Baltimore Highlands Elementary

10th - Back to School Night from 6-7:30 pm

24th - Shared Decision Making Team Meeting 3:45-5 pm

25th - PTA Meeting 6-7 pm

25th - In the Know-It-All with Mrs. Marti -

AM Session 9:30-10:30 am PM Session 4:00-5:00 pm

27th - Coffee Talk with Principal Goldbloom 9 am ~ Parents/Caregivers come enjoy coffee and talk with Principal Goldbloom

Please join us for Back to School Night!

Tuesday, September 10th

6:00-6:20 - Greetings from Principal Goldbloom & Annual Title I Meeting

6:25-6:40 - Session 1 in Grade Level Room

6:40-6:50 - Classroom Tour

6:55-7:15 - Stop by Special Areas for families with one child

6:55-7:10 - Session 2 in Grade Level Room

7:10-7:20 - Classroom Tour

7:15-7:30 - Stop by Special Areas for families with more than one child

Welcome back to school! It is hard to believe that our students have been in school for two weeks now. Students are learning routines and procedures, making new friends, and beginning reading, mathematics, and content lessons. We are so excited for the year ahead. This year, I will be implementing monthly meetings for families to join me at school for coffee and discussion around how we can best support our students. I hope that you can join me! At our September 27 meeting, I will be sharing our School Progress Plan and key initiatives for the 2024-2025 school year.

Parent Drop Off

I would like to thank our families for using the car loop line in the back of the school around the parking lot. Dropping off in this location ensures safety for our walkers who enter in the front of our building. As a reminder, we are not dropping off in the front of the school. Thank you for your patience as we have begun to see a steady flow in traffic as walkers enter the building and car loop drivers exit the school.

Dismissal

All walkers will continue to be dismissed from their classroom door. We are unable to dismiss students in the office after 3:00 pm due to afternoon routine preparation. Families needing to pick up their child early must do so prior to 3:00 pm. All walkers will be dismissed between 3:25 and 3:30 pm daily.

We are looking forward to a great third week of school and we hope to see you at Back to School Night tomorrow, Tuesday, September 10 from 6:00-7:30 pm.

Baltimore Highlands ES is having a Spirit Wear Sale! Please click on the link below to purchase your Spirit Wear!

https://stores.inksoft.com/BAL107/shop/home

Pre-K

We are working on social-emotional behavior and transitioning to being in school all day. We have been talking about our safe space in our classroom, different techniques for breathing, and learning the rules and expectations of being in Pre-K. We have been talking about sitting on the carpet criss-cross applesauce, raising our hand when there is something we need to share, as well as trying to make new friends. We started exploring our learning centers and got to experience our special area classes for the first time.

We are making huge strides in Pre-K!

Kindergarten

Kindergarten is off to a great start! We are learning many things, such as how to take turns, walk in lines, follow directions, and process our emotions all day long.

Math

We are learning to count to 10, sorting and categorizing objects, as well as identifying patterns and extending them on our calendar.

Reading

We are identifying story elements, specifically characters and setting. We are also retelling the stories we read.

Writing

We are learning about opinions (telling what we like or do not like and why).

This is going to be a great year!

1st Grade

Reading

In phonics we are continuing our review of the alphabet and in reading we are working on our reading comprehension skills and growing our reading stamina. In writing we are starting to tell our own narrative stories and in content we are practicing using big voices and safely reacting when we feel a big emotion.

Math

In math we are working on counting by twos using popsicle sticks as well as using tally marks to count by fives.

We are looking forward to Back-to-School Night next week!

2nd Grade

Reading

In reading over the next three weeks, our class will be learning about what it means to be a good citizen - at home, at school, and in the community. We will read about characters and real people who are good citizens, and we will learn how our actions can make a difference to others. Children will also write a personal narrative about something they've done to make the world a better place.

Math

In math we will practice efficient math strategies to add and subtract within 20, explore even and odd numbers, solve addition and subtraction story problems and count by 2s, 5s and 10s to solve story problems.

3rd Grade

Math

In math we are refreshing our 2nd grade addition and subtraction skills! Our morning math calendar started Tuesday, September 3rd, and we're already finding patterns and making predictions like pros!

ELA

We are learning a lot of strategies to help us read better. We're working on "3 ways to read", as well as finding the "point of view" and "literary elements" of stories. A huge thing we are working on is learning how to read to self. This is a strategy that will build our reading stamina up and help us pick books at our various reading levels and books that each student finds interesting.

Third grade may have just begun, but our 3rd graders are amazing! Thank you for having such smart, kind and awesome kids!

4th Grade

Reading

Our 4th graders hit the ground running the first week of school with an amazing start to our reading curriculum. In this module our students will be able to answer the Essential Question - "How do your experiences shape your identity". They will be reading text in two different genres which include Informational Texts and Fantasies. Comprehension skills will continue to develop by learning the Central Idea, How to Ask and Answer Questions from a text, the Author's Purpose for writing a text, Text and Graphic Features and Figurative Language. Our students will use these skills to write their own Personal Narrative. I look forward to a successful school year and cultivating a group of strong readers.

Math

Our 4th graders started their Math instruction learning and reviewing Multiplication Strategies. We started with four different models that will allow our students to effectively and efficiently multiply foundational number sets. This skill will be essential when we develop and move into greater numbers. Those four strategies include open number lines, ratio tables, arrays and area models. The students had the opportunity to model their thinking through the use of manipulatives which allowed them to not only understand their mathematical outcomes but the "why" they arrived at those solutions. We have done a great job starting to create great Math Communities within our classroom with young mathematicians.

5th Grade

Reading

In our first module of the year, 5th grade will be listening to, reading, and viewing a variety of texts and media that presents them with information about inventors. We are focusing on the genre of informational text. Our goal is to provide students with opportunities to identify the author's purpose, central ideas, and text structure in order to better understand unfamiliar texts. Students will also encounter narrative nonfiction, realistic fiction, and science fiction/fantasy to build knowledge across genres. Be sure to have conversations and read a book about historians and inventors who have contributed to our American history!

Mathematics

In our first module in mathematics, 5th grade will be focusing on setting the tone for the year and establishing what a math community looks like. We will participate in several games, such as the Product Game, to allow students to discuss strategies, make mathematical observations and preview math strands they will encounter during the course of the school year. Our first investigation of the year invites students to work with properties of multiplication and volume. Be sure to review and practice their math and multiplication facts!

Remember "You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great". Can't wait to see all the wonderful things your child does this school year!

The mission of our School Counseling Program is to create a school culture that will help children to be self-aware and have understanding and empathy for others and develop positive relationships. We will do this by providing opportunities for all students to grow in their academic, social, emotional, and college and career development areas.

September Classroom Lesson Topics

All grades will do lessons on School Success. 5th grade will have Magnet School Presentations

September Character Traits

Each week the students will learn about a character trait in their morning meetings. The traits for September will be Respect, Empathy, Responsibility, and Perseverance.

Our Contact Information:

Ms. Phipps

Pre-K, K, 1st and 2nd Grades

pphipps@bcps.org

443-809-2473

Mrs. Bradham

3rd, 4th and 5th Grades

bbradham@bcps.org

443-809-1053

Influenza (the flu) is a leading cause of school absences. For students who get the flu, they often miss up to 3-5 days of school. For students who develop complications, they may be out of school even longer. This adds up to a lot of missed instruction. The Baltimore County Department of Health provides free and low cost flu vaccines every year. For more information you can call 410-887-1332. Your child can also get a flu shot from their pediatrician or a local pharmacy. Parents and other household members are also encouraged to get flu shots. For more information about the flu vaccine, call Ms. Grisley, the school nurse, at 443-809-6063.

Welcome Back to all new and returning families! It was so wonderful to see so many of you at our annual Sneak a Peek event! We are excited to partner again with you this year to ensure the success and wellbeing of our students and families.

Essential to this partnership is your willingness to "raise your hand" to give your opinions, ask questions, share concerns, and volunteer to assist. Parents, caregivers, and community members have a role in making decisions about what happens here at BHES. Our Shared Decision Making Team (SDMT) meets regularly to help strengthen our school, students, families, and the community. Please join us on Tuesday, September 24th from 3:45-5:00 pm in the school library to discuss the coming school year!

Also, Baltimore Highlands has staff members available to help if you need assistance with a number of issues facing families such as: financial concerns, food access, healthcare/medical insurance, childcare, behavioral concerns, mental health, parent support, and more.

You can reach out to one of our CARE Team staff directly using the emails or phone numbers below or use this link to our new"Hand Raise Form" to let us know what you need:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScu21-5vrTIjz0qDc5PErw5_aDjEE3v_wPh3p-h_jfq3gb3lw/viewform

• Martha Albornoz, Bilingual Family Liaison, malbornoz@bcps.org 443-809-7868
• Yolanda Artis, School Social Worker, yartis@bcps.org 443-809-7983 (Tuesdays & Thursdays)
• Manuela Amorin, School Social Worker, mamorin@bcps.org 443-809-7970
• Bridget Bradham, School Counselor, bbradham@bcps.org 443-809-1053
• Pam Phipps, School Counselor, pphipps@bcps.org 443-809-2473
• Lacie Grisley, School Nurse, lgrisley@bcps.org 443-809-6063
• Jill Savage, Community School Facilitator, jsavage@bcps.org 443-809-4006

We look forward to an amazing school year! Go Bulldogs!

Updated Food Pantry Information! Change in Morning Hours!

The school Food Pantry will reopen on Tuesday, September 10th from 9-10 am and then again from 3-5 pm for families residing in 21227. The pantry is located in the trailer behind the school closest to the parking lot. Families are permitted to visit the pantry 1 timer per week if needed.

Please Note: All morning pantry visitors must check in at the main school office before walking around the building to the pantry. Afternoon visitors may come directly to the trailer. Be prepared to have a photo ID and something with your name to confirm your address.

All potential volunteers, whether they be family, community members, or staff, must complete the volunteer application and participate in an orientation/training session. Please contact BHES volunteer coordinator, Mrs. Marti, at 443-809-7868 or email malbornoz@bcps.org for assistance.

Mrs. Marti, our bilingual Family Care Liaison, will meet with our school parents for an hour for In the Know-It-All with Marti workshops! The first In the Know It All workshop will be on Wednesday, September 25th! There will be a morning session from 9:30-10:30 am and an afternoon session from 4:00-5:00 pm.

Jennifer Gilbert will become our incoming PTA president. She is the mother of a 5th grader at BHES. She also volunteers with the school for events such as the food drives and the Community School Shared Decision Making meetings. She is new to the Baltimore Highlands community and is integrating herself where she can in order to bring the community together. This is her 2nd year being a PTA member but will be her first year as president. She hopes to learn and grow, as well as assist with developing more involvement of the community within our school, while planning on carrying out the goals our PTA has for the students here. In her free time she loves crafting, organizing and spending time with her son and their animals. They recently adopted a dog from BARCS and that has encouraged them both to want to begin volunteering with that organization as well.

PTA Committee Members for 2024-2025 School Year

President - Jennifer Gilbert

Vice President - Heather Pfeifer

2nd Vice President - Tracy Schmidt

Secretaries -

Social Media - Rachel Gregory

Meeting Correspondence - Heidy Devers

Fundraising - Sirena Mendez and Heidy Devers

5th Grade Committee - Jennifer Gilbert, Tracy Schmidt, Tabitha Harmon, Angie Campbell