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

For another language, click "Translate Newsletter" tab and select the language of choice at the top of this page.

Spanish

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Korean

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Chinese

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Urdu

دوسری زبانوں کے لئے ، نیوزلیٹر کا ترجمہ کریں پر کلک کریں اور اپنی پسند کی زبان کا انتخاب کریں۔

October

• 31 - Schools Close 3 Hours Early - Professional Work Day, End of 1st Quarter

November

• 2 - Daylight Saving Time Ends
• 4-7 - Candy for the Courageous - See Info Below
• 5 - PTA Meeting, 7:00 p.m.
• 7 - Parent/Teacher Conference Scheduling Window Opens
• 10 - Q1 Report Cards Issued in HCPSS Connect
• 11 - Veterans Day - Wear Red, White, and Blue!
• 12 - Schools Close 3 Hours Early, 12:55 p.m. - Professional Learning / Work & Wellness Day
• 13 - School Picture Make-Up Day
• 13 - World Kindness Day - Hats off to Kindness! Wear your favorite hat or something with kind messages on it
• 17-21 - American Education Week
• 19 - PTA Restaurant Night at Ledo Pizza (Clarksville)
• 20 - Parent/Teacher Conference Scheduling Window Closes
• 24 - Schools Close 3 Hours Early, 12:55 p.m. - Parent/Teacher Conferences
• 25 - Schools Close 3 Hours Early, 12:55 p.m. - Parent/Teacher Conferences
• 26 - Schools Closed for Students - Parent/Teacher Conferences
• 27 & 28 - Schools and Offices Closed, Thanksgiving

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

There will be no printed 2025-2026 calendars. Staff, students, and families may add our online calendar to their own mobile/online calendar by

1. Going to https://www.hcpss.org/calendar/
2. Scrolling down to Subscribing to a Calendar
3. Right-clicking on the calendar you wish to subscribe to
4. Selecting Copy Link Location/Address/Shortcut
5. Adding to your calendar of choice (See your calendar for specifics on adding a new calendar)

You also may view and/or download printable PDFs of the full calendar and/or important dates only. Updates to the PDFs will be noted on the HCPSS calendar page.

PLEASE NOTE! The calendar is subject to change. The online calendar reflects the most recent version.

Calendars in Spanish, Chinese, and Korean

西班牙语日历

스페인어로 된 달력

Dear Families,

Today is the end of the first quarter! Report cards will be available to be viewed at hcpss.org/connect starting on November 10th at 4pm. In addition, we will hold Parent/Teacher Conferences on Monday, November 24th, Tuesday, November 25th, and Wednesday, November 26th. More information about scheduling conferences can be found here. We look forward to conferencing with you!

Thank you!

Michelle Leader, Principal

Jaime Gittleson, Assistant Principal

Each year, families update/complete their child's Family File with all emergency information. Please be sure to update your information when anything changes. We appreciate your assistance!

https://www.hcpss.org/connect/

Quick Reference Guide

The HCPSS participates in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs. Students from households that meet federal income guidelines are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals. 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. Those eligible for Free and Reduced Meals receive both breakfast and lunch for free.

Parents/guardians must submit a new application every school year to maintain their student’s eligibility. Click the button below to apply.

HCPSS is not offering flu or Covid vaccine clinics during school hours this year. Here is a list of other opportunities for the vaccines.

Health Services information can be found online and will be continually updated. All students, staff and visitors should perform daily health checks and may not enter an HCPSS bus or building if they exhibit any signs of a communicable disease. Details, including infection control protocols for communicable diseases like COVID-19, are available online.

If your child will be attending school with a brace, sling, crutches, or cast, or needs to be excused from P.E. for more than three days, please provide a doctor's note to the School Nurse, at jessica_schrumm@hcpss.org

Please do not send medication to school with your child. If you plan to keep prescription or over-the-counter medication in the Health Room this school year, an adult must bring it to the Health Room with the HCPSS medication form signed by a health care provider. Thank you.

The Health Department will not be administering the flu shot at schools this year. Below is a list of other opportunities for getting the flu shot.

Sun. Nov. 2

Sat. Nov. 15

Sun. Nov. 16

Walk-ups are accepted at all Health Department flu clinic events. No pre-registration is required. Additional dates for walk-up flu vaccination at the Health Department will be announced later in the fall.

The Howard County Health Department will offer FREE flu shots at various community events this fall. Below please find more information about the flu vaccines available: https://www.howardcountymd.gov/health/seasonal-flu

• Many local healthcare providers and pharmacies also have flu and other fall respiratory vaccines available. Contact your preferred location directly for more information.

Registration opened this week for Battle of the Books. Registration closes on November 3rd or when we reach capacity. Please see the link below for more information and the registration links. If you have questions, feel free to email our Media Specialist, Anna Chou, at anna_chou@hcpss.org.

Battle of the Books Info

The Howard County Literacy Association invites students in grades 1-5 to submit their original poems and/or short stories to the annual writing contest called The Young Authors' Contest. Please see the attached Young Authors’ Contest Guidelines for information about the rules and guidelines. Stories and poems must be typed and saved as a Word Doc or Googledoc. All entries must have a completed YAC Cover Sheet sent as a PDF. Submissions may be emailed to Stephanie Pazornick, CCES Reading Specialist, at stephanie_pazornick@hcpss.org by December 1, 2025. Contact Stephanie Pazornick with any questions. All Young Authors’ Contest information can be found on the HCLA website.

Howard County Literacy Association welcomes parents as members. Visit the HCLA Welcome Page for information about joining.

This fall HCPSS is offering SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) parent groups for parents of HCPSS students experiencing anxiety. More info at the link below.

https://news.hcpss.org/news-posts/2025/09/hcpss-to-offer-training-program-for-parents-guardians-of-anxious-students/

Please note, any change of residency/address must be reported through Family File within 10 school days of the move. Current residency documentation must be provided to the school each time residency changes. Also, please call the office so we can assist you with navigating how your child might remain at CCES for the duration of the school year.

Parenting Classes: Free! On Zoom and open to parents, guardians and grandparents residing in HoCo or with school-age children/grandchildren residing in HoCo. Evidence-based, interactive prevention program that provides families with the skills and knowledge to reduce the risk that their children will use drugs and alcohol or engage in other dangerous behaviors. The curriculum was written for families with children 9-14 years old, but it is appropriate for K-12 families. Class dates: November 11, 13, 18, 20 and December 2 from Noon to 1:30 p.m. on Zoom. Visit HC DrugFree’s website for more information and register at https://tinyurl.com/GGC-Fall2025

Free Newsletter: Stay up to date with HC DrugFree's free events offering Community Service Hours to HoCo students, resources, and a variety of substance use and behavioral health information! Sign up for HC DrugFree's free digital newsletter: https://hcdrugfree.org/enews-signup/

Our next PTA membership meeting is this coming Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 7pm in the Media Center and on Zoom. During the meeting we will have the opportunity for community Q+A with our HCPSS Board of Education District 4 Representative Jen Mallo on the ongoing boundary review process. Board Member Mallo will provide a short briefing on where we stand with the review process, and then participate in 20 minutes of Q+A with families. We are asking that families please submit questions ahead of time via this google form. We will wrap up our conversation with Ms. Mallo by 7:40 and then continue with our PTA meeting agenda. Please visit the PTA website for the meeting agenda and Zoom link.

The best and easiest way to support the PTA is through your membership dues. Remember, PTA membership is annual and must be renewed each year. Thank you for supporting our PTA by becoming a member today! bit.ly/ccesPTA

Get ready to fall in love with READING! Our annual Read-A-Thon kicks off next week on Oct. 21. This annual initiative helps our students find joy in reading while also raising money for our school. Our primary goal is to get kids reading - on their own, with their family, with a sibling or even with a pet! All types of reading counts- reading to your student, having them read to you, or reading together as a family. This step-by-step guide includes details on how to register your student, track minutes, and collect donations. Be sure to track your student’s minutes read. The classes with the most minutes read will win a popcorn party!

Our PTA Holiday Shop is coming up the week following Thanksgiving!! This kid favorite generates huge excitement among our students each holiday season! It's a wonderful opportunity for kids (CCES students & their siblings) to shop for the holiday that's special to their family and choose gifts for their loved ones - for Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, or New Year - or just for fun!

We also need plenty of volunteers to help run the shop! Sign up here to help https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0D4AAEAD29ABFE3-60066444-cces

The Shop will run over 3 consecutive afternoons after school - Tuesday December 2nd to Thursday December 4th. Gifts will range in price from 50 cents to $20, with the vast majority of gifts costing less than $5 each. Don't forget we are collecting donations of new or like-new small gift items to supplement our inventory for this year’s holiday shop ✨⛄️🎁 So many of us have items lying around the house that our kids have lost interest in - but are still in perfect condition! What a great opportunity to clear stuff out of your house!! It could be kids' toys, activities, jewelry, or stuff for adults - really any item a child might like to give to a loved one for the holidays! Send items in (or drop them in) to the front office at school marked "holiday shop". If you are coming in-person to conferences on Monday 11/25, what a perfect opportunity to drop off items then!!

Alternatively, if you'd prefer to make a donation of new items to our Shop , check out our Amazon wishlist here: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2STYDZSERJ55P?ref=cm_sw_em_r_un_un_8leYpYgO6ag6H

Holiday Shop is fun for our kids and a fundraiser for our PTA - all profits go straight back into enrichments, events and activities for our wonderful CCES students!

🎒 We’re officially BOOKED on baggers for Backpack Bundles through the rest of the year — wow!! 🙌 A massive THANK YOU to all the scout troops, sports teams, and incredible parent volunteers who showed up and made this initiative shine. Your support means the world! 💙 But the mission isn’t over. If you’ve been wanting to get involved, there’s still a way to make a big impact:

🛒 Shop our Amazon Wish List

💸 Make a monetary donation

🛒 You can support Backpack Bundles by dropping off shelf-stable food items in the school lobby! Each year, the need grows every donation helps us keep students nourished and ready to learn. 💙 Let’s keep the momentum going and continue supporting our school and community together!

💪 #BackpackBundles #CommunityStrong

Science Olympiad is coming to Clemens Crossing again! Available to Students in grades 3-5. They will be meeting on alternate Tuesdays Starting November 4. Competition is likely to be Saturday May 2.

Please fill it this form if your student is interested. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe4mitPslQGhib-YrIGTpEv-pdq8iIMYL3KNUTOQnqXHdPLPw/viewform?usp=header

The Young People's Concerts will be held this Saturday, November 1st at the Jim Rouse Theater at Wilde Lake High School at 10:30am and 1:00pm. Here is the link to order tickets!

Once your kids have recovered from all the Halloween excitement on Friday night, come out and join Pack 618 in the CCES fields on Saturday at our annual Rocket Launch, where we have a blast (get it?) sending home-made, or at least home-put-together, cardboard and plastic rockets high high high in the sky! You can come and watch even if you don't have a rocket to shoot off! Next weekend you can find our scouts marching in the Veterans Day parade on 11/9 starting in the Merriweather District, and then the Saturday before Thanksgiving we're thankful to have a campfire full of songs, skits, and jokes. It's not too late to join: we welcome all children in Kindergarten - 5th grade. If this sounds like something you want your kid to be a part of, email us at Cubmaster@pack618md.com or visit our website at www.pack618md.com.