Lisbon Elementary

Mrs. Debra Anoff, Principal
Mr. Bradley Scobie, Assistant Principal

15901 Frederick Road
Woodbine, MD 21797

(410) 313-5506
(410) 313-5508 - Fax

les.hcpss.org

Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15th to October 15th each year in the United States. This celebration honors numerous people from Spanish-speaking backgrounds who have come to the United States. We celebrate their cultures and traditions during this month. September 15th was chosen as the starting point for the celebration because it is the anniversary of the independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Also, Mexico celebrates its independence day on September 16th and Chile celebrates its independence day on September 18th.

Check out these websites for more information about Hispanic Heritage Month and how you can celebrate virtually and at home!

• Celebrate Hispanic Heritage
• National Hispanic Heritage Month
• September: Civics: Hispanic Heritage Month
• Hispanic Heritage Month - Teaching Tolerance
• Hispanic Heritage Month - NEA
• A Comprehensive List of the Essential Latin Music Genres
• 23 Books By Latinos That Might Just Change Your Life

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

September

• 15 - National Hispanic Heritage Month Begins
  
• 18 - Professional Work & Wellness Day, schools close 3 hours early (12:45 p.m.)
  
• 25 - Walking Wednesday Begins at Recesses
  
• 25 - Give Back Event at Stratosphere Social, 4:00-9:00 p.m.
  

October

• 3 - Rosh Hashanah, schools & offices closed
• 9 - PTA Meeting, 7:30 p.m. (virtual)
• 11 - Picture Day
• 17 - 3rd Grade Visits the Maryland Zoo, 9:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
  

• 17 - Give Back Event at Manor Hill Tavern, 11:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.
  
• 18 - Professional Work Day, schools closed for students
• 21 - Flu Clinic
• 26 - Fall Festival, 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
  
• 31 - Professional Work and Development Day, schools closed for students

November

• 5 - Election Day, schools and offices closed
• 8 - Report Cards Issued
• 11 - Give Back Event at E.W. Beck's, 11:30 a.m.-9:00 p.m.
• 13 - PTA Meeting, 7:30 p.m. (virtual)
  
• 21 - Picture Retake Day
• 22 - Community Night, 6:00 p.m.
  
• 25 - Parent/Teacher Conferences, schools close 3 hours early (12:45 p.m.)
• 26 - Parent/Teacher Conferences, schools close 3 hours early (12:45 p.m.)
• 27 - Parent/Teacher Conferences, schools closed for students
• 28 - Thanksgiving Holiday, schools and offices closed
• 29 - Thanksgiving Holiday, schools and offices closed
  

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

In accordance with Maryland’s Ready to Read Act (2019), COMAR (2021) and the direction from the Howard County Board of Education, all Howard County Public School System students in kindergarten to grade 5 will participate in the 2024 - 2025 administration of the Amplify mClass with DIBELS 8th Edition universal screener to identify potential reading difficulties during the following windows.

Beginning of the year (BOY)

September 16, 2024- September 30, 2024

Middle of the year (MOY)

January 13, 2025 - January 31, 2025

End of the year (EOY)

May 19, 2025 - June 2, 2025

Amplify mClass DIBELS 8th Edition has identified students for whom mClass is not an appropriate assessment. Students for whom this is true include those with limited verbal language skills, with fluency-based speech disorders or oral apraxia, and/or who are blind and/or deaf.

Please GO HERE for screening areas measured in each grade. Students will complete the screener in four to twelve minutes and will be screened three times this year during the windows indicated above in the chart.

Starting next week, students in grades 1-5 will take the Measured Academic Progress (MAP) assessment. The MAP window runs through October. The data from the MAP assessment will help schools and teachers measure your student’s academic progress. The MAP test does not affect grades and the difficulty adjusts depending on how your child responds. It is normal for students to only answer about half the questions correctly. To learn more about the MAP assessment, please visit: https://www.nwea.org/the-map-suite/common-questions-families/ Please make sure your child has headphones at school since they will be used for testing throughout the school year.

Dear Families,

More than half of the 4th grade students have signed up to participate in the Reverse Engineering Instructional Seminar. Wow! Students will take apart objects to see how they work and discover the technology used inside.

If you have any items that you wouldn’t mind donating for our reverse engineering students, please send them in with your child.They can either bring them to my room or add them to the collection box in the front lobby area. Groups begin as early as next week and the collection will continue through the end of October.

Items do not need to be in working order, but they should be safe to disassemble, have a way to be taken apart (flat-head or Phillips-head screws - not star tip), and no larger than approximately a shoe box. Some suggested items are below:

• Calculator

• Clock/Watch

• Alarm Clock/Radio

• Television Remote Control

• See and Say/Etch a Sketch Toys

• Remote Control Cars or Other Cars with lights and sound

• Pop Lights

Thank you in advance,

Jodi O’Connor

G/T Resource Teacher

Lisbon Elementary School

As part of the HCPSS strategic planning process, 5th grade students, staff and families are being

asked to provide input about their values for our school system. Parents/Guardians: Please complete this HCPSS Strategic Planning Input Survey by 9/20/2024 and share the student version with your Grade 5-12 student(s).

This survey is anonymous and available in multiple languages. If you have students at more than one school, please complete the survey one time, and indicate each school your students attend.

If your student needs assistance completing the survey, please contact our front office for assistance.

The Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) is committed to providing a safe, engaging, and supportive school environment that fosters the social and emotional safety, dignity, and well-being of all students. HCPSS acknowledges the need for employees

1. to use an array of research-based positive behavior interventions, strategies, and supports to address student behaviors and keep students safe

2. to minimize the practice of exclusion from the classroom environment

3. to minimize the practice of physical restraint (which may only be used when necessary to protect a student or other person from imminent, serious, physical harm and only after other less intrusive, nonphysical interventions have failed or been determined inappropriate).

It is an expectation that HCPSS employees will be responsive to all incidents of exclusion or physical restraint and appropriately case manage impacted students to minimize unsafe behaviors and maximize instructional engagement.

Additional information can be found at HCPSS Policy 9400 - Student Behavior Intervention. If you have any questions regarding this policy or its implementation, please contact a school administrator.

BULLY PREVENTION: The Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) is committed to providing a safe and nurturing environment for all students. Preventing bullying is an important part of this goal. HCPSS Policy 9460 states that bullying, cyberbullying, harassment, and intimidation are prohibited in HCPSS. Our administration and staff have been trained and made aware of this policy, as well as of preventative and responsive measures. We know how important your role is in not only supporting your children, but also reporting possible incidents as you become aware of them. The Bullying, Cyberbullying, Harassment and Intimidation (BCHI Reporting Form) should be used to report all alleged incidents of bullying, cyberbullying, harassment, and intimidation that occur at school or have a connection back to the school setting. The BCHI Reporting Form is available online and can easily and confidentially be used by students, staff, and family members. Your student's safety and wellbeing is our number one priority. For more information regarding HCPSS Policy 9460, CLICK HERE. There are times when incidents of peer conflict or code of conduct offenses may occur that may not be bullying, but still may need follow up action. If you become aware of something that falls under conflict and/or a code of conduct offense, please notify a school administrator via email or phone call so that they can become aware and follow up as needed.

Animals, including dogs, are prohibited within HCPSS buildings. Animals are also prohibited on school grounds during arrival, dismissal, recess, and any other HCPSS sponsored outdoor activities. This includes therapy and emotional support animals (dogs and other animals), which are not permitted on HCPSS school grounds. Documented service animals, or service animals in training per MD Annotated Code Section 7-705 (Service Animals), are exempt from this prohibition. Service animals must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered at all times. For any questions, we can provide reference to the HCPSS Circular 19 and 21.

HCPSS parents, guardians and family members are invited to join HCPSS Superintendent Willliam J. Barnes, school system leaders and community organizations for this valuable information night to prepare for a successful academic year. The event will also feature various workshop topics which provide access to resources and support.

The 2024-2025 Parent Academy Kick-Off will be held Wednesday, Sept. 25 from 6-8:30 p.m at Wilde Lake High School, 5460 Trumpeter Road, Columbia. Dinner will be provided from 5:15-6 p.m. Registration is encouraged.

Workshop topics include:

• College and Career Readiness/Career Exploration

• Maryland’s Blueprint for the Future

• Navigating the School System for Student Success

• Mental Health

• Advanced Programs K-12

• Social Media Safety & Security

• Elementary ELA, Reading, and the Library

• Math Programs

• Financial Literacy

• Immigration Law

• Early Childhood Programs

Flyers for distribution:

• Parent Academy Kick-Off Flyer - English

• Parent Academy Kick-Off Flyer - Spanish

• Parent Academy Kick-Off Flyer - Korean

• Parent Academy Kick-Off Flyer - Chinese

Please contact 410.313.1293 for more information.

Dear Lisbon Community:

Each year, the Howard County Public School System partners with the Maryland Partnership for Prevention to bring flu immunizations into our schools for students. This year, they will also be offering the latest Covid vaccine if it is available at the time of the clinics. The clinic at Lisbon Elementary School will be held on Monday, October 21st during school hours. If you would like your child to be vaccinated against the flu and/or Covid at this clinic, please register at this link: https://www.marylandvax.org/appointment/en/reg/9012252769

You are not required to provide your child’s insurance information. If you have any concerns about the new Covid vaccine, you are advised to speak with your child’s pediatrician. All in-school clinics will be closed to registration by end of business day on October 8th to allow our health room staff time to review and prepare the consents and make sure enough vaccine is ordered. If you wish to cancel your child’s appointment after October 8th, please call Joanne O'Keefe, RN in the Health room. If you have any questions, please call your school’s health room at 410-313-5555.

Parents can email LESabsence@hcpss.org to report a student’s absence. Please include your child(ren)’s full name, parent’s/guardian’s full name and phone number, the date your child(ren) was absent and the reason. Parents may instead choose to send in a paper excuse note to their child’s teacher with the same information when the student returns to school.

For families requesting local discretionary absences, please complete a Local Discretionary Absence Request Form and submit it to the front office at least one week in advance.

Anyone volunteering at school in any capacity, including parents chaperoning on a field trip, are required to complete volunteer training prior to their first visit. Please visit HERE for more information. Thank you in advance for your willingness to support our staff and students at LES.

HCPSS participates in the Free and Reduced-price Meals (FARMs) program. QualificationLinks to an external site. is based on family size and income, and enrollment is confidential.

Participation in FARMs qualifies students for a wide range of opportunities and resources beyond breakfast and lunch, including free college applications, free or reduced JumpStart tuition, discounted internet through the Comcast Internet Essentials program, and more.

Families must submit a new application every school year by Oct. 31. During the first 30 school days, students with FARMs eligibility from the prior school year will continue to receive benefits. Any student whose family has not filled out an application by the 30th school day will have their status changed to full pay until a new application is received.

Parents/guardians are highly encouraged to fill out the applications as soon as possible. It is very important that applications are filled out accurately and completely. Families can:

• Apply onlineLinks to an external site.

• Apply by mail: Paper applications can be picked up in the Food and Nutrition Service Office (5451 Beaverkill Rd, Columbia, MD 21044). Applications can be returned to your child’s school or mailed to: HCPSS Food & Nutrition Service Office, 10910 Clarksville Pike, Ellicott City, MD 21042.

If you have questions regarding the program, please visit www.hcpss.org/FARMsLinks to an external site. or call Food and Nutrition Services at 410-313-6743.

Click HERE to learn more about HCPSS meal information.

Pricing for school meals for 2024-25:

• Breakfast - $2.00

• Lunch - $2.80

Many HCPSS families are eligible to participate in the Free and Reduced Price Meals (FARMs) program, which provides children with a wide range of benefits including free or discounted college tuition, testing and application fees, academic and athletic program fees and many others in addition to free or discounted meals. Families are urged to check their eligibility and complete a FARMs application as soon as possible. Families must submit a new application every school year.

President: Elizabeth Hall

1st Vice President: Elizabeth Dudley

2nd Vice President: Diane Byrne

Treasurer: Kate Weiss

Recording Secretary: Tarah Theoret

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our first monthly PTA Meeting - it was wonderful seeing some new faces and we are excited for the year ahead! Please join us virtually for our next meeting on October 9th!

Save the Date - Fall Festival will be Saturday, October 26th from 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

After School Activities: Registration for Afterschool Drama has started! See our website for more information!

https://www.lisbonpta.org/activities/

Fliers came home earlier this week, which included the Studio Art registration form.

Tennis, Golf, and Pickleball start next week, so sign up TODAY!

https://www.lisbonpta.org/activities/

Email Diane Byrne at LESVP2PTA@gmail.com with questions.

In alignment with Howard County Board of Education Policy 10010, Distribution and Display of Materials and Announcements, the following announcements have been approved by the Public Information Office for distribution. Please visit Distributing Community Information through the School System or contact the Public Information Office at 410-313-6682 if you have any questions.

The link below will take you to community notices are neither sponsored nor endorsed by the Howard County Public School System.
http://www.hcpss.org/community-news-and-programs/