Owl Observer News

At Ducketts Lane, we know that strong partnerships between school and home make all the difference. Together, our shared goal is to help every student grow, master academic skills, and be ready for the next challenge ahead.

A big part of learning is perseverance—sticking with a problem even when it feels hard. Unlike the instant reward of a video game level or scrolling to the next video, real learning takes patience and effort. When students push through challenges, the payoff is lasting confidence and deeper understanding.

For many of us growing up, we didn’t have the constant pull of the internet or personal devices. We encourage you to limit screen time at home and give children the chance to read books, play games, and interact face-to-face. These simple experiences build social skills and resilience—two things that support success in school. Your help with this at home makes a difference in the classroom every day.

To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, DLES host's a yearly Hispanic Heritage Luncheon for the staff. This year, our luncheon will be on October 10th from 11-2pm. If your family has a favorite or special traditional Hispanic dish that you'd like to bring in to share with staff on that day, please reach out to Lorena Palmer via email, phone call, or Talking Points to coordinate details. Thank you for your consideration!

We also want to thank the many parents who joined us for our Annual Title I Night. Your input and feedback help us shape a meaningful Title I compact, one that strengthens our school-family partnership so that every child can succeed. Our data shows remarkable growth over the past four years, proving what our students are capable of. But our work is not done—we must continue with a sense of urgency.

Our time is now. #WeAreDucketts

Proudly Partnering with You,

Mrs. Caroland, Mrs. Van Osdel, Mrs. Poquette

Tuesday, October 7th: Dental Clinic at DLES

Thursday, October 16th: Dental Clinic at DLES

Friday, October 17th: School is Closed for All Students

Monday, October 20th: School is Closed for All Students

Tuesday, October 21st: PTA Meeting 6:00pm

Monday, October 27th: Coffee & Conversation RSVP HERE

Friday, October 31st: Students are dismissed at 12:15-no preschool classes

Friday, October 3rd: Sports Day-wear your favorite sports team gear

Monday, October 6th: Pajama Day-wear your cozy pajamas or cozy clothes

Friday, October 10th: Crazy hat day-wear a fun or crazy hat

Monday, October 13th: Mismatch Day-wear all the things that don't match but can be fun to wear together

Thursday, October 16th: Disney and Superhero Day-dress as your favorite disney or superhero

Tuesday, October 21st: Grade Level Color: Wear your grade level DLES shirt or color and together we will create a beautifull rainbow of color

Friday, October 24th: Wild Hair Day-wild and wacky hair

Monday, October 27th: Wear the Words-wear clothes with words

Friday, October 31st: Wear the Numbers-wear clothes with numbers

Show your DLES pride and let everyone know you’re part of one of the best school communities! Check out our new school spirit wear store—new weekly deals are added regularly, so be sure to check back often.

You may be missing out on Talking Point text messages

Did you know that without this being done, students are not allowed to attend a field trip? It's true, complete this task today!

Parents/guardians must verify and/or update emergency information for each child every school year. This is completed online in Family File, which has several new updates, including how and where to access. Full details on updating your Family File are available online.

Click Below to Update Now!

HCPSS participates in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs, which provide families with significant benefits to help save money. Qualification is based on family size and income, and enrollment is confidential. All children in households receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can get free meals regardless of income, and students from households that meet federal income guidelines are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals.

Free and Reduced Meals eligibility provides discounts for summer programs, SAT, recreation programs, Maryland Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and internet programs. FARMs eligibility can also provide our school with much needed Federal funding.

Families must submit a new application every school year

How to Apply

Please submit only one application per household. We will host some events later in the month for families that need computer or language assistance to apply online. Be on the look out for more information.

Online Applications for the 2025-2026 School Year are available on the new LINQ Connect website. Just click on the button below.

Students and Staff will be inspired by the Hispanic Art Exemplar Showcase, now on display, celebrating the work and influence of Hispanic artists.

Students will be creating :
🎸 Coco-inspired mixed media guitars
🧵 Painted serape blankets
🐦 Mexican folk art birds

Learning big math ideas is hard if kids aren’t confident with the basics—like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. When students don’t know their math facts automatically, their brains have to work extra hard just to remember them. That makes it tricky to focus on solving bigger, more challenging problems—and can lead to simple mistakes.

Practicing math facts at home helps kids become quick and confident, so they can tackle higher-level math with ease. The sooner they master these facts, the stronger their math skills will be for years to come! 💪📚

Here is a website that offers some ideas on how to practice math facts at home.

Here is a website that offers some ideas helping to teach math facts, books to read, songs to sing, and websites that might be helpful with math facts at home.

Please take a few moments to fill out the survey below. Your feedback will help us better understand your family’s needs, the types of family events you would like to attend, and your interest in volunteering at Ducketts Lane. We truly value your input and look forward to working together this year to strengthen family engagement—something research shows has a positive impact on students’ academic success.

2025 DLES Family Needs, Family Events and Volunteer Interest Survey

Chipotle Spirit Night
Join us for a delicious way to support our PTA at Chipotle (6181 Old Dobbin Ln, Ste 100, Columbia, MD 21045) on Tuesday, October 7th, from 5–9 PM.

Order in person and show the flyer, or skip the line and order online for pickup using code GGTT99G.

Donuts With Dudes
On Monday, October 13th from 8:00–8:30 AM, all students are invited to enjoy a donut breakfast with their dad, stepdad, grandpa, uncle, or special father figure.

During breakfast, we’ll share a special presentation about our "A Day with a Dude" program—an exciting opportunity to get involved in our school community. We hope to see you there for sweet treats and even sweeter moments!

🎃 Trunk or Treat
Get ready for a frightfully fun time at our 5th Annual Trunk or Treat on Saturday, October 25th from 4:00–5:00 PM!

Want to join the fun behind the scenes? If you’d like to decorate your trunk, pass out candy, or volunteer, sign up here.

Not a member yet? Join the DLES PTA today at https://duckettspta.givebacks.com/store! When you become a member, you are supporting the students and teachers at DLES, as well as the nation. Each voice makes the PTA louder when advocating for what they need.

To stay up-to-date on all of our upcoming events, visit our website and Facebook page.

We strive to be a school that actively partners with our students, staff, families, and surrounding community members. We welcome your feedback.

Please click on the Feedback Form to share your thoughts with how we can make DLES the best for everyone.

• Principal, Mrs. Caroland Molly_Caroland@hcpss.org

• Assistant Principal, Mrs. Van Osdel Amy_Van_Osdel@hcpss.org

• Leadership Intern, Mrs. Poquette Laurie_Poquette@hcpss.org

• Principal Secretary, Mrs. Canter Teresa_Canter@hcpss.org

• Registration Support, Secretary Ms. Lynette Carmen_Lynette@hcpss.org

• Attendance, Synergy and Family File Support, Secretary Mrs. Forman Julie_Forman@hcpss.org

• Synergy and Family File Support, Secretary Mrs. Haque Puna_Haque@hcpss.org

• Counselor Mr. Leisawitz Alexander_Leisawitz@hcpss.org

• Counselor Mrs. Barron Krista_Barron@hcpss.org

• Community School Coordinator Mrs. De La Cruz- Van Natta ndelacruzvannatta@hcpss.org