Greetings SJLES Families,
With just two school days to go, we wanted to take this opportunity to wish each SJLES family a wonderful Spring Break. HCPSS schools are closed from Monday, 4/11 through Monday, 4/18 for break. Offices will be closed on Friday 4/15 and Monday 4/18. Families can access our HCPSS and SJLES calendars in the Mark Your Calendar section below. I hope to see you at tonight’s PTA Zoom Meeting and here’s to a great final two days of learning before the long break!
Sincerely,
Dan Notari
SJLES Principal
NEW NEWS
We Want To Hear From You!
As part of our school improvement process, we are asking families to provide input about their equity priorities for our school. Please use the link below to complete the Indicators of Educational Equity Survey by Friday 4/29. We will use your input, along with other school data, to refine our school improvement plan for next school year.
The survey is anonymous and available in multiple languages. If you have children at more than one school, please complete one survey per school.
If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Notari at dnotari@hcpss.org. Thank you for your time and insights!
PTA Meeting TONIGHT @ 8:00 PM via Zoom!
Hope to see you there! Use this link to join the meeting.
Meeting ID: 844 9013 8573
Passcode: 643443
Quarter 3 Report Cards
Parents/guardians will have access to view report cards after 5:00 PM on Friday 4/8. You may view/download report cards by taking the following steps:
Log in to HCPSS Connect Synergy using parent/guardian credentials
Select More Options from the left panel
Select Report Cards from the middle
Select the report card you wish to access
Please click on the link below to help you better understand your child's report card.
At-Home COVID Tests
Prior to Friday, 4/8, one COVID-19 test kit will be distributed to each SJLES student. Please check your students’ backpack before spring break for this test kit. HCPSS encourages the use of at-home tests prior to students and staff returning from spring break, in addition to conducting daily health checks.
Report Cards Available Friday
Parents/guardians may view/download report cards by taking the following steps:
Log in to HCPSS Connect Synergy using parent/guardian credentials
Select More Options from the left panel
Select Report Cards from the middle
Select the report card you wish to access
Lost and Found
We have accumulated many items in our Lost and Found. It is located inside the front doors of the school. With the fluctuating temperatures, we seem to have more students misplacing items than usual. While we try to return items to students, there are many items still in the Lost and Found. To assist us with returning items to students, please make sure their name is written in permanent ink on the inside. Please encourage your students to check the lost and found for any missing items and parents are welcome to stop by school during the day to do so, as well.
Calvin FAMILY Read the Rainbow
You are invited on Tuesday, June 7th 2022 @ 6:00pm to meet husband and wife author team JR and Vanessa Ford, who will read and discuss their book, Calvin. This is a FREE bookclub and open to ALL (students, parents, educators, and community members). The first 50 families registering with preschool and/or elementary aged children will receive a FREE copy of the book! To register, visit our HCPSS Pride Website: bit.ly/HCPSSRainbow
Students Fasting During Ramadan
The Muslim holiday of Ramadan is set to begin on the evening of Friday, April 1, 2022, and will likely end on the evening of Sunday, May 1, 2022. We know that many of our students will be fasting during the day. If you would like to request an alternative activity during the period of Ramadan please email our principal’s secretary, Mrs. Newberry at kathleen_newberry@hcpss.org with the following information
Child’s Name
Grade Level
Homeroom Teacher
Students who would like to request to fast in an alternate location during their lunchtime may also simply check in with their teacher to request an alternate activity. We wish all who are celebrating a peaceful and happy month of Ramadan.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Click here to access/subscribe to the updated HCPSS calendar
4/6 @ 8:00 PTA Zoom Meeting
4/8 - Disney Day: Dress up as your favorite Disney character or wear your favorite Disney apparel
4/8 - Report Cards Issued
4/11 - 4/18 - Spring Break - All HCPSS Schools Closed
4/19 - HCPSS Schools Reopen
4/20 - Kindergarten Visits Miller Branch Library
4/21 @ 6:15 - Chorus Concert & Earth Day Celebration
4/22 - #JaguarPride: Celebrate our SJLES Pride and wear your Spirit Wear or school colors
4/22 @ 6:00 PM - PTA Outdoor Bingo Night
4/27 - All HCPSS Schools Close 3 Hours Early
4/28 - 2nd Grade Field Trip to MD Zoo
4/29 - Teacher Look-alike Day: Students dress like their favorite staff member for the day
4/29 - Final Day to Complete Indicators of Educational Equity Survey
4/29 @ 6:00 PM - Rain Date for PTA Outdoor Bingo Night
4/29 @ 7:00 PM - Battle of the Books at Merriweather Post Pavilion
5/2 - 5/6 - Staff Appreciation Week
5/2 - Professional Learning Day - Schools Closed for Students
5/4 - Walk/Bike to School Day
5/4 @ 8:00 - PTA Zoom Meeting
5/6 - Wacky Sock & Hair Day: Wear your funniest or most mismatched socks to school along with your wackiest hairdo!
5/10 - Fifth Grade Panoramic Photo
5/12 - Middle School Visit Day for current Fifth Graders
REPEATED NEWS
Chromebook Changes
Starting Monday, April 4th, we are making a shift in how and where Chromebooks are stored. Students in grades 2-5 will be keeping their Chromebook at school. This shift will help reduce the wear and tear of the transport of devices and allow for consistent use in instruction during the school day. Students will still be using the Chromebook assigned to them throughout the day. If a student has a specific need for the device to go home each day, special permissions may be granted. Students are expected to follow the HCPSS Code of Conduct and Policy 8080 Responsible Use of Technology. Please continue to talk with your child about the appropriate use of technology in and out of the classroom. In addition, all Chromebook chargers should be returned to school.
SPRING MAP Testing
Students in grades 1 through 5 will take the MAP assessment in Reading and Math beginning in April. Students will need to bring their fully charged Chromebooks to school each day of testing. It is anticipated that first graders will have their dedicated Chromebooks by this time. If not, we will provide Chromebooks for them as we did in the fall.
1st grade: 4/4, 4/8, makeup 4/22
2nd grade: 4/5 , 4/7, makeup 4/25
3rd grade: 4/6, 4/7, makeup 4/20
4th grade: 4/26, 4/28, makeup 4/29
5th grade: 4/5, 4/6, makeup 4/7
Please contact your child’s teacher with any questions you may have about MAP testing.
Spring MCAP Testing
This spring, students in grades 3, 4, and 5 will take the Spring MCAP assessment. The Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) is the overarching term used for all state assessments.
The ELA portion of the MCAP is administered in four 70-minute sessions. The Math portion is administered in four 40-minute sessions. All students will need to bring corded headphones to school for each day of the ELA portions. If your child does not have corded headphones to bring to school, please let their teacher know so we can plan to provide them. Please contact Erin Coleman with any questions about MCAP at erin_coleman@hcpss.org. SJLES will administer the MCAP on the following dates for each grade level:
3rd grade:
ELA: 5/16, 5/17, 5/19, 5/20 - bring corded headphones
Math: 5/23, 5/24, 5/25, 5/26
Make-up: 5/31
4th grade:
ELA: May 3, 4, 5, 6 - bring corded headphones
Math: May 16, 17, 19, 20
Make-up: May 23
5th grade:
ELA: April 25, 26, 28, 29 - bring corded headphones
Math: May 23, 24, 25, 26
Make-up: TBD
Outdoor Lunch Requests
Due to the increase in outdoor lunch requests and the need to update seating charts indoors and outdoors to reflect each student request, all new requests to eat outdoors will go into effect each Monday. If a parent sends a request for outdoors on a Tuesday, for example, their child will be on the updated outdoor list beginning the next Monday. This allows us to appropriately plan for staffing and ensure seating is available for all students. Thank you for your patience. Please use this link to request outdoor seating for Spring.
Additional tip: If your child eats outside this spring, please send them to school with shoes that are OK to get muddy, as there may be wet grass and areas of mud in the outdoor eating spaces due to foot traffic over the course of this school year.
End-of-Year Updates
Details related to HCPSS end-of-year activities and information can be found online. This page will be continually updated as new information becomes available.
SPREAD THE WORD! Kindergarten Registration Is OPEN!
Parents/guardians of a child who will be five years old on or before 9/1/22 must complete an online registration to enroll their child in Kindergarten for the 2022-2023 school year.
It is recommended that you work on a laptop or desktop to complete registration.
For details about registration and enrollment, visit https://www.hcpss.org/enroll/ If you are without access to a computer or have questions please contact our teacher secretaries Mrs. Wolfrey or Mrs. Smith at 410-313-2813 for assistance in completing the registration.Please ensure you are on the screen for 2022-2023 to register for next school year.
The following forms are needed in addition to the online registration:
Health Forms should be completed by your child's pediatrician and dentist and emailed to amy_leisner@hcpss.org or dropped off to our front office once your child has their 5-year-old check-up.
Additional HCPSS Resources for Kindergarten
The HCPSS Getting Ready for Kindergarten page, which includes resources to support kindergarten readiness and online registration and provide additional information and resources for families. This will include the information that is typically covered in the Road to Kindergarten live event, which includes information about kindergarten readiness, the kindergarten program, and registering children for school.
SJLES Daily Outdoor Lunch Status
For interested families, we will communicate our Outdoor Lunch Status on our SJLES website landing page daily. Please be sure to check our website for our daily outdoor lunch status.
Daily Health Check Reminder
Parents/guardians MUST perform a COVID-19 health check every day before your student leaves home.
COMMUNITY NEWS & PROGRAMS
Please click here to visit the Community News and Programs page for announcements of upcoming events and programs sponsored by non-profit organizations.