Lisbon Elementary School

Mrs. Debra Anoff, Principal
Mrs. Amy Green, Assistant Principal

15901 Frederick Road
Woodbine, MD 21797

(410) 313-5506
(410) 313-5508 - Fax

les.hcpss.org

September

• 15 - PTA Snowball Social, 6:30-8:00 p.m.
  
• 18 - Back-to-School Night for Grades K, 1st & 2nd at 6:30 p.m.
• 19 - Back-to-School Night for Grades 3rd, 4th & 5th - G/T Presentation, 5:30 p.m.
• 19 - Back-to-School Night for Grades 3rd, 4th & 5th at 6:30 p.m.
• 21 - Schools & offices closed, Rosh Hashanah
• 22 - Schools closed, Professional Learning Day
• 26 - Flu Shot Clinic, 9:00 a.m.

October

• 4 - PTA Family FIT Night, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
  
• 5 - Individual Picture Day
• 6 - Jersey Day
  

We are two weeks into a terrific school year. I have been so impressed with how quickly students have become familiar with school routines once again. We look forward to welcoming parents to school next week for our annual Back-to-School Nights. This is a great opportunity to see your child’s classroom and receive information about the grade level expectations for the school year. This evening is not a time to have a lengthy conversation about specifics related to your child as a learner and/or socially. Please schedule a time to meet one-on-one with the teacher at another time for this purpose. The information that will be presented on these evenings is geared towards parents, and we ask that children do not attend. Mrs. Green and I look forward to seeing you on your scheduled night.

Monday, September 18, 2017

6:30-7:00 - Administration & PTA Welcome

7:00-7:30 - Kindergarten: Grade level presentation in the Media Center

7:00-7:30 - Grades 1 & 2: Classroom Visits

7:30-8:00 - Kindergarten: Classroom Visits

7:30-8:00 - Grade 1: Presentation in the Media Center

7:30-8:00 - Grade 2: Presentation in the Cafeteria

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

5:30-6:30 - GT Presentation in the Cafeteria

6:30-7:00 - Administration & PTA Welcome

7:00-7:30 - Grade 3: Grade level presentation in the Cafeteria

7:00-7:30 - Grade 4: Grade level presentation in the Media Center

7:00-7:30 - Grade 5: Classroom Visits

7:30-8:00 - Grade 3: Classroom Visits

7:30-8:00 - Grade 4: Classroom Visits

7:30-8:00 - Grade 5: Grade level presentation in the Media Center

Breakfast and lunch menus can be found at www.hcpss.org/food-services/

PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) home reports were sent home with your child on Monday.

Please take a moment to enjoy the brick garden here at Lisbon Elementary School. These bricks bear the names of students, staff members and alumni. We will be installing new bricks this fall. We invite you to honor your son, daughter, family member, staff member or someone who has made their elementary experience more special, by purchasing one or more commemorative bricks.

When your child is absent from school, please provide either a written note or email to the teacher why your child is absent. If emailing, please cc: Linda Drews in the front office. For the absence to be excused, we must have one or the other.

The note/email should include the child's FULL NAME and the reason why the child is absent. Illness and doctor appointments are excused absences. No details need to be provided. Also, you do not need to phone the school if your child is absent. An email/note is sufficient.

If your child is going to be absent for a length of time due to travel, there is a form that must be filled out. The form can be downloaded from the main Howard County Public School website - extended leave form or you may pick one up in the office.

Any questions, please call Linda Drews in the front office.

Please remember to send in a written reminder to your child’s homeroom teacher whenever there is a change in dismissal instructions at the end of the day. Many after school activities have begun, children are staying after school, or going home early, and LES needs prior written notification of change in dismissal. With enrollment topping 450, we ask that parents write notes so phone calls to the front office won’t be necessary. The afternoon is a very busy time of the day and we thank you for your cooperation in sending prior written notices to your child’s teacher rather than calling the front office.

A change in a student’s bus can only be made with an administrator’s approval. We cannot approve bus changes for play dates and/or parties. In a true emergency, please put your request in writing and an administrator will contact you. We want our students to be safe. In the event of a bus accident, we need to know who is on each bus. Our bus capacity is also based on the number of children at each stop. So, adding a student to a bus for even a day can create safety issues.

"According to HCPSS Board Policy, all parent volunteers must complete a Confidentiality Training Course about protecting the privacy of our students, staff, and schools. Please complete this course before registering to volunteer at your child's school. The course takes about 5 minutes to complete. Please click the following website and follow these 3 steps":

Step One: Training Course - Click through each page of the training course.

Step Two: Certification of Completion - Print and complete the Parent Volunteer Certification Form.

Step Three: Register to Volunteer - Bring the completed and signed Certification Form to school before or on the day you volunteer.

Howard County Public Schools are currently in the process of accepting nominations for fourth or fifth grade students NEW to Howard County Public Schools for possible inclusion in the G/T Mathematics Program.

If you have a child, NEW to Howard County Public Schools, in grades four or five whom you wish to nominate for G/T Mathematics testing, please submit your nomination request in writing to Jodi O’Connor, G/T Resource Teacher, as soon as possible but no later than Friday, September 15th. A written request may be sent via email to Jodi_OConnor@hpcss.org, or a note may be sent to school.

All interested parents are invited to attend the Gifted and Talented Education Program Parent Information Night on Tuesday, September 19th from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the school’s cafeteria. At this time the G/T resource teachers will be sharing an overview of Lisbon's G/T offerings and discussing ways that you and your child(ren) can get involved in the program this year. This session is especially valuable for families new to the Lisbon community. We hope to see you there!

The 2017-18 membership rates are $20 for a family and $15 for an individual.

Consider all the programs your PTA brings to the school -- Cultural Arts assemblies, after school classes, field trip support, the Science Fair, Talent Show, Fall Festival, etc., etc., etc., and support your PTA!

Mark your calendars for a
FREE FAMILY LISBON
Wellness event...
FIT2Order's
FIT Family Night!

When: October 4, 2017
Time: 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Highlighted Stations To Include:

• Kid Friendly Boot Camp
• Martial Arts
• Zumba
• Yoga
• Wellness Tables
• Dance Party Finale
• Parent Nutrition Workshop

A PARENT OR GUARDIAN MUST ACCOMPANY CHILDREN TO THE EVENT.

REGISTRATION is from September 18-October 3. To register, complete the paper registration form and return it to the school or register online using the hyperlink http://bit.ly/Lisbon_2017. With the online registration form, please also click on ADD ADDITIONAL REGISTRANT to include all family members attending. For more information, please contact Ms. Sheila Rutter at sheila@rutterpm.com

Current events in Texas and Florida over the past few weeks illustrate how natural disasters can significantly impact a region. Whether a disaster is natural or not, we all need to be prepared at any time for the challenges that an emergency might cause. How we prepare for and react to situations as adults will help reassure and keep our children safe.

September is National Preparedness Month. We encourage you to visit ready.gov and take advantage of so many planning resources for families.

As a school, we take emergency preparedness seriously. In addition to ten fire drills a year, we conduct six emergency drills to prepare for an emergency situation.

Our Lisbon Emergency Preparedness Team meets regularly to review our school-based emergency plan. During these meetings, staff members have an opportunity to learn their roll in our plan. Furthermore, different scenarios are discussed so we can respond in a coordinated manner in the event of an emergency. Our primary goal is to keep all students and staff safe.

There are four types of emergency scenarios; duck, cover and hold-on, shelter-in-place, lockdown, and modified lockdown. Each scenario requires a different response by the emergency team.

Duck, Cover, and Hold On - The “duck, cover, and hold on” command would be given in the event of an explosion (bomb, mechanical malfunction), severe winds (tornado, extreme weather), earthquake, or other situations that might cause significant structural damage to the school. Students, staff, parents, and any visitor to the building should drop to the ground where they are and cover their heads until the extreme activity subsides.

Shelter-In-Place – The purpose of a shelter in place emergency response is to protect the inhabitants of a building from dangerous fumes or other environmental poisons that are outside the building. This means moving students into the school building if they are outside. In some situations, the school’s HVAC system would be shut down and doors and windows would be sealed and locked. Shelter-in-place emergency procedures would be initiated in the event of a hazardous materials spill in the area (especially with our close proximity MD Route 70) or in the event of some type of bioterrorism in the region.

Modified Lockdown – This command would be given if there were a potential for violent or criminal activity but not an imminent threat to our school. The day-to-day operation of the school would continue, but with modifications. Students would not be permitted to go outside for recess or physical education and classes in the portable classrooms would be relocated.

Lockdown – This emergency command would be given in the most extreme and threatening situation such as violence or criminal activity inside the school or in the surrounding area. Students, staff, parents, and any visitor to the building are expected to stay where they are and follow instructions given.

Off-Site Evacuation – In the event that our building is no longer safe, we may determine that we need to evacuate the students. We have designated three locations for our off-site evacuation. If necessary, transportation to those sites may be provided by HCPSS. Students will be released to parents or other individuals listed on the student's emergency form. Please keep in mind that no student is released to any individual who is not specifically listed on the student's emergency form, including an older sibling. All adults must show photo I.D. when picking up a student.

Parents can help by:

• Giving and updating the most accurate, up-to-date health and emergency information on your child to our school office and your child’s teacher.
• Ensuring your own safety.
• Do not call the school during an emergency situation; it jams the phone lines.
• Do not rush to the school to pick up your child in the event of an emergency. It creates congestion which can delay the tasks of emergency responders and school staff in responding to the emergency.
• Tuning in to local radio and television stations and checking the HCPSS website.

IMPORTANT POLICY INFORMATION

A Student/Parent Handbook 2017-2018 was sent home to every family the first day of school with important policies for parents and student to become familiar with. We would like to communicate one of these policies.

Bullying, Cyberbullying, Harassment, or Intimidation (Policy 1060)

The Board prohibits acts of bullying, cyberbullying, harassment, or intimidation because these behaviors compromise the learning environment and well‐being of students, staff and community. Bullying may include the following specific behaviors: Hitting, kicking, shoving, spitting, hair pulling or throwing something. Getting another person to hit or harm the student. Teasing, name‐calling, critical remarks, or threatening, in person, by email or text message. Bullying by demeaning and making the target of jokes. Rude and/or threatening gestures. Intimidation, extortion or exploitation. Spreading rumors or harmful gossip. Cyberbullying. Hazing Students, parents, employees and service providers are responsible for reporting violations of this policy that occur on school property, on a school bus, or at a school‐sponsored activity or event off school property. Incidents of cyberbullying occurring from a student’s home that impact another student’s well‐being at school may also be reported.

All reports of bullying, cyberbullying, harassment and intimidation will be documented and the student making the report, or an appropriate adult, should complete and submit a Bullying, Harassment, or Intimidation Reporting Form. The victim and witnesses will be informed that confidentiality cannot be insured because it is not possible to predict what will be discovered as a result of the investigation. The offender will be informed that retaliation against any victim or bystander is strictly prohibited and that progressive consequences will occur if the activity continues. Appropriate support services will be provided to a student or staff member exhibiting bullying behaviors or to the victim or bystander. A student or staff member who violates this policy may be required to participate in appropriate counseling or intervention. Consequences range from a parent conference to expulsion.

Electronic Harassment Violation (not part of Policy 1060).

Using a computer or portable communication device to cause another student/staff member to reasonably fear for his/her safety is prohibited. This includes engaging in conduct that would constitute sexual harassment; to disseminate data with malicious intent to psychologically torment or harass; to make any statement intended to provoke or likely provoke a third party to stalk or harass someone; building a fake profile or website; posing as someone in an electronic chat room, an electronic mail message, or an instant message; repeatedly following the student online or into an electronic chat room; posting or encouraging others to post private, personal, or sexual information pertaining to the individual on the Internet or signing up an individual for inappropriate Internet sites.

Report Bullying

Incidences of bullying may be reported using a printed form (available in each main school office, school counseling office, media center, and health services office or at www.hcpss.org/parents/school-culture-and-climate/report-bullying/ ) or through HCPSS Sprigeo, an online reporting system, at: report.sprigeo.com.

Please visit the Community News and Programs page at http://www.hcpss.org/community-news-and-programs/ for announcements of upcoming events and programs sponsored by non-profit organizations.