The Panther Post

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Dear Laurel Woods Community,

Today is a big day! The 2025–2026 school year officially begins, and we are ready.

Last week, we had the joy of welcoming students and families at our Back to School Supply Event, celebrating connections during Back to School Nights for 1st- 5th graders, and giving our kindergarten families the chance to meet their teachers one-on-one. These moments have already laid a strong foundation for the year ahead.

We are truly off to a great start—and today marks the beginning of countless possibilities, growth, and successes that await our students, staff, and families. Here’s to an incredible year together!

As a follow-up to our Back to School presentations, please view the following links:

• HCPSS Policy 8080: Responsible Use of Technology and Social Media remains in effect. This policy states that personal devices are not to be on or used during the school day. If you’d like to review the policy in full, you can click [here].
• What Your Child Will Learn guides provide an overview of the instructional program for your child’s grade, as well as student goals and expectations. The guides include information to help parents monitor and support their child’s progress during the school year.

A quick reminder: all students in Kindergarten through 5th grade begin school on Monday, and PreK and RECC students begin on Thursday.

With Pride,

Dr. Burks, Ms. Braxton, & Ms. Lee

Please familiarize yourself with the Arrival & Dismissal process for SY25-26.

The HCPSS Bus locator will be updated before school starts. Please be sure to check your child's bus stop location, bus time, and bus number as they may have changed from last year. Please be sure to arrive at your bus stop at least 10 minutes before your scheduled pick-up time. https://www.hcpss.org/schools

Any change of residency must be reported through Family File within 10 school days of the move. Current residency documentation must be provided to the school each time residency changes.

The HCPSS Student and Parent Handbook is a helpful resource for navigating the school year. It contains a wealth of information about school system practices, policies and services available to support and enrich learning.

Parents/guardians must verify and/or update emergency information for each child every school year. This is completed online in Family File, which has several new updates, including how and where to access. Full details on updating your Family File are available online.

If you have recently moved, please contact LWES at 410-880-5960 as soon as possible as we need to update your address in our files as well. Parents who have forgotten their login credentials for Family File may click the “Forgot Password” link on the sign-in page. If you need additional assistance, please call the school at 410-880-5960.

Click on this link to update your Family File!

Stay in the loop with all the exciting events hosted and organized by our Family Resource Center — you won’t want to miss what’s coming up! 👀📅

Click on the link below! 👇

Welcome back, Panthers! With another year starting please join the PTO! Click here to join on our website. If you are interested in paying with cash/check please email ptolwes@gmail.com.

We hope to see you at our first event of the school year, tomorrow 6/26 at 8:30am on the blacktop. Join us as we "cheer" on the start of the new school year!

Save the Dates:

Friday, 9/5 - Back to School Picnic on the Blacktop - 5:30-7pm

Tuesday 9/30 - Ice Cream Social (Cafeteria) - 6-7pm

Check out our calendar for more events!

August

• 08/25: 1st Day of School, Grades K-5
• 08/26: PTO Cheers & Tears
• 08/28: 1st Day of School, PreK & RECC

September

• 09/01: School is Closed
• 09/05: 5:30-7:00 PTO Back to School Picnic on the Blacktop
• 09/17: Student Early Dismissal, 12:15
• 09/23: School is Closed
• 09/30: 6:00-7:00 PTO Ice Cream Social (Cafeteria)

For a complete list of dates and events visit https://lwes.hcpss.org/events

We truly value the input of our families and community partners as we continue to grow and improve. Your feedback helps us better serve our students and community. While you’re always welcome to email or stop by, we’ve also created this feedback form so you can share your thoughts at any time. The link can also be found on our website. Please don’t hesitate to reach out—we love hearing from you!

Please join us in welcoming the following Panthers to our school community:

• Tim McAneny: 5th Grade Teacher
• Maria Arroyo Sanchez: Lunch & Recess Monitor

Please be on the lookout for The Panther Post. The Panther Post will be shared the first school day of the week. For example, it will mostly be shared on Mondays; however, if we do not have school on Mondays, you will receive it on Tuesdays. The Panther Post will include:

• A message from administration
• School-wide announcements
• Community Corner, messages from our Family Resource Center
• Related Arts Color Days for the Week
• Upcoming Dates and Events
• In cased you missed it... (Repeated reminders)
• Happenings around town

If you miss it, don't worry- The Panther Posts can also be found on our website.

The Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) is committed to providing a safe and nurturing environment for all students. Preventing bullying is an important part of this goal. HCPSS Policy 9460 states that bullying, cyberbullying, harassment, and intimidation are prohibited in HCPSS. Our administration and staff have been trained and made aware of this policy as well as preventative and responsive measures.

We know how important your role is in not only supporting your children, but also reporting possible incidents as you become aware of them. The Bullying, Cyberbullying, Harassment and Intimidation (BCHI Reporting Form should be used to report all alleged incidents of bullying, cyberbullying, harassment, and intimidation that occur at school or have a connection back to the school setting that create a risk of harm to other students while they are at school, or interfere with the educational environment. An online version is available and can easily and confidentially be used by students, staff, and family members. Hard copies of this form are available in the main office, staff workroom, school counseling office, media center, and health services office. If you believe your child has been bullied, please complete and submit this form as soon as possible and/or assist your child in doing so.

Once the form is submitted, school administrators will ensure the parent/guardian of both the alleged target and alleged offender are aware of the report and will begin an investigation within two school days of receiving the report. Parents/guardians can expect a school administrator to reach out to them during the investigation. Once the investigation is completed, parents/guardians will be provided written notice of the outcome of the investigation within fifteen days of receiving the compaint, excluding extenuating circumstances.

There are times when incidents of peer conflict or code of conduct offenses may occur that may not be bullying, but may need follow up action. If you become aware of something that falls under conflict and/or a code of conduct offense, please notify a school administrator via email or phone call so that they can become aware and follow up as needed.

Lastly, I want to take a moment to specifically lift up cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is bullying using electronic media like computers, cell phones, and game systems. Our digital interconnectedness makes bullying different and more damaging than it’s ever been before. It allows hatred and publicly humiliating gossip or photos to be instantly far-reaching and inescapable as electronic media is everywhere. It can NOT simply be ignored. In October 2013, the State of Maryland enacted Grace’s Law, making misuse of interactive computer services a criminal offense. Its purpose is to prohibit anyone from using electronic media (computers, tablets, phones, etc.) to maliciously engage in conduct that inflicts serious emotional distress on a minor and/or places that minor in reasonable fear of death or serious bodily injury. A person who is found guilty of violating this law is subject to imprisonment and/or fines.

While all of this information will be reviewed with students at school, we are asking you to do the same at home. Thank you for your partnership in ensuring all of our students feel a sense of safety and belonging in their school communities! More information can be found on the HCPSS Stop Bullying website. If you have any questions regarding this policy or its implementation, please contact a school administrator.

Laurel Woods will continue to participate in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for SY25-26 where all students enrolled are eligible to receive healthy breakfast and lunch at school at no charge each day.

The menu for Laurel Woods Elementary is located on the HCPSS Food Services website. Please view the link to see what is served for breakfast and lunch.

The Mental Health Advisory Council (MHCAC) is a group of community members who seek to remove barriers and build awareness for behavioral health support in Howard County for our children and families. Check out this flyer for more information.

New Date: Friday, Sept. 27, 9:00 am–12:00 pm

Location: Oakland Mills High School

This districtwide event is open to all HCPSS families and will feature:

• A session with Superintendent Bill Barnes

• Resource tables hosted by HCPSS offices and local organizations

• Information on programs, resources, and services available throughout the school year

• Childcare and language access provided

For additional information, please visit the Family Academy Kickoff HCPSS News Post

Flier: English | Spanish| Chinese | Korean

This annual Howard County Library System program will help incoming kindergartners ease into school with stories and activities, including boarding a real school bus. Registration is required. Each session lasts one hour. Check the HCLS website to register and for additional details.