get them.

**Bus Dismissal:**

- If your child is taking a different bus or being picked up by someone other than the norm, please send a note or call the front office to inform us. Without prior notification, your child will go home as usual. For bus-related questions, contact the Transportation Department at 410-228-4747.

**Adults/Families on Campus:**

Ring the bell next to the front doors and wait to speak to one of our secretaries.

All visitors must sign in at the front office and have their picture taken upon entering the building.

Please bring ID when visiting our building.

**School Issued Electronic Devices:**

- Students will be assigned devices: K & 1st graders will have iPads, while 2nd - 5th graders will use laptops. Look out for the device agreement to sign and a request form for a hotspot if needed.

**Dress Code:**

See above for detailed information.

**Non-School Issued Devices:**

- "Elementary school students are not permitted to possess or use portable electronic communication devices while on Dorchester County Public School property or during school activities." This includes cell phones or any portable electronic devices. The following process will be followed for violations:

- 1st Offense: Device confiscation; parent/guardian contacted for pick-up.

- 2nd Offense: 1st offense consequences plus after-school detention.

- 3rd Offense: 1st offense consequences plus a parent conference will be requested.