Centennial Lane Elementary:

Centennial Lane Elementary School

Mrs. Debra Anoff, Principal

Mrs. Siobhan Drumgoole, Assistant Principal

3825 Centennial Lane

Ellicott City, MD 21042

(410) 313-2800

(410) 313-2804 - Fax

(410) 313-1710 (Health Room)

Student Hours: 8:45a.m. - 3:15 p.m.

Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 3:45 p.m.

cles.hcpss.org

Dear Families,

We wanted to lift up this important message regarding our current school year calendar.

The Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) 2025-2026 school year calendar included three inclement weather makeup days, June 16–18. As of Feb. 26, HCPSS has used five inclement weather days and four late openings, resulting in high schools being two hours short of what is required in the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR).

At its February 26 meeting, the Howard County Board of Education approved calendar adjustments to ensure the school system meets the State’s required days and hours, including:

• Tuesday, March 3: Scheduled as an early dismissal, becomes a full day for students.
• Monday, April 6 (Easter Monday): Scheduled as schools/offices closed, becomes a full day for students. The State Board of Education granted HCPSS a waiver to open school that day.
• Wednesday, April 15: Scheduled to be closed for students and designated as a staff professional learning and work day, becomes a half-day for students with the standard 3-hour early dismissal and half work day for staff.
• Thursday, May 14: Scheduled as an early dismissal, becomes a full day for students.
• Tuesday, June 16-Thursday, June 18: Scheduled as inclement weather makeup days included in the 2025-2026 school year calendar, become half days for students.

Barring any additional inclement weather days, the last day of school will be Thursday, June 18, 2026. Updates to the June calendar include the following:

• Thursday, June 11–Monday, June 15: Scheduled as early dismissals, become full school days
• Monday, June 15: Last day for half day pre-K / RECC .
• Tuesday, June 16–Thursday, June 18 (last day of school): Schools dismiss three hours early with half work days for staff. June 16 will be designated for staff articulation.

Any future disruptions to the calendar due to inclement weather will require additional solutions to be communicated if/when needed.

An updated HCPSS online calendar is available now at www.hcpss.org/calendar. An updated PDF calendar will be available online by Friday, Feb. 27.

With Dolphin Pride,

Debra A. Anoff, Principal

Siobhan Drumgoole, Assistant Principal

February

• 28 -Yearbook orders AND 5th grade dedications are due (see below)

March

• 2-6 Kindergarten Registration for 26-27 School Year Opens
• 3 -Full Day of School -UPDATED
• 4-19 CLES Read-A-Thon Fundraiser-Information coming soon!
• 4-Ada Ari Signed Book Orders Due (see details below)
• 4-Scholastic Online Bookfair ends
• 9- Applications for PK for 26-27 School Year Opens
• 10-PTA Meeting
• 11-PTA Reflections Celebration
• 19-5th Gr. Panoramic Picture-Teachers will send home info closer to date.
• 20 - Professional Work & Development Day, schools closed

March 30th - April 5th- Spring Break, schools closed -UPDATED

April

• 7-School Reopen after Spring Break
• 15-Professional Work Day Schools Closed for Students

For another language, click "Translate Newsletter" tab and select the language of choice at the top of this page.

Spanish

Para otros idiomas, haga clic en Traducir Newsletter y elija el idioma que prefiera.

Korean

다른 언어의 경우 뉴스 레터 번역을 클릭하고 원하는 언어를 선택합니다.

Chinese

对于其他语言，请单击翻译新闻通讯，然后选择所需的语言。

Urdu

دوسری زبانوں کے لئے ، نیوزلیٹر کا ترجمہ کریں پر کلک کریں اور اپنی پسند کی زبان کا انتخاب کریں۔

There will be no printed 2025-2026 calendars. Staff, students, and families may add our online calendar to their own mobile/online calendar by

1. Going to https://www.hcpss.org/calendar/
2. Scrolling down to Subscribing to a Calendar
3. Right-clicking on the calendar you wish to subscribe to
4. Selecting Copy Link Location/Address/Shortcut
5. Adding to your calendar of choice (See your calendar for specifics on adding a new calendar)

You also may view and/or download printable PDFs of the full calendar and/or important dates only. Updates to the PDFs will be noted on the HCPSS calendar page.

PLEASE NOTE! The calendar is subject to change. The online calendar reflects the most recent version.

Calendars in Spanish, Chinese, and Korean

西班牙语日历

스페인어로 된 달력

Next week, March 2–6, we will celebrate National School Social Work Week, a time dedicated to recognizing and appreciating the important role school social workers play in supporting student well-being and academic success.

At Centennial Lane Elementary School, we are fortunate to have an outstanding social worker. Ms. Rachel Clark serves as an essential link between home, school, and the community. She work closely with students, families, and staff to address barriers to learning, support students’ mental health, and help ensure that every child has the resources and encouragement needed to thrive both socially and academically.

Ms. Clark's compassion, expertise, and dedication makes a meaningful difference in the lives of our students every day. We invite our school community to join us in recognizing her hard work by sending a note or email of appreciation during the week.

Thank you for partnering with us to celebrate and support the individuals who help make Centennial Lane Elementary such a caring and supportive place for all students.

Registration for the 2026-2027 school year begins Monday, March 2, 2026. Parents/Guardians of children who will be five on or before September 1, 2026, must enroll their children in kindergarten for the 2026-2027 school year.

Current HCPSS prekindergarten students do not need to register for kindergarten.

Please visit www.hcpss.org/enroll/. to begin the enrollment process.

Brainfuse HelpNow is now available 24/7 for all library users, expanding access beyond the previous 2 p.m.–midnight live tutoring hours. This means students and caregivers can connect with live online tutoring and academic support anytime that fits their schedule. Brainfuse HelpNow is available on the HCLS website, and video and written instructions on how to use the resource are available here. First-time users will need to create a username and password.

Our Read-A-Thon Fundraiser begins March 4th! Next week we will be sharing information about how to participate in the Read-A-Thon including exciting incentives that students and classes can earn.

Biz Kidz Academy Celebrate Your Talents! This engaging opportunity invites students ages 8–14 to submit a short essay or video showcasing a creative talent or business idea, or to participate as vendor exhibitors to pitch and sell their products and services. Participants can win prizes such as laptops, gift cards, art supplies, and trophies; entries and registrations are due by March 31, with an awards ceremony on April 25. See this flyerLinks to an external site. for details.

The Gifted and Talented (G/T) Summer Institutes for Talent Development offers additional advanced-level instruction and enrichment experiences not regularly available during the academic school year for students entering grades 1-8. Rigorous instruction focusing on talent development is offered in mathematics, science, social studies, language arts, technology, and fine arts.

No testing nor prior G/T coursework is required for enrollment in these enrichment offerings.

Location: Burleigh Manor Middle School

Session 1: June 29 - July 10 (no class July 3)

NOTE: The G/T Summer Institutes will offer one 2-week session for Summer 2026.

Hours: 8 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Cost: $470 per session (Financial assistance is available for students participating in the Free and Reduced Meal Program.)

While the program is half-day, after care is available on site via Howard County Recreation and Parks. Snack is provided.

A few highlights ---

• Bus transportation to area collector stops!

• Exciting courses in Humanities, STEM, and the Arts!

Registration is now open for families of HCPSS students through HCPSS Connect. The first registration request window will close on February 27 at 12 p.m.

For more information on how to register, please see this registration guide.

• G/T Course Listing

  
  

Contact: GTSummer@hcpss.org or 410-313-6671

HCPSS families are invited to save the date for the 2026 Family Academy Conference on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, from 6:00–8:30 pm at Long Reach High School. Families can look forward to a light dinner, a community resource fair, and interactive workshops focused on academic achievement, well-being, and family engagement. Workshop topics will include college and career readiness, special education supports, curriculum updates, hands-on learning strategies for use at home, and more. For more information, visit HCPSS News.

As a reminder, for the safety and security of our students and staff, all visitors must sign in at the Sign-In computer located in the front lobby using a government-issued photo ID. Please be sure to bring your ID with you whenever you visit. Thank you for helping us maintain a safe and secure learning environment for everyone.

Drop your items in our yellow donation bins! Our donation box collects clothing, shoes, and textiles, and Centennial Lane earns money based on the total weight collected each month.

Please note: All donations must be bagged before being placed in the bin.

The HCPSS Special Education Resource Fair provides families with information available from the community and HCPSS to support their students receiving special education and related services. Get connected to services for students with a developmental delay or disability including:

• Services within HCPSS
• Recreational Activities
• Camps
• Community Groups
• Service Providers
• Transition Information
• Assistive Technology
• Behavioral Health
• Howard County Government Resources
• And Much More!

For information, please contact FSRC@hcpss.org. Registration is not required. This event is part of the HCPSS Parent Empowerment Series including training sessions related to special education and events for families of students with an IEP or IFSP.
Free

Parents can email CLESabsence@hcpss.org to report a student’s absence. Please include your child(ren)’s full name, parent’s/guardian’s full name and phone number, the date your child(ren) was absent and the reason. Parents may instead choose to send in a paper excuse note to their child’s teacher with the same information when the student returns to school.

For families requesting local discretionary absences, please complete a Local Discretionary Absence Request Form and submit it to the front office at least one week in advance.

In alignment w/ Policy 10010, the following announcements have been approved by the Public Information Office for distribution.

The below community notices are neither sponsored nor endorsed by the HCPSS.