Owl Observer News

It has been a wonderful week at Ducketts Lane! Later this morning, we will celebrate over 40 young authors who submitted an original piece of writing. We encourage you to continue supporting and inspiring your children to write—writing is a powerful way for students to share their voice, express ideas, and communicate meaningfully throughout their educational journey and beyond.

We also had a fantastic evening on Wednesday at OMHS, where our talented 4th and 5th grade orchestra students joined peers from several schools for the String-a-Palooza Concert, led by Mrs. McKay. It was a joy to see our students shine and demonstrate their dedication, collaboration, and musical growth.

Our students continue to show determination and perseverance during testing, and assessment sessions will continue over the next couple of weeks. We are proud of the focus and effort students are bringing to this important work.

Please note that there will be no school on Monday as we, as a nation and as a school community, honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. His work deeply reflects the values we hold at Ducketts Lane—to be an embracing community for all, and to recognize that every child has the right to learn each day, and none of us has the right to take that opportunity away from others.

We look forward to welcoming students back on Tuesday for a fun-filled week ahead and hope everyone will join us in celebrating Spirit Week!

Our highest attendance rate this year—98%—was last reached on October 9th, and we know we can get there again! In January, we came very close with 97% attendance on January 7th and 96% on January 13th, which tells us we are heading in the right direction.

Now it’s time to work together to reach 98% (or higher!) again. Every day matters, and every minute of learning counts—especially as we move through a school year that includes scheduled days off and half-days. When students are present and engaged, they build routines, strengthen skills, and make meaningful progress.

We know that Thursday is a half-day, with student dismissal at 12:15 p.m., and sometimes families wonder whether instruction is a focus on these days. We want to assure you that half-days are intentionally and instructionally packed. Students engage in focused learning experiences designed to maximize time, reinforce key skills, and move learning forward. These days matter just as much as a full day of school, and student attendance remains critically important.

Below, you will find this year’s half-day instructional schedule by grade level, which highlights the meaningful learning that takes place during these shortened days.

Let’s continue to rally as a community to prioritize attendance, and when we reach our goal, we’ll celebrate together at the end of that week with a little fun! Thank you for your partnership, commitment, and support. We’ve got this! 🎉

Monday, January 19th- Schools Closed-Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Thursday, January 22nd- All Students Dismiss at 12:15- No half-day Pre-K/RECC

Thursday, January 22nd-Parents/guardians may schedule conferences in HCPSS Connect beginning at 8:00 a.m. on January 22nd. Conference scheduling will continue through 4:00 p.m. on January 30th. Conferences will be held with your child's Math teacher. *There will be in-person and virtual options.

Friday, January 23rd- FULL Student day for Prek through 5th Grade students. No school for our preschool students.

Monday, January 26th- No School for Students

Wednesday, February 4th-No School for Students

Thursday, February 5th-All Students Dismiss at 12:15-Parent/Teacher Conferences. No half-day PreK/RECC

Friday, February 6th-All Students Dismiss at 12:15-Parent/Teacher Conferences. No half-day PreK/RECC

Tuesday, January 20th-🎩 Hat Day

Baseball caps, beanies, bows (school-appropriate: nothing to cover the face or stop learning).

Wednesday, January 21st- 🧸 Stuffed Animal Buddy Day

Bring a small stuffed friend to school.

Thursday, January 22nd- 👟 Comfy Day

Cozy clothes or athletic wear.

Friday, January 23rd- 🌟 Dress Like a Star Day

Be a rock star, sports star, or “star student.”

Students who are at school on Thursday, January 22nd will be entered into a drawing for a chance to Silly String a staff member! Each grade level will have several winners.

🎧 PLUS… all students in attendance on Thursday, January 22nd will get to enjoy a DJ Mix during lunch to keep the energy high and the fun going!

Winners can redeem their Silly String moment on Friday, January 23rd during lunch—as long as they’re at school that day, too.

Every day matters, and we love celebrating our students for showing up, learning, and having fun together!

We would like to say a BIG Congratulations to all of our students who entered our Young Author’s Contest! We enjoyed reading each and every entry that was submitted and we are so proud of all the students who participated! As you can imagine it was not easy to pick just one winner from each category, our judges had a very hard job to do! We look forward to even more students participating next year!

The DLES students with 1st place stories and poems will go on to compete with the other 1st place stories and poems for that grade level throughout Howard County. HCPSS winners will be selected in January! Best of luck to all our students! Here are the winners by grade level:

We hope the new year has started off positively and productively for you and your family. As we close out January and look ahead to February, we are excited to share some highlights from the DLES Physical Education program.

Our PreK students have been busy practicing a variety of locomotor movements, exploring rhythm and dance, and developing foundational jumping and landing skills.

In grades K–5, students have been focusing on striking skills and volleyball fundamentals. This unit helps reinforce movement concepts, coordination, and teamwork.

• Grades 3–5 have been learning and practicing serving, bumping, setting, and volleying with a partner.

• Grades K–2 have been working on striking objects upward and completing fun and engaging volleying challenges.

Additionally, our 3rd–5th grade students have been discussing the importance of aerobic fitness and cardiovascular endurance. They have even been practicing how to find and calculate their heart rates. We encourage you to join in at home—get the whole family moving and invite your child to teach you how to check your heart rate!

Throughout all lessons, we continue to emphasize being Determined Learners and Embracers, while staying safe and active in Physical Education. Our goal is to support students in developing healthy habits and growing as well-rounded learners at DLES and beyond.

As always, we appreciate your continued support and partnership. Your involvement truly makes a difference, and we look forward to continuing this journey together.

Warm regards,
The DLES Physical Education Department
Mr. Anderson & Mr. Abramson

Math word problems ask students to do more than calculate—they ask students to make sense of a situation, use visuals, and explain their thinking using math language. This approach, emphasized in the Common Core, helps students become confident problem-solvers at every grade level.

Families play an important role in this process, and you don’t need to be a math expert to help!

Why Visuals Help

Visuals make abstract ideas concrete. Drawing, modeling, or acting out a problem helps students:

• Organize information

• See relationships between numbers

• Check whether their answer makes sense

Encourage your child to draw it, build it, or model it before jumping to an answer.

Primary Grades (PreK–2): Seeing the Math

At this level, students learn best through pictures, objects, and simple math language.

Helpful Visuals:

• Drawings (circles, tallies, pictures)

• Real objects (toys, snacks, coins)

• Fingers or number lines

Key Vocabulary to Practice:

• total

• altogether

• more / fewer

• left

• add

• take away

Example to Try at Home:
“Liam has 4 apples. He eats 1. How many apples are left?”
➡ Ask your child to draw the apples or use real objects.
➡ Ask: What happened in the story? Did we add or take away?

Intermediate Grades (3–5): Representing and Explaining Thinking

Older students move toward models, equations, and precise math language.

Helpful Visuals:

• Bar models

• Arrays

• Number lines

• Tables or diagrams

Key Vocabulary to Practice:

• operation

• equation

• factor / product

• sum / difference

• estimate

• justify

• strategy

Example to Try at Home:
“A class has 24 students. They are placed into groups of 6. How many groups are there?”
➡ Ask your child to draw groups or create a model.
➡ Ask: Why did you choose that strategy? How do you know your answer makes sense?

Questions That Build Understanding (All Grades)

• What is the problem asking?

• What information is important?

• Can you show your thinking with a picture or model?

• How can you explain your answer?

A Final Reminder for Families 💙

Getting the right answer matters—but understanding the process matters even more. Mistakes, drawings, and thoughtful explanations are signs of learning.

When we encourage visuals and math vocabulary at home, we strengthen students’ confidence and help them grow as problem-solvers—one word problem at a time!

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.

Join us for a delicious way to support our PTA at Raising Canes (9071 Snowden River Pkwy, Columbia, MD 21046) on January 20th from 4-8 pm.

Order in person and mention the fundraiser at the register.

Join us January 23rd from 6:30-8 pm in the DLES cafeteria for a fun dance night with music from DJ Claw! We will also have snacks, light refreshments, and LOTS OF GLOW STICKS!!!

We are in need of a few more volunteers to make this event a success. If you would like to help out while you are at the dance, please visit our sign-up page at PTA: Glow dance

Please be advised that this is not a drop-off event. All students must be accompanied by an adult over the age of 18.

We can't wait to light up the night with you!

Join today at https://duckettspta.givebacks.com/shop! 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.

Together, we can wrap our school community in warmth this season. Thank you for giving, supporting, and sharing kindness! ✨

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