Panther Press
September 4, 2026
Message from the Administrators
Dear Running Brook Elementary Families,
We had a wonderful week at RBBES! Each grade level participated in a Student Success Meeting with our administrative team to review school-wide expectations and the HCPSS Code of Conduct.
Our Panthers did a fantastic job engaging in these conversations and building a shared understanding of our 3Rs: Respectful, Responsible, and Ready! Together, we are creating a safe, welcoming, and productive learning environment where every student can thrive. We’re off to a great start!
Remember that there is no school on Monday, we will welcome everyone back on Tuesday, September 8th at 9:10am.
Thank you for your continued partnership,
Katie Carter, Principal
Dale Allen, Assistant Principal
Jaime Gittleson, Assistant Principal
RBES Open Feedback From
Please use this open feedback form to pose questions, give kudos, or leave comments for the Running Brook Administrative Team. Your response can remain anonymous, or you can provide your name for a follow-up phone call.
Title I Annual Meeting
Please join us for our RBES Title I Annual Meeting on September 24th. The goal of this meeting is to share what it means to be a school-wide Title I school, get input on the Title I Compact & Plan, and provide an additional opportunity for families and caregivers to be involved in their child(ren)’s educational journey at RBES. You are our partners in education and we value your input. Additional details can be found here.
MAP - Measured Academic Progress
Starting this month, students in grades 1-5 will take the Measured Academic Progress (MAP) assessment. Students in grades 1-3 will only take Math and students in grades 4 and 5 will take both Reading and Math. The MAP window runs through October 9th. Each grade level team will send out messages letting parents know the exact dates for testing. 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. To learn more about the MAP assessment, please visit: https://www.nwea.org/the-map-suite/common-questions-families/. Please make sure your child has headphones at school since they will be used for testing throughout the school year.
RBES House Party
Families are invited to join us on the blacktop as we celebrate our House System and our Kindergarten students learn what house they are in. Monday, September 14th from 3:00-3:40pm. See flyer.
Personal Technology Device Reminder
Families are reminded that students must abide by Board of Education Policy 8080 Responsible Use of Technology, Digital Tools, and Social Media, and specifically Standard E. Student Use-Technology, please see below for additional information or visit the linked policy above.
No students, PreKindergarten-12, will be permitted to use cell phones and other personal technology devices during the student day except for reasons detailed in a student’s IEP, 504, or health plan.
Students may be in possession of personal devices, but they must be “away and silenced,” meaning devices are not able to be seen by either the student or staff member and are set to make no noise. Additionally, devices may not be a distraction.
Smart watches will be permitted to be worn to check time but may not be a distraction.
School administrators and school administrators’ designees may authorize use of a personal device in rare instances such as an emergency for communication purposes.
HCPSS Student-Parent Handbook
Picture Day is September 22nd
Say cheese! 📸 Picture Day is coming on Tuesday, September 22nd! Students will have the opportunity to capture a special school-year memory. Please have your child come to school ready to smile and shine. We can’t wait to see those beautiful smiles!
Pre-purchase your order today! CLICK HERE and use code Use code 26runbrook27
📸 We're on Instagram!
Stay connected and see all the amazing things happening at Running Brook Elementary! Follow our new official Instagram account @hcpss_rbes for updates, event highlights, and a peek inside our wonderful school community.
Let's share our school spirit -- follow, like, and tag us to join the fun! 💜✨
Free & Reduced Meals - Complete Your Application Today
HCPSS participates in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs, which provide families with significant benefits to help save money. Qualification is based on family size and income, and enrollment is confidential. All children in households receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can get free meals regardless of income, and students from households that meet federal income guidelines are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals.
Free and Reduced Meals (FARMs) eligibility provides discounts for summer programs, SAT, recreation programs, Maryland Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and internet programs. FARMs eligibility can also provide our school with much needed Federal funding.
Families must submit a new application every school year
Please submit only one application per household.
Online Applications for the 2025-2026 School Year are available on the new LINQ Connect website.
School Meals for SY26-27
RBES will continue to participate in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for SY26-27 where all students enrolled are eligible to receive healthy breakfast and lunch at school at no charge each day.
The menu is located on the HCPSS Food Services website. Please view the link to see what is served for breakfast and lunch.
Emergency Information
HCPSS utilizes Family File for families to complete emergency information. Parents/guardians can now access and complete Family File by logging in to HCPSS Connect, selecting the Online Registration/Family File at the top right of the page and then selecting Family File Verification. Parents/guardians must verify and/or update information for each child, each school year
Bus Transportation Information
The online HCPSS bus stop locator is LIVE.
Eligible families can access bus stop locations, and pickup/dropoff times by clicking HERE
Water Bottles in the Classroom
As a reminder, students may only have water in their classroom water bottles. Sports drinks, sodas, flavored drinks, and other beverages are not permitted in the classroom.This helps us follow HCPSS Policy 9090 while keeping our learning environments clean, safe, and mess-free.We appreciate your support in sending your child to school with water only. If a student arrives in the classroom with an open beverage that is not water, they will be asked to dispose of the item in the trash.Thank you for your partnership and support.
Talking Points
In addition to School Messenger. RBES will continue to use TalkingPoints to help families and staff stay connected throughout the school year. You’ll begin receiving messages from the administrative team and your child’s teachers in the coming days. Simply save the numbers in your contacts so you can easily recognize messages and respond whenever you have something to share.
With TalkingPoints, families can:
Receive important school updates directly on their phones.
Message teachers and staff with questions, ideas, or concerns.
Receive messages in their preferred language based on HCPSS Synergy information.
Download the TalkingPoints app for additional features.
School Wide Title I Program
Running Brook is a Title I School wide Program school. Title I is a federally funded program designed to close achievement gaps and ensure all children have an opportunity to access a high-quality education by providing funding for supplemental academic services and supports.
Jodi Aikens | Title I Teacher | Jodi_Aikens@hcpss.org
Chelsea Berube| Title I Teacher | Chelsea_Berube@hcpss.org
Lisa Goldberg | Title I Teacher | Lisa_Goldberg@hcpss.org
Shayla Bright| Community School Coordinator| Shayla_Bright@hcpss.org
Jane Hartlove | Family and Community Liaison | Jane_Hartlove@hcpss.org