Greetings EES Families,

We hope that everyone has been enjoying the lull in the frigid temperatures of this winter! Unfortunately, the groundhog did say that we would have 6 more weeks of winter. But, we shall see. We have a lot of activities going on in February, so please hang on to this newsletter!

3rd Grade Art Showcase:

Congratulations to four very special 3rd Grade students! Alexa K, Raiden T., Julian MB, and Lilli P. all have their art on showcase at the Department of Education Gallery, located in the HCPSS Headquarters. The student's art work is on display now through March 25, 2025. There is a special reception on February 19, 2025 from 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM.

Band & Chorus Concert:
On Thursday, January 30, 2025, EES students showcased their outstanding talent at our Winter Band and Chorus Concert. All of the students did an excellent job, and our families and staff could not be more proud of their hard work. Thank you to all the staff members who stayed and supported our performers. a HUGE Thank you Ms. Ross and Ms. Strohl for your hard work and dedication to our students.

Howard County Schools To Restrict Student Personal Device Access:

On Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025, the Howard County Board of Education approved adjustments to Policy 8080 - Responsible Use of Technology, Digital Tools, and Social Media, and the Student Code of Conduct that is intended to reduce the use of personal devices by students during the student day. The policy changes will take effect on Monday, March 3, 2025.

While more information will be provided to students, staff and parents/guardians prior to the March 3rd implementation date, here are the highlights of the adjustments that were adopted by the Board:

• No students, PreKindergarten-12, will be permitted to use cell phones and other personal devices during the student day (first bell to last bell of the day) except for reasons detailed in a student’s IEP, 504, or health plan.
• Smart watches will be permitted to be worn to check time but may not be a distraction.
• When a personal device is used in violation of the new policy, the device will be confiscated for the remainder of the student day.
• Students may be in possession of personal devices, but they must be “away and silenced”, meaning devices are not able to be seen by either the student or staff member and are set to make no noise.
• Personal laptops may be used for instructional activities in high school when permitted by the teacher.
• A staff member on a school-sponsored field trip may permit the use of a personal technology device by a student in limited situations where capturing a picture or video may be appropriate or contacting a parent/guardian is necessary.
• School administrators and school administrators’ designees may authorize use of a personal device in rare instances such as an emergency for communication purposes.

More information will be provided related to the expectations and consequences from now through implementation, so students and parents/guardians are fully informed and prepared for policy implementation on March 3, 2025.

Joe Corbi Fundraiser:

Our Joe Corbi fundraiser begins this week! Please be on the lookout for catalogs coming home. Be sure to create a Pop-up Shop online and send it out to friends and family! We appreciate all that you do to support this fundraiser.

Parent/Teacher Conference Schedule:

Wednesday and Thursday of this week are early release days for Parent/Teacher Conferences. Please remember the following for conferences:

Wednesday, February 5, 2025:

In-Person Conferences only through 3:55 PM / Virtual Conferences after 3:55 PM

Thursday, February 6, 2025:
Virtual Conferences only

The Related Arts Team's Office Hours Schedule can be found here.

Please know that conferences can be requested at any time with your child's teacher. If you are unable to meet with your child's teacher, please contact them directly.

Ourdoor Recess Reminders:
Please ensure children are appropriately dressed for outdoor recess, including wearing multiple layers of loose-fitted clothing, and covering heads, hands, and faces to minimize skin exposure. It may be helpful to pack extra gloves or mittens, scarves and hats in the event gear gets wet or is misplaced. Please see General Reminders below for additional information about outdoor recess.

MAP Testing:

Winter MAP testing is currently underway, as teachers are using these data points to make instructional decisions for their students. All students in Grades 1-5 take the assessment. Please see below for your child's grade level and date of testing. Additional information and reminders will be sent from Reading and Math teachers via Canvas.

3rd Grade:

ELA: February 3

4th Grade:

ELA: February 4

Math: February 12

Cold and Flu Season:

To keep our community healthy, it’s essential to practice good hygiene by washing hands frequently with soap and water or using hand sanitizer when needed. Always cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your elbow, and dispose of tissues properly to protect others. Regularly clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces, such as doorknobs and shared devices, to reduce the spread of germs. If you’re feeling unwell, stay home and encourage others to do the same to help prevent illness from spreading. Supporting a healthy environment also includes staying vaccinated, eating well, staying hydrated, and ensuring good ventilation in shared spaces.

Schedule Reminder:

There is an early dismissal for students on Wednesday, February 5 and Thursday, February 6 at 12:55 PM. 12:15 PM is the latest a student may be picked up from school prior to dismissal.

There is no school for students on Friday, February 7, 2025. It is a Professional Learning Day for teachers.

Have a great week!

Sincerely,

Kelley Powell, Principal

LaShonne Wright, Assistant Principal

Jonathan Swann, Assistant Principal

Hello Rising 6th Grade Families!

Are you in need of assistance with the course registration process for your rising 6th grader? I am hosting drop-in Virtual Open Office google meet sessions on Wednesday , 02/05/2025 from 1-2 PM and 6:00- 7:00 PM [LINK: meet.google.com/yxa-wvdh-xia]. If you are unable to attend the Virtual Office Hours and still have questions, please reach out to:

Ms. OliverMcCain - 5th grade Counselor - bettina_olivermccain@hcpss.org

Please be sure to log in and check your child's middle school reccomendations and Fine Arts registrations. We encourage you and your child to have a conversation and make selections based on strengths and interests to ensure a successful transition to Grade 6. Registration for these courses will be available online during the window of January 30, 2025 - February 12, 2025.

Middle School Fine Arts Curricular Options

Students are required to take fine arts each year. As space allows, students may be scheduled for more than one fine arts class, particularly courses that are offered as a quarter class.

Art: In this course students continue to develop their observational skills in order to inform their imagination and memory with a goal toward refining personal solutions to given visual arts problems. As well as presenting challenging and engaging open ended tasks, the problems presented are designed to include a variety of studio practices and media. Through the critical analysis and making of visual images students will make personal discoveries, which reflect their own experiences and ideas, their relation to their peers and family, and their place in the world. This grade 6 class is offered in one quarter.

General Music: This course is designed to expose students to the basics of playing music on various instruments, including guitar, keyboard, drums, and through music technology. Students learn how to read and write music using traditional notation, and begin to expand their knowledge of various music genres. Experiences include performances on all classroom instruments, as well as simple composition and improvisation. This grade 6 class is offered in one quarter.

Music Performance Ensemble: Ensemble options include band, orchestra, or chorus. Coursework focuses on individual instruments and vocal techniques in order to develop musical behaviors, creative thinking, and critical skills, both as individual musicians and in an ensemble setting. Students who are enrolled in band or orchestra will participate in music sectionals on a rotating schedule and after school performances as part of the class requirements. Each of these ensemble courses are full year courses.

Theatre Arts: In this course students begin to develop an understanding of acting techniques and strategies. Students will be presented with challenging and engaging open ended tasks, designed to instill confidence and promote communication and collaboration with peers. Through the study of theatre genres and crafts, students will make personal discoveries, which reflect their own experiences and ideas, their relation to their peers and family, and their place in the world. This grade 6 class is offered in one quarter.

Registration for Middle School Fine Arts

School staff will make every effort to schedule students for their top choices to the greatest extent possible. During the course selection process, parents will choose one Selected Course Request (i.e. the student’s top choice), and two Selected Alternate Course Requests in priority order. We are asking for alternate course requests in the event of a scheduling conflict and/or availability in the schedule to take a second fine arts class. Students who are scheduled for an intervention may have fewer options regarding participation. Additionally, particular courses may not be offered if enough interest is not shown through course selection.

To register for courses, parents must register online in HCPSS Connect. Directions for registering online are linked below or can be found at https://www.hcpss.org/connect/guides/. Included on this page is step-by-step video directions.

Online Course Requests – Rising 6th to 8th Grade Students

G/T Research

This course is designed for sixth grade students who participate in G/T English and G/T Mathematics, based upon the recommendation of the G/T Placement Committee. Taught by the G/T Resource Teacher, this class provides a curricular framework for students to become producers of new knowledge as they apply the research skills modeled in the curriculum to an original investigation in a self-selected area of study. Participating students are expected to culminate their research investigation by creating an original product to be shared with an authentic audience. This grade 6 course is offered for one semester.

Families of students eligible for enrolling in the G/T Research class will receive an email with a registration form in late February.

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Middle School Schedule in Detail

• The middle school schedule consists of seven periods. All students receive daily instruction aligned to Maryland’s College and Career-Ready Standards in English, mathematics, science, and social studies.
• Maryland regulations require:
  • All students take Health Education, Physical Education, and a Fine Arts course every year.
  • Students to take the following content one time during middle school:
    • Technology (Grade 6)
    • Financial Literacy (Grade 7)
    • Careers (Grade 8)
• The Grade 6 Schedule at a Glance consists of the following:

Course 2: Mathematics

Course 3: Science

Course 4: Social Studies

Course 5: Physical Education / Health / Technology

Course 6 & Course 7

If you have questions about any of the courses, please do not hesitate to contact:

• Office of ELD Programs 410.313.6640 / direct emails to deborah_puhak@hcpss.org
• Office of Fine Arts-Visual Arts, Theatre, Dance 410.313.6634 / direct emails to gino_molfino@hcpss.org
• Office of Fine Arts- Music 410.313.6626 / direct emails to terry_eberhardt@hcpss.org
• Office of Career and Technology Education 410.313.6769 / direct emails to daniel_rosewag@hcpss.org
• Office of Gifted and Talented 410.313.6670 / direct emails to debbie_blum@hcpss.org
• Office of Health and Physical Education 410.313.7150 / direct emails to eric_bishop@hcpss.org
• Office of Secondary Language Arts 410.313.6623 / direct emails to lee_read@hcpss.org
• Office of Secondary Mathematics 410.313.6635 / direct emails to jon_wray@hcpss.org
• Office of Secondary Science 410.313.6616 / direct emails to jaclyn_austin@hcpss.org Office of Secondary Social Studies 410.313.6632 / direct emails to renee_bos@hcpss.org

📚 Book Donations Needed for Literacy Events!📚

We're collecting new or gently used books to support our upcoming literacy events, including our exciting Reading Night in April! If you have books to donate, please drop them off at school in bags or boxes labeled with either Mrs. Cooke or Mrs. Barr's name. Your generous contributions will help foster a love for reading in our community. Thank you for your support! 📖✨

Every month the students take part in a monthly estimation activity in their math classes.

Last month classes had to guess the number of bows in a box. This months winners are Mrs. Petry's Math Class with 50 bows, and Ms. Hanrahan's Math Class with 52 bows! The correct answer was 50. Congratulations students! Great job making estimates!

Arrival & Dismissal Reminders:

Student Arrival and Breakfast:

Students will be admitted into the building between 9:10 and 9:25 AM. Breakfast service will end promptly at 9:30 AM. Please ensure students arrive on time, especially if they plan to eat breakfast, as the kitchen doors will close at 9:30 AM.

Dismissal:

Student dismissal begins promptly at 3:55 and is completed by 4:15. Recently, we have noticed an increase in students waiting to be picked up at 4:30 and beyond. Late pickups can disrupt school operations and create unnecessary delays for staff and administration. We kindly ask for your cooperation in ensuring students are picked up on time. Thank you for helping us keep our dismissal process efficient and ensuring the safety of all our students. Please call the front office by 2:30PM if you are changing the way your child is being picked up from school. Also, only students who are car riders are dismissed from the gym. If you are walking up to meet your child at the car rider door, you will need to go to the main office to pick them up.

The Howard County Public School System welcomes visitors to our schools. To limit interruptions and distractions to teaching and learning, and to maximize safety for all:

• Anyone wishing to visit a school is asked to contact school administration or the appropriate staff member to establish a convenient time for both the visitor and the school.
• The school will arrange for an escort for the visitor.
• To avoid interrupting instruction, no students are allowed to shadow HCPSS students.
• Understandably, interactions between visitors and school staff and students will be limited.
• If a follow-up meeting with school staff is desired, the visitor will schedule it for a mutually convenient time.
  
  

Safety Protocols for Visitors

Please be aware of the following procedures for any visitor to a school/office:

• The front door is the only entrance point for all visitors.
• Please ring the bell and look into the camera.
• Be prepared to state your name and purpose for visiting.
• All visitors must walk directly into the front office with a valid photo I.D. and sign in using our LobbyGuard system.
• A visitor’s sticker will be given to visitors following the above procedures and must be worn and prominently visible.
• Any visitor in the school without a visitor sticker will be escorted directly to the front office by a staff member.
  
  

In some cases, it may be more convenient for a prospective visitor to acquire information in other ways. The following may be helpful:

• Information about the Howard County Public School System is available on the HCPSS website and the HCPSS News site.
• Visit our Schools page to find school locators (attendance areas), school profiles, bus stops and much more.

We thoroughly enjoy when parents come in to enjoy lunch with their child. We ask that you remember the following when visiting:

1. Before entering the cafeteria, please sign in at the front office to obtain a visitors pass.
   
   
2. Food may not be shared with other students in the cafeteria. Food that is brought in from outside sources (fast food lunch, cupcakes, etc. etc.) cannot be guaranteed to be allergen free. Therefore, to protect students, any food that is brought into the cafeteria may only be shared with the child you are visiting.
   
   
3. When dining with your child, please sit at a table that is either empty, or that has a few students at it.
   
   
4. When having lunch with your child, please refrain from interacting with any other children. If you need assistance, please request to speak with an administrator before you attend lunch.
   
   
5. If you choose to eat a school lunch with your child, you may not use your child's account to purchase a lunch for yourself. Adult lunches are $4.50, payable in cash (preferably exact change) at the time of purchase.

As a general reminder for our students who sit at the allergy table, it is important that the same student(s) should sit at this table everyday. If two friends are going to sit at the table with a friend who has a peanut allergy, it should be the same students. If one student brings lunch that day they will not be able to sit at the allergy/peanut table that day.

As we move into the colder months of school, we would like to send a few reminders about students and recess. Per HCPSS policy, students will be outside for recess when the temperature combined with the wind chill is not less than 20 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature combined with the wind chill is below 20 degrees, students will have indoor recess. Please send your children prepared for outdoor recess.

If you have concerns about your child's development - whether it's their speech, motor skills, social skills or learning - it's important to act now. Waiting until the summer for a referral can delay crucial support that your child may need before starting kindergarten.

Contact us today to schedule a screening. Let's work together to ensure your child has the best possible start in kindergarten!

Call 410-313-7046 or email ChildFind@hcpss.org

The After School Belonging Group will be meeting on the following days after school. Please reach out to Ms. Harmon for additional details.

February 18, 2025

March 18, 2025

April 22, 2025

May 20, 2025