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Dear Coates Families,
I hope that you have been enjoying all that summer has to offer and you are looking forward to the new school year. Staff and teachers have been busy planning for your return and working hard to make sure the school year is filled with exciting and engaging learning opportunities.
We know many of you are anticipating your child's classroom placement for this school year. All classroom placements will be available in ParentVue on Thursday, August 17th. Additionally, class placements will be posted and available at our Open House and Back-to-School Block Party Event.
We can’t wait to welcome all of you back to Coates with our 2nd annual Back-to-School Block Party on Thursday, 8/17 from 5:30-8:30pm! Doors will open for our Resource Fair at 5:30pm followed by our Open House from 6-7pm. After that, we will be moving it all outside for some music and food as we celebrate the beginning of a new school year. We can't wait to see you later next week!
This year we have created a one-pager linked below to assist all of our families with beginning of the school year preparations. You will find all of the necessary forms to complete, along with plenty of information to keep you connected throughout the year. Please take some time to review all of these resources and let us know if you have any questions.
https://coateses.fcps.edu/node/5827
We are looking forward to seeing you all back soon!
Sincerely,
Paul Basdekis
Principal
L.L. Coates Elementary School
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There are three ways to get to and from school every day; walking, kiss & ride and bus. Please use this transportation form to let us know how your child will be getting to and from school each day. Our daily arrival window is 9:00-9:15am and dismissal window is 4:00-4:15pm.
Bus route information should now be available in your ParentVue account under the "Info" tab. The FCPS Office of Transportation emailed routes to parents/guardians on August 10th. Any student can use Kiss & Ride and will need a car tag to be picked up through Kiss & Ride. New car tags will be assigned to families who utilized kiss and ride last year and all other families who wish to use kiss and ride for the 2023-24 school year should fill out the transportation form to be issued a tag.
Students within walking boundaries can walk to school each day. Please note that any change in transportation should be noted to the front office by 3pm the day of the change. If a student who is assigned a bus wants to walk, the parent/guardian must email Mr. Basdekis, PDBasdekis@FCPS.edu and Karen Lopez, KELopez@FCPS.edu, our Attendance Secretary, in advance.
Please note that all Kindergarteners must be met at the bus or walker door for pick-up each day. Any students not met by a parent, parent designee, or a responsible middle school or older sibling will be returned to school.
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On the first day of school, parents/guardians of kindergarteners are permitted to walk their student to class on the first day only. Following drop-off, at 9:15-9:45am we invite all kindergarten parents to join us in room 115 for "Tears & Cheers" with the principal and family liaison. |
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Preparing for and Paying for Meals at School
Parents/caregivers need to provide their students with money to purchase meals at school, send them with a packed lunch, or apply (and be approved) for free and reduced-price meals benefits. School breakfast for students costs $1.75. Lunch is $3.25 for elementary students and $3.50 for middle, secondary, and high school students.
Free and Reduced-Price Meals
The application for free and reduced-priced meals is now available for the 2023-24 school year. Students who were approved for free and reduced-price lunch last year are eligible for the first 30 days of school this year (or until a new application is processed). Families should re-apply as soon as possible for the 2023-24 school year, so eligible students continue to receive meals at no cost.
Paying With MySchoolBucks
The best way to purchase meals (and keep food lines moving!) is to use MySchoolBucks. Set up your student’s MySchoolBucks account today. Our front office staff can help with any questions.
MySchoolBucks accounts can be set up to add money to the account automatically, as needed. Families with multiple children can use the same MySchoolBucks account. Visit FCPS’ Food and Nutrition webpage for more information.
Free Resources for Families
Did you know that caregivers can access free webinars, confidential consultations, a lending library, and resources to help adults support the success of all students, including those with learning challenges, special needs, and disabilities?
Learn more about FCPS’ Family Resource Center (FRC).
Workshops for Families
The Family Resource Center is already scheduling a helpful series of webinars for the 2023-24 school year. Save the date for the following discussions in September. See the full list of workshops. Click on the title to register for each event:
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New School Year, New Strategies: How to Plan, Persist, and Achieve Academic Success This Year, on Friday, September 8, 10-11:30 a.m.
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Meet the Author Series: The Self-Driven Child by Dr. William Stixrud, Friday, September 15, 10-11:15 a.m.
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Characteristics and Needs of Twice-Exceptional (2e) Learners, on Tuesday, September 19, 10-11:30 a.m.
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Who's the Boss? 5 Ways for Families to Help Kids with Big Emotions, Friday September 29, 10-11:30 a.m.
Be the first to learn about new workshops by signing up for the FRC newsletter.
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The FCPS CARES Program is an opportunity for parents, staff, and community members to recognize FCPS employees for going above and beyond to help others and show they care. We invite you to submit your story, so we can all acknowledge the good work of FCPS employees, specifically at Coates. |
17th- Open House/ Resource Fair/ Block Party- 5:30pm
21st- First Day of School
21st- Kindergarten Parents Tears and Cheers-9:15-9:45am
28th- Fall Festival Planning Committee (PTA)- 6-7pm
1st-4th- Labor Day Break (student holiday- no school)
11th- Patriot Day
14th- PTA Meeting- 5:30-6pm
14th- Back to School Night- 6-7:30pm
15th- Rosh Hashanah
17th- Constitution Day
25th- Yom Kippur (student holiday- no school)
*The full FCPS 2023-2024 calendar can be accessed here.
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