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,

The first week of school is now in the books! Thank you for all of your support and patience during our emergency situation on Friday. Please note that in the event of an emergency while one staff member calls 911, another staff member is directed to contact the parents/guardians of the child to inform them of the situation. Should we not reach a parent/guardian, we will move down the contact list in PowerSchool. Always take a few moments to update the office if contact information changes.

Back To School Night is Wednesday, September 16th, from 6:00-7:00 p.m. Come meet your child's teachers, learn about the curriculum, join PTO, and more! Additionally, we will have Volunteer/Mentor Training the same evening beginning at 5:30 p.m. We hope that you're able to join us!

Arrival and dismissal are beginning to go more smoothly; we appreciate your patience and understanding. Please review the arrival and dismissal reminders below to help us ensure student safety during arrival and dismissal. I cannot thank our secretaries enough as Mrs. Rhinehart and Mrs. Reynolds have gone above and beyond to keep parents, teachers, and staff informed to ensure that our students arrive home safely.

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

The 2026-2027 Free & Reduced Meal Benefit Applications are now available online. Please go to the following link to fill out the application: https://www.myschoolapps.com/Application.

If you filled out an application last school year, you must complete a new one for this school year. If you have any questions, please call the Food & Nutrition Office at (410) 996-6257.

ALL students are eligible to receive a FREE breakfast on school days. Students can select a FREE grab-and-go breakfast when entering the school in the morning. A nutritious breakfast is essential to being ready to learn each day.

In September, Mrs. Cook will meet with each grade for Classroom Guidance Lessons. We began the year with our Personal and Social Development Unit. The students started with a “Zones of Regulation” lesson in which they learned ways to cope with angry, sad, worried, or frustrated feelings. Please ask your child what strategies they have learned to stay in the “Green Zone” in which they feel happy, calm, and ready to learn. The students will also be learning about friendship and social skills, conflict resolution skills, how to communicate when solving a problem, how to handle bullying, and how to improve their self-esteem. Be sure to ask your child what they should do if they have a small or big problem. If it is a big problem that makes them feel scared or very sad, students should be able to name trusted adults that they can talk to. If it is a small problem, they should be able to tell you about Kelso’s Choices for solving conflicts on their own at home and at school.

In each classroom, students will have an opportunity to use a “Calming Corner”. Please ask your child to tell you where it is in their classroom. Any student who is feeling frustrated, upset, anxious, and/or angry can ask to take a 3-minute break to “recharge” to be able to return to their seat and be ready to learn. During this 3-minute period, students can choose from a ring of calming strategies to help them to self-regulate their feelings. Students might take deep breaths, squeeze a stress ball, think of a happy place, use “Rocks and Socks”, count to 10, use positive self-talk, etc. Please also encourage your child to find a spot in your home to “recharge” as well.

Upcoming Spirit Days

• Sept 12th- Elk Neck Shirt or wear green!

• Sept. 25th - Hat Day

Parenting Tips

Is your child feeling anxious about the new school year or struggling with their morning back to school routine?

Here are some things you can try:

• Help your child label his/her emotions (“It looks like you’re feeling nervous. That’s okay.”) to build emotional literacy and reduce overwhelm.

• On particularly challenging days before school, offer drawing or playdough time to help your child express emotions nonverbally. Sometimes waking children up a little earlier to allow more "downtime" before a hectic morning starts is helpful. What would you like to do before school that would help you feel calm?

• Create a short, consistent goodbye (e.g., special handshake, hug, or phrase) to signal safety and routine.

• You might allow your child to bring a small comfort item from home (a photo, stuffed animal, or bracelet) to ease the separation.

• A small heart or kiss drawn on their hand or tucked in their pocket can be a tactile reminder of love. Read the "The Kissing Hand" book- great story to read with your child about leaving for school. This normalizes their experience.

• Use simple language to explain what will happen and when you’ll return.

• Most important- Praise their bravery and progress, even if it’s just walking into the classroom without crying. Perhaps they can earn a small reward for being "brave". Talk about other times when they have been brave and how they can do it again.

Here are some things you can say:

• It’s ok to feel nervous, I do too sometimes

• Let’s sit together until the thought passes

• Let’s talk back to this worry

• Let’s draw the worry, how big is it?

• Let’s take a few deep breaths together

Thrive Behavioral Health

Are you interested in school based therapy for your child? Kaitlyn Gordon, our school based therapist is taking new referrals. If you are interested please complete the online referral form. If you have any questions, please to contact Amy Cook, alcook@ccps.org

The link for Thrive Behavioral Health online referrals is www.thrivebh.com/referrals .

Weekend Food Bags

If your family is experiencing financial hardship, food bags are available for your child over the weekends. Please contact Amy Cook, School Counselor 410-996-5030 if you would like to register your child for this program.

Check out the September Cecil County Connections Newsletter to discover free support, services, and resources available to all county families! This month’s edition highlights a variety of helpful programs designed to support our students and caregivers both inside and outside the classroom. Thanks to funding from the Maryland Consortium on Consolidated Community Supports, these services are available to ALL families completely free of charge, regardless of income or ability to pay. Take a moment to explore the link today to see how these wonderful community resources can benefit your family and help your student arrive at school on time, every day and ready to learn!

• Friday, September 11, 2026 @ 9:15 a.m.
• Wednesday, September 16, 2026 @ 5:30 p.m.

We are continuing to track attendance data in the new year. Our goal is to have an attendance rate of 94% each month. Students are considered chronically absent if they miss 16 or more school days. 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, 9/7/26

Labor Day Holiday - No School

Friday, 9/11/26

Volunteer/Mentor Training @ 9:15 a.m.

PTO Joe Corbi Fundraiser begins

Monday, 9/14/26

CCPS Celebrates America's 250: Spirit Week! Wear red, white, and blue.

Tuesday, 9/15/26

CCPS Celebrates America's 250: Spirit Week! Wear a state shirt.

Wednesday, 9/16/26

CCPS Celebrates America's 250: Spirit Week! Wear a team jersey or shirt.

Volunteer/Mentor Training @ 5:30 p.m.

Back To School Night @ 6:00 -7:00 p.m.

Thursday, 9/17/26

CCPS Celebrates America's 250: Spirit Week! Wear American flag gear.

Friday, 9/18/26

CCPS Celebrates America's 250: Spirit Week! Dress like your future career.

Wednesday, 9/23/26

PTO Meeting @ 4:00 p.m.

Friday, 9/25/26

ENES Spirit Day! Wear a hat.

Bubble Gum Day!

Donuts for Grownups @ 8:00 a.m.