Leonardtown Elementary

Tuesday: Extended Deadline for Spirit Wear Orders

Thursday: School Improvement Meeting: 8 am

Virtual Option Log In

Friday: Impact Aid Forms DUE

Nov 17 - Dec 5: Redistricting Community Survey #2 Open

Nov 26 - 30: Thanksgiving Break for Students

Dec 5: PTA Event: International Night (more detailed information in the PTA section)

Dec 19: 2-Hour Early Dismissal

Information collected from surveys after the lockdown drill (which occurred on November 13th) is being used to better understand the effectiveness and impact of lockdown drills on students, parents, and school staff.

Student, parent, and school staff surveys are brief and anonymous. Information provided will only be connected to the school where the lockdown drill occurred. No identifiable information about the person completing the survey will be collected.

Access the Parent Survey HERE

Help make the PTA's International Night on Friday, Dec. 5, at Leonardtown Elementary a success! We are looking for volunteers to share a select country's culture with our LES community. You can provide fun facts about the country, teach the children to say "hello" in the native language, provide a recipe from the country, or another type of cultural experience.

Sign up to volunteer at volunteer.lesospreys.org. Please note, if we do not fill at least 15 country presentation slots, the event will be canceled. Contact Ashley Stoll at communityprograms@lesospreys.org with any questions.

Please consider attending our next School Improvement Team meeting on Thursday, November 20th at 8 am. Come in person, or join us virtually. We will review the strategies for improvement, including those specifically outlined to address gaps in performance between all students and subgroups. The 2025-26 School Improvement Plan can be viewed on the LES School Website.

As the holiday season quickly approaches we know that this time of year can be the cause of additional stress. Our school community is once again preparing to support some of our LES families who may be facing financial challenges through our outreach program. With your help and generosity, we hope to be able to make this time of year a little brighter for these families and allow them to feel supported by their LES community.

This year, we are kindly requesting donations of gift cards (with a minimum of $10 on them) that can be used at Wal-Mart, Target or local grocery stores. If you are able to donate, gift cards can be dropped off at the main office in an envelope labeled “Holiday Outreach” to Ms. Jennifer Frost the school counselor. We will accept donations beginning Monday November 17th through Friday December 12th and our identified families will be notified about when they will be able to pick them up.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact Ms. Frost at (301) 475-0250 ext. 31120 or jmfrost@smcps.org. Your kindness truly makes a difference. Thank you for helping us to support our school community and spread joy this holiday season.

Warmly,

Jennifer Frost

LES School Counselor

See the attachment from St. Mary's Health Department with a listing of local food pantries including addresses, days/time of operation, and contact phone numbers. The publication is available in both English and Spanish.

St. Mary’s County Public Schools (SMCPS) is currently collecting Federal Impact Aid and Emergency Information Update forms. Your cooperation in completing these forms no later than Friday, November 21, 2025, is greatly appreciated.

The federal government provides funding to the public school system in lieu of paying taxes on federal property. This funding is based on the number of students whose parent(s) or guardian(s) are federally connected. This includes active-duty military personnel and federal employees who work/telework, or live on federal property. It is very important that SMCPS provides an accurate count to ensure we gain the maximum funds for your child’s education. All information is strictly confidential.

Paper copies of the form were sent home with students this past week. The deadline for the online submission of Federal Impact Aid Survey forms is Friday, November 21, 2025. For more guidance on how to access the Federal Impact Aid Survey, please visit HERE.

Effective communication is critical to the success of St. Mary’s County Public Schools (SMCPS). This will be crucial not only for emergencies but for our ability to communicate with families in general. On March 28, 2024, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a revised Statistical Policy Directive No. 15 (SPD 15). The key updates include new race/ethnicity fields, which incorporate a combined race/ethnicity question and the addition of a new “Middle Eastern and North African” category. The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) considers school year 2025-2026 a “transition period” and anticipates full implementation of the new directive in school year 2026-2027. To that end, we are asking all families to provide updated information regarding students’ ethnicity designations.

Online Emergency Information Update Forms are now available through the parents’ Home Access Center (HAC). Once logged in, directions to access the online Emergency Information form can be found HERE. A video with instructions is available HERE. It is vital that all information is updated in eSchool. The deadline for the online submission of Emergency Information Update forms is Friday, November 21, 2025.

If you have any questions regarding these questionnaires, please call LES (301-475-0250). We appreciate your cooperation with this important task.

Please note: Lunch menus are subject to change based on food deliveries and

school closures that are out-of-our-control.

Stay Informed! This LINK will take you to an SMCPS publication about redistricting.

Be sure to check out "What's New" in the Redistricting Information. The updates are slated to post on Monday, November 17th and include:

• Maps and visualizations shared during the forums
• The full presentation from CannonDesign
• Any documents or resources reviewed during the sessions
• A video recording of the Friday event for those unable to attend 🎥 (expected by 11/21/25)

A Community Survey will also be open from November 17 - December 5, 2025. This survey will be used to collect community input on the possible options presented during Community Forum #2. The survey will take approximately 10 minutes to complete and is open to all residents, parents, students, employees, and all stakeholders.

Our school has a parent representative and staff representative on the district-wide Community Engagement Redistricting Team. The representatives will help ensure communication of the work, timeline, and community engagement opportunities by sharing information on surveys and community engagement events through school, community, and social media resources. You can reach out to them for additional information or to share your perspective.

• Beth Fuller - Parent Representative (pta@lesospreys.org)
• Ayanna Foster-Kelson - Staff Representative (adfosterkelson@smcps.org)

LAST CALL: Spirit Wear Order Deadline Extended to Nov. 18

The Leonardtown Elementary PTA Spirit Wear Sale has been extended to Tuesday, November 18, for any last minute purchases to arrive just in time for the holidays! All orders are **online only** at https://lesospreys25.itemorder.com/. This is the only chance to purchase spirit wear this school year. Don’t wait — place your order today!