Dolphin Whistle

Mrs. Cynthia Alvarado, Registrar

Cynthia_Alvarado@mcpsmd.org

Mrs. Evelyn Campos

Evelyn_R_Campos@mcpsmd.org

Mrs. M. Deneise Hammond, Principal

MDeneise_Hammond@mcpsmd.org

(240) 753-9472 work cell

Mr. David Kim, Assistant School Administrator

David_K_Kim@mcpsmd.org

Mrs. L. Orinda Nelson, Assistant Principal

L.Orinda_Nelson@mcpsmd.org,

Mrs. Padma Radhakrishnan, Administrative Secretary

Padma_Radhakrishnan@mcpsmd.org

Wishing the Waters Landing Elementary School community a relaxing break from Wednesday, November 26, 2025 through Friday, November 28, 2025.

Make-up Picture Day is Monday, December 1st. If you did not like how your child’s photo came out or your child was absent on Picture Day, December 1st is your chance to get a picture taken or redone.

Our Lost & Found is overflowing with clothes. As the weather gets colder, our students should be wearing their jackets but they get hot while playing during recess, and when recess is over, despite the paraeducators asking every class if they recognize the jackets in their hands, they say “No”. This is what we are going to do:

• Next week, we will place all of the items on tables on the stage and in the hallway for students to look through during lunch or if they get a pass from their teacher.

• The items will remain on the tables after school on Monday from 1:30 - 7:00 p.m. and on Tuesday from 1:30 - 4:30 p.m.

• By the end of the week all remaining items will be donated so others can stay warm and so we don’t attract mice.

All Waters Landing ES students qualify for free breakfast and free lunch every day. Students must order their lunch in the classroom after attendance in order to receive their first choice. If they arrive late they may order, but it might be too late to get the meal they prefer.

Lately, we have had far too many parents coming to school during the day to bring their children lunch. Students should bring their lunch from home in a lunch bag when they come to school in the morning. Dropping off a lunch during the day should be a rare occurrence, not the usual plan. It is also important to note that students may not stay in the cafeteria extra time if their lunch arrives late. We do not have the space for them to take extra time as another grade level comes in to eat.

Thank you for your assistance with this.

At the start of the school year we shared the timing of the school day. Dismissal begins at 3:50 p.m. Students begin packing up and walking back to their homeroom classes by 3:35 p.m. If you are picking up your child early, you need to be here at school no later than 3:30 p.m. After that time the office will not call into class to send your child to the office. You will have to wait until he/she walks downstairs at dismissal time.

If you are changing the way your child goes home, please communicate that directly to the teacher, before 3:00 p.m.

There is a lot going on at dismissal and we want to make sure that every student gets to their destination safely.

The 2025–2026 Districtwide Culture and Climate Survey is now available — and we need to hear from you! Your feedback helps to ensure that every student and family in every school feels included, supported and ready to thrive. The survey is confidential and takes just a few minutes. Read more.
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It has been a pleasure celebrating Dolphins this week. Thank you to all of the families and friends who came to celebrate with us. We have one more Award Assembly to go:

• Grade 1: 11/21/25 at 3:00pm

Oceans 25 meets monthly. We'd love to have a parent perspective. Feel free to join us on any of the following dates/times to collaborate with us:

• 11/5/25 8:00-9:00 am in Mrs. Armogida' s Room, #205
• 12/2/25 4:20-5:50 pm in Ms. Jones' room, #241
• 1/7/26 8:00-9:05 am in Mrs. Ehrenstein's room, #225
• 2/3/25 4:20-5:50 pm in Ms. Kwon's room, #111
• 3/4/26 8:00-9:05 am in Ms. Tung's room, #169
• 4/7/26 4:20-5:50 pm in Ms. Buckley's room, #131)
• 5/6/25 8:00-9:05 am in Mrs. Armogida' s room, #205
• 6/2/26 4:20-5:50 pm Ms. Jones' room, #241)

Report cards were sent home this week and are now available in ParentVUE. Take a few minutes to review your child’s progress so far. were sent home this week. It’s a great opportunity to celebrate their successes and talk together about areas where they can keep growing.

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We appreciate all of our Parent volunteers at the Landing! Please sign up to volunteer at lunch and/or recess by clicking here. Here is the Waters Landing Elementary School Volunteer Handbook. Please review it prior to volunteering at the Landing. Make sure you have done all that is outlined on the MCPS website prior to coming to school to volunteer. Always bring your state identification when you come to volunteer at school. You will not be allowed to volunteer without it.

Daily attendance is extremely important. We are not able to teach your child if he/she is not in class. During the Principal’s Chat & Chew we were informed that some parents were told that their child would be marked absent for the day even if they came to school after a doctor’s appointment.That is not true.

• If your child has an appointment (doctor, dentist, vision) he/she may come to school for the time he/she is not at the appointment. That may mean, coming at the start of the day and leaving early, going to the appointment first then coming to school, or leaving during the day and returning.

• MCPS policy says if a child is absent for more than 4 hours of the school day (even 1 minute over 4 hours) then the student is considered absent. Our school day is 9:30 a.m.- 3:50 p.m. So if your child arrives at school after 1:30 p.m. he/she will be marked as absent for the day. Even if your child arrives after 1:30p.m. there is still time for him/her to learn.

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Please remember to bring a doctor’s note when you sign your child back into school after an appointment. Students may not come into the building by themselves. A parent must come inside with them if they arrive after 9:25 a.m.

The tutoring sessions are available to students in K–12 in math and English/Language Arts and have in-person and virtual options. Click here for additional information.

Join the POD by clicking here.

Click here for the Back to School version of the PODcast.