The Call

Dear CPA Families,

Thank you for a wonderful first four days of school! Our cadets led the way by showing great responsibility in following procedures for both arrival and dismissal. We are proud of the strong start to the year and look forward to keeping the momentum going.

This week, we will begin implementing security enhancements for students in grades 6–8 and for all adult visitors to ensure a safe and supportive environment for everyone in our building.

We will also host our 8th Grade Back to School Night on Wednesday and Third- Fifth grades on Thursday. This event gives families the opportunity to meet their child’s teachers and walk through their schedule for the day. We hope to see you there as we strengthen the home-school partnership that supports student success.

With gratitude,
Nina Lattimore

Principal, Colin Powell Academy

Mon. Sept. 1- Labor Day- Schools Closed

Tues. Sept. 2- 6-8th Locker Distribution

- 8th Grade Chromebook Distribution

Wed. Sept. 3- 8th Back To School Night@ 6pm

Thurs. Sept. 4- Security Enhancement

I-Ready Assessment (4-5th Accommodations Group)

Back To School Night 3-5th Grades @6pm

Fri. Sept. 5- I-Ready Assessment (4-5th Accommodations Group)

By now, you know that Prince George’s County Public Schools is introducing increased security

enhancement measures for designated middle schools during the 202​5-202​6 SY. These new

procedures will apply to all students and visitors to our campus. Colin Powell Academy will

begin this process on ​September 4, 2025, we want everyone to be mindful of the following:

 Students (6-8) and visitors will walk through our security enhancement equipment upon arrival

to campus.

 After morning arrival, everyone will enter the main entrance area.

 Patience will be needed from everyone as we work to implement this new

process.

To help us make morning arrivals go more smoothly, we kindly request all students adhere to

the following guidelines before arriving at school:

 Backpacks should be fully centered on students' back or chest with both straps on their

shoulders.

 Upon arrival, remove metal water bottles, umbrellas, and three-ring binders from book bags before entering the school.

 Students should not have anything in your hands when they walk into the building except their metal water bottle, or binders.

 As students approach the security enhancement equipment, they will hand their metal water bottle, umbrellas, and any three-ring binders to the designated staff standing next to the security enhancement equipment.

Student belongings will be immediately returned to them as they exit the security enhancement equipment.

 Students found in possession of weapons or other contraband will be subject to

consequences as outlined in the Students’ Rights and Responsibilities Handbook.

We thank you in advance for your cooperation, patience, and understanding as we implement

these new safety measures at ​Colin Powell Academy.

Please review the following arrival and dismissal procedures for

September 2-5, 2025

School Doors Open- 8am

Morning Arrival – Bus Riders

• Upon exiting the bus, students should stand in front of their designated grade level sign.

• Grades 2–5: Enter through the main entrance.

• PreK–1: Enter through the designated primary entrance.

• Grades K–5: Students will go to the cafeteria for breakfast or report to class.

• Grades 6–8: Student will go to their grade level area inside gym or cafeteria.

• Grade 6-8: Students in grades 6–8 who want breakfast will alternate by grade level.

New Students & School Schedules

• School counselors- Ms. Melton-6th, Mr. Minix-7th and, Ms. Curry-8th will assist students.

• Students will be escorted to the counselor suite for support.

• PreK-5 students will be schedule by Ms Hooper, School Counselor

Afternoon Dismissal

• Car Riders:

  • Week 2 dismissal begins at 2:40 PM; regular dismissal begins at 2:45 PM.

  • All car riders must have a placard and car rider number.

  • Parents should remain in vehicles—do not walk to the front doors to pick up students.

• Walkers: Will be dismissed at 2:35pm

Communication: Please Sign Up for Class Dojo to receive classroom and school based messages.

📵 Bell to Bell, No Cell 📵

At Colin Powell Academy, we are committed to maximizing learning time. Beginning this year, students in grades 4–8 will place their cell phones away during instructional time.

• Grades 4–5: Students will store phones in their backpacks and/or school-issued phone pouch.

• Grades 6–8: Students will secure their phones until the end of all class periods and may access them during lunch.

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This policy helps ensure that students stay focused, engaged, and fully present in the classroom. Thank you for partnering with us to support our “Bell to Bell, No Cell” commitment!

If your child will continue to be a car rider for the upcoming school year, please plan to complete a new car rider application and receive new car tag. If you were a car rider last year, please bring your old tag with you.

Car tags will also be distributed August 25-29, 2025 from 1:00pm-2:00pm and 4:00-6:00pm.

Elementary (Pre K through Grade 5)

• Breakfast: $1.60/day

• Lunch: $2.75/day

Middle and High (Grades 6 through 12)

• Breakfast: $1.60/day

• Lunch: $3.00/day

There is no cost to students who are eligible for Free or Reduced Price Meals.

We encourage all families to apply for Free or Reduced Price Meals!

Visit www.myschoolapps.com/Home/PickDistrict to apply online today!

To apply, you will need:

• The name, school and grade for your school-age children

• Student ID number(s) for your PGCPS student(s)

• The name and income for all adults living in the home

• The last four digits of your Social Security Number

Free or Reduced Price Meals applications will also be sent home with students and will be available at all PGCPS schools for submission at any time.

Ways To Pay For Lunch

• Families may add funds via the MySchoolBucks website or mobile app.

• Parents and guardians may also send cash, cashier’s checks, or money orders directly to their child’s school cafeteria. These payments are credited to the student’s account and allow families to avoid transaction fees.

  Precios de las comidas para el año escolar 2025-2026

  Primaria (desde prekínder hasta 5. º grado)

  ● Desayuno: $1.60/día

  ● Almuerzo: $2.75/día

  Escuela intermedia y superior (de 6.º a 12. º grado)

  ● Desayuno: $1.60/día

  ● Almuerzo: $3.00/día

  Sin costo alguno para los estudiantes que cumplen los requisitos para recibir comidas gratuitas o a precios reducidos.

  ¡Animamos a todas las familias a que llenen la solicitud para recibir comidas gratuitas y a precio reducido! ¡Visite www.myschoolapps.com/Home/PickDistrict para enviar su solicitud en línea hoy!

  Para enviar su solicitud, necesitará:

  ● El nombre de su estudiante en edad escolar, el grado que cursa y la escuela a la que asiste.

  ● Los nombres de todas las personas adultas que viven en la casa.

  ● La información sobre los ingresos de todas las personas adultas que viven en la casa.

  ● Los números de identificación estudiantil de sus estudiantes en edad escolar.

  Las solicitudes también se enviarán a casa con los estudiantes, estarán disponibles en todas las escuelas de PGCPS y se podrán entregar en cualquier momento.

  
  

Help us ensure a smooth start to the school year with these tips:

• Be at the bus stop 10 minutes early
• Make sure students are ready and visible at the stop
• Update contact info in ParentVUE for real-time notifications
• Review your child’s bus assignment in ParentVUE before the first day

Transportation concerns/inquiries may be placed in the PGCPS Transportation Resolution System at trs.pgcps.org and will be assigned to the appropriate supervisor, router, or SpEd Transportation Coordinator for resolution.

Transportation Phone Bank Number 301-952-6570

Transportation Resolution System: trs.pgcps.org

Email: transpor@pgcps.org

Help with StopFinder App, Email: transport.finder@pgcps.org

Need access to ViewFinder: https://bit.ly/ViewFinderPGCPSTransportation concerns/inquiries may be placed in the PGCPS Transportation Resolution System at trs.pgcps.org and will be assigned to the appropriate supervisor, router, or SpEd Transportation Coordinator for resolution.

Chipmunk Bus Tracker- New school bus tracking tool designed to enhance communication and improve the transportation experience for our families. This app will provide parents and guardians with real-time updates and trip notifications about their child's school bus, offering greater peace of mind and improved transparency.

Chipmunk App

Cuenta regresiva para el regreso a clases ¡La nueva aplicación de localización del autobús escolar ya está en camino! La aplicación de Chipmunk se lanzará por fases a partir de septiembre. Solo algunas rutas la comenzarán a usar este otoño. Todas las demás rutas continuarán usando StopFinder hasta nuevo aviso.

Más información: www.pgcps.org/chipmunk

Infofinder - Anyone can access the link below, type in their address, and see where the closest comprehensive bus stop is. Look on the left side for the school and the bus route information.
https://www.infofinderi.com/ifi/?cid=PGCPS5UR2GLJ6U

In Synergy, to find the transportation information, you have to click the tree and then click Synergy SIS, then click student, then click student transportation. Simply enter student info in one of the fields, and it will populate.

For assistance with Parentvue. https://www.pgcps.org/offices/information-technology/technology-training-and-instructional-technology/parentvue-support-for-parents-and-guardians

School messenger

https://www.pgcps.org/offices/communications-and-community-engagement/newsroom/schoolmessenger?authuser=0

Stopfinder Bus App https://drive.google.com/open?id=19zrJm8rhvtb1sQ_x9KNm_epQRgJ0uiVh

AP References:

AP 3541 - Student Transportation
AP 3541.1 - Dismissal of Pre-K and Kindergarten Students from PGCPS Buses
AP 5090 - School Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
AP 5131.1 - School Bus Conduct

We are excited to share that Colin Powell Academy has partnered with Global Schoolwear for our school uniforms. Through this partnership, our school receives proceeds from purchases, which directly support:

• School Assemblies

• Cadet Closet Purchases

• PBIS Incentives

Students may purchase polos with our school logo for their grade level through Global Schoolwear. Please note: uniforms purchased from other companies may not have any logo other than the official Colin Powell Academy logo.

Thank you for supporting our school and helping us maintain a unified and professional look for our students.