Clemens Crossing Cougar Comments

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

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Spanish

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Korean

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Chinese

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Urdu

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Dear Families,

The Clemens Crossing PTA knows that a strong partnership among our families, school leaders and community members is important to the success of our students and school. That’s why we are participating in the National PTA School of Excellence program, which grows partnerships between PTAs and schools to enrich the educational experience and overall well-being of all students.

We need your help! As part of the process outlined by National PTA, we are requesting feedback from families, administrators, and teachers at two points in the school year—the beginning and the end. Using the community feedback, we will build an Excellence Action Plan to strengthen family-school partnerships.

Please take 5-10 minutes to reflect on your experience at our school and complete this survey. Please complete this survey by Wednesday November 8th.

Complete the survey here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdObSOJKF32nhspSu9vntGt2zV2YA8Zqaml4j9d9LUcWbJsXg/viewform?fbzx=6941783650741036485

Thank you!

Michelle Leader, Principal

Jaime Gittleson, Assistant Principal

Jen Nwosu, PTA President

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

October

• 27 - PTA Trunk-or-Treat, 5:00 p.m.
  
• 31 - End of Q1, 3hr Early Dismissal at 12:50 p.m.

November

• 1 - National American Indian Heritage Month Begins
• 2 - Fall Picture Make-up Day
• 8 - Q1 Report Cards Issued
• 8 - PTA Meeting, 7:00 p.m. Media Center
• 10 - Veterans Day - wear red, white & blue
• 13 - American Education Week begins
• 13 - World Kindness Day - wear your favorite hat, or a shirt with a kind message
• 20 & 21 - Schools Close 3 hours early at 12:50 p.m. for Parent/Teacher Conferences
• 20 & 21 - Parent/Teacher Conferences, 1:15 p.m. - 7:35 p.m.
• 22 - Schools Closed for students, Parent/Teacher Conferences
• 24 & 25 - Schools and Offices Closed, Thanksgiving Holiday
• 28, 29, 30 - PTA Holiday Shop after school, 4:15p.m. - 7:00 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.

If you ordered Fall pictures, they should have come home this week. Retakes/make-up day is November 2.

Don't Forget to Order This Year's School Pictures

ENJOY 10% OFF your order!

CODE: F202310OFF

EXPIRES: May 1, 2024

Redeem Now

The MAP window has now closed, and MAP reports should be available for you to view on Friday, October 27th. Please use these directions to view indivual student reports. Teachers can discuss scores with you at the November conferences and answer any questions you may have about MAP. Please remember that MAP testing is just one data point about your child.

Last week, October 16-20 was Digital Citizenship Week, an initiative that aims at promoting responsible and safe online behavior among our students. In today's digital age, our students must develop the skills and awareness necessary to navigate the online world confidently. One critical improvement point is balancing screen time and offline activities. Encourage your children to set limits on their screen time, engage in physical activities, and enjoy face-to-face interactions with friends and family. Use conversation starters like, "What's your favorite non-screen activity?" or "Tell me about a positive online experience you had recently." Additionally, explore resources such as Common Sense Media's Family Media Agreement and ConnectSafely.org for valuable tips and guidelines to help create a healthy digital environment at home.

These online resources can help:

*The AAP's family media plan tool lets parents create a media plan for their family

*Common Sense Media has information about age and content appropriateness of video games and other media

*Elementary-aged Children on Social Media website Elementary-aged Children on Social Media *Parents’ Ultimate Guide to Tik Tok

We also encourage you to review the school system’s policies; Responsible Use of Technology, Social Media (Policy 8080), Safe and Supportive Schools (Policy 1040), and Bullying/Cyberbullying (Policy 1060).

The following Howard County Parks and Rec classes provide fun, structured, educational, and enriching activities for students, benefitting both the child(ren) and parents!

Clemens Crossing ES Class Registration Link

Clemens Crossing ES Class Flier

November/December Classes at Clemens Crossing ES:

• Learn Now Music After School - Groovy Guitar
• Learn Now Music After School - Poppin' Piano
• Cats & Dogs Veterinarian After School with Medical Me

*Some classes have met minimum enrollment; other classes are shy of the minimum number of students needed to run the class.

Art with KidzArt, Thursdays starting Nov 16, Open to K-5

KidzArt is a FUN, art-enrichment program designed to enhance drawing skills and build each child’s confidence. By using our simple drawing method and specialized format, students will learn to focus, relax and think creatively. Our Certified Instructors help students create original works of art, take risks and think outside of the box. Within each session, students will explore a variety of artist grade materials, such as oil and chalk pastels, watercolor, charcoal, clay, copper, textured papers and much more. Younger children practice following directions and using fine motor skills. Older children love having the creative freedom and guidance to further their skills. KidzArtists will bring home a new masterpiece each week with a kid-tested and educationally rich curriculum that NEVER REPEATS!

https://campscui.active.com/orgs/KidzArtMaryland#/selectSessions/3391044

We recently held a parent information night about the updated report card for our primary grades. If you were unable to attend or wish to review the information again, you can find the PowerPoint on Canvas at the link below along with many other resources.

Parent/Family SBIR Canvas Course

Please use this link for guidance should your child test positive for COVID:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/isolation.html

If your child is registered for bus service and rides a Zum bus, you now have access to use the Zum App, which will allow you to track your child’s bus and receive notifications.

Zum App
Using the app will allow you to track your child’s bus in real-time, receive pick-up notifications if you choose, and view the driver for each ride.

To start using the Zum app, please follow these instructions:

1. Download the app
2. Log in to your account with the phone number or email address you have listed on your child’s record in Family File in HCPSS Connect
3. Verify your access by entering the one-time code sent to your device
4. Check the notification settings to ensure you’re receiving Zum notifications, if desired, so you’ll know when the bus is approaching and when your child has arrived at school

Additionally, HCPSS will continue to work with Zum to improve the parent/guardian app experience as needed.

Bus Delay Notifications
Effective Monday, Sept. 11, bus delays will no longer be posted to the HCPSS website. Parents/guardians with a child served by Zum may utilize the app to receive push notifications when their child’s bus is running more than 10 minutes late. These notifications will be sent only via in-app notifications if enabled to the parent/guardian who has downloaded and logged in to the app. Parents/guardians are encouraged to use the app in real-time to monitor their child’s bus status during school arrival and dismissal. Due to the larger than usual volume of delayed buses each day, it is likely that school-level email and texts may be delayed and the Zum application will provide the most up-to-date information.

Data Privacy
In order to create routes, issue timely notifications and updates, and provide the level of service HCPSS expects of our transportation contractors, some student/family data is shared with the contractors. This information sharing is vetted through our Office of Data Privacy, and a data privacy agreement is signed to require that contractors do not use this information for any reason beyond what is agreed upon.

This is not uncommon and occurs with contracted companies who provide services related to transportation, food and nutrition services, and other student and family supports. Only the necessary information to adequately provide the expected services is provided.

Answers to frequently asked questions related to the Zum app are posted on the HCPSS website and will be updated regularly.

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/

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

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.

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

As educators, we are well aware of the ever-increasing pressures placed on students. The academic demands, social challenges, and rapidly changing world can be overwhelming. Our Guiding Good Choices parenting classes can equip parents and/or grandparents with the knowledge and skills to reduce the risk that their children will use drugs and alcohol or engage in other dangerous behaviors. These classes are for families with children 9 - 14 yrs. old and held over Zoom.

October 28 in the Wilde Lake Village Center Parking Lot from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Safely dispose of prescription medication, over-the-counter meds, sharps, vitamins, pet meds, vape devices, inhalers, and more! Also, 100 medication lockboxes purchased by HCPSS will be given away for FREE! http://www.hcdrugfree.org/currentevents/

Would you like to decorate your vehicle for Trunk or Treat? Or simply lend a hand at the event? Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0D4AAEAD29ABFE3-44917229-cces

If you plan to simply attend, just show up – no sign up required! All CCES students and siblings can participate in Trunk or Treating, regardless of whether their family is decorating a vehicle. BYO Bucket or bag to hold treats! We also encourage families not decorating a trunk to donate extra candy to help the cars who are participating! A bin will be available near the parking lot to drop off your donation. Extra treats will be distributed amongst all cars participating in Trunk or Treat.

Who doesn't feel a bit peckish throughout the workday? And who wouldn't get excited to find something tasty or fun in the lounge? For sure our CCES teachers & staff love a good pick-me-up and we want to give it to them!

Please consider helping the PTA "Stuff the Staff Lounge" with goodies throughout the year. It's an easy way to show our appreciation for all the hard work that goes on in our school! You can signup here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E49AEAE2DA5F8C07-45327230-stuff

Would your child benefit from being part of a welcoming group of kids who are all striving to learn life skills and better themselves? Then we have the group for you! Clemens Crossing Cub Scout Pack 618 is fun for girls and boys in any grade and we have fun events planned every single month. Come see us at Trunk or Treat today! On November 12th we'll be marching in a local Veterans day parade, and on November 18th you could join us for a chilly evening of campfire antics. Find out more on our website at www.pack618md.com and contact us at Cubmaster@pack618md.com.