Falcon Flier

Sandra Anderson, Assistant Principal

Kelly Grenzer, Assistant Principal

Website: ples.hcpss.org
Location: Phelps Luck Elementary School, Old Stone Court, Columbia, MD, USA
Phone: 410-313-6886
Facebook: facebook.com/phelpsluckelementary
Twitter: @hcpss_ples

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Spanish

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Urdu

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Falcon Families,

Greetings! We hope you all are well! January and February certainly flew by. Both months have been challenging with weather closures and an increase in illnesses. As we move into a new month, we are excited to share the latest updates and events in our school community. In the newsletter below, please find important dates, upcoming activities, and a few highlights from the amazing things happening. We are looking forward to all the great things coming up in the next few months and appreciate your continued support in making our school a place where every student belongs. Thank you for being such an important part of our school family!

Warmly,

Mr. Cosentino, Principal

Dr. Anderson and Mrs. Grenzer, Assistant Principals

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

March 2025

National Women's History Month begins

• 3 - Spirit Day - Dress like your favorite book character
• 4 - Class picture day
• 5 - PTA Meeting, 7:00 p.m.
• 7 - Bingo Night (must pre-register)
• 14 - Professional Work and Wellness Day, Schools close 3 hours early, 12:15 p.m.
• 17 - St. Patrick's Day - Wear Green
• 18 - PTA Restaurant Day at Coal Fire, 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• 25 - Spirit Day - Maryland Day - Wear MD Colors (red, black, yellow)
• 26 - Spirit Day - Twin Day
• 27 - Spirit Day - Beach Day (wear Beach/Hawaiian shirt)
• 28 - Spirit Day - PLES Day (wear PLES spirit wear)
• 28 - End of third quarter
• 31 - Schools closed for students

To subscribe to the PLES calendar on your smartphone, electronic device, or email system, click the plus sign + at the bottom right-hand corner of the Google Calendar or click this link.

We wish those students, families, and community members celebrating, a Blessed Ramadan. If your child will be fasting on certain days and would like to go to another location during their designated lunch time, email Ms. Stremmel at andrea_stremmel@hcpss.org and she will find an alternate location.

Our GT dept and PTA are looking for families to participate in our 4th annual Spring Science Night on April 23 from 6:00-7:30pm. If you are in the field of science or environment and you would like to join us (or can't 4/23, but would like to be part of a future event), please fill out our form. https://forms.gle/D2a49gHYnYP3hkcA6 Many thanks!

Group Picture Day is coming on March 4. This is another opportunity to support our school. Lifetouch School Photographer is our only school fundraiser. All profits from picture day go directly to school for a variety of needs. Thank you ahead of time for your support.

The HCPSS Fine Arts program invites members of the public to see the 3rd Grade Art Showcase, featuring artwork by students from elementary schools across Howard County. A celebration of students’ creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, the showcase reflects key elements of the third-grade visual arts curriculum, combining formal technical understanding, meaningful concept development, and hands-on, project-based learning. Student artwork is on display through March 25 in the main hallway of the Howard County Department of Education, 10910 Clarksville Pike, Ellicott City.

Check out the artwork on display below.

The OMHS Food Pantry will be open Wednesday, February 26 from 3:30 - 5:30pm inside the OMHS cafeteria at 9410 Kilimanjaro Road, Columbia. Come to the front of the school building for our low-contact pickup. Please do not arrive before 3pm to allow for safe bus departure. Visit https://omhs.hcpss.org/student-services/food-pantry for more information.

La Despensa de Alimentos de OMHS está abierta miércoles, el 26 de febrero 3:30-5:30pm (9410 Kilimanjaro Road, Columbia) dentro de la cafetería. Venga al frente de la escuela para recoger con un mínimo de contacto. Favor de no llegar antes de las 3pm para que los autobuses puedan salir. Visite a https://omhs.hcpss.org/student-services/food-pantry para más información.

Join us for a night of resources and information on mental health, balancing technology, behavior management, high school transitions, and much more!

Child care provided!!!

REGISTER HERE!!!!

We are excited to announce the implementation of the Zum Student Bus Card Program at Phelps Luck Elementary School, starting February 25. This program is being introduced to enhance the safety, efficiency, and accountability of student transportation on our seven Zum buses (Zum buses have a 7 digit bus number (i.e. 233231).

With the new Student Bus Cards, students will simply scan their card when boarding and exiting their assigned bus. This will allow real-time tracking of ridership, helping ensure that every student is safely accounted for during their journey to and from school. Additionally, families will have access to timely updates regarding their child’s transportation status.

What This Means for Families:

• Each student assigned to a Zum bus will receive a Student Bus Card prior to the start of the program.
• Students must scan their card when getting on and off the bus each day.
• Parents/guardians will be able to track bus arrival times and their child's ridership status via the Zum app.
• This system will help improve communication, reduce delays, and enhance overall transportation safety.

We appreciate your support as we work to make school transportation more secure and efficient for all students. Additional details, including how to access the Zum app and what to do if a card is lost, will be shared soon. If you have any questions, please contact the school office.

Thank you for your cooperation in making this transition smooth for our students!

The Phelps Luck Elementary School’s Early Childhood Classes are making preparations for the upcoming 2025-2026 school year and are accepting applications for general education students to participate as peers through the Learning Together Program (LTP). These classes include general education and special education students. The program’s focus is helping all children develop communication, literacy, math, problem solving, motor, and social skills. For parents of children who currently are three years old (birthdays after 9/1/2021) or will be three years old by September 1st 2025, applications will be available and accepted in mid-February. Please click the following link for more information: LTP Information - Google Docs

Please find the Spirit Day Schedule for the year below. We hope this helps in the planning and participation in our fun spirit days this year.

To ensure smooth end-of-day procedures, please plan to pick up your child no later than 2:45 p.m. This helps us maintain a focused learning environment and ensures the safety and smooth dismissal of all students. Picking up students after this time can disrupt classroom activities and interfere with dismissal procedures.

We appreciate your cooperation in helping us provide the best possible environment for all students!

If your student is absent or will be absent, please contact us at the following email address to explain the reason: PLESabsence@hcpss.org. In the email, please Include the following information:

• Student First and Last Name

• Grade

• Reason for absence (e.g., illness, bereavement, observance of a religious holiday, lack of transportation)