The Logan Lowdown

Doors Open: 8:55am & Dismissal Starts: 3:55pm

February 6, 2025 Reports Distribution (report cards will be available through Schoology and printed upon request)

February 10, 2025, 100th day of school

February 17, 2025, School and office will be closed

February 28, 2025, Class picture day

Dear Parents and Guardians,

It’s hard to believe we’re in the month of February already and getting ready to celebrate the 100th day of school! This month, we are honoring Black History throughout the school. Students will explore readalouds and learn about influential African Americans to deepen their understanding and appreciation. As we begin the third quarter, I’d like to thank you for your continued support of our students, teachers, and school community. Together, we are committed to providing the best possible learning experiences every day. We recognize and value the vital role families play in fostering success, as prioritizing education start, at home and has a lasting impact on our students.

We are very excited to have the opportunity to welcome another principal intern during the month of February. Mr. Saunders, is currently the assistant principal of Vincent Farm Elementary, and was previously the assistant principal of Pinewood Elementary. He will follow my schedule and attend any meetings I have the first two weeks during the month and then he will be assuming the role of principal while I visit other schools and offices across the county.

Unfortunately, we continued to see a dip in our attendance during the month of January. Our chronic absenteeism rate rose to 34%! As a reminder the state of Maryland’s standard attendance rate is 94%. Today our rate is 91%, we are close to Maryland’s attendance rate and I know we can bring our attendance back up. We know there are many illnesses going around and Nurse Andie sent a flyer home with reminders and tips for keeping your student healthy and when to keep your child home. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Nurse Andie, she is happy to help!

Finally, the county has used the last built-in snow day which means moving forward anytime schools are unable to open due to inclement weather, students will participate in virtual learning. School will operate on a 2-hour delay so teachers can prepare for learning and then all students are expected to login to their teachers’ Google Meet at 11:00am. The document with Google Meet codes and the schedule for the day was sent home last month.

A few reminders:

• Encourage your student(s) to prioritize school and continue building positive habits.
• Help your child prepare for school by packing his/her backpack, laying out clothes, and ensuring there is a regular bedtime.
• Please make sure your child arrives on time, no later than 9:10 a.m. each day.
• Periodically check and replenish school supplies.
• Send any absence notes into your child’s homeroom teacher.
• Remind your child to check the lost and found for any missing items.

Thank you for your ongoing partnership in supporting our students’ growth and success!

Please make sure you take the time to keep your students contact information and address up to date, stop in the office or call us and we will take care of the rest. Also please keep in mind that arrival and dismissal times are very busy for the main office. We ask that you be mindful when planning a trip to the office to handle student related matters. In addition, if you are planning to pick your student up for early dismissal please do so before 3:40pm. Students are still involved in instruction until 3:50pm and our goal is to lessen the distraction.

From the Community School Facilitator:

Did you know that Logan Elementary has a community center? It is in the back of the building in trailer #4. If you are in need of food, cleaning supplies, books, clothing, or toiletries, please stop and see Mr. Little our Community School Facilitator. Also, we have been assisting parents with completeing job applications. Everything is completely confidential. We are extremely excited and proud of the work we do with our students, families, and wonderful community.

With the upcoming possibility of transitioning to virtual learning due to inclement weather, please scan QR Code for a resource to low cost internet options.

-Jake Little

We are so exciting watching our Logan students read, read, read! Please continue to encourage reading at home and even sit and read with your child! Also, as a friendly reminder, library books need to be returned each week. We have so many new books ready to be put on our shelves and we need to continue to show our virtue of responsibility by returning them.

Happy Reading,

Mrs. Chamberlain LMS

It’s February and the groundhog saw his shadow! That means 6 more weeks of winter. If weather requires learning to be virtual, here is some helpful information.

Virtual Learning Schedule

If BCPS determines schools will go virtual due to inclement weather, the following schedule will be followed:

11:00 Classes begin. Visit your child’s Schoology page or the Logan website for the Logan staff Google Meet codes.

11:20 Morning Announcements

12:30-1:40 Lunch and Movement

4:00 Classes Conclude

Tips for Families

Set a clear schedule:

Create a structured daily timetable that includes dedicated learning blocks with breaks for outdoor play or movement activities.

Establish a designated learning space:

Designate a quiet area in your home with minimal distractions where your child can focus on virtual classes.

Tech check:

Verify that your child's computer and internet connection are working properly before the day starts.

Communicate with teachers:

Let teachers know if there might be potential disruptions due to weather or excited children, and ask about flexible deadlines if needed.

Outdoor breaks:

Encourage short breaks to go outside and play in the snow, while still adhering to the virtual learning schedule.

Incorporate winter themes:

When possible, find ways to integrate fun winter-related activities into learning, like reading winter-themed stories or doing math problems related to snow measurements.

Prioritize mental health:

Be mindful of your child's emotional state and allow for additional breaks if needed to manage excitement from the snow day.

Limit screen time:

While virtual learning is necessary, try to balance screen time with other activities like building snowmen or having a family game night.

Be flexible:

Understand that a snow day can be disruptive, so be prepared to adjust the learning schedule as needed.

3rd Grade parents please be sure to check your students agenda for assignments, and homework! Please sign their agendas for confirmation.

5th Grade parents, please make sure students are completing their daily homework and practicing their basic math facts daily for at least 15 minutes.

Thank you

-Mrs. Jackson

Ms. Lough's students worked so hard throughout 2nd quarter intentionally prioritizing writing in our classroom! Some of our friends are tracing, copying, or writing dictated sentences. Embedding these opportunities within several routines, across content areas, will ensure that we all continue to move forward in the world of writing. We're excited to see what 3rd quarter holds!

Dear Pre-K Families,

We are wrapping up our unit on "How Structures Are Built" and getting ready to dive into Unit 4: Exploring Museums! This exciting new theme will allow us to learn about different types of museums, what they display, and how they help us discover new things about the world.

Literacy & Writing

We have started an important new routine—signing in each day by writing our first and last names! Please support your child by practicing name writing at home. We are also reviewing letters and their sounds, which you can reinforce by encouraging your child to sound out words and "label" objects around the house. Another fun literacy skill we are practicing is rhyming! Try incorporating rhymes into everyday conversations—like saying, "A cat sat on a mat" and asking your child to find the rhyming words or think of a new word that ends in "-at."

Math

This month, we are exploring 2-D and 3-D shapes! You can make this fun at home by pointing out shapes in everyday objects—like a cylinder (a can of soup) or a sphere (a ball). We are also practicing counting up to 20 objects using one-to-one correspondence and learning to recognize which group has more or fewer. A great way to support this skill is during mealtime—ask your child to count their snacks and then pose simple math questions like, “How many would you have if we added 3 more?”

Building Independence

In addition to academic skills, we are working on self-help skills to build confidence and independence. Please encourage your child to:
✅ Zip their own jacket
✅ Open their own snack containers
✅ Use the bathroom independently
✅ Express their wants and needs

We love having your child in our Pre-K class and appreciate all the ways you support learning at home. Thank you for being a wonderful part of our school community!

Warmly,

Mrs. Kenah and Mrs. Dillon

Kindergarten has made so much progress in the first half of the year! This month we started unit 6 in phonics, and unit 5 in reading, writing, and math! In reading we will explore what it means to try hard. We will read multiple books about characters who take on new challenges! In math, we are exploring the difference between 2D and 3D shapes, describing and sorting shapes, and counting and comparing the number of objects. Please continue to read at home and make sure devices come back to school charged every day! Have a great February! 😊

-K team

Hey First Grade Families!

We have been working very hard this month. In math we grew stronger in our basic math facts as well as adding and subtracting on a number line up to 100! In reading, we continued to work on using key details from our text and illustrations to describe characters, setting and major events in a story. Please remember to keep practicing sight words at home with your scholar as well as reading with them!

-The First Grade Team

Hi families,

In math, we are beginning Unit 5. Students are currently working on place value up to 1000, and identifying coins and their values. Students will make a lot of real life connections with coins. If you would like to build on their understanding at home, we recommend having your child count coins that you have. In reading, we are beginning module 6 where the focus is weather. Students will build upon skills they have been introduced to such as text features, making connections, asking and answering questions, etc. At the end of the module, the goal is to write a poem based on the students favorite weather. Students will utilize the elements of poetry in order to be successful while writing their poem. As for content, we are wrapping up health and we will be approaching science very soon.

Just a reminder as the weather is extremely cold, and usually inconsistent, please send your child to school with a coat. There are also a lot of illnesses going around, so if your child is sick, please allow him/her to stay home from school to prevent spreading illnesses to other students. Lastly, students have been doing an excellent job of bringing their devices back and forth to school. Please remind students that they should be charging their devices at home. Thank you so much for your support!

Hi third grade families! In math, we are starting Unit 5, which is a review of multiplication and an introduction to division. Students will be working on seeing the relationship between the two operations and solving word problems with them. At home, students can practice their multiplication and division facts to become more fluent. In reading, we are starting Module 6. In this module, we will be learning about different animals and what they need to survive. We will also be choosing one animal to further research for our writing unit. At home, students can read on Amira with their computers to get more practice.

Thank you!

Happy February to our fourth-grade families! The year has been flying by! Here is what your students will be doing this month:

• ELA: Students will explore Earth’s natural wonders through informational texts, poetry, and literary nonfiction. They will analyze text features, structures, and central ideas to deepen their understanding of the unique and amazing places on our planet.
• Math: Students will explore key geometric concepts, including angles, parallel and perpendicular lines, and symmetry. They will also measure area and perimeter, classify polygons, and learn how angles relate to turns and rotations.
• Advanced Math: Students will revisit multiplication and division strategies, focusing on estimation, number sense, and their relationships to fractions and decimals. They will also explore the standard multiplication algorithm and use area models and ratio tables to strengthen their understanding of long division.
• Social Studies: Students will explore the rich history of North America's Indigenous peoples, learning how they adapted to their environments and developed unique cultures. They will examine how geography, resources, and traditions shaped their ways of life, many of which continue to influence the present day.

Thanks

-4th Grade Team

We are officially halfway through our school year! Report cards were posted on Focus February 6th, so please check your student's grades. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your student's teacher. 5th Grade was just granted access to he reading platform AMIRA; this platform works with students to grow in their reading abilities. Students were sent home with their Reading Reports from their baseline assessments, please review those reports. Now that devices go home each night, students can get on AMIRA to work towards improving their reading. Please ensure the devices are being cared for properly at home as they are only to be used for schoolwork, must be charged nightly, and brought to school each day!

Thanks,

The 5th Grade Team

Ms. Proefrock, Mrs. Jacques, and Mrs. Burgess