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

With the first quarter of the 25-26 school year quickly coming to a close, families are encouraged to check their student's progress. This can be accomplished in several ways, including reaching out directly to your student's teacher. The first quarter ends on Friday, October 31, 2025. Please mark your calendars, as students will have a 3-hour early dismissal on this day so that teachers can have dedicated time to finalize grades and prepare report cards. Report cards will be issued on Monday, November 10, 2025.

A strong home-to-school partnership is the key to successful learning. Here's how to stay informed as we close out the quarter:

• Canvas Check: In order to review current and previous information provided by your classroom teacher, now is the perfect time to log in and check Canvas. If you have questions about specific information, please reach out directly to the teacher.

• Standards & Learning Resources: To better understand what your child is learning and how to support them at home, we encourage you to explore our grade-specific Family and Community Resources on Canvas. The following links provide overviews, how-to videos, learning goals, worksheets, games, and resources for all academic areas:

• • Pre-K: https://hcpss.instructure.com/courses/34453
  • Kindergarten: https://hcpss.instructure.com/courses/34447
  • Grade 1: https://hcpss.instructure.com/courses/32029
  • Grade 2: https://hcpss.instructure.com/courses/34428
  • Grade 3: https://hcpss.instructure.com/courses/34429
  • Grade 4: https://hcpss.instructure.com/courses/34430
  • Grade 5: https://hcpss.instructure.com/courses/34431
• Grading: For an in-depth look at how we assess learning, visit our resource on Standards-Based Grading: https://hcpss.instructure.com/courses/208494.

We truly believe that open and effective communication is vital for student success. You can find all staff email addresses on our website. To ensure our teachers can provide thoughtful and thorough responses, while still focusing primarily on student needs and academic instruction during the school day, please remember that during business hours our staff have 24 to 48 hours to reply to emails. This dedicated time allows our staff to focus fully on teaching during school hours, as well as to maintain a healthy work-life balance. We appreciate your understanding and thank you for your continued partnership!

Warmly,

Mrs. Anoff, Principal

Mrs. Drumgoole, Assistant Principal

October

• 17 - Professional Work Day, schools closed for students
• 20- Diwali, schools & offices closed
• 22 - PTA Restaurant Night (Ledo's)
• 29-Hearing & Vision Screening-More information coming soon.
• 29 -PTA Trunk or Treat Family Heritage Event at CHS(6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.)
• 31 - Professional Work Day, schools close 3 hours early (12:15 p.m.)

November

• 4- PTA Meeting 7:00 p.m.
• 5- Walk and Wheel (walk or bike to school)
• 7- Parent Teacher Conference Scheduling Window Opens to Everyone
• 10-Report Cards Issued
• 12-Picture Retakes and Pictures for new or absent students
• 12-Professional Learning/Wellness Day, schools close 3 hours early (12:15 p.m.)
• 12- PTA Restaurant Night (Rama Sushi)
• 13-PTA Math Night (Mathnasium of Ellicott City)
• 17-21-American Education Week
• 18- 2nd grade FT to Maryland Science Center-more information coming soon.
• 19 & 20- 3rd grade FT to BMI-more information coming soon.
• 24 & 25- Parent/Teacher Conferences-schools close 3 hours earl7 (12:15 p.m.)
• 26-Parent/Teachers Conferences-schools closed for students
• 27 & 28- Thanksgiving Break-schools and offices closed.

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

Spanish

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

Korean

다른 언어의 경우 뉴스 레터 번역을 클릭하고 원하는 언어를 선택합니다.

Chinese

对于其他语言，请单击翻译新闻通讯，然后选择所需的语言。

Urdu

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

There will be no printed 2025-2026 calendars. Staff, students, and families may add our online calendar to their own mobile/online calendar by

1. Going to https://www.hcpss.org/calendar/
2. Scrolling down to Subscribing to a Calendar
3. Right-clicking on the calendar you wish to subscribe to
4. Selecting Copy Link Location/Address/Shortcut
5. Adding to your calendar of choice (See your calendar for specifics on adding a new calendar)

You also may view and/or download printable PDFs of the full calendar and/or important dates only. Updates to the PDFs will be noted on the HCPSS calendar page.

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

Calendars in Spanish, Chinese, and Korean

西班牙语日历

스페인어로 된 달력

We are very grateful to Mr. Steve Taylor and Ms. Dimitra Arvanitidis for preparing and serving delicious, healthy meals at Centennial Lane every day! Their dedication is the secret ingredient behind our students’ success. We truly appreciate the hard work and care that goes into every meal they serve!

October 20-24th is designated as National School Bus Safety Week. We will have our rear door bus evacuation drill next week as part of uplifting the importance of bus safety. More information about the drill can be found below. Please join us in thanking the bus drivers that work with the students at Ilchester for getting them to and from school safely each day.

We will practice a rear door bus evacuation during arrival on October 24th. The bus driver will provide directions to students who will leave belongings on the bus and then safely step down from the rear door with the assistance of staff and bus safeties. Once everyone is off the bus, students will retrieve their belongings before entering the building. If you have any questions, you can contact Siobhan Drumgoole at siobhan_drumgoole@hcpss.org.

As part of our school system’s commitment to equity and inclusion, we continue to focus on building community and creating welcoming environments for all students.

For the past several years, Halloween celebrations have not been held in HCPSS elementary schools. While we recognize that these traditions have been meaningful for many families, and wearing Halloween costumes at CLES has been a long-standing tradition, we also acknowledge that an increasing number of students across the county have opted out of Halloween celebrations. To ensure that every child feels included and valued, we will continue to celebrate the season with fall activities tied to our curriculum.

That said, we are thrilled to share that our PTA is hosting a Trunk-Or-Treat Family Heritage Event in the Centennial High School parking lot, on Wednesday, October 29th beginning at 6:00 p.m. This will be followed by CHS’s Spooktacular Community Event—a wonderful opportunity for families to enjoy the holiday together outside of the school day.

Please remember that during the school day we will not have Halloween parties, and students may not bring or wear costumes to school. Instead, grade-level teams will continue to plan, as they have in the past, fun and meaningful Fall-themed activities connected to the curriculum.

We look forward to celebrating this special season with our community in a way that is joyful, inclusive, and welcoming for all!

Mrs. Debra A. Anoff, Principal

Mrs. Siobhan Drumgoole, Assistant Principal

The message below was shared to all of HCPSS, but we are reposting to ensure that folks who need the assistance know what is available:

As many Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) families are impacted by the federal government shutdown, we understand that many people in our community may experience financial hardship or uncertainty. HCPSS remains committed to supporting all students and families during this time.

Howard County families who have lost pay due to the shutdown may apply for the Free and Reduced-Priced Meals (FARMs) program and the HCPSS Food and Nutrition Office will determine their eligibility status within 24-48 hours. Families that would not ordinarily qualify for the FARMs program could be eligible for the remainder of the school year because of the current loss of income.

Families that are adversely impacted, including those who do not receive FARMs assistance, will have the remainder of the school year to pay off any meal balances incurred during the government shutdown.

Additionally, many students may be suffering fear or anxiety about their family’s current financial situation. Student Services staff at each school are prepared and available to assist students at any time during the school day. Numerous resources are also available for families on the HCPSS website, and other supports are available through the Howard County Department of Community Resources and Services.

The Howard County Literacy Association invites students in grades 1-5 to submit their original poems and/or short stories to the annual writing contest called The Young Authors' Contest. Please see the attached Young Authors’ Contest Guidelines PDF for information about the rules and guidelines.

All entries must have a completed YAC Cover Sheet sent as a PDF. Submissions may be emailed to jaimie_shirokobrod@hcpss.org by December 15, 2025. Contact Jaimie Shirokobrod with any questions.

Please save and email documents in the following format:

5 SS My Story Title or 3 P My Poem Title

(student names should ONLY appear on the Cover Sheet)

*SS- short story *P- poem

All Young Authors’ Contest information can be found on the HCLA website.

Howard County Literacy Association welcomes parents as members. Visit the HCLA Welcome Page for information about joining.

Get ready to show off your CLES Music pride! Spirit wear sales kick off next week with our brand-new t-shirt design and a few exciting new items. Details will be sent to Band, Orchestra, and Chorus families—look out for a flyer and messages from your director.

Volunteers coming to CLES or chaperoning 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: https://forms.gle/EJwVvp2sqq4isZS98

Students whose families do not qualify for free or reduced lunch will be required to pay the daily meal price. Many HCPSS families are eligible to participate in the Free and Reduced Price Meals (FARMs) program, which provides children with a wide range of benefits including free or discounted college tuition, testing and application fees, academic and athletic program fees, and many others in addition to free or discounted meals. Families are urged to check their eligibility and complete a FARMs application as soon as possible. Families must submit a new application every school year. Details on the Free and Reduced Meals program, including a link to apply, are available online.

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.

CLES Staff Coffee Bar

Thank you to everyone who has given so far to replenish the staff’s coffee bar. We could still use a few important items.

Click here to see our 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.)

Restaurant Night - Ledo’s (Balt Natl Pike)

Wednesday 10/22

It’s a PTA Pizza Party! Hit the easy button for dinner with Ledo’s pizza for the whole family!! No code needed, all day. (Note: Previously on 10/29, we moved this to deconflict with the Trunk or Treat event.)

Trunk-or-Treat Heritage Event

Wednesday 10/29, 6-8PM

NEW THIS YEAR! CLES Trunk-or-Treat is combined with CHS Spooktacular Event!

Location: Centennial HS Parking Lot & Cafeteria (4300 Centennial Lane)

• 6:30-7:30 p.m. Trunk-or-Treat (Outdoor Activity - CHS parking lot) - FREE to all (sponsored by CLES PTA) - kids (age 12 & under) visit festive displays for prizes & treats. Families/groups can sign up to decorate vehicle/table displays (use RSVP form).

• 6:00-8:00 p.m. Spooktacular (Indoor Activity - CHS cafeteria) - Haunted house, kids crafts, fun activities! Tickets are $5 per child (purchase in advance here or at door) - adults are free, but should accompany children (this is NOT a drop-off event).

• Costume Contest FREE for all CLES students & families - Prizes for individual, group, and best family costumes. Enter the contest at the photo booth in the CHS front lobby.

Everyone Please RSVP! Visit bit.ly/cles-rsvp-trunk for RSVP link and more info.

PTA Membership Drive

Did you know we have a goal of 80% participation in PTA this year? The number #1 reason to join the PTA is to help create a village that helps support your kids, strengthens the school, and your community. It’s $10 ($8 for teachers/staff).

How the dues are used:

• Academic enrichment like classroom needs and school assemblies

• Caring for our teachers and school administration with staff appreciation throughout the year

• Community building events like International Festival and the Science Fair

And much more!

JOIN HERE

PTA Committee Leads Needed

• Community Outreach (1st event in Nov)

• Reflections Contest (Nov/Dec)

• Winter Bazaar (Dec)

• International Festival (April)

• Fundraising Chair (ongoing)

• And more…just ask!

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Without you, these events can’t happen. Reach out to learn more about these roles or any others: Questions@clespta.org

The PTA Website is linked HERE.

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.