When: March 20, 2024, 12:00-1:00 p.m.

Where: Online (Zoom)

Register: http://cookcenter.info/Mar20Harford

In this session, we discussed the research behind screen time, how to talk to your child about their device usage, and strategies to protect your child’s mental health. Screen time use has the ability to increase anxiety in your child’s life as well as negatively impact their and your well-being. Remember to be a model for your child of healthy screen time habits and behavior. Take time to make a plan for how you are going to better your screen time usage and find a time to collaboratively work with your child to help them set boundaries.

You can access the recording here: https://cookcenter.info/Feb21HarfordReplay

In the latest Real Talk episode, Mary Beth Stapleton sits down with Assistant Superintendent for Business Services Deborah Judd and Director of Budget Eric Clark to talk about the HCPS budget and where we are in the process. Take a moment to watch.

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 Most Valuable Parent (MVP) Award recognizes and celebrates one HCPS parent/guardian a month during the school year for their efforts to go above and beyond in modeling one or more of the National PTA Standards. Parents/guardians are nominated by their school's PACE Liaison. All nominations are reviewed by the HCPS External Customer Service Task Force and a winner is selected. Winners receive a certificate and personally engraved plaque from Parent Academy.

Join us in congratulating our February winner, Carrie Hunter of Edgewood Elementary School! And shout out to all of the February nominees displayed below. We are so deeply grateful for their efforts to go above and beyond to engage and support their child’s school.

• Community Summer Camps 2024 - Harford County
• Community Summer Camps 2024 - Baltimore County
• Community Summer Camps 2024 - Cecil County

Applications must be submitted via Camp Curiosity’s online registration portal by April 1, 2024. The top 40 applicants will be selected to attend and notified in May 2024. There is NO COST for those accepted. For more information, please visit https://www.harford.edu/campaigns/gencyber.php.

Join the HCPS Parent Academy and the HCPS Counseling Office to find out how you can help your child become college and career ready, now! You play an important role in your child’s educational journey, and it is essential for you as a parent to have an awareness of how Harford County Public Schools empowers students for success in college and career readiness as they prepare for success at the secondary level. Understanding HCPS's approach will enable parents to actively participate in their child's academic and career development. Join us as we share exciting information concerning career exploration, apprenticeship opportunities, and the dual enrollment program.

Audience: Parents/Caregivers of rising 4th – 10th graders

Time: 6:00-7:00 p.m.

Locations:

• Southampton Middle School – Wednesday, April 3, 2024
• North Harford Middle School– Thursday, April 4, 2024
• Magnolia Middle School – Wednesday, April 17, 2024
• Virtual Lunch & Learn – Microsoft Teams – Thursday, April 11, 2024, Noon

Mary Beth Stapleton founded the HCPS Parent Academy and has over 30 years experience working on behalf of children and families. Mary Beth and her family live in northern Harford County.

From now through May, students enrolled in grades three through high school will take part in the 2023-2024 Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP). The MCAP is designed to measure a student’s progress in mathematics, English/reading/language arts, science, and social sciences. https://www.hcps.org/sepg/Docs/MarylandComprehensiveAssessmentProgram(MCAP)2023-2024SchoolYear.pdf

Now more than ever, the MCAP is important for your child and will help build a pathway to measure your student’s progress toward obtaining college and career readiness (CCR). Plan to attend a Parent Academy CCR presentation in April either in-person or virtually. Standardized testing helps teachers know how your child is performing against their expected progress – it matters!

Below are other helpful tips from the National PTA.

Students can prep at school by:

• Participating in daily classroom discussions and activities that probe students to think analytically about text and follow problem-solving methods to answer questions.
  
• Completing class and homework assignments and taking part in class activities.
• Using technology in many ways to build basic skills including typing, highlighting, underlining, scrolling, drag/drop video start/stop, calculator, graphing, and dropdown choice.

Families can prep at home by:

• Learning about their most recent test results and using this information to fill gaps in learning this academic year. Examples include:

• Reading books and articles in different genres and difficulty levels together – this is beneficial at any grade level.

• Being mindful of everyday math examples, such as when cooking, shopping, traveling or exercising.
• Talking about homework – rather than doing it together – and asking students to explain how they got their answers.
• Noticing when homework assignments include test-style questions and talking about the way the questions are asked.

Parents can work with their child's school by:

• Asking your child’s teacher about their learning goals in Math and English for the year, find out what you can do at home to support the goals.
• Talking to your child’s teacher about the other ways he or she is assessing your child. The state test is one of many measures teachers use to know how students are doing.
• Talking to your child’s teacher or principal to find out how you can support the school.

The Office of Career & Technical Education and Magnet Programs is pleased to announce the 2024 Capstone and Senior Recognition Ceremonies for HCPS Magnet and Signature programs. Events take place 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. throughout the month of May. Please see the full schedule of events for details about the dates, programs, and locations.

Harford County Education Foundation holds several scholarship awards for graduating seniors attending Harford County Public Schools, and many of them are due soon. Check this link out and help your senior apply: https://harfordeducation.org/college-career-readiness/scholarship-central/.

In addition, there is a page on hcps.org where students can see available scholarships and access links to apply. And, new on this page - subscribe to scholarship postings! Check it out!

https://www.hcps.org/departments/studentservices/SchoolCounseling.aspx

In this Littles University video, Mrs. Jillian Lader, HCPS Manager of Communications, helps our youngest scholars find rhyming words in "I Love You to the Moon and Back." And she reminds our families that registration for kindergarten opened on March 1, 2024, and prekindergarten applications will open soon. We hope our Littles University scholars enjoy the latest book!

Visit Mrs. Lader on the HCPS Facebook page on March 20 for the video on this month's book, "The Wonky Donkey" by Craig Smith.

We are thankful for the Littles University program, made possible by our amazing partners at the Harford County Education Foundation!

The Office of Early Childhood Programs is pleased to announce the session dates, times, and topics for this year's Thrive by Five Early Childhood Summit. This annual event is designed for parents/guardians of children age birth through 5, as well as for childcare providers.

The HCPS Office of Early Childhood Programs is offering a series of virtual workshops promoting social and emotional wellness for children ages birth to 5. Workshops will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on April 30, May 8, and May 22, 2024.

Mark your calendar and register today! Registration closes at midnight on April 1, 2024.

https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx...

Click below for the March Partners for Success Monthly Update newsletter.

Havre de Grace High School!!

Voting window closes at midnight on Monday, March 18, 2024.

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 in November!

• 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