The Logan Lowdown!

🧩🧩Arrival: 8:55am - Dismissal 3:55pm 🧩🧩

April 4th, 2025, End of 3rd quarter marking period, School will be closing 3 hours early (Logan ES will dismiss at 12:55pm)

April 8th-11th, 2025, 5th Grade MCAP testing (Remember to encourage your student the get their rest, and be on time)

April 11th-April 21st, Spring Break (Schools and offices are closed)

April 22nd, 2025, School reopens for students and staff

April 23rd- 28th, 2025, 4th Grade MCAP testing (Be sure to rest and be on time)

April 24th, 2025, Report cards will be available to view via Focus (physical copies can be printed upon request, please request from your students teacher)

April 25th, 2025, Pre-K & Kindergarten Conference Day, School is closed for Pre-K & Kindergarten students ONLY (1st-5th grade students are required to attend school on this day)

April 28th, 2025, Pre-K Conference Day, School is closed for Pre-K students (No AM or PM Session)

April 29th- May 2nd, 3rd Grade MCAP Testing (Rest and punctuality are vital to testing success)

Hi Team Logan,

Spring Break is almost here! It will officially begin at the end of the day on Friday, April 11th, and we will be closed from April 14th to April 21st. We will return to school on Tuesday, April 22nd. While we look forward to this well-deserved break, we have some important work to do before we head out.

First, the third marking period ends on Friday, April 4th, and it will be a 3-hour early dismissal day for students. Please be sure to check your child’s progress and take time to discuss achievements and areas for growth. Report cards will be available on April 24th through Focus, and paper copies will be provided upon request. Remember, report cards are an essential way to communicate your child's academic progress, so be sure to review them together. If you have any questions about your child’s performance or want to set goals for the upcoming quarter, please reach out to the teacher for guidance.

As we head into the final quarter of the school year, I want to take a moment to emphasize the importance of regular attendance. Consistent attendance is a key factor in academic success. When students miss school, they miss out on important learning opportunities, and even small gaps in attendance can add up quickly. Please remember that the state standard for attendance is 94%, and we are currently tracking at 91.31% year-to-date. This is below the state standard, and we encourage all families to ensure that their child attends school every day, on time, and ready to learn.

We are concerned about chronic absenteeism. Students who miss more than 10% of the school year are considered chronically absent, and right now, 31.60% of our students fall into this category. Missing more than three days per quarter can significantly impact your child’s academic growth. If you’re experiencing any challenges with getting your child to school, please reach out to us. We are here to help and can work together to find solutions.

Thank you for your continued support in ensuring that your child is attending school regularly. Together, we can make sure that they make the most of the learning opportunities available to them.

House Day Celebration & the Virtue of Flexibility This past Tuesday, April 1st we celebrated House Day with our students and staff. During our House Meeting, we focused on the virtue of Flexibility. Flexibility is defined as “Being open to change. It is being open to the opinions and feelings of others.” It also means learning from your mistakes. This virtue will be especially important as our students prepare for the MCAP state testing in April & May. To help reinforce this idea at home, I have attached some activities that can help foster flexibility in all of us.

I encourage you to talk with your child about being flexible, and how he/she can practice it both at school and at home. These discussions will help your child as challenges arise and students engage in testing in the coming weeks.

Wishing you all a wonderful April, and we look forward to seeing you back at school on April 22nd!

-Mr. Parker & Mrs. Wrightson

Main office minutes 🌺🌸🌷

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.

The time has come! Pre-K & Kindergarten registration season is here. On April 29th, 2025 & May 20th, 2025 we will be offering appointments for Pre-K & Kindergarten registration for the 2025-26 school year. Please call into the front office (office # 443-809-7052) and make your appointment. Please prepare to be in your session for approximately 15-30 minutes.

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 (Community School Facilitator). Also, we have been working with parents on job applications. Everything is completely confidential. We are extremely excited and proud of the work we do with our students, families, and our wonderful community.

-Mr. Little

Dear Parents,

Spring is finally here, bringing longer days, outdoor fun, and plenty of sports and activities! With all this extra playtime, we want to take a moment to remind everyone about lice prevention. While lice aren’t harmful, they can be a hassle to deal with and spread quickly among kids. A little prevention can go a long way in keeping them away!

Simple Ways to Prevent Lice:

1. Avoid Head-to-Head Contact: Lice spread through direct hair-to-hair contact, so remind your child to avoid touching heads while playing, taking selfies, or working closely with friends.

2. Keep Personal Items Personal: Sharing is great—except when it comes to things like combs, brushes, hats, hair ties, and headphones. This also includes sports gear like helmets, batting helmets, and headbands. Encourage your child to use their own whenever possible.

3. Keep Hair Tied Up: If your child has long hair, putting it in a ponytail, bun, or braid can help prevent lice from latching on—especially during sports and outdoor activities.

4. Do Quick Hair Checks: Every so often, take a look at your child’s scalp, especially behind the ears and at the nape of the neck, to spot any lice or eggs (nits) early.

5. Wash and Dry Items on High Heat: If your child has been exposed to lice, washing bedding, clothes, and hair accessories in hot water and drying them on high heat can help get rid of them. Sports helmets and other shared gear should be wiped down or disinfected between uses.

6. Try Preventative Sprays or Oils: Some parents find that using tea tree oil, peppermint, rosemary, or lavender sprays helps deter lice.

7. Talk to Your Child About Lice: Let them know what lice are and how they spread so they can take simple steps to avoid them—without feeling embarrassed or worried.

If you do find lice on your child, don’t panic! Let the school nurse know, and take action quickly with over-the-counter treatments or professional removal services.

Thank you for helping us keep our school community happy, healthy, and lice-free! If you have any questions or need more information, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Nurse Andie

443-809-7096

awiley@bcps.org

Please return library books each week. Notices will be sent home next week to those who have not returned books.

We’re excited to invite you to our upcoming Scholastic Book Fair. This event is an opportunity for students of all ages to build their home libraries and further their love of reading. AND it is a BOGO!!! Buy one, get one!!!!

The Book Fair will take place April 25 - May 2. Please take at look at the schedule your child is bringing home next week. We will also have an evening event on April 29 from 5:00-6:30 in the Logan Library. *Please be aware that we cannot order books due to the Scholastic inventory; therefore, whatever we have been sent by Scholastic will be all that we will be given.

Our Book Fair offers eWallet, a safe and secure alternative to cash. Simply create a free account to add funds and/or invite family and friends to contribute so your child can select their own books. Any unused funds can be spent at The Scholastic Store Online or to fund a future eWallet. If your child had an eWallet before, you will need to transfer money to this new book fair account. You can also send money with your child. Please remember that it will be your child’s responsibility to keep it safe. You may want to put it in a sealed envelope and give it to your child’s teacher on their purchasing day.

If you can’t make it to the Fair, then shop at our school’s Online Book Fair. All orders ship directly to your home, and shipping is free for book orders over $25.

Visit our Book Fair homepage to learn more and get started with eWallet and online shopping: https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/loganelementaryschool1

We’re excited to celebrate our love of books together at the Book Fair. We look forward to seeing your child there!

Ms. Lisa M. Schultze, Instrumental Music

Our part time Towson University Instrumental Music Intern, Ms. Alyssa Howell, will be full time with us now through May. We are excited to have her working with us!

We are working on Band/Orchestra Sticker Chart Testing and longer paper songs as we look forward to our May 20th concert at Dundalk Middle School. Look for details in Schoology and Talking Points. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at Logan on Mondays, Wednesdays, or Friday mornings, or via email at lschultze@bcps.org.

Thank you!

Advanced 3rd Grade Math:

I know everyone is beginning to get spring fever, but we need to stick with it and finish strong. I need ALL my students to be here in their seats to learn. Please make sure you are checking their agendas and completing homework. If students are struggling with homework, do not stress, send them in and I can help them in the morning with their questions. Please check Schoology for grades. Remember we are learning 4th grade standards, and it is challenging. Reach out if you have any question. Also, MCAP testing will take place for math after spring break, more information to come.

Advanced 5th Grade Math:

I know everyone is beginning to get spring fever and middle school, but we need to stick with it and finish strong. I need ALL my students to be here in their seats to learn. Please make sure you are checking their agendas and completing homework. If students are struggling with homework, do not stress, send them in and I can help them in the morning with their questions. Please check Schoology for grades. Remember we are learning 6th and 7th grade standards, and it is challenging. Reach out if you have any question. Also, MCAP testing will take place for math after spring break, more information to come.

Thanks,

Mrs. Jackson

In April and May, our students in grades 3-5 will be taking in the MCAP assessments for both Math and ELA. Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) provides information to educators, parents and the public on student progress towards proficiency on the Maryland College and Career Ready Standards. MCAP assessments are designed for online administration and are given in 40-70 minute sections. Students take four sections per content area with a total testing time of 3-5 hours for a subject.

Here are some tips from Edmentum to ensure you are able to support your child as we embark into the testing season.

Eight Tips to Help Your Child Prepare for High-Stakes Tests

No matter what your personal feelings on high-stakes testing are, there is no escaping the reality that these assessments will be an important part of your child’s academic experience. And, everyone wants to see their student experience success in the classroom. So, what’s the best way to help your child prepare for high-stakes tests—and keep a healthy mindset while doing so? Here’s eight simple tips for parents to help their student perform their best on testing days.

1. Prioritize attendance and homework

Tests are ultimately intended to be a measure of how well students have learned the material being taught in class. With that in mind, what is the best (and most straightforward) piece of test-prep advice for caregivers is to do what you can to ensure that your child is fully engaged with his or her classwork throughout the year. Set aside dedicated homework time each night to make sure that your child is completing their assignments consistently throughout the year. It’s also a good idea to periodically reflect on your family routine, and make sure you and your student are keeping a schedule that gets them to class on time every day. If your student is absent for a day, or has to miss a class period, check in with them to make sure they can make up what they missed.

2. Communicate with teachers

Regular communication with your child’s instructor can help you gain insight into his or her progress. Make a point of meeting or talking with your child’s teacher on an ongoing basis to understand what your child is working on, what he or she will be tested on, and the areas that he or she is excelling and struggling in. Your child’s teacher is also a great resource for test-preparation practice or strategies you can use with your child at home. Plus, they can keep you up to date on group study sessions or other opportunities for additional review that your child may benefit from.

3. Talk to your child about test taking

The purpose and goals of testing are not always obvious, even to the students who take them. Especially with new test-takers, it’s easy to be intimidated by testing or simply not feel motivated to put forth a lot of effort. Have open, ongoing conversations with your child to explain the benefits of testing, focusing on how it helps them, their teacher, their school, and other educators understand their strengths and weaknesses and figure out the most effective ways to teach. You can also use this opportunity to ask your students how they feel about testing, and offer reassurance or perspective if they have any anxiety around exams.

4. Offer positive reinforcement

A little encouragement can go a long way in helping students walk into testing days feeling confident—which, in turn, can have a huge effect on their performance. Praise your child for the work that he or she does to prepare for testing, and share in his or her excitement when he or she has success with a new concept or skill. Similarly, when he or she is struggling with a topic, point out the progress that he or she has made and encourage him or her to continue working. Having already experienced success with the material that he or she will be tested on will help your child avoid test anxiety and perform to the best of his or her ability on testing day.

5. Support healthy habits

Sleep and nutrition can have a huge impact on your child’s ability to focus and retain information. One of the most helpful things that you can do as a parent is focus on supporting these basic needs. Well-rounded meals and a regular sleep schedule will help your child succeed in the classroom on a day-to-day basis. On testing days, it’s especially important to make sure that your child gets a good night’s sleep, starts the day with a filling breakfast, and goes to school with a water bottle to help stay hydrated.

6. Give your child a study space

A comfortable, dedicated space for homework and studying can work wonders for your child’s productivity. Make sure that your child’s space is quiet, well lit, and stocked with the right materials, like a writing surface, pens, pencils, highlighters, scratch paper, a calculator, and any other tools that he or she might need.

7. Keep testing in perspective

No single test is that important. Avoid putting too much emphasis on your child’s test scores—doing so can make your child feel pressure that will ultimately only affect his or her performance negatively. It’s also important to not be upset by a single test score. Low test scores can occur for any number of reasons; it may have just been an off day for your child.

8. Debrief after the test

After testing day has come and gone, talk with your child about his or her results and how he or she felt about the test. By discussing his or her answers, thought processes, and feelings, you can gain further insight into what he or she is struggling with and excelling at and then help him or her better prepare next time. Talking about testing can also help your child process the experience and overcome any anxiety that he or she might have had.

https://www.edmentum.com/articles/8-tips-to-help-your-child-prepare-for-high-stakes-tests/

-Resource

Happy Autism ACCEPTANCE Month from your ISDM teachers and staff! We want to use this space to share some resources with all members of our Logan community. We guarantee that every person reading this newsletter either knows someone who is autistic, has an autistic family member or friend, or is autistic themselves!

Therefore, take some time this month to dive in! Explore the resources available on the Autistic Self Advocacy Network's website, a nonprofit organization run by and for autistic people. Watch a TedTalk from an autistic presenter, such as Rosie King. Read a book written by an autistic author, such as The Reason I Jump, by Naoki Higashida which was also made into a short movie.

Here at Logan, we will be hosting an Autism Acceptance professional development with our school staff. We will also be creating and sharing our annual school wide Autism Acceptance lessons and activities to encourage our Logan family to move past awareness and onto acceptance.

Let's celebrate neurodiversity this month and every month!

-Ms. Lough, Ms. Bankett, Ms. Merson & Ms. Dipaola

We had an exciting time in our Exploring Museums unit! Over the past few weeks, we researched dinosaurs We ended our unit by diving into the magical world of fairy tales. It has been wonderful to see our young learners engage with new stories and discoveries, sparking their curiosity and creativity. During the next few weeks we have some exciting events in Pre-K. We will have STEM day with Mrs. Schluter and will also have a visitor from the Fire Museum.

As we transition into Unit 5, we are excited to begin our exploration of gardens and the living things within them. During this unit, we will plant seeds and track their growth over time, giving our students hands-on experience with nature. We will also learn about life cycles and how to sequence events, building foundational skills in observation and storytelling.

How You Can Help at Home:

• Encourage your child to write their name independently as often as possible.
• Practice identifying and labeling 2D shapes (circle, square, rectangle, triangle) and 3D shapes (sphere, cube, cylinder) in your surroundings.
• Support your child in sounding out and writing words to express their thoughts and ideas.

We appreciate your help in your child’s learning journey and look forward to growing together in our next unit!

Mrs. Kenah and Mrs. Dillon

Kindergarten is so happy it is Spring! In reading we are reading books that “zoom in” on ordinary experiences and objects. In writing, we are having fun writing our own creative stories with characters, settings, and a beginning, middle, and end! In math, we are making combinations of 5. We will then move on to measuring objects with different tools! Please continue to read at home and make sure devices come back to school charged every day! Have a great April! 😊

-K team

Hello First Grade Families!

We cannot believe that we have already finished three quarters of first grade! As we begin the fourth quarter, we want to finish the year strong so that your scholar is well-prepared for next school year.

Please continue to ensure that your child attends school regularly and arrives on time. At home, we encourage you to keep working on sight words, reading stories together, and playing games that help reinforce addition and subtraction skills.

Reading Update:
We have just started Module 8! In this module, students will enjoy classic tales and contemporary stories as they explore storytellers from both the past and present. They will deepen their understanding of the valuable lessons that stories can teach—such as resilience in the face of challenges. Students will discover that characters in stories, much like real people, often make mistakes but learn and grow by persevering and trying again.

Math Update:
Next week, we will begin Unit 7! In this unit, your child will:
✔ Understand place value within the range of 0–120
✔ Represent numbers using groups of 1s, 10s, and 100s
✔ Use models, sketches, and numbers to add and subtract within 120
✔ Count forward and backward by 1s, 2s, 5s, and 10s on a number line

Your child will practice these skills by solving a variety of engaging problems.

Thank you for your continued support in your child's education. Let’s finish the year strong!

Hi second grade families!

With spring break approaching, please continue to remind your students to work hard and try their best.

In reading, for module 9, students will listen to, read, and view a variety of texts and media that will learn about the different habitats where animals live. A variety of fiction and nonfiction texts provides students with opportunities to identify ideas and support, text organization, text features, elements of poetry, and figurative language to better understand unfamiliar texts.

In math, we will be using metric measurement, fractions, and multi-digit addition and subtraction, set in the context of army ants, picnic ants, and imaginary ants who enjoy toys as much as second graders do.

Please be on the lookout for fun and exciting events coming soon!

Hi third grade families!

In math, we are getting ready to begin our next unit, which will revisit multiplication and fractions. We will be reviewing what we have already learned, and extending our learning further to answer more challenging questions. We are also preparing for Math MCAP testing by using the practice test questions. In reading, we are in our invention unit, learning about famous inventors and inventions. We will be choosing an invention for a research report in writing. We are also preparing for the Reading MCAP assessment in reading by practicing reading and answering question with more independence. Lastly, in health, we are beginning our self-management unit. We will be learning strategies to help us with self-control and learning strategies to help keep us safe. Please remember to utilize Amira and Freckle at home to help practice those reading and math skills

5th Grade Parents and Guardians,

Spring Break is scheduled for April 14th to April 18th. As part of our ongoing State Testing journey, we have successfully completed the MISA assessment and will proceed with the Reading MCAP Assessment next week. The Math MCAP Assessment is set to follow after Spring Break.

It is crucial that all students get adequate rest prior to these assessments to perform at their best. As the end of this grading period approaches, we encourage students to take time to reflect on their academic progress as they prepare for the final grading period of their elementary school experience.

Additionally, please ensure your child continues to practice reading with Amira, which is an excellent resource for enhancing their reading skills.

Please reach out to your student's teacher if you have any questions!

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