Owl Observer News

We had another fantastic week here at Duckett’s Lane! Two of our grades were able to head out on field trips filled with fun and learning, and our PTA hosted yet another wonderful Donuts with Dudes event—thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make it such a success! 🍩

🍁 The fall weather has certainly arrived, and with it, the layers! Please be sure to label your child’s jackets and sweatshirts with their first and last names, as many end up in our growing Lost and Found when students leave them behind after recess or lunch.

Inside this week’s newsletter, you’ll find helpful tips for practicing math at home, reminders about completing your Family File and Title I Form (which help determine our funding for next year), and important upcoming dates. Your time and partnership in keeping these forms up to date truly make a difference for our school community.

🎃 PTA Trunk or Treat Candy Donations Needed! 🍬

We’re excited to share that our school now has a “Monster” Donation Box ready and waiting to be fed with unopened candy donations for our annual Trunk or Treat event! The box is located in the front vestibule, so families can easily drop off donations during arrival, dismissal, or any time you visit the school.

If stopping by in person isn’t convenient, don’t worry—you can still participate! Simply send in your candy donation with your child. Please place the candy in a sealed bag and clearly label it “Trunk or Treat Donation Box.” This ensures that teachers know where it belongs and can place it safely into the Monster Box on your behalf.

Your contributions help make Trunk or Treat a fun, community-centered event for all our students. Each piece of candy you donate helps fill the “Monster’s belly” and brings joy to hundreds of little ghouls and goblins! 👻 Thank you for helping PTA create a festive, memory-filled event for our DLES community!

📅 Reminder: There is no school on Monday—wishing a joyful and bright Diwali to all our families who celebrate! 🌟 May this Festival of Lights bring happiness, peace, and prosperity to your homes and hearts. 💫

Enjoy the long weekend, and we’ll see everyone back on Tuesday, ready for another great week at DLES! 💙
Our time is now. #WeAreDucketts
Proudly Partnering with You,
Mrs. Caroland, Mrs. Van Osdel, Mrs. Poquette

Friday, October 17th: School is Closed for All Students

Monday, October 20th: School is Closed for All Students

Tuesday, October 21st: PTA Meeting 6:00pm

Monday, October 27th: Coffee & Conversation RSVP HERE

Friday, October 31st: Students are dismissed at 12:15-no preschool classes

Individual student pictures were sent home with students in yesterday's Thursday folders. Please see the attached flier on how to order pictures. *Student last name and Student ID number will be required for data security.*

Tuesday, October 21st: Disney and Superhero Day-dress as your favorite disney or superhero

Friday, October 24th: Wild Hair Day-wild and wacky hair

Monday, October 27th: Wear the Words-wear clothes with words

Friday, October 31st: Wear the Numbers-wear clothes with numbers

We hope you and your student(s) have been enjoying the weather, getting outside being active as we enter the colorful fall season. We’ve had a fun and active September in P.E., and we hope your student has been sharing some of the exciting things we’ve been doing. If not, this is a great time to ask them about what they’ve learned!

We just wrapped up our Throwing and Tossing Unit. With our K–1 students practicing their underhand toss, aiming at low, medium, and high targets, with accuracy and at different distances.

2–5 students explored both underhand tossing and overhand throwing, learning the differences between the two and how using the right body mechanics helps improve both force and accuracy. Ask them to show you what they’ve learned— and don’t forget to check if they step with their opposite foot!

This past week we started our locomotor and Fitness Unit. K–1 students will be working on locomotor movements and learning fun ways to explore these fundamental skills. 2–5 students will be focusing on fitness concepts and how staying active helps us stay strong and healthy.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership as we strive to create great experiences in P.E. at DLES.

The P.E. Department

Mr. Anderson & Mr. Abramson
#WEAREDUCKETTS

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.

You may be missing out on Talking Point text messages

Did you know that without this being done, students are not allowed to attend a field trip? It's true, complete this task today!

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 File are available online.

Click Below to Update Now!

HCPSS participates in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs, which provide families with significant benefits to help save money. 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.

Free and Reduced Meals eligibility provides discounts for summer programs, SAT, recreation programs, Maryland Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and internet programs. FARMs eligibility can also provide our school with much needed Federal funding.

Families must submit a new application every school year

How to Apply

Please submit only one application per household. We will host some events later in the month for families that need computer or language assistance to apply online. Be on the look out for more information.

Online Applications for the 2025-2026 School Year are available on the new LINQ Connect website. Just click on the button below.

Singing songs is one fun way to help our memory. Here are a couple of fun songs to play and sing along with that may help with remembering some of our math skills.

Click here to listen to a song to help skip count by 2s and a little multiplication thrown in at the end.

Click here to listen to a song to remember the rules of the commutative property.

Click here to listen to a song of our basic facts for addition.

Click here to listen to a multiplication mash up to help with skip counting to remember your facts

Number Concepts Vocabulary

• Number: a word, symbol, or figure that represents a quantity
• Place Value: the value of the place of the digit in a number
• Digit: a symbol used to show a number
• Greater: bigger, more
• Less: smaller, fewer
• Equal: (=) having the same value or amount
• Cardinality: the number of items in a set
• Greater Than: (>) a symbol used to compare two numbers, with the greater number listed first (Example: 8 > 6)
• Less Than: (<) a symbol used to compare two numbers, with the lesser number given first (Example: 6 < 9)
• Add: to join together sets to find the total or sum
• Sum: the answer to an addition problem (Example: in 2 + 3 = 5, 5 is the sum)
• Subtract: to find the difference when two groups are compared or to find out how many are left when items are taken away from a group
• Difference: the answer to a subtraction or comparison problem (in 8 – 3 = 5, 5 is the difference)
• Addition: to join two or more groups (Example: 2 + 3 = 5)
• Addend: a number that is added to another in an addition problem (Example: in 2 + 3 = 5, 2 and 3 are addends.

Number Concepts Activities for Primary Grades

• Count objects such as jellybeans in a bowl, pennies in a jar, cheerios in a baggie, etc.
• Find numbers in newspapers, magazines, or on items around the house.
• Put different items into groups and talk about which group has more or less items using the terms greater than and less than.
• Practice counting with your student while doing various activities-driving in the car, jumping rope, waiting in line at a store, etc. Challenge your child to start counting at a given number, such as 13 or 28.
• 1st & 2nd grade-Practice counting forwards and backwards starting at any given number within 120 while doing various activities-driving in the car, jumping rope, waiting in line at a store, etc.

Whole Number Activities for Intermediate Grades

• Locate numbers in catalogs or newspapers, then practice rounding them to the nearest tens and hundreds.
• Make numbers and tell which place value (and/or value) each digit represents.
• Place several three-digit numbers correctly on a number line.
• Collect objects (i.e. Cheerios) and estimate how many.
• Draw pictures and make models of numbers.
• 3rd Grade-Practice addition and subtraction facts
• 4th Grade-Practice basic addition, subtraction, and multiplication
  
• 5th Grade- Practice basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts

🎃 Trunk or Treat

Get ready for a frightfully fun time at our 5th Annual Trunk or Treat on Saturday, October 25th from 4:00–5:00 PM!

Want to join the fun behind the scenes? If you’d like to decorate your trunk, pass out candy, or volunteer, sign up here.

Not a member yet? Join the DLES PTA today at https://duckettspta.givebacks.com/store! 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.

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

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