DES Family News

I hope you are staying safe on this rainy and foggy weekend. December is upon us and we are ready for the exciting things it brings, please take a moment to carefully read school and county-related updates, policies, and information.

Sincerely,

Sarah Crebs

Principal of Denton Elementary School

Please do not pull into the bus lane (directly in front of DES) during our arrival and dismissal times:

8:45-9:05AM NO TRAFFIC OTHER THAN BUSES

3:40-4:05PM NO TRAFFIC OTHER THAN BUSES

If you are entering or exiting from the walker area, please do not walk directly out in front of our buses but wait until they completely exit the lot.

Thank you for helping us keep our bus drivers and students safe!

Two days that were originally scheduled to be half days for PreK Program students (both three and four year olds) have been changed to full days in the 2023-2024 school year calendar.
Those dates are:

• Tuesday, November 28 – now a full day
• Thursday, February 8 – now a full day

Parents will still have the opportunity to conference with their child’s teacher on regular conference days.
Changes were made due to the logistics of transporting one group of students mid-day while maintaining the full day schedule for the majority of students. In addition, half days for only PreK students had the potential to create a daycare hardship for families.

These changes are now reflected in the one-page calendar on the website.

Emailing School & District Staff

Spam filters are designed to identify emails that attackers or marketers use to send unwanted or dangerous content. They also throw out malware, malicious, and virus-infested emails and protect user security. Unfortunately, spam filtering is an inexact science that at times blocks legitimate messages.

Should you send an email to a staff member and not receive a reply within a reasonable amount of time (no more than 48 hours), please call the office.

Good attendance for your student begins on the first day of the school year.
Consider the following facts:

• Chronic absenteeism may prevent children from reaching early milestones.

• Chronically absent students have difficulty keeping up with the pace at which they are expected to learn and grow.

• Students who are absent even a day or two every few weeks fall behind their peers.

• Irregular attendance can be a better predictor of whether students will drop out before graduation than test scores.

• Consistent, on-time attendance is a habit that lasts into adulthood.

In addition to wanting the best possible education for your child, we also closely monitor absences because Maryland law requires that children ages 5-18 attend school. Students may be withdrawn if not attending school regularly; students not enrolled or attending will be considered truant.

How Can Parents Encourage Good Attendance?

• Build good attendance habits early so children know that getting to school on time every day is important!

• Set a regular bedtime & morning routine, laying out clothes and backpacks the night before.

• Avoid scheduling appointments & trips when school is in session.

• Don't let your child stay home unless he/she is truly sick.

• Consider that sometimes a stomach ache or headache is a sign of anxiety. If your child seems anxious about going to school, talk to the school about helpful resources.

All medications, whether prescription or over-the-counter, including cough drops and ointments, must be kept in the health room with the exception of state mandated emergency medications. Medications must be brought to school by a parent or responsible adult, be in the original labeled container and must be accompanied by a Maryland State School Medication Administration Form signed by both the prescribing medical or dental provider and the parent or legal guardian. A new medication administration form is required at the beginning of each school year for each medication and each time there is a change in dosage or time of administration of a medication. Any medications remaining after the order is discontinued or at the end of the school year will be destroyed unless picked up by a parent or other responsible adult within the designated time frame.

Healthy vision and hearing is important for your child’s success in school. State law requires school systems to have students’ hearing and vision screened when they enter the school system for the first time and in the first grade. Hearing and vision screenings are scheduled to begin on 10/23/23.

Students who should not be included in the screenings include:

• Those whose parents/guardians object in writing to the screenings on the grounds that it conflicts with the tenets and practice of a recognized church or religious denomination of which they are a member;

• Those with known hearing loss, including but not limited to, students with cochlear implants or hearing aids; and

• Those who present evidence of testing within the last year.

If your child falls into any of these categories or if you have any questions, please reach out to the school nurse directly at 410-479-2916 or via email at miller.rachel@ccpsstaff.org

All Caroline County Public School students may eat breakfast and lunch free of charge this year, with no application needed. CCPS now participates in the Community Eligibility Provision, which allows free meals for all students in schools in low-income areas. There will still be a charge for extra items such as snacks. School menus may be found on the Caroline Schools, MD free mobile app and on all CCPS websites.

DES Office HOURS: 8:00-4:15 pm Monday-Friday

DES Teacher Hours: 8:30-4:00 pm Monday-Friday

Instructional Day: Doors open @ 8:45 and dismissal begins at 3:40 pm

December

December 5th, BOE Meeting @ 6:00pm

December 11th, PTA Meeting @ 6:00pm-CANCELLED

December 14th, Winter Concert @ NCHS 6:00 pm

December 20th, DES Community Caroling beginning at 5:30pm (more to come)

December 22nd, Early Dismissal for all CCPS Schools

December 25th-January 1st All CCPS Schools Closed for Winter Break

As changes and or more updates arise we will keep families informed on Apptegy.

DES is a Title I School receiving federal funds to improve instruction in math and reading.

Parents of students attending Title 1 schools may request information about the professional qualifications of their child's teachers. Parents of elementary students may request in writing to the school principal information about their child's teacher including:

* Any college or university degree or certification held.

* The subject area of the teacher's degree or certification.

* Whether the teacher is certified by the State of Maryland to teach a grade level or subject area.

* Whether the teacher holds a provisional certificate.

* Whether the child is served by paraprofessionals and, if so, parents may request their professional qualifications.

All DES dismissal changes must be made by 12:00pm each day. This allows time to ensure that the teacher, student, and dismissal staff are all aware of the changes.

Caroline County Public Schools prohibits discrimination in its educational programs, and in employment, on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity, or disability.

Email: crebs.sarah@ccpsstaff.org
Location: 303 Sharp Road, Denton, MD, USA
Phone: 410-479-1660

Assistant Principal Mrs. Lindsay Grow

Email: grow.lindsay@ccpsstaff.org