Edward Cosentino, Principal

Jaime Gittleson, Assistant Principal

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

November

• 7 - Fall Parent-teacher conference scheduling opens, 8:00 a.m.
• 8 - Election Day, Schools and offices closed
• 9 - PTA Meeting, 7:00 p.m.
• 11 - Veterans Day - Wear Red, White & Blue
• 11 - Report cards issued
• 14 - World Kindness Day - Wear something with kind words
• 14 - Fall Parent-teacher conference scheduling closes, 4:00 p.m.
• 14 - American Education Week 2022 starts
• 21 - Parent-teacher conferences - Schools close 3-hours early at 12:45 p.m.
• 22 - Parent-teacher conferences - Schools close 3-hours early at 12:45 p.m.
• 23 - Parent-teacher conferences - Schools closed for students
  
• 24 - Thanksgiving Holiday - Schools and offices closed
• 25 - Thanksgiving Holiday - Schools and offices closed

** Bingo Night has been postponed. It will take place in January.

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

Now that we are at the beginning of the second quarter, it is time to reflect upon student progress from the first quarter of the school year. Teachers worked on report cards on Wednesday, and they will be available in Family File on Friday, November 11.

I want to inform you of an important report available now. MAP Student Progress Reports are available now in Family File. In October, students in grades one through five took the MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) test. You will find a lot of information about MAP in this week's newsletter. Don't hesitate to get in touch with me, Mrs. Gittleson, or your child's teacher if you have any questions.

To access the most recent MAP Student Progress Report, follow these directions:

1. Log in to HCPSS Connect
2. Select More Options from the left panel
3. Select Report Cards from the middle
4. Near the top of the page, select MAP_2022_FALL

MAP reports are only a snapshot in time. Between the MAP reports, report cards, and parent-teacher conferences, you will be able to see a complete picture of how your child is performing this year in school. The information shared will help you and your child update or establish goals for the remainder of the school year.

Mr. Cosentino, Principal

Within the first few weeks of the school year, your student participated in an assessment called Measures of Academic Progress® (MAP®). We administer MAP tests to determine your child’s instructional level and to measure academic growth throughout the school year, and from year to year in the areas of Reading and Math. Your student utilized his/her Chromebook or iPad for this assessment.

Children learn better—and faster—when teachers have a clear picture of what each student knows and is ready to learn next. That’s why a group of educators and researchers founded NWEA®, a not-for-profit organization that has created some of the most trusted and reliable assessment solutions available. More than 9 million students in the US and in 140 countries worldwide use MAP® Growth™.

MAP tests are unique in that they adapt to be appropriate for your student’s level of learning. As a result, each student has the same opportunity to succeed and maintain a positive attitude toward testing. And with MAP tests, we can administer shorter tests and use less class time while still receiving detailed, accurate information about your child’s growth.

We are truly excited to begin a new era that focuses on every child’s individual growth and achievement. Partnering to help all kids learn, parents and teachers can have a profound positive effect on the lives of our children.

Your student will be (if they have not already) engaging in goal-setting conferences with their reading and math teachers. The purpose of this conference is to set attainable growth goals between now and the middle of the year. Together, the teacher and students will complete a goal-setting and action planning document that focuses on academic and behavioral (growth mindset) steps. A copy of this document will come home along with your student's MAP scores.

Talk to your students about his/her MAP performance and goals. Discuss which action steps were chosen and why. The most important question to ask is, "How can I support you?" Once you understand what your student is working toward, check in on his/her progress. Help to hold him/her accountable. Your student's teacher will serve as an excellent resource during this time.

1. What is MAP?

MAP® is a computer adaptive test created by NWEA™ that students take two to three times per school year. The results provide teachers with information to help them deliver appropriate content for each student and determine their academic growth over time.

2. What does it mean to be computer adaptive?

Computer adaptive tests adjust to each student’s learning level, providing a unique set of test questions based on their responses to previous questions. As the student responds to questions, the test responds to the student, adjusting up or down in difficulty.

3. What does MAP measure?

MAP measures a student’s performance level at different times of the school year and their academic growth.

4. What is a RIT score?

After each MAP test, results are delivered in the form of a RIT score that reflects the student’s academic knowledge, skills, and abilities. Think of this score like marking height on a growth chart. You can tell how tall your child is at various points in time and how much they have grown between one stage and another. The RIT (Rasch Unit) scale is a stable, equal-interval scale. Equal interval means that a change of 10 RIT points indicates the same thing regardless of whether a student is at the top, bottom, or middle of the scale, and a RIT score has the same meaning regardless of grade level or age of the student. You can compare scores over time to tell how much growth a student has made.

5. How do schools and teachers use MAP scores?

MAP helps schools and teachers know what your child is ready to learn at any point in time. Teachers can see the progress of individual students and of their class as a whole. Principals and administrators can see the progress of a grade level, school, or the entire district. Since students with similar MAP scores are generally ready for instruction in similar skills and topics, it makes it easier for teachers to plan instruction. MAP also provides typical growth data for students who are in the same grade, subject, and have the same starting performance level. This data is often used to help students set goals and understand what they need to learn to achieve their goals. Please note that MAP scores are just one data point that teachers use to determine how a student is performing. Please discuss any questions that you have about your child’s performance with your child’s teacher.

6. How long is a MAP test?

Tests are not timed, and students may take as much time as they need to complete them (this eliminates some of the pressure and anxiety students may feel about taking tests). Most students take less than an hour to complete a MAP test. MPG tests are typically shorter.

7. Is MAP a standardized test?

How is it different from “high-stakes” or state tests? MAP tests are interim assessments, which means they may be given periodically during the year. MAP is based on the same standards as the summative (“high-stakes” or state) tests, so they measure similar content. Teachers receive immediate results with MAP that show what students know and what they are ready to learn. The results can be used to help personalize lessons at the appropriate level for the students. Most state or high-stakes tests measure what students already know—based on what is expected at their grade level—and are typically given at the end of the school year as a way to measure grade-level proficiency.

Our PTA received so much positive feedback last year for the generous donations of snacks that we decided to do it again this year! If you are interested in providing treats at any point in the school year, please visit our Signup Genius to help stock the Staff Lounge. Homemade or store-bought items are welcome. Check out the list of dates and suggestions, but feel free to go off-script! As always, we thank you for all that you do for our school!

Stock The Staff Lounge Signup: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E49AEAE2DA5F8C07-treats

Please designate whether you give permission for Health Room staff to perform a rapid Covid test on your child(ren) when they exhibit any of the following symptoms at school:

• fever 100.4 or higher
• sore throat
• cough
• vomiting
• diarrhea
• severe headache
• loss of taste
• loss of smell
• difficulty breathing

If your child exhibits one of these symptoms at school, and they have a negative rapid COVID test in the Health Room, it is possible they will be permitted to stay in school (with the exception of fever). Without permission to test, your child will be required to be picked up, and will not be permitted to return until the symptom is gone or they have a negative COVID test at home.

Please designate your choice by logging into www.hcpss.org/connect

HCPSS CONNECT LOGIN > More Options > COVID Testing Permission

Parent/Teacher Conferences are scheduled for November 21, 22, and 23. Conferences on November 21 will be in-person at Clemens Crossing ES. Conferences on November 22 and 23 will be virtual.

Conferences will be with homeroom teachers and will focus on Language Arts.
To schedule conferences, you will need to log in to HCPSS Connect.

HCPSS Connect will be open for all schools to schedule conferences from Monday, November 7 through Thursday, November 17. Please take the time to schedule your conference while the conference scheduling window is open. It is very difficult to accommodate last-minute appointments once the scheduling window closes.

The directions for parent conference registration is linked here from the HCPSS website. You can also download the directions from the icon below.

If you have any questions, please call the front office at 410-313-6866.

Please note: This is the first of two conference periods for the school year. There will be conferences following the end of the second quarter in February. The focus of those conferences will math where you will be able to meet with your child's math teacher.

Together for Safe, Just & Equitable Schools. #aew2022

What is American Education Week?

During American Education Week, November 14—28, 2022, Americans nationwide will join the National Education Association (NEA) in raising awareness about the need to provide every child with a quality public education. The celebration highlights the importance of bringing together educators, parents, students, and communities in a unified effort to build great public schools. It also reflects NEA's vision of calling upon America to provide public school students with quality schools so that they can grow and achieve in the 21st century.

Invitation to Visit Your Child's Class on November 14

As part of the celebration, we provide parents and guardians the opportunity to visit their child’s classroom. Monday, November 14 is designated as the visitation day. If you cannot make it to visit on Monday, November 14, you are welcome to visit your child's classroom any day during the week, but please contact the teacher ahead of time. Please refer to the CCES Master Schedule below to help you guide your visitation.

What to Expect When You Arrive

When you visit, please be prepared to sign in through the Lobby Guard kiosk in the office. You will need your driver's license to sign in with Lobby Guard. You also need to complete the volunteer and visitation training and show the certificate when you arrive. We do not allow younger children in the classrooms when parents visit. Additionally, we ask visitors to refrain from using their phones in the classroom. Please put your phone on silence or vibrate. If you need to use your phone or device for any reason, please go to the front lobby or outside the building.

We look forward to our continued partnership in your child's education, and we are excited to see you in school during American Education Week.

Thanks to everyone who participated in Readathon this month! We had participation from 13 homerooms and students read for over 27,000 minutes! Special congratulations to Mrs. Weinig's homeroom who logged the most minutes! They have earned special prizes and a $100 gift card for their teacher.

Magnus Chess Academy (Silver Knights) has taught chess to 100,000+ children including national champions! An excellent camp for everyone from brand-new beginners to tournament players. Activities include learning the rules, openings, tactics, strategy, endgames, playing games, and outdoor breaks. Students will have two lessons and a bunch of practice games each day. All equipment provided.

Registration is up and live!

https://chessacademy.com/products/clemens-crossing-school-break-camp

KidzArt is proud to partner with the PTA to bring you another exciting half day workshop! Students will work with a variety of mediums and complete several projects. Each workshop will be different, so join us for one or both! All materials are included.
*School will dismiss early and students will report directly to the art room at dismissal. Pick up/Sign out will be from the front of the school at 4:00pm

November 22 and December 14

https://campscui.active.com/orgs/KidzArtMaryland?orglink=camps-registration#/selectSessions/3212831