BWES BEAR FACTS November 6, 2026

Happy Friday, BWES Families! 🐻💚

November is off to a great start at Bryant Woods! Our Bears continue to bring curiosity, kindness, and enthusiasm to their classrooms and school community. This month, we’re celebrating the many ways we learn from and support one another, and we’re grateful for the families and staff who make that possible. Thank you for being part of our Bryant Woods family—we look forward to a month of learning, connection, and Bear pride!

📷PICTURE RETAKES ARE MONDAY, 11/9!

🏫Attendance Matters!

Morning Arrival Reminder: For the safety of all students, please remember that students should not be dropped off before 8:25 a.m., as staff supervision is not available prior to that time. We appreciate your cooperation in ensuring that all Bryant Woods Bears arrive safely and at the appropriate time.

Year to date as of 11/5/26, our attendance rate is 96.2%! The state target is 96%, and we are currently STILL above the target! We don't want it to fall below, so let's keep it going, BEARS! 🐻👏 Every day at school gives our Bears another opportunity to learn, grow, connect, and succeed. Thank you, families, for helping our students arrive at school each day ready to learn.

Regular school attendance is essential for academic success! HCPSS encourages students to maintain a 94–96% attendance rate, as missing 10% or more of the school year can negatively impact learning and achievement.

HCPSS monitors attendance and provides support when needed:

• 5% Absences: Care and concern communication
• 10% Absences: Possible attendance conference and additional support
• 15% Absences: Possible attendance support plan
• 20% Absences: Additional interventions may be required

Important Reminder: Families of students with an absenteeism rate above 10% will automatically receive a monthly attendance letter. These letters are informational and may reference additional interventions that do not apply to your child. Unless a BWES staff member contacts you directly, no further action is necessary.

Together, we can build strong attendance habits and help every BWES Bear succeed!

🚲 Reminder: Bikes, Scooters & Skateboards

Families, if your child rides a bike, scooter, or skateboard to school, please ensure they have a lock to secure their belongings at the designated bike rack. Bikes, scooters, and skateboards cannot be stored inside the school building during the school day. Please remind your child to secure their belongings upon arrival. Bryant Woods Elementary School is not responsible for lost or stolen items. Thank you for helping us keep our students’ belongings safe!

📣 Stay Connected!

Ensure Your Contact Information Is Correct! With the school year underway, parents/guardians should be receiving regular communications that may come from various platforms. Families who have not completed FamilyFile this year are encouraged to check/update your contact information to ensure you receive all information from your child’s teachers, school and the district. To make sure HCPSS emails and Talking Points Messages are received follow this link for instructions.

https://news.hcpss.org/news-posts/2026/09/parents-dont-miss-important-messages/

Have a wonderful weekend, Bryant Woods Bears! 🐻💙

• Principal, Dr. Khaleel Desaque Khaleel_Desaque@hcpss.org
• Assistant Principal, Ms. Deanna Mingo Deanna_Mingo@hcpss.org
• Substitute Administrator, Ms. Rhonda Inskeep Rhonda_Inskeep@hcpss.org
• Community Schools Site Coordinator Ms. Christina Hines christina_hines@hcpss.org

• Principal's Secretary, Ms. Jomika Tatum Jomika_Tatum@hcpss.org
• PreK-5 Registrar/Teacher Secretary Ms. Debra Eleam Debra_Eleam@hcpss.org
• Teacher Secretary Ms. Stephenie Arcido Stephanie_Arcido@hcpss.org

📝BWES School Improvement Plan 26-27!

Our school's 2026-2027 School Improvement Plan is now available on our BWES School Website. Please click the link below to view at your convenience. https://bwes.hcpss.org/school-improvement-plan

November 16–20, 2026 | More Information Coming Soon!

Save the date notifications were shared during our Annual Title 1 night and in recent editions of the BearFacts. Our teacher leaders have collaborated across each of their grade levels to provide specific dates and times when parents and visitors will be invited into classrooms to observe various grade level activities.

Prepare for Your Visit!

Families planning to visit are encouraged to complete the required HCPSS volunteer trainings in advance to visit. Once completed, please email a screenshot of your completion certificate or send a printed copy to your child's teacher. The links to the trainings are:

https://www.hcpss.org/f/parents/volunteer-confidentiality-training.pdf

Certificates of completion can be downloaded at: https://www.hcpss.org/parents/volunteer-information/

Visitor Guidelines

In accordance with HCPSS Policy 10000 – Student, Parent, Family and Community Engagement, all visitors must check in at the front office, present a valid photo ID, and wear a visitor badge.

Please note: Per HCPSS districtwide guidelines, lunch visits are not permitted, including during American Education Week.

• November 3, 2026: Schools and offices closed for Election Day.

• November 6 at 8:00 a.m.: Conference scheduling opens to all families.

• November 9, 2026: FALL PICTURE RETAKE DAY!

• November 11, 2026: Veteran's Day

• November 16-20: American Ed. Week

• November 19 at 4:00 p.m.: Conference scheduling closes.
• November 23, 2026: Schools close 3 hours early (no half-day Pre-K/RECC) for Elementary/Middle School Parent/Teacher Conferences and High School Staff Professional Day.
• November 24, 2026: Schools close 3 hours early (no half-day Pre-K/RECC) for Parent/Teacher Conferences at all levels.
• November 25, 2026: Schools closed for students for Parent/Teacher Conferences at all levels.
• November 26–27, 2026: Schools and offices closed for the Thanksgiving Holiday.

https://www.hcpss.org/f/news/calendars/calendar-202627.pdf

HCPSS: 26-27 School Calendar Dates Only

https://www.hcpss.org/f/news/calendars/datesonly202627.pdf

HCPSS: School Closure Status

https://status.hcpss.org/

Monday 11/16, Wednesday 11/18, Thursday 11/19 & Friday 11/20 8:30 - 2:30

Tuesday 11/17 8:30 - 1:30

Register for a Conference

1. Log into HCPSS Connect
2. In the Navigation panel, select Conference. If the parent registration window is open, the list of available teachers displays immediately. If you don’t see the list of teachers, click on Parent Teacher Conferences link in the top right corner and note the window open date.
3. Click on the Schedule icon for the appropriate teacher.
4. Select a time option for the teacher.
5. Click Yes to confirm your decision to schedule that time.
6. Click Done to return to the teacher’s conference times.
7. Close the window to return to the list of teachers. All teachers with scheduled conferences will move to the bottom of the list. Repeat this process to schedule all necessary conferences.

NOTE: Keep in mind the conference times you selected for your first child when selecting conference times for any additional children.

Remove / Edit a Conference Time

1. To remove or edit a conference time, click on Conferences in the Navigation panel.
2. Click on the row for the teacher to delete or edit.
3. Click on the scheduled conference time.
4. Click Yes to confirm your decision to remove this conference slot.
5. Click Done to return to the list of conference slots for this teacher. Select another time slot if necessary.

Viewing Your Conference Schedule

To view the list of upcoming scheduled conferences, select Conferences in the Navigation panel. The list of conferences displays for that child. Select another child to review their conference times. Note the Room or Google Meet Link for each teacher.

Please call the Front Office at 410-313-6859 if you need assistance.

• November 6 at 8:00 a.m.: Conference scheduling opens to all families.

• November 19 at 4:00 p.m.: Conference scheduling closes.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1n3z4bzjxh59UmujfXYFoFlnu1Thh_Dcg/view?usp=sharing

BWES Community Schools Asset Map (Link)

Open configuration options

Our Community Schools Asset Map connects Bryant Woods families with valuable resources, services, and opportunities available in our school and surrounding community. From educational programs and family support services to health, wellness, and community organizations, this interactive map highlights resources that help students and families thrive.

Explore the map to discover the many community assets and partnerships available to support your family’s needs.

Inspiring Young Scientists:

This year, our 5th-grade scholars are embarking on an extraordinary science journey in collaboration with team members from NASA and proudly supported by our Black Student Achievement Program (BSAP)!

Through hands-on classroom investigations of light and shadows and virtual Q&A sessions with a diverse team of NASA professionals, students will connect their Earth-based observations directly to real lunar crater data and spacecraft imagery from NASA’s Artemis missions.

To help us measure the impact of this unique partnership and ensure our scholars continue receiving high-impact STEM experiences, 5th-grade parents, please keep an eye out for a brief survey coming home in your child's backpack.

As a special thank-you for returning a completed survey, participating students will be awarded PBIS Bear Bucks straight from our BSAP Liaison, Ms. O! 🐾

I, Ms. O, would personally like to thank YOU, our dedicated families, the 5th Gr team, Principal Desaque, and NASA collaborators, for empowering our young scholars to reach for the stars!

🚨 ACTION REQUIRED: Complete Your Family File & FARMs Application

Every Bryant Woods Elementary family must complete a new Family File and submit a FARMs application for every student each school year.

Family File

Updating your Family File ensures we have current emergency contacts and medical information if your child becomes ill or there is an emergency. It is also required for students to participate in field trips.

FARMs Application

Even if you don’t think your family will qualify, please apply. The application may provide eligible families with benefits such as:

• Free or reduced-price meals
• Discounted internet service
• College application fee waivers
• Reduced JumpStart tuition
• And other valuable resources

Just as importantly, every completed FARMs application helps Bryant Woods maintain critical funding for programs that benefit all students, including free breakfast, Title I services, Community Schools programming, and other state and federal resources.

Please complete both items as soon as possible.

Family File: https://news.hcpss.org/news-posts/2026/08/update-your-family-file-emergency-information-for-the-2026-2027-school-year/

FARMs Application: https://linqconnect.com/public/meal-application/new?identifier=GA4UME

We are excited to invite our 4th and 5th-grade students to participate in FREEEEEEEE STEM Forward: TechKids, a fun and engaging after-school program designed to spark curiosity and build skills through hands-on STEM activities!

Students will have the opportunity to explore technology, science, engineering, and coding through interactive activities and creative challenges.

🔬 Program Highlights

• 🤖 Robotics & coding challenges

• 💻 Computer science and technology

• 🧪 Live science experiments

• ⚙️ Engineering projects

• 🧩 Hands-on, interactive learning

• 🤝 Teamwork and creative problem-solving

📅 Program Information

• Dates: October 12, 2026 – May 3, 2027

• Day: Mondays

• Time: 3:15–4:45 p.m.

• Location: Bryant Woods Elementary School

• Cost: FREE! 🎉

• Grades: 4th & 5th grade

• Space is limited!

The program is fully funded, so there is no cost to participating families.

📲 Register today! Please scan the QR code on the attached flyer to complete registration.

We hope your child will take advantage of this exciting opportunity to explore, create, experiment, and have fun with STEM!

Food Pantry @ BWES

Did you know that Bryant Woods Elementary is one of 14 food bank locations in Howard County?

Bryant Woods is a community-based school, so we are partnering with the Community Action Council of Howard County & MD Food Bank to provide our students and families with as many resources as possible. Our food pantry is free and accessible to the entire community on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 AM - 2:00 PM.

If you want to visit the food pantry, please contact the front office or our

Family & Community Engagement liaison.

Lauren Slattery at lauren_slattery@hcpss.org.

🏀⚽🎾🥎🏐🏈BWES RA Schedule November 2026-2027 . 🏀⚽🎾🥎🏐🏈

CHECK IT OUT!

New Practice for ALL HCPSS Schools

Parent lunch visits are no longer permitted at any HCPSS school. Limiting access during the school day ensures safe and secure school communities by removing unnecessary access to students and school buildings, reducing disruptions, supporting student routines, and minimizing non-essential traffic in student areas. Parents are encouraged to communicate with school staff to stay engaged in their child's learning and seek opportunities to volunteer in an official capacity at the school. See HCPSS Administrative Operating Rule https://news.hcpss.org/news-posts/2026/08/getting-ready-for-2026-2027-new-this-year/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Parents continue to not be permitted to attend or visit during any recess blocks.

Please see the following link for the updated 26-27 lunch schedule and select Bryant Woods ES for the daily lunch offerings. School lunch menus can be found online via LINQ Connect, the program HCPSS uses for purchasing lunch.

Small bottles of water

Individual packets of Goldfish Crackers

Clorox Wipes

Medicating Students

Any medications required during school hours including prescription, “over-the-counter” (OTC) and homeopathic/herbal medications require a medication order signed by an approved health care provider and are subject to the HCPSS medication policy and procedure.

Approved Non-Medications Students are allowed to bring to school:

The items below are not considered medications. Students may bring the items to school without a medical prescription. Health Services requests that a parent/guardian note accompany the item to serve as permission to bring to school.

• Sunscreen - Sunscreen must be supplied by an individual student and is not to be shared with other students due to potential allergens and skin reactions

• Chapstick

• Hand lotion

• Non-medicated cough drops

• Saline contact solution

Please notify the Health Room of any new health concerns. If your student needs medication at school, a completed physician’s form and medication must be brought to the Health Room by a parent or legal guardian. Health forms and information are available HERE. Students, staff, and visitors should not enter HCPSS buildings or buses if showing signs of a communicable disease. Guidelines are available HERE.

• For additional Health Room questions, please contact our School Nurse.

• Keyonna Wooten - keyonna_wooten@hcpss.org

♥️The BWES PTA would like to spotlight our amazing October donors. In-kind and monetary donations and sponsorships help fund our PTA programs. We are so thankful for their support.

📫Due to HCPSS directory policy change, Room Parents have sent out communication to collect family contact information. Look for your grade and sign up for the directory below:

• Pre-K: https://forms.gle/TidSGCosJAKbNZsNA

• Kindergarten: https://forms.gle/HWTmWocMyN9PvMLe9

• 1st Grade: https://forms.gle/jENVhCJWFXcatRzeA

• 2nd Grade: https://forms.gle/yj6tw1H7Ce5CZy658

• 3rd Grade: https://forms.gle/UjBooQKP6f4EKucn9

• 4th Grade: https://forms.gle/oP1E1mQtDfd4R7Nd6

• 5th Grade: https://forms.gle/sfMMxZ7TsZ7MSWwT7

Grade-level directories help families connect, build supportive relationships, and strengthen their child’s classroom community. Families can use them to schedule playdates, invitations, and other connections, while room parents can share important grade-level requests and event information.

How to enter (quick guide):

• Create art that fits the theme

• Use 8.5"×11" paper, vertical orientation

• Any supplies are welcome (markers, crayons, paint, pastels, etc.)

• Original work only — no copying or tracing

• Put your name in pencil on the BACK of the paper

• Turn in to your teacher by Friday, 12/4/26

🐻 Sign up or renew your

PTA Membership

Stay connected, get involved, and support our BWES Bears!

📣 Parents Right to Know Letters from HCPSS

Parents Right to Know Letter 2026-2027 English

Parents Right to Know Letter 2026-2027 Korean

Parents Right to Know Letter 2026-2027 Spanish

Parents Right to Know Letter 2026-2027 Chinese

https://app.smore.com/n/uy7k4x

Resources or information that may be provided is not sponsored or endorsed by HCPSS, but serves to extend resources for students and families.

Definition of Bullying | Differences between peer conflict and bullying | More Information

The Howard County Public School System is committed to providing a safe and nurturing environment for all students. Preventing bullying is an important part of this goal and HCPSS recently launched a new bullying reporting tool that allows students, staff and family members to easily and confidentially report incidents of bullying.

Reporting Form Link: https://stopbullying.hcpss.org/report/bullying

Bullying Policies: https://stopbullying.hcpss.org/policies

🌱 About the Chicago Parenting Program

The Chicago Parenting Program is a 12-week parenting group designed for parents, grandparents, and other caregivers of children ages 2–8 (however, the child can be older if it is believed that the parent will benefit from the class). The program provides caregivers with practical strategies for strengthening meaningful connections with their children, building confidence as caregivers, and navigating common parenting challenges.

The curriculum is organized around three core areas:

• The Value of Attention
• The Use of Authority
• Managing Stress

📅 Important Program Details

Dates: Fridays, October 2 – January 22nd
There is a designated skip week on the 15th of January, to resume the12th review session on the 22nd of January.

Location: Wellness Center, 7130 Minstrel Way Columbia, MD 21045
Entrance: Lower Level (LL) 120, Rear Entrance

Schedule: 9:30 AM: Doors open & breakfast, 10:00 AM: Group begins promptly and lasts for 1.5- 2 hours depending on the capability of the group.

Groups: Two groups will run simultaneously: English & Español

Group Size:

• Minimum: 8 adult caregivers (per group, both English and Spanish)
• Maximum: 12 adult caregivers (per group, both English and Spanish)

🎁 Family Incentives

We are excited to offer participating families:

• Free breakfast at every session
• Gift cards for each completed session
• The gift of the opportunity to build community

📣 How Families Can Register: click the link below

https://time.jotform.com/262515813841053

Questions? Please email our School-Based Mental Health Therapist Olamide_Oladiran_contractor@hcpss.org

School Website & Links

HCPSS 26-27 School Year Info https://www.hcpss.org/2026-2027/

Bryant Woods Elementary School Home | Bryant Woods Elementary School

School System Calendar and Closings

What Your Child Will Learn Guides – HCPSS

Canvas for Parents: How-To Guide

HCPSS Community News and Programs