Greetings SJLES Families,

The COVID-19 pandemic has created hardships for so many of our students, staff, families and neighbors, and every individual has faced unique challenges during this difficult time. We are grateful for the return of students to our classrooms, and despite challenges, this process has been very successful overall. I credit students, staff members and our community for helping to keep our school healthy and safe by taking our COVID mitigation strategies seriously.

My fellow principals and I have been made aware of many concerns regarding a decline in the level of civility during some interactions between parents/guardians and staff across our HCPSS. Unfortunately, I have witnessed this decline here at SJLES this school year, as well. 

Recently, Dr. Martirano reminded the community about the importance of civility during interactions with school staff, noting that the “school health team, teachers, bus drivers and other staff members are exceptionally dedicated individuals doing their best and working their hardest to nurture, educate and protect students during extremely challenging circumstances. Quite simply, they are heroes, and they deserve our gratitude and respect at all times, even when they must carry out a protocol or practice that someone doesn’t agree with.” I encourage everyone to read the Superintendent’s full statement.

As Dr. Martirano mentioned in his statement, our children are watching and learning from our interactions. I encourage every parent/guardian to remain engaged in a respectful and civil manner with your child's teachers and support staff. It is my expectation that every single SJLES staff member will extend the same level of respect and civility to our families at all times. 

Please remember that our educators have many responsibilities in the classroom as they support their students throught the day. The expectation is that parents' inquiries and emails should be responded to within two school days. Please be patient if you do not hear back within this timeframe. If your inquiry is time sensitive and urgent, I encourage you to call the school or email me directly. 

I am extremely proud to be the principal of THIS community. We truly have an exceptional school that is making great progress in every important area. How lucky are our Jaguars to have such an outstanding community and staff to be of extraordinary service to their academic and social-emotional needs and growth. Let’s continue to bring our best selves forward each day on their behalf. Thank you for your understanding, partnership, and on-going support of our students and staff! I look forward to seeing many of you at our Annual PTA Turkey Trot on Sunday at 10:00 at MHHS! #JaguarPride! 

Sincerely,

Dan Notari

SJLES Principal

NEW NEWS 

We Are Hiring! 

SJLES is hiring a Close Adult Support position to support our students receiving special educaiton services. Please spread the word and email Ms. Coleman (erin_coleman@hcpss.org) if you are interested in joining our outstanding staff! 

Outdoor Lunch Guidelines

Thank you to all our parent volunteers who have helped us each day in the cafeteria and under the tent for outdoor lunch this fall! You are so appreciated! 

As the temperatures begin to drop more consistently, there are HCPSS outdoor activity guidelines we will follow in order to make a determination each day as to whether or not outdoor lunch will be held. As per the county guidelines, ​​the decision to provide an outdoor eating option  is the decision of the administrative team at individual schools using the  following criteria to make an informed decision for behalf of our students, staff, and volunteers.

• Temperature and humidity 

• Wind chill 

• Heat index and air quality 

• Age of students 

• Length of time outdoors 

• Adequacy of the children’s clothing 

• Condition of the playground 

• Falling precipitation (more than a sprinkle or mist) 

• Thunder and lightning

Please contact erin_coleman@hcpss.org with any questions and/or requests to change your child’s lunch location. 

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 attached YAC Flyer Announcing Contest for information about the rules and guidelines. All entries must have a completed YAC Cover Sheet sent as a PDF. Submissions may be emailed to Mrs. Taylor by January 21, 2022. Contact Mrs. Taylor with any questions at elizabeth_taylor@hcpss.org.

Young Authors’ Contest information can be found on the HCLA website Howard County Literacy Association welcomes parents as members. Visit the HCLA Welcome Page for information about joining.

Book Donations

We have had several students ask about donating books from home.  Yes! We do accept book donations. Our students especially love graphic novels!

The books need to meet certain criteria:

1) Hardcover  

2) Excellent Condition- no tears, stains, unidentified sticky areas, etc.

3) Recent copyright date- must be published in the last five years (2016-2021)

Beyond that, the Media Staff must evaluate books to make sure they fit the criteria for being included in a Howard County Public School Library, including accuracy, positive professional reviews, and age-appropriateness. If a donated book doesn’t meet these criteria, we can return it to you. 

We do not expect anyone to buy books to donate; but if you have books at home and your students are finished with them, we can find new readers for them at the library. If you have any questions, please reach out to Maggie Fischer (margaret_fischer@hcpss.org) or Vicky Pauller (vicky_pauller@hcpss.org). Thank you! 

HCPSS Attendance Procedures

Research is clear that showing up for school has a huge impact on a student’s academic and social success starting from kindergarten and continuing through high school.  Absences can be a sign that a student is losing interest in school, struggling with school or even facing social challenges.

• Missing 10% (or about 18 days of a school year) can drastically affect a student’s academic success.

• By the 6th grade, absenteeism is one of three signs that can indicate if a student is at risk for dropping out of high school.

• In the 9th grade, regular and high attendance is a better predictor of graduation rates than 8th grade test scores.

Student attendance is a major point of focus for the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). Starting in 2018-2019, MSDE lowered the chronic absenteeism rate from 20% to 10% which means that at 10% a student should be receiving support and interventions to improve their absenteeism.

Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) believes that attendance is key for student success. Per Policy 9010, HCPSS defines exemplary attendance as a final attendance rate of 96% or more of the student year. 

In support of achieving Exemplary Attendance for all students, we are sharing with you a comprehensive approach for attendance supports and interventions. 

• If a student has missed 5% of their monthly attendance days (as few as 1-2 days a month), parents will receive a Care and Concern Phone Call and letter from their school. This step will allow staff members to coordinate with families to determine how the student can be supported for better attendance.

• If a student has missed 10% of their monthly attendance days (this is defined as chronic absenteeism by MSDE), parents will receive a 10% Chronic Absenteeism Attendance Letter.  Parents and students may be scheduled for an attendance conference.  Other interventions and supports may also be used in an effort to assist the student.

• If a student has missed 15% of their monthly attendance days, in addition to the interventions and supports at 5% and 10%, these students may require an attendance support plan. Students may also be referred to the Central Attendance Team.

• If a student has missed 20% of their monthly attendance days, parents will receive a 20% Emergency Chronic Absenteeism Letter or Habitual Truancy Letter.  Students may be referred to Project Attend and may be referred to the State’s Attorney’s Office for habitual truancy. 

With the collaborative effort of HCPSS parents, staff and students, we are confident that all students can have successful attendance.  This will improve student success in school and in future life.

REMINDER: Picture Retake Day is Coming! 

We are excited to welcome back Strawbridge Studios to SJLES on Thursday 11/18 to photograph our students who were absent for Fall portraits and to provide opportunities for retakes for interested families.  These portraits are not only a great keepsake for your family but an important fundraiser for our school. Please look for the order form coming home with your child.  If you are interested in purchasing your child's photos please send the completed form in with your child by Friday October 8.   

• Please click here to view the various packages available. 

•  Please click here to sign up to receive updates via email regarding your child's school portraits. These updates include promotions, additional deals and the ability to order more pictures at a later time. When entering student information, parents should be sure to enter the student's name as it is on file at the school.

REMINDER: SJLES Winter Parent Teacher Conference Overview

Fall Conference Structure

• Fall conferences with English Language Arts teachers and 4th Grade GT Math teachers will take place on Monday, 11/22, and Tuesday, 11/23, following 3-Hour early dismissals for students each day. Some teachers may be offering Wednesday 11/24 conferences. 

• All conferences will be held via Google Meet. 

  • Parents needing assistance should contact our front office staff at 410-313-2813. 

  • Teachers will share meeting codes/links via Canvas. 

  • If you find it necessary to meet in-person with your child's teacher, please contact our teachers’ secretaries Mrs. Smith & Mrs. Wolfrey by Friday, 11/12, using one of the methods below to request an in-person conference.  

    • Phone: 410-313-2813

    • email: michele_smith1@hcpss.org & Mrs. Wolfrey ay robin_wolfrey@hcpss.org

  • After we receive all in-person requests, we will be working with teachers to schedule those times and someone from our front office staff will be back in touch with you by 11/19.

• Conferences are scheduled in 20 minute blocks and will be 15 minutes in length to allow for transition & preparation between sessions. 

  • All conferences will need to begin and end on time. 

  • Please do not enter the Google Meet early.

• Teachers will share their google meet information directly with families via Canvas.  

Scheduling a Virtual Parent Conference

• Beginning Monday, 11/8, and continuing through next Thursday, 11/18, families can log on to HCPSS Connect to access Synergy Conference Management. Any additional conferences beyond the times offered must be scheduled after the window has closed through direct contact with your child’s teacher.

• Click here for directions to schedule your conference.

Tips For Accessing HCPSS Connect

• It is recommended that you use a personal computer or your child’s Chromebook and not a mobile phone or tablet. 

• Google Chrome or Firefox are the preferred web browsers.

• If using a shared, family computer, confirm that you are NOT logged in as your student.

Related Arts Office Hours & Technical Support

Our Related Arts Team will be offering Office Hours throughout the conference window for their content area and provide tech support for families who may encounter difficulty logging in to their conferences. In order to join the Google Meet, go to https://hcpss.me with your student’s login information, click on the Meet icon, then enter the code sjles-officehours.

• Monday 11/22 Schedule

  • 1:00-3:00 - Mrs. Carty (PE) & Mr. Frantz (PE)

  • 3:00-5:00 - Mrs. Fischer (Media/Tech) & Ms.Kennedy (Tech)

  • 5:00-7:00 - Mrs. Peddicord (Art)

• Tuesday 11/23 Schedule

  • 1:00-3:00 -  Ms. Kalivretenos (Band/Orchestra) & Mrs. Moon (Art) 

  • 3:00-5:00 -  Mrs. Kennedy (Tech)

  • 5:00-7:00 - Mrs. Foster (Music) & Mrs. Whitaker (Music)

• Wednesday 11/24 Schedule

  • 10:00-12:00 - Mrs. Pauller (Media) 

Families may email related arts teachers directly, if needed, to discuss any concerns specific to your child. Please visit our website for teacher contact information. 

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

• Click here to access our SJLES Public Calendar 

• Click here to access the HCPSS Related Arts Color Schedule 

• 11/12 - Stuffed Buddy Day: Everyone gets to bring in a plush toy (that fits in your backpack) for the day.

• 11/14 - Turkey Trot @ 10:00 AM - 12:00 noon (Rain date 11/21)

• 11/18 - Parent/Teacher Conf. Scheduling Window Closes

• 11/18 -​​ Absentees & Retake Portraits

• 11/19- Spirit Day - #JaguarPride: Celebrate our SJLES Pride & wear your Spirit Wear or school colors 

• 11/22 & 11/23 - Schools Close 3 hours early.

• 11/22-11/24 - Parent Teacher Conferences

• 11/24 - Schools Closed for Students

• 11/25-11/26 - All HCPSS Schools & Offices Closed

• 12/1 - PTA Meeting - 8:00-9:00 PM

• 12/3 - Wacky Sock Day - Wear your funkiest pair of socks!

REPEATED NEWS 

Report Card Access

Parents/guardians will have access to view report cards after 5 PM on 11/10. You can Parents/guardians may view/download report cards by taking the following steps:

1. Log in to HCPSS Connect Synergy using parent/guardian credentials

2. Select More Options from the left panel

3. Select Report Cards from the middle

4. Select the report card you wish to access

Understanding Your Child’s Elementary School Report Card 

• Please click here to access the latest HCPSS Understanding Your Child’s Elementary School Report Card support document. 

• Please click here to learn more about grading and testing. 

Ventilation On School Buses

We have received inquiries regarding ventilation protocols on our school buses. The HCPSS Office of Pupil Transportation has provided the following information with bus drivers and our administrative team will uplift with them, as well. Windows and roof hatches will remain open regardless of weather, unless there is enough rain to warrant an umbrella. Accordingly, please ensure your child is dressed appropriately for any inclement weather.  This includes weather during the bus ride to and from school.

Volunteer/Observer Vaccine Requirement

All volunteers and chaperones who interact with students, and parents/guardians who are conducting classroom observations will be required to use the PinPoint platform to show proof of full vaccination at least five school days in advance. Read more

Daily Health Check Reminder

Parents/guardians MUST perform a COVID-19 health check every day before your student leaves home.

Community News and Programs

Please visit the Community News and Programs page at http://www.hcpss.org/community-news-and-programs/ for announcements of upcoming events and programs sponsored by non-profit organizations.