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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Korean

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Chinese

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Urdu

دوسری زبانوں کے لئے ، نیوزلیٹر کا ترجمہ کریں پر کلک کریں اور اپنی پسند کی زبان کا انتخاب کریں۔

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)

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!

American Education Week

American Education Week is the week of November 18th-22nd. Each year, we look forward to honoring public education and the many individuals who contribute to ensuring that every student receives a quality education.

American Education Week is a wonderful opportunity to strengthen our collaboration and partnership with families. We invite parents and guardians to visit the class during this special week. Grade level teams will share additional information regarding their schedules and a specific recommended time to come visit to be part of spotlight activities.

Due to school security, student confidentiality, and limited space, we ask our parents/guardians to follow these guidelines:

• Only parents/guardians are allowed to visit.

• All parents/guardians sign in at the front office with Lobby Guard.

• Visitors must bring a scannable driver’s license to access Lobby Guard.

• Visitor stickers are worn in a visible location at all times.

• Be mindful of confidentiality while visiting. Visitors are responsible for maintaining confidentiality of all private, sensitive, and personally identifiable information they may see or hear while visiting HCPSS schools. Please click here for more information.

• No photos/videos please.

• Please silence your phone throughout your visit.

• If you are joining for lunch, please understand that there may not be space for all parents to sit for our grades with larger numbers of students. Please ensure that all students have a place to sit to eat.

Parking Reminders:

• Parking will be limited, so please consider carpooling or alternative parking options!

• No cars can be parked in the bus loop before 8:45 AM

• All cars must leave the bus loop no later than 2:30 PM.

• Please do not park in the fire lane at any time.

We look forward to welcoming you into our school to see the outstanding teaching and learning going on!

Mr. Cosentino, Ms. Anderson, and Mrs. Grenzer

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

November

• 8 - Parent Teacher conference scheduling window opens in Synergy
• 8 - 1st Quarter Report Cards issued
• 11 - SPIRIT DAY for Veterans Day - Wear red, white, and blue to honor veterans
• 14 - Kindergarten Field Trip to Library (half of the classes)
• 14 - 3rd grade literacy night, 5:30 p.m.
• 18 - American Education Week begins
• 21 - Kindergarten Field Trip Library (other half of classes)
• 21 - Parent Teacher conference scheduling window closes in Synergy
• 25 - SPIRIT DAY - Wear athletic gear
• 25 - Turkey Trot (3rd, 4th, & 5th Grades)
• 25 - Book Fair - 8:40 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
• 25 - Parent-teacher conferences - Schools close 3 hours early, 12:15 p.m.

• 26 - SPIRIT DAY - Dress like a... (teachers for kids, kids for teachers)
• 26 - Book Fair - 8:40 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
• 26 - Parent-teacher conferences - Schools close 3 hours early, 12:15 p.m. (VIRTUAL ONLY)
  
• 26 - Cozy Cafe - Thanksgiving Pie Sale
• 27 - Schools closed for Parent-teacher conferences
• 28 - Schools and offices closed for Thanksgiving
• 29 - Schools and offices closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

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.

HCPSS Calendars in English, Spanish, Chinese, and Korean

Calendar in English

Calendario en español

西班牙语日历

스페인어로 된 달력

Reflections is a Nationwide PTA program that is a creative and fun way for all students to engage in the arts. The 2024-2025 PTA Reflections Arts Program has a new theme, "Accepting Imperfection," which is intended to inspire students to express their creativity while embracing their unique perspectives.

For more info please visit: https://www.phelpsluckpta.org/reflections

E-mail completed Student Entry Form and art by Friday, November 29 2024, 8pm to plesreflections@gmail.com

We are looking for volunteers to help us with our 2024 Scholastics Bookfair. All profits go back to the Media Center and classrooms at Phelps Luck as books. Let's gift our school with new pages filled with adventures as you help students pick the books they would like to buy.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050B4FA4AC2CA4FF2-45740699-ples#/

We are excited about our newest educational partner, Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. All of our Phelps Luck students will be receiving VetaHumanz Superpacks. We will be distributing them as holiday gifts for our students. This partnership would not be possible without the support of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Institute of General Medical Services (NIGMS), and the Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) program funding. Thank you, Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine!

As we reach the end of Quarter 1, report cards will be available for families to access on HCPSS Connect on Friday, November 8th at 4pm. We are also sending report cards home with students that day so we can ensure all families have a paper copy to review the same day.

The PreK-2 report cards were updated last year, and this year students in grades 3-5 report cards will receive report cards that are standards based. These report card shifts are due to HCPSS implementing the Standards Based Instruction and Reporting (SBIR) process, per Policy 8010 – Grading and Reporting: Pre-Kindergarten Through Grade 5. With the shift to SBIR, grades are based on the student's proficiency with grade-level curriculum standards and provides families with a more accurate assessment of how their child is performing.

The Standards Based Instruction and Reporting Family and Community Resources Canvas course provides important information about SBIR.

For more information, download the Understanding Your Child's Report Card document.

• Understanding Your Child's Report Card (PreK-2) - (English)
• Understanding Your Child's Report Card (Grades 3-5) - (English)

Academic Performance Codes represent what has been learned - where the student is in relation to the expectation of the grade level standard. It is intended to reflect the progress toward meeting the Maryland College and Career Readiness Standards for their current grade level.

For students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), detailed progress toward IEP goals is provided in the Annual Goal(s) Progress Report that is sent at the same time as the HCPSS report card. A student’s IEP goals address the identified skills that support their progress toward meeting grade level standards.

We are pleased to announce our Parent Teacher Conferences this year, which will be held in 20-minute sessions with your child’s ELA teacher. Conference format depends on the date chosen:

• Monday, November 25th - In-Person Conferences at PLES
• Tuesday, November 26th - Virtual Conferences via Google Meet (link to be provided)
• Wednesday, November 27th - Virtual Conferences via Google Meet (link to be provided)

For virtual conferences, a Google Meet link will be included in your confirmation email, and your child’s ELA teacher will provide additional details.

Virtual Conference Details:
If joining virtually, please enter the Google Meet link one minute before your scheduled time. You’ll be in a “waiting room” until admitted. If you experience any technical issues, your child’s teacher will contact you via email, or you may call the school for support.

Scheduling Instructions (beginning Friday, November 8th, at 8:00 am):
Log in to HCPSS Connect to view and select your time slot:

1. Go to hcpss.org/connect.
2. Select “Conference” from the left menu.
3. Choose “Parent Scheduled Conferences” at the top right.
4. Pick a convenient time slot.

The scheduling window will remain open until Thursday, November 21st, at 4:00 pm. If you cannot access HCPSS Connect, please contact the school at 410-313-6886 for assistance.

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.