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

Emergency preparedness is one of the many routines we take care of at the beginning of the year. We work hard to teach our students the importance of being prepared for any emergency situation at school. Teachers share emergency procedures and instructions in a student-centered manner that is developmentally appropriate for that age group. We will have emergency drills throughout the school year.

September is National Emergency Preparedness Month. We all must be prepared at any time for the challenges an emergency might cause. How we prepare for and react to situations as adults will help reassure and keep our children safe. As stated last week, please be sure to keep your Family File up-to-date and communicate your instructions to your child.

We encourage you to visit ready.gov and take advantage of the many planning resources for families. Their theme this year is Preparedness Starts at Home. Additionally, please review how we prepare for a variety of emergency situations below as a school community.

Mrs. Debra A. Anoff, Principal

Mrs. Siobhan Drumgoole, Assistant Principal

September

• 29- Band Parent Practice Night 6:30 p.m.

October

• 1- Walk and Wheel Wednesday (Walk/Bike to School)
• 1 - PTA 5th grade form due (t-shirt size and design contest)
• 2 -Yom Kippur, schools & offices closed
• 7-PTA Meeting 6:30 p.m.
• 8- Restaurant Night (Yama Sushi, Dorsey Hall)
• 13 & 14 Fall Individual Picture Day-more information coming soon
• 14- CLES Music/Boosters Restaurant Night at Chin Xi’an Style Restaurant, Princess Plaza
• 17 - Professional Work Day, schools closed for students
• 20- Diwali, schools & offices closed
• 29 -PTA Trunk or Treat Family Heritage Event (joint with CHS)
• 31 - Professional Work Day, schools close 3 hours early (12:15 p.m.)

November

• 4- PTA Meeting TBD
• 12-Professional Learning/Wellness Day, schools close 3 hours early (12:15 p.m.)
• 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

Fourth and 5th Grade students will be bringing home paper copies of their Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) Assessment Reports today. These reports identify how your child scored on this assessment for the 2024-2025 school year. There are two reports; one for English Language Arts/Literacy and one for Mathematics. If you have any questions please reach out to Mrs. Drumgoole at siobhan_drumgoole@hcpss.org.

Our school has adopted The “I Love U Guys” Foundation’s Standard Response Protocol (SRP). Students and staff will be training, practicing, and drilling the protocol.

COMMON LANGUAGE

The Standard Response Protocol (SRP) is based on an all-hazards approach as opposed to individual scenarios. Like the Incident Command System (ICS), SRP utilizes clear common language while allowing for flexibility in protocol.

The premise is simple - there are five specific actions that can be performed during an incident. When communicating these, the action is labeled with a “Term of Art” and is then followed by a “Directive.” Execution of the action is performed by active participants, including students, staff, teachers and first responders. The SRP is based on the following actions: Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate, and Shelter.

You can review each command below along with the full pdf download.

“In Your Classroom or Area”

Students are trained to:

• Clear the hallways and remain in their area or room until the “All Clear” is announced
• Do business as usual

Adults and staff are trained to:

• Close and lock the door
• Account for students and adults
• Do business as usual

“Get Inside. Lock outside doors”

Students are trained to:

• Return to inside of building
• Do business as usual

Adults and staff are trained to:

• Bring everyone indoors
• Lock the outside doors
• Increase situational awareness
• Account for students and adults
• Do business as usual

“Locks, Lights, Out of Sight”

• Students are trained to:
• Move away from sight
• Maintain silence
• Do not open the door

Adults and staff are trained to:

• Recover students from hallway if possible
• Lock the classroom door
• Turn out the lights
• Move away from sight
• Maintain silence
• Do not open the door
• Prepare to evade or defend

“To a Location”

Students are trained to:

• Leave stuff behind if required to
• If possible, bring their phone
• Follow instructions

Adults and staff are trained to:

• Bring roll sheet and Go Bag (unless instructed not to bring anything with them, dependent on reason for evacuation.)
• Lead students to Evacuation location
• Account for students and adults
• Report injuries or problems using Red Card/Green Card method.

“State Hazard and Safety Strategy”

Hazards might include:

• Tornado
• Hazmat
• Earthquake
• Tsunami

Safety Strategies might include:

• Evacuate to shelter area
• Seal the room
• Drop, cover and hold
• Get to high ground

Students are trained in:

• Appropriate Hazards and Safety Strategies

Adults and staff are trained in:

• Appropriate Hazards and Safety Strategies
• Accounting for students and adults
• Report injuries or problems using Red Card/Green Card method.

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.

Monday, September 29 at 6:30 PM – CLES Cafeteria
Join us for an informative evening designed just for band parents and caretakers! Learn simple, effective ways to support your student’s practice at home. We’ll cover practice routines, helpful techniques, and specific tips for each instrument. This is the perfect opportunity to discover how you can help your child succeed in band.

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.

Tuesday, October 14 – Chin Xi’an Style Restaurant, Princess Plaza
Support our young musicians while enjoying a great meal! Mention Centennial Lane ES Music Boosters when ordering, and 15% of your purchase will be donated to support our Band, Orchestra, and Chorus programs. Whether your student is currently in a performing ensemble or planning to join, this is a wonderful way to give back. More details coming soon!

Check out these websites for more information about Hispanic Heritage Month and how you can celebrate virtually and at home!

• Celebrate Hispanic Heritage
• National Hispanic Heritage Month
• September: Civics: Hispanic Heritage Month
• Hispanic Heritage Month - Teaching Tolerance
• Hispanic Heritage Month - NEA
• A Comprehensive List of the Essential Latin Music Genres
• 23 Books By Latinos That Might Just Change Your Life

Student birthdays are announced during the morning announcements. Students receive a birthday pencil and a sticker in recognition of their day. All celebrations are encouraged to take place outside the school building. Class lists are not provided to parents for birthday invitations, and school staff do not participate in disseminating birthday party invitations or hand out any birthday goodie bags. The School Directory is available in Family File to help families with birthday celebrations outside of school. Balloons, helium, or latex are not allowed in the school building.

Beginning Sept 16, 2025, students in grades 1-5 will be participating in the fall administration of the MAP assessment. MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) is an untimed, computer-adaptive assessment that provides our teachers with detailed, specific information about where your child is performing in Reading and Mathematics. Our grade-level teams collaborate with administrators as well as the Literacy Coach to analyze the data from the MAP assessment and plan instruction that builds on your child’s strengths and supports areas where there is room for improvement.

Though the assessment is un-timed, students typically finish each session in approximately one hour. There are two sessions scheduled for each grade level: one for reading and one for mathematics. Make-up sessions have been scheduled for students who are absent on specified assessment dates.

Below, please find the specific dates that MAP will be administered to each grade level.

You do not need to do anything special to prepare your child for the MAP assessment other than ensure that they have a good breakfast and a good night’s rest the night before. We do ask that you avoid scheduling appointments on the day when your child will be assessed. Students who are absent on the day their grade takes the assessment will be afforded the opportunity for a make-up session on another date.

Parents will receive a report on their child’s performance on the MAP assessment in the coming weeks. More information about MAP, how it is scored, and how you can interpret your child’s performance is available at https://www.nwea.org/map-growth/

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 Family Event - Dolphin Dash & Outdoor Movie Night

Thank you for a wonderful turnout!! Thank you to the amazing PE teachers, Mrs. Anoff, our volunteers (especially the CHS track team) and, again, for all of you coming out to celebrate our amazing CLES children and community!

Feedback is welcome - please email Annette at social@clespta.org or come to our next PTA meeting. Better yet, reach out to help plan the next event!!! We always could use more volunteers!!

CLES Staff Coffee Bar

As the new school year starts, we are restocking our coffee bar 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 on the link below to view the Amazon wish list:

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1T3AJH1CKVMWR?ref_=wl_share

(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.)

Walk and Wheel

Our first walk/bike to school event is Wednesday morning on October 1st and we plan to have these every month with a break for winter. We will have a group of cub scouts and Girl Scouts to raise the flag while one of our trumpet players from 5th grade plays the national anthem! Put out your signs on Monday 9/29. If you’d be willing to display a sign on your lawn, please email walkandwheel@clespta.org.

5th Grade T-shirts

The PTA will be purchasing custom t-shirts for all 5th graders again this year. The forms went home recently and are due on October 1st for your 5th graders t-shirt size and contest entry if they would like to participate. Any questions: graderep5@clespta.org

Second PTA Meeting (PTA Members Only)

Tuesday 10/7 at 6:30pm at CLES (blacktop/picnic tables)

THANK YOU for such an amazing turnout for our 1st Meeting…we loved seeing so many new faces! And the kids had a BLAST! For any ideas about what we should cover in our next meeting, please email us at Questions@clespta.org.

Restaurant Night - Yama Sushi, Dorsey Hall

Wednesday 10/8

No dinner plans? No problem!!! We’ve got your back! Get some yummy sushi and also help raise money for our PTA!!! More details provided next week.

The Importance of Being a PTA Member

Joining the PTA (Parent Teacher Association) is one of the simplest yet most powerful ways to support our school community. PTA members help strengthen the connection between home and school, ensuring that families have a voice in decisions that impact students. Membership directly supports programs, events, and resources that enrich the learning experience for every child. Whether you attend meetings, volunteer, or simply join to show support, your membership makes a difference—it demonstrates a shared commitment to student success and a thriving school community. We are hoping to have over 80% of our school community in our PTA this year, so please join today!

As a friendly reminder.... Membership must be renewed every school year!

Help Needed:

THANK YOU to those of you who have reached out - we have filled a few critical positions!! We still have leadership roles open including: Communications, DEI, Community Outreach, Reflections, and more! We are at risk of cancelling events that we have hosted in the past. Reach out if interested in learning 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.