Owl Observer News

We truly enjoyed welcoming so many parents and family members into our classrooms during American Education Week. Your presence and partnership mean a great deal to us and to your children.

It has been a wonderful week of learning and connection here at school, and it’s hard to believe that Fall Parent–Teacher Conferences are already upon us. As a reminder, students will be dismissed at 12:15 PM on Monday and Tuesday for conferences, and there will be no school next Wednesday through Friday. We look forward to welcoming students back when school reopens on Monday, December 1st.

While you are here on Monday for conferences, please stop by the cafeteria to pick up helpful resources to support reading and math practice at home. Additionally, our Lost and Found table is very full—please take a moment to check for any missing items. At the end of the day on Tuesday, any unclaimed belongings will be donated.

Related Arts Open Conference Hours

For families who were not able to schedule an individual conference with a Related Arts teacher, the team will be offering open hours where you can stop in to ask questions:

Monday

• Ms. Jean-Louis: 2:00–3:00 PM

• Ms. McAfee: 5:00–6:00 PM

• Ms. Mellendick, Ms. Breskey, Ms. Abrams, Ms. Melvin, Mr. Abramson, Mr. Anderson: 6:00–7:00 PM

Tuesday

• Ms. Eng: Open hour link sent via Canvas — available 6:00–7:00 PM

We appreciate your continued partnership and look forward to connecting with many of you during conferences. Thank you for all you do to support your child’s learning and our school community.

As you can see from the data below, we are still working to improve our attendance rates, with Fridays and Mondays continuing to show the highest number of absences. However, we are happy to share some great news—your collective support helped us improve our November attendance rate compared to last year! This means more students are learning firsthand, connecting with one another, and creating meaningful memories every day.

To keep that momentum going into December, we’ve planned fun student spirit days every Monday and a schoolwide attendance competition. All students need to do is come to school! Any grade level that earns 100% attendance (including excused absences) on Fridays throughout December will win a Movie Matinee during lunch on Friday, January 9th.

What a fun way for our kids to compete, celebrate, and learn at the same time—and we know we can count on your support to help make it happen!

This chart shows the percentage of students who were absent or tardy so far this school year, broken down by day of the week. The blue bars represent absences, while the green line represents tardies.

Monday, November 24th: Students are dismissed at 12:15-no preschool classes/In-Person Parent:Teacher Conference

Tuesday, November 25th: Students are dismissed at 12:15-no preschool classes/Virtual Parent:Teacher Conference

Wednesday, November 26th-Friday, November 28th: Schools Closed For Students

Monday, December 1st: Schools reopen from fall break

Wednesday, December 24th-Friday, January 2nd: Schools Closed for Winter Break

Delivery Notice: If you chose to ship your Joe Corbi's/ShopFund orders to DLES, those items will be delivered on Monday, November 24th. They will be available for pick-up on that day from around dismissal time until 7pm. Please be sure to stop by DLES to pick up your orders on this day as we do not have freezer space available to keep any orders that are not picked up.

Thank you for your support!

If you have any questions, please contact Jennifer Abramson at Jennifer_Abramson@hcpss.org or

410-313-5050.

As we head into our first break of the school year, we want to take a moment to acknowledge the fantastic work our students have done so far! We are so proud of their effort and resilience. We also want to bring your attention to the upcoming week, which includes two consecutive half days on Monday 11/24 and Tuesday 11/25.

The Value of Half Days

We recognize that half days can be challenging for family schedules, but these specific shortened days are crucial. They allow our dedicated teachers to meet one-on-one with you during family conferences to discuss your student’s progress and performance at their grade level.

However, our school data shows that half days are currently our least attended days this year. We know how quickly missed minutes add up, and reducing chronic absenteeism (missing just two days a month) is one of our top goals this year.

Tips for Success

Your partnership is essential! At our most recent Family-School Partnership meeting, community members shared some amazing, practical tips for successful attendance. One of the biggest takeaways was the power of routine.

Parents emphasized that sticking to a consistent daily and nightly routine—even on weekends and break days—helps students smoothly transition back to school mode. A predictable schedule supports both physical and emotional well-being, making it easier for students to be ready and present every morning.

We are committed to partnering with you, our community, to find ways we can better support your family. Please know that every single day your student attends school makes an impact on their learning and development.

Let's make sure our students finish the week strong and attend both important half days!

If you are experiencing any barriers that make attendance difficult, please reach out to me directly. We are here to support you.

Sincerely,

Mrs. De La Cruz-Van Natta Community Schools Site Coordinator

As we quickly approach the close of another month and look forward to the holidays, we hope you have heard some of the great things we have been learning in Physical Education. During the month of November, our PreK students continue to learn Locomotor Skills, levels, pathways, and moving in personal space.

Our k-5th graders have been working hard learning and demonstrating Soccer Skills/Striking with their feet. They have been actively dribbling, trapping, and passing balls and rings of different sizes and shapes using the inside of their foot with varying force and speeds while working independently, with partners and groups. If the weather permits, take some time to go out and pass a ball around with your young people so they can show off some of their skills. After the holiday break, going into December we will move on to our Dance & Jump rope unit.

We sincerely appreciate your continued support and partnership. Your involvement is invaluable, and we look forward to continuing this journey together.

The P.E. Department

Mr. Anderson & Mr. Abramson

#WEAREDUCKETTS

Our Winter Concerts are right around the corner! If your child is in Band, Orchestra or Chorus, please review the concert flyers linked below.

5th Grade Winter Concert - December 11, 2025 @ DLES

6:00pm Concert (students arrive at 5:30pm)

• 5th Grade Band

• 5th Grade Orchestra

• 5th Grade Chorus

4th Grade Winter Concert - December 17, 2025

6:00pm Concert (students arrive at 5:30pm)

• 4th Grade Orchestra

• 4th Grade Band

• 4th Grade Chorus

If your child is in need of a white shirt, black pants or black shoes please contact their music teacher. DLES has a small closet of donated concert clothes available for students in need.

Mrs. McKay (Orchestra) amanda_mckay@hcpss.org

Mr. Marsh (Band) josiah_marsh@hcpss.org

Ms. Abrams (4th Chorus) hana_abrams@hcpss.org

Ms. Eng (5th Chorus) taylor_eng@hcpss.org

If you have any concert clothes (shirt, pants/skirt, shoes) that no longer fit your child, please consider donating them to the DLES Concert Closet for another student to wear.

Supporting your child’s comfort with numbers at home has a powerful impact on their confidence and success in the classroom. When students build strong number sense and math fact fluency in everyday, low-pressure ways, they are better prepared to tackle new concepts and participate fully in learning.

1. Play Quick Math Games
Make math practice fun with short, playful games.

• Example: “Math War” using playing cards—flip two cards and race to add or multiply them.

• Example: Roll two dice and have your child add, subtract, or multiply the numbers.

2. Build Number Concepts Through Conversation
Talking about numbers helps strengthen understanding.

• Example: Ask, “What’s another way to make 10?” or “Is 42 closer to 40 or 50?”

• Example: Count up or down while walking, riding in the car, or waiting in line.

3. Use Household Objects for Hands-On Practice
Concrete materials help children visualize math.

• Example: Use pasta, buttons, or blocks to show addition, subtraction, or grouping.

• Example: Create simple arrays with snacks (like arranging crackers in rows).

4. Encourage Skip Counting & Patterns
These skills help with multiplication and number sense.

• Example: Skip count by 2s, 5s, or 10s while jumping, clapping, or tossing a ball.

• Example: Create patterns with colored objects and have your child extend them.

5. Try “Fact of the Week” Challenges
Focus on one fact family at a time.

• Example: Post the 7s multiplication facts on the fridge and practice all week.

• Example: Make a quick matching game for facts like 6 + 4, 4 + 6, and 10.

Show your DLES pride and let everyone know you’re part of one of the best school communities! Check out our new school spirit wear store—new weekly deals are added regularly, so be sure to check back often.

PTA Membership Raffle

Not a member yet? Join the DLES PTA today for your chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card! We'll have one lucky teacher/staff and one lucky family winner! Drawing will be held on 11/24. Sign up today at https://duckettspta.givebacks.com/

When you become a member, you are supporting the students and teachers at DLES, as well as the nation. Each voice makes the PTA louder when advocating for what they need.

Staff Conference Dinner

We’re excited to host a Staff Conference Dinner on November 24th to show our appreciation for all the hard work and dedication from the teachers and staff at DLES.

This year’s menu will include a fresh garden salad and a baked potato bar with all the fixings.

We’re asking for a few donations to help make the evening extra special. If you’d like to contribute, please sign up using this link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080549A8A92BAAFB6-59961816-staff

To stay up-to-date on all of our upcoming events, visit our website and Facebook page.

Book Fair

Get ready! The Scholastic Book Fair is coming to DLES from November 17th to November 24th! This is a wonderful opportunity for students and families to discover new books, build home libraries, and share the joy of reading.

We’re looking for volunteers to help make the Book Fair a success — from setup and sales to cleanup. If you can lend a hand, please be on the lookout for additional volunteer information!

Here's the link for the book fair or online shopping

https://www.scholastic.com/bf/duckettslaneelementary

Here is the sign up for volunteers to help out with the book fair.

https://tinyurl.com/3a4v6vym

We strive to be a school that actively partners with our students, staff, families, and surrounding community members. We welcome your feedback.

Please click on the Feedback Form to share your thoughts with how we can make DLES the best for everyone.

• Principal, Mrs. Caroland Molly_Caroland@hcpss.org

• Assistant Principal, Mrs. Van Osdel Amy_Van_Osdel@hcpss.org

• Leadership Intern, Mrs. Poquette Laurie_Poquette@hcpss.org

• Principal Secretary, Mrs. Canter Teresa_Canter@hcpss.org

• Registration Support, Secretary Ms. Lynette Carmen_Lynette@hcpss.org

• Attendance, Synergy and Family File Support, Secretary Mrs. Forman Julie_Forman@hcpss.org

• Synergy and Family File Support, Secretary Mrs. Haque Puna_Haque@hcpss.org

• Counselor Mr. Leisawitz Alexander_Leisawitz@hcpss.org

• Counselor Mrs. Barron Krista_Barron@hcpss.org

• Community School Coordinator Mrs. De La Cruz- Van Natta ndelacruzvannatta@hcpss.org