Letters from Principal Adams
October 20, 2024
Dear Accokeek Academy Families,
We are into October and having cupcakes brought into the school. Students are causing disruptions bringing them into the cafeteria. Sharing cupcakes is causing crying, frustration and disruption. Students want to leave class to give cupcakes to their friends and favorite teacher. Students not receiving cupcakes are feeling upset and ostracized.
Effective Monday October 21st, cupcakes will no longer be allowed to be brought to school for birthdays. Exceptions would include:
- Kindergarten and 1st Grade store bought purchases for the whole class and distribution controlled by the teacher
- Classroom celebrations where food is requested by the teacher
Please follow this new policy. The front offices will no longer receive cupcakes.
I also want to encourage you to take the Prince George's County Culture and Climate Survey. This Survey will allow us to know our school community better. Click here to begin SURVEY.
Our 8th graders will take the PSAT 8/9 this week on Tuesday or Wednesday. It is a two and half hour test. Students will need to get their rest the night before they are testing and have breakfast the morning of to keep the stamina they will need to complete the test. This is the most important test used in determining their high school selections. To encourage them to do their best, on Monday our National Junior Honor Society is sponsoring a Pep Rally during their Creative Arts time. GO EAGLES!
On Thursday evening at 6:30pm we will have our Middle School Math Night in the Upper Campus Cafeteria. Important information will be shared, as well as, how to assist your student with Math. We invite all parents to attend with their students. Please RSVP at HERE.
I am pleased to announce our new Accokeek Academy PTSA President, Ms. Lisa Burnam. She is the mother of a 3rd grader. She can be reached at president@aaptsa.org.
We will end this week with a Costume Party in Lower Campus (6 - 8pm) for grades K - 5 and a Costume Dance in Upper Campus (7 - 9:30pm). for grades 6 - 8. Parents must stay with their Kindergarten and 1st grade students. Let's have a great time! We will have our Vocabulary Parade on the 31st for our students in K - 5. They are to select a word and dress up in a way that depicts the word. What a fun way to learn the meaning of a word! Be creative!
Thank you for your partnership as we strive together to be the best school possible. Let's continue our theme of Learning Together, Achieving Together...THE ACCOKEEK WAY!
Educationally yours,
Dr. Judy N. Adams, Principal
September 25, 2024
Dear Accokeek Academy Families,
I am writing to address concerns about a social media threat to our school. Today, students reported seeing threats to multiple PGCPS schools on social media that included Accokeek Academy. All threats are taken seriously, and we worked with PGCPS Security, county police and Homeland Security as they investigated the threat.
Following a full investigation, the threat was found not to be credible and does not pose a safety concern for our school. We believe it is part of a national issue and dangerous social media trend making headlines the last few weeks. I encourage you to watch a video message from Superintendent Millard House on how we are addressing it.
We realize that concerns about school safety are presently heightened across the nation, including within our own community. Please know that your children’s safety remains our highest priority every day, and we will continue our due diligence to ensure everyone's safety.
Maintaining safe learning environments truly takes a village, and we are grateful for your partnership in this effort. Please speak to your children about the serious consequences of making threats and encourage them to always report suspicious activities or threats, whether in school or on social media. Reports can be made anonymously through the Maryland Safe Schools Tip Line and/or directly to police, school staff, or a trusted adult.
Thank you for your continued partnership as we work together for the safety of our entire campus.
Sincerely
Dr. Judy N. Adams, Principal
Accokeek Academy
- Immunization Requirements - please take advantage of getting your child's mandatory immunization before they will be excluded from school. This is a mandate from the state of Maryland.
- Family Information Card - please complete this information as we never know when an emergency will occur and we need this information at our fingertips.
- ParentVue - this is the parent portal. If you have not created an account please do so at this time. You will then have access to your child's information, including assignments, grades, etc.
- Class DoJo - please accept your child's teacher request and join Class DoJo. You will receive vital information from your teachers and important school information.
- Accokeek Academy PTSA - we would like to see all parents and teachers to become members this year.
- Cell Phone Policy - many studies across the country have proven that cell phone use during the school day can ruin the learning environment. Students are to turn their cell phones off before entering the building in the morning and safely put away. It is not to come back on until 4:15pm. Violation of this policy will result in confiscation of the cell and the parent will need to come to the school to pick it up.
- Uniform Policy - the uniform policy is set to standards and to minimize criticisms of clothing for our economically diverse students.
- Vandalism - unfortunately, we have a few students who feel that vandalizing our beautiful school's walls and bathroom is a form of protest. We ask you to emphasize that this school belongs to all of us and we all must feel safe at all times.
- Anti-Bullying Policy - please read this policy to your children. This also stresses the importance of a safe and orderly environment for all.
- Chromebook Safety - this year our Kindergarten through 2nd graders will keep their chromebooks at school. This week we began issuing chromebooks to our 4th - 8th grade students. The chromebooks belong to Prince George's County Schools. Students and their parents have the responsibility for the care of the device.
August 17, 2024
Dear Accokeek Academy Parents, Guardians and Students:
I am humbled and honored to serve this community another school year. We welcome new members to our community which include new members of our Administrative Team. Our new Kindergarten through 2nd grade Assistant Principal, Dr. Elizabeth Bell, has been promoted from Testing Coordinator and Data Coach. For our 3rd through 5th grade Assistant Principal we are welcoming Mr. John Moore, a seasoned Administrator with several years of experience. We are saddened to announce the transfer of Dr. Tenesia Crook, as she becomes the Assistant Principal for Pointer Ridge Elementary School in Bowie, giving her a very short commute each day. We know that she will thrive in that community. Unfortunately, Ms. Michelle Lambert, our 6th grade Assistant Principal, remains on leave. I will be assuming those responsibilities in the interim. I am so pleased and proud to announce that Mr. Leon McCants, our 7th grade Assistant Principal and Mr. Donald King, our 8th grade Assistant Principal, are both returning to Accokeek Academy. We hope that each of you will embrace our Administrative Team as you have in the past.
Our goals this year are wrapped in our vision of becoming a student-centered school with inclusive and innovative educational opportunities that focus on the whole child. We want our scholars to take ownership of their learning and advocate for social justice and equity. We will focus on our Math instructional and achievement goals. We will continue to keep our culture and climate at the forefront of everything we do. And we will enhance our support for social and emotional learning. We also have an overall goal of increasing our academic scores with continuous improvement and reducing the number of students who are chronically absent (missing more than 10% of all school days) to reach our goal of a 5-Star Rating from the state of Maryland. We also invite you to volunteer and assist your child’s teachers in every way possible. We know it takes a village to raise our children.
We encourage each of you to visit our website twice each week: www.pgcps.org/accokeek We will keep you informed of all activities and upcoming dates via our school website and the individual grade level sites. We are a school wide Class DoJo school. We use Class DoJo for communicating school stories, class updates, teacher messages and other important information. Please sign up to receive all messages on Class DoJo at this LINK or accept the invitation soon to come from your child’s teachers.. Additionally, we ask that you complete the link found on the site entitled, Family Information Form. This information is crucial for the safety of all students while in our care. Prince George’s County Schools has introduced Synergy as our new student information system. Synergy provides a ParentVUE and a StudentVUE, where parents, guardians, and students can view the information via computer or mobile device. Please see how to set up your ParentVUE account. ParentVUE is also where you may register your student, see grades, class schedule, etc. It is also important to note that we are transitioning to the full use of Canvas and eliminating Google Classroom. Please refer here for the Parent Guide to Canvas.
As you know, we are a one-to-one Chromebook School and County. This year all Kindergarten through 2nd grade students will have their Chromebook housed in their classroom and remain there throughout the school year. All other grade levels will receive a Chromebook which is the student’s and parent’s financial responsibility and stewardship to keep the chromebook clean, handled properly and safely. When students are unable to properly care for their device, the English Version Student Device Usage Agreement and (Spanish Version) identifies fees incurred for lost or damaged devices and peripherals. A payment plan may be offered by the school administration. A loaner device to use in school may be offered while payment is being collected.
While we provide the electronic device for your scholar, we also have a List of School Supplies by grade level that you are asked to provide. We are adopting a color-coded content organization system, as we must prioritize student organization skills. This year we will provide each student in grades 3 - 7 with an Agenda Book for daily assignments and 2-way communication with families. PGCPS also recommends clear backpacks for students. However, it is not mandatory at this time.
Having a safe and orderly environment is our number one goal. Each child has a civil right to the best education possible. We achieve this by having all scholars meet behavioral expectations of mutual respect of person and property. Prince George’s County has updated the Students Rights and Responsibilities Handbook and has created a Code of Conduct for Families, Volunteers and Visitors. Please review each to ensure that we have a great and productive learning environment for all and at all times. It is important to note the Cell Phone Policy. Keep in mind that students are to turn off their cell phones before entering the building. Students may turn on their cell phones after dismissal at 4:15pm. All cell phones are off during the school day. If there is a need to call home, they are to come to the main office and use the designated school phone.
Our school hours for all students are from 9:30 am until 4:15 pm. Students are not supervised on site until 9:00am. Please do not drop your student off before 9:00am any morning unless attending activities requiring your written permission. Early dismissals are discouraged but we understand that it may be necessary on an infrequent basis. Those having daily early dismissals are subject to failing their last class of the day. No early dismissals will occur after 2:30pm to allow for staff to prepare for dismissal of all of our students.
As you plan ahead, our Uniform Policy is found on our school website. There will be strict adherence to the uniform policy this school year, as we return to the use of lockers in our middle school. The 2024-2025 Accokeek Academy Hoodies are also on sale for $38 each. Please keep in mind that all hoodies/sweatshirts must be a solid color and match the student’s grade level uniform color to be worn during the school day. School Breakfasts & Lunches will have the following prices: Breakfast for all students is $1.60; Lunch for elementary students (Grades K - 5) is $2.75; Lunch for middle school students (Grades 6 - 8) is $3.00. We encourage all parents to apply for Free and Reduced Lunches. Applications can be completed online at MySchoolApps.com. Please consider that bringing in fast food lunches for students is a disruption in the cafeteria and discouraged..
You are asked to join our PTSA (Parent Teacher Student Association) and suggest your ideas. Please become a member at Memberships on the PTSA website. Parents, students, staff and community members are encouraged to join.
All students have required immunizations to ensure they are fully registered. Mandatory immunizations at each grade level can be found at Maryland State Immunization Requirements. Additionally, the current Immunization Certificate for your child must be on file.
In light of the continued shortage of bus drivers regionally and nationally, we ask for your patience during the first weeks of school. Please update phone numbers, emails and emergency contact info in ParentVUE. To view your bus stop, use our Infofinder tool. Transportation questions can be submitted online.
Important Dates:
August 19th - September 8th Back to School Immunization Clinics in Prince George County
Thursday August 22nd 6:00pm - Accokeek Academy’s Back to School Fair - please join us as we celebrate the new school year! Meet your child’s teachers, visit with community partners, free school supplies, food and more.
Friday August 23rd - Orientation for Kindergarten and All Students New to Accokeek Academy - A.M. ONLY
Friday August 23rd - 9:00am - 12:30pm New Student Orientation In-Person for all incoming 6th graders, our new elementary and middle school students to Accokeek. Bus transportation will be provided. This is a 3-Hour Early Dismissal Schedule for the day. Breakfast and lunch will be provided at no charge.
Friday August 23rd Kindergarten Orientation and New to Accokeek Academy Elementary Students (Grades 1 - 5) - all parents/guardians should accompany their students to the Lower Campus Multipurpose Room at 9:00am.
Monday August 26th is the First Day of School for ALL STUDENTS!
Students are encouraged to be on time everyday. On-time attendance and staying for the completion of the school day is critical to student academic success. All students will receive their schedules via email prior to the first day of school. While we all wish to celebrate the first day, please keep in mind the amount of traffic we experience at Accokeek Academy. We encourage you to think about ways you can celebrate the first day with your child. Bringing them to school on the first day can be overwhelming with the amount of traffic.
Our Back to School Nights are scheduled for in-person from 6:30pm - 8:00pm on the following nights:
Tuesday September 10th - Kindergarten - 2nd Grades
Wednesday September 11th - Grades 3 - 5
Thursday September 12th - Grades 6 - 8
All parents and students are encouraged to attend and meet their teachers to learn the expectations of their schedules and course work. Please keep in mind that parent involvement in your child’s education is a significant factor in their success. We encourage you to have your child practicing their Math facts and reading at least 20 minutes each day to be ready to learn upon their return to school.
Wishing our Accokeek Academy community the best school year ever, as we emphasize our values of respect, effort, efficacy and excellence while ensuring that we motivate our scholars in every way possible and recognize that we are Learning Together, Achieving Together…THE ACCOKEEK WAY!
Educationally yours,
Dr. Judy N. Adams
Principal