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Owl Observer News
May 9, 2024
A Message from Administration
Greetings DLES Families,
We had another busy and fantastic week here at Ducketts Lane. The hard work and well wishes paid off, our 5th grade students did a fantastic job last Friday during SCH. We were so happy to see so many parents that were able to attend and support this big project.
To our PTA and students we want to extend a heartfelt thank you for all of the fun and wonderful treats and thoughtful gifts as a token of celebration during Teacher Appreciation Week. We are so lucky to have great partners in our students educational journey.
It is hard to believe that we have less than 25 school days left of this school year. The staff is working hard to come up with several fun ways to celebrate our school and the hard work that has taken place this year. These efforts are enjoyed by everyone, but we are still in need of volunteers at a few upcoming events, please take a moment and consider helping where you can.
This is a friendly reminder that there will be no school on Tuesday, May 14th, due to the elections being held that day. If you are going to be voting, this is a great opportunity to take your child along (especially your 4th and 5th grade students who have or will be learning about our government) as this is a great way to have them see our government and citizen's rights in action.
We hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.
Proudly Serving You,
Mrs. Caroland, Mrs. Van Osdel, and Mrs. Yerashunas
We Need Your Feedback on Our Title I Program
IMPORTANT
Dear Parents and Guardians,
As you may know, Ducketts Lane (DLES) is a Schoolwide Title I School. Parent Involvement is an important part of Title I. DLES and Howard County Public Schools (HCPSS) value your input and partnership in supporting the academic success of your child. Please take a few minutes to complete this survey regarding school improvement, climate, and family engagement. This will be used to evaluate our Title I program so that we can better serve you. Your responses will be kept strictly confidential. Please complete the online survey by May 28, 2024.
Estimado Padre y Tutor:
La Escuela Primaria Ducketts Lane (DLES, por su nombre en inglés) es una Escuela de TÃtulo I a lo Largo de la Escuela. La participación de padres es una parte importante de TÃtulo I. La DLES y el Sistema de Escuelas Públicas del Condado de Howard (HCPSS, por su nombre en inglés) valoran su opinión y asociación en apoyo del éxito académico de su niño. Por favor, dedique algunos minutos para completar esta encuesta sobre la mejora escolar, clima y compromiso familiar. Esto será utilizado para evaluar nuestro programa de TÃtulo I para poder asistirlo de una manera mejor. Sus respuestas serán estrictamente confidenciales. Por favor, complete el cuestionario en lÃnea antes del Mayo 28 2024.
Save the Date
May 14: Schools closed for students and staff
May 17: Schools dismiss at 12:15pm. No half-day Pre-K/RECC
May 24: We Are Ducketts Day
May 27: Schools closed for students and staff
ABC Countdown to Summer
Join in the spirit days and fun as we close out this school year!
Related Arts Schedule
Order Your Yearbook
Attention RECC - 4th Grade Students & Parents only
Yearbook order forms were sent home with your students in yesterday's Thursday folders. We have a limited number of Yearbooks for sale, please order early. Yearbooks will be given to students during the last week of school.
You may order online at www.strawbridge.net use online code:YB28570, or a check made payable to STRAWBRIDGE, or $10.00 cash, exact amount please. Please contact the DLES front office with any questions.
2024-2025 Bus Transportation Registration Open
Bus transportation registration for the 2024-2025 school year is open for parents/guardians of eligible students.
Parents/guardians whose children are eligible for bus transportation are asked to register to receive bus service each year to help the school system plan for student transportation needs. The transportation registration process opened at 9 a.m. Monday, April 8 and will remain open through May 31st. This registration will be completed online via HCPSS Connect Synergy. Registration must be done for each eligible child.
To be eligible for bus service, your child’s home address must be outside of a school’s walk zones. You can verify address eligibility in the HCPSS School Attendance Area Locator. After inputting your address, a window will appear that will indicate either bus or walk for each school level. Please note, the attendance area locator also includes a link for the bus stop locator, which is set for the current school year. Bus stop information for the 2024-2025 school year will be available in August.
You do not need to take any action if:
- Your child is not eligible for bus transportation
- Your child receives transportation as part of their Individualized Education Program (IEP) or 504 Plan, or
- Your child is a graduating senior
Please click here for directions and registration in multiple languages, including English.
DLES Spring Concerts!
Our next Spring Concert is right around the corner! If your child is in Band, Orchestra or Chorus, please review the concert flyer linked below.
May 21 Concert @ Thomas Viaduct MS
6:00pm Concert (students arrive at 5:30pm)
4th Grade Intermediate Orchestra
5th Grade Band
5th Grade Orchestra
5th Grade Chorus
* If your child is in need of a white concert shirt, please contact Mrs. McKay, Ms. Abrams or Mr. Wagner. DLES has been given white polo shirts in several sizes that are available for students in need.
#WEAREDUCKETTSDAY 2024
If you can believe it, it's that time of year, and #WEAREDUCKETTSDAY 2024 (Field Day) is around the corner on Friday, May 24th, 2024, with a rain date on Monday, May 28th, 2024. Once again, #WEAREDUCKETTSDAY(Field Day) will be an all-day event, with morning and afternoon activities for all grades.
VOLUNTEERING:
Here’s the essential part: We cannot have #WEAREDUCKETTSDAY(Field Day) without you! Please consider volunteering to help our DLES students have the best day possible by running a station or supporting an activity area. Note: You may not specifically support your student's class, but you may place where needed.
Schedule of Events:
Volunteers, please arrive 30 minutes before your scheduled volunteer time.
If you can volunteer, click the link below and sign up and support when and where possible. Sign up for as many shifts as you are available!
#WEAREDUCKETTS Day volunteer sign-up
We are SO excited to continue this tradition with our entire school community.
Thank you; P.E. Department Kevin Anderson & Robert Abramson
Kindergarten Registration is Open
There will be a special parent night to prepare for kindergarten on May 29th.
This will be an invite only session for families that have registered their child for kindergarten at DLES in the fall by May 20th.
Each year, we have to rely on the number of students who are registered for kindergarten to anticipate the number of kindergarten classes we will have next year. We have one of the most amazing kindergarten teams and we would like to keep that team at 4 teachers next year, and even increase to another teacher if we have enough students register. All of this will depend on the number of kindergarten students we have registered for the fall.
We need your help in spreading the word regarding new Kindergarten registration for the 2024-2025 school year.
Registration for incoming kindergarteners and newly enrolled first graders is open. As we prepare for our upcoming school year, it is important to have your child registered to ensure we have the correct amount of teachers for our students. Please do not delay! Help us with the process by registering your new kindergartner or first grader as soon as possible.
Children must be 5 years old by 9/1/24 in order to enroll in kindergarten next school year. Every child who is 5 years old by this date must be enrolled in a kindergarten program this fall or have an approved waiver. HCPSS kindergarten is a full day program.
Please make certain you are on the screen for 2024-2025 if registering for the next school year.
Parents or guardians are to register students at the school serving the address where the child’s parent or guardian resides. Information on neighborhood schools can be found through HCPSS School Locator.
Complete your child’s registration online by providing the documents listed below. The registration process will be more efficient if you upload the required documents during online registration. Otherwise, you will be asked to submit the required documents via email as pdfs, or you may contact the office to make arrangements to bring the documents in and we will copy them for you. The following documents are needed for registration and should be submitted during the online registration process: Click here for a checklist for registration.
Child’s evidence of birth (i.e. birth certificate, baptismal certificate)
An authorized record of immunizations
Proof of residency in the form of your entire signed lease/deed including signature pages.
Current utility bill with your name and address that has been issued within the last 45 days. (cellular device bills not accepted)
Photo ID of parent/guardian
Additional Documents to bring if applicable to your child:
Proof of custody - only if there is information the school must adhere to during school hours (full document including the signature pages)
Individualized Education Plan (IEP) for Special Education Services
504 plan
Psychological report or related services reports/plans
English Language Learner (ELL) plans or previous assessments
These forms should be completed by your child's pediatrician and dentist and emailed to our Health Room prior to the first day of school or as soon as your child has their 5 year check-up
It is recommended that you work on a laptop or desktop to complete registration. Cell phone registration is not recommended. Please call our front office at 410-313-5050.
Early Childhood Programs is accepting Pre-K Applications for 2024-25 School Year
For consideration and enrollment into the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) Pre-K Program you must first submit a completed application and proof of household income. Household income documentation is required by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) and will be used to determine eligibility for the program as well as state reporting. Families applying for Pre-K must provide income verification. If this is not submitted, your application cannot be considered.
Please click here to get a copy of the Pre-K application.
Families that need language support should contact the Multilingual Family Registration Center at 410-313-1525.
If you have questions regarding Pre-K registration for next school year, please call the front office at 410-313-5050.
PTA NEWS
Save the date for our final PTA events this school year:
Pastries with Pals is this coming Monday, May 13th, from 8-8:30 am: Students are invited to bring a special someone (parent, family member, caregiver, etc.) for pastries in the cafeteria.
Join us for our final General PTA meeting this school year on Thursday, May 16th at 7 pm in the cafeteria. Students are encouraged to attend with their families. After the meeting, we will play Book BINGO!
Guilford Park High School Athletics Updates
Rising 9th Graders MAY participate in their future high school team's summer workouts the day AFTER they complete 8th grade.
Rising 9th Grade/New High School Athlete - Fall Sports Information Night - 6/4 @ 6:30pm - GPHS Auditorium
A brief presentation about what high school athletics requirements and expectations by the Athletic Director, followed by breakout sessions led by the fall sport coaches (football, soccer, golf, cheer, volleyball, and cross country)
GPHS Boosters Summer Camps - GPHS Boosters is offering summer camps for baseball, football, boys soccer, girls soccer, boys and girls basketball, cheer, dance, and girls lacrosse! Click the link for more details: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1B1Zbodt5y8gLcHRmbRTEOpmdem32aVThZUZ6jaf0ias/edit?usp=sharing
Girls Soccer Summer Opportunity - Rising 9th Graders - The GPHS Girls Soccer program will be participating in a summer soccer 7v7 league @ Covenant Park. Anyone interested in joining their future teammates, please reach out to Coach Molly Schaefer at Molly_Schaefer@hcpss.org for more information. There is a $50 fee for participating in the league.
Need more information about GPHS Athletics...Check out our FAQ page: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YTsOFoK3c_f0Tu0Cx52r0VcHFizXYSIfip-zMPJCzvA/edit?usp=sharing
Your Voice is Important
Please click on the Feedback Form to share your thoughts with how we can make DLES the best for everyone.
We are here to help!
Principal, Mrs. Caroland Molly_Caroland@hcpss.org
Assistant Principal, Mrs. Van Osdel Amy_Van_Osdel@hcpss.org
Leadership Intern, Mrs. Yerashunas Brianna_Yerashunas@hcpss.org
Principal Secretary, Mrs. Canter Teresa_Canter@hcpss.org
Registration Support, Secretary Ms. Lynette Carmen_Lynette@hcpss.org
Attendance, Synergy and Family File Support, Secretary Mrs. Forman Julie_Forman@hcpss.org
Counselor Mr. Leisawitz Alexander_Leisawitz@hcpss.org