It is with great excitement that I welcome you all to the 2025-2026 school year! What a special time to be a DuFief Dragon as we are celebrating DuFief Elementary School's 50th Anniversary! Last spring, our planning committee began brainstorming ways to honor the history of our beloved little school, and we look forward to celebrating 50 Years of Learning to Live and Living to Learn!
While our regular Weekly Updates will continue to provide you with important information, we wanted to share some important information and reminders to help ensure a smooth start of the school year for everyone!
When Does My Student Start School? As you all have heard, this year MCPS is adding a Transition Day to the start of the school year, and it has been a bit confusing as to who this includes and when! Please see the chart below to see who attends on Monday, August 25th (Transition Day) and who starts on Tuesday, August 26th (Official First Day of School).
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Arrival and Dismissal Procedures: Our official Student Day is 9:00am-3:25pm. Students arriving into the building after 9:00am are counted as tardy. Please find attached a map showing our Bus Traffic and Car Traffic routes and important times. Please note that students should not be arriving on campus until staff supervision begins at 8:40am.
| 8:40 am-8:55 am | Student Morning Line Up |
| 8:55 am | FIRST BELL: Classroom Teachers pick up students from outdoor line up locations |
| 9:00 am | SECOND BELL: Student Day Begins |
| 3:20 pm | Student Dismissal Begins |
Bus Route Information: Starting this year, families are able to easily access student bus route information using the MCPS ParentVUE App or website. Select your student, click Student Information and the bus route details are listed under the Transportation header. DuFief's two community bus routes are linked here.
DuFief Elementary Supply List: Please find our 2025-2026 school supply list linked below. If you require any support with securing school supplies for your child, please reach out to our school counselor, Mrs. Suzanne Pape, suzanne_pape@mcpsmd.org so we can help! DuFief Spirit Wear Back to School Sale: Throughout the year, we will be sharing sales from our official DuFief ELementary spirit wear provider. A portion of all proceeds comes right back to support our school! Please see the most current sales linked below and attached.
- https://1stplace.sale/44063
- Sale Dates: 8/18/2025 - 9/23/2025
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25% off all merchandise...NO CODE NEEDED
MCPS Back to School Fair is August 23rd: MCPS is hosting its annual Back-to-School Fair on Saturday, Aug. 23 from 10 a.m.–1 p.m. at Westfield Wheaton mall (11160 Veirs Mill Road in Wheaton). Learn about the school system, and county programs and services, pick up giveaways and get your immunizations. Enjoy music, entertainment and children’s activities, such as the Bike Rodeo, a fun activity to teach kids essential bike safety skills. Learn more.
MCPS School Meals Information:
- Menus and Special Dietary Needs: Menus, including nutrition and allergen information, can be viewed on the DFNS website through MealViewer. MCPS Form 240-23, Special Dietary Needs Form, may be used to request meal accommodations for students eating in the cafeteria.
- Free and Reduced-price Meals (FARMS) Applications: Apply online NOW so students receive free meals on the first day of school! Households meeting federal income standards are eligible for free school meals, and students who qualify for reduced-price meals will continue to receive meals at no cost. To receive this benefit, a new FARMS application must be completed every school year. Please submit the online FARMS application through www.MySchoolApps.com. Only one application is needed for all students in a household.
- Meal Prices, Payment Policy, and Procedures:There are no changes in meal prices this school year. Funds can be added to student meal accounts at no charge by bringing cash, check, or money order directly to school cafeteria managers. Payments to student meal accounts can be made through www.MySchoolBucks.com. Breakfast: $1.30 (All levels), Lunch: $2.55 (Elementary), $2.80 (Middle and High) Parents/guardians are responsible for school cafeteria account balances incurred by their student(s), and MCPS must collect unpaid school cafeteria charges.
Upcoming Important Dates:
| Wed, August 20th | 6:30-7:30pm | Kindergarten Back to School Night for Kindergarten Parents |
| Thurs, Aug 21st | 2:00-3:00pm | Open House for ALL Students and Families |
| Mon, Aug 25th | 9:00-3:25pm | Transition Day for ALL K Students, Grade 1 and Grade 2 Students in Learning Center ONLY |
| Mon, Aug 25th | 9:00am-11:00am | Transition Day for ONLY Invited Students New to DuFief (Invites were sent on Friday, August 8th) |
| Tues, Aug 26th | 9:00-3:25pm | First Day of School for ALL STUDENTS |
| Mon, Sep 1st | Labor Day Holiday-Schools and Offices CLOSED | |
| Thurs, Sep 25th | 5:30-7:30pm | DuFief ES/DuFief PTA Back-to-School Bash |
We are looking forward to another wonderful year of partnering with all of our families on behalf of our DuFief Dragon students! Please do not hesitate to contact our office at 240-740-1600 for any questions you may have.