The Cougar Connection

What an exciting Open House! It was wonderful to see so many of our students and families in the building. Seeing the smiles, meeting families, and watching students reconnect with teachers and friends has us even more excited for the year ahead. A big thank you to our staff for creating such a warm welcome for our families!

Now, the big day is almost here - school starts Monday! Our classrooms are ready, our teachers are prepared, and our entire Cougar team is excited to welcome our students back.

As you prepare for the first day, please take a few minutes to read through this entire newsletter. It contains valuable information and important reminders to help your family start the year smoothly.

A few simple things can help make Monday a great first day:

• Get a good night’s sleep and establish an early bedtime this weekend.

• Start the morning with a good breakfast so your child is ready to learn.

• Send your child to school as you normally would. The first day may bring some extra excitement or nerves, but our staff is ready to welcome, support, and care for every student.

• Our doors open at 8:05am (parents will not be permitted to walk their child to their classroom)

• All meals are free for all students!

Most importantly, remind your child that we are excited to see them and can't wait to begin a great year together!

See everyone Monday morning! Go Cougars! 🐾

Monday, August 17th - FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!!!!

Friday, September 4th - No School (Labor Day)

Monday, September 7th - No School (Labor Day)

Hello Cougar Elementary Family! Welcome! We hope that you had an enjoyable summer and that your students are looking forward to getting back into their school routine!

At CES we have two programs that help us teach and encourage students to show positive behavior: the 3Rs and Bucket Filling. When talking with your children at home after school, ask them who filled their bucket that day and how they showed respect, responsibility, and readiness to learn. We will be sharing more details about these two programs in future newsletters so stay tuned for more information. In the meantime, feel free to reach out to your child's teacher or school counselor with questions.

Warmly,

Your CES School Counselors

Mrs. Griffin (PreK and second grade counselor) brie.griffin@mpark.net

Ms. Bates (Kindergarten counselor) michaela.bates@mpark.net

Ms. Bobbitt (First grade counselor) anna.bobbitt@mpark.net

By August 21, all student school accounts will be updated with new passwords as part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen account security and protect student information.

Your student’s updated account information will be available securely through the Parent Portal. To access it, log in to the Parent Portal and click the keyboard icon next to your student’s name. A window will open displaying your student’s school account information.

To help keep student accounts secure, please do not share passwords with anyone other than your student.

YOUR VOICE. YOUR IDEAS. OUR COUGARS.

We’re building something new and we want YOU to be part of it! The Little Cougars PTO is a Parent Teacher Organization serving Cougar Elementary School & Manassas Park Elementary School. Our goal is to build a stronger school community and create fun, meaningful experiences for our students and families. Whether you have 10 minutes, a few hours, or want to be more involved, there’s a place for YOU!

Ways you can help: 💡 Share your ideas 🎉 Help with school events 🙌 Volunteer when you’re available 📣 Help spread the word 🎨 Share your talents and skills 🍪 Help with fundraisers & activities 📸 Help capture and share special moments ❤ Support our teachers, staff & students More information about PTO meetings, volunteer opportunities, and upcoming activities are coming soon! Facebook & Instagram @LittleCougarsPTO Scan the QR code to follow us and stay up to date on: 🐾 PTO news & announcements 📅 Upcoming events 🙋 Volunteer opportunities 💡 Ways to get involved 🏫 School & community activities

More information about PTO meetings, volunteer opportunities, and upcoming activities are coming soon!

Facebook & Instagram @LittleCougarsPTO

President: President.littlecougarpto@gmail.com

Treasurer: Treasurer.littlecougarpto@gmail.com

PROCEDURES TO FOLLOW WHEN YOUR CHILD IS ABSENT:

1. You must call or send an email to notify the school of your child’s absence. A note MUST be sent in with your child when they return for the absence to be excused.

   • Call the front office by 9:30am (703) 392-1317

   • Send an email to the absence email address by 9:30am (CESattendance@mpark.net)

2. If we do not receive a phone call or email letting us know the student will not be attending that day, you will receive a call from the automated system notifying you of your student’s absence.

3. Parents must contact the school within one three days from the date of the absence, explaining the absence

4. It is the student's responsibility to make up all missed assignments within a reasonable amount of time. Assignments that are not made up will be reflected in the student's grades.

5. When a student misses three or more consecutive days of school due to illness, a parent/guardian is encouraged to call the teacher and request class assignments.

EXCUSED ABSENCES:

The following are the only legitimate excuses for absences from school:

1. Personal illness
2. Death of a family member
3. Medical or dental appointment
4. Court appearances
5. Observance of religious holiday

The following may be excused by the principal with written permission:

1. Illness of a family member
2. Emergencies
3. Trips/activities which enhance or extend the student’s education

If the parent has not informed the school with a written excuse of the student's absence, the absence will be unexcused.

UNEXCUSED ABSENCES:

If a student is absent from school for any reason other than listed above even with a parent’s note, the absence is unexcused unless approved by the principal in advance (Pre-Arranged Absence Form).

If the parent has not informed the school with a written excuse of the student's absence within three days of the absence, the absence will be unexcused.

If a student misses school with more than five unexcused absences, the parents/guardians will be contacted in order to set up a meeting to discuss an attendance plan.

To find our 26-27 school supply lists by grade level, please click on the link below:

https://ces.mpark.net/academics/school_supply_lists