Happy summer! I hope our scholars are having a wonderful, well-deserved break, enjoying extra time with family, and making beautiful memories.
While our building is quiet right now, our team is already hard at work preparing for a fantastic 2026–2027 school year. As your principal, I am incredibly excited for the journey ahead. Serving this community is a true privilege. I am constantly inspired by the brilliance of our students, the dedication of our families, and the passion of our educators. Whether your family is returning for another great year or joining our Maya Angelou community for the very first time, we are thrilled to partner with you.
I want to share a few early updates with you now, and you can expect more detailed logistical information and school preparation details to arrive closer to the start of the school year.
Celebrating Our Departures:
As we evolve and grow, we also want to take a moment to honor the educators who have helped shape who we are as a premier school community. A vital part of our strength comes from the legacy of care and excellence left by those who have served our scholars. Please join me in extending our deepest appreciation and warmest wishes to the following staff members as they embark on their next professional chapters:
They will always be a cherished part of the Maya Angelou story, and we wish them nothing but the absolute best in all their future endeavors.
Laying the Groundwork: Welcoming New Staff
Growth and global leadership do not happen by accident. They are the result of intentional choices and investing in the right people to guide our community forward. Every new addition to our staff represents a strategic piece of our mission; allowing us to deepen our literacy foundation, maintain upper-elementary academic rigor, and support the holistic, healthy development of our scholars.
Please join me in giving an early, warm welcome to the newest members of our team, who are already eager to support our scholars' success this fall:
Ms. Erycka Constant – Reading Resource Teacher
Mme. Edith Francois-Christian – Grade 5 Teacher
Ms. Rachel Davis – Health Education Teacher
Note: We are also actively finalizing our search for a Paraprofessional to join this cohort and will share updates as soon as that vital piece of our puzzle is in place.
Our Theme: Mission Aligned. Focused on Impact. (M.A.F.I.)
Our work this year is deeply anchored in our school district’s overarching theme: Moving Forward by Design. To operationalize this vision within our own building and accelerate growth for all students, our unifying theme will be: “Mission Aligned. Focused on Impact.” Moving Forward by Design means we are intentionally architecting a learning environment where no student's success is left to chance. In direct alignment with district priorities, we are deepening our commitment to equitable, high-impact instruction; ensuring that our Students with Disabilities (SWD), Multilingual and TAG Learners (MLs) receive the targeted, high-quality supports they need to thrive.
To bring this theme to life, we will anchor our daily work in four core pillars:
Mission: Every action ensures high levels of learning for every scholar.
Alignment: Collaborating seamlessly across departments and programs by elevating our collaborative planning and learning communities (PLCs) to analyze data and share best practices.
Focus: Prioritizing the exact, high-leverage instructional strategies that drive student growth, while actively building teacher capacity through targeted observation, actionable feedback, and job-embedded coaching.
Impact: Measuring our ultimate success solely by the accelerated achievement and growth of our scholars.
Moving Forward Together: Every resource, schedule shift, and instructional strategy this year will purposefully serve this mission; intentionally designing a clear pathway toward accelerated growth for all scholars.
Continuing with Our Academic Vision:
While we have transitioned away from the IB PYP and MYP programs, our commitment to developing globally-minded learners, leaders and citizens is stronger than ever. We are proud to continue our premier French Immersion and Talented and Gifted Programs (TAG) within the framework of inquiry-based, culturally relevant, and differentiated instruction with a global context.
As part of our dedication to academic excellence, we are also introducing an updated mathematics course sequence designed to support accelerated growth, provide targeted interventions, and ensure every student is appropriately challenged.
Revised Middle School Math Sequence:
To foster high achievement, we are offering revised pathways featuring smaller class sizes and additional instructional supports:
Grade 6: All 6th-grade students will enter an honors-level track, taking either Accelerated Math I or Accelerated Math II based on their readiness. 5th grade students who will be taking grade six math will take Accelerated I Math (Honors).
Grade 7: Students will transition into Math 7, Accelerated Math II (Honors), or Algebra I (Honors), depending on readiness.
Grade 8: Students will round out their middle school experience with options for Foundations for Algebra, Algebra I (Honors), or Geometry (Honors).
This restructured sequence ensures that all students have access to rigorous, high-quality math instruction while receiving the foundational support necessary for long-term success.
I am deeply energized for the year ahead and confident that our partnership will make this our most impactful school year yet. Please review the following pages, which contain important initial resources to help your family begin preparing for the upcoming year. Keep an eye on your inbox in August for our next update!
Help your student take their next big step with confidence! We are hosting specialized transition meetings designed to set our rising Kindergarteners and 6th Graders up for success on Wednesday, August 05, 2026 from 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
For Kindergarten Families: Learn about foundational curriculum expectations, daily routines, and tips for a smooth drop-off.
For Middle School Families: We will dive deep into the unique shifts of the middle school years. This includes understanding the academic and cognitive changes in developing adolescents, navigating new school logistics, and supporting your student's growing independence.
Uniform Vendor Onsite: Our official uniform vendor will be on campus during the meetings! Take this opportunity to check sizing, purchase required apparel, and cross school shopping off your to-do list. We look forward to partnering with you as our students step into these exciting new chapters!
🏫 Orientation Day-Monday, August 24, 2026
We are excited to welcome our newest scholars to the building! This session is specially designed to help transitioning students get familiar with the campus, meet key staff, and feel confident for the upcoming school year.
📅 Date: Monday, August 24, 2026
🕒 Time: 8:30 AM – 10:30 AM
👥 Who Should Attend: All Kindergarten and 6th-Grade students.
👕 Dress Code: School uniforms are not required to be worn on this day.
Important Logistics:
Drop-off & Pick-up: Transportation is not provided for orientation. All parents and guardians are responsible for dropping off and picking up their students.
Kindergarten Families: To ensure a smooth transition, Kindergarten parents must remain with their scholars for the entire duration of the orientation.
School Supplies: Kindergarten families are welcome and highly encouraged to bring and drop off their student's school supplies during this time so they are ready for the first day of school! Please be sure to label all items with your child’s name unless it is a shared classroom item.
🔔 First Day of School & Daily Schedule- Tuesday, August 25, 2026
Our regular daily hours are 8:30 AM – 3:10 PM.
8:00 AM – Doors open & student arrival begins.
8:00 AM – 8:30 AM – Free breakfast is served in the cafeteria.
8:30 AM – Classes begin. Students must be in their classrooms by this time.
Arrival & Tardy Policies:
Do not drop students off before 8:00 AM, as there is no adult supervision available.
Students arriving after 8:30 AM are officially tardy and must stop by the main office for a late pass before going to class.
Stay Connected
Our Website: Visit the School Website for updates. (Note: Our site is currently being refreshed with new information for the school year!)
Need Help? If you have any questions, call the main office directly at (301) 702-3950. We are happy to help!
🍎 Back to School Night
We invite all families to join us for our Back to School Night sessions! This is a wonderful opportunity to meet your student’s teachers, learn about our instructional programs, and understand expectations regarding grading and attendance. You will also get a chance to explore available clubs and extracurricular activities.
Please join us on the night designated for your student's grade level:
We look forward to partnering with you for a successful school year!
📅 Student Schedules
We know everyone is eager to see their classes for the upcoming year!
Middle School Students: A hard copy of all middle school schedules will be distributed directly to students on the first day of school.
Digital Access for All Families: All student schedules will also be available digitally through Synergy ParentVUE prior to the start of the school year.
Quick Tip: If you haven't already, please ensure your ParentVUE account is active and your login information is up to date so you can easily access your student's schedule and academic updates.
🏫 Homeroom & Teacher Assignments
Creating balanced classes that meet the varying needs of every student is a tremendous undertaking that we take great pride in at MAFI. Our school staff carefully analyzes student performance data, monitors enrollment, and plans instructional programming designed to help every child thrive.
To ensure optimal learning environments, we balance our classes thoughtfully by considering:
Academic Performance Data
Demographics (including gender and race)
Specialized Services (providing purposeful inclusion for Students with disabilities (SWD), Talented and Gifted (TAG), and Multilingual Learners (MLs)
We have worked tirelessly to place all MAFI scholars in environments where they will excel. To that end, we do not accept requests for changing teacher assignments. Every member of our staff is an incredible educator, and we are confident that all of our students will learn at high levels this year!
✏️ School Supplies
Get ready for a fresh start! Please click the link below to view the official required materials for your student's grade level: School Supply List for SY 2026-2027
Please Note: As a reminder, Kindergarten families are welcome to bring and drop off these supplies early during our Orientation Day on Monday, August 24.
👕 Mandatory School Uniform Policy
Maya Angelou French Immersion School enforces a strict, mandatory school uniform policy for all scholars.
Requirement: All students must be in full uniform starting on the first day of school, Tuesday, August 25, 2026.
Policy Details: Please review the full dress code guidelines, including approved colors and styles, here: MAFI Uniform Policy. Branded uniforms are not required.
Vendor Info: Optional school-branded tops and accessories can be found at The Scholar Spot.
💉 Immunization Requirements
To ensure the health and safety of our school community, up-to-date immunization records are due by the first day of school, Tuesday, August 25, 2026.
State Guidelines: Review the Maryland State Required Immunizations by Grade to ensure your student is fully compliant.
Resources: If your student still needs vaccinations, you can locate Free Local Immunization Clinics Here.
Please Note: Students who do not meet Maryland state immunization requirements by the first day of school may face exclusion from attending classes. Please submit your records to the main office as soon as they are completed.
🍎 Student Meals & Meal Applications (FARM)
All families are highly encouraged to complete the Free and Reduced-Price Meals (FARM) application, even if you are unsure of your eligibility status.
How to Apply: Apply online at MySchoolApps.com for the fastest processing time (24–48 hours).
Alternative Option: Hard copies of the application will be available at the school. Completed physical forms should be returned directly to the main office.
Paid Meals: Students who do not qualify for meal benefits must pay for their meals. You can view current rates here: See Meal Prices.
Managing Meal Funds & Bag Lunches
Please ensure your student is prepared for lunch each day by doing one of the following:
Packing a healthy bag lunch from home.
Depositing funds into your student’s school meal account online via MySchoolBucks.com.
🚫 Strict Meal Delivery Policy: For safety and operational reasons, the use of restaurant delivery services for student lunches is strictly prohibited. This includes UberEats, DoorDash, Grubhub, and all similar delivery apps. Any such deliveries will be turned away by school security.
🚌 School Bus & Transportation Information
Our district transportation office is hard at work finalizing routes to ensure all eligible students travel safely to and from school.
Bus Information Postcards: The transportation department will mail a postcard containing your student's specific bus stop, route numbers, and pickup/drop-off times directly to your home address a few days before school begins.
Eligibility: Generally, students who live more than 1.5 miles from Maya Angelou French Immersion qualify for bus transportation.
Action Required: Please log into Synergy as soon as possible to verify that your home address and contact information are completely up to date.
📍 Tracking & Quick Links
Find Your Stop: You can manually look up bus routes and neighborhood stop locations online here: Check Bus Stop Locations.
Real-Time Bus Tracking: Download the Chipmunk app (available on the Apple App Store and Google Play) to track your child's bus location and arrival status in real-time.
Contacting the Bus Lot: Once your bus route is assigned, any daily route questions or immediate delays should be directed to the originating bus lot. You can find those direct phone numbers here: Bus Lot Directory.
💡 Need to Submit a Concern? To report ongoing routing issues or submit official requests that are beyond the school building's control, please submit a ticket directly via the Transportation Resolution System.
🚌 Updating Bus Pick-up/Drop-off Locations
Who needs to submit a form? Only families who are completely new to the school, or returning families who need to change their scholar’s morning pick-up or afternoon drop-off address. If your information has not changed, no action is required.
Childcare Centers: If your child is being picked up from or dropped off at a childcare center, you must include the official name of the facility on the form.
How to submit: Please download and complete the PGCPS Transportation Request Form and email it ASAP to mayaangelou.french@pgpcps.org. (Note: If a physical form was attached to this letter, please fill it out, scan it, and return it to these email addresses).
🏠 Have You Moved? If your home address has changed, please contact our School Support Team immediately to officially update your records and maintain transportation eligibility. For guidance on completing a formal change of address, please email mayaangelou.french@pgcps.org.
⏰ Before & After Care Program
Prince George’s County has partnered with AlphaBest to provide reliable, on-site before and after school care services for our families this school year.
How to Register: Secure your student's spot by visiting AlphaBest.org for detailed program information and online enrollment.
Important Notice: Spaces are limited and filled on a first-come, first-served basis. We highly encourage families to register as early as possible to guarantee a spot.
