Greetings EES Families,

We hope that everyone had a very relaxing and enjoyable weekend with family and friends! Please see important updates below.

Choosing civility and practicing kindness when interacting with staff in a school building is essential to fostering a positive and supportive environment. While it’s true that everyone is busy and navigating their own challenges, small acts of respect and understanding can go a long way in building trust and collaboration. Acknowledging that we are all working toward the shared goal of student success helps us see each other as teammates rather than obstacles. Kindness creates a ripple effect, promoting stronger relationships and a sense of community within the school. By choosing civility, we remind ourselves and others that we’re all in this together, working as one to create a thriving educational environment.

Yearbook Cover:

Congratulations to Lily B. for being the EES Yearbook Cover Winner! You can see all of the wonderful student artwork in the special feature below in the PTA Section of the newsletter.

Elkridge Elementary School 2024-2025 Spelling Bee Results:
This year’s Spelling Bee was a true showcase of talent, perseverance, and hard work! On Friday, 22 of our brightest students took the stage to compete for the title of EES Spelling Bee Champion. After two hours of intense spelling and incredible focus, three exceptional students pushed the competition into extra rounds.

Today at 2 PM, we reconvened for the thrilling conclusion, which lasted 20 rounds! It is with great excitement that we announce our winners:

1st Place Champion: Axton C.

Runner-Up: Syon S.

A huge congratulations to Axton for securing the championship title and to Syon for an impressive performance as Runner-Up! Both students demonstrated outstanding poise, determination, and mastery of spelling under pressure. We are so proud of all 22 participants who worked hard to prepare for this competition. Your effort and commitment inspire us all.

Let’s give a big shout out to our champions, participants, and everyone who made this year’s Spelling Bee a success.

Process for Unexpected State and Federal Representatives to Schools:

On Jan. 21, 2025, the Department of Homeland Security issued a directive allowing immigration enforcement actions to occur in sensitive areas, including schools and bus stops.

While staff in the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) are not aware of any such incident occurring in Maryland or nationally, school administrators have been provided with instructions if a representative from any State or Federal agency arrives unexpectedly at one of our schools.

When visitors arrive at the school, the school principal or assistant principal will greet the visitor, ask them to join them in an office or private conference area, and seek to learn the reason for the visit. At that time, the school administrator will contact their representative from the HCPSS Division of Schools and General Counsel’s office to receive guidance. This practice has been in place as it is not uncommon for schools to receive unannounced visitors and receive support from Central Office leaders.

While staff will not obstruct a state or federal agent carrying out a lawful order on school grounds, we hope that our learning environments will remain free of disruptions. Staff will also continue to monitor the situation in our county, state and nation, and work with county officials and community groups to guide families in need of additional support to the appropriate available resources in our community.

HCPSS is committed to providing a safe, inclusive, nurturing, and supportive school climate.

Parent/Teacher Conference Schedule:

The conference schedule is currently open. To request a conference with your child's teacher log in through your parent portal account to schedule a conference. The conference schedule is open through January 31, 2025 at 4:00 PM.

February conferences will be organized as following:
K-2nd Grade - Math Teacher

3rd - 5th Grade - PM Teacher

*If your child has a teacher all day in 3rd or 4th Grade, you will sign up with their Math teacher for conferences.

Related Arts conferences will be available through Synergy and are on a first-come first-serve basis. If you require a Related Arts conference, and a time is not available, please reach out to your child's Related Arts Teacher directly. The Related Arts Team contact information can be found here. Additionally, the Related Arts teachers will have office hours available if you have any questions.

Wednesday, February 5, 2025:

In-Person Conferences only through 3:55 PM / Virtual Conferences after 3:55 PM

Thursday, February 6, 2025:
Virtual Conferences only

Please know that conferences can be requested at any time with your child's teacher. If you are unable to meet with your child's teacher, please contact them directly.

Ourdoor Recess Reminders:
Please ensure children are appropriately dressed for outdoor recess, including wearing multiple layers of loose-fitted clothing, and covering heads, hands, and faces to minimize skin exposure. It may be helpful to pack extra gloves or mittens, scarves and hats in the event gear gets wet or is misplaced. Please see General Reminders below for additional information about outdoor recess.

MAP Testing:

Winter MAP testing is currently underway, as teachers are using these data points to make instructional decisions for their students. All students in Grades 1-5 will take the assessment. Please see below for your child's grade level and date of testing. Additional information and reminders will be sent from Reading and Math teachers via Canvas.

1st Grade:

ELA: January 28

Math: January 30

2nd Grade:

ELA: January 28

Math: January 31

3rd Grade:

ELA: February 3

4th Grade:

ELA: February 4

Math: February 12

Band & Chorus Concert:
On Thursday, January 30, 2025, EES Students will be showcasing their hard work for the first half of the school year! Students who are participating should arrive to Elkridge Elementary at 6:00 PM. The concert begins at 6:30 PM. We look forward to seeing all of the amazing performances!

Cold and Flu Season:

To keep our community healthy, it’s essential to practice good hygiene by washing hands frequently with soap and water or using hand sanitizer when needed. Always cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your elbow, and dispose of tissues properly to protect others. Regularly clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces, such as doorknobs and shared devices, to reduce the spread of germs. If you’re feeling unwell, stay home and encourage others to do the same to help prevent illness from spreading. Supporting a healthy environment also includes staying vaccinated, eating well, staying hydrated, and ensuring good ventilation in shared spaces.

Joe Corbi Fundraiser:

Mark your calendars! Our Joe Corbi Fundraiser begins next Monday, February 3, 2025.

Schedule Reminder:

There is no school for students on Wednesday, January 29, 2025. This is a work day for teachers.

Have a great week!

Sincerely,

Kelley Powell, Principal

LaShonne Wright, Assistant Principal

Jonathan Swann, Assistant Principal

📚 Book Donations Needed for Literacy Events!📚

We're collecting new or gently used books to support our upcoming literacy events, including our exciting Reading Night in April! If you have books to donate, please drop them off at school in bags or boxes labeled with either Mrs. Cooke or Mrs. Barr's name. Your generous contributions will help foster a love for reading in our community. Thank you for your support! 📖✨

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. Before entering the cafeteria, please sign in at the front office to obtain a visitors pass.
   
   
2. 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.
   
   
3. When dining with your child, please sit at a table that is either empty, or that has a few students at it.
   
   
4. 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.
   
   
5. 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.

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.

As we move into the colder months of school, we would like to send a few reminders about students and recess. Per HCPSS policy, students will be outside for recess when the temperature combined with the wind chill is not less than 20 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature combined with the wind chill is below 20 degrees, students will have indoor recess. Please send your children prepared for outdoor recess.

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

The After School Belonging Group will be meeting on the following days after school. Please reach out to Ms. Harmon for additional details.

February 18, 2025

March 18, 2025

April 22, 2025

May 20, 2025