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 had another fantastic week of learning at Elk Neck! A huge thank you to all the families who joined us for our first Donuts for Grownups event. We hope you took home some valuable tips and resources for connecting and communicating with your child. A special shoutout to our School Counselor, Mrs. Cook, for putting together such a phenomenal event!

Our students are truly crushed it last week with an impressive 96% attendance rate, a 3% increase compared to the same time last year! Way to go, Retrievers! A huge shoutout goes to Ms. Boswell's class for achieving 100% perfect attendance all week. Keep up the amazing work!

We will have our first Code Yellow Drill on Thursday, October 1, 2026. A Code Yellow is called when there is a potential threat outside the building, and we want to continue instructional activities but limit movement in the building. Please talk with your child before Thursday to reassure them that this is strictly a practice drill designed to keep our school safe. We appreciate your partnership and support in keeping our Elk Neck community safe!

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

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.

PBIS Updates: Read ALL ABOUT IT!

• Congrats to our 17 Elk Neck Retrievers who received SUNSHINE CALLS so far this September!

• Upcoming Spirit Day- Friday, Sept. 25th HAT DAY (Bumble Gum Day too!)

Congratulations to these amazing Elk Neck Retrievers who earned the Above and Beyond Award in September:

Rease in Mrs. S's Class

Olivia in Mrs. O'Brien's Class

Boe in Mrs. O'Brien's Class

Liam in Mrs. Taylor-Fink's Class

John in Mrs. Miller's Class

Evelyn in Mrs. Walker's Class

Tripp in Ms. Reilly's Class

Malia in Ms. Moore's Class

Allias in Mrs. Cantera's Class

Bellamee in Mrs. Hubb’s Class

Colton in Mrs. DiPietro's Class

Logan in Mrs. Jacob’s Class

Alden in Ms. Boswell's Class

Presley in Mrs. Webb’s Class

Brady in Mrs. Lyneis' Class

Gavin in Mr. Gilbert's Class

MJ in Mrs. Blessing's Class

Matthew in Mrs. Hartman's Class

Layla in Mrs. Strauss' Class

Thrive School-Based Therapy

Are you interested in school-based therapy for your child? Tiffany Showells and Nick, our school-based therapists, are taking new referrals. Here is the referral link if you are interested in pursuing therapy for your child. If you have any questions, please contact Amy Cook, alcook@ccps.org Thrive School Based Therapy Link

Parenting Advice

Helpful one-liners to say to your kids:

• You can always tell me the truth

• It’s always okay to cry. We all do sometimes.

• Your voice matters. Don’t be afraid to speak up!

• My feelings are mine; they are never your fault.

• You’re capable of more than you realize.

• I love who you are.

• Nothing you could ever do would make me stop loving you.

• I'm always on your team.

• We will figure it out together.

Goal Setting Sundays: Set a simple behavior or academic goal for the week. Parents share a goal, too. This helps children build their focus, planning, and agency. It encourages accountability in a safe and supportive way. Check back in as a family at the end of the week and celebrate any efforts made towards reaching their goals!

If your family qualified for Free & Reduced-Price Meal Benefits last school year, you must submit a new application for the current school year by Monday, October 12 to continue receiving benefits.

If a new application is not submitted by this date, your meal benefits will expire, and your student will be moved to full-pay meal status.

We encourage all families to complete an application, even if you do not believe you qualify. The application process is 100% confidential, and no information is shared with any outside agencies.

To apply, please visit: https://www.myschoolapps.com/Application

If you received a letter from the Food & Nutrition office that stated that your family has been approved for Free meals this school year then there is NO need to fill out the application.

If you have any questions regarding meal benefits, please contact the Food & Nutrition Department at 410-996-6257.

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!

Please remember that students may only receive up to 5 days of excused absences for vacation. If you are going on vacation (or have been on one), please send in a note for principal approval. When emailing, please send an email to Mrs. Reynolds (srreynolds@ccps.org) and Mrs. Groce (ajgroce@ccps.org), and the homeroom teacher. We ask that you consider the student's number of absences when planning student vacations.

Monday, 9/28/26

Grade 2 to Fair Hill Nature Center - Rain or Shine

Interim Period Ends

Thursday, 10/1/26

Code Yellow Drill

Friday, 10/2/26

PTO Joe Corbis Fundraiser Ends

Monday, 10/5/26

Blue Shirt Day for Bully Prevention: Wear a blue shirt!

Wednesday, 10/7/26

Fire Drill

Thursday, 10/8/26

Bus Evacuation Drill

Monday, 10/12/26

Fall Picture Day

Wednesday, 10/14/26

PTO Meeting at 4:00 p.m.

Thursday, 10/15/26

Great Shake Out: Earthquake Drill

Friday, 10/16/26

Professional Day: Schools closed for students.