Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) has a back-to-school guide available online at pgcps.org/about-pgcps/back-to-school. What follows is a collation of available information relevant to Greenbelt families.
New Superintendent
Millard House II was appointed superintendent of PGCPS, effective July 1, by Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks. (The position was recently renamed superintendent at the end of Monica Goldson’s tenure as CEO, as it was prior to 2013.) House comes to PGCPS from the Houston Independent School District, where he served the largest school district in Texas and the eighth largest in the country for two years.
Backpack Requirements
In a change from the previously announced requirement regarding clear backpacks, the policy will now only apply to ninth through 12th graders and students in Non-Traditional Program North, South and Middle. At present, clear backpacks are optional for sixth through eighth graders. PGCPS will evaluate the policy for middle school grades at the end of the first semester and communicate any modifications prior to the end of winter break. Mesh alternatives are not allowed. The school system is working with community partners to assist high school students in need.
No Shots? No School.
Back-to-school immunization clinics are available to serve students in need of vaccines. Immunization clinics are designed to support students and families that are underinsured or uninsured. Between August 28 and Friday, September 8, visit Fairmont Heights High School at 6501 Columbia Park Road, Landover, or Oxon Hill High School at 6701 Leyte Drive, Oxon Hill, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Space is on a first-come, first-served basis, limited to 100 students a day per site. Learn more at pgcps.org/immunizations.
Transportation
In light of the continued shortage of bus drivers regionally and nationally, PGCPS is asking for patience during the first weeks of school. They also ask families to update phone numbers, emails and emergency contact info in SchoolMax. To view your bus stop, use their Infofinder tool. Transportation questions can be submitted online. This school year, students can also ride TheBus operated by Prince George’s County to school for free with their school ID. No registration is required. View school routes here pgcps.org/transportation.
Free and Reduced Lunches
For information about eligibility and applications for free and reduced lunches click the School Meals button on the back-to-school guide webpage.
Orientation Day
For the safety of students and staff, parents should not expect to be able to accompany students inside schools on the first day of class. They will have an opportunity to meet with teachers and staff and visit classrooms during orientations, which are held on Friday, August 25.
Calendar
The calendar for the school year can be found in various formats at go.activecalendar.com/pgcps.
Boundary Changes
Some students will be impacted by boundary changes this year. Sixty-four students currently attending Greenbelt Elementary School will be reassigned to Magnolia Elementary School, impacting students who reside in the area east of the Beltway between Greenbelt Road and Good Luck Road. Meanwhile, 204 students currently attending Greenbelt Middle School will be reassigned – 200 will go to Buck Lodge Middle School and four will be within a new catchment area for William Wirt Middle School. Areas of Hollywood and College Park will no longer be zoned for Greenbelt Middle. To check if one’s zoning has changed under the new proposed boundaries, visit wxyplanning.com/pgcps-boundary-tool-phase2 and enter an address. For more on the boundary changes, see School Boundary Changes Impact Greenbelt Elementary and Middle, in the October 27, 2022, issue of the News Review.
Greenbelt Elementary
School hours are 9 a.m. to 3:20 p.m. Greenbelt Elementary has no uniform policy.
The principal is Joel Nelson and the vice principal is Tynetta Dempsey. This will be Dempsey’s first year at Greenbelt Elementary. She was previously special education program coordinator at High Bridge Elementary School.
Magnolia Elementary
School hours are 9:15 a.m. to 3:25 p.m. Magnolia Elementary School has a new principal, Sharelle Stagg, who was formerly assistant principal at Greenbelt Elementary, and new assistant principal, Jasmine Giddings, who was instructional lead teacher at Greenbelt Elementary. Magnolia has a mandatory uniform policy. Prekindergarten through fifth-grade students wear navy bottoms, yellow shirts and navy sweaters. In sixth grade students wear khaki skorts, pants or shorts and navy shirts and sweaters. The school supply list can be found at pgcps.org/schools/magnolia-elementary/school–supply-list.
Springhill Lake Elementary
School hours are 7:45 a.m. to 1:55 p.m. The principal is Trena Wilson, assistant principal is Andrew Karnes and special education coordinator is Chris Wichtendahl. Springhill Lake Elementary has a mandatory uniform policy. Students wear navy bottoms and white shirts. One can find out about more about the required uniform and the supply lists at the school’s website: pgcps.org/springhilllake.
Dora Kennedy French Immersion
School hours are 9:15 a.m. to 3:55 p.m. The principal is James Spence and vice principal is Sandrine Boukabara. There is no uniform policy.
Dora Kennedy’s beloved third-grade teacher, Mariame Sylla, is still missing from her Greenbelt home. The school sincerely thanks everyone who has communicated their concerns and prayers for the safe return of their colleague. On August 29, the second day of school, there will be a crisis team on site to assist any students and/or staff with processing this matter.
Dora Kennedy will implement a new intervention/incentive system for the purpose of setting the standard for community culture, called Cardinal Culture. The primary goal is to establish an adopted school culture characterized by monthly character attributes. Respectful language, respectful actions and effective communications are a few examples of attributes that will be the focus this year.
The school’s supply lists can be found by clicking the School Supplies on the school’s website, pgcps.org/dorakennedy.
Greenbelt Middle
School hours are 9 a.m. to 3:40 p.m. The principal is Marcellus Clement and assistant principal for student services is Donovan Colding. Students can find their schedules on SchoolMax. In addition to the Talented and Gifted (TAG), ESOL, Creative Arts, World Language, Special Education and General Education Programs, Greenbelt Middle is going into its third year of the Chinese Immersion Program. The school will also continue with Arts Integration and to focus on writing across all content areas. The school is committed to set a foundation of learning with and without technology, with a goal to have 60 percent of their learning through technology, while 40 percent is geared to hands-on learning. The theme for this year is Decades: Reverting Back to our Best Educational Self.
“We are embracing the theme of reboots where we are going back to the instructional foundations to be our best educational self,” said Principal Clement in a welcome back letter to families. Their Back to School Nights will be September 18-21, from 6 to 7:45 p.m.; this will be in-person with a virtual option.
For the school’s uniform policy and a list of school supplies, click the appropriate buttons on pgcps.org/schools/greenbelt-middle.
Eleanor Roosevelt High
School hours are 8:45 a.m. to 3:25 p.m. The principal is Portia Barnes. There is no mandatory uniform for the school. Eleanor Roosevelt is impacted by the new backpack policy. Students must have a clear backpack for school. Mesh is not allowed.