School Avoidance

It can be frustrating for parents when their child does not want to go to school or is avoiding something they used to love. In this session, parents will learn how to ask the right questions and get to the root of the real problem.

When: November 20, 2024, 12:00-1:00 p.m.

Where: Online (Zoom)

Register: https://cookcenter.info/Nov20Harford

Did you miss last month's Dine & Learn? Watch the recording of the event below to learn more about the signs and risks associated with excessive gaming, the psychological and behavioral aspects of addiction, and effective strategies for prevention and intervention.

REPLAY LINK: https://cookcenter.info/Ovt16HarfordReplay

The application window for Magnet and Technical Programs is now open! Interested 8th grade students should visit https://www.hcps.org/schools/magnetprograms/ to learn more about these amazing opportunities. Applications must be submitted by Thursday, December 5, 2024.

The HCPS Office of Innovation in Learning partnered with HCPS Parent Academy to create videos to share the benefits of downloading and utilizing the Canvas app to help monitor your student's courses and classwork. Take a minute to watch!

Directions for creating an account, downloading the app, etc. may be found here: https://harford.instructure.com/courses/90232.

The Reading, English, Language Arts (RELA) Office has created new tools for parents to use to help their child become successful in reading – check out these new resources from the RELA Office!

https://www.hcps.org/departments/curriculum/englishlanguagearts/elementaryprogram.aspx

You are invited to attend a Financial Aid Information Nights for 11th and 12th-grade students and their families. Sessions will provide comprehensive guidance on the financial aid process for the 2025-2026 academic year. You’ll learn how to complete the FAFSA, explore various types of financial aid, and get details on important deadlines. You'll also hear about updates from last year and receive tips on how to maintain your financial aid.

These sessions are open to all families, whether you plan to attend Harford Community College or any other college or university.

The remaining FAFSA nights will take place on the following dates and locations:

• November 13, 2024, at The John Carroll School
• November 18, 2024, at North Harford High School

Both sessions will run from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

We encourage you to take advantage of these events. For more details or to RSVP, please contact your school counselor or visit Harford Community College’s website.

Turn your Harford County Public Schools half-day on Friday, December 6, into an App Day!

At Half-Day/App-Day, you can complete your application to Harford Community College for winter, spring, summer, or fall 2025; receive your acceptance packet; and learn about help available through financial aid.

Mark your calendar for Half-Day/App-Day on December 6 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Register now! https://go.harford.edu/halfday-appday

Harford County parents and caregivers are encourage to join in on the 9th Annual Night of Conversation on Wednesday, November 13, 2024. Talk to your kids over dinner about the dangers of drugs and alcohol and the importance of good mental health.

Tips for parents:

• Make the time to sit down as a family and eat dinner.
• Turn off all electronics; eliminate distractions.
• Prepare to listen more than you speak.
• Be calm, receptive, open-minded, and validate feelings.

Need some help getting the conversation started? Some suggestions for each school level are below.

Learn more at www.HarfordTalks.com.

Mary Beth Stapleton founded the HCPS Parent Academy and has over 30 years experience working on behalf of children and families.

With the end of 1st quarter and the beginning of 2nd quarter, you may be feeling overwhelmed with trying to get your child to focus on school work, stressed by morning and bedtime routines, and exhausted from the constant battle with your child over screen time.

This year, HCPS has partnered with Parentguidance.org to offer you 1:1 weekly sessions with a parent coach, giving you expert guidance on how to navigate the ups and downs of parenting. You can receive virtual parenting support with a coach.

We all need help from time to time with our parenting, and Parent Coaching is a great new resource to help your family thrive!

The Y of Central Maryland, in partnership with the Harford County Health Department, invites all young ladies to the 2024 Slumber Party Symposium on Friday, November 22, 6:30-10:30 p.m. at the Ward Y in Abingdon (1001 Walter Ward Blvd., Abingdon, MD 21009). Girls will learn about the benefits of self care, the power of community engagement, finding their purpose in service, mental health topics like depression and anxiety. Snacks and dinner will be provided, and there will be activities, games with prizes, and free giveaways. See the flier below for more information.

We invite you to participate in one of our upcoming Superintendent's Community Budget Sessions this November. These sessions provide an opportunity for you to learn more about the budget constraints HCPS is facing and to share your input on the difficult decisions ahead.

Event Details:

• November 14, 2024
  5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
  North Harford High School Cafeteria

• November 20, 2024
  5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
  Aberdeen High School Cafeteria

Click here to RSVP. You may select your preferred session date on the linked form.

If you have not done so already, please complete the 2026 Budget Survey. Your feedback will provide valuable insights for our budget planning and decision-making process.

HCPS is committed to maintaining a safe learning environment for every student, teacher, and staff member. As part of our continuing efforts to enhance school safety and security, we invite you to participate in the HCPS School Safety and Security Feedback Survey. Your insights are essential in helping us evaluate current safety practices and identify potential areas for improvement.

This survey is open to all HCPS staff, students, and parents/guardians, and it has been designed to gather feedback that will guide our future safety enhancements. As requested by our community, all participants will need to provide authentication—such as valid and current Student IDs, staff and student email addresses—before completing the survey. These details will help ensure the validity and accuracy of the results by preventing duplicate submissions. Please note, Student IDs and email addresses are solely used for validation purposes, responses will remain confidential.

We appreciate the time and thought you put into your responses, as your feedback will directly influence the steps we take to further secure our schools.

To participate in the survey, please click here.

The survey will remain open until Sunday, November 17, 2024, at 11:45 p.m.

At the Monday, September 23, 2024, Board Business Meeting, the 2025-2026 HCPS Draft Calendar options were presented to the Board of Education. Parents/guardians, students, and HCPS staff are encouraged to complete the survey below to provide feedback. There is an opportunity to share additional comments at the end of the survey. The survey will be available through Friday, November 22, 2024.

Parents and guardians will be asked to utilize their student's ID to complete the survey here.

The Board of Education of Harford County will hold Engage for Education listening sessions throughout the 2024-2025 school year. These listening sessions are an opportunity to ask questions and share your thoughts on the future of education in Harford County with members of the Board of Education.

The next session is scheduled for Wednesday, December 4, 2024, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at North Harford High School. No pre-registration is required to attend or speak.

For more information, or to provide feedback directly to the Board if you are unable to attend one of the sessions, please visit the Engage for Education page on hcps.org.

Deerfield Elementary School is now a two-time Family Friendly School Award winner! And, they are the first school to win the award under the new, more rigorous selection process.

The community still nominated and voted for the school(s) of their choice for this quarter, which placed Deerfield as one of the top three finalists. Then the finalists were reviewed and scored on the following criteria: Welcoming All Families, Effective Communication and Relationship Development, Family Efficacy, School Performance and Achievement Plan, and Community Partners.

Deerfield scored the highest, making them our first quarter winner.

We made the surprise announcement at the school earlier this month with our friends from Chick-fil-A Constant Friendship.

This video highlights the amazing work Deerfield Elementary staff is doing that earned the school this special recognition.

The next SECAC meeting is Thursday, November 14, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. Discover a step-by-step strategy for confidently advocating for your child without feeling overwhelmed with Charmaine Thaner. Charmaine is a parent, former special and general educator, author, and advocate. Her presentation on Communicate Effectively in an IEP Meetings without Feeling Overwhelmed will have strategies for listening and asking questions.

This meeting is all about growing advocacy skills! SECAC will host two drawings of Charmaine's book, The Art of Advocacy - A Parent's Guide in a Collaborative IEP Process.

Zoom Registration Link

Harford Academy's PTA will host a Sensory Santa event this year! You are invited to a morning of magic and smiles on November 23, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. to noon at the school. This event will offer a calm and welcoming environment to meet Santa and includes individual photo sessions. Don't miss this wonderful opportunity to create lasting memories. No pre registration required, just come as you are!

The small fee directly benefits Harford Academy PTA.

Did you know the Board of Education of Harford County asks for public feedback when new policies or revisions to existing policies are presented and discussed at Board Business Meetings? Provide your feedback on the policy by the deadline listed on the webpage! https://hcps.org/boe/hottopics/default.aspx

Harford County Public Schools students, staff, and families looking for help with mental health or substance use are reminded they can call Care Solace at 888-515-0595 for 24/7/365 personalized and confidential help finding a therapist. Or, they can search on their own at www.caresolace.com/harford.

The Harford County Public Library offers so many educational, fun, and FREE events at each of its branches year-round. Be sure to visit the events page of their website to see what's happening this month!

• Harford County Public Library
• Harford County Parks and Recreation
• Boys and Girls Clubs of Harford & Cecil Counties

Additional resources may be found in the Harford County Community Services Resource Guide.

Be sure you are following the Parent Academy page on Facebook for announcements, updates, resources, and more shared regularly throughout the school year.

Also, bookmark the Parent Academy webpage on hcps.org where all workshops and Real Talks are archived, and where you can find information on other Parent Academy sponsored programs, like Family Friendly Schools.

Looking for an earlier issue of Parent Connection? Visit the newsletter archive on hcps.org by clicking here.

HCPS parents are students’ first and best teachers.

Editors: Mary Beth Stapleton, Manager of Family and Community Partnerships & Lindsay Bilodeau, Innovation Specialist

Email: ParentAcademy@hcps.org
Website: https://www.hcps.org/parents/ParentAcademy/Default.aspx
Location: 102 South Hickory Avenue, Bel Air, MD, USA
Phone: 410-588-5263
Facebook: facebook.com/HCPSParentAcademy