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

Important Community Reminder: Respecting Private Property

As a reminder, families are expected to respect all private property surrounding our school. Neighboring yards, fences, and landscaping are not part of school grounds and should not be used as play areas before or after school.

For the safety of all children and out of respect for our neighbors, students should remain on school property or public areas only, and adults are expected to actively supervise children during arrival and dismissal. Entering or playing on private property without permission creates safety concerns and potential liability issues.

We appreciate your partnership in reinforcing with your children the importance of being respectful, responsible members of our school community. Thank you for helping us maintain positive relationships with our neighbors.

Thank YOU!

Thank you for your patience over the past two weeks as we navigated school closures, delayed openings, professional work days, and half days for conferences. It has certainly been an inconsistent stretch of schedules, and we truly appreciate your flexibility and understanding. We are hopeful that next week will bring a return to more consistent routines for our students and families.

We are grateful for our Centennial Lane community and all you do to support our school.

Warmly,

Debra A. Anoff, Principal

Siobhan Drumgoole, Assistant Principal

February

• 9- Report Cards Issued at 4:00pm
• 10-CHS Jazz Feeder Concert featuring the CLES Jazz Band, as well as other CHS feeder schools. CHS Auditorium 7pm
• 12 - PTA Family Fit Night
• 16-Schools & Offices Closed, President's Day
• 17-Schools & Offices Closed, Lunar New Year
• 20-27 CLES PTA Book Fair
• 24 - PTA Restaurant Night (Ernesto’s)
• 28 - Yearbook orders AND 5th grade dedications are due

March

• 3 - Professional Learning/Work & Wellness Day, schools close 3 hours early (12:15 p.m.)
• 4-13 CLES Read-A-Thon Fundraiser-Information coming soon!
• 19-5th Gr. Panoramic Picture-Teachers will send home info closer to date.
• 20 - Professional Work & Development Day, schools closed

March 30th - April 6th - Spring Break, schools closed

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

Due to the weather-related closures last week, please note the updated grading and reporting dates for Quarter 2. Quarter 2 Report Cards will be available to families on Monday, February 9, 2026.

CLES RSVP Required: PTA Family Fit Night 2/12

Thursday, February 12 from 6:00-8:00 PM

Join us for an evening of fun fitness and wellness activities for the whole family.

RSVP is required to ensure you have a spot!! Due to limited capacity, families who do not RSVP may not be able to participate.

RSVP here: https://forms.gle/VjRJiRhyfVJgnaMJ7

We hope to see you there!

Throughout each year we celebrate the incredible diversity of all of our students at Centennial Lane. In February, we focus on Black History Month and highlight the important contributions of Black and African Americans who have helped shape our country and contributed to our society.

Black History Month was created to focus attention on the contributions of African Americans to the United States. It honors all Black people from all periods of U.S. history, from the enslaved people first brought over from Africa in the early 17th century to African Americans living in the United States today. This newsletter has resources that can be utilized in the classroom or at home to celebrate Black History Month. Throughout the month of February, Centennial Lane Elementary School will recognize Black History Month and highlight the many accomplishments of African Americans.

There are a number of resources our teachers use throughout the school year and in February. There are quite a number of excellent resources including the PBS Kids video below that are examples of resources teachers use during their instruction. We also want to share read-aloud books for kids from Netflix Jr. Many of these books can be found in our library and the Howard County Public Library. We want our students to see themselves and their friends in the literature that is used for instruction and for reading pleasure.

Read Alouds

Grab a book, grab a friend, and join Netflix Jr. in celebrating Black voices during Black History Month. Full Episodes of Bookmarks included are:

• "I Love My Hair" read by Tiffany Haddish
• "I Am Enough" read by Grace Byers
• "Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut" read by Caleb McLaughlin
• "Sulwe" read by Lupita Nyong'o
• "ABCs For Girls Like Me" read by Marsai Martin
• "I Am Perfectly Designed" read by Karamo Brown
• "Pretty Brown Face" and "Brown Boy Joy" read by Jill Scott
• "Firebird" read by Misty Copeland
• "Let's Talk About Race" read by Common
• "The Day You Begin" read by Jacqueline Woodson
• "Antiracist Baby" read by Kendrick Sampson
• "We March" read by Marley Dias

We wish those students, families, and community members celebrating, a Blessed Ramadan. If your child will be fasting on certain days and would like to go to another location to read or color during their designated lunch time, CLES staff will provide supervision in a location other than the cafeteria during Ramadan.

CONGRATULATIONS to our Band, Orchestra, and Chorus students for an outstanding CLES Boosters Practice-A-Thon Fundraiser! We met our goal! We will be announcing the winners soon!

March is Music in our Schools Month. Each Monday in March will be a "Music Monday" where we will encourage our band, orchestra, and chorus students to wear their CLES Music Spirit Wear, or any other kind of musical shirt or clothes they may have! We will also periodically feature special performances from students in the morning during arrival. More details to come!

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

Starting this month, students in grades 1-5 will take the Measured Academic Progress (MAP) assessment. The MAP window runs through March 6th. Each grade level team will send out messages letting parents know the exact dates for testing. The data from the MAP assessment will help schools and teachers measure your student’s academic progress. The MAP test does not affect grades and the difficulty adjusts depending on how your child responds. It is normal for students to only answer about half the questions correctly. To learn more about the MAP assessment, please visit: https://www.nwea.org/the-map-suite/common-questions-families/. Please make sure your child has headphones at school since they will be used for testing throughout the school year.

HCPSS will be offering SPACE parent groups this spring starting in March. This group is for parents who would like help supporting their children with anxiety and school avoidance. Parents can self-register through the link on the HCPSS News Announcement or the QR code on the flyer.

HCPSS families are invited to attend the 2026 Family Academy Conference on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, from 5:30–8:30 pm at Long Reach High School. This free, districtwide event brings families, educators, and community partners together for an evening of learning, connection, and support. Families can enjoy a light dinner, a community resource fair, interactive workshops focused on academic achievement and well-being, and free childcare. Workshops will include topics such as college and career readiness, special education supports, curriculum updates, and hands-on learning strategies for use at home. Interpretation services will be available. For additional information, please contact BSAP Supervisor, Nicole Brown.

Register online: EnglishLinks to an external site., EspañolLinks to an external site., 中文Links to an external site., 한국어Links to an external site.

Do you have a child who will be 5 years old by September 1, 2026? Please save the date and join us for an upcoming Road to Kindergarten parent information session.

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.

Family Fit Night

Thursday 2/12 from 6:00-8:00 p.m.
SAVE THE DATE! Get ready to move, stretch, and have fun together at our first annual FAMILY FIT NIGHT! This special evening brings together students, families, and staff for a night of fitness, laughter, and community spirit. Participate in up to four 25-minute breakout sessions on topics such as: aerial yoga, HIIT, kids yoga, Cross Fit, taekwondo, strength training, Zumba, nutrition, injury prevention, badminton, tennis, and more! More details coming soon, including a RSVP form + interest survey. For questions, please email Health@clespta.org. Visit the PTA event page for more information.

PTA Book Fair 2026

Friday, 2/20 and Monday 2/23 through Friday 2/27

Student shopping: 2/20 and 2/23-2/27 during Media classes. (Look on our website for setting up your child’s e-wallet)

Family shopping nights 2/24, 2/25, and 2/26 in the Media Center from 4pm-7pm.

WE NEED YOUR HELP! The Book Fair is unable to happen without volunteers like you. Please sign up via the Signup Genius as you are able. Book Fair Volunteer Sign Up Sheet

For more info: www.clespta.org/events-list/book-fair-2026

Questions: Book.Fair@clespta.org

Order a Yearbook Today!

Saturday 2/28 is DEADLINE

Parents! Don’t miss out on ordering a yearbook for your kids! Visit the PTA Yearbook page to ORDER A YEARBOOK. If you miss this deadline, your child will likely not receive a yearbook. We cannot order individual prints.

We also NEED MORE CANDID PHOTOS to be included in the yearbook layout. We rely heavily on parent/guardian submissions for these candid shots, so take some time to submit please!!!

Please go to our PTA page for more details: https://www.clespta.org/yearbook

YEARBOOK: 5th Grade Dedications

DUE BY Saturday 2/28

Parents/families of 5th graders are invited to submit dedications for their 5th graders graduating from CLES this year. Please submit the following to yearbook@clespta.org by February 28th:

• Your 5th grader's first and last name

• Your 5th grader's teacher's name

• Your dedication- 50 words or less

• A high-resolution photo of your 5th grader (with no one else in the picture)- Please name the file with your child’s first and last name

Please go to our PTA page for more details: https://www.clespta.org/yearbook

BMMS/CLES Internation Fest

Saturday 4/11 from 12:00-2:30 p.m.

We need your feedback ASAP!!! To aid the planning committee, all interested families are asked to please complete this BMMS/CLES International Fest - Family Interest Survey (Google Form) to indicate your family’s interest in participating in the event, including the cultural performances. More details will be shared in the coming weeks.

CLES PTA will join with the Burleigh Manor Middle School (BMMS) PTA to co-host this year’s International Festival Family Event, which will occur on Saturday, April 11, 2026, from 12-2:30 p.m. at BMMS. The event will include: cultural performances, a fashion show, table displays, food tasting, and other activities which celebrate the rich cultural heritages and diversity of CLES & BMMS families.

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ADVOCACY SECTION (Stay connected)

Superintendent Barnes attended the 1/5/2026 PTACHC meeting. When asked how we can most effectively advocate for school funding, he recommended asking for dollars that we can use toward interventions and support in math and reading.

1. Write to council members and the executive. Follow up with phone calls.

2. Attend public hearings or write in testimony at BudgetTestimony@howardcountymd.gov.

3. Important dates can be found on our PTA advocacy page.

4. Email your state senators and delegates.

More info: https://www.clespta.org/advocacy

Questions: contact our PTACHC chairs at ptachc@clespta.org

Howard County SECAC (Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee)

SECAC is a parent-driven advisory council advocating for special education issues in HCPSS. It collaborates with community groups to enhance special education services and outcomes. All community members are welcome to attend the SECAC monthly meetings. SECAC also regularly appears before the Howard County Board of Education to ensure the voices of students with disabilities, their families, and educators are heard at the decision-making table.

More info: https://www.clespta.org/sped

Questions: contact our SECAC chair Shirley at SECAC@clespta.org

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PTA Committee Leads Needed

• Spring Fair Chairs (all levels of commitment)

• Communications (ongoing - newsletters, etc.)

• Treasurer (ongoing)

• Community Outreach (flexible commitment)

• International Festival (April)

• Fundraising Chair (ongoing)

• And more…just ask!

Without you, these events can’t happen. Reach out to learn more about these roles or any others: Questions@clespta.org

The PTA Website is linked HERE.

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.