Elk Neck Express

Ashlee Groce, Principal, ajgroce@ccps.org

Melissa Pratt, Assistant Principal, mapratt@ccps.org

Website: https://enes.ccps.org/

Location: 41 Racine School Rd., Elkton, MD, 21921

Phone: 410.996.5030

Hello Elk Neck Elementary Families,

We hope you all had a wonderful, long weekend with your families! We have an exciting week ahead, filled with several upcoming events:

Monday, 10/19.26: The Book Fair Begins! Students will shop during their Media class.

- CCPS Pink Out for Breast Cancer - Wear Pink!

- Bubble Gum Day

- Book Fair Shopping from 4:00-6:00 p.m.

- PTO Fall Movie Night @ 5:30 p.m.

As we begin planning the budget for the 2027–2028 school year, your input is vital. We want to ensure our budgetary priorities reflect the needs of our community, so please take a few minutes to share your thoughts, comments, and ideas in our survey (see below). Your feedback directly shapes our decisions as we organize our budget requests. Please submit your responses by Friday, October 23, 2026. 2027-2028 ENES Budget Survey:

As always, we are here to serve our families, students, teachers, and the community. Should you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us. Please reference the Who To Contact document to reach the staff member who can best respond to your needs.

Committed to serving our school community,

Mrs. Ashlee Groce, Principal

Ms. Melissa Pratt, Asst. Principal

A google form was emailed on Friday to parents/guardians for RSVP.

Open communication between families and school staff is one of the most reliable predictors of academic, social, and emotional success for students. When parents and educators work as a team, students experience a unified support system that reinforces learning both in the classroom and at home.

To ensure that communication remains timely and manageable, the following guidelines for communication apply:

• Email should be used for school-related questions, concerns, and important information.

• Please combine related questions or concerns into one email whenever possible rather than sending multiple messages throughout the day. When multiple emails address the same topic, staff may send a single consolidated reply or request a call/meeting if further discussion is needed. Sending repeated messages will not speed up responses, as staff require time to review concerns thoroughly and accurately.

• Staff will respond to communication during designated work hours (8:15 a.m.-3:45 p.m.) and are not expected to monitor email continuously.

• Staff will generally respond to an email within 24 hours. Responses should not be expected during evenings, weekends, holidays, or school breaks.

• Before contacting the teacher about a grade posted in PowerSchool, please wait until the physical assignment is sent home. Reviewing your child's work and teacher feedback first often addresses most questions or concerns.

• Urgent matters involving a student’s immediate safety should be directed to the school office rather than handled through routine email.

These guidelines establish clear communication parameters while encouraging open dialogue. Our shared goal is to communicate effectively while ensuring staff have the time needed to support every student.

We hope that you'll join us for our Fall Movie Night on Friday, October 23, 2026 beginning at 5:30 p.m.. Students will watch Toy Story 5 on our outdoor movie screen. We will have food trucks available for families to purchase food. Finnegan's Famous, The Wheelie Bar, and Mad Waffle will be there serving up delicious dinner foods and treats! The Book Fair will also be open from 4:00-6:30 p.m. for families wanting to shop together. Look for the flyer below to come home this week!

In accordance with CCPS Regulation KJA-RA, we kindly remind families that birthday party invitations and other personal materials are not to be distributed by students or school personnel during the school day. The regulation states: “Personal materials such as student birthday party invitations are not to be distributed by students or school system personnel and are not the responsibility of the school system.” To ensure a respectful environment for all students, we ask that any invitations be shared outside of school hours and off school grounds. As a system, we are unable to distribute contact information for other families within the school. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Parenting in today's fast-paced world comes with unique challenges, but you don't have to navigate them alone! Through Cecil County Public Schools’ partnership with The Cook Center for Human Connection and ParentGuidance.org, all district families have access to free, confidential 1-on-1 Parent Coaching. Whether you're working through daily stress, behavioral hurdles, or screen-time habits, this service pairs you with a dedicated coach to provide customized tools, guidance, and support. Registration is quick, anonymous, and HIPAA-protected—visit ParentGuidance.org to get matched with your personal coach today.

Take advantage of this free resource today! You can register and get matched with your personal coach by visiting ParentGuidance.org.

Registration is entirely easy, anonymous, confidential, and HIPPA protected! To see how a coach can help you navigate modern parenting with greater balance, check out this quick video on How to Register for Parent Coaching.

Supported by the Maryland Community Health Resources Commission and the Maryland Consortium on Coordinated Community Supports.

Congratulations to these amazing Elk Neck Retrievers who earned the Above and Beyond Award in October!

Ayla in Mrs. S's Class

Jonah in Mrs. Miller's Class

Kennedy in Mrs. O'Brien's Class

Wulfgar in Mrs. O'Brien's Class

Hunter in Mrs. Taylor-Fink's Class

Rayce in Mrs. Walker’s Class

Harlow in Mrs. Walker's Class

Elizabeth in Ms. Reilly's Class

Summer in Ms. Moore's Class

Cole in Mrs. Cantera's Class

Atlas in Mrs. Hubb’s Class

Reagan in Mrs. DiPietro’s Class

Tyler in Mrs. DiPietro’s Class

Renee in Mrs. Jacob’s Class

Jayson in Mrs. Jacob’s Class

Dudley in Ms. Boswell's Class

Dexter in Mrs. Webb’s Class

Declan in Mrs. Lyneis' Class

Charlee in Mr. Gilbert's Class

Casey in Mrs. Blessing's Class

Elijah in Mrs. Hartman's Class

Ava in Mrs. Strauss' Class

Parenting Advice

Halloween Tips for Students with ADHD or Sensory Challenges

1. Follow Safety Rules- Lots of kids race from house to house when trick-or-treating. But kids with ADHD are likely to dash off without looking both ways. Or they might get separated from the group. Talk through street-safety rules at least once before your child leaves the house. Talk about stranger safety, too. If your child is older, consider only letting your child go out in a small group. This can help limit distractions and make it more likely for your child to stay with the group.

2. Overdoing it on candy Classroom parties, community events, playdates, trick-or-treating — candy and other treats are everywhere at Halloween. Lots of kids have trouble holding back when there’s so much good stuff around. But for impulsive kids, resisting temptation is especially hard. Ask your child how much seems like the right amount to eat at parties, after trick-or-treating, and in the days after Halloween. Kids who are involved in decision-making are more motivated to follow through.

3. Winding down at bedtime Kids with ADHD can have trouble going from active mode to sleep mode. And it can be especially hard to wind down after Halloween gatherings and trick-or-treating. Plus, kids with ADHD tend to have trouble managing emotions. They might be so disappointed when Halloween’s over that they get angry or have a tantrum. What you can do: Leave plenty of wind-down time between trick-or-treating and bedtime. A day or two before Halloween, connect with your child to come up with a special bedtime routine just for that night. Maybe you’ll read a spooky (but not too scary) book or watch a Halloween show. You could also make bedtime a little later. Just be sure to leave the same amount of time you always do for your child to get ready for bed.

4. Coping with sensory overload Costumes can be itchy and uncomfortable. Decorations like fake cobwebs can cause unfamiliar sensations. And sudden loud noises can be stressful. Sensory input can be overwhelming on Halloween, and that affects lots of kids with ADHD. The end result could be a meltdown, rather than Halloween fun. Test out the costume at home once or twice before the big day. Wearing regular clothes underneath may help. If not, try a fun shirt or sweatshirt with a Halloween theme. If noise and lights are an issue, maybe you can skip neighborhood trick-or-treating. Malls, rec centers, and parks might offer a more low-key trick-or-treating experience. You can also create new Halloween traditions, like having a few friends over for a costume contest.

We are excited for our second year of implementing Illustrative Mathematics! IM promotes independent problem solving skills while building a deep understanding of mathematics. Families can access the Family Support Hub to find out what students are learning and how to support their learning at home. Check it out!

Monday, 10/19/26

Book Fair Begins! Shopping will occur during special time.

Wednesday, 10/21/26

Unity Day - Wear orange!

Friday, 10/23/26

CCPS Pink Out Day - Wear Pink

Bubble Gum Day

Book Fair Open for Shopping from 4:00-6:30 p.m.

PTO Fall Movie Night @ 5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Monday, 10/26/26

Red Ribbon Week! Wear Red!

Tuesday, 10/27/26

Red Ribbon Week! Wear anything Disney!

Wednesday, 10/28/26

Red Ribbon Week! Wear Neon!

Thursday, 10/29/26

Red Ribbon Week! Team Jersey Day!

Friday, 10/30/26

Fall Walk @ 10:00 a.m.

Red Ribbon Week! Wear sweatpants and/or a sweatshirt!