Owl Observer News

Greetings Ducketts Lane Friends and Families,

That was an unexpected extra long weekend. We hope that everyone was able to enjoy the snow and stay warm. It was beautiful to view, but with the wind it made for very cold days and nights. We are looking forward to getting back into a more normal routine of learning together as a community.

Proudly serving you,

Mrs. Caroland, Mrs. Van Osdel, and Mrs. Yerashunas

Hello DLES Families!

I hope you had a great winter break. The survey below aims to identify the school's biggest needs in order to better address them and develop solutions and programs that help bridge any gaps for the academic success of our students.

The survey responses will be sent to the Maryland State Department of Education for review.

The responses will also help us make decisions regarding the allocation of funding and resources for Ducketts Lane ES over the next three years.

The survey results will let me know where my focus should be directed, whether that be towards food support, health services, tutoring, after-school programs, etc. The results will help guide my role and my work.

I am heavily relying on your responses to help inform our decisions. I appreciate your partnership and your help with completing the survey. Thank you in advance!

~Alejandra Medina, Your Community School Site Coordinator

In English: https://forms.gle/kuxmSodWosZDtVoQ8

¡Hola, Familias de DLES!

Espero que hayan tenido unas excelentes vacaciones de invierno. La encuesta a continuación tiene como objetivo identificar las mayores necesidades de la escuela para abordarlas mejor y desarrollar soluciones y programas que ayuden a cerrar las brechas para el éxito académico de nuestros estudiantes.

Las respuestas de la encuesta se enviarán al Departamento de Educación del Estado de Maryland para su revisión.

Las respuestas también nos ayudarán a tomar decisiones con respecto a la asignación de fondos y recursos para Ducketts Lane ES durante los próximos tres años.

Los resultados de la encuesta me permitirán saber hacia dónde debería dirigir mi enfoque, ya sea hacia el apoyo alimentario, los servicios de salud, la tutoría, los programas extraescolares, etc. Los resultados ayudarán a orientar mi función y mi trabajo.

Dependo en gran medida de sus respuestas para ayudar a informar nuestras decisiones. Aprecio su colaboración y su ayuda para completar la encuesta. ¡Gracias de antemano!

~Alejandra Medina, Your Community School Site Coordinator

En Español:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/16okyt_XBYHoEi329CQh45UBe9S0PBjhusGXqD8l3Y-I/edit

Tuesday, January 14th- Winter Concert (more information below)

Wednesday, January 15h- 1st Grade Only Family Night

Monday, January 20th- School Closed in Honor of Martin Luther King Jr.

Thursday, January 23rd– School Close 3 hours early. No half-day Pre-K/RECC.

Friday, January 24th- PTA Family Glow Dance 6:30pm

Wednesday, January 29– School closed for students

Wednesday, February 5th-School close 3 hours early. No half-day Pre-K/RECC. Parent/Teacher Conferences

Thursday, February 6th-School close 3 hours early. No half-day Pre-K/RECC. Parent/Teacher Conferences

Friday, February 7th- School closed for students

Beginning Winter Concert - January 14, 2025 @ DLES

6:00pm 4th Grade Concert (students arrive at 5:30pm)

• 4th Grade Beginning Orchestra

• 4th Grade Band

• 4th Grade Chorus

7:00pm 3rd Grade Orchestra Concert (students arrive at 6:30pm)

• 3rd Grade Orchestra

If your child is in need of a white shirt, black pants or black shoes please contact their music teacher. DLES has a small closet of donated concert clothes available for students in need.

Mrs. McKay (Band & Orchestra) amanda_mckay@hcpss.org

Ms. Abrams (4th Chorus) hana_abrams@hcpss.org

Ms. Eng (5th Chorus) taylor_eng@hcpss.org

If you have any concert clothes (shirt, pants/skirt, shoes) that no longer fit your child, please consider donating them to the DLES Concert Closet for another student to wear.

The MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) winter testing window for Grades 1-4 runs from January 27th to February 27th. The 5th grade MAP window runs from January 6th through January 10th. The following are the testing dates for each grade during this window:

1st grade - ELA January 28 (AM) and Math January 31 (AM)

2nd grade - ELA January 27 (AM) and Math January 30 (AM)

3rd grade - ELA February 3 (AM) and Math February 10 (AM)

4th grade - ELA February 4 (PM) and Math February 11 (PM)

5th grade - ELA January 6 (PM) and Math January 8 (AM)

Each student will complete one session of reading testing and one session of math testing. The MAP assessment allows teachers to view instructional strengths and needs for each student. MAP is an adaptive test in which it adjusts based on the students’ answers to each question. The test gets more difficult as correct answers are given and easier as incorrect answers are given until an instructional match is found.

At the conclusion of the test, each student receives a RIT score that aligns to their instructional level. MAP, in conjunction with other measures throughout the school year, helps teachers differentiate instruction within their classrooms. Please be sure your students are present and on time to school each day to set them up for success during this testing period.

Please reach out with any questions and thank you!

DLES Administration

This is the time of year when the winter season takes a toll on school attendance. Common illnesses such as colds, flu, fevers, earaches and Covid-19, along with unpredictable winter weather, can result in students having to miss school.

These absences, even when they are excused, break the routine of daily attendance that contributes to students feeling connected and engaged in learning. As we are seeing many students missing school, we ask that you please consider these steps to keep your children healthy this winter.

Parents/guardians should keep their children home if they are experiencing symptom(s) associated with any communicable disease. For people with chronic conditions such as asthma, the symptoms should represent a change from baseline. A student should NOT come to school with any of these symptoms:

• fever of 100 degrees or higher
• sore throat
• cough
• difficulty breathing
• diarrhea or vomiting
• new onset of severe headache (especially with fever), or
• new loss of taste or smell

Ways to prevent your children from getting sick and missing school can include:

• Encourage children to wash their hands before and after eating and after using the restroom.
• Avoid sharing cups and utensils with other individuals.
• Dress your children for the cold weather. If you need help with winter clothing, please let us know. Visit the HCHD website for cold weather safety information.
• Encourage healthy habits such as getting enough sleep, eating healthy foods, drinking fluids and getting exercise.
• If your children need to stay home for a prolonged period due to illness, please reach out to your child’s teacher to find out about resources they can use at home to keep learning once they feel well enough.

If you feel that other factors beyond physical health are playing a role in your child’s ability to attend school, talk to your child’s teacher, the school nurse, counselor or your medical provider about how best to support your child.

Let us know how we can help you. If you need resources or guidance, please contact the school at 410-313-5050.

Self-management is the ability to manage one’s emotions, thoughts, and behaviors effectively in different situations and to achieve goals and aspirations. In other words having self-management means being able to conduct yourself appropriately in a variety of situations so you can participate fully.

What does Self Management look like?

• Impulse control

• Stress Management

• Self Discipline

• Self Motivation

• Goal Setting

• Organizational Skills

What does self management sound like?

• I need a break right now.

• May I please have space? I am not ready to share.

• I think I need help with ___________.

• I don’t understand yet, but I will ________ to reach my goal.

How Can I reinforce this at home?

• We encourage you to visit THIS WEBSITE which introduces seven skills that your child needs to learn early to help your child develop strong self-management skills and improve focus.

We are looking for:

baby wipes for tables and hands

hard plastic carry out containers

Hard plastic round yogurt containers

Home decor magazines / artful magazines for collage

Playdoh

Cardstock paper - any color

Small toys for positive recognition prizes

Thank you for considering 😀

Mrs. Mellendick & Ms. Bresky

Take a moment to see all of the amazing options available to show your Ducketts Lane spirit and pride.

Click here to see all the options and deals!

Spirit Night: Next Thursday, January 16th, join us at Pazani (6060 Marshalee Dr, Elkridge, MD 21075). A portion of every meal purchased will go directly to the DLES PTA!

Glow Dance: Ready to light up the night? Join us on Friday, January 24th, from 6:30-8:00 pm for the ultimate glow party! It’s going to be a glowing good time with music, dancing, and fun for the whole family! Remember, this isn’t a drop-off event – all students must be accompanied by an adult.

Our Silent Auction is just around the corner, and we need YOUR help to make it a huge success! Whether you’re a pro at organizing or just ready to lend a hand, we’d love to have you on board.

If you can volunteer, sign up below! We’ll be holding a meeting soon to go over all the details and duties. Remember, many hands make light work – and we can't do it without YOU! Let’s make this event unforgettable together!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D49AAA92CA0FFC70-54319275-silent#/

Do you have a child who will be 5 years old by September 1, 2025? Please save the date and join us for an upcoming Road to Kindergarten parent information session. All sessions will run 6:30-7:30 p.m. and cover the same content.:

• Expectations for school readiness (and receive a Ready for Kindergarten toolkit;

• Details about the HCPSS kindergarten program;

• Information about HCPSS kindergarten registration and website;
• Ways that families and children can be supported during the transition to kindergarten.

Information sessions will be offered on the following dates:

• January 21, 2025, Hammond High School*

• January 23, 2025 Centennial High School**

• January 28, 2025, Wilde Lake High School*

• SNOW DATE: Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, Hammond High School**

* Spanish interpreter will be present at these sites.

** Chinese, Korean, and Spanish interpreters will be present at these sites

Project 10Million’s Direct to Parent/Guardian program provides internet access to eligible families that have a student who meets the eligibility criteria. Approved families receive 200GB of mobile data per year for 5 years and a FREE mobile hotspot, plus the opportunity to purchase additional Wi-Fi devices at a low cost.

• New and existing T-Mobile (including Metro by T-Mobile and Assurance) as well as Non-T-Mobile customers are eligible to apply.
• Available to residents of the United States and Puerto Rico. Not currently available in the US Virgin Islands.
• One free T-Mobile hotspot device and 200GB/year data line per household, max one per student.
• Data service ends when allotment is reached until the yearly renewal date (additional data passes are available for purchase).

• May purchase up to five select, at-cost Wi-Fi-only tablets and laptops for use with the hotspot device.

  
  

  Website linked here: https://www.t-mobile.com/support/account/project-10million-direct-to-parent-guardian-eligibility?icid=MGPO_TMO_U_20TENMM_6BRGAVTKUD4AUN8W23252

We strive to be a school that actively partners with our students, staff, families, and surrounding community members. We welcome your feedback.

Please click on the Feedback Form to share your thoughts with how we can make DLES the best for everyone.

• Principal, Mrs. Caroland Molly_Caroland@hcpss.org

• Assistant Principal, Mrs. Van Osdel Amy_Van_Osdel@hcpss.org

• Leadership Intern, Mrs. Yerashunas Brianna_Yerashunas@hcpss.org

• Principal Secretary, Mrs. Canter Teresa_Canter@hcpss.org

• Registration Support, Secretary Ms. Lynette Carmen_Lynette@hcpss.org

• Attendance, Synergy and Family File Support, Secretary Mrs. Forman Julie_Forman@hcpss.org

• Counselor Mr. Leisawitz Alexander_Leisawitz@hcpss.org

• Counselor Mrs. Baron Krista_Baron@hcpss.org

• Community School Coordinator Ms. Medina Alejandra_Medina@hcpss.org