HCPS Parent Academy is excited to host, in partnership with ParentGuidance.org, another mental health series this school year. These monthly virtual events are designed to provide valuable support and insights for you as parents. Key features include expert-led sessions by experienced coaches and therapists, live interactions, anonymous Q&A, and convenient timing - just one hour (Lunch & Learns AND Dine & Learns).

Check out the line up of workshops now through February. All workshops are also linked from the events calendar on the HCPS website here: https://www.hcps.org/parents/ParentAcademy/Default.aspx.

Interested in a session but not able to join us online at that time? That’s OK! Register anyway, and the recording will be emailed to you to watch at your convenience.

In addition to the Parent Academy Mental Health Series, Parent Guidance offers a comprehensive Mental Health and Well-being Resource Library for all families in our school district as well as free parent coaching to help you navigate the ups and downs of parenting with confidence. Learn more here.

HCPS is committed to engage every parent every day in their child’s learning. You may reach out to your child’s teacher anytime during the school year. At the elementary level, a more formal Parent-Teacher Conference is required at least once a year for all teachers to offer their students’ parents. This is a great opportunity for you to discuss how your child is progressing academically and socially.

Take a moment to watch the video below to learn more.

In addition, a checklist related to parent-teacher conferences is also available by clicking below.

Parent and Community Engagement (PACE) Liaisons are teachers or para educators who work with the administration to assess parents’ needs and provide programming to support home-school partnerships. PACE staff focus on helping to create a welcoming school environment, supporting two-way communication between staff and parents, building parents’ understanding of how to support their child’s academic progress, helping with PTA and parent leader planning and events, and securing community partners that will support the students and families.

We are grateful for our PACE staff who help our parents to be their child’s first and best teacher!

Family Friendly School Awards will be given once a quarter, for a total of four winning schools a school year.

Nominations still will be submitted by you and others in the community, and your votes will narrow down the nominated schools to three finalists for the award. Then, with help from the Parent and Community Engagement (PACE) Liaisons at those three schools, we will take a look at the schools' evidence of family-friendly standards to select the winner each quarter. A special announcement and celebration will occur at the winning school.

Take a moment to watch the video below.

The nomination window for the first quarter award is open now through Friday, September 20. Then, the community can vote for a nominated school between Monday, September 23, and Friday, September 27.

Be sure to follow the HCPS Parent Academy page on Facebook, where nomination and voting windows are announced each quarter.

Nominate here now!

We are thrilled to share the exciting things middle school students experience inside Harford County Public Schools!

For more information on Harford County public middle schools, visit hcps.org. Be sure to explore the Harford County Blueprint plan under the Superintendent's tab on the website. The plan illustrates how Harford County is implementing Blueprint legislation to ensure our students are prepared when they graduate from Harford County Public Schools. Success after high school starts in our elementary and middle schools!

The HCPS Parent Advisory, Advocacy, and Action Council (PAAAC) provides input on ways to improve communication and parent engagement at the district and local school levels and provides parent advocacy trainings to support student learning. PAAAC members are parents who have at least one child in the school system and who reflect the diversity of the HCPS community. PAAAC meetings are facilitated by staff in the HCPS Family and Community Partnerships Office.

The mission of the PAAAC is to provide feedback and advice to the school system on parent engagement efforts related to the research-based PTA standards for family-school partnerships described in Board of Education Policy Number 10-0004-000, Parent/Community Involvement. PAAAC is proactive and innovative in identifying and sharing ways to enhance the school system's communication and parent engagement efforts and parent advocacy training.

Apply today!

Mary Beth Stapleton founded the HCPS Parent Academy and has over 30 years experience working on behalf of children and families.

Parent Academy is excited to continue our Most Valuable Parent (MVP) Award program this year. As a reminder, this award program recognizes and celebrates HCPS parents/guardians who actively support their child’s school by working to welcome ALL families, helping school staff communicate with ALL parents, building parents’ understanding of how to help their child successfully progress in school, finding community partners to help support the school, and working with administrators on decision making.

Our school's PACE Liaisons will nominate for this award. All nominations will be reviewed by the HCPS Customer Service Task Force External Subcommittee, and the subcommittee will select a winner each quarter of the school year.

Winners will be recognized on the HCPS website and social media accounts and will be presented with a certificate from Dr. Bulson and a small gift from Mary Beth Stapleton on behalf of Parent Academy. In addition, they will be interviewed and highlighted in a special video shared with the HCPS community.

We look forward to honoring and celebrating our awesome parents this school year!

Does your family need free school meals this year? A Free and Reduced Meals (FaRMs) application is required to qualify. Complete the application to see if your student is eligible for free and reduced meals. Click here to complete the application.

For more information on student meals, visit www.hcpsmenus.com.

Harford County Public Schools invites all 8th graders and their families to attend one of our Magnet and Technical Programs Information Nights, happening throughout September and October from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Each presentation is identical, so parents/families only need to attend one.

The following programs will be shared:

• Global Studies Program/International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, Edgewood High School
• Harford Technical High School
• Information Technology Oracle Academy, Havre de Grace High School
• Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC), Joppatowne High School
• Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH), Joppatowne High School
• Natural Resources and Agricultural Science Magnet Program (NRAS), North Harford High School
• Science and Mathematics Academy (SMA), Aberdeen High School
• Teacher Academy of Maryland (TAM), Edgewood High and North Harford High Schools

For more information on our Magnet programs, go to https://www.hcps.org/schools/magnetprograms/.

Full schedule of graduation ceremonies below.

Thinking about WHAT'S NEXT after high school? The Harford County College and Career Fair is your chance to meet with representatives from 100+ colleges, military organizations, and local businesses. Check out a list of participants at bit.ly/hc-ccf and make plans to attend! It's a one-stop solution for parents and students to explore their options together. Mark your calendar for Wednesday, October 9, at the APGFCU Arena, from 3:00–7:00 p.m.

PTA members are people who have a vested interest in the education, health, and wellbeing of all children. Click here to support your child's PTA and see how to stay informed.

Join Board President Poynton and Vice President Hahn for the first Engage for Education Listening Session of the 2024-25 school year. This event will be hosted at C. Milton Wright High School on Wednesday, October 2, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Mark your calendar to attend for a casual conversation about your student's education.

The latest episode of Cool Harford Schools is available now on Harford TV!

• Meet our 2024 Teacher of the Year, Erica Richardson of Joppatowne High School.
• Meet the Saxon family, a mom, dad, and son who all teach in HCPS.
• Learn about how students are learning to be good stewards of the environment at Fountain Green Elementary School.

Did you know the Board of Education of Harford County asks for public feedback when new policies or revisions to existing policies are presented and discussed at Board Business Meetings? Provide your feedback on the policy by the deadline listed on the webpage! https://hcps.org/boe/hottopics/default.aspx

The Harford County Public Library offers so many educational, fun, and FREE events at each of its branches year-round. Be sure to visit the events page of their website to see what's happening this month!

• Harford County Public Library
• Harford County Parks and Recreation
• Boys and Girls Clubs of Harford & Cecil Counties

Additional resources may be found in the Harford County Community Services Resource Guide.

Be sure you are following the Parent Academy page on Facebook for announcements, updates, resources, and more shared regularly throughout the school year.

Also, bookmark the Parent Academy webpage on hcps.org where all workshops and Real Talks are archived, and where you can find information on other Parent Academy sponsored programs, like Family Friendly Schools.

Looking for an earlier issue of Parent Connection? Visit the newsletter archive on hcps.org by clicking here.

HCPS parents are students’ first and best teachers.

Editors: Mary Beth Stapleton, Manager of Family and Community Partnerships & Lindsay Bilodeau, Innovation Specialist

Email: ParentAcademy@hcps.org
Website: https://www.hcps.org/parents/ParentAcademy/Default.aspx
Location: 102 South Hickory Avenue, Bel Air, MD, USA
Phone: 410-588-5263
Facebook: facebook.com/HCPSParentAcademy