BWES BEAR FACTS September 4, 2026
🌷🌻🌹 Hello, Bryant Woods Families!🌷🌻🌹
🐻 Welcome to September, Bryant Woods Bears! 💙
We’ve had a great start to the school year, and as we begin September, we are excited to continue building strong routines, connections, and a wonderful school community. Thank you to our families for helping our Bears start the year ready to learn and grow!
We are also incredibly grateful to Rev. Dr. Turner and St. John’s Baptist Church in Columbia for their generous donation to Bryant Woods, presented to us by Ms. Green on behalf of the church. We truly appreciate their generosity and support of our students, families, and school community! 💙
⭐ Attendance Update:
Year to date as of 9/3/26, our attendance rate is 96.7%! The state target is 96%, which means we are currently above the target! Great job, BEARS! 🐻👏 Let’s keep up the great work by making every school day count.
As we move into September, be sure to stay connected through Bear Facts for important dates, upcoming events, school resources, and opportunities for our students and families.
Have a wonderful weekend, Bryant Woods Bears! 🐻💙
- Principal, Dr. Khaleel Desaque Khaleel_Desaque@hcpss.org
- Assistant Principal, Ms. Deanna Mingo Deanna_Mingo@hcpss.org
- Substitute Administrator, Ms. Rhonda Inskeep Rhonda_Inskeep@hcpss.org
- Community Schools Site Coordinator Ms. Christina Hines christina_hines@hcpss.org
- Principal's Secretary, Ms. Jomika Tatum Jomika_Tatum@hcpss.org
- PreK-5 Registrar/Teacher Secretary Ms. Debra Eleam Debra_Eleam@hcpss.org
- Teacher Secretary Ms. Stephenie Arcido Stephanie_Arcido@hcpss.org
Meet Your HCPSS BSAP Liaison!
Welcome back, families! As we settle into a new school year, I’d like to introduce myself as BWES BSAP Liaison.
Staff and students call me Ms. O! My role is to help families feel connected, informed, and supported as they navigate school resources and opportunities throughout the year. Whether you have a question about Family File, FARMS applications, your child’s schedule, communicating with teachers, or simply aren’t sure where to start, I’m here to help connect you with the right information or resource.
I’ll also be offering brief virtual drop-in support hours throughout the year where families can stop by, ask questions, get assistance, or simply get pointed in the right direction no appointment necessary
Think of me as one more person in your corner at school. I look forward to connecting with you and supporting our families this year!
Warmly,
Ms. O!
PICTURE DAY IS FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25th
Friday September 25th is Picture Day. Scan the QR code or click the link below to sign up and purhase pictures! https://shop.imagequix.com/g1001407908
Food Pantry @ BWES
Did you know that Bryant Woods Elementary is one of 14 food bank locations in Howard County?
Bryant Woods is a community-based school, so we are partnering with the Community Action Council of Howard County & MD Food Bank to provide our students and families with as many resources as possible. Our food pantry is free and accessible to the entire community on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 AM - 2:00 PM.
If you want to visit the food pantry, please contact the front office or our
Family & Community Engagement liaison.
Lauren Slattery at lauren_slattery@hcpss.org.
🚨 ACTION REQUIRED: Complete Your Family File & FARMs Application
Every Bryant Woods Elementary family must complete a new Family File and submit a FARMs application for every student each school year.
Family File
Updating your Family File ensures we have current emergency contacts and medical information if your child becomes ill or there is an emergency. It is also required for students to participate in field trips.
FARMs Application
Even if you don’t think your family will qualify, please apply. The application may provide eligible families with benefits such as:
- Free or reduced-price meals
- Discounted internet service
- College application fee waivers
- Reduced JumpStart tuition
- And other valuable resources
Just as importantly, every completed FARMs application helps Bryant Woods maintain critical funding for programs that benefit all students, including free breakfast, Title I services, Community Schools programming, and other state and federal resources.
Please complete both items as soon as possible.
FARMs Application: https://linqconnect.com/public/meal-application/new?identifier=GA4UME
SIGN UP FOR TALKING POINTS HERE!
LINK TO SIGN UP: https://families.talkingpts.org/welcome
TalkingPoints is a free communication tool and app that connects families with their children's teachers and schools. It translates messages into over 150 languages so parents can read and reply in their home language.
Key Features for Families
- Two-Way Translation: Receive school updates in your language and reply in that same language.
- Flexible Access: Use standard text messaging (SMS) on a basic phone, the mobile app, or the web.
- No Cost: The platform is free for families, though standard carrier text rates may apply.
What Families Can Do
- Get direct updates from teachers about classwork and events.
- Track student progress and learning goals.
- Respond to school polls, alerts, and announcements.
CA Points Program: Earn a Free Family Membership!
Your student may have the opportunity to earn a free one-year Columbia Association (CA) membership for themselves and their immediate family!
Through the CA Points Program, students in grades 3–12 can earn points by demonstrating academic effort, improving their grades, and maintaining good attendance. Students who earn enough points can receive a free one-year CA membership for their family.
Who Is Eligible?
The CA Points Program is available to students who are enrolled in the Free and Reduced-Price Meals (FARMs) program. If your student may be eligible, please make sure you complete and submit the annual FARMs application:
After submitting your FARMs application, complete the online registration for the CA Points Program:
CA Points Program – Columbia Association
Don't miss this opportunity for your student to turn their hard work into fun for the whole family! DEADLINE SEPTEMBER 24th
NO Food Deliveries to the School:
We do not accept food deliveries from DoorDash, Grubhub, Uber Eats, or any outside vendors. We have received a high volume of student lunch deliveries, and we are unable to manage them without risking students missing lunch. In addition, frequent deliveries create safety and security concerns.
Bryant Woods Elementary provides free breakfast and lunch for all students. If there is an emergency regarding your child’s lunch, please contact the front office to discuss your situation.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
New Practice for ALL HCPSS Schools
Parent lunch visits are no longer permitted at any HCPSS school. Limiting access during the school day ensures safe and secure school communities by removing unnecessary access to students and school buildings, reducing disruptions, supporting student routines, and minimizing non-essential traffic in student areas. Parents are encouraged to communicate with school staff to stay engaged in their child's learning and seek opportunities to volunteer in an official capacity at the school. See HCPSS Administrative Operating Rule https://news.hcpss.org/news-posts/2026/08/getting-ready-for-2026-2027-new-this-year/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Parents continue to not be permitted to attend or visit during any recess blocks.
Room Parents Needed:
✏️We're hoping for one Room Parent per classroom this year, and one Room Parent per grade who'll also take on the Grade Coordinator role.
To apply email: membership@bwespta.org
Classes currently in need:
Eley (1)
Batman (3)
Winder (3)
Wilson (4)
Clancy (5)
📢 BWES PTA Meeting - SEPTEMBER - IN PERSON
Join us THURSDAY, 9/10, at 6:15 PM in-person for our first PTA meeting of the year.
Learn about our upcoming events and programs, and discover fun ways YOU can get involved in supporting our school community.
This is a family friendly meeting. No RSVP needed. You don’t need to be a PTA member to attend—everyone is welcome!
📈We are happy to announce as of this week our PTA is 75 members strong!!! Last year, we had 71 members with a larger population.
🚨Due to PTACHC meetings being moved to Tuesday evenings we are in NEED of one more PTACHC Representative. This is a once a month meeting if you are able to attend. If you are interested please email: president@bwespta.org
If you would like to join our BWES PTA please use the QR code or visit: bryantwoods.givebacks.com/shop
