Greetings SJLES Families! We can feel the anticipation building and can’t wait to get this school year underway! Our teachers and staff are doing an outstanding job preparing for virtual learning and the return of our Jaguars. They are engaged in very thoughtful and thorough professional learning, coming together nicely as new teams, and preparing for our outreach efforts to ensure a smooth and connected start to the year.  Mrs. Redd and I are so very grateful for their dedication to our students and their craft. We hope to see you all at our Collection and Distribution Event tomorrow and at our Virtual Orientations on Friday. Details are below. We are looking forward to an OUTSTANDING start to our school year. As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me (dnotari@hcpss.org) or Mrs. Redd (alexcia_redd@hcpss.org) if we can be of any service to your family. 

Sincerely, 

Dan Notari

SJLES Principal

NEW NEWS

Student Materials Collection & Distribution TOMORROW!!!!

TOMORROW, Wednesday 9/2, is our Student Materials Collection and Distribution Day! We will distribute items including Chromebooks, instructional materials, class pictures, yearbooks, and students’ personal items that were left behind last school year. You can also return borrowed items such as SJLES media books, instruments, safety belts, and teacher classroom library books. 

SJLES families, please plan to visit SJLES to pick up instructional items your child will need throughout the semester including a Chromebook and instructional materials. All elementary students will be provided and are required to use an HCPSS Chromebook for instruction. If your student already has an HCPSS Chromebook from the 2019-2020 school year, you will only need to pick up instructional material and any student personal items. For information about the benefits of having a HCPSS Chromebook please click on the link below…

• https://help.hcpss.org/technology/chromebook-benefits/

We are closely monitoring the ever changing weather forecast. We are still planning on holding our Collection and Distribution event AS SCHEDULED! We will communicate any changes in plans via email and text tomorrow, if needed. Please stay tuned! 

We understand that not all family schedules will match with our designated windows, but please try to arrive during your designated time frame to assist us with traffic overflow onto St. John’s Lane. Families can choose to stop by during the additional window of 2:30-3:15 to pick up materials or simply arrive at a time that works best for you, if needed. The schedule is below...

• 9:00 - 9:45 - Last names that begin with A - C

• 9:45- 10:30 - Last names that begin with D - F

• 10:30 - 11:15 - Last names that begin with G - J

• 11:15 - 12:00 - Last names that begin with K - M

• 1:00 - 1:45 - Last names that begin with N - Q

• 1:45 - 2:30  - Last names that begin with R - Z

• 2:30 - 3:15 - Additional pickup window for all families A-Z 

• Rain Date is 9/3/2020 

9/2 Process & Procedures: 

• Items to be returned to SJLES must be placed in a plastic/shopping/grocery bag or box labeled with the student’s first and last name. 

  • Please note that the bag/box will not be returned. 

• Please place a paper with your students’ last name, last year’s grade level(s) and homeroom teacher(s) on the passenger side of your dashboard. 

  • New families please write students’ full name and “NEW GRADE #” on the paper. 

• Students and families should remain in their cars throughout this process.

• Staff, students, and family members must wear a mask while on school grounds and remain at least 6 feet apart at all times.

• Upon entering the bus loop entrance please…

  • follow the directions of staff as you enter the bus loop  

  • roll down your passenger window 

  • ensure the paper with names, former grade levels, and homeroom teachers is clearly visible

  • make space on your passenger seat for items

• At each zone, staff members will provide student belongings/collect school items. 

• Each vehicle will travel through an admin check, distribution zone and collection zone during this process as shown below…

Please email Mrs. Redd (alexcia_redd@hcpss.org) with any questions. 

PTA Meeting Reminder 9/2 @ 6:30

The first PTA meeting general meeting will be held on September 3rd in the parking lot of SJLES and will last approximately 30 minutes.  Please RSVP to sjlesptamail@gmail.com as soon as you can so that we can ensure we have enough attendees to vote on the board nominations and approve the 2020-2021 PTA budget. We must have a quorum to vote - please attend!  

We are also seeking to assign Committee chair roles (however these are not elected positions). The positions are open to ALL members of the SJLES community. No special experience required - just a willingness to pitch in. If you are interested in offering your time to the PTA please don’t hesitate to contact Carolyn Adams (Volunteer Coordinator) at sjlesptavolunteer@gmail.com.

PTA Board Positions

1. PRESIDENT - Proposed candidate: Diana Choi

2. FIRST VICE PRESIDENT (PROGRAMS) - Proposed candidate: Shilpa Vadarev

3. SECOND VICE PRESIDENT (FUNDRAISING) - Proposed candidate: Tara Scully

4. TREASURER - Proposed candidate: Kathy Etheridge

5. RECORDING SECRETARY - Proposed candidate:  Kate Kreyling

6. CORRESPONDING SECRETARY - Proposed candidate: Carolyn Adams

7. COUNCIL DELEGATE - Proposed candidate: Ward Morrow

8. COUNCIL DELEGATE - Proposed candidate: John Nichols

Open Committee Chair Positions (in order of priority / urgency) - see LINK for more details

• Staff Appreciation Coordinator

• Book Fair Coordination (To be held virtually in October)

• Silent Auction Coordinator

• Turkey Trot Coordinator (Tentative - November - We are hoping to find a way to run this program subject to COVID-19 restrictions)

• Bingo Night Coordinator (Tentative - December - We are hoping to find a way to run this program subject to COVID-19 restrictions)

• Field Day Lunch for volunteers (Tentative - Spring 2021)

• Field Day T-shirts Coordinator (Tentative - Spring 2021)

• Friday Folders Coordinator (Tentative - Spring 2021)

• Ice Cream Social (Tentative - Spring 2021)

• Interior Campus Enhancements (Tentative - Spring 2021)

• Jaguar Jamboree (Tentative - Spring 2021)

• May Day (Tentative - Spring 2021)

• Science Fair (Tentative - Spring 2021)

SJLES Virtual Orientations - 9/4/2020 

Our SJLES Virtual Orientations will take place on Friday, September 4th. Our Virtual Orientations will provide our students and families information about the school year and their new grade level and most importantly an opportunity to meet their new teacher. Homeroom teachers will personally email each student and family on Thursday, September 3rd a welcome email that includes a code to our Virtual Orientations on Friday, September 4th. Our orientation schedule is below and posted on our SJLES Public Calendar which can be found on our SJLES website.  

• 8:30 - 9:30 5th Grade

• 9:30 - 10:30 4th Grade

• 10:30 - 11:30 3rd Grade

• 11:30 - 12:30 2nd Grade

• 12:30 - 1:30 1st Grade 

• 1:30 - 2:30 Kindergarten

• 2:45 - 3:45 New Family Welcome with Administration & School Leaders

Free Vaccine Clinics

Free vaccine clinics to be held at several HCPSS school locations during the week of September 21 from 4–6pm.

•      September 21, 4–6pm Howard HS Hollifield Station ES 

•      September 22, 4–6pm Oakland Mills MS Longfellow ES 

•      September 23, 4–6pm Cradlerock ES Bushy Park ES 

•      September 24, 4–6pm Deep Run ES Ducketts Lane ES

•      September 25, 4–6pm Howard HS Laurel Woods ES

Parents/guardians may make appointments at any of these locations; whichever is most convenient for them. Multiple vaccines, many of which are required for school entry, will be offered. These vaccines will be provided at no cost. Upon registration, parents will be able to choose which vaccines their child needs.

Clinics will be held outdoors, and will utilize a virtual queue program so families can wait in their cars or away from the clinic. Families are encouraged to wear a face mask or other face covering. Families can check md.myir.net to see which vaccines your child has already had, or contact your school nurse at florence_hanssen@hcpss.org to determine what is needed. Pre-registration online (due to Covid-19, we will be paperless at these clinics) is required; go to www.vaccineconsent.com Registration is open from August 25-September 9.

K-5 Student Schedules

Please click on the link below to access your child’s grade-level specific daily schedule.

• HCPSS K-5 Student Schedules 

• Student schedules have also been posted and are available for viewing on the HCPSS website. 

PLEASE view the Canvas Student Orientation Video

Canvas orientation videos, along with student and family guides, are now available for you to explore as we prepare for the 2020-2021 school year. Please take some time to review prior to September 8th. There are 2 parts to the video. Part 1 reviews the global navigation settings and Part 2 reviews the course structure. Translations of the videos will be available soon. Please ensure that your student is logged in with his/her login credentials and visit https://hcpss.instructure.com/courses/9495.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

Please visit our SJLES Public Calendar. 

• 9/1 - Student schedules will be available for viewing in Synergy

• 9/2 - SJLES Collection & Distribution of Student Materials 

• 9:00 - 9:45 - Last names that begin with A - C

• 9:45- 10:30 - Last names that begin with D - F

• 10:30 - 11:15 - Last names that begin with G - J

• 11:15 - 12:00 - Last names that begin with K - M

• 1:00 - 1:45 - Last names that begin with N - Q

• 1:45 - 2:30  - Last names that begin with R - Z

• 2:30 - 3:15 - Additional pickup window for all families A-Z 

• 9/3 - SJLES Collection & Distribution of Student Materials Rain Date 

• 9/3 - Welcome email from Homeroom Teachers with orientation code

• 9/3 @ 6:30 - PTA Meeting  

• 9/4 - Student & Family Orientations

  • 8:30-9:30 5th Grade

  • 9:30-10:30 4th Grade

  • 10:30-11:30 3rd Grade

  • 11:30-12:30 2nd Grade

  • 12:30-1:30 1st Grade 

  • 1:30-2:30 Kindergarten

  • 2:45-3:45 New Family Welcome with Administration & School Leaders

• 9/5 -  All parents/guardians can log in to HCPSS Connect to view teachers & schedules 

• 9/7 - Labor Day

• 9/8 - First Day of Elementary School for Students

• 9/9-9/18 - Homeroom Teachers Calls of Care to Families  

• 9/22 @ 6:30 - K-2 Virtual Back to School Night 

• 9/23 @ 6:30 - 3-5 Virtual Back to School Night 

• 9/24 @ 6:30 - Gifted & Talented Virtual Back to School Night 

• 9/30 @ 6:30 - Virtual Coffee & Conversation With Administration 

REPEATED NEWS 

Student Schedules, Building Relationships, & Ensuring a Smooth Start!  

Listed below are important dates throughout the month of September which outline how we are planning to share teacher and schedule information, ensure a smooth start, and build connections with our students and community.

• 9/1 - Student schedules will be available for viewing in Synergy

• 9/3 - Homeroom teachers will send welcome emails to students and families with Virtual Orientations 

• 9/3 @ 6:30 - PTA Meeting in SJLES Parking Lot 

• 9/4 - Virtual Orientations and New Student & Family Welcome 

• 9/5 -  Parents/guardians can log in to HCPSS Connect to view teachers & schedules 

• 9/8 - First Day of School 

• 9/9-9/18 - Homeroom Teacher Calls of Care to Families  

  • Calls of Care will serve as an opportunity for teachers to share celebrations and check-in with our families to determine how we can best be of service to each individual family. 

  • For privacy reasons, Calls of Care will likely come from an unknown/blocked number. 

• 9/22-9/24 - Back to School Nights

• 9/30 @ 6:30 - Virtual Coffee & Conversation With Administration 

FAMILY FILE REMINDER! 

Families, as of today, we are up to 66% of SJLES Family Files marked as complete! Keep up the good work! HCPSS utilizes Family File for parents/guardians to complete emergency information. Your Family File must be completed and updated in order for you to access the names of your child’s teachers prior to the start of the school year. Regardless of virtual or in-person learning, parents/guardians must verify and/or update information for each child. Parents/guardians can complete Family File by logging in to HCPSS Connect selecting the More Options tab on the left and then selecting Family File in the center column.

Once logged in, parents/guardians will be asked to update or provide the following information:

• Student Information

• Parent/Guardian Contact

• Emergency Contacts

• Medical Information

• Arrival/Dismissal Procedures (for when in-person classes/supports resume)

• Photo Approval

• Data Confidentiality

• PTA/PTSA Directory

Changes of address may not be made through Family File. If you have recently moved, please contact Mrs. Wolfrey at robin_wolfrey@hcpss.org as soon as possible.

Resources on how to access Family File may be found online, including instructions on how to reset passwords. If you need additional assistance, please complete this Connect Help Form.

Get Ready for 2020-2021!

The first day of school is fast approaching. Complete details on the school year, including information on Google Meet expectations, attendance and more can be found online. Visit our SJLES or HCPSS website for what you need to know to prepare for the 2020-2021 school year.

Band & Orchestra Introduction

Hi Jaguars! My name is Ms. Kalivretenos and I am the band and orchestra teacher at St. John’s Lane. I can’t wait to welcome back all of our returning students and meet our new band and orchestra students! Students in 4th and 5th grade can join the band or orchestra, and students in 3rd grade can join the orchestra. We are going to have an exciting year making music and learning our instruments. I hope you’ll join us! Registration forms and more information will be coming to you soon

Staffing Updates & Assignments 

Each year brings changes to staffing and assignments. This year, our changes are a result of decreased enrollment and therefore staffing due to redistricting, retirements, and former staff members transferring to new assignments and opportunities. Please visit our website at https://sjles.hcpss.org/school-staff to access our 2020-2021 SJLES staff roster. 

Updated Supply List

The Howard County School System has created the attached school supply list, taking into account family budgets, as well as student needs during virtual learning. This list has been distributed to all elementary schools, and the number of items have been reduced. Please click on the link below...

• HCPSS Elementary Supply List 2020-02021.pdf

Applying for Free & Reduced Meals for Children

The Coronavirus pandemic is causing hardship for many of our friends and neighbors. Many HCPSS families have been impacted financially by the pandemic, and may be eligible now to receive benefits through the Free and Reduced Price Meals (FARMs) program. Qualifying families can take advantage of a wide range of additional resources and discounts, including testing fees, tuition, internet and more. Click here to learn more or to apply.  

Jaguar Summer Stories 

Thanks to all of our SJLES staff members who shared weekly read alouds with our Jaguars throughout our summer break. We have two additional Jaguar Summer Stories to share with you this week from Mrs. Munson and our new Media & Technology Teacher Mrs. Pauller.  Please check out each of our Jaguar Summer Stories by visiting our website at sjles.hcpss.org 

• Mrs. Pauller Jaguar Summer Story: A Frog in the Bog

• Mrs. Munson Jaguar Summer Story: My New Friend is So Fun

Technology Accounts for New Students

Families with students new to HCPSS and whose registration has been finalized will receive an email from noreply@hcpss.org with the subject “Technology account information for new HCPSS student.” The email will be sent to the email address used during the student registration process. The email contains personalized and important information regarding new students’ technology accounts. If you have a child new to HCPSS and do not receive the email and/or cannot locate the email in the junk/spam folder of the email account you used during registration, you can use the Forgot Password or Username button on the hcpss.me student landing page to retrieve both your child’s username and password. Directions for Account Self Service are posted online.