Norwood News

We have new phone numbers! Our main office number has now changed to 443-809-7055, and our new fax number is 443-809-7057.

• Wednesday, May 12th: Asynchronous Day for Students
  
• Thursday, May 13th: No School for Students (Professional development day for teachers)

School hours = 8:20 a.m. arrival in-person/8:30 a.m. login virtually (no drop-off prior to 8:20 a.m. as there is no supervision outside before then), 3:05 p.m. dismissal

Report Cards will be available PK and Kindergarten students through the Focus Portal (access link: https://baltimore.focusschoolsoftware.com/focus) on Friday, May 7th. They will also be printed and sent home with students participating in Cohorts A and B. If your student participates in Cohort C (virtual only) and you would like to receive a printed copy of your student’s report card, please call Norwood at 443-809-7055 to request that one be mailed home. For assistance on using the FOCUS portal, you can refer to either the video below or click here for written instructions.

Students in grades KG - 3rd who are returning to the school building for 4-days a week instruction should bring the following materials back to school with them (see images below). These materials are grade-specific and should stay in school once students bring them to school on their first day. These books include the phonics workbook, Phonics Decodable workbook, and math books.

It is May and we are slowly approaching my favorite season: Summer! I have another connection activity for you to try at home as your children continue to learn about self-regulation in my monthly lessons. This month, we are discussing the Red Zone and how your body tells you it is in the Red Zone. Self-awareness of your emotions takes practice as a child or even as an adult. Once you are aware of your emotions, the next step is managing those Red Zone feelings. I have created many calming jars at home and with students. They are also known as glitter jars, so enjoy!

HOW TO CREATE A CALMING JAR AT HOME!

Ingredients:

• Hot water
• Plastic bottle (water bottle or any empty bottle you have at home)
• Glitter (fine glitter and chunky glitter)
• Clear glue

Instructions:

1. Pour ½ cup of hot water into the bottle
2. Pour ½ cup of clear glue into the bottle (if you want the glitter to fall slower add more glue to the bottle)
3. Add the glitter of your choice (add as many colors as you want)
4. Fill the remainder of the bottle with warm water
5. Put the cap back on the bottle (make sure it is tight and sealed; you can glue the top on the bottle or wrap it with duct tape)
6. Shake up your bottle
7. Sit back and enjoy the view!

Added bonus: I would love to see pictures of your finished product! Send your calming jars to me at jjulien@bcps.org.

You must teach your children how to use this tool appropriately. This is not a toy. This is a calming tool for when children (or even adults) get upset, frustrated, or sad and need something to help them return back to the Green Zone (calm and safe). Invite your child to sit down comfortably next to you or near you. Encourage him/her to shift his/her gaze to the swirling glitter after shaking it, and then breathe deeply (in and out) as he/she watches it sink to the bottom of the jar.

While Children's Mental Health Awareness Week in Maryland is over, the importance of maintaining one's mental health never fades away. Remember that 1 in 5 children experience a mental, emotional, or behavioral health problem before age 18. These problems affect children of all demographic groups, regardless of education, income, race, or culture.

For suggestions on activities or experiences that you can share together to promote mental health awareness throughout the month of May, refer to the calendar below!

As always, to learn more about the signs and symptoms of mental health problems or to obtain resources for help, contact Mrs. Powell, Champion Coordinator, Ms. Julien, School Social Worker, your pediatrician, or go to www.ChildrensMentalHealthMatters.org.

A new daily health screening form must be completed and submitted for April for all students participating in in-person learning. The form will be sent home with your child this week in his/her take home folder. Please complete and sign the form, and return it to your child’s teacher.

If you need an additional copy of the form, you can click here to download and print a copy. Feel free to watch the video below that explains the importance of the daily screening in addition to reviewing the questions on the checklist. If you have any questions, please call the main office at 443-809-7055.

Please remember that if a student comes to school with even one symptom of illness (headache, sore throat, sniffles, etc), he/she needs to be seen immediately by the nurse to rule out illness verses allergies or other health concerns. Families should monitor students at home each morning for the most common symptoms of COVID-19. (Refer to the daily health checklist.)

If parents/guardians report that their child has 1 symptom of illness, they should keep their child home until symptoms have improved or they have been fever-free without the use of fever-reducing medication for at least 24 hours.

If parents/guardians report that their child has more than one symptom of illness, the parent should be advised to keep the student home, consult with the child’s health care provider, and get the child tested for COVID-19 as directed by the health care provider. The health care provider should report the illness to you or the nurse.

Thank you for helping to keep all of us safe and healthy at school!

Can you believe it is time to begin registering students for NEXT year? If you need to register a pre-kindergarten or kindergarten student for next year, please call the school to begin the registration process. Ms. Sue or Ms. Kayla, in our main office, are ready to help! They can be reached at 443-809-7055. See the flyer below for more details.

Norwood Elementary School is a Title I STEM 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 David Castro (Norwood School to Community Coordinator) at dcastro@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