NORWOOD NEWS

Our community is a community of superstars! Here are some updates as we work to bring out the best in our students and help them all reach for the stars.

Norwood Elementary provides relevant and challenging learning for all of our students. We believe all students are capable of achieving grade level standards, and provide the needed supports for each child on their learning journey. We strive for all of our superstars to reach their fullest potential in our ever-changing 21st century world.

• Thursday February 6, 2025: Report Cards Distributed
• Monday February 17, 2025: Presidents' Day- Schools and Offices Closed
• Monday February 10-Friday February 17- Book Fair
• Wednesday February 12, 2025: Wellness Wednesday
• Tuesday February 18, 2025: Special Area Night (more details below)
• Wednesday February 26, 2025: Free Produce Market at Holabird STEM

Reminder: School Hours

8:20am arrival / 8:35am late bell / 3:20pm dismissal (no drop-off prior to 8:20am as there is no supervision outside before then)

PK Schedule: AM session (8:20am - 11:05am); PM session (12:40pm - 3:20pm)

Your voice matters! Please Take a Few Minutes to Complete

Please help us learn about how to best support all parents, students, and community members and improve student and organizational performance by taking the BCPS Climate Survey. The survey is open from January 27 through February 28 through a link on the BCPS Web page or by clicking here. You may also scan the QR code below.

The survey is for all students including: students in Grades 3–12, parents/caregivers, community members, and all staff. Anyone may take the survey via smart phone, tablet, or computer. It takes three minutes or less to complete, is anonymous, and is available in 20 languages for students, parents/caregivers, and community members. Thank you for sharing your input on how to make BCPS even better!

Please review the important information shared by Baltimore County Public Schools to all families on January 26 regarding immigration enforcement actions at schools. There are important resources for our families below, so please take a moment to review the information by clicking on the links in this message.

On January 23, 2025, the Maryland State Department of Education provided local school systems with guidance on how school-based personnel should respond to requests from immigration or law enforcement officials while upholding student rights. BCPS will follow the state’s guidance—as well as our established procedures and processes for law enforcement requests at schools—and we will work closely with local, state and federal partners.

The safety and well-being of our 110,000 students remains our top priority, and we want to share important reminders for all members of our community that underscore our commitment to fostering safe and inclusive learning environments where all students thrive—

• All children have a right to equal access to a free public education, regardless of the immigration status of the child or their parent/guardian. The 1982 Supreme Court ruling in Plyler v. Doe ensures equal access to education for children regardless of status.
  
• While our schools require proof of residency in Baltimore County, BCPS does not ask about a child’s immigration status at any time.
  
• Federal and state laws protect education records and personal information. BCPS does not release student information without consent from parents/guardians unless we are required to respond to a court order or subpoena.
  
• BCPS does not tolerate bullying, harassment, discrimination or intimidation for any reason, including immigration status. Students, parents/caregivers, and staff are urged to promptly report incidents of bullying and harassment to school administrators and/or complete the online Bullying, Harassment, or Intimidation Reporting Form.

BCPS will continue to closely monitor developments at the local, state and federal level, and work with county and state partners to provide resources and updates and ensure that we address the needs of our school communities.

Thank you for your support.

Resources

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) has identified several resources for families:

• Parents/guardians can identify a “standby guardian” to care for their child if they are detained or deported, by completing this Maryland Judiciary form and providing a copy to schools, health care providers, and family members.
  
• Families trying to locate someone who has already been detained, may use the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainee locator.
  
• Legal assistance is available from a variety of sources, including immigration lawyers in private practice, accredited representatives (non-attorneys who assist individuals in immigration proceedings), and legal-aid organizations:

The People’s Law Library of Maryland Immigration Advocates Network

Immigration Advocates Network

• Several immigration organizations have provided guidance related to preparing for and/or responding to immigration action.
• Family Preparedness Plans – Michigan Immigration Rights Center.
• ACLU.
• Immigrant Resource Center.
• USAHello.

Baltimore County Public Schools celebrates Black history year-round, however the month of February affords us a special opportunity to explore and elevate some of the people and stories that are sometimes overlooked.

Here are a few fun at activities that can be crafted to learn more about Black Historical Important Events and Figures!

To increase attendance this month, the Safe and Supportive Committee has created a Donut Be Absent Attendance Challenge in the front lobby. Every day a class has 94% attendance or greater, the class will earn a sprinkle! The class who earns 15 sprinkles will win a surprise celebration!

With each monthly newsletter you will gain access to unit overviews for math instruction at each grade level. Below are the unit overviews for unit 5 of math, available in both English and Spanish. The overviews share the main learning goals of the unit, show sample problems that students might see with instructional notes for family members, and include frequently asked questions.

Here are the current Math overviews below, both in English and Spanish for each grade level.

Kindergarten | Kinder

English | Español

Grade 1 | Grado 1

English | Español

Grade 2 | Grado 2

English | Español

Grade 3 | Grado 3

English | Español

Check out this amazing interactive family resource for math. This provides models and examples of what students are learning in class and can be used to sharpen their skills."

Grade 3

Grade 2

Grade 1

Kindergarten

We will be having our monthly free community produce market on Wednesday February 26th at Holabird STEM Middle starting at 4:00pm until supplies last.

***Please bring your own bag***

Join us on Wednesday February 12th from 9-10:30am at our Norwood Elementary Cafe. We will be having a physical fitness activity for parents to engage and learn about!

Join the Special Area Team for the best night of the year! We've rescheduled it to Tuesday, February 18 due to the possibility of inclement weather.

Our Special Area Evening event will be held on February 18, 2025, at 5:00pm. Please note that the Scholastic book fair will be extended until Tuesday, February 18 so families can shop at the book fair the evening of Special Area Night. We hope to see you there!

The Family Literacy ESOL Program for non-native English-speaking parents is designed to help them learn English language skills for life, work, and to help with their child’s education. The parent must have a child 0–16 years old living in the home and enrolled in a Baltimore County Public School, the Judy Center of Baltimore County or Baltimore County Head Start program. Below is the list of the multiple locations to register. For more information reach out to the ESOL program at 443-840-3456

Take advantage of this amazing opportunity!

Our Norwood superstars had an amazing time at their winter concert and art show!

The Baltimore County Department of Health is coming to Norwood this month to give a dental hygiene presentation to our second and third graders. In addition, dental screenings and dental sealant placements will be offered at Norwood from February 3rd through February 10th. Dental sealants help to protect the chewing surfaces of molars, where most cavities form. This service is free of charge, but parental consent is needed. If you are the parent of a second or third grader, you will get an information packet with a consent form that must be signed in ink with your child's name on it before the program begins. Please return it to the school nurse when completed. You may call the school nurse or the Baltimore County Department of Health directly with any questions at 410-887-2780.

Students who did not pass hearing and/or vision screening received a letter in their take-home folder before the break. Take this to your child's health care provider so that they can be tested or referred for follow up. If you have any questions or any problems finding a provider, please call the school nurse.

Remember to send in a change of clothes, especially pants for your student. These will be kept in the student's locker in case of need during the school day. Please write your student's name on all articles of clothing sent to school, including coats and hoodies.

We have multiple hoodies, jackets, sweaters and water bottles in our Lost and Found, among other things. We will be donating them to charity if not claimed by the end of January. If your student is missing anything, please come to the Health Suite to check the Lost and Found items.

As we all know, getting proper sleep is very important to help our bodies recharge in order to fight illness and be attentive during the day. Attached are some articles with good tips for parents on how to help students manage screen time and get good sleep. (see attached flyer for more details on how to help your student manage screen time).

We love having your children at school all school year!

This is the time of year when winter weather takes a toll on school attendance. Snow and rain can make it hard to get your children to school. So can illnesses such as colds, flu, fevers, earaches and more.

These absences, even if they are excused, break the routine of daily attendance that contributes to students feeling connected and engaged in learning. Please consider these steps to keep your children healthy and in school this winter.

1. Develop back up plans for getting your children to school. Check who can give your children a ride if you can’t take them or see if your child can walk to school with other families.
2. If your children get sick or you are concerned about a cold, covid, or the flu, talk to your child’s medical provider or the school nurse for advice.
3. Stomach pain and headaches can be signs of anxiety and may not be reasons for keeping a child home. If you feel that anxiety or stress is playing a role, talk to your child’s teacher, the school nurse or counselor or your medical provider about how best to support your child.
4. Encourage children to wash their hands before and after eating and after using the restroom.
5. Avoid sharing cups and utensils with other individuals.
6. Dress your children for the cold weather. If you need help with winter clothing, call the school.
7. Encourage healthy habits such as getting enough sleep, eating healthy foods, drinking fluids and getting exercise.
8. If your children need to stay home for a prolonged period due to illness, talk to your child’s teacher to find out about resources, including computer or internet access, that they can use at home to keep learning once they feel well enough.

Let us know how we can help you. If you’re having trouble, need resources or advice, please call us at 443-809-7055. You can talk with Nurse Debbie, Counselor Bullock, Mr. Ramos, or Ms. Hotchkiss

Thank you for partnering with us!

NORWOOD ELEMENTARY CLOSING AND EARLY DISMISSAL 2024-2025 CALENDAR

Access the yearly calendar of closings and early dismissal for Norwood Elementary students by clicking here

ATTENDANCE REFERENCES

Access a quick guide to better understand your students absences and codings by clicking here.

PARENT RESOURCE HUB

Access a variety of resources available to our superstar families by clicking here.

FOOD PANTRY DISTRIBUTION LIST

Access a list of food pantry distribution sites by clicking here.

BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY MONTHLY EVENTS- FEBRUARY

Access the monthly calendar of events that are happening at the local library by clicking here.

Baltimore County has released a resource guide for New Americans! This guide contains valuable information and contact details for families regarding education, legal resources, housing, health, mental health, how to obtain a driver's license without an SSN, enrolling children in BCPS, and more! Its also available in the top 5 languages spoken in Balt. County.

https://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/departments/county-executive/immigrant-affairs

Global Refugee has key information and resources for newly immigrant families. Take a look at them by clicking the links below:

MMH Program

Reunified Families

Norwood Elementary School is a Title I community school within the Baltimore County Public School system. We are located in Dundalk, MD, and we strive for all of our superstars to reach their fullest potential in our ever-changing 21st century world.

If you have any questions regarding any of the information on this newsletter, please contact Diego Ramos (Norwood Bilingual Family Services Liaison) at dramosquinteros@bcps.org, or by calling his direct line at 443-809-1505.

Website: https://norwoodes.bcps.org
Location: 1700 Delvale Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21222, USA
Phone: 443-809-7055
Facebook: facebook.com/NorwoodES
Twitter: @NorwoodES