Owl Observer News
September 27, 2024
A Message from Administration
Greetings Ducketts Lane Families,
We want to thank the families that were able to join us last night to provide input towards our commitments as a Title I school. It is always wonderful to see our community come together to problem solve and share ideas on how we can best serve our students.
We would like to congratulate the following grades for having the highest attendance so far this year.
1st place: Our students in Ms. Shannon and Ms. Veronica's classes-they have a 98.6% attendance rate
2nd place: Our first grade students-they have a 96.8% attendance rate
3rd place: There is a tie between 3rd and 5th grade students with both having a 96.7% attendance rate
Every day matters and we are striving to celebrate our first 100% attendance day-it will take all of us to make this happen.
As the weather is changing and we welcome our autumn weather, we ask that you remind your children about the importance of washing hands after they cough, sneeze, or use the restroom. Additionally, remind your child and have them practice turning their head while coughing and sneezing into their elbow bend instead of hands.
We look forward to welcoming everyone back to school on Monday at 8:30am.
Proudly partnering with you,
Mrs. Caroland, Mrs. Van Osdel, Mrs. Yerashunas
Mark Your Calendars
Tuesday, October 1st- Kindergarten only family night 5:30pm RSVP for this great night
Thursday, October 3rd- Schools Closed for all students and staff
Wednesday, October 9- PTA Ledo's Night 4:00-8:00pm
Friday, October 11-PTA Donuts with Dudes 8:00-8:30am in the outside courtyard
Friday, October 18th- Schools Closed for Students
Saturday, October 26th- PTA Trunk or Treat in the bus loop at 4:00pm
Thursday, October 31st- Schools Closed for Students
Related Arts Color Days
Hispanic Heritage Month Trivia
Do You Know?
Last week's trivia with answers:
Which are the 5 countries that celebrate their Independence day on September 15th?
Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua
Cuales son los 5 paises Hispanos/latinos que celebran su independencia el 15 de septiembre?
Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua
This week's new trivia questions:
How many countries are there in Central America? What's the biggest?, What's the smallest?
There are 7 countries in Central America: Belize, Costa Rica, Panama, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala.
Cuantos paises hay en CentroAmerica? Cual es el mas grande?, cual es el mas pequeño?
Hay 7 paises en CentroAmerica: Belize, Costa Rica, Panama, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala.
Answers will be shared next week.
Help Us Understand Your Needs
Bringing Clarity to our HCPSS Student Code of Conduct
Our Student Code of Conduct is our guiding framework that emphasizes instruction and restorative practices rather than punishment for our students. Up until now we have shared our overarching commitments for our students and staff. This week we will bring attention to how families can work together with our school team to help maximize potential for our students.
We ask families to do your best to:
Support school initiatives with attendance and engagement to make sure students are here learning daily.
Create a routine and space in your home to support academic and social emotional learning for your child. Encourage your child to self-advocate and seek help as needed.
Communicate with your child’s teacher to clarify learning expectations and support the academic and social emotional progress you are seeing at home.
Be active in your child’s educational growth by participating in school activities that support learning and well being outside of the school day. Model the importance of lifelong learning at home.
Read weekly newsletters and all Canvas messages shared to stay informed about school happenings.
Be knowledgeable about and adhere to HCPSS policies. Ask questions when needed to understand.
Partner with school staff to reinforce consequences and lessons learned from violations of the Code of Conduct.
Next week we will focus attention on our community partners and how they are committed to our students’ success as well. 🙂
Student Testing Updates
MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) is a computerized adaptive assessment that measures your child’s knowledge of reading and math. All students are asked the same number of questions, but the difficulty of each question is based on how well the student has answered previous questions.
MAP Testing for the Week of 9/30-10/4:
2nd and 5th Grade: ELA
Your child’s teacher will be communicating specific dates assigned for your child’s MAP test.
Bridges Program Begins
Greetings DLES Families,
Thank you to all the families who have registered their young people to experience and participate in Bridges. If your child was not selected for this session, we will extend another round of invitations to selected students for session two, starting in December.
Programming begins next week, September 30th, Monday through Thursday, 3:30 - 5:30 p.m. for registered students. As a reminder, there will be NO Bridges programming when school is closed, such as Thursday, October 3rd. Additionally, there will be no Bridges programming on early dismissal/half days. However, there will be programming in the event of a delayed opening.
As always, if you should have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Thank you,
Kevin Anderson
DLES Bridges Site Coordinator
#WEAREDUCKETTS
PTA NEWS
We Need You! Be a part of the great things happening at Ducketts Lane!
Join the DLES PTA today at https://duckettspta.givebacks.com/store! When you become a member, you support the students and teachers at DLES and the nation. Each voice makes the PTA louder when advocating for what they need.
To stay up-to-date on all of our upcoming events, visit our website and Facebook page.
ABLE ACT Parent Notification (SB 592)
Maryland Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Program passed July 1, 2024 requires that all families of students with IEP and 504 plans be informed of the ABLE program that provides an opportunity for families of individuals with disabilities to begin savings accounts that will not be used against the individual when determining financial eligibility for disability services.
MD ABLE (English)
MD ABLE (Spanish)
After School Club
Good News Club at Ducketts Lane Elementary
Organization
Ages
Good News Club is an after-school club where students can have fun while learning Bible stories, singing songs, and playing games. The club is affiliated with Child Evangelism Fellowship, which is a non-denominational organization active in 50 states and 150 foreign countries. This club is a safe place where every child is valued as a beautiful creation of God.
We meet after school on Tuesday.
Location
6501 Ducketts Lane
Elkridge, MD 21075
United States
Cost (if applicable)
free
Categories
Contact InformationName
Kathy Herbert
Phone: (443) 201-4708
More Information
Annual MLK Contests
This year, we have several exciting opportunities for students to engage with Dr. King’s vision of equality, justice, and community service. Additionally, all the awards come with cash prizes.
The contests include:
Oratory Contest: Open to Middle and High School students, this contest challenges participants to express their understanding of Dr. King's message through the art of speech.
Essay Contest: Also, for Middle and High School students, this competition invites students to articulate their thoughts and reflections on Dr. King's impact and teachings in essay form.
Poster Contest: Open to Elementary, Middle, and High School students, participants can visually express their interpretation of Dr. King's dream through creative poster designs.
Additionally, we are hosting a Living the Dream Award Contest for individuals and organizations that have significantly contributed to making Howard County a better place, embodying the principles that Dr. King championed. We believe that these contests not only honor Dr. King's legacy but also inspire our students to think critically about their roles in serving the community. We encourage you to share
these opportunities widely with your students and families and to support their participation.
For more information, including deadlines and submission guidelines, please visit https://bit.ly/2025MLKContests Thank you for your support in promoting these meaningful contests.
Together, we can inspire our students and community to reflect on Dr. King's dream and vision for a better tomorrow.
Best regards,
Kurt Wall, Chair
Martin Luther King, Jr, Holiday Commission
Howard County Office of Human Rights and Equity
9820 Patuxent Woods Drive, Suite 237
Columbia, MD 21046 (410) 313-6430 (Main Office)
Happening Around Town
Your Voice is Important
Please click on the Feedback Form to share your thoughts with how we can make DLES the best for everyone.
We are here to help!
Principal, Mrs. Caroland Molly_Caroland@hcpss.org
Assistant Principal, Mrs. Van Osdel Amy_Van_Osdel@hcpss.org
Leadership Intern, Mrs. Yerashunas Brianna_Yerashunas@hcpss.org
Principal Secretary, Mrs. Canter Teresa_Canter@hcpss.org
Registration Support, Secretary Ms. Lynette Carmen_Lynette@hcpss.org
Attendance, Synergy and Family File Support, Secretary Mrs. Forman Julie_Forman@hcpss.org
Counselor Mr. Leisawitz Alexander_Leisawitz@hcpss.org