Greetings SJLES Families,
This Friday we will wrap up the second quarter of the school year. We are incredibly proud of our Jaguars’ Kind, Engaged, Responsible, & Resilient behaviors at this midpoint of the school year. Our grade level teams have scheduled their quarterly Jaguar Huddles which kickoff tomorrow morning with our kindergarten team. As a reminder, the goals of these new Jaguar Huddles are to:
further build community within each grade level team
uplift and reflect upon how our students’ successfully demonstrated our Jaguar Expectations throughout the quarter
celebrate achievements
reflect upon areas for growth and set goals for the following quarter
spend quality time together as a grade level team
Our Jaguar Huddles pair with our PBIS Quarterly Celebrations to explicitly recognize and celebrate our students for all they do to make SJLES such a wonderful place to learn and grow. This quarter our students will participate in Jaguar Fest 2023 where they will engage in preferred and engaging activities with their grade-level peers along with surprises, giveaways, and a special visit from the world-famous Harry Spotter. We look forward to recognizing and celebrating our students in the coming days.
Please note that SJLES dismisses at 12:20 tomorrow and all HCPSS schools are closed on Monday 1/23. Good luck to our orchestra students who will be performing tonight for our families and friends!
Sincerely,
Dan Notari
SJLES Principal
NEW NEWS
Looking Ahead: Upcoming Early Dismissals & School Closures
TOMORROW 1/18 - Schools Close 3 Hours Early /12:20 Dismissal: Professional Work & Wellness Day
1/23 - All HCPSS Schools Closed for Students: Professional Work Day
2/9 & 2/10 - Schools Close 3 Hours Early /12:20 Dismissal: Elementary Parent/Teacher Conferences
Winter MAP Testing Schedule - UPDATE FOR 1ST GRADE
SJLES will conduct Winter MAP testing for students in grades 1 through 5 on the following dates:
1st grade: 2/6, 2/8 (this is a change from the original schedule)
2nd grade:2/1, 2/3
3rd grade:1/30, 1/31
4th grade: 2/6, 2/7
5th grade:1/31, 2/3
Makeup testing will occur prior to 2/24/23
Kindergarten & 1st Grade: Optional GT Enrichment Activities in Canvas
Our Gifted & Talented Primary Talent Development (PTD) lessons are continuing in all Kindergarten & 1st Grade classes! Remember to check out the Primary Talent Development Landing Page in Canvas, where you will find optional enrichment and extension resources, activities, and book recommendations to help reinforce advanced skills with your primary student at home. Keep an eye out for Canvas announcements about more PTD pages and activities published throughout the winter and spring!
To access these optional resources at home, follow the steps below:
Log in to Canvas through hcpss.me.
Open the PTD Landing Page for your student's grade level.
(*The PTD Landing Pages are also linked on the Kindergarten Team page and the Grade 1 Team page.)
Select a published page under "Optional Extension Activities at Home".
Review the lesson concepts, digital/print activities, and book recommendations with your child.
Questions about GT Primary Talent Development in Kindergarten & 1st Grade? Email Ms. McErlean at madeline_mcerlean@hcpss.org.
HCPSS Summer Programs Preview
The 2023 Summer Programs Preview, which contains descriptions of HCPSS’ four summer programs and enrollment information, is available to view and download from the Summer Programs web page.
Online enrollment requests for currently enrolled HCPSS students will open Wednesday, February 1, 2023 at 6 p.m. for the following programs:
BSAP Summer Institute (Entering Grades K-9)
Gifted and Talented Summer Institutes for Talent Development (Entering Grades 1-8)
Innovative Pathways High School (Entering Grade 9 and Current Grades 9-12) - Math and Science courses only
Summer Math Scholars Program (Current Grades 6-8)
NOTE: Invitations for eligible HCPSS students for Academic Intervention and Extended School Year Special Education programs will come directly from the school or special education team during Spring 2023.
Contact the individual program offices with additional questions.
BSAP Summer Institute (SummerInstitute@hcpss.org)
G/T Summer Institutes for Talent Development (GTSummer@hcpss.org)
Innovative Pathways High School (IPSummer@hcpss.org)
Summer Math Scholars Program (Summer@LTYC.net)
Understanding the Report Card Resource
A reference sheet has been developed to support elementary families in Understanding the Elementary Report Card (English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean) which will be accessible in Synergy on 1/31/23.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Click here to access/subscribe to the updated HCPSS Calendar
Click here to access the HCPSS Related Arts Color Day Schedule
1/17 @ 6:00 PM - Orchestra Winter Concert
1/18 - Professional Work & Wellness Day: Schools Close 3 Hours Early /12:20 Dismissal
1/18 @ 8:00 - Read-A-Thon’s Cozy Reading Night - SNOW DATE
1/20 - End of 2nd Marking Period
1/20 - Ocean of Blue Day - Wear as much blue as you can to celebrate Kindness Month
1/23 - All HCPSS Schools Closed for Students: Professional Work Day
1/24 @ 6:00 - Orchestra Winter Concert - New SNOW DATE
1/26 - Restaurant Night at Honey Pig Hot Pot
1/26 @ 6:00 - Dunloggin Middle School Orientation
1/27 - Inside Out Day - Wear your clothes inside out!
1/27 - Conference Scheduling Opens for Elem. Families
1/31 - Report Cards Issued
2/1 - #JaguarPride: Celebrate our SJLES Pride - wear your Spirit Wear or school colors
2/8 - PTA Cultural Arts: GET C.R.U.N.K
2/8 @ 8:00 - PTA Meeting on Zoom
2/9 & 2/10 - 3 Hour Early Dismissal for elementary school parent/teacher conferences
REPEATED NEWS
HCPSS Recess Update
The Office of School Safety and Security and Risk Management, in collaboration with School Management and Instructional Leadership, reviewed county wide practices regarding school visits and it has been determined that parents are no longer able to attend recess. Parents can continue to eat lunch with their child(ren) if they complete the following:
Go to the HCPSS Web site to review information about the school system volunteer process.
Review the “Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Procedures Online Training” PowerPoint.
Sign the Certificate of Completion for the “Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Procedures Online Training” form and provide it to the school when signing in.
Review the "Confidentiality Training for Volunteers" PowerPoint
Sign the Confidentiality Agreement and provide it to the school when signing in.
Sign in at the front office using the Lobby Guard sign-in system (a valid photo I.D. must be provided).
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Preparing for Parent-Teacher Conferences
The HCPSS Family Engagement Committee has developed a Parent-Teacher Conference Tip Sheet (English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean) to support families in preparation for February conferences.
HCPSS Start Times Update
HCPSS Board of Education (BOE) is offering two opportunities to share your input on the 2023-2024 school start times decision, which will affect the entire school community. Click here to see the message that was shared via email on Tuesday 12/20. You are invited to share your feedback with the BOE at two public hearings, to be held January 17 and January 26. Pre-registration is required to speak at the hearings, or you may submit written testimony. Please see the BOE’s message for full details on the proposal and directions for submitting your feedback.
The Road to Kindergarten Information Sessions
The Road to Kindergarten information sessions for families of children who will begin kindergarten in fall 2023 will be held from 6:30-7:30 pm on the following dates:
Thursday, January 19 (Centennial High School)
Tuesday, January 24 (Wilde Lake High School)
Thursday, January 26 (Oakland Mills High School)
SNOW DATE: Thursday, February 2 (Oakland Mills High School)
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.