The Elkster

Hello EES Families and Community,

March is officially in full swing, and we are leaning heavily into our literacy goals throughout the building. At Elkridge, our priority is ensuring every student gets the highest quality reading and writing instruction every single day. By staying consistent with our teaching methods, we are working toward a clear target: seeing 59.5% of our students overall reach proficiency on the MCAP Literacy assessments. Every minute of instruction counts as we strive for these goals together!

It was great to see students energized by the various reading challenges and activities we have planned for the month. We want to extend a sincere thank you to the many community volunteers who joined us for Read Across America last Monday; having guest readers in our classrooms makes a tangible impact on our students' engagement with books.

We are also incredibly proud to announce our champions heading to the HCLS Spelling Bee on March 14th to represent EES:

• 1st Place: Tatiana D. (4th Grade - Ms. Sloat) and
• Runner-Up: Eyaoghene (Eya) O. (4th Grade - Ms. Sloat)

The momentum continues with our new Book Vending Machine, a fantastic addition to our school purchased by the PTA. Students have been highly motivated to earn tokens and select their own books to keep! Looking ahead, we have our Targeted Title I Reading Night this week for Grade 2 families receiving services, and please SAVE THE DATE for our Whole School Reading Night on April 14th.

Sincerely,

Danielle Shanks, Principal

Jonathan Swann, Assistant Principal

Lashonne Wright, Assistant Principal

Join our Student Services team for Wired & Well, a workshop focused on your child's mental wellness in a digital world. Attend to gain practical tools, challenge mental health stigma, and join a supportive community dedicated to building healthier mindsets. Updated QRCode link is coming soon!

Our school mantra this year is Elksters! All In! As we approach our upcoming testing season, we are asking our entire community to be "All In" to help our students feel calm, prepared, and ready to succeed. To give our Elksters the best environment possible, we need your partnership in ensuring a smooth, "All In" start to each morning:

Timing is Everything

All testing sessions begin promptly at 9:30 AM. To ensure your student is settled and ready:

• The "All In" Arrival: Please allow extra time for the car line. Arriving early allows students to eat a healthy breakfast, greet their friends, and start the day with a focused mind.
• The "Closed Door" Policy: Once a testing session begins, late students cannot be admitted to the classroom. To protect the focus of the group, late arrivals will wait in the office and must make up their test at a later date at the discretion of the Testing Coordinator. Students always perform their best when they are with their own teacher and classmates!

Scheduling for Success

Every minute of instruction is valuable. We ask that you remain mindful of testing times when scheduling appointments:

• The Ideal Window: Please schedule medical or personal appointments before 9:00 AM or after 3:55 PM.
• Stay the Day: Early dismissals impact your student's rhythm and the flow of the classroom. Being "All In" means staying for the full school day whenever possible.

Join us on Friday, March 13, 2026 at 6pm in the cafeteria for the Annual Elkridge Elementary School Talent Showcase! Students from 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades will be sharing their many talents, including: instrument solos, singing, dancing, comedy, and much more. All are invited and welcome to attend - we look forward to seeing you there!

Tickets are $4.00 and are required for everyone ages 4 and up. You can purchase online here: https://osp.osmsinc.com/p/DA053-413 or purchase with cash only at the door. (Tickets purchased online will be picked up at the door.)

All proceeds from ticket sales benefit the Music Department at EES and will be used to purchase equipment, instruments, and other classroom materials. Thank you for your support! Contact Ms. Loughry at carrie_loughry@hcpss.org with any questions.

5th Grade Parents will be selling baked goods and treats to raise funds to support 5th Grade Activities, so come ready for dessert as well!

Elkridge Elementary is looking for Lunch and Recess Monitors, a long-term substitute teacher for 1st grade, and a daily building substitute teacher! If you are interested, please contact Jonathan Swann at jonathan_swann@hcpss.org, or call 410-313-5006.

Lunch and Recess Monitor

• Daily: Monday - Friday (when school is in session)

• 10:40 AM - 1:40 PM

• Friendly, Dependable, and enjoy engaging with children, we want you!

Daily Building Substitute

• Daily: Monday - Friday (when school is in session)

• To begin in ASAP

• Friendly, Dependable, and flexible, we want you!

Long-Term Reading Specialist Substitute

• Daily: Monday - Friday (when school is in session)

• To begin in April

• Experienced in teaching Reading is strongly preferred

• Friendly, Dependable, works well with small children, we want you!

Belonging Night is a schoolwide event where we celebrate the many different countries and cultures represented in our school. We share food, performances, learn from each other, and have a fashion show!

We are looking for information about any community groups that you belong to or work with who can perform music or dances, or have someone come to share information about your culture or community. If you know of any local organizations who can contribute to this event, please contact Ms. Loughry at carrie_loughry@hcpss.org to share information.

Thank you and we're looking forward to a great night!

To ensure a safe and efficient dismissal for all of our students and staff, please follow these parking guidelines if you are driving to school to pick up a student designated as a "walker":

• Montgomery Road Lot: Please park in the lot adjacent to Montgomery Road and walk down to meet your child at the designated walker exit.

• Main School Lot: If you choose to park in the lot closest to the building, please be aware that you must remain in your parked vehicle until the entire car loop process is complete.

• Staff Timelines: Maintaining a smooth, continuous flow in the car loop is essential to ensuring our staff members can depart at their scheduled time of 4:15 PM.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our dismissal process safe and respectful of everyone's time!

Do you have a little one getting ready to start school? It is already time to begin the Road to Kindergarten! While registration for the upcoming school year officially begins on March 2, 2026, there are several steps you can take now during the winter months to prepare.

Key Eligibility & Details:

• Age Requirement: Children must be five years old on or before September 1, 2026, to enroll in kindergarten for the upcoming fall.

• Full-Day Program: Please remember that HCPSS kindergarten is a comprehensive, full-day program.

• Mandatory Enrollment: Every eligible child must be enrolled in a kindergarten program this fall or have an approved waiver form.

Steps You Can Take Now:

• Locate Your School: Use the HCPSS School Locator to confirm the school that serves your neighborhood.

• Attend an Info Session: We highly encourage you to attend a Road to Kindergarten parent information session to learn about readiness, the program, and registration.

• Gather Documents: Start collecting the required registration documents now to ensure a smooth process in March.

• Support Readiness: Visit your local Howard County Library System branch for book recommendations and classes, or work through the Early Learning Adventures booklet to help your child prepare.

To view the fliers:

In English: It's Time to Register for Kindergarten Flier

In Spanish: It's Time to Register for Kindergarten Flier

In Chinese: It's Time to Register for Kindergarten Flier

In Korean: It's Time to Register for Kindergarten Flier

Link to Flyers: CLICK HERE

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.

The Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) 2025-2026 school year calendar included three inclement-weather makeup days: June 16–18. As of Feb. 26, HCPSS has used five inclement-weather days and four late openings, resulting in high schools being two hours short of the required time under the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR).

At its February 26 meeting, the Howard County Board of Education approved calendar adjustments to ensure the school system meets the State’s required days and hours, including:

• Tuesday, March 3: Scheduled as an early dismissal, becomes a full day for students.
• Monday, April 6 (Easter Monday): Scheduled as schools/offices closed, becomes a full day for students. The State Board of Education granted HCPSS a waiver to open school that day.
• Wednesday, April 15: Scheduled to be closed for students and designated as a staff professional learning and work day, becomes a half-day for students with the standard 3-hour early dismissal and half work day for staff.
• Thursday, May 14: Scheduled as an early dismissal, becomes a full day for students.
• Tuesday, June 16-Thursday, June 18: Scheduled as inclement weather makeup days included in the 2025-2026 school year calendar, become half days for students.

Barring any additional inclement weather days, the last day of school will be Thursday, June 18, 2026. Updates to the June calendar include the following:

• Thursday, June 11–Monday, June 15: Scheduled as early dismissals, become full school days
• Monday, June 15: Last day for half day pre-K / RECC .
• Tuesday, June 16–Thursday, June 18 (last day of school): Schools dismiss three hours early with half work days for staff. June 16 will be designated for staff articulation.

Any future disruptions to the calendar due to inclement weather will require additional solutions to be communicated if/when needed.

An updated HCPSS online and PDF calendar is available now at www.hcpss.org/calendar.

We are excited to announce that the EES School Store will officially open on March 3, 2026, as part of our PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports) program to celebrate students who demonstrate our schoolwide expectations. Students will use the Elkster Bucks they have earned for showing responsibility, respect, safety, and kindness to redeem small, school-appropriate prizes during scheduled class shopping times — no cash is needed, and this is not a fundraiser.

Our goal is to reinforce positive behavior, strengthen belonging, and ensure all students have opportunities to participate and experience success. We are seeking approved parent volunteers to help set up in the grade-level pod areas, assist students while they shop, and pack up materials; volunteers are asked to arrive between 8:40–8:50 a.m. for the first few sessions, with shifts lasting about an hour.

If you are interested in supporting this exciting PBIS initiative and helping us continue building a positive, connected EES community, please sign up using the Sign Up Genius link. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0445ACAD23A7FF2-62446604-eesschool

Families can now join us for our daily school morning announcements—anchored and produced by our amazing 5th graders! Each broadcast features birthdays, classroom shout-outs, daily highlights, and much more. Announcements run from 9:20–9:25 a.m. on Google Meet using the code eesnews. It’s a fun way to start the day with school spirit and celebrate our community together—don’t miss it!

• 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!

Saturday, March 14, 2026 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

Cedar Lane School

11630 Scaggsville Road Fulton, MD

The HCPSS Special Education Resource Fair provides families with information available from the community and HCPSS to support their students receiving special education and related services. Get connected to:

• Services within HCPSS
• Recreational Activities
• Camps
• Community Groups
• Service Providers
• Transition Information
• Assistive Technology
• Behavioral Health
• Howard County Government Resources
• And Much More!

We’ll have several activities for children. For information, please contact FSRC@hcpss.org. Registration is not required. This event is part of the HCPSS Parent Empowerment Series and includes training sessions related to special education and events for families of students with an IEP or IFSP.

• See this flyer for details.

• March 13: EES Talent Showcase & PTA Bake Sale
• March 14: Pi Day
• March 14: MESA Competition and HCLS Spelling Bee
• March 20: Schools Closed for Students - Eid ul-Fitr / Professional Work & Development Day
• March 30-April 2: Schools Closed - Spring Break
• April 3: Schools & Offices Closed - Spring Break
• NEW - April 6: Full Day for Students - NEW