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Principal's Welcome Letter
July 27, 2026
Dear Families,
Welcome to the 2026–2027 school year! I hope your summer has been filled with rest, joy, and special moments with your family. As we prepare to welcome our Bears back to school, I am excited to share this year's theme: Turning Up the Heat: One Extra Degree Changes Everything. Inspired by the book 212°: The Extra Degree, our theme reminds us that sometimes the smallest extra effort can make the biggest difference. At 212 degrees, water begins to boil and creates steam powerful enough to move a train. This year, we are committed to giving that one extra degree each day so every student has the opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed.
Our work this year is guided by the PGCPS Forward by Design Strategic Plan, which focuses on preparing every student for success through high-quality instruction, strong partnerships, and a commitment to excellence. At William Beanes, our focus will be on four priorities:
- High-Quality Instruction – Every student will receive engaging, grade-level instruction every day.
- Strong Multi-Tiered Supports (MTSS) – We will use data and targeted supports to meet the individual needs of every learner.
- Accelerating Growth for Multilingual Learners and Students with Disabilities – We are committed to ensuring every child receives the support needed to thrive academically.
- Coaching & Teacher Development – We will continue strengthening instruction by investing in our teachers through coaching, collaboration, and professional learning.
These priorities reflect our commitment to ensuring Every Bear Succeeds!
We are also excited to welcome new members to our Beanes family:
- LeWan Jones (tentatively) – Special Education Department Chair
- Ericka Banks – General Music Teacher
Please join us in giving them a warm William Beanes welcome!
Important Dates
- August 15 – Back 2 the Beanes Block Party
- August 24 – Sneak a Peek at Your Seat & Student Orientation
- August 25 – First Day of School
- September 3 – Back 2 School Night
- September 7 – No School – Labor Day
As always, the success of our students is built on a strong partnership between home and school. We encourage you to stay connected by:
- Checking ParentVUE regularly for attendance, grades, and important student information.
- Monitoring Chipmunk for school news, announcements, and district updates.
- Joining your child's ClassDojo to communicate with teachers and stay informed about classroom activities.
- Attending family events such as our Back 2 the Beanes Block Party, Sneak a Peek at Your Seat, Back 2 School Night, and other school programs throughout the year.
- Ensuring your child attends school every day, on time, and ready to learn.
When schools and families work together, students achieve more. Thank you for choosing William Beanes Elementary School. We are honored to partner with you in your child's educational journey and look forward to an incredible year of learning, growth, and celebration.
With H.E.A.R.T.,
Principal Smith
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Staffing Updates
I am pleased to announce the newest members to the William Beanes Family, please welcome the
following staff members:
- Reading Resource Teacher: Ms. Danielle Hawkins
- SPED Paraprofessional: MS. Monique Williams
They are wonderful additions to our school community! Within the coming weeks, great strides will be made to fill vacancies for the following: Math Resource, Primary Paraprofessional, and Media Specialist (.5).
School & Office Hours
Office Hours
The school office hours are from 7:15 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. If you are in need of assistance you must schedule an appointment for support. To schedule an appointment please call (301)817-0533. Per PGCPS policy, all visitors must ring the doorbell and show their identification to the camera to gain access into the school building. Visitors will not be allowed in the building if an appointment is not scheduled.
School Hours
It is essential that students arrive at school on time each day to engage in instruction. School promptly begins at 7:30 a.m. and ends at 1:40 p.m. Students will be allowed to enter the building at 7:15 am. Before that time, there is no adult supervision for students. To receive the full benefit of the instructional program it is important to be present and on time every day. Classroom Schedules will be provided specific to respective classes during Orientation and Back-to-School Night sessions.
Afternoon & Early Dismissal
Afternoon Dismissal
It is important that the dismissal process be as smooth as possible. As such, the early dismissal cut-off is at 1:15 p.m. Following 1:15 p.m. parents must wait for their children to be dismissed at the regular time of 1:40 p.m. Emergency exceptions will be considered. Ensuring the safety of our students is a top priority and it is imperative that we know the intended dismissal procedure for each student. Dismissal information will be shared during orientation and Back-to-School Night sessions.
Early Dismissal
There is NO early dismissal after 1:15 pm. There will be no exceptions, so please make appointments before this time or after the 1:40 pm bell. If your child needs to leave early before 1:00 pm, please send a note to school so that the teacher can prepare them for early dismissal. Also, for safety reasons every person must show an ID at the door. This will alleviate your wait time.
Class Assignments & ParentVUE
Class Assignments
It is kindly asked that parents/guardians model positive actions when sharing class assignments with their children. The determination of student class assignments are a result of an intentional and thoughtful process, hence; changes to class lists are not made once released.
During the dates of Monday, August 19 and Friday, August 23, teachers will extend communication to the families of their students to welcome them to the start of a new school year. Parents can also check your child’s assigned teacher using ParentVUE.
ParentVUE
Beginning with the 2024-25 school year, Synergy will replace SchoolMAX as the student information system for Prince George's County Public Schools. Families will now use ParentVUE, in place of Family Portal, to access important information about their students. ParentVUE is the portal that allows parents and guardians to view information about their student, including classroom assignments and scores, attendance, transcripts, graduation status and more. In ParentVUE, families can also update their phone numbers and emergency contact information and access the Online Registration(OLR) Application.
School Meals & Free/Reduced Lunch Application Survey
School Meals
The federal waiver that provided free lunch for all students during the pandemic has expired. Breakfast will remain FREE for all students. The cost for lunch is now $3, however; there is no cost to students who are eligible for Free or Reduced Price Meals. All families are encouraged to APPLY each year for Free and Reduced Price Meals by visiting Apply for Free and Reduced Priced Meals. If you need assistance completing this form please contact Terri Brown, terri.brown@pgcps.org at (301-817-0533) to schedule an appointment.
SURVEY COMPLETION IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. Responses also determine eligibility for school funding.
To apply you will need:
- the name, school, and grade of your school-age children;
- the names of all adults living in the home;
- income information for all adults living in the home; and
- student ID numbers for your school-age children.
MySchoolBucks is an online payment service through which parents can securely pay for meals and monitor student cafeteria purchases.
Emergency Contact Form
Emergency Contact forms will be sent home with students on the first day of school. It is important that you complete the form to its entirety with correct information and contact numbers. After completing the form please return to your child’s teacher.
Parent Communication
At William Beanes Elementary School we value Parents as our Partners and prioritize keeping all informed. As such, the following platforms will be utilized to communicate with families; Google Classroom, Class Dojo, Email, School Website, School Messenger, and Twitter:
Class Dojo
Class Dojo is a platform that allows educators to communicate with families remotely, through the sharing of photos, videos, and messages. The school Class Dojo account houses an account for all teachers and enables the school community to remain connected. Teachers will provide invitations for parents to join. It is important that all parents join Class Dojo.
Emails will be shared with families throughout the course of the school year as a means to ensure that all remain informed.
SchoolMessenger
School Messenger is replacing GovDelivery, which was the notification system previously used to send PGCPS emails, text messages, and newsletters. To sign up to receive messages from PGCPS please click here or visit: PGCPS SchoolMessenger
X (Twitter)
Twitter is a social networking service. It is highly encouraged for parents to subscribe to Twitter as a way to receive district-wide and school-wide updates. Follow us @WBeanesES_PGCPS on X (Twitter).
2024-2025 Student Publicity Release Form | William Beanes
Throughout the school year, activities will be conducted that may be publicized by local or national news media or used to promote the school system. To obtain permission from parents/guardians to capture their student(s) name, voice, photographic likeness and student work to be used by the school and/or Board of Education, supply the form template to your families.