Welcome Note

August 11, 2026

To our wonderful Students and Families,

Welcome to a thrilling new chapter at Benjamin D. Foulois Creative and Performing Arts Academy! We are beyond excited to greet our returning and incoming families for a year filled with learning, creativity, and excellence. We are truly honored that you have chosen us for your child's education and can't wait to partner with you throughout this journey.

Last year, our community rallied around the theme, “Conquering the Pressure of Perfection: Moving in Our Greatness @ BDF.” This year, we are taking that work even further, pouring our hearts into helping students understand that greatness is a path paved with growth, grit, and purpose. Our focus remains: “Perfection is not the goal…greatness through purpose, progress, and patience is.”

We are committed to operating with transparency, love, high expectations, accountability, and flexibility as we join forces to ensure every child reaches their absolute highest potential.

School & Office Hours: Academic Day: 9:30 a.m. – 4:15 p.m. Please note that students may not enter before 9:00 a.m. without AlphaBest enrollment. Arrival after 9:25 a.m. is marked as tardy, and dismissal begins at 4:10 p.m. Office Hours: 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Protecting Instructional Time: PGCPS has added five minutes to the day, making our official hours 9:30 a.m. - 4:15 p.m. This is a district-wide systemic change affecting all schools, not just BDF. Data shows us that every minute of instructional time matters. Consequently, BDF will no longer use early dismissal. Active learning continues until 4:10 p.m., with dismissal starting promptly at 4:10 p.m. We need your help to protect these vital minutes. Early pickups, especially in those final moments, disrupt lessons and complicate a safe exit for everyone. Our scholars deserve every second to grow and succeed.

Arrival & Dismissal: Maintaining a steady routine is essential. While we understand emergencies happen, frequent or sudden changes can compromise a safe and smooth departure.

• Long-term changes must be coordinated through Ms. Holmes.
• Immediate emergency shifts should be sent to your child's teacher, Ms. Halsey, and Ms. Holmes.
• Any update provided after 2:00 p.m. also needs grade-level administrator notification.
• Early sign-outs conclude at 3:30 p.m. without exception.
• To uphold our cell phone policy, please avoid contacting your child during school hours.

Dismissal Plan: Every Falcon needs a Dismissal Plan submitted on the first day, August 25. This form dictates how your child gets home daily, and BDF staff will follow this plan strictly. Please lock in this plan before school starts and walk through it with your child. The first week is busy with new routines, and a clear plan ensures everyone gets home safely and quickly.

Transportation & Bus Stops: Bus riders are only released at the official PGCPS-approved stop currently in the system. Just because a stop was used last year or is more convenient doesn't mean it remains valid. Please confirm the current assignment so your child knows their bus and stop. Drivers can only drop students at the stop listed in their current transportation profile. We continue to navigate a driver shortage, so delays are possible. Please use the Chipmunk - User Guide for Parents (via pgcps website) to gain information on how to access the Chipmunk platform in order to track transportation updates.

Dismissal Flash Pass: Look for your student's Dismissal Flash Pass in the school mailer. For security, these will never be sent through digital means like email or ClassDojo. Each unique pass speeds up the process, presenting it means you won't need to fill out the sign-out sheet. Please keep the original safe and do not duplicate or share it. If a pass goes missing, see Ms. Halsey for a new one. Replacements must be collected in person at the school office.

AlphaBest Before & After Care: AlphaBest offers care for grades K–8. Please reach out to them directly to check for open spots and enrollment details.

Publicity Release: Don't forget to return the Publicity Release Form! This allows your child to be featured in our yearbooks, performances, and other exciting school highlights.

School Meals: Daily meals are ready for our students. Families are encouraged to apply for free/reduced-price meals at MySchoolApps.com. No outside food deliveries (UberEats, GrubHub, etc.) are allowed…no exceptions.

Health Requirements: Medication must be renewed yearly with the correct physician-signed forms. Parents must deliver medication directly to the school nurse. Immunizations must be current by September 14th or your child will be excluded from school.

Visitors:

• All visitors are required to show legal identification and state your purpose for the visit before gaining entrance to the building.
• For classroom visits, you must make an appointment before coming to the building.
• Visitors may only enter the main office unless approved for a classroom visit (max. 1 hour unless shadowing is required).
• Parent conferences may be in-person or virtual.

Communication:  Stay in the loop through our newsletters, ClassDojo, ParentVUE, and the website. Keep your contact info current so you don't miss any digital updates. An active ParentVUE account is a requirement for all PGCPS parents.

Important Dates

• Aug. 24th: New Student Orientation
• Grades K–5: 9–11 a.m. (K–2 parents may accompany students; no bus service for K–5)
• Grades 6–8: 9 a.m.–12:45 p.m. (Bus service provided; parents may not enter classrooms)
• Aug. 25th: First Day of School for All Students
• Parents may drop off supplies between 9–9:15 a.m. only.  After 9:15 a.m. supplies can be dropped off in the main office and a staff member will deliver the supplies to the designated classroom.  Please make sure your child’s and homeroom teachers’ names are on all supplies.
• August 27: Virtual Administrator-Only Parent Night
  Meet the leaders of BDF! We'll cover culture, routines, and how to get involved with the PTO. Look for the link soon.
• August 28: “Books on the Ground” Community Night - Let's celebrate and strengthen our BDF bond together!
• September 15: Middle School Back-to-School Night - Grades 6–8 | 6:00–8:30 p.m. | In Person
• September 17: Elementary Back-to-School Night - Grades K–5 | 6:00–8:30 p.m. | In Person

Message from the BDF PTO

Dear BDF Families,

Welcome to a brand-new school year! On behalf of the BDF PTO, we're thrilled to welcome back our returning families and extend a warm welcome to those joining our community for the first time. This year, our theme is Every Child. Every Family. Every Voice. We believe every family plays an important role in making BDF a place where our students thrive, and we can't wait to partner with you throughout the year.

As the school year officially begins, we hope you'll join us for one of our favorite traditions, our 2nd Annual Books on the Ground Back-to-School Block Party on Friday, August 28th. Be on the lookout for the flyer on the first day of school.

This FREE event is exclusively for BDF families and is the perfect way to celebrate the start of another amazing school year. Come enjoy:

Music with a live DJ

Face painting

Delicious food trucks

Time to connect with friends, meet new families, and celebrate our BDF community

Whether you're new to BDF or returning for another year, we'd love to see you there! As the year unfolds, the PTO will continue creating opportunities to support our students, celebrate our teachers, and bring families together. Whether you volunteer, attend an event, become a PTO member, or simply cheer us on, your involvement makes a difference. Here's to a fantastic school year filled with learning, laughter, and community. We look forward to seeing you at Books on the Ground and throughout the year!

With gratitude,

The BDF PTO Executive Board

Again, we are so grateful for your partnership. When we work together, our students truly thrive. This year, we will keep conquering perfection, embracing growth, and moving in our greatness. Let's cheer on every bit of progress as we help our scholars become brilliant learners and artists.

We can't wait to see those smiling faces back at BDF!

With Falcon Pride,

K. Hogue
Principal