Parent Welcome Letter

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year at Lamont Elementary! I am Sharon McNeil, and I am honored to serve as the principal of Lamont Elementary. We are delighted to have your family as part of our school community. Our dedicated team of teachers, staff, and administrators is eager to embark on this new academic journey with your children. We hope you had a restful and enjoyable summer break and are ready to begin a new year of learning and growing together.

At Lamont Elementary, we are deeply committed to the belief that every Lamont scholar has the potential to achieve academic excellence and build strong character. This conviction drives every decision we make and underpins our approach to education throughout the school year. We are dedicated to fostering a nurturing and enriching environment where every student can flourish. Our core values of P.R.I.D.E—Productivity, Respect, Integrity, Duty, and Excellence—are the foundation of our daily interactions and decisions. This year, our theme, "Growing Together by Cultivating Minds and Building Futures," reflects our unwavering dedication to the growth and success of our Lamont scholars.

Throughout the summer, our building services team has worked tirelessly to ensure our school is spotless and fully prepared for the new academic year. Our office staff has been actively assisting with registrations, ordering supplies, and connecting with families to guarantee a seamless start. We are committed to providing a safe, nurturing, and positive learning environment for your child each day. We eagerly anticipate welcoming everyone back on Monday, August 26, 2024, for the first day of school.

Please take note of the following important dates:

Date	Event/ Time
August 23, 2024	PreK, K, New Student Orientation 8:00 am - 9:00 am
August 23, 2024	Sneak-a-Peek for Returning Students Grades 1-5 9:00 am - 10:00 am Students will meet their teacher, sneak-a-peek at their classroom, and drop off supplies.
August 26, 2024	First Day of School 7:30 am - 1:40 pm Children should not arrive at Lamont ES before 7:10 am.
September 12, 2024	Back-to-School Night 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Important Information

New School Hours for Students: Our school hours are 7:30 a.m. to 1:40 p.m. Children should arrive at school between 7:15 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. Children who arrive after 7:30 a.m. will be considered late and marked as such. Breakfast will be served from 7:15 a.m. to 7:30 a.m.. No child should be left at school before 7:15 a.m. The school does not provide supervision for unaccompanied minors prior to 7:15 am.

ParentVue: Parents of enrolled students will have access to the ParentVUE portal. All information, including student schedules, will be posted here. If you have any questions or need guidance, please access the guiding document.

Enrollment: All registrations are held online through Synergy ParentVUE. Potential parents should utilize this portal. If additional assistance is needed, please contact the main office at 301-513-5205.

School Website: https://www.pgcps.org/schools/lamont-elementary

Supply List: Supply lists can be found here.

Uniforms: Lamont ES has a mandatory uniform policy. Students are expected to wear yellow collared shirts with navy blue bottoms. Additional information about our uniform policy can be found here.

Immunization: It is very important that each student is current on their immunizations to avoid being excluded from school. To ensure that your student is current on all required vaccines, please refer to the information listed on the PGCPS Immunization website.

School Meals: Breakfast is available to students at no cost. Based on your Free & Reduced Lunch status, lunch may be provided at a cost. Parents are encouraged to complete the Free & Reduced Meal Application as soon as possible. If you need assistance completing the application, please contact Ms. Hernandez at ahernand@pgcps.org at the beginning of September.

Back to School Drive: Saturday, August 17 from 10 am - 12 noon. Stop by one of three sites to get a free backpack while supplies last at the annual Back to School Drive and Dash! Find out more here!

ClassDojo: Sign up for ClassDojo with your child’s teacher for important information and announcements throughout the school year. This information will be shared by the classroom teacher.

Lamont Transportation Form: We want to ensure that every student arrives and leaves school safely. Please assist us by completing the Lamont Transportation Form to indicate how your child/children will be dismissed from school on the first day and for the remainder of the year. You can access the form here.

Transportation: Please visit the PGCPS Transportation Infofinder at https://www.infofinderi.com/ifi/?cid=PGCPS5UR2GLJ6U to view your bus stop information. Please make certain that your child/ren is/are at the bus stop at least ten minutes prior to the scheduled pick-up time.

Parents of pre-kindergarten through first grade students should have a designated person available to meet your children at the bus stop in the afternoon. Vests will be provided for Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten bus students during Orientation day, August 23, 2024 and should be worn every day.

Arrival Procedures

Kiss & Drive: Parents drop off their children from their vehicle only. Children should ALWAYS be ready to exit the vehicle curbside (to the right of the vehicle). Staff will assist children out of the vehicle. Parents must remain in the vehicle. Staff members will be outside to assist and ensure safety. Please adhere to the directions of the staff members.
Bus: Students will exit the school bus and remain under the school canopy until entry to the building. Students will be supervised by staff members. Please utilize the Bus App for additional information and/or to inquire if your student is eligible for bus transportation.
Pre-Kindergarten & Kindergarten: Parking will be limited to families of Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten students only, displaying the Lamont Parking Card. Cards will be provided during Orientation on August 23, 2024 or by contacting the main office. Pre-Kindergarten parents will have access to the back parking lot to drop their children off at their classrooms. All other families are invited to participate in Kiss & Drive.
Walkers: We encourage students and parents to use the sidewalks and walkways to ensure safe crossing. School crossing guards and staff members are posted in these areas for students’ safety.

Dismissal Procedures

Walkers:
All Pre-K students and Kindergarten walkers will be picked up from the back door of their classrooms.
All walkers will exit the building through the doors leading to the side parking lot (door #20).
Car Riders:
Pre-K car riders will be picked up from the back doors of their classrooms.
Kindergarten car riders will be picked up from the multipurpose room
All car riders in grades 1 – 5 will be dismissed from their classrooms when called by the PA.
Pink car rider cards will be provided for parents to place in their vehicle and must be displayed each day, when picking up students during dismissal. CRI parents will have lime green cards.

We are committed to providing a positive and productive school year for all our students. Please encourage your child to approach this year with enthusiasm and a growth mindset. Together, we can achieve great things!

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us at 301-513-5205 or via email at www.pgcps.org/lamont to make an appointment. Our office hours are 7:30 am - 3:30 pm.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership. We look forward to a fantastic school year filled with growth, learning, and success.

With Lion Pride,

Sharon McNeil

Principal
Lamont Elementary

Download Parent Welcome Back Letter.pdf

Student Card

Using an INDEX CARD, please place your child’s FULL NAME , Grade Level, and Teacher’s Name for identification and bring it to Sneak-a-Peek and the first week of school.

Student first & Last Name:

Tradonna Mallard

Grade:

2nd grade

Teacher:

Carrie Pelkey