Ilchester Cheetah Chatter

LaShonne Wright, Assistant Principal

Website: ies.hcpss.org

Location: Ilchester Elementary School, 4981 Ilchester Road, Ellicott City, Maryland 21045
Phone: 410-313-2524

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다른 언어의 경우 뉴스 레터 번역을 클릭하고 원하는 언어를 선택합니다.

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دوسری زبانوں کے لئے ، نیوزلیٹر کا ترجمہ کریں پر کلک کریں اور اپنی پسند کی زبان کا انتخاب کریں۔

End of the first quarter

As we reach the end of our first quarter Tuesday, we are filled with pride and admiration for the incredible start our students have had to the school year! It has been a joy to see their enthusiasm, curiosity, and commitment to learning each day. We’ve seen students grow, try new things, and build lasting friendships, making our school a vibrant and welcoming place to learn.

The end of the quarter is a wonderful time for reflection. Just as our teachers review and give feedback on each student’s progress, this is a valuable moment for students to look back on their own accomplishments, set new goals, and renew their commitment to growth. Every piece of feedback is an opportunity to celebrate successes and to identify ways to keep building on them. We encourage you to use this feedback to help guide your child not just in reviewing where they are but in planning for where they want to go.

As we enter the second quarter, let’s continue to support our children in setting goals that inspire them. Whether it’s working a little harder on a challenging subject, improving study habits, or simply being kinder and more helpful to classmates, each step forward is meaningful. With your continued support at home, we are confident your child will thrive.

Thank you for being such an integral part of our school community. Together, we can help each child reach new heights and develop a lifelong love of learning.

Mr. Cosentino, Principal

For a complete list of dates and events visit https://ies.hcpss.org/events.

October

• 16 - Schools Closed for Students
• 23 - PTA Fall Fest, 6:00 p.m.
• 27 - End of First Quarter
• 28 - Schools Closed for Students
• 29 - 2nd grade field trip - Toby's Dinner Theater, 9:30 a.m.
• 29 -4th grade field trip - Londontown & Gardens, 9:45 a.m.

November

• Native American History Heritage Month
• 1 - Daylight Savings Time Ends
• 2-6 - National School Psychologist Week
• 3 - Election Day - Schools and Office Closed
• 11 - Veterans Day (school is OPEN)
• 11 - Talent Show, 6:30 p.m.
• 12 - Talent Show, 6:30 p.m.
• 16 - American Education Week
• 20 - Picture retakes
• 23 - School close 3 hours early - Parent/Teacher Conferences, 12:55 p.m.
• 24 - School close 3 hours early - Parent/Teacher Conferences, 12:55 p.m.
• 25 - Schools closed for students - Parent/Teacher Conferences
• 26 - Schools and offices closed - Thanksgiving Holiday
• 27 - Schools and offices closed - Thanksgiving Holiday

To subscribe to the IES calendar on your smartphone, electronic device, or email system, go to the bottom of the IES calendar page and subscribe to the calendars of your choice.

HCPSS Academic Calendar

American Education Week

American Education Week is November 16-20. Each year, we look forward to honoring public education and the many individuals who help ensure every student receives a quality education.

American Education Week is a wonderful opportunity to strengthen our collaboration and partnership with families. We invite parents and guardians to visit the Ilchester during this special week. Grade-level teams will share additional information about their schedules and a recommended time to visit for spotlight activities.

Due to school security, student confidentiality, and limited space, we ask our parents/guardians to follow these guidelines:

• Only parents/guardians are allowed to visit.
• All parents/guardians sign in at the front office with Lobby Guard or the Raptor System.

• Visitors must bring a scannable driver’s license to access Lobby Guard or Raptor System.

• Visitor stickers are always worn in a visible location.

• Be mindful of confidentiality while visiting. Visitors are responsible for maintaining confidentiality of all private, sensitive, and personally identifiable information they may see or hear while visiting HCPSS schools. Please click here for more information.
• No photos/videos, please.
• Please silence your phone throughout your visit.
• There is no visitation during lunch and recess.

Parking Reminders:

• Parking will be limited, so please consider carpooling or alternative parking options!
• No cars can be parked in the bus loop before 9:25 AM
• All cars must leave the bus loop no later than 2:45 PM (because of middle school dismissal).
• Please do not park in the fire lane at any time.

We look forward to welcoming you to our school to see the outstanding teaching and learning!

HCPSS is no longer offering the in-school flu vaccine clinics.

Please use this link to see a schedule of free flu vaccine clinics in the area if you're interested.

https://www.howardcountymd.gov/health/flu-respiratory-illness

Parent-Teacher Conference time is quickly approaching. Conferences with Homeroom/Language Arts teachers will take place on November 23-November 25. For your planning purposes, please note the schedule below:

• In- person conferences will be held on Monday, November 23rd only.
• Virtual conferences will be held on Tuesday, November 24th or Wednesday, November 25th only.

Families will sign up for conferences using Synergy beginning November 6th. The sign up window will close on November 19th. After November 19th, families must call the front office secretaries directly to schedule a conference. More information will be shared in a separate email as the date approaches. We look forward to seeing you.

The Howard County Literacy Association invites students in grades 1-5 to submit their original poems and/or short stories to the annual writing contest called The Young Authors' Contest. Please see the attached Young Authors’ Contest Guidelines for information about the rules and guidelines. Stories and poems must be typed and saved as a Word Doc or Google Doc. All entries must have a completed YAC Cover Sheet sent as a PDF. Submissions may be emailed to Laura_Cohn@hcpss.org by January 13, 2027. Contact Laura Cohn with any questions. All Young Authors’ Contest information can be found on the HCLA website.

Howard County Literacy Association welcomes parents as members. Visit the HCLA Welcome Page for information about joining.

It's time for all of our Ilchester Cheetahs to strut their stuff. The talent shows are being held on Wednesday, November 11 and Thursday, November 12 at 6:30 pm in the cafeteria. If your child has a talent they want to share, please use the form below to sign-up for the evening of your choice. Paper copies will go home this week too. Please sign up by Friday, October 23rd.

Mabel’s Labels makes personalized labels for clothing, shoes, water bottles, lunch containers, school supplies, and more.

When you shop through our school’s fundraising link, a portion of eligible purchases is donated back to our school. It’s an easy way to support our students while getting labels your family can use all year long!

Why labels?

✔️ Help prevent lost belongings ✔️ Great for school, camp, sports, and daycare ✔️ Dishwasher- and laundry-safe options available ✔️ Personalized with your child’s name ✔️ A simple way to support our school!

Parents can email IESabsence@hcpss.org to report a student’s absence. Please include your child(ren)’s full name, parent’s/guardian’s full name and phone number, the date your child(ren) was absent and the reason. Parents may instead choose to send in a paper excuse note to their child’s teacher with the same information when the student returns to school.

For families requesting local discretionary absences, please complete a Local Discretionary Absence Request Form and submit it to the front office at least one week in advance.