August 10, 2026
Dear Bryant Woods Elementary School (BWES) Family,
Welcome to the 2026-2027 School Year. On behalf of the staff at BWES, we are excited to greet your child(ren) when they return to school in two weeks, on Monday, August 24.
We hope that your family has experienced a happy and restful summer break, and that your child(ren) are equally excited about the new school year. Some of our students will be returning to our school and will be continuing their academic growth since school ended last June. Others, namely in our pre-kindergarten and kindergarten classes, as well as some across the upper grade levels who recently moved to our area, will be entering BWES for the first time. Our school is a welcoming and inviting school environment to all students, and we look forward to our collective educational journeys.
Our newly reconfigured school has a projected enrollment of approximately 250 students, because of the Redistricting which occurred at the end of last school year. As a result, we have one (1) Pre-kindergarten Class and two (2) classes per grade level schoolwide, in Kindergarten through Fifth grades. You will encounter many familiar staff members across our school, some of which in new grade levels or roles, as well as we have some wonderful new staff members on our team, whom you will meet and engage with very soon. One significant staff change was the transfer of Ms. Deanna Mingo, Assistant Principal to BWES, due to the promotion of longtime Assistant Principal, Mr. Jason Morton-Ortega. Ms. Mingo will not start the school year with us, as she is currently on medical leave. Ms. Mingo is working hard in her physical recovery to be part of our school team. In the interim, Ms. Rhonda Inskeep will serve as Substitute Administrator for several days per week. Ms. Inskeep is a retired Principal and Administrator within HCPSS and has graciously agreed to support our school for the beginning of the year.
Even though we are expected to become one of the smallest elementary schools within HCPSS, we are still committed to ensuring, in alignment with the expectations of the school district, as well as in alignment with evidence and research based best practices in education, providing differentiated learning experiences for every child, based on his or her learning needs and abilities.
We invite you to visit our school website (https://bwes.hcpss.org/) on a regular basis, which will be your source to many excellent school and district-based resources. Additionally, we will engage with you through our Bear Facts (electronic) newsletter, which you can expect each weekend, prior to the start of each new school week, beginning the week of August 31.
Below is a brief list of events to place on your calendars, as appropriate:
- Monday, August 17: BWES Back to School Bash from 5:30 – 7:00PM
- Wednesday, August 19: Popsicles on the Playground (Kindergarten Only) 4:00-5:00PM
- Friday, August 21: BWES Open House (specific times for each grade level will be forthcoming)
- Monday, August 24: First Day of School (Grades K-5)
- Thursday, August 28: First Day of School (Pre-K)
- Tuesday, September 8: Back to School Night
- PreK–Grade 2; 5:00-6:30PM
- Grades 3-5; 6:30–8:00PM
In the weeks ahead, our team and I will be sharing more information regarding our past schoolwide progress, as well as outlining the goals and challenges ahead. I cannot underscore the importance of ensuring that your child(ren) attend school each day, for the entire school day, as well as arrive on time, to ensure that he / she / they can fully access the high-quality teaching and instructional programming that we have to offer.
It is with your engagement, partnership and collaboration, that we can ensure that BWES can become a world class institution of learning and child development / growth.
Respectfully,
Dr. Khaleel S. Desaque
Principal