Greetings SJLES Families,

It was awesome to lunch bunch with so many of our kindergarteners and first graders yesterday! Our students continue to make us proud with their outstanding work in the virtual classroom and we cherish the opportunities to make them smile, laugh, and share with us. Yesterday, we got some great updates regarding how many teeth have been lost over the past few weeks, how big their pets are getting, some exciting new books they are reading, and even got to meet some of their favorite dolls and action figures of the moment. On 10/28, Mrs. Redd, special guests, and I will lunch bunch with our 2nd and 3rd graders. On 11/4, we get to meet with the “big kids” in 4th and 5th grade. Please see additional details below in the NEW NEWS section. A special thanks to all of the staff members who attended the lunch bunches yesterday and brought smiles to our students’ faces!   

 

As we approach the end of the quarter on 11/6, we want to thank our families for their continued collaboration. Please continue to support your student by checking his/her gradebook to ensure that all synchronous and asynchronous assignments to date are complete. Our teachers are constantly monitoring student work completion, providing support to complete assignments, inputting grades in gradebooks as soon as possible, and will do all they can to ensure our students do not have incomplete assignments by the quarter’s 11/6 end date.  As always, if you have any questions about your student’s assignments please email the teacher. Thank you families and please enjoy the rest of the week! 

 

Sincerely,

Dan Notari

SJLES Principal 

 

NEW NEWS

HCPSS Second Semester Survey: Due 10/23

This fall, there will be significant public discussion and consideration around the second semester. At this time, HCPSS is seeking to understand families’ intentions regarding sending their students back to school, if that option becomes available, or continuing fully virtual learning. Please see directions below for accessing this questionnaire. This is not a commitment for the second semester; you will be able to change your reply. Your intention at this time will help facilitate planning. Please complete this form by Friday, October 23 at 4:00 p.m. and contact the school if you require assistance completing the form.

 

More information, and translations, may be found online. 

To complete the form:

1.   Log in to HCPSS Connect

2.   Select More Options from the left panel

3.   Select Intent to Participate in Hybrid In-Person Instruction from the middle of the page

4.   Complete the questions in the form for each child. Click “Save”

 

Updates on School Meals 

Free school meals previously due to expire at the end of December, have been extended through the end of the 2020-2021 school year. Thus, HCPSS will be able to provide meals at no cost to any HCPSS student, and all children 18 and under, through the entire school year, assuming continued availability of USDA funding.

 

Poster Contest

The Howard County Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Commission is holding an elementary school poster contest. The contest is open to all Howard County elementary school students and the deadline to submit is October 30, 2020.  Please see the attached flier for more information.

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Principal Lunch Bunch Reminder

Mr. Notari and Mrs. Redd are excited to offer a Virtual Lunch Bunch with each grade level team in the coming weeks. We truly enjoyed our virtual summer lunch bunches and wanted to continue providing opportunities for our Jaguars to engage with their administrators, friends, and some special surprise guests. Hope to see many of our Jaguars at our lunch bunches! 

• Schedule & Google Meet Times and Codes

  • 2nd Grade: Wednesday, 10/28 @ 12:00 / Google Meet Code: PrincipalBunch2

  • 3rd Grade: Wednesday, 10/28 @ 12:30 / Google Meet Code: PrincipalBunch3

  • 4th Grade: Wednesday. 11/4 @ 12:00 / Google Meet Code: PrincipalBunch4

  • 5th Grade:  Wednesday 11/4 @ 12:30 / Google Meet Code: PrincipalBunch5

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

All dates will be posted on our SJLES Public Calendar.

• 10/23 - Basketball Friday: wear your favorite basketball team colors, jersey, or hat

• 10/26 - Virtual Scholastic Book Fair Begins 

• 10/28 @ 12:00 -  Principal Lunch Bunch for Grade 2 (code: PrincipalBunch2)

• 10/28 @ 12:30 -  Principal Lunch Bunch for Grade 3 (code: PrincipalBunch3)

• 10/31 - Submissions due for PTA Pumpkin Decorating Contest 

• 11/1 - Daylight Saving Time Ends

• 11/3 - Election Day - Schools and Offices Closed

• 11/4@ 12:00 -  Principal Lunch Bunch for Grade 4 (code: PrincipalBunch4)

• 11/4 @ 12:30 -  Principal Lunch Bunch for Grade 5 (code: PrincipalBunch5)

• 11/4 @ 6:30 - Virtual PTA Meeting

• 11/6 - End of First Marking Period

• 11/6 - Schools Close 3 Hours Early

• 11/8 - Final Day of Virtual Scholastic Book Fair

• 11/11 @ 12:00 PM - Virtual Coffee & Conversation with Administration 

  • To RSVP Click Here

• 11/16 - Report Cards Issued

• 11/16 - 11/20 - American Education Week

• 11/23 & 11/24 - Schools Close 3 Hours Early - Parent/Teacher Conferences

• 11/25 - Schools Closed for Students - Parent/Teacher Conferences

• 11/26 & 11/27 - Thanksgiving Holiday - Schools Closed

• 12/2 @ 6:30 - Virtual PTA Meeting

REPEATED NEWS 

Coffee & Conversation with Administration 

SJLES Families, please mark your calendars for our next Virtual Coffee & Conversation with Mr. Notari, Mrs. Redd, and several SJLES special guests on Wednesday 11/11 @ 12:00. During this time our families can ask questions and gain insights from Mr. Notari, Mrs. Redd, and guests regarding all aspects of our school community.

Click here to RSVP and provide us with insights to topics you would like to discuss. You do not have to RSVP to attend, but we appreciate you doing so to help us prepare for our time together. The Google Meet code is SJLESCoffeeWith. Looking forward to our next time together!

 

MAP Score Access

Thank you for supporting your child during MAP testing. To access your child’s MAP score, you will need to log in to HCPSS connect as a parent. Please click on the link below for directions.  A more detailed home report will be available in Synergy by early November.  

•  https://help.hcpss.org/grades-testing/fall-2020-MAP-scores 

If you have any questions about MAP testing, please contact our assistant principal, Alexcia Redd, at alexcia_redd@hcpss.org. 

 

Academic Supports for Elementary School Students through Evening School

Starting October 13, virtual academic support sessions for Elementary School students who are struggling with virtual attendance and/or finding academic success were made available through the Evening School Program. Sessions are grade level and content specific and home schools will have a primary role in recommending and monitoring student participation.   

 

For students in grades K-5 with active HCPSS accounts, nightly sessions are available on Google Meet. Two one-hour sessions, starting at 6:00 pm and 7:00 pm respectively, will be held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays beginning October 13. For these sessions, parents are invited and encouraged to attend with their children.  Sessions will provide 20-30 minutes of direct support for mathematics and/or language arts to small groups (10-20) of students.  After the provision of the instructional portion of the session, students/parents will have the opportunity to ask questions.  Space will be limited per session, however all students recommended or opting to participate should have the opportunity to do so. 

 

Should a student be recommended to participate, the parent(s)/guardian(s) of the recommended student will be contacted directly for agreement of participation and so that further logistical information may be provided.  

 

For any parent/guardian who feels their student would benefit from participating in these additional academic supports and would like to request that they do so, please contact Mrs. Redd at alexcia_redd@hcpss.org

 

Privacy Guidelines for Parents/Guardians

To maintain a positive, productive learning environment and assure confidentiality for students and teachers during distance learning, all parents/guardians are asked to follow the following privacy guidelines.

• Google Meet virtual instruction is designed for students. To prevent disruptions to the learning environment, parents/guardians should not actively participate in check-in sessions, although parents/guardians may assist their child with technology and/or remain nearby.

• Do not video record, audio record, photograph, live stream, or transmit in any other way any part of a Google Meet, including not posting on any social media platform.

• Any confidential or personally identifiable information related to students participating during Google Meets should not be collected, discussed or shared.

• Parents/guardians should not engage with students during Google Meets. If you need to speak with your child during a check-in session, first mute your child’s microphone.

• If a parent/guardian has a question, please email your child’s teacher.

Parents/guardians should email your child’s principal with any questions or concerns regarding privacy or virtual classroom expectations. Thank you for your support and cooperation in ensuring that virtual learning is a positive, productive and enjoyable experience for all participants.

 

HCPSS Google Meet Engagement & Behavioral Expectations 

• Adhere to HCPSS Policy 8080 Responsible Use Technology and Social Media and other relevant HCPSS policies.

• Follow the school’s values (ex. Be Safe, Act Responsibly, Respect Self and Others, Keep Focused)

• Students will only be permitted into a Google Meet session with a HCPSS email account.  All students can be identified through their HCPSS email account.

• Inappropriate/offensive/threatening comments, misrepresentation of identity, and/or disruptive participants (invited or uninvited) during Google Meet sessions will not be tolerated.

• Sharing login information violates the confidentiality rights of other students and places them at risk of having to witness disruptive behaviors from students who are not members of the class or school community. 

• Students who are disruptive and/or “trespass” Google Meet sessions will be immediately reported to administration and will receive appropriate consequences in accordance with the HCPSS Code of Conduct.  Consequences may result in temporary or permanent loss of technology access, which will also result in a student's inability to participate in Google Meet sessions; arrangement for receiving instruction and assignments will be established by administration communicated and arranged with parents.

Additional information can be found in the  Safety Measures During the Google Meet Session on 20-21 HCPSS Virtual Teaching and Learning Page

SJLES Technology Support Form

Please find below information regarding technology support for fall virtual instruction that includes both self-help resources and how to request technology support.

• Student Technology Resources: Provides guides, resources and videos for HCPSS student technology. Below are some direct links to commonly used resources:

  • Canvas Orientation - includes how to navigate Canvas

  • Google Meet - includes a video overview of how to login

  • Chromebooks - provides a variety of resources for using an HCPSS Chromebook

• Password and Username Self-Service: Allows families to request a password reset or student’s username. New students can use this application to retrieve their account information. This application is also linked off the hcpss.me website, which also includes user directions.

• HCPSS Connect Parent Resources: Provides HCPSS Connect—including Synergy, Canvas, and Family File—guides and videos for parents. 

If after reviewing these resources, your family continues to need support, please complete the Student and Family Technology Support Request Form and one of our staff members will reach out to you as soon as possible. If you cannot access the online form for any reason, please call the school at 410-313-2813. 

Staff will attempt to resolve the issue, and if unsuccessful will provide directions for exchanging the broken device for a working one at the school system’s Onsite Technology Center. This information is also posted on our SJLES Website