Greetings EES Families,

Happy New Year and welcome back! We home that winter break provided the opportunity to relax, recharge, and create cherished memories with loved ones. We hope you stayed safe, warm and took care of your health during this festive season. Now is the perfect time to reflect on your accomplishments and carry your intentions forward. Let's return to school with renewed energy, ready to embrace new challenges and opportunities for growth. Remember, a well-rested mind and heard are the foundation for the success and joy in the months ahead!

School Supplies:

Moving toward the end of the 2nd quarter, now is the perfect time to check in with your child to update their school supplies. Please reach out to your child's homeroom teacher if you have any questions.

Elkridge is a 4 STAR SCHOOL:

On December 3, 2024, Elkridge Elementary found out that the school received 4 out of a possible 5 stars on the Maryland School Report Card. Highlights of the report showed improvement in Academic Achievement and Progress, School Quality and Student Success, and met the annual target in Progress in Achieving English Language Proficiency. We are thrilled with the all of the hard work our teachers and students have done to raise Elkridge from a 3 star to a 4 star status! Click here to view the full report.

Cold and Flu Season:

To keep our community healthy, it’s essential to practice good hygiene by washing hands frequently with soap and water or using hand sanitizer when needed. Always cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your elbow, and dispose of tissues properly to protect others. Regularly clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces, such as doorknobs and shared devices, to reduce the spread of germs. If you’re feeling unwell, stay home and encourage others to do the same to help prevent illness from spreading. Supporting a healthy environment also includes staying vaccinated, eating well, staying hydrated, and ensuring good ventilation in shared spaces.

Arrival & Dismissal Reminders:

Student Arrival and Breakfast:

Students will be admitted into the building between 9:10 and 9:25 AM. Breakfast service will end promptly at 9:30 AM. Please ensure students arrive on time, especially if they plan to eat breakfast, as the kitchen doors will close at 9:30 AM.

Dismissal:

Student dismissal begins promptly at 3:55 and is completed by 4:15. Recently, we have noticed an increase in students waiting to be picked up at 4:30 and beyond. Late pickups can disrupt school operations and create unnecessary delays for staff and administration. We kindly ask for your cooperation in ensuring students are picked up on time. Thank you for helping us keep our dismissal process efficient and ensuring the safety of all our students. Please call the front office by 2:30PM if you are changing the way your child is being picked up from school. Also, only students who are car riders are dismissed from the gym. If you are walking up to meet your child at the car rider door, you will need to go to the main office to pick them up.

Recess Reminders:

As we move into the colder months of school, we would like to send a few reminders about students and recess. Per HCPSS policy, students will be outside for recess when the temperature combined with the wind chill is not less than 20 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature combined with the wind chill is below 20 degrees, students will have indoor recess. Please send your children prepared for outdoor recess.

Did you know?:

Attendance fact: Arriving late or leaving early during the school day can still impact learning. If a student misses 10 minutes per day, that equals 50 minutes per week, adding up to a week and a half of missed class every year.

Have a great week!

Sincerely,

Kelley Powell, Principal

LaShonne Wright, Assistant Principal

Jonathan Swann, Assistant Principal

📚 Book Donations Needed for Literacy Events!📚

We're collecting new or gently used books to support our upcoming literacy events, including our exciting Reading Night in April! If you have books to donate, please drop them off at school in bags or boxes labeled with either Mrs. Cooke or Mrs. Barr's name. Your generous contributions will help foster a love for reading in our community. Thank you for your support! 📖✨

Monthly Math Estimation began this month in our math classes! Each month the students are given an estimation picture to look at during their math class. This month the students had a picture of a ¼ cup filled with almonds. The students discussed strategies to use to help them come up with a class estimation for the number of almonds in the ¼ cup. The following classes were closest to the actual answer:

Primary winners:

Mrs. Harmon's math class

Mrs. Kirby's math class

Secondary winners:

Mrs. Hamilton's math class

Ms. Rager's PM math class

Great Job to all the classes for making great estimates this month! Be on the lookout for January's estimation!

The Howard County Public School System welcomes visitors to our schools. To limit interruptions and distractions to teaching and learning, and to maximize safety for all:

• Anyone wishing to visit a school is asked to contact school administration or the appropriate staff member to establish a convenient time for both the visitor and the school.
• The school will arrange for an escort for the visitor.
• To avoid interrupting instruction, no students are allowed to shadow HCPSS students.
• Understandably, interactions between visitors and school staff and students will be limited.
• If a follow-up meeting with school staff is desired, the visitor will schedule it for a mutually convenient time.
  
  

Safety Protocols for Visitors

Please be aware of the following procedures for any visitor to a school/office:

• The front door is the only entrance point for all visitors.
• Please ring the bell and look into the camera.
• Be prepared to state your name and purpose for visiting.
• All visitors must walk directly into the front office with a valid photo I.D. and sign in using our LobbyGuard system.
• A visitor’s sticker will be given to visitors following the above procedures and must be worn and prominently visible.
• Any visitor in the school without a visitor sticker will be escorted directly to the front office by a staff member.
  
  

In some cases, it may be more convenient for a prospective visitor to acquire information in other ways. The following may be helpful:

• Information about the Howard County Public School System is available on the HCPSS website and the HCPSS News site.
• Visit our Schools page to find school locators (attendance areas), school profiles, bus stops and much more.

We thoroughly enjoy when parents come in to enjoy lunch with their child. We ask that you remember the following when visiting:

1. Before entering the cafeteria, please sign in at the front office to obtain a visitors pass.
   
   
2. Food may not be shared with other students in the cafeteria. Food that is brought in from outside sources (fast food lunch, cupcakes, etc. etc.) cannot be guaranteed to be allergen free. Therefore, to protect students, any food that is brought into the cafeteria may only be shared with the child you are visiting.
   
   
3. When dining with your child, please sit at a table that is either empty, or that has a few students at it.
   
   
4. When having lunch with your child, please refrain from interacting with any other children. If you need assistance, please request to speak with an administrator before you attend lunch.
   
   
5. If you choose to eat a school lunch with your child, you may not use your child's account to purchase a lunch for yourself. Adult lunches are $4.50, payable in cash (preferably exact change) at the time of purchase.

As a general reminder for our students who sit at the allergy table, it is important that the same student(s) should sit at this table everyday. If two friends are going to sit at the table with a friend who has a peanut allergy, it should be the same students. If one student brings lunch that day they will not be able to sit at the allergy/peanut table that day.

If you have concerns about your child's development - whether it's their speech, motor skills, social skills or learning - it's important to act now. Waiting until the summer for a referral can delay crucial support that your child may need before starting kindergarten.

Contact us today to schedule a screening. Let's work together to ensure your child has the best possible start in kindergarten!

Call 410-313-7046 or email ChildFind@hcpss.org

The After School Belonging Group will be meeting on the following days after school. Please reach out to Ms. Harmon for additional details.

January 21, 2025

February 18, 2025

March 18, 2025

April 22, 2025

May 20, 2025