Rockburn Report

Hello Rockburn Families!!

Our year has started off wonderfully! The students are settling into their routines and come in ready to learn.

We look forward to seeing many of our families this week for our Back To School Nights! We can't wait for you to see all the learning that will be taking place throughout the year.

Back to School Nights

Monday, September 8 - GT 5:30pm. Grades 1,2,3. 6:00pm

Tuesday, September 9 - GT 5:30pm. Grades 4,5 6:00pm

*GT presentations are the same for both nights, no need to attend both

Please remember that tonight is the night to learn all about what your child will be learning in school. If you have any personal questions, please feel free to email the teacher or set up a time to talk privately. Thank you.

The MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) Fall testing window for Grade 1 opens on September 15th and Grades 2-5 September 22nd. The window runs until October 24th. The following are the testing dates for grade 1-5 for the Fall MAP Assessment. Students who miss the testing date will make-up testing another time within the window.

If you have any questions in regards to MAP Testing you can reach out to your child’s teacher or nicole_meyerson@hcpss.org.

Thank you for your continued support.

Get your Rockburn gear here! Happy Shopping!

RES Spirit wear

Parents/guardians must verify and/or update emergency information for each child every school year. This is completed online in Family File, which has several new updates including how and where to access. Full details on updating your Family FileLinks to an external site. are available online.

One exciting new feature is that families now can submit a change of address via Family File, rather than completing a separate form and sending to their school. Full directions and information for familiesLinks to an external site. on this new process can be found online.

The Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) is committed to providing a safe, engaging, and supportive school environment that fosters the social and emotional safety, dignity, and well-being of all students. HCPSS acknowledges the need for employees

1. to use an array of research-based positive behavior interventions, strategies, and a tiered system of supports to address student behaviors and keep students safe and free of harm

2. to minimize the practice of exclusion from the classroom environment

3. to minimize the use of physical restraint (which may only be used when necessary to protect a student or other person from imminent, serious, physical harm and only after other less intrusive, nonphysical interventions have failed or been determined inappropriate).

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It is the expectation of the Board that HCPSS employees will be knowledgeable of and implement proactive positive behavior interventions in an effort to reduce the need for exclusion or physical restraint.

Additional information can be found at HCPSS Policy 9400 - Student Behavior Intervention. If you have any questions regarding this policy or its implementation, please contact a school administrator.

8:45 to 3:15

Students may enter RES at 8:30 and are expected to be in their seats to start the day at 8:45am.

September

• 1 - Labor Day - Schools and Offices closed
• 3 - PTA Meeting, Media Center , 7:00 p.m.
• 8 - Back-to-School Night for 1st, 2nd & 3rd grades, 6:00 p.m. GT overview at 5:30pm
• 9 - Back-to-School Night for 4th & 5th grades, 6:00 p.m. GT overview at 5:30pm.
• 15 - National Hispanic-Latino Heritage Month begins
• 17 - 3 Hour Early Dismissal - School dismisses at 12:15
• 23 - Rosh Hashanah - Schools and Offices closed

Please join us on Thursday, September 18th from 10:30am-10pm at our first restaurant night at honeygrow located at 6131 Columbia Crossing Cir. Use code GIVE144 if ordering online or mention Rockburn PTA if buying in store.

Please join the PTA for the Back to School Celebration on Friday, September 19th from 6-8pm on the blacktop at RES. We will have tons of fun activities including a DJ, sports equipment, coloring, glow sticks, and Rocky himself! Dinner (Domino's or Jimmy John's) can be pre-purchased at https://tinyurl.com/Back2School-Celeb-Food-Order. Please note that you MUST pre-purchase your dinner before Wednesday, September 17th at noon. The Kona Ice Truck will be at RES that evening for snow cone purchases. Make sure to bring chairs or a blanket and drinks for an evening of fun!

Here are the top 5 things you missed at the September PTA Meeting:

1) The 2025-2026 Membership Drive has officially begun! Make sure to place your orders for any class wear t-shirts before Sept 17th if you would like your shirt in time for Walk to School Day. Shirts and membership can be purchased at https://rockburnpta.givebacks.com/shop

2) Join us for the Back to School Celebration on Friday, September 19th from 6-8pm on the RES Blacktop. Dinner can be pre-ordered at https://rockburnpta.givebacks.com/shop and must be purchased by Wednesday, September 17th at noon.

3) Mark your calendars for our first restaurant night on Thursday, September 18th at honeygrow from 10:30 am - 10 pm. Use code GIVE144 online or mention Rockburn PTA in store for a percentage of your order to be donated back to the PTA.

4) There are several ongoing ways that you can support the Rockburn PTA.

• Visit campaigns.mabelslabels.com and search for Rockburn Elementary PTA when ordering labels for your family.
• Use code FUNDRAISEROCKBURN at www.minted.com for any cards, invitations or more that you might need.
• Do you have clothes, shoes, bedding, towels or other textile items that you no longer need? What about stuffed animals? These can be bagged up and dropped off in our Clothing to Cash bin located at the top of the bus loop.

5) New this year, every other PTA meeting this year will be virtual. The September, November, January, March and May meetings will be at 7 pm in the RES Media Center. The October, December, February, and April meetings will be virtual. These will be at 7 pm. Use the link and password below to join the zoom meeting:

https://tinyurl.com/RESPTAMeetings

Password: 572034

The 2025-2026 PTA Membership Drive has begun. Your PTA contribution and membership helps fund many programs throughout the year such as Cultural Arts assemblies, Family Involvement events, Back to School Celebration, Fall Festival, Holiday Shop, Bingo Night, Movie Night, Sports Park NIght, 5th grade signature shirts, school gifts, staff appreciation, and enhancements to our recess and PE programs. All parents are encouraged to join the PTA.

You can pay your annual membership dues and order classwear t-shirts online via our MemberHub store (https://rockburnpta.givebacks.com/shop). You can also make a direct donation to the PTA there.

Choose “Bundle Membership” when purchasing your Rockburn PTA membership to get the best deal. This includes a PTA membership, no entrance fee to PTA events (October Fall Festival, February Bingo Night, and May Rockburn Sports Park Night) and ONE FREE CLASS WEAR T-SHIRT!

Additional classwear is $14 each. T-shirt colors are based on the grade. Your child will wear their class t-shirt at events like: Rocky Run, Field trips, Walk to School Day, etc.

All memberships include the traditional benefits of National PTA’s partners (see pta.org) and help to enrich our students, families and staff. Good through June 2026.

You can also download the membership form and mail it to the school (Attn: PTA Treasurer). The school address is 6145 Montgomery Rd, Elkridge, MD 21075. You can also send it in with your child and have them give it to their teacher.

Please mark your calendars with the following dates for our PTA meetings. This year, every other month will be virtual. Join us at 7 pm in the Rockburn Media Center for the September, November, January, March, and May meetings. Then, join us virtually at 7 pm for the October, December, February, and April meetings.