Thunder Hill Happenings 11/13

Sonia Hurd, Principal

Brian McMahon, Assistant Principal

Katie Lee, Assistant Principal

Website: https://thes.hcpss.org/

Location: 9357 Mellenbrook Drive, Columbia, MD 21045

Phone: 410-313-6922

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

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Urdu

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

Dear Thunderbird Families,

This week, we are thrilled to celebrate American Education Week! It is a wonderful opportunity to honor the dedication of our teachers, staff, students, and families all working together to ensure every Thunderbird feels valued, supported, and inspired to SOAR each day.

We love sharing the magic happening in our classrooms with you! Please be sure to check out the spotlight times shared below to see the details on how and when you can join us.

Thank you for your continued partnership in making our school community shine!

Proudly Serving You,

Sonia Hurd, Principal

Katie Lee and Brian McMahon, Assistant Principals

Lost and Found items not claimed by November 24th will be donated. Please remind your child to check unclaimed items.

We are continuing to meet our school goal of 95% and we are meeting it in most grade levels! Please continue to send your children to school each day and on time. Students do so much better when they begin the day on time and are not trying to catch up. Thank you for your continued support!

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 saved as a PDF. Submissions may be emailed to jacqueline_meiklejohn@hcpss.org, sara_stevenson@hcpss.org, and/or laura_doherty@hcpss.org

Please see the times below for when to join your child for American Education Week here at Thunder Hill Elementary. The teams are planning engaging activities or opportunities to observe students in action. Only parents/guardians are allowed to visit. This is a special time for your THES Thunderbird. Younger siblings are not permitted.

• Kindergarten - 11/17 ELA 11:25-12:10 or 11/19 Math 1:40-2:40
• First Grade - 11/17 ELA 9:45-10:55
• Second Grade - 11/17 ELA 10:00-11:00
• Third Grade - 11/19 Math 10:45-11:30
• Fourth Grade - 11/19 ELA 2:10-3:20
• Fifth grade - 11/19 Math 9:25-10:25

As of the 2026-2027 school year, parent lunch visits are no longer permitted at HCPSS schools due to safety concerns. Given the number of parents who visit our school during American Education Week, we can only accommodate classroom visits—we cannot make exceptions to allow for visits during lunch. In addition, parents are not permitted to attend recess. Please plan your visit accordingly based on your child’s class schedule.

Thank you for your understanding and we look forward to welcoming you during your child’s class time for American Education Week.

The Parent Teacher Conference scheduling window opened on November 6th, for families to begin scheduling. Conferences will take place on November 23 - November 25th. For your planning purposes, please note the schedule below:

• In-person conferences will be held on Monday, November 23rd only
• Virtual conferences will be held on Tuesday, November 24th and/or Wednesday, November 25th only

• Additional Information:

• Fall conferences will focus on ELA

• Ms. Parson (Advanced Academic Program) will hold math conferences for 4th Grade Math only. Math conferences for other grades/teachers will be available in February.
• Ms. Kozikowski (Math Differentiated) will hold math conferences for 2nd Grade Math only. Math conferences for other grades/teachers will be available in February.

• Related Arts teachers have a limited number of conference blocks open. They will also have a set office hour. The Related Arts team will communicate additional information.

To schedule your conference, please log in to HCPSS Connect to view and select your time slot:

1. Go to https://www.hcpss.org/connect/
2. Select “Conference” from the left menu.
3. Choose “Parent Scheduled Conferences” at the top right.
4. Pick a convenient time slot.

If you cannot access HCPSS Connect, please contact the front office for assistance. Conference scheduling will close on Thursday, November 19th.

If you plan to volunteer in the school or chaperone field trips this school year, please give this your attention. According to Howard County Board of Education Policy, all volunteers and visitors must complete two required training courses. Please take time now to complete the required trainings so you will be ready when these opportunities are presented.

Coloring Book Contest for 3rd-5th grade students: The Howard County Recycling Division is challenging Howard County third, fourth and fifth graders to draw pictures of how they Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle at home or school. The top 13 drawings will be featured in a coloring book, with the “Best-in-Show” appearing on the cover. Please review this flyer for more information and contest rules. Entries must be received by January 15, 2027.

If you are able to support or in need of support, please see QR codes below.

For families trying to understand the basics on Special Education in HCPSS, please see the handbook to get started on understanding the fundamentals.

🌐 STAY CONNECTED WITH THES PTA!

Visit our website to join, donate, volunteer, view upcoming events, and subscribe to the PTA Calendar.

🌐 Website: https://www.thespta.org/

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BTm1ScAkv/

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thunderhilles_pta/

Upcoming PTA Events

• November 18th: Restaurant Night Out Fundraiser at Chipotle on Dobbin Lane | 5:00–9:00 PM. Please mention THES PTA when ordering.

• November 21st: THES PTA Holiday Market | 11:00 AM–3:00 PM | Free Event – All are Welcome!

• November 23rd: THES Teacher/Staff Appreciation Dinner | Donations Needed!

Help Us Make the Teacher/Staff Dinner Special!

We welcome volunteers and donations to help provide dinner for our wonderful teachers and staff.

• Volunteer/Donation Sign-Up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084EA9A92BA2FCC70-67240656-thes#/

• Monetary Donations: https://1thes.givebacks.com/shop/items/757443

• Nov 16 - 20 - American Education Week
• Nov 18 - Educational Support Professionals Day
• Nov 23 - 3 hr early dismissal, Parent/Teacher Conferences
• Nov 24 - 3 hr early dismissal, Parent/Teacher Conferences
• Nov 25 - School closed for students, Parent/Teacher Conferences
• Nov 26 - School closed, Thanksgiving
• Nov 27 - School closed

1st - 5th graders will be taking MAP again after winter break.

Users may subscribe to an HCPSS calendar in order to add it to your personal online calendar by completing the following:

1. Right-click on a calendar below
2. Select copy link location (shortcut or address)
3. Add it to your calendar service
   • Subscribe to the HCPSS Academic Calendar
   • Subscribe to the Board of Education Calendar
   • Subscribe to the A/B Day Calendar (middle and high school schedules)
   • Subscribe to the Related Arts Color Calendar (elementary school schedules)
   NOTE: Elementary school related arts colors are specific to each homeroom teacher; check with your school for a key.

Please note, these images do not always reflect the most updated calendar changes. Please refer to links above for most up-to-date information.

• Mrs. Smith, Principal's Secretary
• Mrs. Lynch, Teachers' Secretary (Registration, Attendance, Synergy, and Family File Support)
• Ms. Perez, Teachers' Secretary (Synergy and Attendance Support)
• Ms. Douglas and Ms. Stasak, School Counselors

To reach any individual above, please call 410-313-6922, and ask for them directly.