Lower School News

Lower School September Leaders

During the month of September, the lower school focused on the importance of kindness and inclusion. Students had a special presentation from Calverton school counselor, Mrs. Jenifer Duff and learned about her role in our school community and the importance of how kindness and inclusion are important traits as a friend, student, and leader. Congratulations to the September leaders. Way to go! For the month of October, we will be focusing on how leaders show self-control.

• 3K – Hazel Budhram & Ruth Deitz
• 4K – Jeffrey Cunningham, Charlotte Curtin, Lilianna Figueroa, & Abigail Law
• K – Raegan Ott & Makynzie Tippett
• 1 – Maggie Hance & Zev Whitely
• 2 – Breeja Dryer & Bruce Watkins
• 3 – Hudson Cranford & Knoxin Winegardner
• 4 – Hailey Budhram & Aiden Chen
• 5 – Scott Rye 

October 4 is National Denim Day.

Students are invited to wear jeans and a spirit wear top this Friday. If jeans are not preferred, students may wear regular uniform bottoms.

Growing our Academic Support Program

I am pleased to share that we are hiring a part-time reading interventionist for our lower school. This position will allow for more focused reading instruction for students in need of additional literacy support. Mrs. Cooley has been working hard to fit students into her schedule, and with our growing lower school population we recognize the need for this additional position to support our students with their reading skills. I am so grateful that we can add this position, and I look forward to sharing details as the position is filled.

Lunch Left at Home?

If your child accidentally left their lunch at home, no need to worry. We have items in the lower school office for those days when an emergency lunch is needed. We do our best to keep items that are well-liked by students in stock. Please do not Door Dash lunch for your child to campus, I promise we will make sure they receive snack and lunch. Thank you!

Uniform

Calverton’s summer uniform months include August, September, October, April, May, and June. Please note that beginning November 1, winter uniform begins. Shorts, skorts, and jumpers are summer uniform only and should not be worn during winter uniform months. Questions about the uniform policy can be found HERE.

D.A.R.E.

Each year, fifth grade students participate in the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) Program. This year we are excited to welcome Deputy (and Calverton parent) Andrew Clas as our D.A.R.E officer. D.A.R.E begins on October 7 and lasts through October 22. Students will participate in a D.A.R.E. graduation on Monday, November 11 during Parent Visitation Day.

CPA Meeting

Join Calverton parents at the next CPA meeting on Friday, October 4 at 8:15 a.m. We appreciate our CPA and all the work that you do for the students and teachers at Calverton!

Fire Prevention Week

The week of October 7 is Fire Prevention Week. Students will enjoy participating in different classroom activities that connect to fire safety throughout the week. On Thursday, October 3, we will kick off our conversations about fire prevention with a visit from the Prince Frederick Fire Department to learn firsthand about fire safety, prevention, and the job of a fire fighter from Mr. Helms, Calverton parent and fire fighter. Please take some time to talk with your children about the importance of fire prevention and your family’s home escape plan.

Tell Your Friends to Check Us Out! 

Calverton’s Fall Open House Calverton is holding our fall Open House on Saturday, October 5 from 10 a.m. – noon. If you know of friends, family, or neighbors interested in learning more about Calverton, please invite them to this event. A $1,000 referral incentive is available for the 25-26 school year if families put your name on their applications in the “How did you hear about us?” section and enroll at Calverton. Be sure to tell your friends and family to let us know that you sent them!

Spirit Week

It’s time to show our school spirit leading up to our Calverton Homecoming. The week of October 14, students have the option of dressing up on different themed days to show their spirit. A few of the days are in conjunction with middle and upper school. For example, on Tuesday, October 15, lower school students will dress as senior citizens, while middle school students will dress as adults off to work, and upper schoolers will dress as babies. The daily themes can be found below. Please do not feel that you have to buy anything special for spirit week. The best outfits come from things you already find around your house. If students prefer to wear their regular uniforms on any of these days, they are welcome to do so. We will finish the week with a K-12 pep assembly led by our upper school SGA.

Calverton Athletics

Please take a moment to check out our middle and upper school athletics calendar HERE. It would be great for lower schoolers to attend a game a cheer on their middle and upper school friends. Homecoming games are especially a great time to come out and support our Cougars.

Class Photos and Picture Retakes

If your child was absent on picture day or the photo didn’t turn out quite like you had hoped, not to fret! Picture retake day will be on October 22. This will also be class photo day. All students should come to school in their dress uniforms and are welcome to bring regular uniforms to change into following pictures. If your child needs their photo retaken, please email Jess Freeburger at [email protected].

End of First Quarter

The first quarter of the year will wrap up for grades K-5 on Friday, October 25. Report cards will be posted for viewing in RenWeb on November 1, with parent-teacher conferences following during the week of November 4-8. Classroom teachers will be sending out a Sign-Up Genius to sign up for conferences as the date approaches. PreK Cougar Cubs will wrap up their first trimester on November 15. Information regarding conferences for PreK will be sent at a later date.

Halloween Parade

Our Halloween Parade and Concert will take place on October 25 at 9:45 a.m. in the gym. Each grade will perform a song and there will be time for photo ops around campus. Lower school students will parade through the middle and upper school and finish off the morning with class snack and game prepared by our amazing room parents. Students should come to school dressed in their costumes and have their uniforms/spirit wear ready to change into following the festivities. As your child begins to think about their costume options for the parade, please keep in mind the information below: - Please remember that there are very young children at Calverton (and some sensitive adults), and costumes should not be "too scary" - Costumes must offer appropriate coverage (nothing see-through and skirts should be no shorter than just above the knee) - No weapons (or anything resembling a weapon) or liquid accessories will be allowed on campus - No face paint or hair dye for this event - Parents of Cougar Cubs, please keep in mind that your children will be walking up and down steps as they parade through our middle and upper schools. Long tails, dresses, and pants can be troublesome for our littlest friends

Fall Festival

Join us for our CPA’s fall event on October 25 beginning at 5:00 p.m. Children should come dressed in their costumes. Students can participate in a variety of Halloween-themed games prior to trunk-or-treating. You will not want to miss this event! Keep an eye out for more information from room parents. If you plan to have your child attend aftercare on October 25 and that is not their typical dismissal routine, please contact your child’s teacher and Kasey Cunningham, Director of Extended Day at [email protected] to make them aware and help us plan for an increase in student attendance.

Upcoming October Field Trips:

• 10/8 - Kindergarten to Greenstreet Gardens (bag lunch required, comfortable pants and spirit wear tops - uniform not required)
• 10/9 – 1st and 2nd Grades to Rolling Acres Farm (bag lunch required, comfortable pants and spirit wear tops - uniform not required)
• 10/10 – 4K to Serenity Farms 
• 10/21 – 4th & 5th Grades to One Room Schoolhouse (bag lunch required, uniform bottom, spirit wear tops, tennis shoes or boots that can get dirty)
• 10/30 – 3rd Grade to Kennedy Center (bag lunch and dress uniform required)

November Save the Date Items:

• 11/2 – Touch-a-Truck 10:00 a.m.- noon
• 11/1 – K-5 Report Cards Posted
• 11/4 – K-5 Parent/Teacher Conferences Begin
• 11/5 – No School for Parent/Teacher Conference Day
• 11/9 – CPA Bowling Night
• 11/11 – 4K-5th Parent Visitation Day 8:45 a.m.-10:45 a.m. Veterans Day Ceremony 11:00 a.m. (All Parents Welcome) Noon Dismissal for Students 1
• 1/11 – Book Fair Begins
• 11/15 – End of 1st Trimester for PreK Cougar Cubs
• 11/20 – 4th Grade Field Trip to St. Mary’s City
• 11/25-11/29 – Thanksgiving Break