Owl Observer News

Greetings Ducketts Lane Families,

We want to thank everyone who was able to join our amazing staff in celebration of the start of a new school at our annual Back to School Bash. The opportunity to come together and enjoy each others company is a true highlight to our days.

Families of Afternoon Car Riders

We are starting to have a rather large number of students waiting well past dismissal time. One way to address our elementary students waiting to be picked up who also have a sibling that is being picked up from Thomas Viaduct Middle school, would be to consider picking your elementary aged student up first and then going to TVMS. Middle school aged students tend to have a longer attention span and are not as tired and need a lot more adult supervision while waiting.

As a reminder, students dismiss at 3:15pm. We ask that you get in the car line a few minutes earlier than that. This will help all of our students and staff get home safely and on time.

Starting next week, we have some very important events for parents and families. We will begin hosting our back to school information nights. If you have been to other Ducketts Lane Back to School Nights, we can ensure you that this year's events will be unlike those of the past. You will have an opportunity to get involved, share thoughts, and ask questions. We are striving to have the best turnout ever, but we will need each of you to make this happen. Please see below for the various nights that you might be interested in attending.

Proudly Serving You,

Mrs. Caroland, Mrs. Van Osdel, and Mrs. Yerashunas

Tuesday, September 10th- Back to School Night for Preschool & Prekindergarten 5:00-6:00pm

Tuesday, September 10th- Back to School Night for Kindergarten-2nd grade 6:00-7:00pm

Tuesday, September 10th- FIRST PTA Meeting of the YEAR-EVERYONE IS WELCOME 7:00pm in the cafeteria

Tuesday, September 10th-PTA Fundraiser Begins (see below for more information)

Thursday, September 12th- Band & Strings Information Session 5:30-6:00pm

Thursday, September 12th- Back to School Night for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade 6:00-7:00pm

Thursday, September 19th- School Picture Day

Thursday, September 26th- All voices needed for our Title I Annual Meeting 5:30pm

Thursday, October 3rd- Schools Closed for all students and staff

As we get our new school year started, we wanted to remind everyone of the importance to wearing the appropriate attire to P.E. In order for your child to participate safely they MUST have athletic shoes that have shoelace or velcro straps to secure their foot in.

NO crocs, sandals, dress shoes, high heels, boots of any kind, or Heely's are permitted. If your student is wearing this footwear, they will not be able to participate on those days.

If wearing the proper shoes is a challenge, feel free to contact us for other considerations or accommodations.

Here is a link to the HCPSS policy on attire for P.E. for reference:

Physical Education – HCPSS

Order Forms have been sent home. You can also print a form and send it in with your child.

Please make all checks payable to Ducketts Lane Elementary School

Please visit HCPSS Connect to update your Family File for the 2024-2025 school year today! It is mandatory for parents/guardians to complete the Family File every year to ensure that DLES has the most current and accurate information for each year.

Did you know that your child will not be allowed to go on a field trip without this completed?

Parents/guardians will be asked to provide or update the following information…

• Student Information

• Parent/Guardian Contact

• Emergency Contacts

  • Please list multiple emergency contacts!

• Medical Information

• Arrival/Dismissal Procedures and Transportation Options

• Photo Approval

• Data Confidentiality

• Student Creative Work Approval

• PTA/PTSA Directory

Thank you for updating your child’s Family File today in HCPSS Connect!

Helpful Family File Resources:

• FAMILY FILE QUICK REFERENCE CARD (ENGLISH)

• FAMILY FILE USER GUIDE (ENGLISH)

• FAMILY FILE USER GUIDE (SPANISH)

• FAMILY FILE USER GUIDE (CHINESE)

• FAMILY FILE USER GUIDE (KOREAN)

• HOMEPAGE FOR HCPSS CONNECT GUIDES & TUTORIALS

We are more committed than ever to partner with our parents to best support our students as they work to achieve their dreams. The first step towards achieving this goal is having at least one adult for each student present at the specialized Back-to-School-Night.

Please mark your calendars and join us for an evening to understand more about what's to come this school year, and what we need our students to achieve while at school this year.

RECC Back-to-School Night is Tuesday, September 10th 5:00-6:00pm

Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd Grade Back-to School Night is Tuesday, September 10th 6:00-7:00pm

Band & Strings Information Session for Grades 3-5 is Thursday, September 12th 5:30-6:00pm

3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade Back-to-School Night is Thursday, September 12th 6:00-7:00pm

Students in 3rd Grade can sign up for Orchestra

Students in 4th & 5th Grade can sign up for Band, Orchestra & Chorus

Visit www.DLESmusic.com to learn more, listen to the instruments and sign your student up to participate in Band, Orchestra and Chorus this school year at DLES!

Band, Orchestra & Chorus Information

Sign-Up HERE!

Información de Banda, Coro y Orquesta

¡Inscríbete aquí!

HCPSS participates in the Free and Reduced-price Meals (FARMs) program. QualificationLinks to an external site. is based on family size and income, and enrollment is confidential.

Participation in FARMs qualifies students for a wide range of opportunities and resources beyond breakfast and lunch, including free college applications, free or reduced JumpStart tuition, discounted internet through the Comcast Internet Essentials program, and more.

Families must submit a new application every school year by Oct. 31. During the first 30 school days, students with FARMs eligibility from the prior school year will continue to receive benefits. Any student whose family has not filled out an application by the 30th school day will have their status changed to full pay until a new application is received.

Parents/guardians are highly encouraged to fill out the applications as soon as possible. It is very important that applications are filled out accurately and completely. Families can:

• Apply onlineLinks to an external site.
• Apply by mail: Paper applications can be picked up in the Food and Nutrition Service Office (5451 Beaverkill Rd, Columbia, MD 21044). Applications can be returned to your child’s school or mailed to: HCPSS Food & Nutrition Service Office, 10910 Clarksville Pike, Ellicott City, MD 21042.
  

If you have questions regarding the program, please visit www.hcpss.org/FARMsLinks to an external site. or call Food and Nutrition Services at 410-313-6743.

As mentioned, being identified as a Title I school goes well beyond free and reduced meals. This is a support that provides so many invaluable resources that benefit our entire school.

We want to share more at our annual Title I meeting, and provide an opportunity to get feedback from our families so that together we can create our compact-an agreement among both families and the school to work together to help close the achievement gap that we have so that we can see our students hopes and dreams come to fruition.

What is the purpose of a Title I Annual meeting?

• The purpose of a Title I Annual meeting is to share what it means to be a school-wide Title I school, get input on the Title I Compact & Plan. This will also be the first of many opportunities become involved in your child’s education, and start to build a sense of community.

Please join us on September 26th at 5:30pm in the cafeteria. You ideas and thoughts are important to us.

One of our focus areas for this year’s School Improvement Plan is engaging all students, staff, and community members to have a better understanding of our Student Code of Conduct.

The HCPSS Student Code of Conduct provides a framework for behavioral goals and disciplinary policies. HCPSS policies emphasize instruction and restoration rather than punishment. Our goal as a school community is to foster a sense of belonging, maintain high expectations that promote positive behaviors, and ensure all students are college, career, and community ready.

All students are expected to be aware of and abide by this Student Code of Conduct. Parents/guardians are encouraged to read the Student Code of Conduct carefully and to discuss the information with their children. All HCPSS employees will follow HCPSS Policies and Student Code of Conduct when supporting student behavior and determining consequences for violations.

Each week, we will focus on different areas of the Student Code of Conduct to help you better understand this framework and how decisions are made when responding to student discipline. This week, we bring attention to the Student Code of Conduct in its entirety, and the commitments outlined for students, all school staff, families, and community partners. Stay tuned next week for a deeper dive into some of the overarching commitments for our students, staff, and families. 😀

Did you know that too many absences can cause children to fall behind in school? In fact, students can fall behind if they miss just one or two days every few weeks. When students attend school regularly, they tend to feel better about school and themselves. But students often cannot form good attendance habits on their own. Here are a few things you can do to help your student form positive attendance habits:

• Set a regular bedtime and morning routine;

• Try to schedule non-urgent appointments or trips for when school is not in session;

• If your child is feeling nervous or reluctant to come to school, keeping them home can actually make the situation worse by sending the message that you agree that there is a reason for them to stay home;

• If your child seems nervous about going to school please never hesitate to contact their teacher and/or school counselors for advice on how to make them feel more comfortable.

As always, the school counseling team is here to support you and your students in their ongoing academic and social growth and learning.

~ Mr. L

Alexander_Leisawitz@hcpss.org

~ Mrs. Barron

Krista_Barron@hcpss.org

MAP testing is right around the corner. 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.

Our testing window for MAP is:

• 1st Grade: September 16th - October 17th

• 2nd - 5th Grade: September 23rd - October 17th.

Your child’s teacher will be communicating specific dates assigned for your child’s MAP test.

We are excited and looking forward to another year of Bridges after-school programming. We have many new updates, programs, and experiences in store for our kiddos. Please be on the lookout for registration information coming home next week. In the meantime, if you should have any, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Kevin Anderson

DLES Bridges Site Coordinator

Community members are invited to attend one of these meetings to help inform the system’s new strategic plan by providing their input about stakeholder values during this virtual, hour-long opportunity facilitated by HCPSS staff. No registration is required.

• September 9, 2024 – 5:00–6:00 pm – Google Meet linkLinks to an external site.

• September 10, 2024 – 7:00–8:00 pm – Google Meet linkLinks to an external site.

• September 17, 2024 – 5:00–6:00 pm – Google Meet linkLinks to an external site.

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.

We are running a membership promotion through September 13th. All Individual and Family memberships that sign up from the beginning of the school year through September 13th will be placed into a raffle to win a DLES PTA Stanley Cup! Join today online or visit our table during Back to School Night and meet some of our Executive Board members!

The DLES PTA's Double Good pop-up store will be open online starting Tuesday, September 10th 12 pm through Saturday, September 15th 12 pm. 50% of all funds raised will help support the DLES PTA fund for the various activities and initiatives we have planned for this school year! The link for our online store is https://popup.doublegood.com/dashboard/bzvzvv. You can also share this link with others who may want to support our efforts. Thank you in advance for your support!

We hope to see you at our first General PTA Meeting of the school year on Tuesday, September 10th at 7 pm in the cafeteria. We will be collecting membership forms, voting to approve this year's budget, and signing up volunteers to help out at our upcoming events.

To stay up-to-date on all of our upcoming events, visit our website and Facebook page.

Click here to review and register for after-school activities that are being offered.

We strive to be a school that actively partners with our students, staff, families, and surrounding community members. We welcome your feedback.

Please click on the Feedback Form to share your thoughts with how we can make DLES the best for everyone.

• 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