Greetings SJLES Families,
This week is Teacher Appreciation Week and I know our teachers and entire staff feel appreciated this week and throughout this most unique school year thanks to you all and our PTA. Our PTA has done an outstanding job supporting our staff and celebrating the return of our students to our school building each step of the way. The SJLES staff extend their deepest gratitude for all the love, encouragement, and support shown to them this past week. It is never too late to let our staff know how you feel. A quick email or note goes a long way so feel free to reach out and send them some good vibes if you have a moment. Thank you for always being such a supportive community and for supporting the work we have the privilege of doing each and every day. Here’s to ending the school year strong and full of Jaguar Pride! Have a great weekend, SJLES!
Sincerely,
Dan Notari
SJLES Principal
Parent Input Form For Students Attending SJLES Next School Year
Our SJLES staff has already begun planning and preparing for the 2021-2022 school year. As part of this process, we would like to provide you the opportunity to share insights you would like us to consider as we begin the articulation process. This input form is for you, as parents, to relate specific information about your child that you feel would be beneficial as our staff collaborates to create next year's classes. Our goal of this process is to build heterogeneous classes which foster the academic success and social-emotional well-being of each student in an inclusive and nurturing environment that closes opportunity gaps. Please consider completing our SJLES Parent Input Form 2021-2022 by May 28th in order to provide us with valuable insights regarding your Jaguar(s).
SJLES Asian American Pacific Islander Month Read-In!
Asian American Pacific Islander Month is a time when communities such as ours give special attention to learning about the many contributions and history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. On Monday, May 24th, family and community members are invited to participate in a very special AAPI Month Read-In, celebrating diversity in literature. To learn more and/or volunteer please click on the link below…
Celebrate Our SJLES School Lunch Heroes!
Since March 17, 2020, our SJLES food and nutrition staff have gone beyond their normal duties to keep students and families fed by packing thousands of breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and dinners every week. Today is School Lunch Hero Day. Please feel free to thank our School Lunch Hero Dynamic Duo of Ms. Drema and Ms. Peace by sending them a thank you note at drema_justice @hcpss.org and peace_atieku@hcpss.org.
Additional In-Person Learning Requests DUE TODAY!
Now that the hybrid model is in full operation, St.John’s Lane has determined that a few spaces are available in our building to allow additional students to participate in in-person learning. We want to invite as many students as possible to benefit from in-person participation as long as space allows. I am writing to explain the process our school will use to identify and invite individual students to come to school two or five days per week during the current school year.
These two factors determine our ability to enable a student to participation in-person learning at school for either two or five days weekly:
Space must be sufficient to allow us to continue to comply with health and safety protocols and social distancing guidelines in classrooms, buses, and cafeterias and other eating spaces.
Our ability to accommodate a student will vary by grade, classroom, and individual student schedule, because sufficient capacity must be available for every class that a student participates in, as well as on the school bus and in the cafeteria.
Our SJLES administrative team, student services team, and grade level teams are following this process to enable additional students to participate:
We are analyzing student data to identify students currently participating virtually who would benefit from a return to in-person instruction, as well as current A/B (2 days/week) group students who would benefit from five days of in-person instruction based on the eligibility criteria listed below.
We are also reviewing parent/guardian requests for students to take part in in-person learning either two or five days per week, and will invite as many students as possible based on capacity availability.
A student is considered eligible for 5-day, in-person participation if they meet any of the following criteria:
Receiving special education services
Previously participated in a School-Based Learning Center
Demonstrate a need for additional learning support based on their level of attendance, engagement, academic performance, social-emotional well-being, internet connectivity, or homelessness
If you would like to request that your child be considered for in-person return for either two or five days per week for the current school year, please email me (dnotari@hcpss.org) and our fabulous teacher secretary Mrs. Wolfrey (robin_wolfrey@hcpss.org) as soon as possible, and no later than 5 p.m. on Friday, May 7, 2021. We will review all requests and notify you as soon as it is determined whether we will be able to invite your child to participate. Please include the following information in your email:
Student Name
Homeroom Teacher
Math Teacher
Transportation (Bus Rider, Car Rider, Walker)
Your request (Move from virtual to 2 days, move from 2 days to 5 days, etc.
We want to uplift that students must meet the criteria to be invited to 5 days of in-person learning.
Please understand that we are receiving a high number of parent requests since the announcement on Friday. Additionally, as stated earlier, our teachers have already begun engaging in a process to analyze student data to identify students currently participating virtually who would benefit from a return to in-person instruction as well as current A/B (2 days/week) group students who would benefit from five days of in-person instruction based on the eligibility criteria. Today our teacher secretaries Mrs. Wolfrey and Mrs. Smith will be confirming these requests via email with families. If you do not receive a confirmation email by 4:30 PM today please email Mrs. Wolfrey.
Families, I can promise you that we are putting a significant amount of time, thought, and energy toward addressing these numerous requests and processes. We appreciate your patience and understanding as we expand access to in-person learning in a thoughtful, deliberate, and efficient manner.
Additional details about the criteria and process are provided online. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns about this process. Have a great week and a huge thank you to our outstanding PTA for celebrating our teachers and staff this week!
Access our SJLES Public Calendar at https://sjles.hcpss.org/calendar
5/7 - Teacher Look-A-Like Day: Students dress like their favorite staff member for the day
5/12 @ 6:30 - PTA Meeting
5/13 - HCPSS Schools Closed for Students
5/14 - Wacky Sock & Hair Day: Wear your funniest or most mismatched socks to school along with your wackiest hairdo!
5/17 - Rising 6th Grader MS Visitation Day
5/19 @ 9:00 - MAP Reading Assessment
5/26 @ 9:00 - MAP Math Assessment
5/28 - SJLES Parent Input Form Due
5/31 - Memorial Day
6/4 - Storybook Heroes vs. Villains Day: The battle is on! Dress up as your favorite hero OR villain! (Please remember no masks or weapons)
6/9 - Grade 5 Send Off Celebration
6/10, 6/11, 6/14, & 6/15 - 3 Hour Early Dismissal
6/11 - Summer Lovin' Day: Take 2! Let's say ALOHA to summer in style! Grab your sunglasses, Hawaiin shirt, lei or shirt from your favorite vacation and let's say HELLO to summer in style!
6/15 - Last Day of School
PTA Meeting - Wednesday, May 12th @ 6:30pm
We'd love to see you for our last PTA meeting of the school year. We'll discuss plans for next year and vote on new Board Members.
Join PTA Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83159720722?pwd=UnlVMDZLRjVocS8wTjZmUFhlR0RJUT09
Meeting ID: 831 5972 0722
Passcode: 282355
5th Grade Send Off Activities
The class of 2021 is nearing the conclusion of their time here at SJLES. The 5th grade committee is planning send off activities for a special conclusion for the 5th graders. See our website for all the fun information.
If you would like to make a donation to support the activities, you can donate here online, send a check (made payable to SJLES PTA, in an envelope marked 5th grade activities) into school with your child, or drop it off at the front desk.
If you are interested in volunteering, or have any questions, please contact Teri Stevens (terimstevens@gmail.com) and April Baer (April.baer1@gmail.com), 5th Grade Parent Volunteers.
Spring Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Assessments 5/19 & 5/26
SJLES students in grades 1-5 will participate in MAP testing on Wednesday 5/19 from 9:00am - 11:00am (Reading) & Wednesday May 26th from 9:00am - 11:00am (Math). MAP Growth helps teachers understand what your child knows today, so goals can be set to improve growth throughout the year.
These data points will not affect your child’s grades. In fact, it’s normal to only answer about half the questions correctly. To ensure accurate results, your child should answer the questions independently. Please feel free to contact Mrs. Redd via email (alexcia_redd@hcpss.org) if you have any questions or concerns.
MESA Champions!
In March, four of our SJLES Math, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) program teams submitted projects to the Howard County MESA Competition, where our students won three 1st place awards and one 2nd place award. Way to go, Jaguars!
On Saturday May 1st, our three county champion teams advanced to the Maryland State MESA competition, where they represented not only St. John's Lane Elementary, but all of HCPSS in three of the four elementary STEM challenge divisions. They competed against the county winners from seven other Maryland school systems and the community-based MESA program. Their projects were judged and scored by Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab staff of professional engineers, mathematicians, and physicists!
We are happy to share that all three of the competing St. John's Lane teams won 1st place in their divisions of the 2021 Maryland State MESA competition. Once again, way to go, Jaguars! Please join us in congratulating these talented 4th and 5th Grade Jaguars on their incredible accomplishments…
Howard County MESA Championship 2nd Place Winners
Jiya M., Rebecca K., Eunice L., Yueran D. - Story Book Theme Park Challenge
Maryland State & Howard County MESA Championship 1st Place Winners
Atharva S., Timmy L., Hugo P., Nathaniel C. - Expanding Structures Challenge
Prannya K., Archana N., Abhigna N.- Mobile App Challenge
Timothy K, Nalin B., Ishan C.- Wearable Technology Challenge
Health Guidelines for Students
To ensure students are healthy enough to attend in-person instructions and activities, parents/guardians should perform a symptom check every day before the student leaves home. Please review the information below related to COVID-19, Flu and Flu-like Illnesses, and Gastrointestinal (GI) Viral Illnesses.
COVID-19: If you believe your child has symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or your child is a close contact with someone with COVID-19 symptoms, including anyone who lives in your home, please keep your child home from school and contact your child’s School Nurse or Principal immediately.
The Maryland Department of Health defines a COVID-19-like illness as when a person has any one of the following: cough, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, new loss of taste or smell; OR at least two of the following: fever of 100.4 degrees or higher (measured or subjective), chills or shaking chills, muscle aches, sore throat, headache, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, and congestion or runny nose. For more information, please visit the online message from HCPSS Office of Health Services.
Flu and Flu-like Illnesses: Students displaying symptoms of fever, vomiting or diarrhea should stay home until they have been symptom-free for 24 hours without the aid of fever-reducing medication. Additional symptoms of the flu include cough, headache, chills, sore throat, fatigue, and body aches. Please visit the HCPSS website for more information.
Gastrointestinal (GI) Viral Illnesses: Students displaying symptoms of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps should stay home until they have been symptom-free for 24 hours without the aid of fever-reducing medication. Students with a confirmed lab diagnosis of norovirus should not return to school until they have been symptom free for 48 hours. Please visit the HCPSS website for more information.
If your student becomes ill during the day and it is determined that they need to be picked up and taken home from school, it is extremely important that the student be picked up as soon as possible. To make this process easier, we are asking all parents/guardians to take these steps now:
Please be sure that your Family File is updated with your most CURRENT contact information. It is imperative that we have a means to get in touch with you in a timely manner.
Also in your Family File, please make sure your emergency contacts are up to date, with current contact information.
There is nothing more important to us than the safety and health of our students, our staff, and their families. These guidelines were developed in conjunction with the State of Maryland and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Thank you for working with us to keep our students safe.
Get Answers!
Updated FAQs to Share with Families and Staff: FAQs are being continually being added online and may be shared with families. Additionally, FAQs dedicated to staff may also be shared with staff in your schools and offices.
SJLES Technology Help
If you experience any technology issues, remember to fill out our SJLES Technology Form and a member of our team will help you. Additional details can be found on sjles.hcpss.org