Black History Month Template

For another language, click "Translate Newsletter" tab and select the language of choice in the upper right-hand corner.

Spanish

Para otros idiomas, haga clic en Traducir Newsletter y elija el idioma que prefiera.

Portuguese

Para outros idiomas, clique em Traduzir Boletim Informativo e escolha o idioma que preferir.

Dear Laurel Woods Community,

Get ready for an exciting evening of discovery! Join us this week for Science Night this Wednesday, March 25th from 5:00–7:00 PM—no RSVP needed.

Come explore, experiment, and enjoy a fun-filled night of hands-on activities for the whole family. We can’t wait to see you there! 🚀

Warmly,

LWES Admin

For students in Grades 1-5, MAP test results are entered in Synergy at the conclusion of the testing window. It can take up to a week to become visible for an individual student. Test results for students who participated in MAP testing should be visible to parents now.

To access test scores:

• Log in to HCPSS Connect
• Select More Options from the left panel
• Select Standardized Test Scores from the middle

Detailed PDF home reports are available in Synergy. To access home reports:

• Log in to HCPSS Connect
• Select More Options from the left panel
• Select Report Cards from the middle
• Select the applicable report from the Student's MAP Reports section.

Note: If your child did not participate in the most recent administration, a report may still appear based on the previous administration. Additional information on MAP testing and how to interpret the report can be found online. Please reach out to your child's teacher for additional questions.

Get ready to smile! Group and Club Picture Day will take place on Thursday, March 26th. This is a great opportunity for students to capture memories with their clubs and school groups.

Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately for their group or club and ready for their photo! We can’t wait to see all those smiling faces! 😄

Our next Coffee and Conversation will be held on Friday, March 27 at 8:45 AM. We hope you are able to join us! Please use the link below to let us know if you will be attending and to share any questions or topics you would like us to discuss.

Additionally, we received a request to offer Coffee and Conversation at a different time of day so that families who are unavailable at 8:45 AM may also participate. We appreciate this feedback and will explore options for offering an alternate time next year to better accommodate more families.

Capture the memories of this amazing school year! Yearbook sales are now open online, and you won’t want to miss out on this keepsake filled with special moments, friends, and fun.

💻 Order online using code: 15436926
💲 $28 through March 31st
⏰ Price increases to $30 starting April 1st

Don’t wait—secure your copy today before prices go up and supplies run out! 🎉

Howard County Public School's Title I Office receives Title I funds to provide additional support and resources to Title I Schools. The Title I Office supports family engagement through the implementation of its Parent, Family, and Community Engagement Plan and by providing schools with funds to support family engagement.

Thank you for your patience and feedback regarding our arrival and dismissal procedures. Through our continuous improvement efforts, we have made some revisions and will continue to monitor our practices to ensure safety for everyone and efficiency.

Beginning Monday, March 23rd, the following revisions will be implemented:

Arrival: Carloop

• We will continue to use the bottom parking lot for car loop.
• Students will exit from the right side door when directed, however staff will no longer open car doors. Staff will gesture for students to get out. This allows for a more students to exit their cars at one time.
• Cones are in place to ensure one single lane in car loop. Do not go around other cars or let children out on the left side. If your child cannot exit on the right side let a staff member know so that we can escort them safely around the car from the right side.
• After our buses and vans have arrived, staff may direct you to come to the top of the car loop, do not stop in front of the building to let your child out. You'll be directed to pull up parallel to the sidewalk (not angled parking or on the red painted area) to let your child out on the left side door.

Dismissal Family waiting area:

• PreK and K families, continue to greet your students on the side of the building at the PreK door.
• 1st and 4th Grade families continue to meet your children at the exterior doors for those grades.
• 2nd and 5th grade families, wait for your children in the grassy area by our Family Resource Center. There will be signs to direct you.
• 3rd grade families, wait for your children in the grassy area next to the cafeteria.There will be signs to direct you.

We are excited to announce the Chesapeake Baysox Read and Hit a Home Run Reading Program. It is a fun reading incentive designed to encourage literacy while rewarding students and teachers for their commitment to reading.

Program Requirements:

• Students are required to read four (4) books, either inside or outside of the classroom.

• Submit the titles of the books read to your classroom teacher.

• Deadline to submit: March 25th

Rewards for Participation:

• Students who complete the program will receive TWO FREE tickets to their school’s Reading Program Night at a Chesapeake Baysox game—one child ticket and one adult ticket—to celebrate their reading accomplishment.

• Additional discounted tickets will be available for purchase for family members.

We look forward to celebrating our students' success and "hitting a home run" for reading with an unforgettable night at the ballpark. Thank you for your continued support of literacy and student achievement!

The Virtual Family Resource Center is open for monthly orders. The order form is available here: Family Resource Order Link. Please return reusable bags. Thank you!

Generation Teach is returning to Laurel Woods! Monday - Friday 8:30am - 4:00pm. No cost to families. Breakfast, lunch, and materials included. Classes in engineering, law, math, and reading along with arts, sports, games, field trips, competition and prizes! June 29th - July 31st. All students currently in K - 4 are welcome! Registration open! Please let Alesia Richter, Community Schools Site Coordinator know if you have any questions. Generation Teach Enrollment

Free family workshops! Check out these flyers

Howard County Office of Children March Workshops.pdf

Spanish Howard County Office of Children March Workshops.pdf

Girls on the Run is now registering for our spring session. Information below. Scholarships are available. Please reach out to the Family Resource Center if you would like to have your daughter participate and need financial assistance.

flyer GOTR SP26.pdf

Spanish.pdf

Roving Radish The market will be at Laurel Woods this week on Wednesday, March 18th from 5pm - 6:30pm. Free items for Exclusive Members this week include tomatoes, limes, jalapenos, avocado.

ABOVE After School Basketball Program - has opening: $175 a month. Meets every day after school until 5:15 pm. Please contact Alesia Richter with any questions

Lego Robotics Grades 3-5 Monday, March 23rd from 3:15 - 5:15. Students will be dismissed to the media center. A light snack will be provided. This is for students who are registered only. We hope to offer more opportunities in the future.

Lego Robotics Grades K-2 Thursday, March 26th from 3:15 - 5:15. Students will be dismissed to the media center. A light snack will be provided. This is for students who are registered only. We hope to offer more opportunities in the future.

Mobile Library is returning to Laurel Woods on Wednesday March 25th from 5pm - 6pm. Students and families will have the opportunity to check out free books and materials. All returns can be made to Laurel Woods.

English Classes - Tuesday, March 24th 6pm - 7:30pm. This is for returning students that registered at the start of the year. We plan to have a new class beginning in September. Registration will be in August. Look here for more information!

Special Education Family Resource Specialist - Coming to Laurel Woods 3/27/26 from 9:45 - 11:00am. This is a wonderful resource available for all Howard County Public School System families that have questions about the IEP process or other county resources available for our special education students. All are welcome! We will meet in the Family Resource Center immediately following Coffee and Conversation.

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.

March

• 03.25: 5:00pm Maryland Science Center's Family Science Night
• 03.26: Clubs/groups Pictures
• 03.30-04.02: Spring Break

April

• NEW - 04.6: Full Day for Students - NEW
• 04.14: End of Third Quarter
• NEW - 04.15: Schools Close 3 Hours Early (No half-day pre-K/RECC) - Professional Learning/Work Day - NEW
• 
  

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

We’re excited to announce a brand new way we will be celebrating wonderful things happening in our classrooms and hallways every single day! Soon, you may find a special piece of mail in your mailbox…Positive Behavior Postcards!

These aren’t just any postcards - they’re high fives in the mail! Our teachers and staff will be keeping an eye out for students who are shining bright and demonstrating our school’s core behaviors and values.

Thank you for those of who you were able to join us for our February Coffee and Conversation. As a follow-up, please view this link that includes some questions that were posed as well as answers.

The LWES Early Childhood Classes are making preparations for the upcoming 2026-2027 school year. Beginning now applications for general education students to participate as peers through the Learning Together Program (LTP) are available. These classes include general education and special education students. The program’s focus is helping all children develop communication, literacy, math, problem solving, motor, and social skills. Parents of children who will be 3 by September 1st, may apply.

In alignment with Maryland’s Blueprint for the Future, new applications for students turning 4 by September 1 are not available. The Howard County Public School System continues to offer Prekindergarten for income eligible children who will be 4 years old by September 1. For additional information contact the school or visit: https://www.hcpss.org/schools/pre-k-programs/

Maryland MESA is an exciting and engaging extracurricular program for students in grades 3–12 that sparks interest in STEM education and future STEM careers. Through project-based challenges, students work in teams to develop innovative solutions to real-world problems while strengthening their communication, critical thinking, and collaboration skills.

This year, 24 LWES students participated in the program under the guidance of Ms. Cordova and Ms. Turpin. On Saturday, March 14th, our students competed in the Maryland MESA Regional Competition, where teams from across the region presented solutions to challenges developed by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory and the National MESA organization.

We are incredibly proud of all of our students who participated. Out of three LWES projects, the team competing in the Community Clean-Up Challenge earned 2nd place! Congratulations to our students, Ms. Cordova and Ms. Turpin, and a heartfelt thank you to the families who supported their hard work and dedication.

We are excited to continue growing this program and look forward to even more student participation next year! 🎉 You can learn more about MESA through this link.

As we head into spring, March is the perfect time to reset routines and refocus on daily attendance. Warmer weather, activities, and spring break excitement can disrupt schedules — but consistency now makes a big difference by the end of the year.

Did you know? Missing just 2 days a month adds up to nearly a month of lost learning time over the school year.

How You Can Help:

• Re-establish consistent bedtimes and morning routines.

• Schedule appointments outside of school hours when possible.

• Encourage your child to attend even if they feel slightly tired.

• Stay connected with teachers if challenges arise — we’re here to partner with you.

🍀👣March Forward with Attendance🍀👣

M – Miss fewer days
A – Attend daily
R – Ready to learn
C – Commit to consistency
H – Habits that help

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 Mental Health Community Advisory Council (MHCAC) is a group of Howard County mental health professionals and community members who seek to remove barriers and build awareness of mental health support for our children and families.

Please view their MHCAC Spring 2026 Newsletter filled with mental health resources, upcoming events, Spring Break Tips, coping skills, and kindness resources, in your school newsletter.

Parenting Classes: Free! On Zoom and open to parents, guardians and grandparents residing in HoCo or with school-age children/grandchildren residing in HoCo. Evidence-based, interactive prevention program that provides families with the skills and knowledge to reduce the risk that their children will engage in other dangerous behaviors. Appropriate for K-12 families.

Class dates: April 14, 15, 21, 22 (and April 28 will be optional) from Noon to 1:30 p.m. on Zoom.

Visit HC DrugFree’s website for more information and register at https://tinyurl.com/GGCSpring2026

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Drive-Thru Medication Disposal: Saturday, April 25 in the Wilde Lake Village Center Parking Lot near the CA Swim Center from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Safely dispose of prescription and over-the-counter medication, vitamins, pet meds, vape devices, inhalers, and more. Unlike previous events, we will not collect sharps (needles, syringes and EpiPens). Need student, adult, and medically-trained adult
volunteers. Earn Community Service Hours! Giving away 100 medication lockboxes.

For more information and to volunteer, visit HC DrugFree's website: https://hcdrugfree.org/drug-take-back-day-1/

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Teen Advisory Council: Open to Howard County students in grades 8-12. Earn Community Service Hours and make meaningful contributions to the community. Next meeting: Monday, May 4 from 5:30-7:00pm on Zoom. Earn Community Service Hours at meetings/events.

Register to receive the meeting link:

https://forms.gle/fmVDQizeWv3pTJdr5

For more information, visit HC DrugFree's website: https://hcdrugfree.org/teen-advisory-council/

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HoCo Student Film Festival: Students are invited to enter short films into the HC DrugFree Public Service Announcement (PSA) Category. Submissions deadline: April 7.

For more information and guidelines, visit HC DrugFree's website: https://hcdrugfree.org/hoco-filmfest/

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Free Newsletter: Stay up to date with HC DrugFree's free events offering Community Service Hours to HoCo students, resources, and a variety of substance use and behavioral health information! Sign up for HC DrugFree's free digital newsletter: https://hcdrugfree.org/enews-signup/