Maple Elementary

✨ A Huge Thank You to Urban Grid and Depcom Power ✨ This morning, our Maple Elementary staff was treated to an amazing surprise thanks to the generosity of Urban Grid and Depcom Power! Not only did they provide us with a delicious Chick-fil-A breakfast, but they also donated a wonderful supply of school materials to help us kick off the year strong! A special thank you to all of the Depcom Power employees who personally contributed to the school supply drive - our teachers were so excited to receive all of these supplies! We are so grateful to their continued to support and commitment to our school community. Your kindness made a big impact and brought lots of smiles to our staff today!

We are so excited to welcome Mrs. Tammie Carlisle to the Maple Elementary kindergarten team! Mrs. Carlisle is already a familiar face in our community-she joins us from our very own Judy Center, where she served as the Family Services Coordinator. With about 30 years of teaching experience, Mrs. Carlisle is looking forward to teaching kindergarten, which happens to be the only elementary grade she hasn’t taught yet! Here are a few things to know about her: •She loves the outdoors and being around the water. •She is married to her husband, Bill. •She has two adult children—her son, Ian (27), is an engineer in Wilmington, and her daughter, Bayleigh (24), also teaches kindergarten in Charleston! We are so lucky that Mrs. Carlisle is joining the kindergarten team! 💚🦁

We are excited to welcome Ms. Annie Plumley to Maple Elementary as our new PK–2 School Counselor! This will be her 4th year as a school counselor, and she is joining us from Choptank Elementary. Ms. Plumley is most looking forward to building new connections in a new building and growing as a proud Maple Lion. Here are a few fun things to know about her: •She loves to run and has previously helped coach Girls on the Run at other DCPS schools. •She’s a proud dog mom and will always be happy to talk about her pups! •She loves quotes and finds inspiration in them. One of her favorites, shared with her by her own high school counselor, is: “Create your own sunshine.” We are so glad to have Ms. Plumley joining the Maple Lion family! 💚🦁

We are so excited to introduce Brianna Sann, who is joining us from Sandy Hill Elementary School! This will be her third year teaching, and she’s bringing her passion and energy to Maple Elementary. Ms. Sann has previously taught 1st grade and kindergarten, and this year she’s excited to step into a new adventure - her first year teaching Pre-K. When she’s not in the classroom, Ms. Sann loves to read books in her free time, and she’s hoping to be a part of the Griffin House. We can’t wait for all our Maple Lions to meet her. Please help us welcome Ms. Sann to the Maple family!

We are excited to welcome Mrs. Ida Heelan as our new English Learner (EL) teacher! Mrs. Heelan has spent the past four years supporting ELL students as an instructional assistant at SHES, CES, and MES. This year, she looks forward to focusing on helping students grow, learn, and reach their goals. When she started school, Mrs. Heelan was also learning English! She’s excited to use her experiences to support and encourage her students. Please help us to give a warm welcome to Ms. Heelan! We’re so glad to have her on our team!

We are so excited to welcome Mrs. Deborah Weeks to our school family! Mrs. Weeks brings with her an incredible 30 years of teaching experience in Special Education - 25 years at the high school level and 5 years at the elementary level. She is passionate about supporting students and is especially looking forward to working with the students, families, and her colleagues. When she’s not in the classroom, Mrs. Weeks loves spending time with her two dogs - Hannah, a 12-year-old golden retriever, and Chellie, her sweet 15-year-old rescue. She enjoys being with family and friends, and her favorite season is fall - perfect for cheering on the Baltimore Ravens, enjoying mums and apples, and taking cool, crisp walks with her dogs along the Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk. Please join us in giving Mrs. Weeks a warm welcome to our Maple Family. We are lucky to have her!

We are excited to welcome Ms. Hannah Malbouf as our new Health Teacher! This will be her first year teaching, and she is looking forward to helping students learn the importance of health and wellness. Ms. Malbouf is already a familiar face to our students. She has substituted at Maple, and both our students and staff already love her! She is originally from northern New York, and she recently graduated from Salisbury University. She is excited to begin the school year and officially join the Maple team. We’re thrilled to have Ms. Malbouf with us. Please give her a warm welcome to the Maple family!

Mrs. Meekins and Mrs. Higgins will be out and about today visiting some of our Maple Lions! If you see them, be sure to say hello. They can’t wait to have all of our students back in the building soon! 💚🦁

We are excited to welcome Ms. Daijah Turner as our new Art Teacher! This will be her first year teaching, and she is eager to begin this new chapter of her career. Ms. Turner is most excited about meeting her students and witnessing the creativity and unique artwork they will bring to life in the classroom. Before stepping into the world of education, Ms. Turner worked as a freelance art instructor and tattoo artist. She is also a painter who specializes in oil paintings of stylized figures. We are thrilled to have Ms. Turner on our team and can’t wait to see the inspiration and creativity she will share with our students. Please give her a warm welcome to the Maple family!

Our students are so lucky this year - Ms. Deanna Travis will be joining us as a SPED teacher! They are in for a wonderful year with her guidance and support. This is Ms. Travis’s first year teaching within DCPS, but she brings valuable classroom experience, having worked with students ages 18 months to 21 as an assistant and early childhood teacher. She is excited to make a meaningful impact in her students’ lives and help them achieve their goals. A little about Ms. Travis: she is a huge Harry Potter fan, loves spending summers at the beach with her children, and enjoys riding rollercoasters. Please join us in giving Ms. Travis a warm welcome to the Maple family!

Our 4th graders are in for a real treat this year - Ms. Simone Vagnoni will be their new ELA teacher! She is passionate about connecting with students and helping them grow as readers and writers. Ms. Vagnoni is entering her 5th year of teaching and is excited to bring her energy, creativity, and love of learning to the classroom, inspiring students every step of the way. A few fun facts about Ms. Vagnoni: She started playing field hockey at age 5 and played Division I field hockey at Michigan State University. She loves to travel and experience different cultures, with a long bucket list of destinations. She lives nearby with her husband, her sweet baby boy, and two energetic dogs. Please join us in giving Ms. Vagnoni a warm welcome to the Maple family!

It is a pleasure to introduce Ms. Dazia Moore, who is joining Maple Elementary as a Special Education Teacher! This is her first year as an Elementary School Special Education Teacher, and she is excited to work with our students and staff while engaging with the DCPS community. Ms. Moore is originally from Queen Anne’s County, where she was a Lion before and is thrilled to be a Lion again—Go Maple Lions! Her favorite food is sushi (she could eat it every day!), and she enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with friends and family. Please help us give a warm Maple welcome to Ms. Dazia Moore!

We are excited to welcome Mrs. Christine Swann back to Maple Elementary as our 3rd Grade ELA teacher! Mrs. Swann brings 15 years of teaching experience and a deep passion for helping students grow as readers, writers, and thinkers. Mrs. Swann previously taught at Maple and is thrilled to return, sharing, “I’m looking forward to being back at Maple and seeing the kids.” In recent years, she has enjoyed working alongside her husband on their family farm. When she’s not in the classroom or on the farm, Mrs. Swann loves spending time with her family and friends. Her warmth, experience, and enthusiasm will make her a wonderful addition to our 3rd grade team once again. Please join us in giving a warm welcome back to Mrs. Swann!

We are excited to introduce Andrea Love, who will be joining us as a special education teacher this year. Ms. Love brings 19 years of teaching experience and is looking forward to being part of a supportive team and contributing to Maple Elementary’s continued success. A Dorchester native, Ms. Love has taught students from Early Childhood through 12th grade as a special educator. She loves making people smile and is excited to bring her experience, positivity, and dedication to our students and school community. Join us in giving Andrea Love a warm welcome to the Maple Family!

We are thrilled to introduce Kayla Collins, who will be joining us as a first-year teacher in 2nd grade this school year. Ms. Collins is most excited to build a classroom community where every student feels safe, seen, and excited to learn. She can’t wait to get to know her students and watch them grow throughout the year.

Ms. Collins graduated from Salisbury University and never says no to ice cream or iced coffee. She loves gardening, baking, reading, spending time outside in the sunshine, and being with her family and friends.

Join us in giving Kayla Collins a warm welcome to the Maple Family!

Take a look at some of our Maple Lions and their families who visited Mrs. Higgins during Maple Mornings this July!

Thank you to everyone who came out to say hello— it was great to see so many families and helped keep our school spirit strong all summer long!

We can’t wait to see everyone back next month at our Opening Ceremony on August 28 from 3–5 PM—mark your calendars!

Maple Elementary Opening Ceremony! Join us for our Opening Ceremony - our fun twist on Open House! Come meet your child's teacher, connect with our amazing staff, and discover the services our community partners provide. Don't forget to stop by and enjoy a special activity hosted by our school social workers. Food trucks will also be on-site with tasty treats available for purchase- bring your appetite! Tired of sitting in the Maple pick-up line every afternoon? This is your chance to cruise right to the front! Enter our raffle for a chance to win VIP pick-up access for the entire first quarter! Tickets are $2 each, 3 tickets for $5, or an arm's length for $10. We'll be drawing FOUR lucky winners - don't miss out! We can't wait to see you there!

As many of you begin your end of summer cleaning, please consider donating new or gently used items for our Holiday Shoppe. The shoppe will be held in December, but we’re starting early in hopes of collecting enough items so that every student can use their Paw Points to purchase at least two gifts for family or friends. Donations can be dropped off in the main office Monday–Thursday from 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM. Thank you for your support in helping make this a special experience for our students.

Please join us for the last week of Maple Mornings with Mrs. Higgins!
Stop by between 9 am and 11am to get some activities and a special treat.

RACE & CEDAR STREET- MONDAY, JULY 28TH
BUCKTOWN TRAILER PARK- TUESDAY, JULY 29TH
HENRY & FRANKLIN ST. - WEDNESDAY, JULY 30TH
STONE BOUNDARY & HIBISCUS RD. - THURSDAY, JULY 31ST