Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) officially kicks off the 2022-2023 school year on Monday, Aug. 29 for students in kindergarten through Grade 12.
Read below to learn more about preparing for the 2022-23 school year from how to pay for meals and school visiting procedures, to why it’s a good idea to test your laptop before the first day of school.
Registration
Prior to attending CCPS, new students must register online at https://www.ccboe.com/parents/online-registration. To register their child with CCPS, parents must provide proof of a physical examination by a physician or certified nurse practitioner, proof of required immunizations, proof of the child’s completion of the previous grade, acceptable proof of birth (i.e., birth certificate, passport/visa, etc.), two proofs of residency and any other documentation requested by the online registration process.
Immunization
Proof of minimum immunization must be provided to enroll in CCPS. The Maryland Department of Health has released vaccination requirements for the 2022-23 school year, which can be found here. Students must be vaccinated before the start of the 2022-2023 school year on Aug. 29. The Charles County Department of Health is holding Back to School immunization clinics for students. The schedule of the clinics can be accessed online here. To schedule an immunization appointment, call 301-609-6835. For any additional questions, contact the CCPS school nurse department at 301-934-7346.
Meals policy
During the 2022-2023 school year, CCPS will provide the opportunity for students to purchase breakfast and lunch daily. Federal funding supporting free meals for all students is no longer available. At the elementary-school level, breakfast is $1.35, and lunch is $2.80. At middle- and high-school levels, breakfast is $1.50, and lunch is $3.05. CCPS posts daily meal options for students on the front of the website at www.ccboe.com. Look for the meals icon under the main slideshow. Meal accounts can be monitored at www.mypaymentsplus.com. Parents can also use www.mypaymentsplus.com to deposit funds on their child’s meal account.
CCPS encourages all families to fill out the free meals application. The application may provide free or reduced rate breakfast and lunch, as well as reduced rates for internet access and testing fees. The application also ensures that CCPS receives funding and benefits to support teachers and students. The application can be found at https://www.myschoolapps.com/Home/PickDistrict.
Prekindergarten begins Sept. 6
Students accepted into the CCPS prekindergarten program begin school on Tuesday, Sept. 6. Prekindergarten bus route details can be accessed on School Locator by Sept. 3. Prekindergarten program acceptance is based on tier criteria provided by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). Students who qualify under Tier I are given priority placement, followed by Tier II and Tier III students. Placements for Tier II and Tier III students are often not made until after the school year begins in order for all Tier I students to be placed first. Click here for details on the prekindergarten program.
Open houses, back-to-school nights and orientations
Parents can meet their child’s teacher at open house and back-to-school night events set for September and October. Schedules for open houses and back-to-school nights can be found here. Schools have planned meet-and-greet and orientation events for students. Most of these events are set to take place before the school year begins on Aug. 29. Click here for a detailed list.
Bus assignment and transportation
CCPS is sponsoring a bus hotline for parents to call with questions about bus routes and assignments. The hotline will run Friday, Aug. 26, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Aug. 29 and 30 from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Parents who do not see bus details posted should call the bus hotline at 301-932-6655 for assistance.
Parents with no assigned bus stop listed in School Locator (after Aug. 19 for the 2022-2023 school year) should complete a Help Desk ticket to request a bus stop for their child. Click here for information about creating a help desk ticket.
T.C. Martin moves to Transition School
Due to extensive building renovations beginning this fall, students and staff from T.C. Martin Elementary School will spend the upcoming school year at the Transition School in Waldorf. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. All T.C. Martin students will ride the bus to school this year. The Transition School is located at 3155 John Hanson Drive, Waldorf, MD, 20601.
Elementary school time changes
Starting this school year, the start and end times for five elementary schools will change to an earlier or later schedule. The affected schools include C. Paul Barnhart, Dr. Gustavus Brown, Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer, T.C. Martin and J.P. Ryon elementary schools. The changes will accommodate transportation needs associated with the move of T.C. Martin Elementary School students to the Transition School, as well as increased transportation needs as part of regionalized program expansions. The new schedules will also create efficiencies within the CCPS transportation system to continue reliable service for all students.
- C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School: 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Dr. Gustavus Brown Elementary School: 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer Elementary School: 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- T.C. Martin Elementary School: 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- J.P. Ryon Elementary School: 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Student devices
CCPS will provide all students with a learning device this year. Returning students will continue to use the same device, while new students will be assigned a device once the school year begins. Students who already have a CCPS-issued device should turn on and inspect the device prior to the first day of school to ensure there are no technical issues. If a student needs technical assistance, parents can fill out an Ask CCPS ticket on the CCPS website here, or bring the device to school for assistance. CCPS has eliminated the Bring Your Own Device program for students. The program provided guidelines for students to bring a learning device from home for instructional use in the classroom. CCPS now provides all students with a learning device, which includes content filters and monitoring applications. The BYOD program is no longer in place for students.
ParentVue / StudentVue access
CCPS used the online platforms ParentVue and StudentVue to allow parents and students to track grades, attendance and assignments. Students can access their account by using their six-digit student identification number and assigned technology password. Parents can contact their child’s school to request student log-in access. To activate ParentVue, parents can visit the ParentVue overview on the CCPS website here or email [email protected] for assistance.
School visitor, volunteer and chaperone policy
CCPS requires all visitors to provide a government-issued ID prior to entering any school. All schools are equipped with a video and camera system to monitor all visitors arriving at schools. Any visitor must press a doorbell and show photo identification to enter any school or CCPS buildings. Visitors must sign in at the main office using the visitor management computer system, which scans photo identification. The system also compares visitor information against the National Sex Offender Registry.
Any person who volunteers for CCPS or attends a special school event — like a field trip — must be properly vetted and complete a background screening, along with school-based training requirements. More information about registering to volunteer is available here.
Communication from CCPS
CCPS uses email, phone call and text message alerts as part of systemwide and school-based parent and staff communication. The notification system, School Messenger, pulls data from the CCPS student information and staff data systems. Parents should provide a valid phone number and email address to their child’s school. Parents should also notify their child’s school of any changes to their contact information. Parents must opt-in to receive messages from CCPS. Standard messaging rates by cell phone carrier apply. To opt-in, text Y or YES to 67587. To opt-out, text STOP to 67587 at any time.
Share your back-to-school photos
Celebrate the new school year by sharing your best back-to-school photos. Use the hashtag #BTSCCPS22 to tag first day of school photos on social media. A gallery featuring shared content will be showcased on CCPS social media accounts.
School supplies
School supply lists for students are posted to individual school websites. Some schools may not have a list posted if one has not been created for students. Parents with questions about school supply lists should visit their child’s school website or call the school.
Eligibility policy
The Board of Education of Charles County recently approved an updated eligibility policy for high school athletics and extracurricular activities. The updated policy, which went into effect Aug. 9, requires students to carry at least a 2.0 GPA; have no F’s in the previous quarter; have no more than 4.5 unexcused absences. Click here to read more
