On behalf of the students, teachers, staff, and parents of the Crofton Woods Community, I want to welcome you to our World Wide Web site -- our electronic gateway to the world. I invite you to explore our school's Web site; we've tried to make it useful and fun! For those of you new to Crofton Woods, it was established in 1970 as a second public elementary school in the community of Crofton, Maryland. It is located just west of the Maryland State Capital, Annapolis, and 20 miles east of Washington, D.C. Crofton Woods is one of 77 Anne Arundel County public elementary schools. The school serves approximately 560 students in grades Kindergarten through Grade Five.

Students at Crofton Woods have numerous opportunities for enrichment in all curricular areas. Student outcomes in Reading / Language Arts have been organized into a framework for instruction for each quarterly marking period. This framework provides for balanced instruction in reading, writing, listening and speaking for each nine-week period. Various reading materials, including both fiction and non-fiction, are utilized. Grouping decisions in the classroom are based on diagnosed needs for a variety of different purposes. This flexible grouping allows the teacher to meet effectively the needs of his / her students in different areas of instruction.

Reading and writing experiences are both narrative and expository based, and integrated within the content areas of science, social studies, and mathematics. A computer laboratory provides the technology for extending and enhancing learning associated with all aspects of the curriculum. Supervised Internet access provides the opportunity for global communication and exploration to appropriate sites.

Our classrooms provide an "open space" environment for instruction, as was common at the time of school construction. Typically, students are assigned by grade level to a very large "pod" which contains teaching space for four homeroom classes. Language Arts and Mathematics instruction is taught by the homeroom teacher. Science or Social Studies are typically taught by another grade level teacher. The elementary school curriculum also includes instruction in computer technology, music, art, physical education, library/media studies, and drug awareness/personal safety.

The Crofton Woods community supports the visual and performing arts through regular cultural arts assemblies and Artists in Residence sponsored by the Parent Teachers Association. Grants from the Baltimore Community Foundation, and the Cultural Arts Foundation of Anne Arundel County have provided funding for artists-in-residence and partnerships with local museums and galleries.

Crofton Woods maintains close ties internationally with schools in France, Kenya, and Japan. Students have opportunities to broaden their understanding of other cultures through numerous school based initiatives that have integrated the Visual and Performing Arts within Social Studies content.

The Crofton Woods school community, including staff and parents, is committed to effective communication between the home and school. Our School Improvement Plan specifically addresses strategies for:

• accelerating academic achievement,
• maintaining a safe and orderly environment, and
• fostering community partnerships and parent involvement.

Specific Information Related to Crofton Woods Elementary School - Parent Handbook:

Inside the student planner for students in grades one through grade five is a copy of the Parent Handbook. This references all information pertinent to the organization and structure of Crofton Woods School. This would include items such as school hours, health room procedures, parent teacher conferencing, school calendar, PTA functions, entrance requirements, discipline procedures, etc.

Parents of Kindergarteners will be given a copy of the Parent Handbook during the initial August, Parent Teacher Interview.

Additionally, parents of registered students will receive a “summer mailing” in the middle of August including an update on planned calendar events for PTA, conferences and student activities.