Lutherville Lab Report

Lutherville Families,

I hope everyone had a joyous and rejuvenating Thanksgiving holiday and break and were able to connect with loved ones.

Here at school, we are moving right on through the second marking period -- today marks the halfway point of the quarter. Teachers and students are in stride and, if you can believe it, we are 3/8ths through the school year! Students and staff are hard at work making strides to gain skills and understanding each and every day.

We also had our first day with a weather-impacted schedule this year. We want to ensure that all community members are receiving the alerts coming directly from BCPS. If you did not receive a text update on Monday evening, you can sign up for those by texting "Y" or "Yes" to 67587. Alternatively, you can follow BCPS Social Media or access a number of other options, provided here.

As we move into and through December, this can be a particularly stressful month for families. One of the newsletters we received had the attached resource that may have helpful ideas and reminders as we move through the month.

In partnership,

-Mr. McComb

Our 5th Graders enjoyed a fantastic field trip to Towson University to attend a STEM Fair and Towson University Women's basketball game!

December 15 - 19 -- Spirit Week!

December 16 - Winter Concert (5th), 7pm

December 23 - Full Day of School

December 24 - School Closed, Winter Break begins

January 5 -- Schools Reopen

January 13 -- Lego Night!

Volunteers and visitors are both vital to our operations and events here at school, but there is a big and important difference in the role. While visitors focus on experiencing something alongside only their own children, or viewing an event in which their children are participating, volunteers directly engage students other than their own, and as such must complete volunteer training annually and be on the approved list prior to the event. This process can take time after submissions, which is why we have been encouraging completion since August and must be submitted at least one week prior to events.

The Process:

1) Complete the Orientation Video and receive your certificate.

2) Complete the Volunteer Application, attaching your certificate.

3) Await receipt of your approval via email.

Volunteers:

• Play a role at class parties
• Have a role at class picnics
• Run a station at Sports Day
• Run a station at Colonial Day (5th)
• Chaperone children on field trips

Visitors:

• Observe learning at American Education Week
• Appear as a mystery reader
• Present at Career Day
• Attend Kindergarten Celebration
• Attend 5th Grade Farewell
• Attend a class party or picnic to celebrate with your child.

The distinction -- if you are attending an event in which you'll be working with or supervising children other than your own, then volunteer training must be completed. Teachers may only select folks for these roles from approved volunteers, so it is recommended that you not wait until something comes around that you would like to volunteer for; other eager parents who are approved volunteers may be ready to pounce on that opportunity while you are awaiting approval.

As we prepare for the upcoming December winter break, we want to share how grateful we are for each of you. Together, we have worked to establish routines of showing up to school and create a school community for everyone.

We know the winter season is busy, and we appreciate your efforts to support good attendance. Our teachers will be teaching, and our students will be learning right up until vacation starts on December 24th and the first day back on January 5th.

Additionally, we are in the season where weather may impact schedules. Please have your backup plans in place to support your child still attending school when we have a late opening or getting home safely with any potential early closure. Some community members have success using neighbors or family members to make sure students can still get to the bus or get home, if they have work conflicts that don't allow them to personally change schedule.

Friday, December 5, 2025, marks the midpoint, or interim, of the second marking period. Students and families are asked to check student progress and current levels of performance by logging in to Schoology. Directions for creating a myBCPS account for parent/caregiver access to Focus and Schoology can be found online. As a reminder, parents/caregivers are encouraged to review the grade and attendance reports that are sent every Friday via Focus and Schoology and connect with your child’s school for any needed support.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your child’s teacher or school administration for assistance.

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) has identified several resources for families:

· Parents/guardians can identify a “standby guardian” to care for their child if they are detained or deported, by completing this Maryland Judiciary form and providing a copy to schools, health care providers, and family members.

Families trying to locate someone who has already been detained, may use the

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainee locator.

• Legal assistance is available from a variety of sources, including immigration lawyers in private practice, accredited representatives (non-attorneys who assist individuals in immigration proceedings), and legal-aid organizations:
• The People’s Law Library of Maryland Immigration Advocates Network
• Immigration Advocates Network
• Several immigration organizations have provided guidance related to preparing for and/or responding to immigration action.
• Family Preparedness Plans – Michigan Immigration Rights Center
• ACLU
• Immigrant Resource Center
• USAHello

In the December 3rd Community Message, BCPS shared information about the school system's budgeting process, general appropriations of funds, and another challenging budget cycle forecasted ahead.

Maryland Holiday Light Spectacular @ the Timonium Fairgrounds - Please use discount code LLAB10 to save 10% off your ticket purchase AND another 10% is donated to the Lutherville Lab PTA. Feel free to share the code with anyone you know. Visit https://mdholidaylights.com/ to purchase tickets and get more details.

LL PTA General Body Meeting 1/8/26- Please save the date to join us on January 8, 2026 four our next General Body meeting to discuss and plan for our 2026 events and initiatives.

Upcoming events:

12/5/2025 - Young Entrepreneur Kick Off is today! A special thank you to Chesapeake Employers Insurance for their generous donation to support this event and initiative.

More about the Young Entrepreneur Initiative (YEI): Entrepreneurship may sound like a big word, but at its heart it’s about skills that matter for every child’s future—creativity, innovation, problem solving, motivation, communication and more. These are life skills that help students thrive in school, at home, and in any career path they choose.

Our Young Entrepreneur Initiative is a series of five engaging events designed to bring these concepts to life:

• Kick-Off Event (12/5/2025 during school): All students will explore entrepreneurial ideas through hands-on activities that spark curiosity and creativity.
• Three After-School Workshops (winter 2026): Small-group sessions where students dive deeper into entrepreneurial skills, practice problem-solving, and learn how to turn ideas into action.
• Lutherville Community Entrepreneur Fair (3/22/2026 1-4pm): The culminating event where students step into the role of entrepreneurs. They’ll showcase their work alongside local businesses, gaining real-world experience while celebrating the spirit of our community.

This initiative is about empowering students to think creatively, work collaboratively, and build confidence in their own ideas. By connecting families, teachers, and local businesses, we’re creating a vibrant learning experience that strengthens both our children and our community.

If you are able to volunteer to help with planning or assisting with the YEI events in 2026, please email LuthervilleLabPTA@gmail.com or DQuinn16@gmail.com.

Read-A-Thon Awards - Thank you to all the families and faculties who helped make this year's Read-A-Thon a success. If you are interested in helping serve hot chocolate/ apple cider to our Leopards for our $10k reward, please contact LuthervilleLabPTA@gmail.com. Grade level winners will also be recognized on that day. Our Pie The Principal winners will pie Mr. McComb on 12/15 and 12/16.

Thank you to David Ross Orthodontics, who generously donated awards for top fundraisers and the top participating homeroom.

LEGO night - 1/13/2026 - Please see the attached flyer for more details about Lego night! Perhaps a Lego set as a holiday gift may be the perfect set to build among friends in the New Year!

Book Drive: January 2026 - Please also see attached flyer for more details. Our Book Drive precedes our Book Fair to ensure that every single student receives a new book of their choice in February.

Please find previous Lab Reports via the following links:

Nov 7, 21

Oct 3, 17
Sept 5, 19
Aug 22

June 13th, 2025 (with links to 24-25 Lab Reports)

June 7th, 2024 (with links to 23-24 Lab Reports)

June 9th, 2023 (with links to 22-23 Lab Reports)

June 17th, 2022 (with links to 21-22 Lab Reports)

Website: https://luthervillees.bcps.org/
Location: 1700 York Road, Lutherville-Timonium, MD, USA
Phone: 443-809-7800
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LuthervillePTA/
Twitter: @LuthervilleLab