Bulldog Bulletin 30

• Vision: Anna P. Mote Elementary will prepare our students to make positive contributions to society by being culturally responsive and civically conscious critical thinkers.

• Mission: To provide a family-oriented school community where all members are committed to the academic, social, and emotional growth for all students.
• School's Core Values:
• Give Respect, Be Responsible, Cooperate with Others, Welcome Diversity, Learn with a Growth Mindset

Monday March 30- C Day, 5th Grade Field Trip, GOTR

Tuesday March 31- D Day

Wednesday April 1- A Day, Spring Pictures, End of MP 3, 3:25 Paws to Read, GOTR

Thursday April 2- Professional Learning Day- No School for Students

Friday April 3- Monday April 6- Schools/Offices Closed

Tuesday April 7- Friday April 10- Schools Closed

We are excited to share that your student successfully completed Rocky’s Reading Challenge during library class! By reading five books, they have earned two free tickets to a Wilmington Blue Rocks baseball game.

How to Redeem Your Tickets:

1. Visit the Website: Go to www.bluerocks.com/reading-DE.
2. Follow the Instructions: Use the steps outlined in the attached redemption letter to claim your two free seats. A paper copy was also sent home with students. Families with multiple Mote students should redeem tickets in separate transactions.
3. Need Extra Seats? If you’d like to bring the whole family, you can purchase additional tickets at a discounted rate through the same link when you redeem the student tickets.

Congratulations to our hard-working readers! We hope to see you at the ballpark.

Please take the time to complete the School Climate Survey for the 2025-2026 school year. The attached letter has information about the survey and the link. We have extended the deadline to April 12.

Students will be celebrated for meeting schoolwide expectations on April 16 with an ice cream social. Students will purchase tickets for this event with their Bulldog Points. In order for students to be eligible to attend, they may not have more than 2 behavior referrals and may not have been suspended during the third marking period. The cost of the ticket for eligible students is 50 points for ice cream and 5 points for each topping with a limit of 3 toppings. Weather permitting, students will eat their ice cream outside and enjoy some free time with their peers.

We will celebrate our students with our Top Dog Awards for both Marking Period 2 and Marking Period 3 on April 17. Invitations will be sent home to parents by the nominating staff member. Since we are combining two marking periods of awards, we are going to have two sessions, K-2 from 9:30-10:00 and 3-5 from 10:30-11:00.

You’re Invited! Red Clay’s 3rd Annual Health & Wellness Fair
Get ready for a Remarkable event that’s all about YOU and your well-being!

We’re excited to invite you, your family, and your friends to join us for the 3rd Annual Red Clay Health & Wellness Fair — a fun-filled day focused on health, happiness, and community.

This FREE event is designed for the entire family and offers something for everyone — from the little ones to the adults.

Here’s what you can look forward to:

• Free health screenings and wellness resources
• Mental health and wellness support
• Opportunities to connect with local community organizations and vendors
• Family-friendly activities, games, and music
• Delicious food and fun for all ages
• Engaging activities focused on healthy living and well-being

Whether you come for the resources, the activities, or simply to enjoy time with family and friends, this is a great opportunity to prioritize your health while having fun together as a community.

We encourage you to share this event with your family, friends, and neighbors and join us for a day of fun, learning, and wellness.

Learn more about the Health & Wellness Fair Here

We are excited to open nominations for Red Clay’s 2026-2027 Educational Support Professional of the Year (ESPOY). We invite staff, students, families, and community members to nominate exceptionally dedicated, knowledgeable, and skilled candidates. Nominees should promote a positive, supportive image of the educational support profession at their work site and in the school/district community.

Please note that one exemplary support professional will be chosen from each category to be honored. These outstanding individuals will then advance as finalists in the selection process for the District Educational Support Professional of the Year, who will represent Red Clay at the state level. The categories for consideration are as follows:

• Transportation Employee of the Year (bus drivers/bus aides)
• Custodial/Maintenance Employee of the Year
• Nutrition Services Employee of the Year
• Paraeducator of the Year
• Secretarial Employee of the Year
• IT Employee of the Year

Red Clay’s Education Support Professional of the Year winner will receive a $2,000 personal award. The state program then selects one person each year to serve as Delaware’s Educational Support Professional of the Year. State winners receive an additional $3,000 personal award from DDOE and $5,000 to be used for the educational benefit of their students.

Tell us who your favorite “Educational Support Professional” is by completing the online nomination form. Nominations are being accepted until April 19, 2026.

If you have any questions, please contact Julie Gonzalez at Julie.gonzalez@redclay.k12.de.us .

Calling all future kindergarten families! Join us for our Kindergarten Open House on April 22 4:45pm- 6:00pm. This is your chance to learn all about our enrollment process, required documents, and more!

Enroll Early

• Safe, Free All Day
• Variety of Award Winning Program
• 14 Dynamic Schools
• Bilingual Support
• Bus Transportation
• Registration Online or In Person

Required Documentation

• Photo ID
• Proof of Address
• Birth Certificate
• Immunization Records
• Must be 5 by August 31, 2026

Enroll in Kindergarten at Red Clay, where personalized care, innovative learning, and a nurturing environment await to shape their journey toward success. Don’t miss this opportunity to get all the information you need to kick off your child’s educational journey. We can't wait to meet you!

Contact your elementary school for more information or check out our website at www.redclayschools.com/kindergarten

Register now for the RCEF Golf Tournament and take advantage of our Early Bird Special before it tees off into the sunset.

Stay tuned for more details. We look forward to seeing you on the greens!

Register Now! EARLY BIRD SPECIAL THROUGH MARCH 30TH. Please see the attachment for full details.

This isn’t just another golf event—it’s an opportunity to make a meaningful impact. By participating, you'll enjoy a great day on the course and help support essential programs and unforgettable experiences for Red Clay students and families!

Register Now - https://birdease.com/rcef

• June 9- 5th Grade Move-up
• June 10- Last Student Day

Beginning on Monday March 9, 2026, no cars will be permitted to turn into the school from Duncan Road. The gates from Mote's parking lot to the shopping center will be closed during arrival and dismissal. It is not safe for cars to be cutting through while students are loading and unloading buses.

Our students in grades 2-5 take the iReady assessment in ELA and Math three times per year. Students are given goals to reach for from fall to spring. Mid year data is a great check point for teachers to meet with students on their progress.

If you would like to learn more about iReady, please click below.

• I-Ready Family Portal Information 25-26
• The code for all Red Clay families is: NK308Q

The students had a blast during our second marking period celebration, Dancing in the Dark!

Moving forward, students will need to earn Bulldog Points to purchase a ticket to end of marking period celebrations. Students will not be eligible to attend if they have not purchased a ticket, if they have more than 2 behavior referrals, or if they have been suspended from school or the bus.

Admin will visit lunches at school to talk to the students about these changes. Once we have selected the third marking period celebration, a flier will be sent home.

Please talk to your child about the importance of meeting Mote's Schoolwide Expectations of being Respectful, Responsible, and Cooperative.

We will combine Marking Period 2 and Marking Period 3 Top Dog Awards in April.

Our doors open at 8:50. The Instructional Day begins at 9:05. Students are considered tardy if they arrive after 9:05 and must be accompanied by an adult into the office.

How you can help!

• Please use our car line in the front of the school. Parking and walking into the school hinders our car line. We are asking parents not to park and walk in unless they need to visit the office.
• No cars are permitted to enter the drive off Duncan Road during arrival. No students are to be dropped off in the bus lot. This is a huge safety concern.
• Students should be in their classrooms, ready to learn at 9:05. Please do what you can to make sure your child is not late to school. Even a few minutes can throw off routines for your child and the entire class. If you are having trouble getting to school on time, please reach out. Our staff can help discuss your situation with you.

Thank you!

All students are expected to participate in outdoor recess. The exception would be a student who has a Dr’s note indicating that, because of a medical condition, the student should not participate in outdoor recess. The note must specify at what temperature the student should remain indoors.

Administrative Memorandum 8001.4

(Playground Safety)

In cold weather, children should be encouraged to dress in layers. They should wear a warm coat, hat, and gloves to go outside. There are times when, because of the temperature, it is unsafe to be outside for any length of time, especially if not dressed appropriately. If the outdoor temperature is 20 degrees or less, or feels like 20 degrees or less because of the wind chill factor, recess must be held indoors.

As a Title I school, there are resources and documents for your awareness about Federal Programs. They are attached here and can be found on our Title I link on Mote's website.

https://mote.redclayschools.com/about-us/title-i

Our morning car line begins at 8:50. We are able to get all cars through the car line in 10 minutes or less. There are many parents who are parking and walking their child up to the crosswalk. Having to stop the cars to let parents and students cross is hindering the flow of our car line. It is safest for all students, parents, and staff if all families remain in their cars and go through the car line. Please consider how you can support the flow of car line and the safety of our community. Thank you in advance!

You may use this new form to record your child's absence from school. By completing the form each time your child is absent, you do not need to send a note to the school.

Absence Excuse Note

We would love to have you volunteer at school, on a field trip, or for special events. In order to volunteer, you need to complete the volunteer packet. Here is a link to the packet.

Arrival

Our doors open for students at 8:50. Students may not be dropped off prior to 8:50am. Car riders shall use our car line in the front of the school and enter the front door. The line may look long, but it is a quick and safe process for our students. Parking and walking your child to the front door hinders our car line from running smoothly.

Walkers enter the door closest to Duncan Road. The drive to the parking lot from Duncan Road is closed to cars at 8:45 every morning. If you are driving your child to school, please use the entrance from Kirkwood Highway.

Dismissal

We do not dismiss students early after 3:15. We do not make dismissal changes after 3:15. Our dismissal process begins at 3:50 pm. If your child is a car rider, please make sure you have a car number and use our car line. It is much safer than parents parking and walking with their child through our parking lot.

Thank you for helping to keep our kids safe!

Safety remains our top priority. Our staff is ready to meet the needs of all of our students, academically, socially, and emotionally.

• All exterior doors remain closed and locked at all times.
• All classroom doors are locked, although may be propped while the students and staff are in the classrooms.
• All non employees must access the building through the front office only where they are screened prior to entry. All adults must have id to sign out a child.
• We have a counselor, Mrs. Nye, a full time psychologist, Mr. Kupelian, a part time psychologist, Dr. Teaford, and a part time psychologist intern, Ms. Vanderloo.

If you have any questions about safety and security, please email lauren.young@redclay.k12.de.us.

Email: lauren.young@redclay.k12.de.us
Website: https://mote.redclayschools.com/
Location: 2110 Edwards Avenue, Wilmington, DE, USA
Phone: 302-992-5565
Facebook: facebook.com/MoteBulldogs
Twitter: @MoteBulldogs