Cedarmere ES

17 Nicodemus Road

Reisterstown, MD 21136

443-809-1100

Regina Matthews, Principal - rmatthews@bcps.org

Alicia Cagnolatti, Assistant Principal - acagnolatti@bcps.org

Facebook: Cedarmere Panthers

Twitter: @Cedarmere

Please read our monthly Family Newsletter to stay updated on important dates and events for Cedarmere ES. Please stay CONNECTED! It is very important in this season, that you are up to date with all that is happening.

This newsletter can be translated into any additional language by clicking the translate button in the upper right hand corner.

The Maryland State Department of Education has posted schools report cards. Please click the link below to view our schools report card. This year we earned 3 out of 5 stars and a total of 56.2 (56.1%) points out of 100 for our school. This indicators for our school are allotted to 4 categories (Academic Achievement, Academic Progress, Progress in English Language Proficiency and School Quality and Student Quality).

It is my goal for Cedarmere ES to one day become a Blue Ribbon School! Though it may appear we have a long journey it is not an impossible one. Parents we need your support in all areas. One major area is school attendance. Please make sure your child is here everyday on time, if they are able to attend school. Please support your child's teacher and inquire how your child is progressing on unit assessments and daily classwork. Consider coming to visit our lending library to obtain learning materials to support your child. I am highly optimistic that Cedarmere ES, will continue to be successful and advance academically. They have great minds, they are great thinkers and will become high achievers!

March 14 - Family Math Night - 5:30 - 7:00

March 17 - Schools and Offices Close 3 Hours Early

March 24 - Third Marking Period Ends - All Schools Close 3 Hours Early for Students - Grade Reporting and Data Analysis** - Teachers on Duty

March 31 - April 10 - Spring Break Begins at the End of the School Day

CES Families,

We want to keep everyone safe during arrival. I know we are all busy and in a scurry in the morning to drop off our students, so we can move our day along. However, we must all obey the traffic rules for safety. Please refrain from turning into the school campus (off of Nicodemus Road) and proceed up our one way street and into the side parking lot. Our car loop and buses are constantly leaving from the opposite direction and a head on collision is quite possible. This is a ONE WAY street and we must obey the law and traffic patterns. Thank you in advance for your cooperation in this very important matter.

We finally have our new playground completed, thanks to our BCPS Facilities Department! Our students are in love with our new playground, and we are so happy they are able to enjoy it, as the weather warms up!

Did you know that Cedarmere ES has a lending library is open. We have learning games, flash cards and books for your child. You can stop by anytime during school hours and check out items to borrow. Many times parents ask teachers, "What can I do at home to support my child?" We have some answers for you, and they are right here in our Lending Library. Please don't delay and check out some items TODAY!!!!

Parent University

Parent University is hosting a virtual parenting course that includes coaching sessions.

Please help promote and encourage your families to register.

Additional Information - Parent University offerings.

Contact Susan Hahn with any questions shahn2@bcps.org.

Better Together Tip (BT2) for March 1, 2023

The Mind Over Matters (M.O.M.) is YOU MATTER! As the month of March is here, it is time to create as we think about spring and new growth. In order for us to grow we begin with planting seeds of creativity that is cultivated by collaborating with our community. A long-term activity that can capture the reflection of relationships, social awareness, self-awareness in all that we have to offer as our best SELves is a community sketchbook. This is an exciting way to capture creativity and connection to a larger community where you and all members matter! Ideas for where to start at 3 Inexpensive Ways to Make Your Own Sketchbooks - The Art of Education University or create a power point where individuals can contribute by adding content of their choosing as long as everyone follows the agreements.

Adults:

Purchase a sketchbook, decorate it, and do a drawing on the first page. Make sure it includes a theme and a few agreements on how you will treat the book as a means of expression to share a thought or feeling that reflects the person or experience you are. On the last page of the book, make a note, “When every page has been filled, please return to [name]...” Once the book is filled, take a moment to reflect on the content, feel free to invite others to see the sketchbook or create a video of the sketchbook to share with the team.

Students:

Purchase a sketchbook, decorate it, and do a drawing on the first page. Make sure it includes a few agreements (see below) on how you will take care of the book. On the last page of the book, make a note, “When every page has been filled, please return to (teacher name).” Once the book is filled, take a moment to reflect on the content, feel free to invite others to see the sketchbook or create a video of the sketchbook to share with the class. This is a great time to celebrate the work of your students and honor creativity.

NOTE: For younger children, encourage the students to share a brief (give a word limit) description that can be written by the student or an adult.

• 1-week checkout
• 2-pages to create on (poem, memoirs, sketches, doodles, art)
• Sign, initial and date your pages
• No sharpies, paint or anything that can bleed through the paper
• Age-appropriate drawings only. (No swearing, nudity, violence, or political pictures.)
• Return the sketchbook to [identify a spot].

Remember we all matter and that includes YOU!

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Please be sure your students have spare clothes in their locker. Students often have spills in the cafeteria, slip and fall outside and get dirty. We have limited sizes of clothes in the Nurse’s office and often must call parents or give student paper scrubs to wear for the day.

Send your student with a water bottle to school so they can have it with them while in class. This will not only keep them hydrated, but also help prevent headaches and upset stomachs.

Lastly, please do not send your child sick to school. Do not give your child medicine and then send them to school. A student with a fever of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or more should remain at home until they are fever-free for 24 hours without medications. If student is experiencing Vomiting and Diarrhea, they should remain at home for 24 hours after it has stopped.

The Last week of March we will have our Hearing & Vision testing. ONLY those students in PK, K (if not screened in PK), 1st, 4th, and those new to BCPS county and/or referred for H/V testing will be tested. The testing will take place on March 27th, 28th, 29th, 30th, and 31st. Letters will be sent home with more information the week prior to testing.

Beginning the week of February 13, 2023, BCPS-TV will begin airing new episodes of “Math Homework Helpers Shorts.” These vignettes are short, timely math lessons aligned with the elementary math curriculum for students in Kindergarten through Grade Five. The episodes feature Joe Teng, Supervisor of Elementary Mathematics, alongside Max and Ollie, the fun, math-loving puppets from the long-running BCPS-TV show “Math Homework Helpers.” New videos will be released weekly through March 10, specific to each grade level (K-5). Teachers are encouraged to share these videos with their students. “Math Homework Helpers Shorts” can be viewed on Schoology, YouTube, Vimeo, and on BCPS-TV Channels Fios 34/Comcast 73.

On Wednesday, March 15, 2023, 4:30 – 5:30 pm, another episode of “Math Homework Helpers LIVE” will air LIVE on BCPS-TV Fios Channel 34 / Comcast 73, and stream live on www.bcps.org and the BCPS YouTube channel.

On March 15, 2023, students are encouraged to call in to get live, on-air help with their math questions during the show. Students can also submit question live via the chat box on YouTube. Prizes will be awarded to students who participate by calling or sending in questions via the chat during the live hour.

The phone number to call on March 15, 2023, from 4:30-5:30, is 410-494-1459, and the link to the YouTube livestream will be posted on www.bcps.org.

Questions regarding this information should be directed to Wayne Gilreath, Producer Phone 443-809-4401.

We are doing much better with our timeliness for our school buses. Our drivers are arriving on time, and things are running much smoother than the beginning of the year. However, it is very important that your children are reminded that riding the school bus is a privilege not a right. Please remind them daily how important it is for them to be seated safely and following all directions that are conveyed by the bus driver. Please understand that if your child fails to be safe and compliant on the bus, there may be consequences, and ultimately they may lose their privilege to be transported to school by a school bus.

The Office of Transportation is excited to announce that a BCPS bus transportation status page is live! This webpage for bus changes and delays can be accessed here: https://www.bcps.org/parents/transportation_status

Tardiness to School

When students arrive late to school each day or are picked up early, they are missing components of their instruction. If a child arrives 60 minutes late each day, they have missed 300 minutes per week of instruction. In addition, it impacts the consistency of your child's daily routine. If your child is arriving late due to the BCPS bus tardiness, the teachers will continue to ensure they receive any loss instruction.

Late Pick-Ups

Please remember dismissal is at 3:15! It is important that your child is picked up on time! If you are unable to pick up your child on time, please look into using the YMCA! They have before and after care each day right in our cafeteria. They are open for this support from 7am - 8:15 and from 3:15 - 6:00 pm.

If your child has chronic tardiness or late pick-ups they will be referred to the Pupil Personnel Worker for further investigation of this matter. Please help us, help you.

Thank you for your support!

Safe Arrival During Carpool

Please make sure during carpool that your child exits on the right side (passenger side) of the car only. Our staff is present to assist students exiting their vehicles. If students exit on the driver side this becomes very dangerous.

In addition if you arrive after 8:30 staff may not be present to assist your child safely from carpool so please arrive on time!

AFTERNOON PICK-UP

Parents during our afternoon dismissal some parents are blocking other vehicles in the parking lot and this is becoming unsafe! Please park your car on the street, or in an available parking spot when arriving to obtain your child. Please do not block in other cars or block the entrance to retrieve your students.

Please use the online PTA Hub below to become a member of our PTA. Our PTA is in need of members and board members. As we know the PTA is the backbone of support for our learning community. Please consider joining today.

Email: thecedarmerepta@gmail.com

WEBSITE: https//:cedarmereelementary.memberhub.com/

Mission

Teach – We will teach children to become independent critical thinkers.

Equip – We will equip students with the necessary academic social and emotional skills they need to be productive citizens.

Accelerate – We will make sure that our students have the capacity to accelerate among their peers to be globally competitive.

Mobilize – We will mobilize students by ensuring that each individual child has equitable access to customized learning.

Core Beliefs

We believe in respecting individuality and diversity of all members of the learning community.

We believe instruction must be relevant to our students’ cultures, interests, perspectives and lived experiences.

We believe all students can achieve high academic outcomes and therefore, all teaching and learning must be rigorous and reflect high expectations for all students.

We believe it is necessary to collaborate with families, community members, teachers and staff members to accomplish the mission of Cedarmere ES.

17 Nicodemus Road, Reisterstown, MD 21136

410-887-1100

Twitter: @Cedarmere

Facebook:@CedarmerePanthers