Centennial Lane Elementary:

Centennial Lane Elementary School

Mrs. Debra Anoff, Principal

Mrs. Siobhan Drumgoole, Assistant Principal

3825 Centennial Lane

Ellicott City, MD 21042

(410) 313-2800

(410) 313-2804 - Fax

(410) 313-1710 (Health Room)

Student Hours: 8:45a.m. - 3:15 p.m.

Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 3:45 p.m.

cles.hcpss.org

We had a wonderful opening week of school! It was so exciting to welcome nearly 710 enthusiastic students back to Centennial Lane Elementary School. Our first week went smoothly, and everyone is beginning to settle into the routines, relationships, and learning that make a new school year so special.

As Mrs. Drumgoole and I have walked throughout the building, we have been delighted to see students engaged in learning, getting to know their new classrooms, and reconnecting with friends and teachers. Our teachers have worked intentionally to establish strong classroom routines and have explicitly taught and reinforced our schoolwide behavioral expectations.

This week, Mrs. Drumgoole and I also had Town Hall meetings with every grade level. During these meetings, we reviewed and reinforced our three schoolwide expectations: Be Respectful, Be Responsible, and Be Safe. We talked with students about what these expectations look and sound like throughout the school day—in classrooms, hallways, cafeterias, playgrounds, buses, and all areas of our school. Establishing clear and consistent expectations from the very beginning helps create a positive, supportive, and safe environment where every student can learn and thrive.

Parents and Guardians, you did a fantastic job with our arrival and dismissal procedures! Our plan is working well, and we are starting and ending our school day smoothly and on time. Thank you for your patience, cooperation, and commitment to keeping our students safe. I am also pleased to report that our buses are arriving on time. Being at school on time and ready to learn is an important part of establishing strong routines and maximizing every minute of learning.

Please keep doing what you are doing! Your partnership makes such a difference as we work together to maintain safe, predictable, and consistent routines throughout the school year.

It is truly wonderful to see such an engaged, enthusiastic, and supportive school community. We are off to a fantastic start, and I am looking forward to all that this school year will bring!

Go Dolphins! 🐬

Mrs. Anoff
Principal

September

• 2-Back to Music Night-6:00 pm Orchestra, 6:30 pm Band
• 8-PTA Meeting @ 6:30 pm
• 7-Schools & Offices Closed
• 18-PTA Dolphin Dash
• 21-Schools & Offices Closed
• 30-3 hr Early Dismissal-CLES Dismisses @ 12:15 pm

October

• 1-31 CLES Music Boosters Spirit Wear Sales
• 12 & 13 - Fall Picture Days
• 13-PTA Meeting@6:30 pm
• 16-Schools Closed for Students
• 23-Future Marching Eagles Night-5th gr. Band
• 24-PTA Trunk or Treat
• 28-Schools Closed for Students

For another language, click "Translate Newsletter" tab and select the language of choice at the top of this page.

Spanish

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Korean

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Chinese

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Urdu

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

Add the HCPSS online calendar to your mobile/online calendar by following the steps on the HCPSS calendar page.

PLEASE NOTE! The calendar is subject to change. The online calendar reflects the most recent version.

Tentative Related Arts Color Day schedule

Students participate in related arts daily for one hour. There are five related arts classes: Art, Media, Music, Physical Education, and Technology. A few years ago, we moved from a set or fixed daily related arts schedule to a rotating related arts schedule. The rotating schedule is called the Related Arts Color Calendar. We rotate days using the color calendar because there are a disproportional number of days off on Mondays and Fridays. This used to mean students would have up to 6 fewer Monday or Friday related arts versus the other classes and days of the week. Your child's teacher will share their specific related arts color day assignments with you. It is very important to make sure your child dresses appropriately for the classes he/she has for related arts, especially for physical education.

This week, your student should have brought home our CLES Fridge Sheet! This handy sheet includes general information and important details for parents to keep as a quick reference throughout the school year.

Please note that there was one change after the document went to print. Pre-K lunch should be listed as 11:20 a.m.

The copy below includes this updated information.

As shared with families in the HCPSS News on August 19, 2026-

Parent lunch visits are no longer permitted at any HCPSS school. Limiting access during the school day ensures safe and secure school communities by removing unnecessary access to students and school buildings, reducing disruptions, supporting student routines, and minimizing non-essential traffic in student areas. Parents are encouraged to communicate with school staff to stay engaged in their child's learning and seek opportunities to volunteer in an official capacity at the school.

The Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) is committed to providing a safe, engaging and supportive learning environment where all policies are enforced fairly and consistently. HCPSS policies and regulations emphasize instruction and rehabilitation rather than punishment and are designed to foster and reward appropriate behavior and keep students connected to school. We view the code of conduct as a team effort. There are responsibilities for staff, students, families and our community. Let’s all do our part to make this year safe and successful for all!

As a reminder, we will follow the HCPSS Student Personal Device Use Policy. Please review the guidelines at hcpss.org/student-personal-device-use. Per policy, below are the consequences for policy violations:

• First Incident: The personal technology device is confiscated until the end of the student day. Students should turn off or lock devices prior to confiscation. A device that is confiscated during the final period of the student day will be confiscated for the entire next student day. The student may retrieve the device at the end of the day it was originally confiscated to take home, but must provide it to the front office upon arrival on the next student day.
• Second Incident & Beyond: The personal technology device is confiscated until it is retrieved by a parent/guardian. Students should turn off or lock devices prior to confiscation.

Registration for Band, Orchestra, and Chorus is now open. Students who registered for Band or Orchestra last year do not need to register again. Any student who would like to participate in Chorus should complete a new registration form this year.

Online registration can be completed here:

Hard copies of the registration form will also be distributed this week.

Students will have an opportunity to learn more about our instrumental music programs during the school day. The Band presentation will take place on Thursday, August 27 at 2:15 PM, and the Orchestra presentation will take place on Friday, August 28 at 2:15 PM.

For Band and Orchestra students, the first rehearsals will take place during the week of August 31. Students will need to have their instruments and required supplies. Mr. Henley and Mrs. Lahan will share additional information as we get closer to the first rehearsals.

Questions about our music ensembles can be directed to:

Band: Brandon Henley – brandon_henley@hcpss.org – www.clesbands.org

Orchestra: Sarah Lahan – sarah_lahan@hcpss.org

4th Grade Chorus: Eliana McFate – eliana_mcfate@hcpss.org

5th Grade Chorus: Seth Long – seth_long@hcpss.org

We look forward to another wonderful year of music-making at CLES!

CLES Music Department

TalkingPoints is a secure school-to-home communication platform that helps educators and families stay connected through two-way messaging. Messages are automatically translated into more than 150 languages, making it easier for all families to communicate in their preferred language. By providing accessible, timely communication, TalkingPoints strengthens partnerships between home and school and supports student success. TalkingPoints makes it simple—and free—for families to connect with their children’s teachers. You can use any of these three convenient options:

• Text messaging

• Download the TalkingPoints for Families app

• Access TalkingPoints for Families on the web

Every HCPSS school has staff available for students who require support throughout the school year to tend to their mental health needs. Students and parents/guardians should not hesitate to reach out to a counselor, liaison, social worker, psychologist or any trusted adult at school to be connected with these available resources.

Health services are provided in each school by registered nurses and health assistants. Services include, but are not limited to, medication administration, first aid, chronic and acute care disease case management and assessment and intervention for illness and injury.

You can access HCPSS Connect here http://www.hcpss.org/connect/

Changes of address may not be made through Family File. If you have recently moved, please contact our Ilchester ES office at 410-313-2524 as soon as possible.

Parents who have forgotten their login credentials for Family File may click the “Forgot Password” link on the sign-in page. If you need additional assistance, please fill out this Connect Help Form.

For the 2026-2027 school year, HCPSS will be using LINQ Connect for all things food and nutrition. LINQ Connect is a secure, online portal that allows families to make online payments to their child’s meal account, monitor their child’s account, schedule automatic recurring payments, set up low balance alerts, submit a Free and Reduced Meals program application, and more.

The HCPSS participates in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs. Students from households that meet federal income guidelines are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals. Qualification is based on family size and income, and enrollment is confidential. All children in households receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can get free meals regardless of income, and students from households that meet federal income guidelines are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals. Those eligible for Free and Reduced Meals receive both breakfast and lunch for free.

Parents/guardians must submit a new application every school year to maintain their student’s eligibility. Click the button below to apply.

Anyone visiting the school to have lunch or visit classrooms, as well as volunteers or chaperones for a field trip are required to complete two training sessions.

Please follow the steps below to complete and submit the training certificates.

Step 1: Complete the required Confidentiality Training for volunteers & chaperones.

https://www.hcpss.org/parents/volunteer-information/

Step 2: Complete the Confidentiality Training Certificate to verify you completed the training. https://www.hcpss.org/f/parents/volunteer-confidentiality-certificate.pdf

Step 3: Review the Training Powerpoint about How to Report Child Abuse

MD State Law & HCPSS Policy 1030 (PDF)

• Reporting Form
• Reporting Procedure (PDF)

Step 4: Complete the Abuse Training Certificate to verify you completed the training. Abuse Training Certificate (PDF)

Step 5: Complete and submit this Volunteer & Chaperone Google form below to submit your certificates. Submit Volunteer Certificates here

Get ready to show your CLES school spirit! CLES has an annual spiritwear fundraiser, and each grade is assigned a color that will follow students from grade to grade. Check out the color dolphin to see which color represents your student’s grade this year!

Help support CLES while showing off your school spirit!

This week’s sale features:

• 20% OFF Blankets
• 15% OFF Crystal Tie-Dye Tees, Weekend Fleece, and Shorts
• Additional savings on Tie-Dye Hoodies, Ladies’ Colorblock Tees, and Baseball Tees
• FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $49 — no code needed!

Click here to check out our CLES Spiritwear Store!

Grab your CLES spiritwear and wear your grade’s color with pride! 🐬💙

As a reminder, for the safety and security of our students and staff, all visitors must enter the front office and sign in using a government-issued photo ID. Please be sure to bring your ID with you whenever you visit. Thank you for helping us maintain a safe and secure learning environment for everyone.

Parents can email CLESabsence@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.

Help CLES While You Do Your Summer (or Fall) Cleaning!

Did you know you can support Centennial Lane Elementary just by cleaning out your closets? Our white donation bins, located in the school parking lot, collect:

• Clothing
• Shoes
• Textiles (linens, towels, blankets, etc.)

Every donation helps! Centennial Lane earns money each month based on the total weight of items collected.

Please remember: All donations must be bagged before being placed in the bin.

Parent Donations: You can also support CLES by making a direct monetary donation through the Howard County Public School System's Online School Payments site. Parent direct donations help support the general and educational needs of our students and staff.

Thank you for supporting our students, staff, and the CLES community!

Join us in the Media Center to meet our new PTA Board, learn more about the PTA, and connect with other CLES families!

We’ll also enjoy a potluck dinner together! Please bring a favorite dish or something to share.

Kids are welcome! We look forward to seeing you there and kicking off another wonderful year together! 💙

The Centennial Lane PTA is a volunteer-based nonprofit organization committed to community-building activities and experiences for our CLES students, families, and staff members. Many wonderful volunteers make PTA-sponsored activities possible, and we welcome anyone who can bring fresh ideas, energy, and support to any of the PTA’s efforts. Membership dues are the backbone of our financial health, and the best way you can support the PTA is by becoming a member. Sign up today!

As the new school year starts, we are restocking our coffee bar/snack for all of the amazing CLES staff. Last year the coffee bar was a simple pleasure for staff and they were so grateful for your contributions. Everyone enjoys a little pick-me-up throughout their day!

We appreciate any donations you are willing to provide for the CLES Staff Coffee, Tea, and Beverage bar.

Click here to view the Amazon wish list:

(Please ship all items directly to: 3825 Centennial Lane Ellicott City, MD 21042 to the attention of ATTN: CLES Coffee Bar or drop them off in the front corridor.)

In alignment w/ Policy 10010, the following announcements have been approved by the Public Information Office for distribution.

The below community notices are neither sponsored nor endorsed by the HCPSS.