Town Creek Elementary School
45805 Dent Drive
Lexington Park, MD 20653
Telephone: 301-863-4044 Fax: 301-863-4048
Marie Hankinson, Principal
August 2013
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Welcome to the 2013-2014 school year at Town Creek Elementary School- Home of the Terrapins! We are home to approximately 250 students from Kindergarten through Grade 5. We strive to provide an environment conducive to learning in order to maintain high academic achievement for all students. Our goal is to develop life-long learners who are college/career ready. Our students are encouraged to develop healthy habits and lead environmentally conscious lives. We expect our students to be respectful, responsible, and ready to learn. Members of our school community are encouraged to model and reinforce positive school behavior and school character. The staff and I will do whatever it takes to provide an appropriate learning experience for your child. Below is a list of important documents/papers for you to review.
Town Creek Elementary School Practices (Carefully review and return signed acknowledgment)
SMCPS 2013-2014 Student Handbook and Code of Conduct (Review with your child)
SMCPS 2013-2014 School Calendar
2013-2014 Student Accident Coverage Enrollment Information, Memo from Gregory Nourse, Assistant Superintendent of Fiscal Services and Human Resources, and Fact Sheet
Elementary School Menu
Letter to Households National School Breakfast and Lunch Program with attached Free and Reduced-Price Meal Benefit Application School Year 2013-2014 (Please note that a new form must be completed each school year regardless of previous year’s status)
I invite you to be part of the learning environment. Our School Improvement Team (SIT) Meetings are scheduled on the following dates/times: September 17th at 4:45 p.m.; November 5th at 5:15 p.m.; February 12th at 8 a.m. and April 28th at 8 a.m. SIT meetings are held in the Media Center and are open to interested parents/guardians.
This school year St. Mary’s County Public Schools will fully implement the Common Core State Standards. Below are useful links about the Common Core State Standards.
- Top 10 Things Parents Need to Know about the Common Core State Standards -
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the Common Core State Standards -
- MYTHS vs. FACTS The Common Core State Standards -
Lastly, our PTA needs your support. Please consider a membership to our PTA. Join us on Thursday, September 12, 2013, at 6:00 PM for our first General PTA meeting and Back to School Night.
Thank you for your continued support of Town Creek Elementary School as we work hard to provide the best possible education for each of our students. Please remember to visit our school website at: to familiarize yourself with our school activities, programs, and procedures.
TCES~Together Creating Excellent Students!
Mrs. Marie Hankinson, Principal
SMCPS Student Handbook & Code of Conduct and Town Creek Elementary School Practices
In addition to the SMCPS Student Handbook & Code of Conduct, the following site-based practices were developed by our school-based leadership team with input from our school improvement team. These practices support our School Improvement Plan (SIP). Please review the 2013-2014 SMCPS Student Handbook & Code of Conduct with your child and familiarize yourself with the TCES practices below.
Office Hours/Building Access
Office hours are from 8:45 a.m. until 4:15 p.m. Monday through Friday. The building can be accessed between these hours. Enter through the Main Office, provide valid photo identification, and sign-in on the computer (Building Access Monitoring BAM system).
Early Arrivals: Due to school personnel preparing for the day, walkers and students not transported by bus may not arrive at school before 8:45 a.m. Students will be unable to gain access to the building prior to 8:45 a.m. due to electronically controlled security doors. Additionally, staff members are not available to supervise students prior to this time. Students arriving between 8:45 and 9:00 a.m. should report directly to the cafeteria.
Late Arrivals: School begins at 9:00 a.m. Any student who arrives after 9:00 a.m. must report to the office and be signed in by a parent/guardian. The student will be issued a “tardy admittance slip”. This ensures the student will not be counted as absent and lunch needs will be addressed before going to class.
Reporting Your Child’s Absence
You may report your child’s absence electronically using the web link on our web page or you may send in a note with your child following his/her absence with your child’s name, teacher, reason for absence, signature, and date. Phone calls are also acceptable.
Dismissal Procedures
Valid photo identification is required when picking up students from school.
End of day student pick up takes place in the Media Center. Please enter the Media Center through the outside entrance near the crosswalk. Contact the school prior to 3:00 p.m. to add your child(ren) to the pickup list. A note sent in the morning with your child is preferred. Please indicate on your note the name of the person who will be picking up your child and remind that person to bring valid photo identification.
Dismissal for walkers begins at 3:40 p.m. Bus dismissal begins at 3:45 p.m.
Perfect Attendance
To receive Perfect Attendance recognition a student must be present for a full day. A student is considered present for a full day if the student is in attendance four hours or more of the regular school day.
Teacher Conferences
Parents/teachers are encouraged to maintain regular communication. In order to protect instructional time, classroom interruptions are kept to a minimum. Please contact your child’s teacher to schedule a mutually agreeable date/time if you desire a parent/teacher conference.
Can birthdays be celebrated at school?
Birthday celebrations are recognized school wide. Student birthdays are called during morning announcements and a photo is placed on the birthday wall in the main hallway. If you wish to celebrate your student’s birthday, please consider donating a book to the media center or your child’s classroom with an inscription. Non-food items are encouraged, such as pencils, erasers, or stickers.
What class parties are held at school?
Class parties are kept to a minimum in order to keep the focus on instruction. Generally, major class parties are held during the December holidays, Valentine’s Day, and end of the year. Other parties may be held only with the permission of the appropriate school personnel. We want to ensure that we are aware of the ingredients contained in all food items distributed to our children so we can prevent any health concerns for students with food allergies.
Can I send in party invitations?
Distribution of party invitations is discouraged. Party invitations may be distributed to all students in your child’s class. Please access the PTA directory for individual student contact information.
Can I request a teacher for my child?
Creating class lists is a lengthy and complex process. At Town Creek Elementary, the teachers, counselor, IRT, and principal spend many hours preparing class lists that are balanced academically, socially, culturally, and by gender. It is our goal to offer a quality educational program for all of our students. In certain circumstances, parent input is helpful. If you wish to provide student information from a parent’s perspective, please describe:
- Your child’s learning strengths
- Any academic or social concerns that you have about your child
- In what type of classroom environment you feel your child best achieves
Please be as specific as possible. In order for the information to be part of the class selection process, it needs to be received by May 1, 2014. Please do not request specific teachers as teacher assignments are not finalized until late summer. We prefer your input be based on sound educational factors unique to your child’s needs. Your input will certainly be considered as we make our final decisions.
Breakfast/Lunch/Snacks
Breakfast is $1.25
School lunches cost $2.35
Milk is $0.50
Snacks and ice cream will be available for purchase from the cafeteria on Fridays only.
If you do not want your child to purchase ice cream, please contact Food Services at 301-475-4256 Ext. 5.
Your child must have funds in his/her account to purchase snacks/ice cream.
*Reduced cost meals are available for qualifying families. Please speak to the school secretary if you are interested in more information.
I hereby acknowledge receipt of the 2013-2014 SMCPS Student Handbook & Code of Conduct and TCES Practices document. Please complete and return to your child’s teacher.
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Parent/Guardian Name (Printed) Parent/Guardian Signature Date
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Student’s Name Student’s Teacher