Dear RBES Families,
As we move into the second half of the school year, we wanted to remind you that HCPSS is dedicated to providing a safe and supportive environment that focuses on student well-being. We are taking this time to uplift the importance of reporting any type of bullying that has occurred. We will be reviewing this with our students and staff as we start the second half of the school year, and hope that you too can uplift this at home.
For children facing the emotional toll of bullying, a supportive individual can make all the difference. Please encourage your children to reach out to a trusted staff member at school should they need to report anything. As parents and guardians, you will use the same reporting form as students by following the steps outlined below.
How do I report bullying?
When you believe bullying has taken place, you should report it through the Bullying, Cyberbullying, Harassment and Intimidation (BCHI) reporting form. Reporting can take place in one of three ways:
Complete a BCHI online reporting form
BCHI paper reporting form (available in the main office, staff workroom, school counseling office, media center, and health services office
An oral report to a staff member
It is important to note that policy states “in the event the reporting party does not complete a BCHI Reporting Form, school administrators/supervisors will take the appropriate steps to address and document the incident.” Therefore, if you or someone else makes an oral report, it then must be documented (i.e. through a BCHI reporting form) by the administrator.
Thank you for your partnership and attention to this important topic,
Mrs. Spivey
Black History Spirit Days
Week of February 12th:
BSAP Spirit Week (Theme: "Thee Exceptional Black Panthers")
Day 1(Monday): Black Panther/Wakanda Forever Day
Wear Black panther or african traditional wear.
Day 2(Tuesday): Dress for Excellence Day
Come in your Sunday best dress attire.
Day 3(Wednesday): 90’s vs 2000s Hip Hop Day and/or "I Love Black History!" Day
Wear 90’s to early 2000s themed clothing.
Wear hearts to show your love for Black History Month.
Day 4(Thursday): Hopes and Dreams Day
Future career attire.
Day 5(Friday): Black Out Day
Wear all Black.
Culture Night
Running Brook Culture Night will take place on March 6th from 6:30pm-8:00pm in the school cafeteria. We are looking for Running Brook families to participate. There are several ways to participate.
1) Perform a song, dance or other cultural performance on stage. We will designate 10 minutes spots for these performances. Music must be provided ahead of time.
2) Contact a local cultural organization and request a performance. For example, if you know of a dance troupe that might be available to perform, we would alot them approximately 10 minutes to perform
3) Set up a table with artifacts from your culture. Food, household items, pictures, clothing, etc. You will have 1 5-6 foot table to display your items. You must be able to attend the entire event.
Use the following form to tell us how you would like to participate. We need lots of RBES participation to make this event successful. Please sign up today.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0445ACAC23A7FF2-47319832-rbes
Girls on The Run
The Spring season of Girls on the Run is coming up, scheduled to begin the week of April 1st. Unfortunately, with other commitments and scheduling, the coaches from the Fall can only commit to one day a week, and we really need a coach (or two or three!) to add to our crew in order to run a successful season.
Practices are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00 - 5:15 with an awesome county wide 5K at the end of the season!
I know the girls are looking forward to the Spring season with many girls returning and some who could not make the Fall but can't wait until the Spring season begins!
Please let me know if you can help out as soon as possible. If you need additional information or have any questions, please let me know. We (and the girls) would really appreciate it!
Thank you!
A Message from RECC
The Running Brook Regional Early Childhood Center (RECC) prekindergarten programs are making preparations for classes for the upcoming 2024-2025. These classes include children with and without disabilities. The program’s focus is helping all children develop communication, literacy, math, problem solving, motor, and social skills. Parents of children who will be 3 by September 1st, applications will be available and accepted in mid February.
In alignment with Maryland’s Blueprint for the Future, new applications for students turning 4 by September 1 will not be available. The Howard County Public School System continues to offer a prekindergarten program for income eligible children who will be four years old by September 1. For additional information contact the school or visit: https://www.hcpss.org/schools/pre-k-programs/
HCPSS is committed to providing instruction based on the statewide Early Learning Standards which are in alignment with Kindergarten Readiness. The fees listed in the application will be collected monthly regardless of the learning model determined by HCPSS throughout the upcoming school year (virtual, hybrid, in person, or class quarantine). If you have any additional questions, please contact Kenisha Burks at 410-313-6893.
Greetings Running Brook Elementary School Families and Community!
We invite all of our families to attend our Family Involvement Team Meeting this month.
Join us virtually on Wednesday, February 14th from 8:40 to 9:10 a.m. using the following link: https://meet.google.com/xnt-vqap-tny
We will begin brainstorming ideas and solutions to address the data we viewed at our two previous meetings.
Sincerely,
The Family Involvement Team
Recess & Cold Weather Reminders
Students will be outside for recess (30 minutes), physical education , or any other outdoor activity when the temperature combined with the wind chill is not less than 20 degrees fahrenheit. Please be sure to dress your student for cold weather. Contact Mrs. Hartlove, Family Liaison, at Jane_Hartlove@hcpss.org if you are in need of a coat or gloves for your student.
Winter 2024 Before & After School Classes at RBES
There are Winter 2024 Before/After School Classes Running Brook ES, provided by Howard County Recreation & Parks. These classes provide fun, structured, educational, and enriching activities for students, benefitting both the child(ren) and parents!
CLICK HERE the the link to view & register for the Running Brook ES Before/After School classes:
MD State Accredidation of our PreK Program
Let's keep cheering on our Pre-K team while they complete the Maryland State Accreditation process! This month they focused on the following standards.
- 2.3.2 & 2.3.7-Co-create classroom rules, referring to C4L expectation posters. These should be hung and available to reference daily with students. The team will also be addressing the difference between expectations and rules.
- 2.1.3(a)-Environment reflects students, families and staff (windows & mirrors): pictures of students, staff and families around the room, diversity/ability posters around the room (may need to take down other items on wall for space), puzzles of families/people groups, dolls of variety of skin tones, books around the room, skin tone materials around room (crayons, paper, etc.)
Keep up the hard work Pre-K!
Message from the President
The school year continues on and so does the PTA agenda. Don't forget to order your yearbooks. The deadline is March 15th which will sneak up on us quickly. Good luck to all the 4th and 5th graders who will be participating in the Spelling Bee this week.
We are still looking for PTA Officers for next year. Please contact us ASAP if you are interesting in learning more about the various positions.
2023-2024 PTA Meetings - All Meetings Start at 7pm
- February 12th - In person (In the Media Center)
- March 11th - Virtual
- April 15th - Virtual
- May 13th - In Person
Join the PTA
Why join the PTA? We strive to make every child's potential a reality by engaging and empowering families and the community to advocate for ALL Running Brook Elementary School students. But we can't do it without YOU! Not sure you want to join? Come to a meeting to find out more about our organization and how best to participate. memberships available HERE