SJLES Updates 11/5/2020
Thu, 11/05/2020 - 2:24pmNEW NEWS
12:45 Dismissal Tomorrow!
The HCPSS 2020-2021 calendar includes the following scheduled 3-hour early dismissal days:
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Friday, November 6, 2020
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Monday, November 23, 2020
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Tuesday, November 24, 2020
Our virtual schedules have been adjusted for these scheduled early dismissal days to provide students with synchronous learning for each class. Our K-5 Schedule is below and please click on the link for additional details…
HCPSS Quarter One Grading Updates
This has been a challenging 1st quarter of school for many of our families. Due to the negative impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and transition to virtual learning, the Howard County Public School System has made some changes to 1st quarter grading that you may see reflected on your child’s report card.
Students in primary grades will earn an I (Independent) or W (With assistance) if they have engaged in synchronous instruction. Students in intermediate grades will receive A, B or C grades if they have engaged in synchronous instruction. As a result, Canvas grades may not align with quarter 1 report card grades.
These changes are in place for 1st quarter report card grades only. Asynchronous assignments complement and support synchronous learning, please support your child with task completion and with attending support sessions as needed.
IMPORTANT REMINDER: Google Play Information
In an effort to continue expanding our authorized set of digital tools for virtual instruction, HCPSS has curated a new set of supplemental digital tools that are available only through Google’s menu of additional services. These supplemental digital tools are approved by HCPSS and comply with federal, state and Howard County Board of Education student data privacy policies. Due to Google’s settings, students must access this set of tools by utilizing Google’s menu of additional services, which requires consent by a parent or guardian.
To provide consent:
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Log in to HCPSS Connect.
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Select More Options from the left panel.
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Select HCPSS Google Menu from the middle of the page.
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Click the check box to provide consent. Changes are saved automatically.
A parent or guardian must provide consent for each student by selecting the student’s name at the top of the page.
The digital tools currently included are: Book Room, Word Work, Scratch BluBot, Scratch JR, Sketch-Up, Collector Classic, JamBoard, Google Earth and Minecraft: Education. After a parent/guardian provides consent, students using a HCPSS Chromebook can access the tools through the Google Play Store icon on the Chromebook when logged in with an HCPSS account. There may be a delay of up to three days before the apps appear in the Google menu and some tools may automatically appear on the Chromebook once consent is provided by a parent or guardian without the need to install them. If your child has not been issued a Chromebook, please make the request following the information found online.
Please note:
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HCPSS cannot guarantee that apps are available on devices other than HCPSS Chromebooks.
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Teachers may or may not choose to use any or all of these apps during instruction. Students will be notified when a particular app will be used for instruction.
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If you do not provide consent for your student’s access to these digital tools, your student’s teacher will provide alternative enrichment activities.
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In addition to these Google tools, HCPSS has approved a robust set of supplemental digital tools. Your child’s teacher will notify you of the particular supplemental digital tools being used in each class via email or on their Canvas course page.
For more information, please contact Ms. Kennedy at shannon_kennedy@hcpss.org.
Join Us for 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.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Access our SJLES Public Calendar at https://sjles.hcpss.org/calendar
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11/6 - End of First Marking Period
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11/6 - College Ready Day - Wear a shirt or colors of your favorite college
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11/6 - Schools Close 3 Hours Early / 12:45 Dismissal
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11/8 - Final Day of Virtual Scholastic Book Fair
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11/11 @ 12:00 PM - Virtual Coffee & Conversation with Administration
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11/16 - Report Cards Issued
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11/16 - 11/20 - American Education Week
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11/23 & 11/24 - Schools Close 3 Hours Early - Parent/Teacher Conferences
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11/25 - Schools Closed for Students - Parent/Teacher Conferences
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11/26 & 11/27 - Thanksgiving Holiday - Schools Closed
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12/2 @ 6:30 - Virtual PTA Meeting
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12/4 - Rainbow Day: Wear as many colors as possible!
REPEATED NEWS
Young Authors' Contest
The Howard County Literacy Association invites students in grades 1-5 to submit their original poems and/or short stories to the annual writing contest called The Young Authors' Contest. Please see the links below for information about the rules and guidelines. All entries must have a completed cover sheet sent as a PDF. Submissions must be emailed to Mrs. Taylor by December 2, 2020. (elizabeth_taylor@hcpss.org) Contact Mrs. Taylor with any questions.
Young Authors’ Contest information can be found at http://hocoreads.weebly.com/young-authors-contest.html. Howard County Literacy Association welcomes parents as members. Visit http://hocoreads.weebly.com/ for information about joining.
Virtual Book Fair
Don’t forget, the SJLES Book Fair is open RIGHT NOW. All purchases will be shipped directly to your home and we’ve been assured they will arrive in time for the holidays. This is a great way to support your school AND encourage the love of reading in our kids. CLICK HERE for the online store.
Residency Reminder
Even though HCPSS is currently operating in a virtual learning environment, families need to alert their school if they move, especially if they move to another attendance area. While in the spring transfers between schools were minimized, it is now the 2020-2021 school year and all students should be enrolled at the school for their assigned attendance area. Please visit our SJLES website at sjles.hcpss.org or contact Mrs. Wolfrey at robin_wolfrey@hcpss.org for more information.
Monitor Donations
Many teachers have discovered that using a second computer monitor can enhance their ability to teach virtually. If you have a computer monitor that you are not using and would like to donate to our staff, please feel free to drop it off at SJLES. You can do this by bringing it to our school Monday - Friday between 8:00 - 4:00 and leave it inside our front entrance vestibule. Please wear a mask and follow all social distancing protocols. Thank you very much!
Stakeholder Input on Spring Semester Instructional Model
Parents/guardians, students, staff and other stakeholders may provide input and feedback to the Board of Education regarding the spring semester instructional model by emailing spring-input@hcpss.org. The Board will review all emails; however, due to the anticipated volume, individual responses should not be expected.