Welcome Letter

August 11, 2026

Dear Robert Goddard Montessori Community,

Welcome to the 2026–2027 school year! I hope our students, families, and staff have enjoyed a restful and rejuvenating summer. As we prepare to begin another year together at Robert Goddard Montessori School (RGMS), I am filled with excitement about the opportunities ahead and grateful for the continued partnership of our entire school community.

Each new school year allows us to reflect on our progress, celebrate our successes, and recommit ourselves to the work that matters most, ensuring that every child is supported, challenged, and inspired to reach their fullest potential. At RGMS, we remain grounded in Montessori philosophy and our belief in educating the whole child. We recognize that academic excellence, social-emotional development, independence, curiosity, and a strong sense of belonging all contribute to student success.

As we move forward this year, Superintendent Dr. Joseph has identified five focus areas that will guide the work of our district:

• Student Success
• Staff and Leaders
• Expanding Access
• Family Partnerships
• Organizational Culture

These priorities connect closely to the work we continue to strengthen at RGMS. As a Montessori community, our commitment to the whole child, strong relationships, meaningful learning experiences, and a collaborative school culture will remain central to our work.

At both the district and school levels, our priority goals continue to focus on mathematics achievement, a favorable climate and culture, and the social-emotional well-being of our students. We will continue to strengthen high-quality instruction while remaining intentional about Montessori fidelity, creating prepared environments that foster independence, providing meaningful opportunities for student engagement, and ensuring that every child feels seen, valued, and supported.

Our success, however, is not possible without partnership. Families are an essential part of the RGMS community, and we value your continued involvement, communication, and support. When educators, families, students, and community partners work together with a shared purpose, we create the conditions in which children can truly thrive. Throughout the year, we look forward to providing opportunities for families to engage with us, learn alongside us, celebrate our students, and contribute to the continued growth of our school community.

To our returning families, welcome back and thank you for continuing this journey with us. To our families joining RGMS for the first time, welcome to the Rocket family! We are excited to have you become part of a community rooted in respect, responsibility, independence, curiosity, and a love of learning.I am looking forward to building upon our successes, learning and growing together, and continuing to create an environment where both our students and staff can thrive. There is much to look forward to, and I am confident that through our collective commitment, partnership, and dedication to our children, this will be another meaningful and successful year at Robert Goddard Montessori School.

The first day of school for all returning and new students in grades Pre-K4 through 8 is Tuesday, August 25, 2026. Families of three-year-old students will receive start date information during new student orientation, including the initial visit and official start date. For the 2026-2027 school year, student drop-off begins at 9:00 a.m. Earlier arrivals can’t be supervised by staff. “Morning Friends” half-day Pre-K3 drop-off begins at 9:00 a.m., and dismissal begins at 11:45 a.m. Please review our new arrival/dismissal plan here.

Before and Aftercare (Champions) will run its regular hours. All instructional staff will report from 9:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. (main office and building-service teams follow their existing hours). The adults responsible for your child are on-site when students enter and remain after dismissal to wrap up the day. 

Orientation and Welcome Events

Chromebook Usage

As a reminder, Robert Goddard Montessori is a Chromebook cart school. Devices will remain in the classroom on secure charging carts for instructional use and required assessments.

Communication

I recognize that strong, consistent communication is essential to a thriving school community. This year, we will continue using the following official platforms to share school information:

RGMS Website
SchoolMessenger (accessible via ParentVue)
Class Dojo is our schoolwide communication tool for announcements, photos, and reminders. Please sign up here.

All families must create or activate a ParentVue account to access student schedules, grades, and attendance.  

~~~~~ September Important Dates ~~~~~        

Back-to-School Nights:            

• September 15 (Primary and Upper Elementary)                       
  Primary - 6:30 to 8:00 pm            
  Upper Elementary - 6:30 to 8:00 pm
• September 17 (Lower Elementary and Middle School)                             
  Lower Elementary - 6:30 to 8:00 pm            
  Middle School - 6:30 to 8:00 pm                                                                                                           
  Please see the essential resources below to help you plan the new year:
  
  RGMS 2026-2027 School Calendar (subject to change)
  PGCPS Back-to-School-Guide
  RGMS Family Handbook
  
  We wish farewell to Mr. LaCour. We appreciate his contributions to our school community and wish him well in his future endeavors!  I would like to extend a huge welcome to Mr. Branden Washington, our new Building Supervisor. Mr. Washington is not new to RGMS. He was a part of our previous building services team, and now he is back with us as a supervisor. We will have a new elementary paraprofessional joining our team for the 2026-2027 school year, pending HR approval. Please stay tuned!
  
  We are excited to begin this school year with you and look forward to a year of growth, learning, and community connection.
  
  Warm regards,
  Principal Womack