CCPS launching text message notifications this school year
New this school year for Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) parents and staff are text message notifications. CCPS has a new notification system called School Messenger, which is used to send systemwide and school emails, phone calls and text message updates.
Text message recipients must opt-in to receive text alerts. The text alert feature will be available on Oct. 1. Parents and staff will receive an opt-in text message from CCPS on Oct. 1 through the new School Messenger notification tool. The message will come from the short code, or short set of numbers, 67587 to all parents and staff members who have provided CCPS with a cell phone number.
To opt-in, users must text YES or Y to 67587. Text STOP to 67587 at any time to stop receiving text message alerts from CCPS. Standard text message rates by cell phone carriers apply.
Parents and guardians who want to opt-in for text messages should list a cell phone number on their child’s emergency notification card, distributed to all students on the first day of school. Parents should provide a working phone number and valid email address on the emergency card in order to receive important updates.
Parents who change cell phone numbers during the school year should update their contact information with their child’s school. Once the number is updated with the school, parents should receive a new opt-in message from 67587. Staff members who change cell phone numbers during the school year should contact the CCPS Human Resources Department to update their employee information on file.
The School Messenger notification system uses data from the CCPS student information system YouVue, also called Synergy. Because School Messenger uses data imports managed by CCPS, the system cannot send messages to outside community members.
Attendance records and absentee notifications for parents are generated through the YouVue system. Call the CCPS Communications Department at 301-934-7220 or your child’s school with questions about School Messenger notifications.
CCPS unpaid meal charge guidelines, procedures
Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) has procedures that guide how the school system handles unpaid meal accounts. Superintendent's Rule 3842 outlines how the school system handles negative meal account balances. The Rule applies only to students who pay full or reduced prices for meals. The guidelines do not apply to children who receive free meals from CCPS.
Parents/guardians are expected to ensure that their child's meal account is properly funded. CCPS will first notify parents through email and voicemail when a child's account is empty, or has a $0 balance. Parents can sign up to use My Payments Plus, an online prepayment system used by CCPS, to fund breakfast and lunch costs for their children.
Students with no money on their meal accounts receive an initial credit from CCPS and the amount varies depending upon the grade level of the child. Elementary students receive a $25 meal credit, middle school students receive a $15 meal credit, and high school students receive a $10 meal credit.
Credits are given only for students who attempt to purchase meals and have no money on their account. Once a student uses all of the credit, they will receive an alternate main entrée until their account balance is paid. Payment of the account includes the credit given by the school system.
Elementary school students will receive a cheese sandwich as their main entrée selection until the account is paid. Middle and high school students will receive a cheese sandwich as their entrée selection for up to three school days. Once the student has received three alternate meals, no other meals will be served until the account is paid.
CCPS notifies parents through email or voicemail when meal account balances are negative. Letters are sent home weekly with elementary school students and monthly for middle and high school students who have negative account balances.
Alternate meals include other items served with breakfast and lunch, such as fruit, a vegetable and milk. Unpaid meal charges may be carried over at the end of a school year to the following school year. Students with delinquent debt may be ineligible to participate in extracurricular activities, including promotional ceremonies, clubs, sports and other activities.
CCPS will make reasonable efforts to collect unpaid meal charges classified as delinquent debt. Contact the Food and Nutrition Services Department at 301-392-5570 or your child's principal with questions about alternate meals and unpaid meal balances. Parents can sign up for My Payments Plus at www2.mypaymentsplus.com/welcome . The Rule is posted on the CCPS website, under the parents section of the main menu, at www.ccboe.com.
System launches new online integrated gradebook and student information system
Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) is launching a new online gradebook program this school year for parents, students and teachers to track academic progress, attendance, class and locker assignments, testing data, homework and more. The system is called YouVue and replaces the Edline gradebook as well as an aging student information system used by CCPS for nearly 40 years. YouVue includes parent access, called ParentVUE, student access, or StudentVUE, and teacher access, called TeacherVUE.
CCPS is printing account activation letters for each parent/guardian on file for all students. Parents must pick up their account activation letter from their child's school and provide photo identification. Parents with two or more children attending CCPS schools only need to pick up one activation letter.
Several schools are holding orientation events the week of Aug. 28 through Sept. 1. Parents can pick up their account activation letters at orientations. A list of orientation dates and times, separated by school, is posted at www.ccboe.com/pr/schools-plan-orientation-events-for-parents-students-2/ .
Schools will also provide activation letters at open houses planned for September and October. A list of open house dates and times is posted at www.ccboe.com/pr/open-houses-planned-for-schools-centers-2/ . Schools will also create additional opportunities for parents to pick up their activation letters.
Parents with more than one child enrolled in CCPS only need one account to access data for all of their children. Only parents with educational rights on file with CCPS will be able to access their child's data in the new system.
Student record data, such as name, home address, school, grade level, class schedules and course history will be live in the system on Aug. 29. The gradebook feature of the system will be live for parent access in mid-September. Teacher training on the gradebook component of the program begins this month and continues after the start of the school year.
Teachers and administrators will also use the system to mainstream discipline and health records, medical conditions for students, and eligibility for participating in extracurricular activities. CCPS will update parents with a target date for accessing the gradebook function of YouVue. Student access to the system will be available at some point prior to the second semester of the 2017-18 school year.
There are free apps in both the Apple and Android stores. Search for ParentVUE, StudentVUE or TeacherVUE by Edupoint Educational Systems. The gradebook component is also referred to as Synergy.
Health department hosting vaccination clinics
The Charles County Department of Health is holding several immunization clinics for children who need vaccines required to attend school. Maryland law requires students to have minimum immunization levels to attend school. Required vaccines depend on the age and grade level of the child and include DPT, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, hepatitis B, Hib, Prevnar, Tdap and meningococcal.
For the 2017-18 school year, all students in kindergarten, first-, second-, and third-grades are required to have two doses of the varicella, or chickenpox, vaccine. All seventh and eighth graders, as well as high school freshmen and sophomores, must have a Tdap and meningococcal vaccine.
The Health Department is holding three clinics for children who need any vaccine to attend school. They are:
• Tuesday, Aug. 29, 1 to 3 p.m.
• Tuesday, Sept. 5, 1 to 3 p.m.
• Thursday, Sept. 7, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m.
The clinics are by appointment only. Call 301-609-6900, ext. 6024 to set up an appointment and inquire about costs of the clinic. Children can also receive any required vaccines from their physician.
Students can be admitted to school without completed immunizations, but parents have to show proof of an appointment occurring within 20 calendar days of the first day of school.
Questions about vaccines can be directed to the school nurse or your child's family physician.