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Dear Laurel Woods Community,

What a great week at Laurel Woods! Students celebrated the 100th day of school and ended the week spreading kindness and joy during Valentine’s celebrations. A huge shout-out to our PTO for visiting classrooms and offices with their Sunshine Family Cart and sharing kindness with our staff—we truly appreciate your support. We are also grateful for the PTO and community members who came together this weekend to help clear off the blacktop. Our students will be excited to have that space available for outdoor recess this upcoming week as temperatures move into the 50s.

Last week, we also shared a follow-up to our January Coffee and Conversations. In that communication, we noted that we were still gathering information and would provide additional updates. Please take a moment to review our updated questions and answers from the January Coffee and Conversations. The most recent responses are highlighted in pink. We are continuing to gather information and resources and will share updates with you as they become available.

Warmly,

LWES Admin

Beginning Wednesday, February 18th, you will find a small table along the left wall of the vestibule where we are asking you to leave any student materials you are dropping off, including student folders, instruments, lunches, etc.

Please make sure the student name is visible and use the call box to let the front office know the materials are there. They will ensure delivery to the student. Thank you.

• Tip One- The "Morning Huddle": With the colder weather and darker mornings, getting out the door can be a challenge. Try a "5-minute huddle" the night before: check the homework and put it in the backpack, bags are by the door, and the weather forecast is checked. A little prep goes a long way in preventing "attendance stress" the next morning!
  

• Tip Two - To help keep our school’s specific attendance email and contacts handy, we recommend bookmarking your school’s website or saving the attendance email in your phone contacts for quick access.

We would like to recognize and support the students and staff in our school community who will be observing Ramadan. Ramadan is anticipated to begin on the evening of Tuesday, February 17 and continue for approximately 30 days. As the start date is determined by the sighting of the new crescent moon, these dates may vary. This is a sacred time of fasting, reflection, and prayer for many in our community.

To support students who are fasting, we will provide a supervised alternative location during lunch for those who prefer not to be in the cafeteria. Students may use this time to relax, read, or participate in another quiet activity with peers.

If your child will be fasting and you would like them to use this alternative setting, please contact Ms. Wilmes at Susan_Wilmes@hcpss.org or Ms. Koch at Catherine_Koch@hcpss.org so we can make arrangements.

Lunar New Year is a celebration of the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar. While the official dates encompassing the holiday vary by culture, please see this flier to reflect the school holiday on February 17th.

Great news! Starting now, our lunchroom will be selling tasty treats during lunchtime on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Please note: Snacks will not be available on half days.

🛍️ Snack Lineup & Prices:

• 🍪 Cookies – $0.50 each

• 🧁 Rice Krispies Treats – $1.00

• 🍦 Frozen Treats – $0.75

Stay in the loop with all the exciting events hosted and organized by our Family Resource Center — you won’t want to miss what’s coming up! 👀📅

Click on the link below! 👇

We truly value input from our families and community partners as we strive to grow and improve. Your feedback helps us better serve our students—so please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts with our LWES administrative team. Your response can remain anonymous, or you can provide your name for a follow-up phone call.

💙 Hello Laurel Woods Families! 💙

The PTO has some exciting events and ways to get involved—read on for all the highlights!

📅 Upcoming PTO Events

Mark your calendars! Here are some of the awesome events and initiatives we’ve got coming up later this month and in the new year:

• 🍕🍕🍕 January 28th - February 11th - Sign up to participate in the Domino’s “Slice the Price” Fundraiser! Sign up HERE!

• Ever wish your Dominoes pizza order could double? Our coupon card fundraiser will help make it a reality all year long - buy a large and get a large pizza for free with the Slice the Price card! (unlimited quantities - buy 1, get 1 free, buy 10, get 10 free) The cost of the card is just $20 and doubles all your large pizza orders all year long - use the card as many times for as many pizzas as you’d like until it expires on 12/31/2026.

• ☀️☀️☀️February 13th - Sunshine Families Cheer Cart - We will be visiting teachers and staff during planning periods so they can select their favorite treats. Donate prepackaged items or drinks OR donate money on Givebacks and the PTO will purchase!

• 🩷🩷🩷Raise Craze is coming! Save the dates (Spanish) for our Kindness Fundraiser - now beginning February 13th (rescheduled due to the snow days)! Commit to acts of kindness in your home, school and community and raise money for the LWES PTO!

• 🌮🌯🥙February 18th - join us from 4-8pm for a dine-out at Chipotle (Spanish version here) at 11811 W. Market Pl. Fulton. Order online using code FW4NJDB

• 🏆🎨🏆Thank you to all students who submitted yearbook covers in our Yearbook Cover Contest. Please vote for your favorite HERE! Voting will be open through Friday 2/13.

• 📚📖📕 Yearbook sales are open online! Use code: 15436926. Yearbooks are $28 through 3/31. From April 1st to May 1st, the price increases to $30. Don’t delay, order your yearbook today!

• March 3rd - Join us for a fundraiser at Chuck E. Cheese 12:30-9pm! Keep an eye out for Chuck E. at dismissal!

🕰 Looking Back

Thank you for participating in our events!

• We have raised $490 towards our goal of $1000 from the Domoino's Fundraiser. Track our progress here.

• January General Membership Meeting - please take a moment to view our meeting slides here. We hope to see you at our next meeting on March 19th, 7pm on Zoom!

• Noodle & Co - Thanks to all families that joined us at Noodle & Co. for a dine out - we raised $112.30 for the PTO!

Do you have photos to share with us of these events? Would you love to see them in the yearbook? Please email photos to ptolwesmedia@gmail.com, making sure that any students who are pictured have photo release consent on file within their HCPSS Family File.

🌟 Get Involved!

Our remaining meetings this year will take place from 7-8pm on Mar. 19th and May 16th. All meetings will be on Zoom. At our next meeting, we will share fundraising successes, upcoming events, and even more opportunities to get involved!

Looking for even more ways to lend a hand? Read on!

• Sunshine Families: Help show love to our teachers with appreciation events in January, March, and May.

• Media Center Volunteers: contact Sarai_Gray@hcpss.org for details.

• Would your restaurant like to host a LWES PTO fundraiser? Let us know!

• PTO Board Positions for the 2026-2027 school year - We’d love for you to join us - reach out and shadow us at our meetings this spring.

• PTO Volunteer Coordinator: can you rally a crowd to help out in a pinch? We’d love for you to be our PTO Volunteer Coordinator!

Have a great idea for an event or project? Let us know—we’d love to hear from you!

Reach out to ptolwes@gmail.com to sign up for any of the opportunities above or recommend your own!

📱 Stay Connected

Follow us on Facebook to stay up to date on events, reminders, and ways to be involved.

Warmly,

💙 The LWES PTO

February

• 02.16: Presidents' Day School Closed
• 02.17: Lunar New Year School Closed
• 02.18: PTO Dine Out @ Chipotle
• 02.23: Vision Van - Vision Screening for 3rd - 5th Graders
• 02.24: Vision Van - Vision Screening for 3rd - 5th Graders
• 02.25: 5:00pm Mobile Library
• 02.26: 6:15pm Black History Trivia Night
• 02.27: 8:45am Coffee and Conversation w/Admin

March

• 03.03: 12:15pm Schools Close 3 Hours Early (No half-day pre-K/RECC)
• 03.05: 7:00pm Wizard of Oz Parent Meeting
• 03.14:Pi Day
• 03.19: 7:00pm PTO Meeting
• 03.20: Schools Closed
• 03.25: 5:00pm Maryland Science Center's Family Science Night

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

The Howard County Literacy Association has posted the names of all county winners on its website. Congratulations to all the winners!

The writing contest is open to all students in grades 1 through 12 in public and private schools across Howard County. Participating schools submitted their winning poems and short stories to the county level of the Young Authors’ Contest.

We are so proud of our students who participated!

LWES Winners:

Rachel P. - 5th poetry

Ilaan W.- 5th Short story

Nova S. - 2nd short story

Other participants:

Logan B - 5th SS

Siguya W. - 2nd SS

Quarter 2 report cards will be available in HCPSS Connect Synergy after 4 p.m on Feb. 9, revised date due to recent school closures. A hard copy will also be sent home in your child's bookbag today.

This spring, HCPSS is offering its Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions program (SPACE), a no-cost, evidenced-based training program to assist parents/guardians in helping their children manage anxiety. HCPSS will offer five SPACE groups, listed below. Each group will be facilitated by two licensed HCPSS mental health staff members.

• Two groups for parents of middle and high school students (one virtual and one in-person)

• Two groups for parents of elementary students (one virtual and one in-person)

• One group for parents of Pre-K students (ages 4 & 5)

All groups will meet weekly, in the evenings, beginning the week of March 9, 2026 and ending the week of April 27, 2026, for a total of seven sessions. There will be no meetings the week of Spring Break (March 30-April 6, 2026).

Parents/guardians interested in participating in SPACE should complete the registration form that is associated with the group they wish to join by February 13, 2026. Please note that capacity is limited; parents/guardians may be placed on a waitlist if sessions fill up.

SPACE Registration Form

Thank you to those who were able to join us for our Coffee and Conversation on Friday, January 23rd. We have compiled the questions and discussion points from the meeting and are in the process of gathering responses and resources to share with you.

Due to the school closure the following week, we are still finalizing some of the information. Please use the link below to review what we have gathered so far. Our goal is to provide more complete and detailed follow-up responses by next week.

HCPSS families are invited to attend the 2026 Family Academy Conference on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, from 5:30–8:30 pm at Long Reach High School. This free, districtwide event brings families, educators, and community partners together for an evening of learning, connection, and support. Families can enjoy a light dinner, a community resource fair, interactive workshops focused on academic achievement and well-being, and free childcare. Workshops will include topics such as college and career readiness, special education supports, curriculum updates, and hands-on learning strategies for use at home. Interpretation services will be available.

Register online: English, Español, 中文, 한국어

Saturday, March 14, 2026 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. at the Cedar Lane School

The HCPSS Special Education Resource Fair provides families with information available from the community and HCPSS to support their students receiving special education and related services. Get connected to: Services within HCPSS, Recreational Activities, Camps, Community Groups, Service Providers, Transition Information, Assistive Technology, Behavioral Health, Howard County Government Resources, and Much More!

This spring, HCPSS again will offer its Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions program (SPACE), a no-cost, evidenced-based training program to assist parents/guardians in helping their children manage anxiety. HCPSS will offer five SPACE groups, listed below. Each group will be facilitated by two licensed HCPSS mental health staff members.

• Two groups for parents of middle and high school students (one virtual and one in-person)
• Two groups for parents of elementary students (one virtual and one in-person)
• One group for parents of Pre-K students (ages 4 & 5)

All groups will meet weekly, starting the week of March 9, 2026 and ending the week of April 27, 2026, for a total of seven sessions. There will be no meetings the week of Spring Break (March 30-April 6, 2026). Register here

The HCPSS Family Empowerment Academy is designed to equip parents and guardians with practical strategies, resources, and insights to support their children’s academic, social, and emotional success. The academy will take place on four consecutive Saturdays- March 7 through March 28, 2026, from 9:00-10:30 AM- and will feature interactive learning experiences, guest speakers, and opportunities to connect with other HCPSS families. Participation is limited to 30 participants, and registration is first-come, first-served. Attendance is encouraged for all four sessions. Language interpretation and childcare will be provided. Please complete the application form to be considered for participation.

Brainfuse HelpNow is now available 24/7 for all library users, expanding access beyond the previous 2 p.m.–midnight live tutoring hours. This means students and caregivers can connect with live online tutoring and academic support anytime that fits their schedule. Brainfuse HelpNow is available on the HCLS website and video and written instructions on how to use the resource are available here. First-time users will need to create a username and password

HCPSS families are invited to save the date for the 2026 Family Academy Conference on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, from 6:00–8:30 pm at Long Reach High School. Families can look forward to a light dinner, a community resource fair, and interactive workshops focused on academic achievement, well-being, and family engagement. Workshop topics will include college and career readiness, special education supports, curriculum updates, hands-on learning strategies for use at home, and more. For more information, visit HCPSS News

Howard County is full of wonderful resources for families. Sometimes it can be hard to know where to start looking. There’s a helpful website that brings all these resources together in one place. You can search by topic and zip code. You can visit the website using the link below or download the CAREapp Howard County on your phone for easy access. We hope this tool makes it easier to find services for food, health, housing, transportation, education, employment assistance, and more https://findhcresources.org/

The Mental Health Advisory Council (MHCAC) is a group of community members who seek to remove barriers and build awareness for behavioral health support in Howard County for our children and families. Check out this flyer for more information.