
February Tidbits #1
February 4, 2024
Weekly Attendance Award
Attendance Matters:
Maryland's attendance rate represents the average daily attendance rate of students in grades 1-12. The state’s proficient standard for attendance rate is 94% and the advanced standard is 96%
TCES Currently: 91.91%
The chronic absenteeism measure identifies students that are absent (lawful and unlawful) 10% or more of the school days while enrolled at that school. For example, a student who is registered to attend a school for 30 days and who is absent 3 of those 30 days is considered chronically absent.
Last year: 32% of students at TCES were considered chronically absent
Currently: 30% of students at TCES are considered chronically absent
1/29 - 2/2 TCES Attendance Rate: 87 percent
1/29 -2/2 Grade Level Attendance Award: It's a THREE-WAY TIE, with Kindergarten, 2nd, and 5th grades claiming the award this week.
TCES Staff attendance: 99 percent
We're grateful to all for your efforts to be here! Everyday matters in the pursuit of knowledge.
You can check attendance records in HAC. If you notice any days that are unlawful (marked red), please send an email to smverhaagh@smcps.org, or submit the reason for the absence online through our school website.
Helping Students Gain Command of Grade Level Standards
Kindergarten:
- Reading
- Identifying letters and sounds Aa-Zz,
- Writing your name,
- Writing a sentence response to a story question
- Giving the main idea and retelling a story
- Math
- Identifying and counting 0-20
- Count to 100 by ones and tens
- Identify shapes
First:
- Reading
- base words with the suffix -s
- answer questions about details and photographs
- find text evidence
- informative writing
- personal and possessive pronouns
- Math
- using number lines
- adding and subtracting on a number line
- Science/Social Studies
- finishing up plants
- transportation moves things and people
Second:
- Reading
- Reading 15-20 minutes per night and making predictions using text clues and pictures
- Math
- Practicing measuring using a ruler, or tape measure
- Identifying equal measures such as 12 inches = 1 foot
Third:
- Reading: Students in the middle of third grade should be reading 105+ words on grade-level text in one minute to be considered fluent. Read with your child and time them for one minute to check on their reading fluency! The Texts for Close Reading (TCRs) from the reading curriculum that students take home are a great text with which to practice!
- Math: Fact fluency for multiplication and fraction concepts
Fourth:
- Reading: Reviewing opinion, narrative and informational writing, Identifying theme
- Math: Measuring angles, Finding the area and perimeter of shapes
- Social Studies: Forced Migration of Africans
- Science: Weathering and erosion
Fifth:
- Reading: Summarizing text and writing 5 paragraph informative essays
- Math: Multiply and divide whole numbers and decimals
- Science: Matter and energy in organisms and ecosystems
- Social Studies: Resconstruction era and immigration
100th Day of School is February 5th!
Please look for communications from teachers for the classroom activities that will celebrate this milestone.
Congratulations to our January Character Kids!
Prek- Aabriella Brown
Kindergarten- Xiomara Arocho and Leia Aylor
First Grade- Aaron Fallin and Katherine DeBons
Second Grade- Makani Shirley and Bailey Boyd
Third Grade- Chase Phifer and Isaiah Morris
Fourth Grade- Ellie Mantell and Gillian Giannuzzi
Fifth Grade- Kaitlyn Ha and Ryleigh Nulph
Treasured Terrapin Award
Do you know a Town Creek staff member that is going above and beyond to support our students or families? Please consider nominating them for the Treasured Terrapin Award! Let us know what a great job they are doing, how they positively help other staff, families, or our TCES students! Fill out this form to nominate a TCES staff member today!
Recorders for Music Class - Order soon!
If Mr. Nazimek has informed your intermediary student (grades 3-5) that they will need a recorder for class, you can order through MySchoolBucks.
They are $6.00 each, and you have the choice of green, pink, or blue.
If you need any guidance on making the purchase, use these instructions. If you run into any difficulty, please reach out to Mrs. Hertzbach (pahertzbach@smcps.org) in the TCES office.
Housekeeping - Please be sure you have taken care of these items (and THANKS)!
Thank you for your support!
Mr. Kent and the TCES family
1. Let the office know IN WRITING if you are designating someone other than a guardian to pick up your child at any day and time.
2. Opt-In to the School Messenger Text Messaging Service. For more information, click on this flyer. There is also an FAQ with additional information.
3. Got a birthday to celebrate? Please familiarize yourself with the TCES procedures for Birthday Celebrations.
New Additions to our "TCES Spirit Wear" Collection
Ready to rock some new Town Creek threads? A wide variety of spirit wear is available, from hoodies to sweatpants! And now, we are offering a Town Creek baseball cap! This cap is available in the virtual school store on MySchoolBucks for $15. The cap is available in two sizes, Child and Adult. Samples are on display in the lobby case. (Our model, a second-grader, is shown here sporting a Child sized cap.)
Select this link to see pictures and detailed descriptions of the items currently available in both youth and adult sizes. You can check out the samples in the case in Town Creek's lobby, too!
To order, you can print this form and send cash or check, or you can order everything online in the My School Bucks School Store. For directions on how to order through the MSB School Store, please select this link.
The items will be delivered to your student at school as soon as they arrive at TCES. Hats are immediately available!
**NOTE: Do not put money into the lunch money account for this purchase! That is a separate account from the School Store and can NOT be transferred.
Order your PTO Candy Grams today!
You can treat your child, grandchild, friend, teacher, or staff member to a special Valentine’s
Gram delivered to their classroom on Valentine’s Day!
Send your completed forms and payment in an envelope to your child’s teacher or to the front office by Friday, February 9th.
Please complete EACH line of the form, cut out, and put it in an envelope with the EXACT amount of
money, (e.g. 4 Valentine Grams = $2) Send the envelope to your child’s teacher (through take-home folders). COST: 50¢ Each (Exact Amount – No change can be given) If forms are not completely filled out, we will have to return the package home, so please help your student fill them out completely.
PTO Corner
Thank you to everyone who managed to attend our twice-rescheduled general meeting on Wednesday, January 17th. Here is the link to the meeting minutes. The next general meeting is scheduled for this Tuesday, February 6, 2024 in the media center. The meeting begins at 6:15 p.m.
Be sure to send in your order for Valentine Grams by Friday, February 9!
Want to get more involved? Be sure to fill out the membership application and join the PTO!
Questions? Contact PTO president Lydia Rivera at towncreekesptopresident@gmail.com.
School Based Health Centers are available to TCES families
School-based health centers are open and ready to provide high-quality care for your student and family! School-based health centers are exactly what the name implies: a health center in the schools where they are based. At the health centers, students and their families can rely on our doctors, nurse practitioners, and other support staff to provide well-child care and emergency care if your child is sick or injured, as well as a full range of age-appropriate health care services, including:
Primary medical care
Health education and promotion
Case management
Students can be treated for acute illnesses, such as flu, and chronic conditions, including asthma and diabetes. They can also be screened for dental, vision, and hearing problems. With an emphasis on prevention, early intervention, and risk reduction, school-based health centers counsel students on healthy habits and how to prevent injury, violence, and other threats.
School Lunch This Week
Upcoming Calendar Events
Join us at TCES!!
- February 6th - Report Card Distribution (via HAC)
- February 9th - Two-Hour Early Release Day (Professional Responsibilities for staff)
- February 19th - Presidents' Day - All School and Offices Closed (Possible Make up Day)
- March 1st - Professional Day - NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
- March 22nd - Virtual Instruction Day and Two-Hour Early Dismissal (End of 3rd Quarter)
- March 25-28 - Spring Break - No school for students and 10-11 month staff
- March 29 - Holiday - All Schools and Offices closed