Welcome Back (again) to a new academic year and to the first newsletter of the school year, our Glyndon Gazette! We enjoy sharing the multitude of events and highlights of classroom and school-wide experiences for your children within these monthly newsletters.

As we say good-bye to summer, I can't help but reflect on some lessons learned. Like many of you, I enjoyed watching the Paris Olympics with my family. As I watched these young athletes achieving at the highest level, my mind wandered to all of the hard work taking place behind the scenes: the athlete's family and coaches who serve as their support system, the growth mindset these athletes display as they put in countless hours of work to correct mistakes and continue to grow, and the pressure that these incredibly talented young people must manage as they balance their physical and mental health. We know that mental health and physical health are inextricably linked, and performing on a global stage certainly requires many tools to manage the mental, emotional and physical impacts of that level of pressure.

I am reminded that all of us are works in progress and that, in order to achieve our true potential, we need a toolbox of skills to face the challenges that will inevitably come our way. Our goal at Glyndon Elementary is to help all of our students build and fill their personal toolbox with skills and strategies over the course of their time at Glyndon, giving them a multitude of opportunities to develop and use those tools, whether it's in math class, on the playground or in art class.

I am looking forward to working with your children and your family in the months to come and encourage you to reach out with feedback, questions or to learn more. We have incredible things planned for your children this year!

Your Proud Principal,

Tracy M. Robinson

This month has flown by, and we have already learned so much. We have been learning about our classroom rules and routines the first month of school, as well as working on various concepts such as colors, counting, letters and letter sounds, social skills and so much more. We have read a variety of books this month, including Our Senses by Kari Cornell. This has given us an opportunity to explore various ways we use our senses. We have had a lot of fun getting to know each other and look forward to many more exciting adventures this year.

Ms. Thomson

Happy Fall, families! We have had such a fun first month of school together! In September, we learned all about being good friends. We learned to share and be helpful in our classroom and demonstrated ways to be kind. In October we will continue our first Unit, Connecting with School and Friends. Students are building school connections with teachers and peers, with a focus on social-emotional development. We are learning classroom routines and how to use classroom materials. Students are learning about our 5 senses and visiting the exploration station, where we engage in hands-on science experiences.

Thank you for all your support in making this a great start to the school year! Ms. Juarez

Hi Kindergarten families! It has been a lot of fun learning about your students and building relationships with one another. We’ve been working on getting to know our schedules and routines, making friendships, and understanding our rules and expectations!

For the month of October, we will be introducing the letters of the alphabet; being able to identify the letters and write the letters correctly. We will be working on our nursery rhymes and begin decoding words with pictures.

In math, we will be working on different patterns through motion, sound, and concrete materials (ABA, ABC, AABB, etc). We will also be continuing to work with numbers (fives and tens).

For reading and writing, we will be learning how special we are, what makes us different, and our feelings. We encourage you to practice writing letters, numbers, and their names, and continue to identify the letters and numbers.

Please continue to show your students why they are who they are and what makes them special. We have so much to do this month and are excited to see growth and success! Happy October! Ms. Mecler, Ms. Shifflett, and Ms. Walkowiak

It is hard to believe we are already in October! We have had a very busy, productive, and SAFE start to first grade! Your children have done a wonderful job with the transition, and we are truly enjoying getting to know each and every one of them.

In reading, we have been discussing how the people they meet and the experiences they have can help them. Students are reading about the different activities they can do at school. They also are reading about what makes a good friend, the many different types of friends they can have, and what makes each person special.

In math, we have been focusing on building a strong number sense using many representations of numbers. We are working on solving story problems as well as ordering and comparing numbers. We have been encouraging the students to explain how they got their answer, both verbally and in writing. This helps the students have a deeper understanding of the math concepts that we are working on. We encourage you to ask them these questions at home as well.

We have been using our Conscious Discipline curriculum to help develop skills to help us when we’re feeling big emotions, and our health unit will continue to build upon these strategies as well as we explore ways to keep ourselves safe and healthy.

As always, thank you for your continued support, and please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, comments, or concerns. Ms Gabler, Ms. Gillum, and Ms. Laughton

Welcome back! We hope you had a wonderful, relaxing summer! We are so excited to begin a new school year with your child! We are so very happy to be able to work with the students as we begin our second-grade journey together!

In reading this past month, we have been practicing and learning the routines and expectations of second grade. We have started our first ELA unit focusing on the idea of what it means to be a good citizen. We are reading about characters and real people who are good citizens, and we are learning how our actions can make a difference to others. In writing workshop, we are writing a personal narrative about something we have done to make the world a better place. In grammar, we are learning to identify subjects and predicates and how to construct complete sentences. We have also begun small group instruction to individually support your child with his/her reading, writing, and phonics skills.

In math, we are working on Unit 1 titled Figure the Facts, which focuses on understanding the operations of addition and subtraction. We are practicing efficient math strategies to add and subtract within 20, exploring even and odd numbers, solving addition and subtraction story problems, and counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s to solve problems. We are using different manipulatives, such as cubes, and number racks to help with our counting. During Number Corner, we are exploring patterns, telling time on an analog clock and creating equations to solve story problems.

In our community meetings, we have been reading and discussing different social situations with the use of books to understand our Glyndon Virtues to become successful and productive members of our classroom and school community.

Please be sure to read each night with your child and ask questions to evaluate his/her comprehension. Please remember to check your child’s Take-Home folder each night for homework, graded papers, and other important information. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at any time. We are so thankful for your cooperation, helpfulness, and commitment to your child’s success!

Ms. Briggs, Ms. Marks, and Ms. Mayle

We started the school year off strong with an introduction to our English Language Arts curriculum, HMH! Your students have been working diligently on our first module titled, What a Character! We have been building our knowledge about story characters and what makes them unique, with a focus on the realistic fiction genre. We have been reading about interesting characters who are true to themselves when faced with a challenge. Students will be expected to write an expository essay about how authors make their characters interesting to readers!

In Math, we began our first Bridges Unit, which explores addition and subtraction patterns. At the conclusion of the unit, your students will be able to use efficient math strategies to build fluency with basic addition and subtraction facts and write equations to represent story problems. Additionally, students will be able to use strategies based on place value, properties of operations, or the relationship between addition and subtraction to fluently add and subtract within 100.

In Advanced Math, students have begun exploring Bridges Unit 2, which introduces students to multiplication by immersing students in a wide variety of multiplicative situations. Students will be making use of a variety of models for multiplication, including equal groups, arrays, the number line, and ratio tables.

In Health, students are exploring personal responsibility, goal setting, community supports, making decisions, and managing stress. We have also been establishing classroom routines, expectations, and culture, with an emphasis on safety and relationships.

Finally, homework packets are being distributed at the beginning of each week. Homework allows students the opportunities to practice grammar, math and reading skills. The packet will be due on Friday of each week. The third-grade teachers understand that every night cannot be a homework night. For this reason, homework is optional and can be done at your own pace throughout the week. It is highly encouraged, however, that students spend at least 15 minutes a night reading a book of their choice in order to improve comprehension and fluency!

Thank you for your continued commitment to your student’s learning! We are looking forward to a fabulous year! Ms. Kagel, Ms. Roop, and Ms. Waller

We had an amazing first month of 4th grade. October should be just as much fun! In reading, we will be exploring informational texts. We are reading Our Five Senses, The Science Behind Sight, Animal Senses, and The Game of Silence (historical fiction). We will continue our grammar instruction, as well as building foundational skills and vocabulary.

In Math, 4th grade students will learn about arrays and ratio tables. In Advanced Math we will continue pushing through Geometry, investigating polygons and angles. In Science, we are working on our Turtle Trouble unit. We will be learning about the internal and external structures of Loggerhead turtles and how the turtle is affected by injury.

We will continue to review expectations in the cafeteria, bathrooms, hallway, etc. Please check your child's blue accountability folder each night where they color in the date to report their behavior for the day. This is also an excellent place for notes from the teacher and ungraded work from their lessons that day. Keep collecting those tickets to cash-in for prizes every other Friday!

Ms. Houseal, Ms. Mitchell, and Ms. Linsenmeyer

Hello fabulous fifth grade families!

We have had a wonderful start to the year. Your students continue to show kindness, respect, and helpfulness in the classroom every day.

In Math 5, we have been focused on finding the volume of rectangular prisms by using models. Using omnifix cubes, students build rectangular prisms to gain a deeper understanding of volume. Students are continuing to build their foundational skills of multiplication, place value, volume and area in order to solve real world problems. Please consider practicing basic addition, multiplication, and subtraction facts with your student at home.Thank you for checking your child’s planner regularly for math homework.

During the month of September, Advanced Math students jumped right into Unit 1, Area and Surface area. In this unit, students learn to find areas of polygons by decomposing, rearranging, and composing shapes. They begin to learn to use math terms like base and height with fidelity, as well as find areas of parallelograms and triangles. Students have begun working on identifying polyhedra with nets and finding their surface area. In October, students will be introduced to ratios in unit 2. Parent and student resources for the Illustrative Math curriculum can be found in the Advanced Mathematics Schoology course. Please reach out if you have any questions or need guidance on how to help your child be successful with our IM curriculum.

In Reading/Writing, our classes have been building their knowledge about inventors, with a focus on the informational text genre. We have read texts and viewed videos about how people can create amazing things through innovation, perseverance, and the desire to solve problems. Our students have also begun writing an expository essay. Thank you for encouraging your child to read at least 15 minutes a day.

In Science, we have focused on how matter interacts in order to create a fuel that will launch our rockets the highest off the ground.

As always, if you have any questions, please reach out to your child’s fifth grade teacher via phone or email. We look forward to hearing from you! Ms. Chelton, Ms. Miller, and Ms. Wozniak

Welcome back to art! We are ready to get the year started with some great projects! Kindergarteners will start the year with material exploration and using basic lines and shapes to represent ideas.

First graders are reviewing a lot of what they learned in kindergarten and expanding on those concepts.

Second grade students are starting out with paper manipulation.

Third graders are participating in this year’s Fire Prevention Poster Contest. Please talk to your children about the importance of fire alarms in your homes!

Fourth graders are starting with weaving. If you have materials at home like special yarn, old clothes, plastic/paper bags, photos that can be cut up, etc. please have them bring it in to become part of their artwork!

Fifth graders are starting their self-portraits, which is the hardest unit we do. They will need lots of moral support to keep working hard, but in the end, you will be amazed at what they are able to do!

Let’s get some art on these walls! Mr. Allard

Happy Autumn to All! Students are encouraged to check out books each week when visiting the library. Students are welcome to renew books if they would like to check a book out longer.

Kindergarten students will be practicing letter recognition of upper- and lower-case letters. Students will be listening to a variety of alphabet books.

First through fifth graders are learning about digital citizenship. Students are learning about online safety procedures and ways to be proactive to guard against cyberbullying. Students are learning the importance of privacy rules, copyright, and plagiarism. These students will also be learning about appropriate device care to ensure devices are in working order throughout the school year.

Looking forward to a productive school year in the library with all grades! - Ms. Keller

4th Grade Exploratory Music

Welcome back to school! All fourth-grade students have been learning the rules and expectations for class, as well as an overview of what they will be learning this year in exploratory music class. Students will learn the four families of musical instruments this year: strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion. As students explore these instrument families, they will learn characteristics, history, instrument names, and instrument sounds.

Ms. Hench

In Physical Education (PE) class, students have been participating in team building/cooperation activities. These activities are a great way for students to get to know each other in their class and learn how to work together and communicate positively.

Students in Kindergarten have been learning to start and stop movement with music. Kindergarten students can identify colors, shapes, numbers, and letters that are on the gym floor.

The Pumpkin Run event is on Thursday, October 24 (with a rain date of Wednesday, October 30). More information will be coming home shortly. Please come out and cheer on Glyndon runners that day!

In PE class, students can bring water bottles to class since the water fountain is not working. Please remember to wear sneakers on the day that you have PE so that you can participate safely!

Thank you for your support. Ms. Maher

Ms. Vineyard’s music classes are off to great start for the school year. As the year has begun, students have been reviewing concepts and are now ready to start new learning!

Kindergarten has been learning the difference between their singing and talking voices, their high and low voices, are learning to keep a steady beat, and are singing call and response songs.

First graders are keeping a steady beat, are being introduced to the new solfège syllables sol, mi and la, and are reviewing finding their high and low voices.

Second graders have been reviewing previous concepts and will be learning the solfège syllables do and re, and the new rhythms of half notes and half rests.

Third graders have been reviewing previous concepts, and are learning the note names on the treble clef, and will be learning the new solfège syllables low la and low sol.

Fourth graders have been reviewing previous concepts, will be learning new rhythms with a combination of eighth and sixteenth notes, and will be learning the new solfège syllable high do.

Fifth graders have been reviewing previous concepts and will be preparing for the upcoming winter performance.

Ms. Vineyard

Happy Fall! Hi Pre-K and 5th Grade Families! Is your child interested in expanding their horizons and applying for a BCPS Elementary or Middle School Magnet Program? Now is the time! The clocks ticking…so don’t delay.

Baltimore County Public Schools offers over 100 magnet programs for elementary, middle and high school students. Descriptions of the magnet programs available at each level are provided on the Office of Magnet Programs' Web site and in the magnet program brochures.

The deadline for Magnet School submission is 1 p.m. on Friday, November 1st.

Applications and directions can be found online at www.bcps.org (search "Magnet Programs").

If you need assistance or have further questions, please feel free to contact Mrs. Conway at jconway2@bcps.org or at (443) 809-1130.

Happy Applying!

Ms. Conway and Ms. Galvin

It has been an amazing start of the 2024-2025 school year. For the month of September, Mrs. Ho-Shing and I (Ms. Hypolite) have been focusing on introducing ourselves as their School Counselors and discussing how students can be successful in every classroom. We will continue to do monthly visits throughout the school year.

October School Counseling Lesson:

For this month's classroom lesson, the focus will be on bullying prevention. This topic will discuss what it means to be a bully and how to respond when you or someone else is being bullied. We encourage you to discuss the content of the lesson with your child and help them reflect on the content.

Thank you for your support! Ms. Hypolite & Ms. Ho-Shing

Family Wellness Series: Mind, Body & Soul Series

October 15, 2024, from 5PM-6PM All families are invited to join us for fun & festivities as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by engaging in learning & health related activities to promote overall wellness. Community resources/agencies will be present. Along with hands on learning activities for the entire family. Please click on the following link to RSVP to this vent. https://forms.office.com/r/kMkpBwdj4P?origin=lprLink

Glyndon's Grocery Give Away Day - Wednesday, October 9, 2024

All participants are asked to bring one reusable grocery bag. The Grocery Give Away will take place inside of the Glyndon Community CARE Cottage (trailer), located in the front of the school. Each participant can fill one regular sized grocery bag. The shopping time is in the morning from 8:30AM-9:00AM and in the afternoon from 3:00PM-3:30PM. Please remember to bring your mobile phone as you will need to use it and scan the QR code to check in.

Ms. Hines

Hello Glyndon Families,

September was Attendance Awareness Month! It is very important to be on time and in school every day. We also have our classroom Attendance Challenge that will last all year! Classes will win prizes, trophies and classroom incentives each month, just for coming to school every day. Classes see their classroom progress in the Library hallway.

I am available at any time if you need resources or questions, please feel free to contact me.

Ms. Martin

smartin12@bcps.org

443-809-1867

Hello, families! At Glyndon, we use virtue language to encourage and acknowledge responsibility and respect. This calendar contains the weekly virtues in the current month. Each day will have an activity that is assigned based on the weekly virtue. If your scholar participates in this activity, have them color in the box. When your scholar brings the completed calendar back to school at the end of the month, they will be entered into a raffle to win a prize! For every 5 activities completed, they will earn a raffle ticket, therefore increasing their chances of winning if they complete the whole month (ex. 20 days completed = 4 raffle tickets). Best of luck to your scholars as they continue to live the virtues! Ms. Kram