The Weekly Update #4

Hello EES Families and Community!

We had an absolutely incredible school-wide Pep Rally on Friday! The building was bursting with school spirit, vibrant grade-level colors, and positive energy as we celebrated our amazing Elksters. We placed our focus directly on our Big 3—Be Safe, Be Respectful, and Be Responsible—and proudly recited our new Elkridge Pledge together: "I promise to be safe, be respectful, and be responsible. We're Elks and we're Elkcellent!" It was the perfect way to build our community and celebrate our commitment to being 100% ALL In.

To keep that wonderful momentum going, we invite all of our families to join us this week for Back to School Night! These evenings are built around getting to know your child's teacher and classroom, hearing the essentials for the year ahead, and connecting with school resources and staff. Each evening will feature three structured rotations:

• Classroom Visit: Meet your child's teacher, see the classroom, and connect with other families in the class as we talk about our hopes, goals, and vision for the year.

• Cafeteria Presentation: The nuts and bolts—schedules, routines, curriculum expectations, and what to expect this school year.

• Resource & Partnership Fair: Connect with representatives from the library and Boy Scouts, get assistance with Family File, explore Title I information, and meet our Student Support Team and administration.

Helpful Notes for Both Nights:

• Adults Only: Childcare will not be provided, so we kindly ask that children stay home so families can fully engage in the evening.

• Flexible Options: The Resource & Partnership Fair is completely optional—feel free to skip that window if it is not a priority for your family.

• Families with Multiple Students: If you have children in multiple grades and cannot make every session, presentation materials will be made available afterward

Sincerely,

Danielle Shanks, Principal

Jonathan Swann, Assistant Principal

Jayme Brewrink, Assistant Principal

As we plan for the school year, your voice matters most! What are your family’s needs? How can we best support you, and what programs and learning sessions would you like to see Elkridge offer this year?

Please take a few minutes to complete our EES Family Needs Survey / Encuesta sobre necesidades familiares. Your input directly shapes our community partnerships, basic-needs supports (such as holiday assistance, food pantry access, coats, and eyeglasses), and our Title I family learning workshops in areas like math, reading, and social-emotional growth. The survey also highlights exciting ways to get involved this year, including our Family School Partnership Team, Coffee & Conversation with Administration, Classroom Coordinators, and Watch D.O.G.S.

The survey is available in both English and Spanish. If you have any questions or need assistance connecting with resources, please feel free to reach out to our Family and Community Engagement Contact, Joanna Paterson (joanna_paterson@hcpss.org), or our Multi-Achievement Liaison, Bawi Tial (bawi_tial@hcpss.org). Thank you for partnering with us to ensure every Elkster and family has the resources they need to thrive!

The Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) is committed to providing a safe and nurturing environment for all students. Preventing bullying is an important part of this goal. HCPSS Policy 9460 prohibits bullying, cyberbullying, harassment, including hate/bias incidents, and intimidation.

HCPSS recently launched a new Bullying, Cyberbullying, Harassment, or Intimidation (BCHI) Reporting Form that allows students, staff, and families to easily and confidentially report concerns.

The BCHI Reporting Form should be used to report known or suspected incidents of bullying, cyberbullying, harassment, intimidation, and hate/bias incidents. These may include physical aggression, threats, retaliation, teasing or name-calling, rumors, exclusion, threatening gestures, online/social media behavior, or conduct related to a student's identity or characteristics.

What happens after you report?

The school will address any immediate safety concerns. The targeted student's parent/guardian will be notified as soon as possible and an administrator will begin the investigation within two school days. Both families will receive written notice of the outcome within 15 calendar days, excluding extenuating circumstances.

A Note About Cyberbullying

In today's digital world, bullying can extend beyond the school day. Cyberbullying can occur through social media, text messages, group chats, gaming platforms, apps, and other digital spaces. Online behavior that occurs outside of school may still require school intervention when it has a connection to the school setting and impacts a student's safety or educational environment. Families are encouraged to talk regularly with their children about responsible online behavior and to save screenshots, messages, posts, or other evidence when concerns arise.

Not sure if it's bullying? Please still tell us. Peer conflict or other concerning behavior may not meet the definition of bullying but may still require school support and follow-up. Students and families do not need to decide whether something “counts” as bullying before asking for help.

For additional information or to submit a report, visit the HCPSS Stop Bullying website or review HCPSS Policy 9460.

Recess is an essential part of our Elksters' day—it gives our scholars time to recharge, play cooperatively, build social connections, and stay active!

To help keep our playground fully stocked with engaging, fun, and durable gear for all grade levels, we have created an EES Recess Equipment Amazon Wishlist. If your family is able and interested in contributing, items purchased directly from the list will ship straight to our school building. Every soccer ball, jump rope, sidewalk chalk pack, and playground game makes a big difference in ensuring our students have a joyful, active recess experience. Thank you so much for your generosity and continuous support of our school community!

Right now, 306 of our 741 Elksters do not have a completed Family File for this school year. That means if we needed to reach a parent, confirm a pickup, or respond to a medical situation, we may be working with last year's information — or none at all.

Please take five minutes to update your Family File today: Update your Family File

🏆 Grade-Level Challenge: Whichever grade reaches 100% completion — or has the highest completion rate — by October 15 earns an extra recess! Kindergarten currently leads at 81%. Help your child's grade catch up!

Please also complete your FARMS (Free and Reduced-Price Meals) application: Apply for FARMS

HCPSS participates in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs, which can save your family real money:

• Qualification is based on family size and income, and enrollment is confidential.
• All children in SNAP households qualify for free meals regardless of income.
• Students from households meeting federal income guidelines are eligible for free or reduced-price meals.
• Eligibility can also unlock discounts for summer programs, the SAT, recreation programs, Maryland's CHIP, internet programs, and more.
• FARMS participation also helps bring important federal funding to our school.

Please complete this form even if you don't think your family will qualify. Elkridge Elementary is a fully-funded Title I school, and maintaining that status depends on a complete count of FARMS forms from every family — not just those who expect to qualify. Every submission matters, regardless of the outcome.

This must be completed every year. In past years FARMS status carried over automatically for some families — that did not happen for everyone this year, so please don't assume you're already enrolled.

HCPSS is seeking community members to serve on curriculum advisory committees, which provide a forum to share ideas and support continuous academic excellence. Interested stakeholders should submit an online interest form by September 11. Please click here for more information and to submit your application.

Want to make sure you don’t miss important Canvas updates? Take a minute to check your Canvas notification settings!

1. Log in to Canvas with your parent/guardian account.
2. Select Account → Notifications.
3. Choose how often you would like to receive each type of update:
• 🔔 Immediately
• ☀️ Daily Summary
• 📅 Weekly Summary
• 🔕 Notifications Off

Our Tip: Consider setting Announcements to Immediately or Daily so important classroom updates don't get missed!

👉 Need help? Visit the HCPSS Canvas Notification Guide for more information.

• Must have some experience working with children or with disabilities.
• Minimum of High School Diploma or GED required. Some college coursework is preferred.
• Must pass State/Federal criminal background check and Global Homeland security check as well as Maryland CPS background check.
• Hours are Mon-Fri./Daytime. Average hours 24-30 per week.
• Opportunities to network within the school system.
• Pay rate is $ 16.81/hourly.
• No Summer hours. School schedule.
• This is a NON-benefit position.

The in-school dentist is coming to ELKRIDGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL on 09/15/2026! Paper permission forms should have come home with your students this week. Please return completed forms as soon as possible so that your student may be included in the clinic if desired. You can additionally register your student online at the following link: https://www.myschooldentist.com/EEHCMD_schsrm .

Please reach out to the Health Room at 410-313-8506 with any questions or concerns.

👉The PTA is all about connection—parents, teachers, and staff coming together to make our school a place where every child thrives. Even 30 minutes or an hour of your time can make a big difference!

👉 Join the PTA: Becoming a member helps strengthen our community and gives you a voice. Link to Join the PTA: https://elkridgepta.givebacks.com/shop/items/1205656

👉 Get involved in events: Want to help with planning or volunteering? Send us a quick email at info@eespta.com, and we’ll add you to our event planning list.

As we establish our daily routines, we want to remind all families of district-wide visitor guidelines. Per updated HCPSS policy, parent lunch visits are no longer permitted at any school, joining the HCPSS established policy prohibiting parent visits during recess.

Limiting access during these times is essential for maintaining safe and secure school buildings. It helps reduce disruptions, supports structured student routines, and minimizes non-essential foot traffic in high-density areas.

We deeply value our family connections and encourage parents to stay engaged through regular communication with teachers, attending school-wide family events, or serving as official, certified volunteers within our building. For more comprehensive details on district guidelines, please review the HCPSS School Visitation Guidelines.

Thank you for your understanding, partnership, and continued support in keeping our school environment safe and focused on learning!

To keep all of our scholars safe, active, and fully engaged during Physical Education, please ensure your child wears athletic sneakers on their scheduled P.E. days.

Sneakers with rubber soles and closed toes provide the necessary grip, support, and protection for running, jumping, and gym games. For safety reasons, shoes such as Crocs, sandals, flip-flops, boots, slides, or dress shoes are not safe for gym activities, and students wearing them may have limited participation for the day.

Tip: Check your scholar’s Related Arts color rotation schedule each week, or consider packing a pair of sneakers in their backpack so they are always ready to move!