Clemens Crossing Cougar Comments

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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Urdu

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Dear Families,

We hope that everyone had a relaxing and enjoyable winter break! We have had a great week back with the students and they were able to get right back into our routines! Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!

Thank you!

Michelle Leader, Principal

Jaime Gittleson, Assistant Principal

January

• 10 - PTA Meeting, 7:00 p.m.
• 11 - Literacy Night, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
• 15 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Schools Closed
• 16 - Chorus Concert, 6:30pm in the Atholton High School Auditorium
• 17 - 3 Hour Early Dismissal, Professional Work & Wellness Day, 12:55 p.m.
• 19 - End of 2nd Marking Period
• 22 - Schools Closed for Students - Professional Work Day
• 25 - PTA Science Fair, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
• 30 - Q2 Report Cards Issued, 4:00 p.m.

February

• 1 - Unity Day - Celebrate Black History: Wear red, black, yellow and/or green.
• 7 - Parent/Teacher Conferences, 3 Hr. Early Dismissal at 12:50 p.m.
• 8 - Parent/Teacher Conferences, 3 Hr. Early Dismissal at 12:50 p.m.
• 9 - Schools Closed for Students, Professional Learning Day
• 13 - PTA Restaurant Day, Chick-fil-a Johns Hopkins Rd.
• 16 - PTA Bingo Night, 6:30 p.m.
• 19 - Schools and Offices Closed, Presidents' Day

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

We are proud to announce the winners of the 2023-24 Howard County Young Author's Contest!

Poem Category:

Grade 1- no submission

Grade 2- "The Trees Sway to the Wind" by Alex Heyne

Grade 3- "Believe" by Anna McDonald

Grade 4- "Starry Night" by Sinclair Evelyn

Grade 5- "Seasons" by Amy Kikanzira

Short Story Category:

Grade 1- "The Diary of Kindness" by Lucy McDonald

Grade 2- "Little Piece of Dust" by Emma Rhee

Grade 3- "The Magic Puppy" by Avery Levine

Grade 4- "The Heart" by Ivy Tobiason

Grade 5- "Concept of Kindness" by Kate Rhee

We would also like to congratulate all the participants.

Grade 1 Participants:

Attila Elbeyli

Alice Yang

Grade 2 Participants:

Nitya Katragadda

Valen La Bash

Forrest McGarity

Luke Scata

Grade 3 Participants:

Emily Ball

Andie Bush

Amos Monroe

Julia Samuel

Grade 4 Participants:

Peter Champion

Lacey Harris

Ruari Hodgins

Samuel May

Grade 5 Participants:

Laura Ball

August T. Gottwig

Maisie Monroe

There were so many wonderful short stories and poems, and we enjoyed reading every one of them. May your writing inspire those around you, for "Writing is the painting of the voice.” – Voltaire

Why: Our school will be participating in the “Pull Tab Program” to help benefit the Maryland Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Who: Everyone! Led by our very own 5th Grade Eco-Leaders.

Where: Send your tabs in with your student and have them place them in the bin in their pod area.

When: We will collect tabs through the first week of June.

Our Eco-leaders would like to remind you that our Earth is important!

For more details visit https://rmhcmaryland.org/pull-tabs/.

Please email Mrs. Seifert with any questions. jhonna_seifert@hcpss.org

HCPSS recommends that parents/guardians or another trusted adult wait at the bus stop with the students to supervise their behavior and to help with any problems that may arise.

HCPSS would like to remind families to arrive at the bus stop at least five to seven minutes prior to the scheduled arrival of the bus. Please do not stand or sit at the roadway edge and wait in a safe space well off of the roadway. Please discourage running and playing where a student may be too close to the roadway. Once the bus arrives, please wait to board the bus until it’s stop sign and warning lights have stopped all traffic and the doors open. Children should never play near or run towards a moving bus. If a child accidentally drops an item near the bus, please alert the driver before an adult retrieves the item. Finally, avoid hanging objects or loose clothing that could get caught on tight spaces boarding the school bus.

Additional bus safety information for both parents and students can be found on the HCPSS website:

https://www.hcpss.org/schools/transportation/responsibilities/#parents

If you wish to “opt-in” to receive CCES and HCPSS texts with emergency information or reminders, please follow the directions below:

Send a text to the number: 67587

Text “Yes” in the message.

Reply “Yes” when prompted if you want to “opt-in”

Families, please join us at our Clemens Crossing Literacy Night on January 11, 2024. This night is meant for both parents and students! Parents will see a short presentation about resources to help their students at home and then join their students in playing different games and activities with their peers. It will be glow-in-the-dark themed and will be a night for students to remember! Please scan the above QR code or use this link to sign up!

Disney's 101 Dalmatians KIDS!

Open to 3rd, 4th, & 5th Graders

Rehearsal Dates: 2/15, 2/22, 2/29, 3/7, 3/14, 3/21, 4/4, 4/11, 4-6pm

Tech Rehearsals: 4/16 & 4/17 - 5:30-8pm

Show Date: Thursday 4/18 - 7pm

Tuition: $225.00

Scholarships available - email PTA below

Pet owners, Roger and Anita, live happily in London with their dalmatians, Pongo and Perdita, stalwart dogs devoted to raising their puppies. When the monstrous Cruella de Vil plots to steal the puppies for her new fur coat, the dalmatians rally all the dogs of London for a daring rescue!

REGISTRATION Now OPEN!!

1. Go to https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?class=dralc and click"Register Now"

2. Select the "SEASON 2023-24 WINTER CLASSES"

3. Scroll down to class 4A. Clemens Crossing Elementary School

QUESTIONS? Contact president@clemenscrossingpta.org or call DLC directly at 470-997-9352.

Brand new CCES spirit wear on sale now!! Check out the new designs for kids and adults. Water bottles too! Store open for a limited time - until January 10th.

https://clemens-crossing-winter-23-24.spiritsale.com/

Attention parents/families of students in grades K-2! This is NOT only for older students - it’s for all grades!

We're thrilled to announce the upcoming Science Fair. This is an incredible opportunity for your child to explore the world around them through hands-on learning. By collecting and organizing something they find interesting, they'll be able to answer questions and deepen their understanding of the world. Don't miss out on this exciting adventure! Sign your child up today and let their curiosity soar to new heights

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdTumsMnM0LWzcavNxPfOsdTsMplCx3zA1zZtiu1iPRk3NxFg/viewform?usp=pp_url

More details here: https://sites.google.com/view/chess-sciencefair/home

Questions? Contact us at sciencefair@clemenscrossingpta.org

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

Chess Club with Magnus Academy: Tuesdays starting January 30 (open K-5)

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

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. For more information please visit chessacademy.com.

iSTEAM AFTER SCHOOL : Wednesdays starting January 31 (Open to 1st to 4th)

https://www.isteamafterschool.com/event-details/clemens-crossing-wednesday

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.

• 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

Happy New Year from your local Cub Scout Pack! We hope you enjoyed the time off and are ready to get back into the groove. If your New Year's resolutions include enrolling your child in a social and service organization, look no further! This month we have an awesome day of STEM and a Klondike Derby planned! Intrigued yet? We are open to girls and boys in all grades K-5. If you're interested in checking us out, find out more on our website at www.pack618md.com and contact us at Cubmaster@pack618md.com.