Clemens Crossing Cougar Comments

Michelle Leader - Principal

Jaime Gittleson - Assistant Principal

Website: cces.hcpss.org
Location: 10320 Quarterstaff Road, Columbia, MD, USA
Phone: (410) 313-6866
Facebook: facebook.com/ClemensCrossingElementary
Twitter: @hcpss_cces

For another language, click "Translate Newsletter" tab and select the language of choice in the upper right-hand corner.

Spanish

Para otros idiomas, haga clic en Traducir Newsletter y elija el idioma que prefiera.

Korean

다른 언어의 경우 뉴스 레터 번역을 클릭하고 원하는 언어를 선택합니다.

Chinese

对于其他语言，请单击翻译新闻通讯，然后选择所需的语言。

Urdu

دوسری زبانوں کے لئے ، نیوزلیٹر کا ترجمہ کریں پر کلک کریں اور اپنی پسند کی زبان کا انتخاب کریں۔

For a complete list of dates and events visit cces.hcpss.org/calendar.

August

• 23 - Open House - 10:00-10:45am - Kindergarten (Last Names A-L)
• 23 - Open House - 11:00-11:45am - Kindergarten (Last Names M-Z)
• 23 - Open House - 12:00-12:45pm - Grades 1 & 2
• 23 - Open House - 1:30-2:15pm - Grades 3, 4, 5
• 26 - First Day of School

September

• 2 - Labor Day - No School
• 9 - Back-to-School Night - 6:30-7:30pm - Grades K, 1, 2
• 11 - Band/Strings Info Session - 6:30-7:00pm
• 11 - PTA Meeting - 7pm
• 12 - GT Info Session - 6:00-6:30pm
• 12 - Back-to-School Night - 6:30-7:30pm - Grades 3, 4, 5
• 18 - 3 Hour Early Dismissal, Professional Work and Wellness Day, 12:55pm

To subscribe to the CCES calendar on your smartphone, electronic device, or email system use the calendar ID sqspkjkbr6v6arss44js3n21eg@group.calendar.google.com.

There will be no printed 2024-2025 calendars. Staff, students, and families may add our online calendar to their own mobile/online calendar by

1. Going to https://www.hcpss.org/calendar/
2. Scrolling down to Subscribing to a Calendar
3. Right-clicking on the calendar you wish to subscribe to
4. Selecting Copy Link Location/Address/Shortcut
5. Adding to your calendar of choice (See your calendar for specifics on adding a new calendar)

You also may view and/or download printable PDFs of the full calendar and/or important dates only. Updates to the PDFs will be noted on the HCPSS calendar page.

PLEASE NOTE! The calendar is subject to change. The online calendar reflects the most recent version.

Calendars in Spanish, Chinese, and Korean

Calendario en español

西班牙语日历

스페인어로 된 달력

Dear Families,

We are so excited for the 2024-25 school year!!!! Please be sure to complete your child's Family File. This information must be updated each school year prior to the first day of school. Currently, 58% have been updated. You can update your child's info at hcpss.org/connect. Thank you for your assistance!

Also, please see the info below about our arrival and dismissal procedures. There is important info for everyone to follow to ensure safety. We will have a crossing guard again this year, so if your child will be a walker, please ensure he/she use the crosswalk anytime they need to cross Quarterstaff Road.

We look forward to seeing everyone on Friday!

Mrs. Leader, Principal

Mrs. Gittleson, Assistant Principal

Each year, families update/complete their child's Family File with all emergency information. Please complete this info ASAP so that we have this information prior to school starting. This is required EACH year. We appreciate your assistance! Anyone who has it completed by Wednesday, August 21st will be able to access their child's teacher information later that day.

https://www.hcpss.org/connect/

Family File Directions.pdf

The HCPSS Bus locator will be updated no later than August 21. Please be sure to check your child's bus stop location, bus time, and bus number as they may have changed from last year. Please be sure to arrive at your bus stop at least 5 minutes before your scheduled pick-up time.

https://www.hcpss.org/schools/transportation/

With nearly 500 students at Clemens Crossing Elementary, it is important to be patient during arrival and dismissal. The carefully planned logistics of arrival and dismissal help us keep our students, staff, parents, and visitors safe. If you are in a non-transportation zone (walker or car rider) it is extremely important to familiarize yourself with our routines for arrival and dismissal.

As adults, we must follow predictable patterns and routines, because children can be unpredictable. Parking in a wrong or illegal place creates unpredictable situations, and those types of situations can put students at risk during arrival and dismissal.

Arrival and dismissal safety is everyone's responsibility. Please review the map below and listen to our staff members who are outside to assist your children when they enter and leave school daily.

NOTE: Please follow the posted signs along Quarterstaff Road. Traffic engineers studied the road and placed signs to help maximize sight lines for drivers. This helps to reduce risks and provide a safe crossing of Quarterstaff Road for walkers who live on the other side of the road.

Do not park along Quarterstaff Road where signs state "No Parking or Standing." Howard County Police will ticket drivers who park or drop-off/pick-up students where no parking signs are posted.

Car Riders - All car riders are dismissed on the parking lot side of the building.
Car riders are expected to be dropped off and picked up in the car loop (school parking lot). We do not allow students to cross the bus parking lot and load into their car along Quarterstaff Road. Please do not tell your children to meet you along Quarterstaff Road.

• During arrival and dismissal, we expect car traffic to enter the car loop from the Martin Road side of Quarterstaff Road (right turn only into the parking lot). Exiting the car loop is a right turn only as well. Please plan your trip accordingly (see information below). Left-hand turns into the car loop are not permitted during arrival and dismissal. Left-hand turning traffic creates back-ups in addition to making it difficult to see blind spots.
• It is suggested that you enter Quarterstaff Road from Martin Road.
• If you do park legally along Quarterstaff Road, your child is considered a walker and will be dismissed with walkers.

Walkers - Walkers who cross Quarterstaff Road must cross the street with the crossing guard.
Please never cross Quarterstaff Road near the car rider traffic. It is unsafe!

It is everyone’s responsibility to be safe during arrivals and dismissals.

Below, you will find a helpful graphic for arrival and dismissal.

Find answers to all of your questions here in our Family Guide.
https://cces.hcpss.org/news/2024/08/cces-family-guide

The HCPSS participates in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs. Students from households that meet federal income guidelines are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals. Qualification is based on family size and income, and enrollment is confidential. All children in households receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can get free meals regardless of income, and students from households that meet federal income guidelines are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals. Those eligible for Free and Reduced Meals receive both breakfast and lunch for free.

Parents/guardians must submit a new application every school year to maintain their student’s eligibility. Click the button below to apply.

The supply list for the 2024-25 school year can be found on the main page of our school's website.

We encourage you to drop off your school supplies during Open House on August 23. Please be sure to clearly label your child's supplies with his/her name.

Beginning Friday, August. 9, families with students new to HCPSS and whose registration has been finalized will begin to receive emails from security_notifications@hcpss.org with the subject “Technology account information for new HCPSS student.” The communication will be sent to the parent/guardian email address used during the student registration process and contains personalized and important information regarding new students’ technology accounts.

Families with a child new to HCPSS that do not receive the email and/or cannot locate the email in the junk/spam folder of the email account they used during registration can use the Forgot Password or Username button on the hcpss.me student landing page to retrieve both their child’s username and password.

Direct questions to TechSupport@hcpss.org with any questions.

Here are some translated messages for new Synergy families:

English

Chinese

Korean

Spanish

Laurel Woods Elementary School

9250 North Laurel Rd.

Laurel, MD 20723

Aug. 19

1:30pm-4:30pm

Varicella, Tdap, MenACWY, HPV, MenB, COVID19

Age 18 and younger

No registration needed. Walk-ups are welcome!

Hammond High School

8800 Guilford Rd, Columbia, MD 21046

Aug. 22

9:00am-12:30pm

Varicella, Tdap, MenACWY, HPV, MenB, COVID19

Age 18 and younger

No registration needed. Walk-ups are welcome!

Howard County Health Department

8930 Stanford Blvd., Columbia, MD 21045

Aug. 26

4:00pm-7:00pm

Varicella, Tdap, MenACWY, HPV, MenB, COVID19

Age 18 and younger

No registration needed. Walk-ups are welcome!

Howard County Health Department

8930 Stanford Blvd., Columbia, MD 21045

Aug. 27

4:00pm-7:00pm

Varicella, Tdap, MenACWY, HPV, MenB, COVID19

Age 18 and younger

No registration needed. Walk-ups are welcome!

Howard County Health Department

8930 Stanford Blvd., Columbia, MD 21045

Sep. 10

4:00pm-7:00pm

Varicella, Tdap, MenACWY, HPV, MenB, COVID19

Age 18 and younger

No registration needed. Walk-ups are welcome!

iCook - Mondays starting Sept 16

10 week session at $270 + registration fee

Pick up 5:10pm

Sign up link coming soon

iCook Flour Power 🍰 🍮 In this baking course, our chefs-in-training will learn how to make delicious and nutritious desserts. We will explore ingredients familiar and new to bake savory and sweet dishes. Students will make Key Lime Pie, Little Orange Cakes, Avocado Brownies, and so much more! Foundational cooking skills will be taught, including proper techniques for measuring, mixing, slicing, dicing, and of course, kitchen safety! We hope to see you in the kitchen soon.

Chess - Tuesdays starting Sept 24

12 week session at $252

Pick up 4:55pm

https://chessacademy.com/collections/howard-county-chess

Learn chess with Magnus Academy, the five time world champion’s academy! We’ve taught 100,000 children to play including state & national champions, but most students are beginners looking to learn a new skill and have FUN. Class time is divided between lessons and practice games. Lessons range from the basic rules to advanced tournament strategies.

Students will have the opportunity to play in tournaments outside of club time, which may have an additional fee. All chess supplies provided. We welcome all grades and skill levels!

Free Online Extras

ChessKid Gold membership (normally $49/year)

Weekly evening practice tournament

Bonus event with a BIG guest once per season - last year's guests were Magnus (the world champion) and Judit Polgar (the best female chess player of all time)!

KidzArt - Thursdays starting Sept 26

Session details coming soon

Pick up 5:15pm

We are looking into additional activities as well- please fill out survey if you haven't already.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc-mISAUCR8NF_Zyx8nF7VhYCr2kixhghoILPHiV9_7igqRdw/viewform?usp=sf_link

As you know, the PTA coordinates many after-school activities throughout the year for students. We would like your input on the types of activities and days of the week that are best. Please complete the survey at the link below! Thank you!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc-mISAUCR8NF_Zyx8nF7VhYCr2kixhghoILPHiV9_7igqRdw/viewform?usp=sf_link

Listed below are the many ways to stay informed at Clemens Crossing Elementary School.

Twitter

• Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/hcpss_cces
• We use Twitter to inform, celebrate, and engage our community.
• Twitter is used to share what is going on in our school, our community, and throughout the Howard County Public School System.
• Turn on notifications to get information the second it is tweeted.
• We live-stream our concerts on Periscope through Twitter.

Facebook

• Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ClemensCrossingElementary
• We have found that Facebook is the social media most used by our parents so we are now on Facebook, too!
• Our Facebook page is updated automatically from our Twitter feed.
• Please use Facebook to share the good news from CCES with your friends and families.

Instagram

• We use Instagram periodically. We do post pictures and information there.

Website

• Our website, cces.hcpss.org, is updated regularly.
• Important news and information is located on the main page of the site including an archive of our weekly newsletter, Cougar Comments.
• Staff information and email is located under the "Our Staff" tab.
• A subscribable google calendar is located on the "Calendar" tab.

Email

• Email is our main form of communication.
• You will receive news and information automatically to the email address you provide in your Family File. We will not inundate your inbox with email. Look for the weekly Cougar Comments on Friday mornings.
• If you would like email sent to different email addresses, update your email in Family File with the email address you prefer.
• You can subscribe additional email addresses by visiting the HCPSS News site here. http://www.hcpss.org/hcpss-news/
• Weekly announcements, important information and updates, and more will primarily be sent through email.
• You also have the opportunity to opt-in for text messaging