The Falcon Flier

Edward Cosentino, Principal

Sandra McGraw, Assistant Principal

Jennifer Stairs, Assistant Principal

Website: ples.hcpss.org
Location: Phelps Luck Elementary School, Old Stone Court, Columbia, MD, USA
Phone: 410-313-6886
Facebook: facebook.com/phelpsluckelementary
Twitter: @hcpss_ples

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Spanish

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Korean

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Urdu

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Now that we are at the beginning of the second quarter, it is time to reflect upon student progress from the first quarter of the school year. Teachers worked on report cards on Tuesday, and they will be available in Family File on Wednesday, November 8 at 4:00 p.m.

I want to inform you of an important report available will be available on November 8 as well. MAP Student Progress Reports will be available in Family File. In October, students in grades one through five took the MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) test. We shared information about MAP in the September 8th issue of the newsletter. Don't hesitate to get in touch with me, Mrs. McGraw, Mrs. Stairs, or your child's teacher if you have any questions.

To access the most recent your child Report Card and MAP Student Progress Report, follow these directions:

1. Log in to HCPSS Connect
2. Select More Options from the left panel
3. Select Report Cards from the middle
4. Near the top of the page, select MAP_2023_FALL
5. Near the bottom of the page, select 2023-2024 Q1 Report Card

Between the MAP reports, report cards, and parent-teacher conferences, you will be able to see a complete picture of how your child is performing this year in school. The information shared will help you and your child update or establish goals for the remainder of the school year.

Mr. Cosentino, Principal

For a complete list of dates and events, visit ples.hcpss.org/calendar.

November

• 3 - School Spirit Day - PLES Spirit Wear Day
• 6 - PTA Restaurant Day - Coal Fire at Shipley's Grant, 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• 8 - Family Science Night, 5:30 p.m.
• 10 - Turkey Trot
• 13 - American Education Week begins
• 13 - Scholastic Book Fair beings
• 14 - PTA Paint Night, 6:00 p.m.
• 16 - PLES Food Pantry evening
• 17 - School Spirit Day - Favorite Team Day
• 20 - Schools close 3 hours early - Parent-Teacher Conferences, 12:15 p.m.
• 21 - Schools close 3 hours early - Parent-Teacher Conferences, 12:15 p.m.
• 22 - School closed for student - Parent-Teacher Conferences
• 23 - Schools and offices closed - Thanksgiving
• 24 - Schools and offices closed - Thanksgiving

To subscribe to the PLES calendar on your smartphone, electronic device, or email system, click the plus sign + at the bottom right-hand corner of the Google Calendar or click this link.

Please find quick reference cards below to help you understand your child's report card.

Parent/Teacher Conferences are scheduled for November 20, 21, and 22. Conferences on November 20 will be in-person at Phelps Luck ES. Conferences on November 21 and 22 will be virtual.

Conferences will be with homeroom teachers and will focus on Language Arts.
To schedule conferences, you will need to log in to HCPSS Connect.

HCPSS Connect will be open for all schools to schedule conferences from Monday, November 7, at 8:00 a.m. through Thursday, November 16, at 4:00 p.m. Please take the time to schedule your conference while the conference scheduling window is open. It is very difficult to accommodate last-minute appointments once the scheduling window closes.

The directions for parent conference registration is linked here from the HCPSS website. You can also download the directions from the icon below.

If you have any questions, please call the front office at 410-313-6886.

Please note: This is the first of two conference periods for the school year. There will be conferences following the end of the second quarter in February. The focus of those conferences will math where you will be able to meet with your child's math teacher.

Paint Night

Paint Night is Tuesday, November 14th from 6:00-7:00 PM. Just $10 per canvas. Use the Paint Night flyer that came home in Thursday folders to register or purchase your spot here: Givebacks (memberhub.com)

Reflections 2023-2024

Calling Pre-K through 5th grade artists, dancers, filmmakers, musicians, photographers, and writers! Now is your chance to showcase your talent by participating in PTA Reflections! Entries are due by Friday, November 17, 2023. Email jenptareflections@gmail.com. More info? htpss://www.phelpsluckpta.org/reflections

Scholastic Book Fair

The Scholastic Book Fair is coming! Students will make wishlists during Media class the week of November 13th, and the full Book Fair set-up will be available for purchases on November 20th and 21st.

Coal Fire Restaurant Night

Join us at Coal Fire on Monday, November 6 between 11:30 AM and 9:00 PM. 20% of all sales with a flyer will benefit the PLES PTA.

Free Community Health Fair (with annual flu shots for 6-month-old & up) on Saturday, November 11, 2023, from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Everyone is welcome and walk-ins are accepted. The event is free to the public. It will be held indoors at Glen Mar Church. The scheduled health-related services are: Annual Flu shots; Hearing & Vision screening (for pre-school & up); Blood pressure & stoke risk assessment; Women, Infants, & Children information; Domestic Violence prevention information; Mental Health related information; Crisis Intervention info and referrals; Health and Wellness coaching; Living Wellness Chiropractic; & Senior Placement Navigator. For the latest health fair information visit us at https://glenmarumc.org/events/mini-health-fair-2023/ If you have any questions, email us at healthfair@glenmarumc.org

Below is a list of Howard County Office of Children and Families workshops and resources for November 2023.

Are We There Yet? Travel Activities for Children
Traveling by plane, train, or automobile this holiday season? Join us as we prepare hands-on travel activities to keep your little ones engaged, learning and having fun while getting from “here to there.” Get tips on entertainment ideas, survival strategies and practical advice to help make your upcoming trip a success!
Thursday, November 9, 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Free virtual workshop. Register here

Picky Eating: How to Help Your Child Grow and Eat a Balanced Diet
Helping your infant and toddler build healthy eating habits for life is very important yet daunting. Review typical infant to toddler development, eating patterns, growth, and how to determine when to ask for help.
Thursday, November 30, 7:00 p.m. Free Virtual Workshop Register here

Parenting Apart: Navigating Co-Parenting through the Holiday Season and Beyond
The holiday season is a time of joy and togetherness for many families, but they can also be reminders of who and what we have lost. For those co-parenting during or in the aftermath of divorce, the holidays can bring unique challenges and disruptions to the usual routine. This presentation is tailored to parents who are going through divorce or separation and are eager to create a parenting plan that minimizes conflict and promotes stability and harmony for your children. Explore essential considerations when creating an access schedule that prioritizes your children's well-being throughout the year, but especially during the holidays. Gain insights into effectively managing common co-parenting issues that can arise. Learn valuable communication and co-parenting strategies to navigate this period of transition, and as well as resources for ongoing support and assistance.

Monday, December 4, 7:00 p.m. Free Virtual Workshop. Register here

We recently held a parent information night about the updated report card for our primary grades. If you could not attend or wish to review the information again, you can find the PowerPoint on Canvas at the link below, along with many other resources.

Parent/Family SBIR Canvas Course

Please bring any extra unopened Halloween candy to school in a ziplock bag between Nov 1-7, 2023. We will give the candy to the USO at BWI airport so that they can give it to our troops before they travel overseas. Feel free to also write letters/cards to the troops, which will be given to our military. Thank you!

Together for Safe, Just & Equitable Schools.

What is American Education Week?

During American Education Week, November 13—17, 2023, Americans nationwide will join the National Education Association (NEA) in raising awareness about the need to provide every child with a quality public education. The celebration highlights the importance of bringing together educators, parents, students, and communities in a unified effort to build great public schools. It also reflects NEA's vision of calling upon America to provide public school students with quality schools so that they can grow and achieve in the 21st century.

Invitation to Visit Your Child's Class on November 13

As part of the celebration, we provide parents and guardians the opportunity to visit their child’s classroom. Monday, November 13, is designated as the visitation day. If you cannot make it to visit on Monday, November 13, you are welcome to visit your child's classroom any day during the week, but please contact the teacher ahead of time. Please refer to the PLES Master Schedule below to help you guide your visitation. Please note: Parents should plan to do something else during recess times.

What to Expect When You Arrive

When you visit, please be prepared to sign in through the Lobby Guard kiosk in the office. You will need your driver's license to sign in with Lobby Guard. You also need to complete the volunteer and visitation training and show the certificate when you arrive. We do not allow younger children in the classrooms when parents visit. Additionally, we ask visitors to refrain from using their phones in the classroom. Please put your phone on silence or vibrate. If you need to use your phone or device for any reason, please go to the front lobby or outside the building.

We look forward to our continued partnership in your child's education, and we are excited to see you in school during American Education Week.

As much as we enjoy seeing family dogs at arrival and dismissal, all HCPSS schools are expected to adhere to the following policy:

Animals in schools or offices, leashed or not, present safety, environmental, and liability issues. Students and staff may be exposed to potential physical hazards, such as bites, and/or allergy related health problems. As a result, animals are prohibited within HCPSS buildings. Animals are also prohibited on school system property during arrival, dismissal, recess or other HCPSS sponsored outdoor activities. Service animals or service animals in training per MD Annotated Code Section 7-705 (Service Animals) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as well as animals approved for instructional purposes are exempt from this prohibition.

Parents who bring dogs on their walks to school must wait for students off school property. We want to ensure the safety of our students as they arrive and leave school. Thank you for adhering to this policy.

The Howard County Literacy Association invites writers in Grades 1 - 5 to submit an original short story or poem for the Elementary School Young Authors’ Contest 2023-24!

Submissions, along with a Cover Sheet are due by December 8, 2023

For more important details, contact your child’s teacher

or Mrs. Carolyn Williams, PLES Reading Specialist

(carolyn_williams@hcpss.org)

Support PLES by joining the PTA! Our memberships help sustain PTA programming from fun events like the “Trunk or Treat” to staff appreciation efforts. Join here: https://phelpsluckpta.memberhub.com/store?limit=21&live=true