The Elkster

Hello EES Families and Community,

What an amazing turnout we had at our Night of 'Elk'cellence! It was pure joy to see our Media Center buzzing with incredible GT Seminar and CEU projects, hear a beautiful musical preview of our upcoming concert, and admire the brilliant "Go Green" science fair projects filling the cafeteria. Walking through the halls and viewing the gallery walks featuring student work from Preschool through 5th grade truly showcased the creativity, growth, and dedication of our Elksters.

We also want to celebrate another wonderful turnout at our ELD Family Session, where our multilingual families gathered to learn more about our English Language Development program and explore essential HCPSS platforms such as Canvas. Events like these remind us that student success is strongest when schools and families work together.

Seeing our community show up so strongly for both of these events is a powerful reflection of what it means to be "100% ALL In." At Elkridge Elementary, we believe that meaningful partnerships with families are the foundation of a thriving school community. Together, we can support, celebrate, and uplift every scholar as they learn, grow, and succeed.

Sincerely,

Danielle Shanks, Principal

Jonathan Swann, Assistant Principal

Lashonne Wright, Assistant Principal

As we head into the final weeks of the school year, please review these important reminders and procedures to help us keep our routines running safely and smoothly:

• 📚 Library Book Returns: Student book checkout has ended for the school year. Please take a few moments to check around the house, under beds, and in backpacks for any library books and help your child return them to the Media Center as soon as possible.

• ⏰ Finish the Year Strong with Attendance: We have so many exciting activities and important learning opportunities planned during these final weeks! Please help your child maintain strong attendance and arrive on time each day as we finish the school year together.

• 🪪 Safety First — Photo IDs Required: Student safety remains our top priority. Please remember that a valid photo ID is always required when volunteering at school or checking a student out early. Thank you for your partnership in helping us keep our building safe and secure!

Students with medications in the health room this year will be receiving letters home in their backpacks reminding families that medications must be picked up by a parent/guardian prior to the end of the school year. We cannot send medication home in student's backpacks. Any medication not picked up will be destroyed.

As a reminder for the next school year, medication orders must be dated after July 1. All medications must be in properly labelled containers that include the following information:

• Student name

• Medication name

• Time and frequency of medication

• Date of medication order

• Prescriber's name

• Expiration date of medication

Pharmacy bottles will include all of this information. Over the counter medications should be labelled with the student's name in black marker and brought to the health room in new, unopened containers. Please ensure the medication orders state why the student is taking the medication, the parent signs the order, and if "as needed/PRN", the symptoms are listed!

Please feel free to reach out to the Health Room at 410-313-8506 with any questions!

It is hard to believe, but the end of the school year is just around the corner! To celebrate our scholars' hard work and growth, each grade level will be hosting an end-of-year picnic.

Please note that these grade-level gatherings are 30 minutes long (with the exception of Pre-K) and will be held outside, weather permitting. Families are welcome to join their students on the grass, so feel free to bring a beach towel or blanket to sit on!

Please save the date for your scholar's specific picnic time below:

• Pre-K 3: Friday, May 29th @ 9:45 AM – 10:30 AM (This time applies to BOTH AM and PM classes!)

• Pre-K 4: Wednesday, June 10th @ 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM

• Kindergarten: Thursday, June 11th @ 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM

• 1st Grade: Friday, June 5th @ 10:40 AM – 11:10 AM

• 2nd Grade: Thursday, June 4th @ 11:40 AM – 12:10 PM

• 3rd Grade: Friday, June 12th @ 12:10 PM – 12:40 PM

• 4th Grade: Monday, June 1st @ 1:10 PM – 1:40 PM

• 5th Grade: Tuesday, June 9th @12:40 - 1:10 pm

Stay tuned for any specific lunch or volunteer details from your child's homeroom teacher as their date approaches!

The HCPSS Pre-K Program is now accepting applications for the 2026-27 school year! The Pre-K Program is offered at no cost to families who qualify and is made available to eligible children in all attendance areas. Children must be four years old on or before September 1, 2026, to be considered for fall 2026 enrollment and must also meet the eligibility criteria.

Please visit the HCPSS Pre-K Program website for information about the program, eligibility criteria, and how to apply. If you have additional questions about the program, please contact the Office of Early Childhood Programs at 410-313-6836.

EES Band, Orchestra, and Chorus Families: Our Spring Concert is Friday, June 5th, at Guilford Park High School. Students need to arrive at 5:30 pm, and the concert will begin at 6:00 pm. Students need to wear all black with black shoes.

Questions? Email:

• Meghan_Taschenberger@hcpss.org
• Jennifer_Wegman-Ey@hcpss.org
• Devaney_Ross@hcpss.org

It is bittersweet to say, but the time has come to prepare our amazing 5th graders for their final weeks as Elksters! We are incredibly proud of the leadership, growth, and perseverance they have shown this year, and we look forward to celebrating their hard work, memories, and next steps with a series of special end-of-year events.

Please review the important dates, activity details, and reminders below to help our oldest scholars finish their elementary journey strong. Thank you for your partnership in making these final weeks meaningful, memorable, and full of celebration for the Class of 2026!

• Wednesday, June 3: Simulated Congressional Hearing (SCH)
• Friday, June 5: Band, Orchestra and Chorus Concert @ GPHS
• Tuesday, June 9: 5th Grade Picnic @ 9:30 am - 2:00 pm (lunch is 12:40 - 1:10 pm)
• Friday, June 12: 5th Grade Promotion @ 10 am.
• Due to space, we can only alot 2 tickets per student. We apologize for any inconvenience.

• Friday, June 12: PTA Sponsored 5th Grade Social. ELMS @ 6:30 pm.

We are incredibly proud to share that Elkridge Elementary School was officially recognized as a Rainbow Ribbon School during the 2024–2025 school year by Community Allies of Rainbow Youth (CARY).

This recognition reflects our ongoing commitment to ensuring Elkridge Elementary remains a warm, welcoming, and safe environment where every student and family feels a strong sense of belonging. The award highlights our school-wide efforts to foster inclusion, provide meaningful staff development, and stand firmly against bias-based bullying and discrimination.

🌟 This Week: Pride Spirit Week!

In alignment with the upcoming HCPSS System-Wide Pride Week, Elkridge Elementary will participate in a themed spirit week celebrating kindness, belonging, and community.

📌 A Quick Note for Families

Participation in spirit days is completely optional. Pride Spirit Week at EES is designed as a school-spirit opportunity focused on belonging, kindness, and creating a welcoming environment for all students. There are no curriculum or instructional changes connected to the daily themes.

We look forward to seeing our students’ creativity on display! Thank you for your continued partnership in helping make EES a positive, supportive, and welcoming place for all children to learn and grow.

We frequently receive inquiries from families asking how they can show their appreciation and gratitude to our dedicated teachers and staff members throughout the year. We are fortunate to have such a supportive community!

To help guide your thoughtful gestures, we have compiled a "Staff Favorite Things" list. This Google Form contains specific preferences submitted by our EES staff, which you can use for ideas if you choose to show your thanks! EES Staff Favorite Things List

Please note: Staff members are continuing to submit their information, so check back occasionally for updates!

Take a look below at the upcomming events!

👉The PTA is all about connection—parents, teachers, and staff coming together to make our school a place where every child thrives. Even 30 minutes or an hour of your time can make a big difference!

👉 Join the PTA: Becoming a member helps strengthen our community and gives you a voice. Link to Join the PTA: https://elkridgepta.givebacks.com/shop/items/1205656

👉 Get involved in events: Want to help with planning or volunteering? Send us a quick email at info@eespta.com, and we’ll add you to our event planning list.

There are a lot of fun upcoming events for EES families. Click on the images to link to the folder of PTA flyers.

• Canvas Check: Now is the perfect time to log in and check Canvas for your child's current grades and any missing assignments. If you have questions about specific grades or assignments, please reach out directly to the teacher.

• Standards & Learning Resources: To better understand what your child is learning and how to support them at home, we encourage you to explore the grade-specific Family and Community Resources on Canvas. These links provide overviews, how-to videos, learning goals, worksheets, games and resources for all academic areas:

• Pre-Khttps://hcpss.instructure.com/courses/34453
• Kindergartenhttps://hcpss.instructure.com/courses/34447
• Grade 1https://hcpss.instructure.com/courses/32029
• Grade 2https://hcpss.instructure.com/courses/34428
• Grade 3https://hcpss.instructure.com/courses/34429
• Grade 4https://hcpss.instructure.com/courses/34430
• Grade 5https://hcpss.instructure.com/courses/34431

• Homework & Grading: Homework (assigned to all grades except PK/K) reinforces classroom skills. If you notice your child struggling to complete homework in a reasonable time, please contact their teacher. For an in-depth look at how we assess learning, visit our resource on Standards-Based Grading: https://hcpss.instructure.com/courses/208494.

Open, effective communication is vital for student success. You can find all staff email addresses on our website. To ensure our teachers can provide thoughtful and thorough responses while focusing primarily on instruction during the school day, please keep this guideline in mind: Teachers have 24–48 hours to reply to emails during business hours.

We appreciate your understanding. This dedicated time allows our staff to focus fully on teaching during school hours and maintain a healthy work-life balance. Thank you for your continued partnership!

Families interested in learning more about HCPSS Pride Week, upcoming events, resources, and the district's ongoing efforts to foster welcoming and inclusive school communities are encouraged to visit the HCPSS Pride website. The site includes information about Pride Week activities, family resources, student opportunities, and frequently asked questions.

• June 1-5: HCPSS Pride Week
• June 3: 5th grade Simulated Congressional Hearings
• June 5: Band, Orchestra and Chorus Concert @ GPHS
• NEW - June 8: Full Day for Students - NEW
• NEW - June 11-15: Full Day for Students - NEW
• June 12: 5th Grade Promotion
• June 14: Flag Day
• NEW - June 15: Last Day for ½ Day PreK/RECC - NEW
• NEW - June 16-June 18: Schools Close 3 Hours Early - Professional Work Day - NEW
• NEW - June 18: Last Day for Students - NEW
• June 19: Schools & Offices Closed - Juneteenth