In this Paw Print:
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School News:
- Principal's Message 🗣️
- Are You Ready?!?! 🐾
- Meet our Teacher Teams ❤️
- Save the Dates 📅
- Personal Device Policy 📱
- Complete Digital Forms 🖱️
- Update your News You Choose Subscription Status 📩
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PTA News:
- Volunteers Needed for Open House Events! 🖐️
- Visit the PTA in the Cafeteria for Free Giveaways and More! 🎉
- Washington Spirit Soccer Spirit Day: Sunday, August 30th!⚽
Dear Poplar Tree families,
Welcome to the 2026-2027 school year! We are excited to see our students and families at Open House this week!
It Begins with Me!
Our school theme for the upcoming year is It Begins with Me! We want every student to know that they have the power and responsibility to shape not only our school's culture, but their own success. Positive change doesn't start with someone else—it starts from within each of us!
We will be connecting this theme directly to our PRIDE expectations throughout the year:
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Prepared: I am ready to learn and work.
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Respectful: I treat others with kindness.
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Independent: I take charge of my actions.
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Determined: I don't give up when things get hard.
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Empathetic: I understand how others are feeling.
As you can tell, our Panther PRIDE expectations also connect to the 5 Portrait of a Graduate skills. We look forward to helping our students succeed this year as they show Panther PRIDE at school, at home, and in all aspects of their lives!
Classroom Teacher Announcement
Tomorrow, August 15, you will receive an email directly from your child’s teacher welcoming you to the school year. Thank you so much for being positive with your child and helping them understand that it is impossible to place all students with a preferred best friend or teacher. Please also remember that it can take a few weeks for a child to acclimate to a new grade, peer group and teacher. ALL of our staff members work hard to make school a positive experience for ALL of our students.
We look forward to seeing everyone soon!
Sue Andujar, Principal
Amy Alley, Assistant Principal
Are You Ready?!?!? 🐾
We are READY to have all our Panthers back in the building at Poplar Tree! Click on the image below to see a video of our awesome staff!
Meet our Teacher Teams ❤️
Preschool/PreK/PAC
Amanda Beberg
Michelle McFarlane
Nicole Mejorada
Susan Wrobel
Kindergarten
Denise Almon and Teresa Greenfield
Melissa Sitter and Heather Vineis
1st Grade
Adnett Davis
Katrina Foster
2nd Grade
Maura Francis
Andrea Page
Beckie Polandick
Third Grade
Catherine Grieco
Ariana Licausi
Karen Martinez
Jordan Perlish
Tanu Samanta
4th Grade
Emily Hargreaves
Karen Kollmer
Kimberly Lanning
Maria Paska
5th Grade
Shannon Byrnes
Collin Cogan
Jessica Greene
Grace Li
Daniel Schroll
6th Grade
Ree Chung
Christy Horton
Kate McGann
Kelly Nuckols
Multi-age Classrooms
Victoria Bowen (Enhanced Autism)
Eva ClawsonKeeton (Enhanced Autisum)
Diana Houston (Intellectual Disabilities)
McLaine Sheehy (Intellectual Disabilities)
Amanda Walter (Intellectual Disabilities)
Chitra Venkatanarayanan (Enhanced Autism)
Specialists
Art: Andrea Williams & Lauren Pierce (2 days a week)
Library: Stefanie Riddile
Music: Allyson Capurso & Brittany Gonzalez
PE: Erin Loudin & Ashley Rosenfeld (Long term sub: Laurie Senio)
Spanish: Angela Velazquez & Benny Borges (1 day a week)
Adapted PE: Kirsten Birge
Mark your Calendars! 📅
Please add these important back to school dates to your calendar!
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Teacher Announcement Email
- Check your inbox on the afternoon of Tuesday, August 18 for an email from your child's teacher introducing themselves!
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PreK Orientation
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PreK families are welcome to join us for an orientation in the cafeteria on Thursday, August 20 from 12:30 - 3:00.
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K-6 Open House
- Friday, August 21
- 9:00 - 9:30 am: Kindergarten Students
- 9:30 - 10:30 am: All students grades 1-6
- Feel free to bring classroom supplies at this time
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K-2 Back to School Night
- Wednesday, September 9
- 6:00 - 7:00 pm
- FLE Preview will be from 7:00 - 7:30 pm
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3-6 Back to School Night
- Wednesday, September 16
- 6:00 - 7:00 pm
- FLE Preview will be from 7:00 - 7:30 pm
Personal Device Policy 📱
At our school, "It Begins with Me" means taking personal ownership of our focus, connections, and learning environment. To ensure every student can be fully present with their teachers and peers, we strictly follow the FCPS policy on personal electronic devices during the school day.
The Policy: During the instructional day, students may not use personal electronic communication or computing devices. All personal devices must remain turned off/silent and inside a student's backpack for the entire school day.
Personal devices include, but are not limited to:
If a personal device is seen or used outside of a backpack during the school day, it will be brought to the main office, and a family member will be required to come to the school office to retrieve it.
Taking ownership of personal device habits helps our students practice being Prepared to focus, Respectful of their learning community, and Independent in managing their own habits.
Thank you for your partnership and help in reinforcing this FCPS policy with our students!
✅ Important Action Items ✅
Before we see you at Open House next Friday, August 21, we would love it if families could complete the following action items:
- Make sure the enrolling parent in your family has a SIS ParentVUE account. If you do not have access to ParentVUE, please contact our School Information Assistant, Claudia Munson at caguitjensmu@fcps.edu or our School Based Technology Specialist, Leslie Leisey at lfleisey@fcps.edu.
- Complete the digital consent forms for your child. You will use your ParentVUE username and password to login to the Parent Digital Consent. Here you will provide consent for your child to use many of our digital resources, opt out of having your child bring their device home, and give your permission for retakes of state assessments. In addition, you have the option to opt your child out of various things such as Family Life Education and SEL Screener participation.
Thank you for your help in getting these done!
The Opt-out for student devices coming home is somewhat confusing. You only have to toggle the button if you would like the device to stay at school. If you are okay with the device coming home, don't touch the button!
Please note: All 1st & 2nd grade devices will automatically stay at school.
Update your subscription status!
You are currently receiving emails from Poplar Tree Elementary School News You Choose.
- To keep receiving these emails: No action is needed.
- If you wish to stop receiving these communications for any reason, please follow the directions below to unsubscribe.
To unsubscribe:
- Go to the Subscriber Preferences Page.
- Enter your email address.
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- Click Submit to stop receiving emails from us.
Volunteers Needed! 🖐️
Join us to support a variety of back-to-school PTA activities during and after the Open House. We'll be labeling and stuffing new Friday folders for every classroom, plus we need help handing out school supply kits, signing families up for PTA memberships, and selling spirit wear. Middle and high-schoolers can volunteer for hours.
Sign up to volunteer at this link!
Free Giveaways from the PTA! 🎉
Stop by the cafeteria during Open House to sign up for your PTA membership (and pick up your free member giveaways, while supplies last!), get your school supply kit if you preordered, and check out our spirit wear shop. We recommend signing up for your membership before you arrive to avoid the line, and as cell service can be spotty in the school.
Why join the PTA? With your membership you get a voice and a vote, access to registration for student opportunities like after-school programs and the spelling bee, plus the chance to win some fun prizes this year. Your membership dues support PTA programs and events for all students and staff, plus it's tax deductible!
Join the PTA at this link!
Washington Spirit Game⚽
Bring your family and friends for a fun-filled day of soccer while making a difference in our school community. Every ticket purchased helps our PTA, which supports our students and teachers!
- Sunday, August 30th @ 12:30pm
- Washington Spirit vs Bay FC
- Audi Field
100 S Street SW
Washington, DC
Purchase tickets at this link!🎟️
See you there!
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