Elk Neck Express
September 1, 2024
10.27.24
Elk Neck Elementary School
Ashlee Groce, Principal, ajgroce@ccps.org
Kimberly Whitney, Assistant Principal, krwhitney@ccps.org
Website: https://enes.ccps.org/
Location: 41 Racine School Rd., Elkton, MD, 21921
Phone: 410.996.5030
A Message from the Principal
Hello Elk Neck Elementary Families,
Thank you to everyone who attended Trunk-or-Treat and supported our Book Fair throughout the past week. We are looking forward to our Fall Walk on Thursday, 10/31/24, at 10:00 a.m. Please see the following reminders below to help us keep our students and staff safe during the event:
To allow us to host a safe and enjoyable event, please note the following:
Upon arrival, all visitors should assemble outside at the bus loop for the Fall Walk. Visitors will not be able to go to classrooms.
No animals or pets are allowed with the exception of service animals.
Adult visitors will not be allowed to wear Halloween masks/costumes.
Students should not wear costumes to school. Place costumes in a bag marked clearly with the student’s name.
When selecting a costume, please consider the ability of your child to safely navigate the Fall Walk route. Students should wear costumes that can primarily be put on unassisted. Toy weapons (no matter how fake they look), blood, gore (face painting/hair spray) will not be allowed in the building.
To avoid confusion, we encourage students to remain in school at the conclusion of the Fall Walk. If you plan to take your child home after the Fall Walk, you must notify the main office the day before the event either by sending in a note with your child or by email to Mrs. Corder at fpcorder@ccps.org, Mrs. Cloud at dcloud@ccps.org and Mrs. Tahaney at tbtahaney@ccps.org. Only parents and legal guardians may sign their child out unless written permission is provided. Please bring photo identification with you to ensure a smooth sign out procedure We also ask for your patience during the sign- out process.
Mrs. Whitney and Mrs. Cook will host a volunteer training meeting for anyone who still needs trained on Tuesday, 10/29/24, at 9:30 a.m. If you have not been trained yet, please consider attending.
Thank you to the parents/guardians that provided input on the FY26 Budget. The top five priorities indicated on the survey in ranking order were school safety, reduction in class size with additional teachers, instructional supplies and materials, academic and behavioral intervention, and facilities and maintenance. Your input in conjunction with the staff's input will be used to develop the FY26 budget for our school.
As always, we are here to serve our families, students, teachers, and the community. Should you have any questions or concerns, please don't ever hesitate to contact us. Please reference the Who To Contact document to reach the staff member who can best respond to your need.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Ashlee Groce, Principal
Mrs. Kimberly Whitney, Asst. Principal
Attendance
We have begun tracking daily and weekly attendance percentages as we monitor progress towards our school goal of having a 94% or better monthly attendance average for our school.The grade level attendance averages for the week of 10/14/24 are below.
Pre-kindergarten: 97% (increase)
Kindergarten: 97% (same)
Grade 1: 91% (same)
Grade 2: 94% (decrease)
Grade 3: 95% (increase)
Grade 4: 96% (increase)
Grade 5: 98% (increase)
Schoolwide average: 95% (increase)
Save the Date for Our Annual Veteran's Day Assembly!
BrightPath: A Free Mental Health Resource for Elk Neck Families
Check out more information about our reading program!
Counselor's Corner
PBIS NEWS ALERT:
Congrats to Mr. Gilbert’s Class and Ms. Reilly’s Class who recently earned their first Golden Paw Print!
We have had 24 sunshine calls so far in October.
Congrats to Heather Ganzzerrmiller and Ally Ramos for receiving the GOLDEN Retriever award! We appreciate all that you do for our students.
Winter Coats
Cold weather is coming, if your child is in need of a Winter coat please let Mrs. Cook know! We would be happy to assist your family. alcook@ccps.org or 410-996-5030
Toys for Tots Holiday Help
If your family is experiencing financial hardship and would like to know more about our Toys for Tots program. Please contact Amy Cook, School Counselor, at 410-996-5030, if you would like to register your child for this program or respond using this Toys for Tots Request Link
Parenting Advice
What to do when kids feel overwhelmed…
Use the 3 F’s:
Feel It: Help them develop a safe and trusting relationship with you, and allow them space to feel and communicate their emotions, teaching them that all feelings are valid. You might ask your child to share what “Zone” they are feeling as we practice in school. Invite your child to share a calming strategy or activity that makes them feel better. (deep breaths, petting the dog, listening to music, etc…)
Forget It: Encourage them to reflect on what would be helpful to “forget” or toss out. Perhaps it’s self-judgment, perhaps it’s too much screen time, or too much on the family schedule/calendar…
Fiercely Protect It: Explore their non-negotiables. What makes them feel good? What feels good to support? (Examples: snuggling with family, exercise/sports, time with friends, quiet time, healthy foods, drinking water, time to read, etc…)
Local Elections
Recently, Board of Education candidates met to share their ideas and platforms. The links to the Cecil TV recordings can be found below.
Cecil Chamber Candidate Forum, October 9 2024, Board of Education - District 1, Dianne Heath
Additional Parent Information
If your child previously received Medicaid benefits please remember that there is no longer an automatic renewal. You can find more information on how to renew your child’s benefits HERE.
The Office of Multilingual Education will be offering virtual (zoom) parent workshops twice a month on Tuesdays starting on October 15, 2024. Time: 10 a.m. to 10:40 a.m. Flyer
School Cash -To put money in your child's meal account and pay for items such as field trips, prom, homecoming, spirit wear please use: School Cash Online.
Schoology - Students in grades 1-5 have access to Schoology which is a learning management system. They can access Schoology using their ccps username and password at cecilcounty.schoology.com. Should you need access to the account, please contact your child's teacher or the main office.
PowerSchool -The PowerSchool Parent Portal gives parents and students access to on-line information including attendance and grades. If you do not have access to PowerSchool, please contact the main office.
Important Dates
Monday, 10/28/24
Bubble Gum Day for Grade 1 Only (due to field trip last Friday)
Tuesday, 10/29/24
Volunteer Training @ 9:30 a.m.
Wednesday, 10/30/24
PTO Student Birthday Celebrations (at lunch)
Thursday, 10/31/24
Fall Walk @ 10:00 a.m.
Friday, 11/1/24
Grade 5 to Fair Hill Nature Center
Tuesday, 11/5/24
Election Day! Schools closed for students and 10 month staff. Get out and vote!
Wednesday, 11/6/24
Last Day of the First Marking Period
Thursday, 11/7/24
Second Marking Begins
Goal Setting Assembly for Students
Friday, 11/8/24
Early Dismissal Day! Students dismiss at 1:30 p.m.
