We’re just 25 families short of our 270 family member goal for an all-school popsicle party. There are 3 weeks left to join to be entered in the raffle for a Bells Mill t-shirt and for the chance for a class to win a Bells Mill squishy! Help us meet our goal and sign up today.

On Friday, the PTA held its first assembly of the year! Village Edu presented a Genetic Carnival for students - a combination between a staged theatrical performance, a science lecture, and an interactive carnival. Students were immersed in an interactive narrative that took them on a journey through the evolution of life on planet Earth. They learned about the development of multicellular organisms, life’s colonization of land, mammal’s rise to prominence, and the impacts of the anthropocene on the global ecosystem. Throughout the event, students had have the opportunity to play carnival style games to help their organisms evolve. Ask your child about it!

Take a night off from cooking and support the Bells Mill PTA! Join us for our Community Night at Potomac Pizza (Potomac Village) on Wednesday, October 21st, from 4:00 to 9:00 PM. Whether you dine in or carry out, 20% of all sales mentioning Bells Mill will go directly back to our school!

Ordering online? Make sure to click the "FUNDRAISER" tab on the far left menu panel, select the fundraiser button, and add it to your cart before checking out so our school gets the credit.

We hope to see you there!

Trunk or Treat: Register Your Children & Order Pizza!

Join us for Bells Mill’s Trunk or Treat on Saturday, October 24, from 4–6pm! Please register your children and preorder a pizza (no onsite pizza ordering available) to take home after the fun. Pizza orders close Tuesday, October 20, at 8:00pm—don’t miss the deadline! Link to register and order pizza.

Thank you to everyone who donated candy at Breakfast with Bears! Our Candy Monster will make one final appearance at drop-off and pickup on Friday, October 23, to collect any last candy donations.

The Bells Mill PTA Reflections Committee is now accepting student submissions for 2026-27 National PTA Reflections Art Program. This contest provides students with a platform for self-expression, helping them hone their creative talents and explore different art forms. It offers an opportunity to showcase their work, fostering pride and accomplishment. 

Bells Mill students are invited to create and submit an original work of art inspired by this year’s theme: "What My Culture Means to Me". Our top Bells Mill submission will move on to the county level, with an opportunity to compete at the state and national level! Students can express their creativity through six artistic categories:

For more details, contest rules, and submission guidelines, please visit the Reflections Art Contest Page on the Bells Mills PTA website. If you have questions or need assistance with the online submission form, contact our Reflections Program Chairs, Gray & Erin Turner, at [email protected]

This week's MCCPTA briefing covers important updates on school planning, curriculum, and technology use. MCPS is seeking community input on potential school closures and consolidations, although no decisions have been made. Other highlights include updates on middle school math requirements, Chromebook use, and advanced learning opportunities. A recent Bells Mill survey also identified school funding, staffing, and academic quality as top parent concerns. Read the full briefing to learn more and find opportunities to get involved.

We are sharing proposed changes to MCPS Policy IPD, which governs field trips and student organization trips, and encouraging families to provide feedback by October 30.

Several proposed changes could affect experiences students look forward to:
-Celebratory and reward trips: The proposal removes the provision allowing trips that celebrate students’ promotion to the next school level or motivate and reward students, with appropriate approval (this could include the patrol picnic and fifth grade field trip).

-Activities requiring waivers: The draft prohibits activities that require student waivers as a condition of participation. Families should consider whether this could affect trips their schools currently offer.

-Instructional purpose and safety: The proposal places greater emphasis on connections to instruction and would prohibit trips with limited educational value and high risk or liability concerns.

These changes are still proposals. Your feedback can help shape the final policy. Please share specific examples of trips Bells Mill offers and explain their value to students, including any experiences that could be affected.

Please review the proposed policy and submit comments by Friday October 30.

Link to submit comments:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfFubPcfvlRvDnDqdF-KNiZzoWbztnlhiEwkPi9L6qU5Ju9yw/viewform

As MCPS continues to develop the 2027-2028 school calendar, the district is seeking more input from you!

Please complete this second survey to share input on the proposed draft traditional calendar for the 2027-2028 school year. Your feedback represents an important component of the development process. MCPS will consider educational interests, operational needs, mandated school closures by state law, compliance with minimum instructional days and credit hour requirements, inclement weather and other emergencies, staff professional days and early release days, and alignment with assessment schedules. The survey will close on Friday, November 6.

At the October 8 Board of Education meeting, MCPS shared updates to its middle and high school Programs of Study, with a focus on strengthening what’s available at local schools and making regional programs more consistent and accessible.

What this Means for Families
Middle school: MCPS has paused implementation of MSDE’s requirement for 60 minutes of daily mathematics instruction.

High school: Proposed changes would make course pathways easier to follow, provide greater teacher continuity, create common registration tools, and establish clearer definitions for On-level, Honors, AP, IB, and Dual Enrollment courses.

Regional programs: MCPS is proposing six defined regions to expand access to specialized programs, including STEM, Medical Exploration, Leadership, Arts, and Global Learning.

Link to slides from 10/8 BOE Meeting