RES Family Update
Sunday, January 26, 2025
Calendar Amendment News
At the January board meeting, the Board voted to amend the 2024-2025 calendar as needed following our inclement weather days. Please see all the details on the website news post:
carolineschools.org/article/1981318
Revised calendars are available on the website calendar page.
Calendar
January:
27 - NO SCHOOL For Students
28 - PTA Meeting - 6 PM
31 - Q2 Report Cards Issued
February:
4 - Board of Ed Meeting - 6:00 PM
5 - Class Pictures
12 - PTA Smecil Day
14 - 1 PM Dismissal Day for Students
17 - No School For Students
Nominations for this year’s Teacher and Support Staff
Caroline County Public Schools is happy to announce that nominations for both the 2025-2026 Teacher of Year and the Support Employee of the Year are now open. All staff, students, student families and community members are invited to submit nominations. (Submissions may not be made by a relative of a nominee.)
Nominations for both awards must be submitted no later than January 31, 2025.
Teacher of the Year Nomination Form
Support Employee of the Year Nomination Form
For additional information, please email Communications Officer Sandi Barry, barry.sandra@ccpsstaff.org or Supervisor of Human Resources Rob Willoughby, willoughby.robert@ccpsstaff.org.
Class Picture Day is Wednesday, February 5.
Stock Market Game
Ridgely Elementary is excited to now host The Stock Market Game at our school! Mrs. McCandless is looking for students who are interested in finance, the stock market, and current events to join our new team!
What is The Stock Market Game?
The Stock Market Game is an online interactive simulation to teach students how to save and grow money.
Students in grade 4-12 work collaboratively in a team of 3-5 students to play the game.
It is a contest to take $100,000 initial “investment” and make it grow with investments in stocks, bonds and mutual funds (RES will focus on stocks first).
First General Meeting Time: January 30 @ 8:00 AM in the Cafeteria.
Check out the Flyer: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QMulkbYMgDDtxLte2f0G1GGK2ZjhL6-b5y7E60pDlf8/edit?usp=sharing
Reminder: School Delays and Closings
Please remember, for all notifications, parent/guardian numbers and emails are taken directly from information provided by the family in PowerSchool. Staff contact information is taken directly from the Employee Access Center.
School delays and closings are shared via:
a phone call, text, and email through our notification system
a message on the CCPS Mobile App the district website (carolineschools.org)
social media: Facebook (Caroline County Public Schools and all school pages), and Instagram (carolineschoolsmd)
some local news and radio stations
The process for making weather-related decisions is outlined on carolineschools.org.
CELAC Information:
Attention parents, guardians, caregivers, and daycare providers of children ages birth to eight! Join us for a four-part workshop to learn strategies used in PreK and beyond, and how these strategies can be used at home.
All details available at: carolineschools.org/article/1920932
#Caroline Family
Flyer is on Peachjar
Dates are on the district calendar
News post is on CCPS and all elementary websites
Maryland Governor's Commission on South Asian American Affairs
For students, parents, teachers, and staff of South Asian ancestry,
The Maryland Governor's Commission on South Asian American Affairs is committed to supporting the educational success and growth of our community. We would love to hear about your experiences and perspectives on education. Your valuable input will help us develop initiatives and strategies to better support students, families, and educators in the South Asian American community across Maryland and ensure that no one is left behind. After inputting your responses, please remember to click "Submit" to have your responses submitted anonymously.
Please click here to complete the survey.
Survey link: https://forms.office.com/r/vCLGkeweWM
Click here for more information on the Commission.
CHOPTANK COMMUNITY HEALTH
January 2025
Dear Parents,
As we continue through these winter months, Choptank Health’s providers encourage protecting you and your children with immunizations against the flu, COVID-19, and RSV.
· A reminder: Your student can receive a flu shot at their School-Based Health Center. Call to schedule today.
· While flu and COVID-19 vaccines can be given starting at 6 months, the RSV vaccine is recommended for all infants younger than 8 months born during or entering their first RSV season and can be given up to 18 months for select high-risk children.
· All children can access all recommended vaccines, including flu, COVID-19, and RSV, for free through their family’s insurance. Qualifying families can also receive assistance through the Vaccines for Children Program.
· The CDC website now has the 2025 Immunization Schedules and is a great resource for parents to access the recommended vaccination schedules.
· Families can go to their primary care providers for vaccines; alternatively, local health departments and oftentimes nearby pharmacies offer vaccines as well. Find contact information and more at www.choptankhealth.org/protected.
It’s never too late to sign your student up for school-based health care, with more information at your student’s health center or at choptankhealth.org/schoolbased.
PROVIDING STUDENT INFORMATION
Need to provide or update your student's information? Parent/Guardians should use the Year Round Form, also in the parent portal in PowerSchool.
Visit carolinecps.powerschool.com and log in to the PowerSchool Parent Portal. (You must log in via a browser, not the app.)
From the Parent Portal:
Select the student you wish to update along the top.
Select the Student Information Update form icon on the left side for the applicable school year.
Verify the student's date of birth.
Select ‘Begin Form’.
If you are unable to access either form, please contact the school to update your child's information. This information is also available on the district website.
Choptank Community Health
Choptank Community Health: School Based Health Care
Ridgely Elementary School: Tues/Thurs 8-4
LOST AND FOUND
Parents, please be sure to remind your children to check the LOST and FOUND located in the cafeteria. We already have a number of sweatshirts, light jackets, and at least one lunch box in the lost and found..
CCPS Student Technology Obligation Program
Starting November 1, 2024, CCPS will begin to obligate students for damaged and missing technology equipment. The CCPS Student Technology Obligation Program is designed to promote students' responsible use of technology and reduce damage costs through a tier-based pricing system. This program aligns with the Technology Obligation Regulation (Reference: III.31.71R) and the CCPS Terms of Use Agreement governing the use of technology by students.
Please visit the link below for specific information:
carolineschools.org/o/ccps/page/technology-student-obligation-program
When picking a child up for early dismissal, bring your photo ID each time.
Preventing The Spread of Respiratory Viruses When You’re Sick
Using precautions to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses when you are sick is a core prevention strategy to lower risk from respiratory viruses. CDC guidance for when people may have a respiratory virus is as follows:
● Stay home and away from others (including people you live with who are not sick) if you have respiratory virus symptoms that aren't better explained by another cause. These symptoms can include fever, chills, fatigue, cough, muscle or body aches, runny nose, headache, diarrhea, vomiting, among others.
● You can go back to your normal activities when, for at least 24 hours, both are true:
○ Your symptoms are getting better overall, and
○ You have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication).
● When you go back to your normal activities, take added precaution over the next 5 days, such as taking additional steps for cleaner air, hygiene, masks, physical distancing, and/or testing when you will be around other people indoors. These additional precautions are especially important to protect people with factors that increase their risk of severe illness from respiratory viruses.
Emailing School & District Staff
Spam filters are designed to identify emails that attackers or marketers use to send unwanted or dangerous content. They also throw out malware, malicious, and virus-infested emails and protect user security. Unfortunately, spam filtering is an inexact science that at times blocks legitimate messages.
Should you send an email to a staff member and not receive a reply within a reasonable amount of time (no more than 48 hours), please call the office.
Non Discrmination Statement
Parent Guide to the Code of Conduct
Bully Report
Please use this form to report incidents of bullying, harassment or intimidation of a Caroline County Public Schools student.
https://www.carolineschools.org/forms/bullying-harassment-or-intimidation-reporting-form
TITLE I Information
Parents Right to Know:
The Federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) contains several provisions that promote a parent/school partnership through communication. One such provision gives parents the right to ask for and receive information about the professional qualifications of their child’s classroom teachers. A parent may request the following information:
- Any college or university degree, major or certification held by the teacher
- Whether the teacher is certified by the State of Maryland to teach a particular grade level or subject area
- Whether the teacher holds a conditional teaching certificate
- The qualifications of the paraprofessionals serving the student
If you would like to request the professional qualifications of your child’s classroom teachers or paraprofessionals, please submit a written request to the principal. The principal will provide the information to you within 30 business days of the date of your request.
Parents may also request information on the level of achievement and academic growth of their child, if applicable and available, on each of the State academic assessments.
Parents will receive timely notice if the student has been assigned, or has been taught for four or more consecutive weeks by a teacher who does not meet applicable State certification or licensure requirements at the grade level and subject area in which the teacher has been assigned.
Parents May Request Teacher Information:
The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 provides parents of students attending Title 1 schools the opportunity to request information about the professional qualifications of their child's teachers. Parents of elementary students may request in writing to the school principal information about their child's teacher including college/university degrees of certification held, subject area of the teacher's degree or certification, and Maryland certification status. Additionally, if your child is served by paraprofessionals, parents may request their professional qualifications.
Parent Information Resource Center:
Parents are encouraged to visit our Parent Information Resource Center (PIRC) located in the lobby outside of the front office. The PIRC has a variety of parenting resources and informational brochures and flyers. These materials are all free. Parents can find the School Improvement Plan, RES School Family Engagement Compact, booklets from The Parent Institute on topics such as “Seven Habits of Highly Responsible Students; Help Your Child Balance School and Extracurricular Activities; and Helping Children Learn to Resolve Conflicts.” Parents can also find information regarding Caroline County Recreation and Parks, Caroline County Library, Imagination Library and Maryland Department of Health . Please be sure to check out our Parent Information Resource Center next time you come to the school.
RES Office Hours
OFFICE HOURS:
The RES front office will be open Monday - Friday from 8:00 AM - 4:15 PM.
School Calendar
Use the link below to view the school calendar:
Lee Sutton, Principal
Email: sutton.lee@ccpsstaff.org
Website: ridgelyes.org
Location: 118 North Central Avenue, Ridgely, MD 21660
Phone: 410 479 3243