Mustang Message

At our Friday Community Gathering, we discussed the commitment: "I use listening ears."

To practice this skill, we learned the first part of the H.E.A.R. strategy. The "H" reminds us to Halt—to stop what we are doing body and mind, be present, and give our full attention to the speaker.

• Josiah is working so hard wat school; he didn't give up and kept on working until he got the answer!
• Brayden is a leader in his class; he does what he knows is the right thing to do even when other kids aren't. He consistently shows his classmates what a good listener looks like when I teach a lesson in his class.
• Ian saw a student walking into car pool by herself so he went to her and held her hand to walk her safely inside the building.
• Cameron continually encouraged another student in her class when he was feeling frustrated.
• Kasen & Keaton he gave up their spots on the soccer field to allow someone else some time to play. it showed community within our class and showed another student he cared about him.
• John, Dylan, & Kinsley always come prepared to Ms. Plotner's small reading group and add to the discussions they have. They practice the skills taught and works hard on answering our text dependent questions.

October

October 6 - 17 - Joe Corbi’s Fundraiser

October 13 - 2-Hour Early Dismissal, Parent Conference Day

October 16 - Historic Sotterley Field Trip Mrs. Oliver & Ms. Roach Classes

October 17 - 2-Hour Early Dismissal, Professional Responsibilities

October 17 - 24 = Fall Book Fair

October 17 - PTO Trunk or Treat

October 20 - Historic Sotterley Field Trip Mrs. Bainter’s Class

October 22 - Unity Day *CORRECTED DATE

October 20 - 24 - National School Bus Safety Week

Looking ahead to November

November 2 – Daylight Saving Time ends

November 3-7 – National School Psychology Week

November 4 – Report Card Distribution

November 7 – 2-Hour Early Dismissal, Professional Responsibilities

November 7 – Veteran’s Day Celebration @ 10 am - 12 pm, Gym

November 10 – PTO General Membership Meeting & School Improvement Plan Meeting

@ 4 pm, Media Center

November 11 – Veteran’s Day Holiday, All Schools and Offices Closed

November 12 – Redistricting Community Form #2 @ 6-8 pm, George Washington Carver Elementary

November 13 – Redistricting Community Form #2 @ 6-8 pm, Chopticon High School

November 14 – Redistricting Community Form #2 @ 6-8 pm, Dr. James A. Forrest Career & Technology Center

November 15 – PTO Turkey Trot @ 7-11 am

November 26-28 – Thanksgiving Break, No School for Students

On October 13, St. Mary's County Public Schools (SMCPS) has allotted a two-hour block for parent conferences. While we would love to meet with all of you, this time frame does not allow for every student's family to have a conference.

To ensure we are able to provide the most support, teachers will prioritize reaching out to parents of students who may be experiencing academic, social, or behavioral challenges. If your student is making adequate progress, you may not receive a request for a conference.

If you do not hear from your child’s teacher and would still like to schedule a conference, please feel free to reach out to them directly.

Thank you for your understanding and continued partnership in your child's education.

Impact Aid Forms: Online Federal Impact Aid Forms are now available through the Home Access Center (HAC). Once logged in, directions to access the online Impact Aid form can be found HERE. A video with instructions is available HERE.

Joe Corbi’s Fundraiser Update:

Our program is in full swing and there’s still time to get involved. We need EVERY student to register online, add at least 10 contacts and then use the click-to-share icons on their dashboard tonight.

BONUS: When you register and share, you qualify for the Register. Share. Win. Giveaway featuring $100,000 in Prizes and more!

1. Get Registered NOW at: https://www.shopfund.com/Create-Account

2. Add 10+ Family & Friend Contacts

3. Click-to-Share Text, Email, Facebook and X dashboard icons

Thank you for supporting Mechanicsville Elementary School!

Top 5 Teachers for Registered Students:
Dotson (4) : 6
Bainter (5) : 6
Smith (1) : 4
Fitzpatrick (3) : 4
HAFFER (3) : 4

Top 5 Teachers by Total Sales:
Parker (K) : $938.00
Simpkin (1) : $691.00
Dotson (4) : $549.00
Bainter (5) : $501.00
Cable (K) : $416.00

If your child has a communicable disease please report it to the school nurse via email at drgregory@smcps.org or by phone at 301 472 4800 & press 2 for the nurse. Communicable diseases can include but are not limited to : Strep throat, Flu, Covid, Pink Eye, Hand Foot & Mouth, Impetigo, Noro Virus, Chicken Pox, and Measles. Notification of these illnesses help me keep accurate records and make notifications of possible exposures and outbreaks. It will also allow steps to be taken to try and reduce the spread of the illness.

If your student has been absent from school please report the absence on the school website https://mes.smcps.org/ and click on “Report an Absence” in the top right corner.

Community flu vaccine clinics have been announced. Here is the link https://mailchi.mp/maryland/community-flu-vaccine-clinics-announced-in-st-marys-county?e=ed291b26f6

The MES Trunk or Treat is right around the corner!

Parking will be available on the side parking lot, front parking lot and in the grass area in front of the trailer by the front parking lot for the Trunk or Treat on Friday, October 17th.

A Reminder: Costumes must meet school guidelines: https://studenthandbook.smcps.org/dress-code

Weapon look-alikes, weapon images, and violent imagery are not permitted.

Our Scholastic Book Fair opens this Friday, October 17th! Book fair hours for Friday will be from 5:30-7:30 pm. Students will be able to shop during school hours on Monday, October 20th. Hours for the book fair will be daily from 9:00 am - 4:00 pm. The book fair will close on Friday, October 24th at 2:00 pm. Students will browse and shop during their media class time. On the days they don’t have media, students will be able to come to the book fair for purchases only during their recess time.

Scholastic offers an eWallet service that is a way for your student to shop at the book fair without the worry of sending cash or a check to school. eWallets are easy for families to set up and easy for others to contribute. After the Fair, any unspent funds become a Scholastic eGift balance to use at a future Fair or to shop online with Scholastic. You can set up an eWallet for your student today by visiting our book fair website at this link: https://www.scholastic.com/bf/mechanicsvillees

Calendar

MES Public Calendar (Use the links at the bottom to integrate the calendar to your mobile device)

Downloadable SY 25-26 SMCPS School Year 2025-2026 Calendar

The code for Panda Express can be used anywhere at any Panda Express location, even across the country on that day, 10/24.

SMCPS Board of Education Meeting - September 24, 2025

You can watch the SMCPS Board of Education meeting by clicking the link below. The Redistricting Informational Update begins at 25.15. The presentation used at the Board meeting is also linked.

• September 24, 2025 Board of Education Meeting
• Presentation

Cannon Design's presentation from Community Forum #1

The link to the presentation used by Cannon Design for Community Forum #1 can be found here.

• Cannon Design Presentation

Community Survey #1

Community Survey #1 will be open from September 26, 2025 - October 6, 2025. This survey will be used to collect community input on operational and facility options being considered for the Redistricting process. The survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete and is open to residents, parents, students, employees, and all stakeholders.

• Community Survey #1

• St. Mary’s County Public Schools is launching a comprehensive Facility Utilization and School Boundary Study initiative to guide how our schools serve students and families in the years ahead. Your input matters. Whether you join a meeting, offer feedback, or follow along with updates, your voice will help shape the future of education in St. Mary’s County.

  
  

  For more information please click on the link below.

  • Redistricting Information

  
  

  Our school has a parent representative and staff representative on the district-wide Community Engagement Redistricting Team. The representatives will help ensure communication of the work, timeline, and community engagement opportunities by sharing information on surveys and community engagement events through school, community, and social media resources. You can reach out to them for additional information or to share your perspective.

  
  

• Katlyn Calvano - Parent Representative
• Rebecca Plotner - Staff Representative
• Ms. Calvano & Ms. Plotner can be emailed at MESredistrictcommittee@yahoo.com

• The new website, where you can find information on the timeline, process, and how you can be a part of the community engagement events.

Menus for School Meals are visible through Nutrislice.

If you want to view your child's meal purchases and add funds, use the My School Bucks link.

Free & Reduced Meal Benefit Applications Now Open

Online applications re encouraged as they are processed more quickly. The meal benefit application for SY 25/26 is now live. Link: Free and Reduced Meals.

President- Dawn Roach

Vice President- Nicole MacLean

Secretary- Katlyn Calvano

Treasurer- Maria Mosher

Member At Large- Nicole Rumaker

Contact the PTO: MechanicsvilleESPTO@gmail.com.