Owl Observer News

A huge thank you to all of our Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade families who joined us last night for Math Night! 🎉 Your enthusiasm and participation made the evening both fun and meaningful. We encourage you to use the knowledge and resources shared during our time together and make a commitment to regular math fact practice at home. Together, we can continue to see the incredible growth we know our students are capable of—let’s exceed our school math goal of increasing from 31% to 38% of students meeting or exceeding proficiency on the MCAP state assessments this spring. We’ve got this, DLES! 💪🧮

As we move further into the school year, we encourage families to stay connected to their child’s progress by regularly checking grades and feedback in Canvas. You can learn more using these helpful resources:

📘 Understanding the Canvas Gradebook
🎓 How to View Grades (K–5)

Take time to talk with your child about their learning—celebrate the areas where they feel confident and discuss where a little more practice might help. Share your own experiences of struggling with a subject and how you worked through it.

We often share with our students in grades 3–5 that grades are like baking a cake—it takes time, ingredients, and steps before it’s ready. A single grade is just one step in the process of learning, not the final product. We also want to remind families that letter grades may look different today than they did in the past or in other countries. Below is a guide to help visualize the percentages that correspond to each letter grade on assignments.

For our youngest learners in PreK–2, progress is reported using the following marks:

• M (Meets Expectations): The student consistently demonstrates understanding of content and applies the skills required in the academic standards.

• P (Making Progress Toward Expectations): The student demonstrates some understanding of the content and applies some of the required skills.

• L (Limited/No Progress Toward Expectations): The student demonstrates little or no understanding of the content and is unable to apply the skills required in the academic standards.

These grading systems are designed to help families and students see learning as a journey—a process of growth, reflection, and effort.

In today’s world, technology often gives instant answers, but true learning takes time, effort, and perseverance. It’s okay for schoolwork to feel hard—challenges help our students grow. When children see adults model persistence and a willingness to keep trying, they learn one of the most valuable lessons of all: growth comes from effort. 💪📚

🎃 PTA Trunk or Treat Candy Donations Needed! 🍬

We’re excited to share that our school now has a “Monster” Donation Box ready and waiting to be fed with unopened candy donations for our annual Trunk or Treat event! The box is located in the front vestibule, so families can easily drop off donations during arrival, dismissal, or any time you visit the school.

If stopping by in person isn’t convenient, don’t worry—you can still participate! Simply send in your candy donation with your child. Please place the candy in a sealed bag and clearly label it “Trunk or Treat Donation Box.” This ensures that teachers know where it belongs and can place it safely into the Monster Box on your behalf.

Your contributions help make Trunk or Treat a fun, community-centered event for all our students. Each piece of candy you donate helps fill the “Monster’s belly” and brings joy to hundreds of little ghouls and goblins! 👻 Thank you for helping PTA create a festive, memory-filled event for our DLES community!

Our time is now. #WeAreDucketts

Proudly Partnering with You,

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

At Ducketts Lane, we know that being at school every day is one of the most important ways to support your child’s academic and social-emotional growth. Regular attendance helps students build strong relationships, stay connected to learning, and reach their full potential.

As part of our School Improvement Goals, attendance is a major focus this year. Our students rely on us—as the adults in their lives—to make sure they show up ready to learn each day. The percentages below represent the number of students who are showing up to school each day:

📊 Our Current Attendance Rates:

• Preschool – 91%

• Pre-Kindergarten – 94%

• Kindergarten – 96%

• 1st Grade – 95.4%

• 2nd Grade – 96.1%

• 3rd Grade – 96.5%

• 4th Grade – 95.9%

• 🎉 5th Grade – 97.7% (Leading the way!)

• Schoolwide Average – 96%

We are only midway through the first quarter, and now is the time to build strong attendance habits. We must get these percentages even higher to meet our school goals and ensure every student is on track for success. The gap between these numbers and 100% represents the students who are missing valuable moments of new learning, friendship building, classroom memories, and connections each day they are not here.

Let’s make being at school every day a top priority. If your family faces challenges with attendance, please reach out—we’re here to help connect you with resources and support. Every day counts, and together, we can reach our goals and help every DLES Owl soar! 🦉💙

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

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

This 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.

Reading fluency means being able to read smoothly, with the right speed, accuracy, and expression. When children read fluently, they spend less time sounding out words and more time understanding what they read—which improves comprehension. You can help your child build fluency by having them read out loud daily, rereading favorite books, or listening to fluent reading and following along in the text. A great free resource for listening and reading together is Storyline Online, where actors read popular children’s books aloud.

We are so grateful for the amazing participation we have seen with our fall fundraiser! If you have not had a chance to participate, it is not too late! Registering at www.FundPrizes.com is super easy and you can share the fundraiser directly with your supporters through your child’s dashboard! The sale will officially end on Monday, 10/13- we are just 25 items away from our fundraising goal! Thank you so much for your support!

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