Greetings SJLES Families,
It has been a great week here at The Lane hosting parents and guardians for American Education Week! We look forward to welcoming our 3rd - 5th grade families tomorrow and look forward to conferencing with all our families next week. If you haven’t signed up for a conference, please see the info below in our NEW NEWS section. Parents have access through TODAY at 4:00pm to schedule a conference by logging into HCPSS Connect.
The HCPSS Family Engagement Committee has developed a Parent-Teacher Conference Tip Sheet to support families preparing for conferences. We hope you find this document useful.
Ms. Coleman and I are putting forward one final plea to our families to complete our SJLES Quarter 1 Family Feedback Survey. A most sincere thank you to the 36 families who have provided responses thus far! We hope to get at least 50 families input by the end of the week, but need your help. Please consider providing us your insights to our service thus far and how we can calibrate our approach going forward this school year to be as awesome as we can for our Jaguars and our community. Ms. Coleman, our entire staff, and I truly appreciate your partnership, collaboration, and on-going support. Keep up the good work SJLES families!
Sincerely,
Dan Notari
SJLES Principal
NEW NEWS
Last Call! SJLES Q1 Family Feedback Survey - 36 Responses thus far!
With the first quarter now behind us, we find ourselves at a perfect time to seek additional input, reflect upon our work and service thus far, and calibrate our approach going forward.
Families, your insights and voice are critical to our work. By completing our SJLES Quarter 1 Family Feedback Survey and providing ANONYMOUS feedback you will allow us to make more informed decisions going forward this school year on behalf of our 643 Jaguars and our community. We will share the survey themes with our staff and PTA. Please know that at any time throughout the school year you can email me at dnotari@hcpss.org and/or Ms. Coleman at erin_coleman@hcpss.org with any feedback, questions, or ideas. As always, we thank you for your time, insights, support, collaboration, and partnership!
Upcoming HCPSS Calendar Reminders
Monday, 11/21-Tuesday, 11/22: Schools dismiss 3 hours early
Wednesday, 11/23: Schools closed for students
Thursday, 11/24-Friday, 11/25: Schools and offices closed
FINAL DAY to Schedule Your Parent/Teacher Conferences!
PLEASE NOTE: Parents will have access through Thursday, 11/17 at 4:00pm to schedule your child’s conference by logging into HCPSS Connect!
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.
Families can now 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.
Winter Outdoor Eating Opportunities
As the temperatures drop, we’d like to take a moment to review outdoor eating guidelines during the winter months. All schools must offer outdoor eating opportunities throughout the school year. We follow HCPSS guidelines for outdoor recess and PE when making determinations whether or not to hold outdoor lunch due to temperatures. The main guiding language we use to determine if it is too hot or too cold for outdoor lunch is:
Generally, it is assumed that students will be outside for recess, outdoor eating, physical education, or any other outdoor activity when the temperature combined with the wind chill is not less than 20 degrees Fahrenheit or the heat index reading is less than 95.
Mr. Notari and Ms. Coleman check the weather forecast each morning and throughout the day when considering whether or not outdoor lunch will be provided. Any student may eat inside at any time. If it is their class rotation day to eat outside, they may stay inside if they feel it is too cold. If they are on the daily outdoor list, they may still stay inside if they feel it is too cold.
Please contact Erin Coleman at erin_coleman@hcpss.org with questions regarding outdoor lunch this winter.
Hour of Code
SJLES would like to announce our participation in Hour of Code, December 5-11, during Computer Science Education Week. We live in a world surrounded by technology, and we know that whatever field our students choose to go into as adults, their ability to succeed will increasingly hinge on understanding how technology works. Computing makes up two-thirds of the projected new jobs in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). Our participation in The Hour of Code is a statement that St. John’s Lane is ready to teach these foundational 21st century skills. We encourage you to visit Code.org for more information and activities.
For more information feel free to contact Ms. Kennedy or Ms. Jean-Louis – shannon_kennedy@hcpss.org or esther_jean-louis@hcpss.org.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Click here to access/subscribe to the updated HCPSS Calendar
Click here to access the HCPSS Related Arts Color Day Schedule
11/14 - 11/18 - American Education Week
11/17 - Fall Picture Retakes & Makeups
11/17 - Final Day to Schedule Parent Teacher Conferences
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 - In-PersonParent Teacher Conferences / Schools Close 3 Hours Early
11/22 - Virtual Parent Teacher Conferences / Schools Close 3 Hours Early
11/23 - 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
Report Cards Accessible in Synergy
To learn how to access download and print your child’s Quarter 1 report card, please click here and follow the directions:
To better understand your child’s report card, please click here
Spanish, Chinese, and Korean translations of the HCPSS elementary report card are available on this page.
HCPSS Family & Community Resource Pages
Our SJLES families are often looking for ways to learn more about our HCPSS curriculum and for additional resources to support their Jaguar at home. A great starting point is our HCPSS Family & Community Resource Pages. We wanted to once again uplift these pages to our families interested in digging deeper into the scope and sequence of the curriculum, looking for resources to support your child at home, and/or seeking pedagogical approaches to support how your child is engaging with standards throughout the school day via the parent video libraries.
We hope you find the information and resources helpful. Please click on the goldenrod-colored tab on the top right corner to each page to learn more about each grade level content area. Links to each K-5 page are below…
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 have shared additional information regarding their schedules and Spotlight activities. Please click here to access our SJLES Master Schedule.
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).
Emergency Closure Procedures in Family File
At the start of each school year, families must complete a Family File for each child. HCPSS utilizes Family File for parents/guardians to complete important information including procedures families want us to follow in the event of an unscheduled early closing. These unscheduled early closings typically occur during the winter weather months that are approaching. Now is the perfect time to ensure that the procedures you entered in August are still current as these are the procedures we will follow during an unscheduled early closing.
Parents/guardians can verify and/or update information for each child by logging in to HCPSS Connect PARENT ACCOUNT and selecting the MORE OPTIONS tab on the left and then clicking on Family File. Once in the Family File please review Arrival/Departure Information where you will find your instructions for your child’s method of transportation for arrival, departure, and early closing. Families must pick one method for each situation. Please contact our front office at 410-313-2813 with any questions.
Helpful Family File Resources
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.