Michelle Leader - Principal

Jaime Gittleson - Assistant Principal

Website: cces.hcpss.org
Location: 10320 Quarterstaff Road, Columbia, MD, USA
Phone: (410) 313-6866
Facebook: facebook.com/ClemensCrossingElementary
Twitter: @hcpss_cces

For another language, click "Translate Newsletter" tab and select the language of choice in the upper right-hand corner.

Spanish

Para otros idiomas, haga clic en Traducir Newsletter y elija el idioma que prefiera.

Korean

다른 언어의 경우 뉴스 레터 번역을 클릭하고 원하는 언어를 선택합니다.

Chinese

对于其他语言，请单击翻译新闻通讯，然后选择所需的语言。

Urdu

دوسری زبانوں کے لئے ، نیوزلیٹر کا ترجمہ کریں پر کلک کریں اور اپنی پسند کی زبان کا انتخاب کریں۔

For a complete list of dates and events visit cces.hcpss.org/calendar.

September

• 4 - Labor Day - Schools and Offices closed
• 5 - Back-to-School Night for Kindergarten, First Grade, and Second Grade at 6:30 p.m.
• 8 - PTA Welcome Back Family Picnic, 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.
• 13 - PTA Kick-Off Meeting, 6:30 p.m. social and 7:00 meeting
• 15 - National Hispanic-Latino Heritage Month begins
• 15 - Rosh Hashanah - Schools and Offices Closed
• 20 - K-2 Report Card Night, 6:30 p.m.
• 21 - Fall Individual Picture Day
• 23 - Atholton HS Homecoming
• 25 - Yom Kippur - Schools and Offices closed

October

• 3 - Parent University, 6:15 - 8:00 p.m.
• 9 - Schools Closed for Students, Professional Learning Day
• 10 - Parent University, 6:15 - 8:00 p.m.
• 11 - PTA Meeting, 7:00 p.m.
• 17 - Parent University, 6:15 - 8:00 p.m.
• 20 - Schools Closed for Students
• 24 - Parent University, 6:15 - 8:00 p.m.
• 27 - PTA Fall Festival, 5:00 p.m.
• 31 - End of Q1, 3hr Early Dismissal at 12:45 p.m.

To subscribe to the CCES calendar on your smartphone, electronic device, or email system use the calendar ID sqspkjkbr6v6arss44js3n21eg@group.calendar.google.com.

There will be no printed 2023-2024 calendars. Staff, students, and families may add our online calendar to their own mobile/online calendar by

1. Going to https://www.hcpss.org/calendar/
2. Scrolling down to Subscribing to a Calendar
3. Right-clicking on the calendar you wish to subscribe to
4. Selecting Copy Link Location/Address/Shortcut
5. Adding to your calendar of choice (See your calendar for specifics on adding a new calendar)

You also may view and/or download printable PDFs of the full calendar and/or important dates only. Updates to the PDFs will be noted on the HCPSS calendar page.

PLEASE NOTE! The calendar is subject to change. The online calendar reflects the most recent version.

Calendars in Spanish, Chinese, and Korean

Calendario en español

西班牙语日历

스페인어로 된 달력

Related Arts and the Color Calendar Schedule

Students participate in Related Arts daily for one hour. There are five related arts classes: Art, Media, Music, Physical Education, and Technology. The rotating schedule is called the Related Arts Color Calendar. We rotate days using the color calendar because there are a disproportional number of days off on Mondays and Fridays. This used to mean students would have up to 6 fewer Monday or Friday related arts versus the other classes and days of the week. Your child's teacher will share their specific color calendar schedule with you and your child. You can refer to the color calendar below. It is very important to make sure your child dresses appropriately for the classes he/she has for related arts, especially for physical education.

If your 3rd, 4th or 5th grader is interested in Band or Orchestra, please see the information slideshow below. Then, register at the link below by September 13th. Thank you!

Information Slideshow: https://bit.ly/cces-instrumental-info

Registration Link: http://bit.ly/musicregistration23

Columbia Association (CA), in partnership with CCES, is offering students the opportunity to participate in the CA Points Program, which awards CA memberships to income-eligible students who excel in the classroom. Earned memberships are awarded to the student and all members of their immediate family.

The CA Points Program is available for students in grades 3 - 5 who are enrolled in the Free and Reduced Meals program.

After a student is enrolled in the CA Points Program, the student earns points by scoring well on assignments, improving their grades and having good attendance. The better they do in school, the closer they get to a one-year CA membership for their immediate family.

Please enroll your student online via CA’s website. The registration form will close September 30, 2023. For more information about the CA Points Program, contact our School Counselor, Ann Rogers, at ann_rogers@hcpss.org.

We are fortunate to be part of a dynamic community, and we strive for inclusive excellence every day. When you visit Clemens Crossing, you will see this Inclusive Excellence graphic. It is a reminder that we honor and value diversity, equity, and inclusion. We also constantly evaluate how we take steps against bias. Together, we will all build a world-class educational community for our students.

The current HCPSS device deployment implementation plan is:

This year, students will be sharing devices in kindergarten through fifth grade.

If your child had an assigned Chromebook to use during a HCPSS summer program, please return the Chromebook and charger to Mrs. Gelinas, Instructional Technology Teacher, at Open House or the first day of school.

With 500 students at Clemens Crossing Elementary, it is important to be patient during arrival and dismissal. The carefully planned logistics of arrival and dismissal help us keep our students, staff, parents, and visitors safe. If you are in a non-transportation zone (walker or car rider) it is extremely important to familiarize yourself with our routines for arrival and dismissal.

As adults, we must follow predictable patterns and routines, because children can be unpredictable. Parking in a wrong or illegal place creates unpredictable situations, and those types of situations can put students at risk during arrival and dismissal.

Arrival and dismissal safety is everyone's responsibility. Please review the map below and listen to our staff members who are outside to assist your children when they enter and leave school daily.

NOTE: Please follow the posted signs along Quarterstaff Road. Traffic engineers studied the road and placed signs to help maximize sight lines for drivers. This helps to reduce risks and provide a safe crossing of Quarterstaff Road for walkers who live on the other side of the road.

Do not park along Quarterstaff Road where signs state "No Parking or Standing." Howard County Police will ticket drivers who park or drop-off/pick-up students where no parking signs are posted.

Car Riders - All car riders are dismissed on the parking lot side of the building.
Car riders are expected to be dropped off and picked up in the car loop (school parking lot). We do not allow students to cross the bus parking lot and load into their car along Quarterstaff Road. Please do not tell your children to meet you along Quarterstaff Road.

• During arrival and dismissal, we expect car traffic to enter the car loop from the Martin Road side of Quarterstaff Road (right turn only into the parking lot). Exiting the car loop is a right turn only as well. Please plan your trip accordingly (see information below). Left-hand turns into the car loop are not permitted during arrival and dismissal. Left-hand turning traffic creates back-ups in addition to making it difficult to see blind spots.
• It is suggested that you enter Quarterstaff Road from Martin Road.
• If you do park legally along Quarterstaff Road, your child is considered a walker and will be dismissed with walkers.

Walkers - Walkers who cross Quarterstaff Road must cross the street with the crossing guard.
Please never cross Quarterstaff Road near the car rider traffic. It is unsafe!

It is everyone’s responsibility to be safe during arrivals and dismissals.

Below, you will find a helpful graphic for arrival and dismissal.

We highly encourage you to send your child to school by bus if you are in the transportation zone. Utilizing the bus helps reduce the number of cars in our car loop. Bus routes are available using the following link https://www.hcpss.org/schools/transportation/.

Once you click the link above, click the Bus Stop Locator link, and then enter your child/children’s grade, and your home address. The bus number, bus stop location, and pick-up/drop-off time will be listed.

Students who receive specialized transportation through their IEPs will be contacted by their bus driver with bus numbers and pick-up/drop-off times.

For all bus riders, please plan to arrive at the bus stop 10-15 minutes early during the first two weeks of school, to allow the bus the flexibility needed to pick up and drop off all students.

Starting the first day of school, we highly recommend that your child follow his/her normal routine. This is particularly important on the first day because we want to ensure that they arrive home safely. All students will receive a tag at our Open House or on the first day of school that will indicate how they go home. Please help us by having your child keep this on his/her backpack throughout the year. It is a way for us to double check their afternoon dismissal routine.

The car loop procedures above help facilitate a smooth arrival and dismissal each day. Again this year, we will identify cars with

Car Loop Visor Name Tags as shown here.

If your child is a regular car rider, please make sure you have a visor sign. Use a permanent marker to write your child’s last name in the orange section and the grade in the white section. When not in use the sign can be moved to the inside of the closed visor. For families with more than one student, please write all grade levels on the sign. Feel free to pick up the visor at Open House or in the car loop on the first day of school.

Please pay attention to the signage along Quaryterstaff Road. Parking is only permitted past the crossing guard in front of the school. This is NOT a drop-off location.

The only drop-off location is through the car loop. Never drop off your child along Quarterstaff Road. This is extremely dangerous.

If you choose to park legally along Quarterstaff Road, you must walk your child to the front doors of the school in the morning and meet him or her at the front doors in the afternoon. Your child will be dismissed as a walker in the afternoon.

There is only one location to cross Quarterstaff Road during arrival and dismissal. Always cross Quarterstaff Road at the crosswalk under the guidance of our crossing guard.

New for the 2023-2024 school year, HCPSS no longer will use Nutrislice for school menus or MySchoolBucks for payment. Instead, we have a new parent site for all things food and nutrition. LINQ Connect is a secure, online portal that allows families to make online payments to their child’s meal account, monitor their child’s account, schedule automatic recurring payments, set up low balance alerts, submit a Free and Reduced Meals program application, and more.

Please note: MySchoolBucks meal balances were automatically transferred to LINQ Connect. If your child had a balance at the end of the 2022-2023 school year, when you add your child to your profile, that meal balance will be displayed. To request a refund of meal balances at any time, complete this brief online form.

For the 2023-2024 school year, students whose families do not qualify for free or reduced lunch will be required to pay the daily meal price.

• Breakfast - $2.00
• Lunch - $2.80

The HCPSS participates in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs. Students from households that meet federal income guidelines are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals. Qualification is based on family size and income, and enrollment is confidential. All children in households receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can get free meals regardless of income, and students from households that meet federal income guidelines are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals. Those eligible for Free and Reduced Meals receive both breakfast and lunch for free.

Parents/guardians must submit a new application every school year to maintain their student’s eligibility. Click the button below to apply.

The Family Guide - The ABCs of CCES is a lengthy document that provides information about our school. Click below to download the CCES Family Guide. The guide is also located on the main page of the CCES website.

The Student & Parent Handbook can be found online and outlines districtwide practices and policies related to parents and students, including the Student Code of Conduct, school procedures, student responsibilities and more.

Do you want to get a head start on the school year? We encourage all parents/guardians to visit the link below to learn what your child will learn this year in grades PreK-5! Once you click on your child’s grade level, use the yellow “course navigation” box in the top right corner to navigate standards, free games, and family activities for each subject area. Happy learning!

https://www.hcpss.org/academics/what-your-child-will-learn-guides/

Access Family File Contents

Did you know that our student management system, Synergy, has a parent app? You can access Family File, Report Cards, School Directory, Conference Schedules, and Test Scores all through the app. Simply go to the Apple Store or Google Store to download Synergy ParentVue to install it on your smartphone.

Tool to Help Pronounce Names

In addition to those functions listed above, the app has a special function that can only be found on the app. When you log in to the app and access your child's information, there is a place where you can record the correct pronunciation of your child's name. Simply click on the megaphone/volume icon in each student's profile and record your child's name.

We value pronouncing student and family names correctly. We believe this is essential in welcoming students and their families to our school and classrooms. This is so important to us as a school to get it right. Help us by recording your child's name using the ParentVUE App. Having this tool helps us clearly and accurately pronounce names.

Students are permitted to bring a water bottle or refillable container to school. No other beverage is permitted in the classroom. We have a bottle filling station in the main hallway. Students are welcome to refill their water bottle there. Please be sure you write your child's name on the water bottle or container.

*No glass containers allowed.

The supply list for the 2023-24 school year can be found on the main page of our school's website.

We encourage you to drop off your school supplies during Open House on August 24 & 25. Please be sure to clearly label your child's supplies with his/her name.

The Cougar Comments school newsletter will be published weekly throughout the school year through email and social media. Be sure to look for this newsletter on Friday mornings at 7:00 a.m. in your email inbox starting in September. Please be sure not to mark emails from CCES or HCPSS as junk or spam. We find out that a number of people get blocked from all CCES and HCPSS communication when you mark the email as spam or junk. In addition to important school information, our PTA has a section in the weekly newsletter. They do not publish their own newsletter, so please be sure to look for PTA information in each newsletter. If you ever miss an issue of the newsletter or need to review a previous issue, all Cougar Comments will be available on the main page of the CCES website. We hope you find the information helpful. Additionally, be sure to follow CCES on Facebook and Twitter. We often post information and reminders on social media in addition to fun posts sharing what's going on in our school.

Families are reminded that students must abide by Board of Education Policy 8080 Responsible Use of Technology, Digital Tools, and Social Media, and specifically Standard E. Student Use-Technology, which states that “HCPSS permits students to bring personal technology devices to school, according to the following rules:

• Elementary Schools – Students will keep personal technology devices in backpacks during the school day, unless otherwise authorized by school administrators or instructional staff.

The Howard County Public School System is committed to providing a safe, engaging and supportive learning environment where all policies are enforced fairly and consistently. HCPSS policies and regulations emphasize instruction and rehabilitation rather than punishment and are designed to foster and reward appropriate behavior and keep students connected to school so they can graduate college and career ready. Please read and review the HCPSS student code of conduct with your child(ren) before the school year begins:

https://www.hcpss.org/f/aboutus/student-handbook/student-code-of-conduct.pdf

Each year, families update/complete their child's Family File with all emergency information. Please complete this info ASAP so that we have this information prior to school starting. This is required EACH year. We appreciate your assistance!

https://www.hcpss.org/connect/

Family File Directions.pdf

HCPSS parents/guardians are required by Board of Education Policy 9000 Student Residency, Eligibility, Enrollment and Assignment to notify HCPSS if they move to a new home address by submitting residency documentation to their student’s current school. Students who have a change of residence on or after the first day of the 2023-2024 school year must request a student reassignment in order to complete the school year at their previous school.

Beginning this week, 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 directions are posted online.

Here are some translated messages for new Synergy families:

English

Chinese

Korean

Spanish

Listed below are the many ways to stay informed at Clemens Crossing Elementary School.

Twitter

• Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/hcpss_cces
• We use Twitter to inform, celebrate, and engage our community.
• Twitter is used to share what is going on in our school, our community, and throughout the Howard County Public School System.
• Turn on notifications to get information the second it is tweeted.
• We live-stream our concerts on Periscope through Twitter.

Facebook

• Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ClemensCrossingElementary
• We have found that Facebook is the social media most used by our parents so we are now on Facebook, too!
• Our Facebook page is updated automatically from our Twitter feed.
• Please use Facebook to share the good news from CCES with your friends and families.

Instagram

• We use Instagram periodically. We do post pictures and information there.

Website

• Our website, cces.hcpss.org, is updated regularly.
• Important news and information is located on the main page of the site including an archive of our weekly newsletter, Cougar Comments.
• Staff information and email is located under the "Our Staff" tab.
• A subscribable google calendar is located on the "Calendar" tab.

Email

• Email is our main form of communication.
• You will receive news and information automatically to the email address you provide in your Family File. We will not inundate your inbox with email. Look for the weekly Cougar Comments on Friday mornings.
• If you would like email sent to different email addresses, update your email in Family File with the email address you prefer.
• You can subscribe additional email addresses by visiting the HCPSS News site here. http://www.hcpss.org/hcpss-news/
• Weekly announcements, important information and updates, and more will primarily be sent through email.
• You also have the opportunity to opt-in for text messaging

Welcome to our new school year! I’m so excited for the year ahead. Please join the CCES PTA! It costs only $15 per family for the yearly membership. PTA is all about creating wonderful opportunities for enrichment, fun and interesting experiences for every child in our school.

We encourage families to choose an extra amount to donate to Clemens PTA, over and above the annual membership, if you can. This is simply because our PTA is a nonprofit that runs on donations. If you choose to donate in addition to the membership fee, simply nominate an amount you would like to give as your way of investing in PTA, and be part of building our marvelous CCES community!

(Just because you join PTA doesn't put you on the hook for volunteering your time - I know for some people it is easier to give a monetary gift or donate items from time to time for a specific event, whereas for others, they are able to give of their time and volunteer for different things. All of the above are great!)

Join the Clemens PTA here:

https://clemenscrossingpta.org/get-involved/family-membership/

Jen Nwosu

CCES PTA President

Friday September 8th

5:00 to 8:00 pm on the school blacktop, playground and field. This wonderful annual event is for both families and staff! Bring your own dinner & chairs or a blanket, meet lots of other families and join in the fun!
There will be a snoball truck! **BRING YOUR OWN DINNER , AND SOME MONEY TO BUY A SNOBALL!**

The PTA will be sponsoring the following after school activities in the fall. Registration is through the link provided (directly with the vendor). If anyone has a need for financial assistance, please reach out to me, Karolina DuBois (karolina3@gmail.com).

Chess Club with Magnus Academy, Tuesdays starting Oct 3, Open to K-5

12 sessions, $243

Learn chess with Magnus Academy, five-time world champion Magnus Carlsen’s academy! We’ve taught 100,000 children to play including state & national champions, but most students are beginners looking to learn a new skill and have FUN. Class time is divided between lessons and practice games. Lessons range from the basic rules to advanced tournament strategies.Students will have the opportunity to play in tournaments (in-person and online) outside of club time. This in-person club includes free online extras including weekly practice tournaments, a Chesskid Gold membership ($69 value!), and an event with a chess celebrity. Last year's guests were World Champion Magnus Carlsen and Judit Polgar (the best female chess player of all time). All chess supplies provided. All skill levels are welcome.

https://chessacademy.com/products/clemens-crossing-chess-club

Cooking with iCook, Wednesday starting Sept 13, Open to K-5

10 sessions, $250

Our chefs-in-training will learn how to make delicious and nutritious recipes inspired by international cuisine. We will travel across the globe to learn about cuisine and traditions of Europe, Southeast Asia, Central America, and beyond. We will make recipes like Nigerian chin chin, Turkish cacik dip, Peruvian veggie ceviche, Italian tiramisu, and so much more! Students will work hands-on with fresh herbs and vegetables, and experience how they enhance the aroma and flavors of our dishes. We will master cooking safety, slicing, dicing, chopping, folding, baking, zesting, mixing, and more! All ingredients and supplies will be provided!

https://www.icookafterschool.com/events/clemens-crossing-wednesday

Art with Abrakadoodle, Tuesdays starting Oct 3, Open to K-5

8 sessions, $165

Art Adventures-Express Yourself!

This session is all about exploring and celebrating your unique personality through art. Discuss superpowers, symbols, words, and emotions and create one-of-a-kind artwork! Exploring different mediums and techniques is part of the fun of art! Unlock your creativity as we create a new piece of art each week!

www.abrakadoodle.com/md04

Art with KidzArt, Thursdays starting Oct 5, Open to K-5

Signup link coming soon.

In addition there are some activities listed through Parks & Recreation.

Soccer, Music, Med School, Spanish, and Science

https://www.howardcountymd.gov/recreation-parks/resource/2023-fall-activity-guide

There is also a Girls on the Run program that meets twice a week at CCES in the Fall for girls in grades 3-5. https://www.gotrcentralmd.org/ Registration opens August 20.

Clemens Crossing Cub Scout Pack 618 is open to all Girls and Boys in grades K - 5. We have a fun year planned with campouts, rocket launches, campfires and more! Please join us Sat, Sept 9th at 5pm at Martin Rd Park for our Fall Picnic. There will be food and fun. We will also be having an Information Night at CCES on Wed, Sept 13th at 6:30pm. Join us and learn all about Cub Scouting and our Pack. Please visit our website at www.pack618md.com or contact Cubmaster@pack618md.com.