The WEEKLY DUCK
August 21st 2026
October 16, 2026
Manor Woods Elementary School
Kelli Jenkins, Principal
Jennifer Zinn, Assistant Principal
Location ~ 11575 Frederick Road Ellicott City, MD 21042
Phone ~ 410-313-7165
Website ~ https://mwes.hcpss.org/
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MESSAGE FROM ADMINISTRATION
Dear Manor Woods Families,
We have had another great week at MWES!!! As the weather begins to turn colder, please ensure that your child's name is written in any jackets, hats, gloves, etc. This helps us get them back to students when they are missing. Our lost and found is already very full! We greatly appreciate your help with keeping your child's personal items labeled.
Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!
Kelli Jenkins, Principal
Jennifer Zinn, Assistant Principal
IMPORTANT DATES AND EVENTS
October
- 19 - Family Literacy Night 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
- 23 - PTO Duck Dash ~ RAIN DATE
- 27 - PTO Trunk or Treat ~ Information Below ~ Registration Open
- 28 - Schools Closed For Students - Staff Professional Day
November
- 3 - School and Office Closed
- 18 - Picture Retake (1st thing In the Morning)
- 23 & 24 - School Close 3-Hour Early Dismissal
- 23 - Parent-Teacher In-Person Conferences
- 24 & 25 - Parent-Teacher Virtual Conferences
- 25-27 - School Closed for Students
HCPSS 2026-27 Calendar
Add the HCPSS online calendar to your mobile/online calendar by following the steps on the HCPSS calendar page.
PLEASE NOTE! The calendar is subject to change. The online calendar reflects the most recent version.
RELATED ARTS ~ COLOR DAYS
Tentative Related Arts Color Day schedule
NEW INFORMATION
CONGRATULATIONS MIGHTY DUCK MUSICIANS
The students below were nominated to join the Howard County Children's Chorus Cantus Ensemble (Grades 2-3):
Amber Townsend
Andrea Hsieh
Justine Tcheugeui
Mir Sarfina
Swara Konde Deshmukh
Yufei Sharar
In addition, the following students auditioned and were both nominated and accepted into the chorus for Grades 4-5:
Aadya Muthukumaran
Emily Park
Sahasra Balaji
We are so proud of their hard work, dedication, and talent. Congratulations to all of these students on this wonderful accomplishment!
INFORMATION WORTH REPEATING
STUDENT READING IMPROVEMENT PLAN
Family Literacy Night
📚🍂 Fall Into a Good Book! 🍂📚 Join Manor Woods Elementary School for a fun-filled Family Literacy Night on Monday, October 19th!
📖 Scholastic Book Fair: 5:00–7:00 PM
👨👩👧👦 Family Reading Night: 5:30–7:00 PM
🚚 Food Trucks: On site!
Enjoy family reading activities, literacy games, delicious treats, and a special opportunity to hear Manor Woods teachers & staff as guest readers! ❤️📚 Bring the whole family and celebrate the joy of reading together! 🍁🦊📖
🏠 WELCOME TO OUR HOUSES!
The wait is over...Our students have officially been sorted into their RCA Houses! 🎉
As shared at the start of the school year, Manor Woods will be initiating a House System. The House System is a way to connect students and staff across grade levels, building character, leadership and teamwork while forming personal connections and relationships which will strengthen our school culture! It is a means by which to engage all in an active community. Everyone will find an immediate identity and point of connection by being a member of a house.
Our school is divided into 4 houses. Each house has its own name, color, symbol, and key value. Once students and staff are sorted into their houses, they remain in that house for the remainder of their time at MWES. Every student at MWES is a Mighty DUCK and our four Houses help us show our DUCK behaviors every day to make our school a place where everyone belongs, grows and shines!
Today was an exciting day as students discovered which House they will be part of this year! Students spent time learning about their House, meeting other members, and celebrating what makes their House special.
We can’t wait to see our students show their DUCK behaviors and build connections across our school community throughout the year!
FOUR HOUSES, ONE FAMILY! ❤️💜💛💙
CONGRATULATIONS MIGHTY DUCK MUSICIANS
Congratulations to our Mighty Duck musicians who were selected for the Howard County Elementary Gifted & Talented Orchestra! The following students were chosen via an extremely competitive audition:
Dhanya Gedela, Evelyn Huang, Ariel Lee, Yilin Ni, Aimee Ong, Camilla Rivi, Kevin Sun, Ye Yint Toe and Madeline Wu.
We are very proud of you!
Young Author's Contest
The Howard County Literacy Association invites students in grades 1-5 to submit their original poems and/or short stories to the annual writing contest called The Young Authors' Contest. Please see the attached Young Authors’ Contest Guidelines for information about the rules and guidelines. Stories and poems must be typed and saved as a Word Doc or Googledoc. All entries must have a completed YAC Cover Sheet sent as a PDF. Submissions may be emailed to natalie_miskimins@hcpss.org by January 13, 2027. Contact Mrs. Miskimins with any questions. All Young Authors’ Contest information can be found on the HCLA website.
Howard County Literacy Association welcomes parents as members. Visit the HCLA Welcome Page for information about joining.
Flu Clinic
Get Your Flu Shot
The Howard County Health Department will offer free flu shots at multiple community events this fall. Please see the attached flier for more information.
