The staff of Whitehall Elementary School would like to welcome you to a new school year! The following procedures and guidelines are meant to assist in having a happy and productive school year for all concerned.
Whitehall Elementary School
A National Blue Ribbon School
EGATE School
Certified Green School
Professional Development School
Educating Children Beyond Expectations
Whitehall is located at 3901 Woodhaven Lane in Bowie, Maryland. We serve students in kindergarten through grade five with three-four teachers on each grade level. Our student body consists of approximately 500 students. Our new school hours for students are 9:30am to 3:40pm.
The instructional staff includes the principal, assistant principal, twenty-one classroom teachers, speech-language pathologist, professional school counselor, media specialist, physical education, vocal music, instrumental music, technology, art, special education, and English Language Development (ELD) teachers. We have an Instructional Lead Teacher who works with students and staff on math and literacy. We have a second Instructional Lead Teacher who works with students and staff on technology and testing. The cafeteria workers, secretaries, and custodial staff assist with the day-to-day operations of the school.
Our mission is to educate children beyond expectations.
We the people of Whitehall Elementary in order to form a more perfect school, will educate children beyond expectations. We will accomplish this through a learning community of caring and competent educators who provide rigorous, quality instruction to all students. The collective utilization of the many strengths, talents, creative energy, and cooperation of staff, parents, volunteers, and community partners will ensure that students reach their maximum potential academically and socially.
PGCPS Mission, Vision & Core ValuesOur VisionOur vision paints the image of a premier educational environment that values the rich uniqueness of who we are as we develop and equip life-long learners, leaders, empowered proponents of justice and prosperous communities to thrive in the global society: A culturally responsive district developing distinguished learners, leaders, voices of social justice, and advocates for humanity for the world of today, tomorrow, and beyond. Our MissionOur mission defines our purpose and the scope of our work. It communicates why we exist and what we hope to contribute to society: Core ValuesOur core values articulate our key beliefs about students, learning, stakeholder responsibility, and the elements necessary to achieve equity and excellence in education:
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Students will have 30 minutes for lunch and 30 minutes for recess everyday. Your child’s teachers will let you know when their lunch and recess will take place at the beginning of the year.
Breakfast and lunch are available for all students daily. Students can purchase a hot lunch, which includes milk, or bring a bag lunch and purchase milk. No outside food, such as Burger King, Chick-Fil-A, McDonald’s, etc., is permitted for students. Parents are not allowed to drop off outside food for their child. Menus can be found online. If you believe you qualify for free and reduced meals, you will need to apply for this program. Applications for the free/reduced lunch program are available online.
We operate with a computerized meals program. The system is set-up to identify students who are participating in the breakfast and lunch program. Each student is assigned a personal identification number (PIN#). The PIN# will allow the system to access each child's account.
The assigned PIN# remains the same as long as the child is enrolled at the school. Be sure to work with your child on memorizing their PIN.
Parents are encouraged to deposit money into the account in lump sums instead of sending money daily. Parents may go on-line to myschoolbucks.com and deposit money on their child’s lunch account using a debit/credit card. Checks are not accepted by the cafeteria. When sending cash, money should be placed in a sealed envelope with the student's name, homeroom teacher, room number and amount enclosed. If sending money for more than one child, please indicate each child’s name on the envelope. In cases when funds are not available in the account, communication will be sent home to parents notifying them that a meal was charged to the principal’s account and payment should be made to the school office or cafeteria the next day.
The goal of lunch time is for students to be safe and enjoy their own lunch. In order for this to be accomplished, there are rules in the cafeteria.
Rewards and consequences will be put into place during cafeteria time.
All students are required to attend school everyday. In the case of an absence, a written note must be provided stating the reason for the absence. The Board of Education defines an unexcused absence as indifference of parents or students, uncertified student or family illness, and vacations. If, because of an unexcused absence, a student misses a class assignment or test for which a grade is given, a grade of 0 will be recorded. Your child will be considered tardy after 9:30am. At this time the parent/guardian must sign the student in with the front office. Please provide a note for the reason for tardiness. The student will receive a late pass at that time. Tardies will be entered into Synergy and become part of the student’s record. For more information on the PGCPS attendance policy, please see Administrative Procedure 5113.
School bus transportation is defined as the privilege of a student to ride a school bus, without cost, to and from school in accordance with the Public Laws of the State of Maryland. School bus transportation is offered to students who reside one and a half miles or more from the school. It must be understood that transportation is provided only for those students who exercise the following responsibilities:
Any child who fails to follow proper bus rules will be denied bus privileges and parents will be responsible for providing transportation to and from school. For students in grades K and 1, a parent or an adult approved by the parent must be at the bus stop to pick up students. If parents are not there, the bus driver will bring their child back to Whitehall. Repeated occurrences will lead to bus riding privileges being revoked. If you have any specific concerns with bus routes, pick ups, or drop off times, please contact the Mullikin bus lot at 301-390-0210 or complete a request on the Transportation Resolution System by utilizing this link.
Principal: Dr. Cynthia E. Farmer
Instructional Director: Dr. LaTonya Williams
Transportation Coordinator: Brian Cuvo, Assistant Principal (301-805-1000, ext. 61174)
To ensure the safety of students and foster independence, parents are encouraged to drop their children off within the circle. Parents must remain in their vehicles during drop off. Do not get out of your car for any reason. If you need assistance in getting your child out of your vehicle, please raise your hand and a staff member will be there to assist you. Please do not drive into the circle in front of the school while buses are present. When you bring your child to school, there will be adults directing traffic. Please follow their directions.
No students may arrive at school until 9:15am, unless they are a Safety Patrol, a member of the Morning Show crew, a designated before school club, or are enrolled in Champions Before and After Care. This includes those students who ride bikes, are walkers, and who are dropped off. There is no adult supervision outside before 9:15am. Parents in the car line must wait until 9:15am and will be directed by a staff member to drive to enter the traffic circle. During arrival, the parking lot will be closed to parents. A video demonstrating arrival procedures will be sent out prior to the beginning of the school year. For student safety, our school doors are locked at all times. When students are dropped off at 9:15am, they will be directed inside the school building and report directly to their classrooms. If students are buying breakfast, they will report to the Multipurpose Room. Breakfast will be from 9:15am-9:28am. It is highly encouraged that students arrive at 9:15am so they have time to get to their classrooms, unpack, and prepare for the school day. Instruction begins promptly at 9:30am. Students are considered tardy after 9:30am, parents must come into the school building and sign their child in. The child will be given a late pass. Be sure your child arrives at school on time.
Afternoon announcements will begin at 3:27pm. Once afternoon announcements have concluded, safety patrols will be dismissed. At 3:30pm, Whitehall Elementary School will begin the dismissal process. Students in Grades K-4 will exit through the front doors. Students in Grade 5 will exit outside of the fence door near Learning Cottages # 10. The following order will be used for dismissal:
Important Note: Students in 5th Grade will exit by the gate located near Learning Cottage #10.
The traffic circle will be CLOSED to cars for dismissal this school year. The traffic circle will only be utilized by PGCPS buses and van riders by aftercare providers. Parents who are picking up their child will need to park on the street and walk up to the school to get their child. Please do not block our Whitehall neighbors’ driveways. The designated pick-up point for Grades K and 1 will be the K and 1 Blacktop. The parent pick-up location for Grades 2 will be at a designated area in the front of the school building.
Kindergarten and 1st grade students may not walk home by themselves. Kindergarten and 1st grade students who are being picked up will be escorted to the K-1 Blacktop by assigned staff members. K-1 students will line up by their classes. A child’s parent will check in with the assigned staff member and state who they are picking up.
If there is a late bus or private van, students will wait in a designated location inside the school building. A staff member will be assigned to wait with students. If it is 4:00pm and the late bus has not yet arrived, an administrator will wait with students. The location of students waiting for late buses or vans may change as the year progresses, depending on how many students are waiting on a regular basis.
If a student has not been picked up by the end of dismissal, they will be escorted into the main office where they will call their parents or legal guardians. Students will wait in the main lobby until their ride has arrived. Parents must come into the building, present identification, and sign out your child. Repeated instances of late pick up can result in consequences aligned with the PGCPS Code of Conduct for Families, Volunteers, and Visitors. This can include a call to the Department of Social Services and/or the Bowie Police Department. Whitehall understands that occasionally, there will be circumstances that are beyond your control that will cause you to be late. In these situations, we kindly ask that you contact the school with an estimated time of arrival.
If a student will take a dismissal route that is not part of their regular dismissal, a written note must be brought to the school or an email sent to the teacher and office staff. This will be given to their child’s teacher, who will notify the main office. If this includes going on a PGCPS school bus, a copy of the written note will be made and given to the bus driver. An email request is acceptable. Whitehall Elementary School will not be able to honor a change in dismissal request that is made over the telephone.
NOTE: Please refrain from using cell phones while driving on school property.
In order for a student to be dismissed early, the following steps must be adhered to:
If there is an afterschool club or activity, an announcement will be made as part of the afternoon announcements. Included in this announcement will be the location of where the activity will take place. Once walkers and car riders have been dismissed, students participating in an authorized after school activity should report to the activity location. Activity sponsors will provide a list of participants to administration to verify who is authorized to stay for after school activities.
The dismissal procedure will differ from the regular dismissal procedure. On severe inclement weather days, the traffic circle will be opened to parents. A notification will only be sent out if the traffic circle will be opened.
K walkers will meet their parents at the backdoor of the K classrooms. First grade walkers will walk outside to meet a parent or guardian (who are not in a car). For car riders, a staff member will be working the car line to gather student names to be sent out for pickup. For this reason, it is important that you have a sign on your passenger-side dashboard with your child’s first and last name, homeroom teacher & grade written or typed in large, bold type, easy to see from someone standing on the sidewalk. - Continue to communicate with the school (teacher, office, etc.) in advance if your child will change from a walker to a car rider due to the weather.
When an early departure is planned, a note indicating the time of departure gives the teacher time to prepare class and homework assignments. Parents/guardians who pick up their child early are required to present their photo identification and be in the school office by 3:00pm to eliminate confusion during the dismissal process. The school secretary will notify the classroom teacher by phone so the student remains in class as long as possible. Your child will be called down to the office once you have finished signing them out. The early dismissal will then be entered into Synergy. If someone other than a parent is picking up a child, he or she will be required to show identification in our office. A note indicating the name of the person picking up your child should be given to the front office staff that morning. Only adults indicated on the Student Emergency Information Form may pick up a student. If the person picking up a student does not have identification or is not identified on the Student Emergency Information Form, the student will not be released.
Throughout the school year, your child’s grade level may have scheduled field trips. The purpose of these trips is to enhance the educational experience of students beyond the school building. All field trips are approved by the school administration and the Area 1 Office. There will be a fee associated with field trips, which will include transportation to and from the location, as well as the cost of entrance at the location itself. This year, all field trips will be paid for electronically via My School Bucks at myschoolbucks.com. Cash and checks will not be accepted.
During the academic year, students will participate in several safety drills. These safety drills include:
Changes due to emergency conditions are announced on local radio, the school website, social media, and television stations. These public service announcements will be broadcast before 6:30 AM. and at other times during the day should an emergency occur. Whitehall will send robocalls and texts out as well. Be sure your phone number is up-to-date in the system. The announcements will refer to a two-hour delay, early closing, or cancellation of school for the day.
Two hour delay: School begins two hours later than normal. Buses will run two hours later. If there is a two-hour delay, students may not be dropped off until 11:15 AM.
Early Closing: Schools closing before the regular closing time will be posted on the school website, social media, and broadcast over local radio and television stations. School buses will be in operation to transport students. If there is a two hour early dismissal, students must be picked up by 1:40 PM. If there is a three hour early dismissal, students must be picked up by 12:40 PM.
Changes involving the entire school system are determined by Prince George’s County Public Schools and are announced by the following stations: WTTG-TV, WUSA-TV, WRC-TV, WDVM-TV, WRC, WTOP, WAVA, WWDC, WMZQ, WASH, WPGC, WLMD, WLTT, WGMS, WEAK WINX, WCAO, WHUR, WFSL and WMTG. Whitehall will also send out a robocall to notify parents that there is a change in the operating hours of school. To receive these calls, please be sure Whitehall has your most up-to-date contact information.
A Student Emergency Information Form will be sent home the first week of school. Please be sure to complete and return this form so that the school is aware of plans for your child. Anyone who has permission to pick up your child must be named on this form.
During the school year, parents may have questions or concerns. In order to resolve a school related concern, the following steps are suggested:
Please note: The staff member has 48 hours to respond.
For more information on Addressing Questions and Concerns, please visit the PGCPS website Guide to Addressing Concerns.
To ensure a school climate in which discipline is administered in an equitable manner, the school expects students to:
The Student Code of Conduct is based on the idea that a positive learning environment in schools and a good state of discipline starts with involving students, parents, and staff. These individuals will possess a knowledge and understanding of the basic standards of acceptable conduct and the procedures for dealing with disciplinary problems. It is hoped that the following information will help develop that knowledge and understanding.
Students should be able to learn in a positive learning environment. The Student Code of Conduct:
The Student Code of Conduct is published on the Prince George’s County Public Schools (www.pgcps.org) website. You can also find it by clicking HERE.
In order to maintain an orderly, respectful and secure educational environment for students and staff, it is essential that families and visitors are aware of their responsibilities and understand that adherence to these guidelines is essential for each school and office. Penalties for lack of adherence to this Code of Conduct are enforceable by the PGCPS Department of Security Services and/or local police. All persons on school property or attending a school function shall conduct themselves in a respectful and orderly manner. Read the information found on the county website.
Whitehall students will utilize technology regularly to enhance their instruction. While students are on Prince George’s County Public Schools devices or accounts, they are subject to the Prince George’s County Schools Acceptable Use Policy. Examples of violations of Prince George’s County Public Schools Acceptable Use Policy include, but are not limited to:
If students violate the Acceptable Use Policy, they will be subject to consequences consistent with the Student Code of Conduct. During the first week of school, teachers will share information about their expectations for technology in their classes. For more information, please see the PGCPS Student Device Usage Agreement.
All students are responsible for the care of their PGCPS issued device (iPad/Chromebook) during the school day and at home. If a student notices any damage to their PGCPS device, they should immediately report it to their teacher. The teacher will then consult with the appropriate person to determine if a fee needs to be assessed for the damages. A The staff appreciates parents' assistance in seeing that student devices are cared for properly.
Prince George’s County Public Schools and Whitehall Elementary School take bullying seriously. Bullying is defined as unwanted behavior that:
If your child is a victim of bullying, please notify either the teacher, professional school counselor, or a school administrator. Be sure to complete the Bullying, Harassment, and Intimidation Form, which can be located here. For more information, please visit the PGCPS Anti-Bullying website.
Appropriate dress is believed to encourage serious learning. It is the responsibility of the parents to determine the manner in which they desire their children to attend school. However, the school reserves its legal right to act individually with respect to any student whose appearance and/or behavior may be inappropriate for the maintenance of a healthy school environment. Articles of clothing that cause excessive disruption, shirts containing offensive language, halters or cut-off tops, or shorts above mid-thigh are not acceptable. As a safety precaution, it is recommended that students wear socks with open-toed shoes to avoid accidents. Rubber-soled shoes or sneakers should be worn when students are having physical education. The following dress code will be enforced at Whitehall:
The medical care of individual students is considered the primary responsibility of the parents. Therefore, specific regulations limit the school's treatment of students who are ill or injured at school.
When a student is expected to be absent three or more weeks because of an excused health or medical condition, the parent or guardian should notify the student's professional school counselor or appropriate school personnel and request a conference so that appropriate home and hospital instruction may be considered. The home and hospital teacher will provide up to six hours per week of instruction to keep the student current with grade-level skills.
Students are not permitted to bring personal items, such as sports equipment, electronic games, toys or extra money to school. Whitehall does not claim responsibility for personal items brought to school. Possession of articles such as knives, lighters, razors, toy guns, or water pistols will result in suspension from school. The staff asks for cooperation in seeing that such items are not brought to school. Any such items brought to school will be confiscated and turned over to PGCPS Security Services. Cell phones must be off and kept in the child’s book bag until the end of the school day. Smart watches may be worn throughout the day for time keeping purposes only. Smart watches may not use smart watches for other communication, such as calling or texting, during the school day.
All books and computers taken home must be cared for to ensure their good condition for the several years they will be in service. A fee may be assessed for damaged Chromebooks and lost chargers. The staff appreciates parents' attention and help in seeing that books and computers and other materials are cared for properly.
Agenda books will be used for students in Grades 2-5 as a way for students to stay organized and to communicate homework and behavior with parents. Agenda books will be given to each child in grades 2-5.
Whitehall recognizes independent practice at home as an integral and necessary part of the educational program of each student. The purpose of independent practice is to reinforce, supplement, and enrich work done in the classroom, to promote competency in skills, and to help students learn to manage time effectively. Independent practice is given as practice to further drive instruction and our mission to implement the College and Career Readiness Standards. Independent practice should support rigor, and have measurable outcomes for our scholars.
At the beginning of the year, teachers will send home specific guidelines for the completion of independent practice. Each grade level and/or teacher will provide parents with their independent practice policies and procedures at Back-to-School Night. These will include acceptance of late independent practice and projects. Agenda Books or a calendar are used by students and parents daily to help communicate independent practice assignments and school behavior. For agenda books, please read and review the information nightly with your scholar. We recommend that home study habits be developed and maintained each day. These include:
The reporting system of the Prince George's County Public Schools offers both a report card and a parent-teacher conference. Report cards are issued four times per year for kindergarten through grade five. The final report card is issued at the close of the school year. A parent-teacher conference is scheduled at a mutually convenient time for both the parent and the teacher during one of the reporting periods. The parent or teacher may request additional conferences. If a parent is unable to attend a scheduled reporting conference, we request that the parent reschedule the conference.
The report card represents an evaluation of the student's progress in subject areas, work habits, and behavior. The symbols used by the teacher are determined by the grading policy for that grade-level, as measured by the student's ability. Grading policy and procedures for our school will come home at the beginning of each school year.
At the midpoint of each grading period, an Interim Progress Report for all graded subject areas, including work habits and social skills, is issued to parents. This reporting system enables the home and the school to share information about each student's progress.
This is an online tool that allows you access to your child’s academic performance. You can access this portal to register or sign in by going to the Prince George’s County Public Schools Web Page (www.pgcps.org) and check under the menu labeled “Parents”. Please check Synergy to ensure your contact information is up-to-date so that you can receive the most current information from Prince George’s County Public Schools and Whitehall Elementary School. If you need assistance with Synergy, please contact Mrs. Freidline (linda.freidline@pgcps.org).
For each grading period, students in grades 2 through 5 who earn a GPA of 3.0 on their report card will be recognized. There will be two levels of recognition: Honors for students that earn a 3.0 GPA and Principal's Honors for a 4.0 GPA. Students who earn an "A" in social skills and work habits will receive a citizenship award.
Whitehall Elementary provides the following special services during the school day to meet the needs of individual students:
Due to the loss of instructional time, food allergies, cafeteria/lunch concerns and our goal for Whitehall to be a healthy school, scholars or parents are no longer allowed to bring treats or party favors to celebrate birthdays. Additionally, birthday party invitations can not be sent out through the class to scholars that your child wants to invite to a party unless the entire class is invited. This is necessary because of the disappointment and embarrassment to scholars and families that are not invited. If the entire class is not invited, then parents will need to find an alternative method to distribute invitations to the intended scholars.
We will recognize scholars on their birthday in the following ways:
If you prefer that your child’s birthday not be recognized, please inform the classroom teacher in writing.
Parents/guardians and other individuals interested in volunteering for school system activities and events are required to complete: (1) a fingerprinting background check (2) child abuse/neglect clearance from CPS and (3) required SafeSchools training with completion certificates at least 15 days in advance of the activity/event. Please click here for more information on Volunteer Registration and Approval.
Exceptions: Volunteers do not need to complete a fingerprint check if they are escorted and under the supervision of a PGCPS employee at all times while on campus for a one-time event, such as career day, book fairs, school dances, etc. Please see the next section for more information on Visitors.
All visitors must check in at the front office through our Raptor system with photo identification. Once you have checked in, a visitor’s badge will be printed for you. This badge must be worn at all times while you are in the building.
A pre-arranged visit with the principal in the classroom by the parents/guardians of current students or educational advocates of current students with disabilities.
Below are the policies for classroom visits at Whitehall Elementary School:
For more information on School Visitors: Please consult Administrative Procedure 0500.
CHAMPIONS is the independent Before and Aftercare program that opened at Whitehall ES this fall. Click here for more information on the Champions Before and Aftercare program.
There are many ways for our Wildcats to get involved at school! Here are just a few ways that your Wildcat can participate:
There is a lost and found. It will be located outside of the multipurpose room. Unclaimed items will be donated at the end of each quarter. We encourage names to be placed on students’ personal belongings, including clothing and water bottles.
Whitehall Elementary School will utilize the following methods of communication with the community:
https://www.pgcps.org/whitehall/
We have redesigned our website. All important information will be posted to our school website.
The Weekly Wire is our School Newsletter. This newsletter will be 1-2 pages and will include a Principal's Message, Important Dates, and Special Announcements. Every Monday afternoon, parents will receive the newsletter from administration.
Each Friday, teachers will send out an email detailing important information about what they will be working on in class for the upcoming week.
Dr. Farmer will hold a time designated as “Conversations with the Principal” periodically. There will be a Video Chat link provided where parents can touch and do a check-in with the Principal.
Another form of communication is through Whitehall’s robocall and school text messages. Administration will send out information about upcoming events or school early dismissal/school closures. In order to receive phone communication from Whitehall administration, you must have an up to date phone number in Synergy. Contact Ms. Freidline if you need to update your phone number on file.
The PTA Facebook page is used to provide updates and information from the PTA and the school. Join our closed Facebook group: Whitehall Elementary PTA. Ensure you allow for notifications to get the most updated information.
Please help support our scholars by joining the Whitehall PTA. For more information on the PTA, please visit their website at https://www.whitehallpta.com.
Please use our School Supply Lists to be prepared for the first day of school.