Panther Press
October 23, 2026
Message from the Administrators
Dear Running Brook Elementary Families,
Thank you to our 2nd and 4th grade families who were able to join us at our family learning events this Thursday. We had an amazing turn out! Our family school partnerships are critical and your support for learning at home will only increase our positive outcomes for learning! If you are unable to attend, but would still like to hear the information to get resources please contact your child’s teacher or a member of the Family Support Team.
We also want to give the RBES PTA, volunteers and families for celebrating our staff this week. We agree that the Panther Family is “APPLEsolutely” the best!
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.
Bus Evacuation Drill
On Thursday, October 22nd, our students and staff successfully completed our scheduled bus evacuation drill. These regular safety practice sessions ensure that our students know exactly what to do and how to exit safely and calmly in the event of an emergency. Everyone did a wonderful job listening to instructions and following safety protocols.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to Mr. Allen or Ms. Gittleson
Planning Ahead for Changes to Dismissal Plans - We Need Your Help!
We understand that dismissal plans sometimes change. However, last-minute changes, especially after midday, can be challenging for our front office staff and teachers who are actively teaching and supporting students.
If you know your child’s dismissal plans will change, please email the following staff members by 12:30 p.m.:
- Your child’s homeroom teacher
- Front office staff - Please emall all three secretaries
Need to make a last-minute change? After 3:00 p.m., please call the school directly at 410-313-6893 and speak with our office staff. Teachers may not be able to check their emails throughout the day, and a substitute may be covering the class. We cannot accommodate changes after 3:30 p.m.
A reminder about early dismissals: If your child needs to leave early, please plan to pick them up by 3:30 p.m. This gives our staff time to locate and prepare your child before school-wide dismissal begins and helps reduce congestion around our buses. Thank you for planning ahead and partnering with us to ensure a safe, smooth, and accurate dismissal for all students!
MAP Reports Are Available to be Viewed
Follow these directions to access your students’ Fall MAP score reports.
Celebrating Digital Citizenship Week!
This week (October 19–23) is Digital Citizenship Week, and our students are learning how to navigate the digital world safely, responsibly, and critically in technology class with Ms. Allen.
With technology—including AI—playing a bigger role in their lives every day, our lessons this week focus on helping students find a healthy balance. We are covering essential topics like protecting personal privacy, standing up against cyberbullying, and using critical thinking to spot misinformation and evaluate AI-generated content. Please read more at this link.
American Education Week is Coming Soon - Mark Your Calendar
RBES is excited to welcome families to American Education Week, November 16–20, 2026! This year, we invite families to join us on Monday, November 16, or Friday, November 20, for an opportunity to experience learning at RBES.
As you know, November Parent-Teacher Conferences primarily focus on English Language Arts (ELA), so we want to give families a snapshot of our School Improvement Plan work in mathematics and partner with you to best support our Panthers during American Education Week! During your visit, you will have the opportunity to observe grade-level math fluency practice as part of your child’s instructional block. You can then join our Math Team for a family learning session during your child’s recess, focused on building math confidence, fostering positive attitudes toward math, and exploring strategies to practice fluency at home. We hope you can join us for this special opportunity to connect with our school community and support your child’s learning! See all details, visiting requirements, and grade specific times at this link.
Parent-Teacher Conferences ~ Our Goal Is 100% Participation!
At Running Brook Elementary School (RBES), we value the partnership between families and teachers. Parent-teacher conferences are a wonderful opportunity to celebrate your child’s progress, discuss areas for growth, and work together to support their success. Our goal is 100% family participation!
Our first round of conferences will take place on November 23, 24, and 25. First-quarter conferences can be scheduled with your child’s ELA teacher. Please review the additional teacher assignments below.
Additional Teachers Who Are Available for Fall Conference.
Ms. Seigel: Grade 5 ELA families in November; Grade 4 ELA families in February.
Ms. Dobrusin: Grade 3 ELA families in November.
Ms. Rosas: Grade 5 GT Mathematics families in November; Grade 4 GT Mathematics families in February.
Ms. Goldberg: Grade 2 Mathematics families in November; Grade 3 Mathematics families in February.
Related Arts Team: Conference times are also available if you would like to schedule a meeting!
Conference Dates and Format
Please note which evenings are in-person and which are virtual.
Monday, November 23: All conferences will be held in person at RBES.
Tuesday, November 24: All conferences will be held virtually. A Google Meet link will be provided.
Wednesday, November 25: All conferences will be held virtually. A Google Meet link will be provided.
Teachers develop their conference schedules within a shared framework, with some flexibility to meet their individual classroom needs. As a result, conference schedules may vary by teacher. See all details at this link.
Howard County’s Toys for Tots!
Join County Executive Calvin Ball in Celebrating 11 Years of Toys for Tots! Interested families register now! Registration closes, Friday, October 30th! Family Registration Link.
Many HCPSS families may be eligible to receive benefits through the Free and Reduced Price Meals (FARMs) program.
Qualifying families can take advantage of a wide range of additional resources and discounts, including free college applications, free or reduced JumpStart dual enrollment tuition, discounted internet through the Comcast Internet Essentials program, and more.
Families must submit a new application every school year. During the first 30 school days, students with FARMs eligibility from the prior school year will continue to receive benefits. Any student whose family has not filled out an application by the 30th school day will have their status changed to full pay until a new application is received.
Parents/guardians are highly encouraged to fill out the applications as soon as possible. It is very important that applications are filled out accurately and completely. Apply online
📸 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! 💜✨
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
Help us make our Clothing Swap a welcoming experience for Running Brook families!
Clothing can be dropped off in the front office from 10/23 to 10/28, during school hours. Please bag and label donations if possible. In keeping with our mission of treating everyone with respect and dignity, we ask that all donations are clean and in very good or excellent condition.
We need volunteers to sort donations on 11/2 and assist with setup, welcoming families, organizing clothing, and cleanup on 11/7. Sign up for 1 block or several, every helping hand makes a difference.
We truly appreciate your generosity. Thank you!
