A huge shoutout to the homerooms that had the best attendance during the month of September! These students showed up ready to learn each day and earned a special spot in our Lion Pride Parade. We loved celebrating their commitment, school spirit, and teamwork as they marched through the halls like true Lions!

     -Ms. Huber's Homeroom with 97.62%

     -Ms. Arcadipane's Homeroom with 97.37%

     -Ms. Ripple's Homeroom with 97.21%

     -Ms. Flick's Homeroom with 96.96%

     -Ms. V. Anderson's Homeroom with 96.79%

Congratulations to all of our Lions who earned a Character Breakfast invitation last Friday for consistently being Respectful, Responsible, and Ready every day through your positive choices, hard work, and outstanding attitude! 

Forms were distributed by homeroom teachers.

Red Ribbon Week is when we take a stand for healthy choices and a drug free life. Our theme this year is “Make a Difference. Be a Hero. Stay Drug Free.”  During the week of October 26th, we will show our support by participating in these theme days:

Monday— Make It a Goal to Be Drug-Free (Sports Jerseys)

Tuesday— Hats Off to Being Drug-Free (Hat Day)

Wednesday— Say Peace Out to Drugs (Groovy Day/Tie-Dye)

Thursday— Follow Your Dreams, Don't Do Drugs (Pajama Day)

Friday— My Character Counts, I'm Drug Free (Character Stroll)

Why unity?

The goal of the day is to bring together youth, parents, educators, businesses, and community members across the nation to emphasize the message that bullying is not acceptable and that all students deserve to be safe in school, online, and in the community.

What is the call to action?

The call to action is simple: wear and share the color orange as a visible representation of the supportive, universal message that our society wants to prevent bullying, build community, and is united for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion.

Why the color orange?

Unity Day is held during October, and orange is a color commonly identified with that month and season. It is also a color associated with safety and visibility. Orange is described as warm and inviting, and its vibrancy makes a strong statement. 

Take a moment to recognize a BBES faculty member for their hard work and dedication by clicking on the "button" below.

St. Mary’s County Public Schools (SMCPS) is currently collecting Federal Impact Aid and Emergency Information Update forms.  Your cooperation in completing these forms no later than Friday, November 20, 2026, is greatly appreciated.

The federal government provides funding to the public school system in lieu of paying taxes on federal property.  This funding is based on the number of students whose parent(s) or guardian(s) are federally connected. This includes active-duty military personnel and federal employees who work/telework or live on federal property. It is very important that SMCPS provides an accurate count to ensure we gain the maximum funds for your child’s education. All information is strictly confidential.

Online Federal Impact Aid Forms are now available through the Home Access Center (HAC). Once logged in, please follow the directions to access the online Impact Aid form. Additionally, you can follow the video instructions. The form can now be accessed in Spanish by clicking on the Globe in the top right-hand corner once the form has been started.  The deadline for the online submission of 2026-2027 Federal Impact Aid Survey forms is Friday, November 20, 2026. The SMCPS website has more guidance on how to access the Federal Impact Aid Survey.

Effective communication is critical to the success of St. Mary’s County Public Schools (SMCPS). This will be crucial not only for emergencies but for our ability to communicate with families in general. On March 28, 2024, the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a revised Statistical Policy Directive No. 15 (SPD 15).  The key updates include new race/ethnicity fields, which incorporate a combined race/ethnicity question and the addition of a new “Middle Eastern and North African” category.  The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) considers school years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 transition periods and anticipates full implementation of the new directive in school year 2027-2028.  To that end, we are asking all families to provide updated information regarding students’ ethnicity designations.

Online Emergency Information Update Forms are now available through the parents’ Home Access Center (HAC). Once logged in, please follow the directions on how to access the online Emergency Information.  Additionally, you can follow the video instructions. It is vital that all information is updated in eSchool. The deadline for the online submission of Emergency Information Update forms is Friday, November 20, 2026. 

If you have any questions regarding these questionnaires, please call BBES.  We appreciate your cooperation with this important task. 

The PTA welcomes parents, grandparents, caregivers, and family members to join! Your membership fee supports the PTA. No additional commitment is required by joining. Look for your children to bring home more information. PTA is its own entity that supports BBES.

If you need to make a change to your student's primary mode of transportation home, please call the following extension before 2:30 pm (12:30 on early dismissal days):

          -301-475-0260

          -Press 2 (Big Ben) or Press 1 (Little Ben)

          -Leave a message on the parent pick-up line. This message is heard and seen by more than one person.

Please do not email or use the teacher communication platforms to notify the school about transportation changes. We are unable to accommodate transportation changes after 2:30pm.

To keep all our students safe, Benjamin Banneker Elementary School requires 100% ID verification when picking up a student. Please remember to bring a valid photo ID with you. If you do not have your ID, you will be asked to retrieve it before we can release the student.

As part of our back-to-school preparations, we are working to clear outstanding student account balances and ensure records are up to date. Families with unpaid balances are encouraged to review their student's account through MySchoolBucks (www.myschoolbucks.com) and make arrangements for payment before the start of the school year. Families may receive a courtesy email reminder regarding outstanding balances as part of this effort. If you have questions about a balance or need assistance, please contact the school office. Please note, if debts are not paid or if a payment plan is not in process, students may not be permitted to participate in our Character stroll and/or Field Day. Thank you for your partnership and support.

SMCPS is asking all families to utilize MySchoolBucks. The MySchoolBucks platform is a convenient, secure, and efficient school payment solution. 

The enrollment process is easy, and getting started is simple. Families can visit the MySchoolBucks website or download the free "MSB Parent" application from their device's app store.

Accessing Report Card Directions:

Once on the STUDENTS & FAMILIES tab of the St. Mary’s County Public Schools website, click the Home Access Center (HAC) link listed under GENERAL RESOURCES.

Click on the blue Home Access Center button OR scroll down to click “Sign In” under the HAC Login block.

You may also download the HAC Mobile App - “eSchool PLUS Family”.  The HAC Manual and Mobile App User Guide link is on the right-hand side of the page if you need assistance with either of those methods.  The directions in this document are for the web-based version only.

Enter your account User Name and Password.

If you have not logged in recently and cannot remember your User Name or Password, click the “Forgot My User Name or Password” link.

When you click the link, an email including a link to reset your password will be sent to the email address you provided to the school district. You will be prompted to answer your challenge questions when you click the link in the email.  If you need further assistance, please contact your student’s school.

Once logged on to Home Access Center, click the Grades icon.  

Next, click the Report Card tab. You should then see your report card for the current marking period. You may change to a different marking period by clicking the “View the Report Card for Reporting Period” dropdown menu. 

Print the Report Card by clicking the “Print” button on the far right.

This year, our elementary report cards have been updated to provide families with clearer, more meaningful information about student learning. The revised K–5 standards-based report cards are closely aligned with the Maryland College and Career Ready Standards and focus on the specific skills and concepts students are expected to learn at each grade level.

Rather than focusing on points, percentages, or averages, standards-based reporting communicates what students know, what they can do, and where they are continuing to grow. Throughout each quarter, teachers will use multiple sources of evidence, including student work, assessments, observations, and classroom performance to determine a student’s current level of understanding.

Families can expect the updated report card and supporting resources to:

Clearly identify grade-level learning expectations.

Communicate student progress toward those expectations.

Reflect the most current and consistent evidence of student learning.

Help families better understand both areas of strength and areas where additional growth is needed.

Because learning develops over time and expectations increase in rigor throughout the school year, a student’s progress may appear different at various points along the way. The goal of standards-based reporting is to provide a clearer picture of student learning and elicit meaningful conversations about current progress and next steps for growth. 

For more information about changes to the standards based report card, and to view parent documents for each grade level, please visit the Elementary Standards Based Report Cards - St. Mary's County Public Schools

December 14 at Leonardtown Middle School

Art Square One

     -November and December

     -Monies raised will benefit all art classes for project materials.

Student Pictures

     -Fall & Spring

     -Monies raised go to BBES for classroom equipment & supplies.

Scholastic Book Fair

     -Fall

     -Monies raised will benefit our media program.

Boosterthon Fun Run

     -May 2027 

     -Monies raised will go toward MTSS incentives and activities, Character Breakfast supplies, student musical productions, academic celebrations, and TBD.

-Money from our SY2026 Boosterthon is being used to repave our track and manage the erosion/landscaping on the hill by the basketball court. The erosion project was completed in September of 2026. Our track was resurfaced in October of 2026.

Did your children receive free or reduced-price school meals last school year? Please remember that a new FARMs application must be submitted every school year to maintain eligibility. Benefits do not automatically carry over from year to year. To prevent any gap in your child's meal services when school starts, please take a moment to fill out the annual online form. Click the application link below to get started.