Clemens Crossing Cougar Comments

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

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January

• 20 - End of 2nd Marking Period
• 20 - Cougar Pride Spirit Day - wear CCES apparel
• 20 - PTA Bingo Night 6:30 p.m.
• 23 - No School for students - Professional Work Day
• 24 - The Great Kindness Challenge begins - Spirit day #1 - Kindness Day
• 24 - Road to Kindergarten workshop at Wilde Lake High School, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
• 24 - PTA Restaurant Day - Bibibop Asian Grill, 10:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
• 25 - The Great Kindness Challenge Spirit day #2 - Color Day
• 25 - Harper's Choice Middle School New Student & Parent Orientation/Information Night, 6:00 p.m.
• 26 - The Great Kindness Challenge Spirit day #3 - Mix & Match Day
• 26 - Road to Kindergarten workshop at Oakland Mills High School, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
• 27 - February Math conference scheduling opens
• 27 - The Great Kindness Challenge Spirit day #4 - Workout Day
• 31 - Report Cards issued in HCPSS Connect (Synergy Parent VUE)

February

• 1 - Black History Month begins
• 3 - Parent/Teacher Conference Scheduling Window Closes 4:00 p.m.
• 8 - PTA Meeting
• 9 - Schools close 3 hours early, 12:45 p.m. (Math Parent-teacher Conferences)
• 10 - Schools close 3 hours early, 12:45 p.m. (Math Parent-teacher Conferences)
• 20 - No School - Presidents Day
• 23 - CCES Parent University Session 1
• 28 - PTA Restaurant Night - Chick-fil-a Johns Hopkins Road

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

As I reflect on this school year, I am amazed to see how much growth and progress we have made together. I thank everyone for all you have done in the best interest of our school, and I sincerely thank you for continuing to partner with us to help each child reach his/her potential.

Today marks the second quarter's end and the school year's mid-point. School is closed on Monday so teachers can finish second-quarter grades and prepare report cards. Please be ready to sign-up for a math conference when the scheduling window opens next Friday. We are excited to share the successes so far this year and plan for continued growth during the second half of the school year.

Parent-Teacher Conferences February 9th & 10th

• Due to the limited number of available time slots, you may choose to schedule a conference if you have a concern or question.
• Scheduling opens in Synergy ParentVue on Friday, January 27th and closes on Friday, February 3rd.
• Grades 1 - 5: schedule with your child’s Math teacher
  
• Kindergarten: schedule with your child’s homeroom teacher for a Math conference.
• Click here for directions to schedule a conference.
• If you would like to conference with a Related Arts teacher, please email the teacher to set up a conference.

Conference Days/Times

Conferences will be in person between 1:00 and 4:00 p.m.

Virtual Conferences will take place after 4:00 p.m.

Please note that teachers have flexibility in determining schedules. Not all teachers will be available at all times listed below:

• Thursday, February. 9th 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm or 7:00 pm
• Friday, February 10th 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
  
• Conferences are 15 minutes.
  
  

Logging onto Google Meet for your Conference

• You will use your child’s HCPSS credentials to join the conference.
• To prevent “overlap” of conferences, teachers will use Google Meet room joining security features. You may have to wait to be admitted into the Google Meet room.
• Google Meet Codes: You will see the meeting code for your conference in Synergy when you sign up for a conference. You will receive a reminder email with the room code from the Synergy system a few days before your conference.

Bingo is on this Friday 1/20 at 6:30pm! A fun event for the whole family! No need to RSVP - simply come and have loads of fun with our school community! Fun prizes and teachers will be our guest callers!

We are excited to announce that we are participating in The 2023 Great Kindness Challenge, where we will join thousands of schools across the country to create a culture of kindness.

Your child is part of a powerful and positive bullying prevention initiative that will lead to more kindness, unity, and respect at school and beyond. We will participate in the challenge between January 24th and January 27th.

As part of the Great Kindness Challenge, we will have a fun-spirited week during The Great Kindness Challenge. Each day is designated as a Spirit Day with a theme (see below).

For more information on The Great Kindness Challenge, please visit: www.greatkindnesschallenge.org. Thank you in advance for helping to create a culture of kindness and compassion in our community and beyond!

Small gifts can go such a long way in spreading joy. Help keep the Staff Lounge stocked with goodies and happiness in the hearts and bellies of staff! 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 everything you do for our school!

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

Clemens Crossing will administer the Measured Academic Progress (MAP) assessment to all students in 1st through 5th grades in Reading and Math between January 24 - February 24th. The data from the MAP assessment will help schools and teachers measure your student’s academic progress. The MAP test does not affect grades and the difficulty adjusts depending on how your child responds. It is normal for students to only answer about half the questions correctly. Please check with students to see if they need headphones to use at school. The HCPSS website contains detailed information about MAP testing here. If you have questions about MAP testing, please contact Jaime Gittleson at Jaime_Gittleson@hcpss.org.

• The 2023 Camp Guide is now available online: http://howardcountymd.gov/rap. Online registration for Howard County residents begins 2/1 at 6 pm, w/ over-the-phone, mail-in & in-person beginning the next day.

Columbia Association

• Columbia Association offers a wide variety of camps each summer. Their registration starts March 6. More information can be found here -https://www.columbiaassociation.org/community-program/camps/

Howard Community College - Kids on Campus

HCC is for kids, too!

• Registration for Summer 2023 Begins January 26
• HCC’s well-known Kids on Campus program provides enrichment education for youth ages 6 to 17. Summer classes include morning and afternoon programs from June 26 to August 17. Supervised lunch, before-care, and aftercare are also offered.
• More information here - https://www.howardcc.edu/programs-courses/continuing-education/courses/kids-on-campus/

The Road to Kindergarten information sessions will be held for families of children who will begin kindergarten in Fall 2023.

My name is Mr. Allen, and I am a 4th-grade teacher at Clemens Crossing! I will host an after-school program for you to attend called Parent University. Parent University is designed to help you, the parent, help your child at Clemens Crossing and in their time in the Howard County Public School System. During the sessions, I will be able to provide you with resources that will allow your child to receive the best education possible here at Clemens Crossing. These sessions will take place in February and March in the Clemens Crossing media center.

Session 1 (February 23rd, 2023, 7 pm-8 pm) - Overview of K-5 Curriculum with a preview of what to expect in middle and high school - This session will allow you to prepare for what is to come throughout your child's experience at HCPSS.

Session 2 (March 9th, 2023, 7 pm-8 pm) - Navigate Canvas and the many online resources - This session will provide you with an opportunity to explore the available resources our county has available for you to use.

Session 3 (March 16th, 2023, 7 pm-8 pm) - Digging Deeper into Math Standards - This session will allow you to take a look at the math common core standards that your child is and will be working on.

Session 4 (March 23rd, 2023, 7 pm-8 pm)- The Importance of English Language Arts - This session will develop your understanding of the English Language Arts common core standards that your child is and will be working on.

Don’t miss these sessions, as they will be essential to giving your child the best possible education. Please fill out this survey to RSVP for the sessions. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at dale_allen@hcpss.org.

Thank you so much!

Mr. Allen