Dear Parents and Guardians,

We hope everyone had a wonderful and relaxing three day weekend and enjoyed the beautiful weather! We have two big events going on this week, our EES Band and Chorus Concert tomorrow, Wednesday May 28, and the Simulated Congressional Hearings on Friday, May 30. Please look for important updates below.

Field Day:

Thank you to all of the parent volunteers who helped make Field Day a HUGE success! All students and staff had a wonderful time and enjoyed the wonderful weather. Students enjoyed relays, balloon tosses, and other activities. Students were even treated to a show with Dr. T, Mad Scientist, courtesy of the PTA, which taught students about movement and the laws of Physics. Students were treated to snowballs as well! A special THANK YOU to Mr. Strothers, Ms. Pendergast, Mr. Cicmanec for coordinating the Field Day Team and for planning such an awesome experience!

Night of Elkcellence:

Congratulations to all of the students for showcasing their amazing work at the Night of Elkcellence. The science fair and student work demonstrated the high standards and great effort that students exude daily at Elkridge Elementary. We do have some science fair boards with no name on them, if your child did not receive their board back, please contact your child's homeroom teacher. Thank you to all of the and families who supported the Night of Elkcellence and made it a big success. A special THANK YOU to Ms. Shilling, Ms. Rager, and Ms. Wright for coordinating this amazing evening!

Band and Chorus Concert:

Tomorrow is the Spring Band and Chorus Concert! We will hear selections that showcase our students effort and hard work this spring! Our event begins promptly at 6:30 PM. Students should not arrive any earlier than 6:00 PM.

• Band students need to arrive in the GYM at 6 PM in black shirts, black pants, (or a black dress), and black shoes.

• Chorus students need to arrive in Miss Ross' Room at 6 PM in black shirts, black pants, (or a black dress), and black shoes.

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to your child's Band and Chorus teacher.

Simulated Congressional Hearings:

On Friday, May 30, 2025, our students will participate in the Simulated Congressional Hearings (SCH) here at EES.The Simulated Congressional Hearing (SCH) is the culminating activity for fifth grade social studies in the Howard County Public School System. Throughout the year, students study four units of instruction: The U.S. Constitution, Our Changing Nation, Defending Freedom and We the People. The SCH is an authentic, performance-based assessment where students demonstrate their understanding of the founding of U.S. Constitution and the impact of its creation. While preparing for the SCH, in addition to showing off their content knowledge, students are able to transfer the reading, writing, speaking and listening skills they learned in language arts to this authentic experience.

Students should dress for a professional day at work.

• Boys should wear slacks or khakis, a button down shirt or polo.
• Girls should wear slacks or khakis, a button down shirt or polo, dress, or skirt and top.

HCPSS Pre-K Program:

The HCPSS Pre-K Program is accepting applications for the 2025-2026 school year! The Pre-K Program is offered at no cost to families that qualify and is made available to eligible children in all attendance areas. Children must be four years old on or before September 1, 2025, to be considered for fall 2025 enrollment and must also meet the eligibility criteria. Families who are interested in applying should submit their completed application along with the required documentation to hcpss_pk@hcpss.org or to their local elementary school. Please visit the HCPSS' Pre-K Program website for an application, information about the program, and eligibility criteria. If you have additional questions about the program, please contact the Office of Early Childhood Programs at 410-313-6836.

Student Restrooms:

Recently Elkridge Elementary has been experiencing an uptick in student bathroom vandalization. Our custodial staff works very hard to ensure that the student bathrooms are clean and sanitary for student use daily. We have noticed writing on the walls, destroyed toilet paper dispensers, and trash thrown all over the restroom floors. While we understand that students need to use the restroom, we also need to ensure that our students use the facilities quickly. Please have a conversation with your child at home about proper restroom usage. Thank you for your support!

Lunch Update:

Please be aware of the changes that Howard County Public School System implemented for parents to visit their child during their lunch times. These changes have gone into effect.

1. Go to the HCPSS Web site to review information about the school system volunteer process.
   
   
2. Review the “Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Procedures Online Training” PowerPoint.
   Sign the Certificate of Completion for the “Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Procedures Online Training” form and provide it to the school when signing in.
   
   
3. Review the "Confidentiality Training for Volunteers" PowerPoint
   
   
4. ​​​​​​​Sign the Confidentiality Agreement and provide it to the school when signing in.
   Sign in at the front office using the Lobby Guard sign-in system (a valid photo I.D. must be provided). Before entering the cafeteria, please sign in at the front office to obtain a visitors pass.

Recess Reminders:

Exhibiting safe behaviors at recess helps ensure that all students can enjoy a fun and injury-free break during the school day. We encourage families to support these efforts by having regular conversations at home about making kind, respectful, and responsible choices while playing. Remind your child that physical aggression, rough play, and inappropriate language are not allowed at recess and can result in consequences. By working together, we can help students understand the importance of treating others with care and using equipment appropriately. Your partnership in reinforcing these expectations at home makes a big difference in creating a safe and positive environment for everyone.

2025-2026 School Registration:

If you have a child who is approaching Kindergarten age or will be attending Howard County Public Schools for the first time in Fall 2025, please refer to the HCPSS Enrollment page for valuable information, which can be found here.

Safety Reminders:

Please remember the importance of safety habits while on HCPSS Property. Please remember the following when you are on HCPSS Property:

• Drive slowly (10 mph is recommended) to ensure that in the event something unexpected happens, you have enough time to react.
• Please refrain from (handheld) cell phone use and texting while in a moving vehicle.
• Please ensure that all passengers are wearing seatbelts to ensure their safety.
• Animals, including the walking of dogs, are also prohibited on school system property during arrival, dismissal, recess, and other HCPSS-sponsored outdoor activities. Shared campus hours are 7:30 AM – 4:15 PM, Monday – Friday.

Have a great week!

Sincerely,

Kelley Powell, Principal

LaShonne Wright, Assistant Principal

Jonathan Swann, Assistant Principal

To support in preparing for the End of Year 5th Grade activities, all information for 5th grade functions will be provided here.

Thursday, May 29, 2025: 5th Grade Student Visit to ELMS

All students will visit ELMS on this day. Students will receive a tour of the learning areas and an overview of the activities they will have the opportunity to participate in when they go in the fall. There are no chaperones necessary for this visit. ELMS will reach out about parent visitation at a later time. Students should wear their blue EES T-shirt.

Friday, May 30, 2025: SCH

Our 5th Grade students are hard at work preparing for the Simulated Congressional Hearings. Please check back for more information as the date comes closer.

Wednesday, June 11, 2025: 5th Grade Picnic

Please check back for additional information as the date comes closer.

Friday, June 13, 2025: 5th Grade Promotion

The 5th Grade promotion will take place at 10:00 AM. Each child will receive two tickets for the ceremony. Additional information will be available as the time comes closer.

Here you will find all of the upcoming picnic and promotions for EES Students.

Pre-School:

Picnic: May 27 at 9:30 AM (AM & PM Classes)

Pre-Kindergarten:

Picnic & Promotion: June 4 at 10:00 AM

Kindergarten:

Picnic & Promotion: June 9 at 9:45 AM.

1st Grade:

Picnic: June 6. Time to be announced later.

2nd Grade:

Picnic: June 5: 10:40 AM - 11:10 AM

3rd Grade:

Picnic: June 12 at 11:40 AM.

4th Grade:

Picnic: June 2, at 12:40 PM.

Please remember that if you are planning to have lunch with your child you MUST complete the Volunteer Training, per the updated Parent/Child Lunch Guidelines. Information in how to access that can be found below in Lunchtime Visits.

Arrival & Dismissal Reminders:

Student Arrival and Breakfast:

Students will be admitted into the building between 9:10 and 9:25 AM. Breakfast service will end promptly at 9:30 AM. Please ensure students arrive on time, especially if they plan to eat breakfast, as the kitchen doors will close at 9:30 AM.

Dismissal:

Student dismissal begins promptly at 3:55 and is completed by 4:15. Recently, we have noticed an increase in students waiting to be picked up at 4:30 and beyond. Late pickups can disrupt school operations and create unnecessary delays for staff and administration. We kindly ask for your cooperation in ensuring students are picked up on time. Thank you for helping us keep our dismissal process efficient and ensuring the safety of all our students. Please call the front office by 2:30PM if you are changing the way your child is being picked up from school. Also, only students who are car riders are dismissed from the gym. If you are walking up to meet your child at the car rider door, you will need to go to the main office to pick them up.

The Howard County Public School System welcomes visitors to our schools. To limit interruptions and distractions to teaching and learning, and to maximize safety for all:

• Anyone wishing to visit a school is asked to contact school administration or the appropriate staff member to establish a convenient time for both the visitor and the school.
• The school will arrange for an escort for the visitor.
• To avoid interrupting instruction, no students are allowed to shadow HCPSS students.
• Understandably, interactions between visitors and school staff and students will be limited.
• If a follow-up meeting with school staff is desired, the visitor will schedule it for a mutually convenient time.
  
  

Safety Protocols for Visitors

Please be aware of the following procedures for any visitor to a school/office:

• The front door is the only entrance point for all visitors.
• Please ring the bell and look into the camera.
• Be prepared to state your name and purpose for visiting.
• All visitors must walk directly into the front office with a valid photo I.D. and sign in using our LobbyGuard system.
• A visitor’s sticker will be given to visitors following the above procedures and must be worn and prominently visible.
• Any visitor in the school without a visitor sticker will be escorted directly to the front office by a staff member.
  
  

In some cases, it may be more convenient for a prospective visitor to acquire information in other ways. The following may be helpful:

• Information about the Howard County Public School System is available on the HCPSS website and the HCPSS News site.
• Visit our Schools page to find school locators (attendance areas), school profiles, bus stops and much more.

We thoroughly enjoy when parents come in to enjoy lunch with their child. We ask that you remember the following when visiting:

1. Go to the HCPSS Web site to review information about the school system volunteer process.
   
   
2. Review the “Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Procedures Online Training” PowerPoint.
   Sign the Certificate of Completion for the “Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Procedures Online Training” form and provide it to the school when signing in.
   
   
3. Review the "Confidentiality Training for Volunteers" PowerPoint
   
   
4. ​​​​​​​Sign the Confidentiality Agreement and provide it to the school when signing in.
   Sign in at the front office using the Lobby Guard sign-in system (a valid photo I.D. must be provided). Before entering the cafeteria, please sign in at the front office to obtain a visitors pass.
   
   
5. Food may not be shared with other students in the cafeteria. Food that is brought in from outside sources (fast food lunch, cupcakes, etc. etc.) cannot be guaranteed to be allergen free. Therefore, to protect students, any food that is brought into the cafeteria may only be shared with the child you are visiting.
   
   
6. When dining with your child, please sit at a table that is either empty, or that has a few students at it.
   
   
7. When having lunch with your child, please refrain from interacting with any other children. If you need assistance, please request to speak with an administrator before you attend lunch.
   
   
8. If you choose to eat a school lunch with your child, you may not use your child's account to purchase a lunch for yourself. Adult lunches are $4.50, payable in cash (preferably exact change) at the time of purchase.
   
   
9. Elkridge Elementary does not accept student lunches from services such as Door Dash and Uber Eats. If you are bringing outside lunch for your children, please bring lunch to them around their lunch time.

As a general reminder for our students who sit at the allergy table, it is important that the same student(s) should sit at this table everyday. If two friends are going to sit at the table with a friend who has a peanut allergy, it should be the same students. If one student brings lunch that day they will not be able to sit at the allergy/peanut table that day.

If you have concerns about your child's development - whether it's their speech, motor skills, social skills or learning - it's important to act now. Waiting until the summer for a referral can delay crucial support that your child may need before starting kindergarten.

Contact us today to schedule a screening. Let's work together to ensure your child has the best possible start in kindergarten!

Call 410-313-7046 or email ChildFind@hcpss.org