Greetings SJLES Families,

Happy Friday, everyone! The Howard Community College Children’s Theater is visiting SJLES today performing Miss Electricity. Our primary students absolutely loved the show this morning and served as an outstanding audience for the performers. I was so proud of them! We just Tweeted a few photos @hcpss_sjles from this morning’s show if you would like to check them out. The theater group will perform once again for our intermediate students this afternoon. 

I wanted to remind our community about the PTA’s First Annual Trunk of Treat that is scheduled for tomorrow at 3:00 here at SJLES. Please see the details below in the NEW NEWS section. I know many of our students are excited about this event based upon what I am hearing today. Thank you, PTA!

Families, we appreciate your support in ensuring our students come dressed for school on Monday as they would for any other day of learning. We encourage our students and families celebrating Halloween to attend our PTA Trunk Or Treat and hope our Jaguar Trick-or-Treaters safely enjoy Trick or Treating Monday Night. Thank you for your cooperation!

There are several important news items below. Thanks, as always, for taking the time to read through our Update. We all here at The Lane hope you all have a great weekend!

Sincerely, 

Dan Notari

SJLES Principal

NEW NEWS

PTA Trunk or Treat Reminder

SJLES PTA announces our FREE Trunk-or-Treat coming up on Saturday, October 29! Come in costume if you’d like, and enjoy festively decorated cars and lots of treats! This event is FREE but your RSVP is requested to help us prepare. Here’s how you can get involved…

• Candy needed! Check out the Amazon wish list to donate a bag of treats! Candy and allergy-safe options are both included. When checking out, be sure to select the registry for Vanessa Zawodny. Your donation will be sent directly to SJLES PTA.

• Please RSVP here! Not required, but it will help us plan for your ghosts and goblins. Suggested RSVP by 10/25.

November Parent/Teacher Conferences

November 21st, 22nd, and 23rd are the designated dates for our first round of Parent Teacher Conferences.  We will be holding 15 minute conferences scheduled within 20 minute blocks to allow for transitions and teacher preparation. Parent Teacher Conferences are a terrific opportunity for staff and parents to partner together for each child’s success.  

First quarter conferences can be scheduled with your child’s ELA teacher.  Families of fourth grade GT Math students can sign up for a conference with Mrs. Cintron or Mrs. Miles, as well. Families wishing to conference with any of our related arts teachers can email the teacher(s) directly. Please click here to access our SJLES staff roster with email contacts.

Please be aware of  the in-person and virtual nights for conferences this quarter:  

• Monday, 11/21 - All Conferences In-Person at SJLES 

• Tuesday, 11/22 - All Conferences Virtual - link will be sent

• Wednesday, 11/23  - All Conferences Virtual - link will be sent

Please understand that teachers create their schedules within a framework and have some flexibility in building their conference schedules. Not all teacher conference schedules will look alike.  

If your conference is virtual, the google link code will be sent to you with your confirmation email.  Your child’s ELA teacher will be sending out specifics about this google link as well.  

To begin the conference, once you enter the google code or link, you will be put in a “holding space” until the teacher admits you.  Because many conferences will be back-to-back, please only log on one minute before your designated time. If you have technology challenges, 

check email as your child’s teacher will reach out to you that way or call our Front Office.

Beginning Monday, 11/7 at 8:00am, you can log into HCPSS Connect  to view and select from the time slots provided by the teacher for the conference.  Step-by-step directions are below.  If you do not have access to HCPSS Connect, please call the school for assistance at 410-313-2813.

Directions to Select a Conference Time:

• Login to hcpss.org/connect

• Select Conference from the left-side choices

• Select Parent Scheduled Conferences at the top right

• Select a time slot for your conference.

You will have access through Thursday, 11/17  at 4:00pm to schedule your child’s conference by logging into HCPSS Connect. 

American Education Week: 11/14-11/18

American Education Week presents an excellent opportunity to celebrate public education and honor the outstanding individuals who are making a difference in ensuring that every Jaguar receives a quality education here at SJLES. We look forward to opening our schoolhouse doors to our parents and guardians during this year’s American Education Week which begins on Monday, 11/14. Families are welcome to visit throughout the week, however we are encouraging our families to visit SJLES on the following days…

• Primary Grades (K-2): Monday, 11/14

• Intermediate Grades (3-5): Friday, 11/18

Grade level teams will share additional information regarding their schedules as the visitation day approaches. 

Due to school security, student confidentiality, and space, we ask our parents/guardians to follow these guidelines:

• Only parents/guardians are allowed to visit. 

• All parents/guardians sign in at the front office with Lobby Guard. 

  • Visitors must bring a scannable driver’s license to access Lobby Guard.

  • Visitor stickers are worn in a visible location at all times. 

• Be mindful of confidentiality while visiting. Visitors are responsible for maintaining confidentiality of all private, sensitive, and personally identifiable information they may see or hear while visiting HCPSS schools.  Please click here for more information.

• No photos/videos please. 

• Please silence your phone throughout your visit. 

• If you are joining for lunch, please understand that there may not be space for all parents to sit for our grades with larger numbers of students. Please ensure that all students have a place to sit to eat. 

Parking Reminders:

• Parking will be limited, so please consider carpooling or alternative parking options!!!

• No cars can be parked in the bus loop from 8:20 - 8:50 AM.

• All cars must leave the bus loop no later than 2:45 PM.

• Please do not park in the fire lane at any time.

• Parking available in the overflow lot (grass lot).

Accessing Your Child’s MAP Scores

Students in grades 1-5 took the MAP assessment in Reading and Math this month. Parents can access their child’s MAP scores and reports by following the instructions linked here. If you have trouble accessing MAP results, please contact your child’s homeroom teacher. Student progress reports in PDF are not yet available. We will update families when they become available. 

Inclement Weather Asynchronous Day 

Last week, Dr. Martirano shared information regarding the  HCPSS Inclement Weather Asynchronous Day plan. Elementary students will be provided with a chart of task choices to complete for these designated days. These charts can be accessed electronically to view or print on hcpss.org.

If you need a hard copy of this monthly task chart to be sent home with your child, please indicate so on the survey that homeroom teachers will be sharing with families. By filling out this form, your child will receive a hard copy of all subject areas. 

MARK YOUR CALENDAR 

• Click here to access/subscribe to our SJLES Public Calendar 

• Click here to access/subscribe to the updated HCPSS Calendar

• Click here to access the HCPSS Related Arts Color Day Schedule

• 10/28 - Celebrate our SJLES Pride and wear your Spirit Wear or school colors 

• 10/28 - Cultural Arts Assemblies: HCC Miss Electricity

• 10/29 @ 3:00 - PTA Trunk or Treat

• 10/30 @ 3:00 - PTA Trunk or Treat RAIN DATE

• 10/31 - 11/4 - PBIS Quarterly Celebrations & Jaguar Huddles

• 11/1 - Deadline for Original Works orders to come back to school 

• 11/2 - End of 1st Marking Period

• 11/2 -  Schools Close 3 Hours Early / SJLES Dismisses at 12:20

• 11/4 - When I Grow Up Day: Dress up as an occupation you would like to be when you grow up

• 11/6 - Daylight Saving Time ends

• 11/8 - Election Day / HCPSS Schools & Offices Closed

• 11/9  @ 8:00 PM - Virtual PTA Meeting

• 11/11 - Report Cards Issued

• 11/11 - Students can bring in a stuffed animal that fits in your backpack

• 11/13 @ 10:00  - PTA Turkey Trot at Mount Hebron HS

• 11/14 - 11/18 - American Education Week

• 11/14 - Primary Grades (K-2) Parent Visitation Day 

• 11/18 - Intermediate Grades (3-5) Parent Visitation Day

• 11/18 - Celebrate our SJLES Pride and wear your Spirit Wear or school colors

• 11/21 - Parent Teacher Conferences / Schools Close 3 Hours Early

• 11/22 - Parent Teacher Conferences / Schools Close 3 Hours Early

• 11/23  - Parent Teacher Conferences / Schools Closed for Students

• 11/24 & 11/25 - HCPSS Schools & Offices Closed

• 11/30 - Grade 3 Field Trip to MD Science Center 

• 12/2 - Wacky Sock Day: Wear your funkiest pair of socks!

• 12/9 - Celebrate our SJLES Pride and wear your Spirit Wear or school colors

• 12/12 @ 6:00 PM - Council of Elders Celebration

• 12/13 @ 7:00 PM - Band Winter Concert

• 12/14 - Professional Work and Wellness Day: Schools Close 3 Hours Early

  • SJLES Dismissal Begins at 12:20

• 12/14 @ 8:00 PM - Virtual PTA Meeting

• 12/15 @ 7:00 PM - Band Winter Concert (Snow Date)

• 12/16 - Sweater Day: Wear your ugliest, most interesting, or favorite sweater

• 12/23 PJ Day: Wear your favorite PJs to celebrate our final day before winter break

• 12/23 - PTA Cultural Arts: Prismatic Magic Laser Light Show 

• 12/24 - 1/2 - Winter Break

REPEATED NEWS 

The Kids Helping Kids Food Drive Starts 

SJLES is once again participating in the Kids Helping Kids Food Drive to benefit the Maryland Food Bank. All of our donations will go directly to people in need right here in Howard County. 

From Tuesday, 10/25 thru Monday, 11/7 students are invited to bring in nonperishable food items to donate. Items such as Boxed cereals, pastas and crackers, jars of jelly and juice, cans of fruit, vegetables and soups can all be donated among other things. Students will place the items in their classrooms, where they will be collected and counted by 5th grade volunteers. The CLASS in each grade with the highest amount donated will win the GOLDEN TURKEY AWARD. The TOP Class in the entire school will win EXTRA RECESS!

Thank you for working with us to build a sense of philanthropy in our students, while supporting our local community.

HCPSS Attendance Overview 

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 school year 2022 -2023, 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.

Young Authors' Contest 2022-2023

The YAC for 2022-23 is underway. All students grades 1-5 may submit 1 poem and/or story.  All information and cover sheets for submissions will be posted on the grade level Canvas page once teachers have shared the information with students. All entries are due to Mrs. Taylor, elizabeth_taylor@hcpss.org by Dec. 2, 2022. Entries must be in 12 point Times Roman font and saved as a WORD document.  No names should be on the poem or story, only on the cover sheet. No late entries will be accepted.

• Young Authors Contest Announcement 

• Young Authors Contest Cover Sheet  

Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary School Poster Contest!

You’re invited to participate in the annual MLK Elementary School Poster Contest. This year’s theme is “Promoting Peace: Within Yourself, Your Community and the World.” Although Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. left us too soon, his powerful legacy and universal message of peace lives on today. See the image below for information on contest participation requirements. All poster submissions are due by October 31, 2022. Please let Natalie Blake know if you have any questions! Natalie_Blake@hcpss.org

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.