NEWSLETTER #16 301-599-2442 http://www1.pgcps.org/mattaponi/ December 11, 2015
WE LOOK AHEAD
December 2015
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23-31
Systemic Lockdown Drill
Lions Club Food Drive Ends
Winter Concert at Mattaponi ES 7:00 p.m.
National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day
2nd Quarter Progress Reports Released
Schools Closed – Winter Break/Christmas Holiday
January 2016
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4
5
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Schools Closed – Winter Break/New Year’s Holiday
Classes Resume
PTO Meeting 6:15 p.m.
1st Grade to the Baltimore Aquarium 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Martin L. King Jr. Day – Schools and Offices Closed
End of 2nd Quarter
Grading/Teacher Planning – Schools and Offices Closed
PRINCIPAL’S CORNER
Dr. Janice P. Hay, Principal
Mr. Stephen Green, Acting Principal
‘Tis the Season – National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day
This year, National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day is Friday, December 18, 2015. It is a light-hearted and fun way to be yourself
and have fun during what can be a hectic time of year. We encourage everyone, adults and children, to wear your wackiest holiday
sweater or sweatshirt to school that day to celebrate the joy of the season. Parents, please do not let this day be stressful by going out
and purchasing anything new, make it a DIY project. Students are encouraged to decorate an outdated or worn out sweater or
sweatshirt. Pull out your old garland, felt, pom poms and ribbon and be creative! Participation in this activity is optional, so
students not participating should be in their regular uniform. Participants should still wear uniform bottoms and shoes on
this day. We look forward to seeing your silliest, zaniest, most embellished designs. Make it fun, and make it great!
Mattaponi/Brandywine Lions Club Food Drive
The holidays are fast approaching, and this season provides an opportunity to emphasize the importance of giving. The Mattaponi
Family has participated in the collection of canned and non-perishable foods for many years, and our efforts have brought joy to many
families during the holidays. Students in each class may begin bringing items immediately. This is a wonderful opportunity for you
to share the meaning of joyful giving with your child. The food-drive will end Thursday, December 17th. Please help! The class in
first place at the end of the Food Drive will receive a pizza party!
The Hour of Code
During the week of December 7 - 11, Mattaponi ES students in grades K - 5, participated in a national event called The Hour of Code.
The Hour of Code is a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify code and show that anybody can learn the
basics. We hosted this event in celebration of Computer Science Education Week. By participating in this national event, students
coded programs such as Angry Birds, Minecraft, and Star Wars. Students and teachers enjoyed learning how to code and our hope is
that we have inspired future computer scientists. A special thank you to our volunteers, Ben Brock, Brandon Cober, David
Baukman, Tresa Robinson, Gerald Johnson, and a high school student. Additionally, our fifth graders provided great assistance
in our Kindergarten and First Grade classrooms.
Box Tops for Education
We continue to raise money for our school by collecting Box Tops for Education! Please remember to send in your Box Tops.
Lost and Found Articles
The Lost and Found is located outside of room 9. There are many coats, jackets, hats and lunch-boxes in the lost and found. Please
have your child check this location to retrieve lost items. All items will be donated to a local shelter on Tuesday, December 22,
2015.
Arrival Time
Children should arrive at school no earlier than 7:30 a.m. to enter the school building for breakfast or to report to class to prepare for
the school day. School begins at 7:45 a.m.
Very Important Reminder for Change of Dismissal Plans
Any changes in your child’s regular dismissal plan MUST be in writing. We will no longer accept a phone call to make a
dismissal change. Also, no students will be called for early dismissal after 1:40 p.m. Parents who need to pick up their child(ren)
must do so before this time. We will not remove students from school buses once dismissal has begun. This is an unsafe practice and
interrupts the bus schedules for our school and all subsequent schools serviced by our busses. Thank you for your support in keeping
all our students safe!
How to Contact a Staff Member
Mattaponi’s school office hours are 7:15 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Teachers are available for phone calls from 7:15 a.m. - 7:30 a.m. and 2:00
p.m. - 2:45 p.m. Calls will be sent directly to voicemail during instructional time and staff members are asked to return phone calls
within 24 - 48 hours, if possible. All conferences must be scheduled with teachers before coming to the school to discuss your child’s
academic program or any issues that may need to be resolved. Thank you for your understanding.
Lunch Accounts
The cost for lunch is $2.75 and $1.60 for breakfast. If a student does not have lunch money, the cafeteria will provide a cheese
sandwich and a drink. Parents may pre-pay for school meals and monitor account balances at www.myschoolbucks.com.
PTO Corner – Mrs. Spencer, President
The Holiday Gift Shop was a huge success! Thank you to the entire Mattaponi Family for shopping with us. Your support is greatly
appreciated. As the weather is teetering up and down, the winter season is still upon us. We would like to remind everyone to dress
warmly and remember hats, scarves and gloves as this is cold and flu season. Feel free to contact us at: mattaponipto@gmail.com.
We welcome all questions and suggestions! Remember, together we make the difference!!