The Falcon News Nest

Showers bring fun ways to practice literacy skills!

• Rainy Day Reading Fort: Choose a good book, build a fort with blankets and cozy up inside the fort while you read

• Raindrop Word Match: Students could always practice reading words in isolation. This activity would require you to choose word pairs (rhyming words, compound word partners, same vowel sound, letter matches, fill-in-the-blank sentence completions). Cut out a raindrop pattern and construct the raindrops based on your chosen skill. Students match the raindrops.

• Weather-word Scavenger Hunt: Hide words like “cloud”, “rain”, “snow”, “wind”, “sleet”, “sunny” around the house. Have your child find them and read them.

DON’T FORGET………………………….

✍️ Spring Testing 2026 Students will take the ELA MCAP, beginning the week of April 13 through the week of April 27. This month, teachers will continue to engage students in MCAP practice tests in preparation for next month.

Hit the Books 2026 Federalsburg Elementary School families have been invited to a Delmarva Shorebirds game! Our game day is Sunday April 26th at 2:05pm!!!!! Students who read 4 books and returned the bookmark, will receive 2 ticket vouchers for THIS game. Let’s show up and show out, families! Vouchers will be sent home mid-month.

At-Home Monthly Reading sheets are due at the end of each month. Please ensure your child’s first and last name are recorded, as well as their homeroom teacher’s name.

Happy April! 🌷As we move into the heart of spring, our students are continuing to grow their math skills in exciting ways. Here’s a look at what we’re learning this month and how you can support your child at home.

What We’re Learning 🌼

• Grades K–2: Building fluency with addition and subtraction, understanding place value, and working with simple word problems.

• Grades 3–5: Multiplication and division strategies, fractions, and applying problem-solving skills to real-world situations.

• Math Practices: Across all grades, we are focusing on explaining our thinking, using models, and checking our work carefully.

Math in Action 🌸
Students are engaging in hands-on activities, math games, and collaborative problem-solving. We encourage them to share their strategies and learn from one another.

How You Can Help at Home 💐

• Practice basic math facts for a few minutes each day.

• Ask your child to explain how they solved a problem.

• Look for math in everyday activities like cooking, shopping, or telling time.

• Encourage a positive mindset—mistakes help us learn!

Important Dates 🌺

State testing (MCAP) for Math is scheduled for early May. The dates for 3rd and 4th grade are May 5, 6, 7, and 8. Fifth grade will test May 12, 13, 14, and 15.

Please do your best to ensure students:

• Are present and on time each day

• Get a good night’s rest the night before

• Eat a filling, healthy breakfast

• Come ready to do their best

Thank you for your continued support in helping your child succeed in math. 🌻

Dear Parents,

We’re joining our Choptank Health partners in recognizing April as National Youth Sports Safety Month and April 20 – 24 as Every Kid Healthy Week, and we're sharing these helpful reminders to keep your students enrolled in School-Based Health Care as healthy as they can be.

National Youth Sports Safety Month
DYK? Free sports physicals are available for your student through School-Based Health, even during the summer months! Be sure to schedule your student’s sports physicals before they plan to participate in organized sports. Contact your health center to schedule an appointment today.

Every Kid Healthy™ Week

Healthy habits start at home, and healthy kids are better prepared to learn and thrive!

You can help celebrate Every Kid Healthy Week by promoting emotional wellness, good nutrition, physical activity, and more. See how you can promote healthy living at home with more resources at www.everykidhealthweek.org.

It’s never too late to register your student for School-Based Health. For registration forms and more information about medical, dental, behavioral health, and nutrition services available to your student, please contact your student’s health center or visit www.choptankhealth.org/schoolbased.

Denton Elementary School

303 Sharp Road, Denton | 667-248-8020

Monday-Thursday, 8:00 am – 6:00 pm

Federalsburg Elementary School

302 South University Avenue, Federalsburg | 410-754-5857

Monday-Thursday, 8:00 am – 6:00 pm

Greensboro Elementary School

627 N. Main Street, Greensboro | 410-482-9148

Monday-Thursday, 8:00 am – 6:00 pm

Colonel Richardson Middle School

25390 Richardson Road, Federalsburg | 410-754-9580

Monday and Wednesday, 7:30 am – 5:30 pm

Colonel Richardson High School

25320 Richardson Road, Federalsburg | 410-754-0750

Tuesday and Thursday, 7:30 am – 5:30 pm

The School Based Health Centers are a partnership between the school system and Choptank Community Health System. School Based Health Centers deliver quality, age-appropriate health care so children are ready to learn. Services provided include: sick care, follow-up for acute or chronic health care needs, prescriptions, oral health programs, health risk assessments, behavioral health services. Whenever a student is seen in the School Based Health Center, a report is shared with his/her primary care physician or dentist.

Health Centers are located at all schools. Hours of operation are posted at each site. Parents/legal guardians may enroll their children in these programs by completing the SBHC enrollment form:

Student Enrollment Forms - English | Spanish | Haitian Creole

It's time! Enrollment is now open for eligible PreK and Kindergarten students, and all other students new to Caroline County Public Schools.

Please note:

• If your child is currently in a Caroline PreK class, there is no need to enroll again.

• If your child is currently in PreK-3, they need to be enrolled for PreK-4 at their school of residence and requalified.

For more information about the enrollment process and PreK / Kindergarten, please visit carolineschools.org.

#CarolineFamily

Caroline Families, registration opens April 1!

Start your summer planning now with a FREE PROGRAM for rising 6th, 7th 8th and 9th graders!

Summer Career Enrichment Program

Session I: July 6 – July 16

Session II: July 20 – July 30

Location: North Dorchester High School in Hurlock

Free bus transportation

Breakfast & lunch provided

This program will engage students in hands-on activities that lead to career paths in cybersecurity, media arts, video design, health, computer science, and engineering.

Classes offered will include: Animation, App Development, Chess, Cyber Security, Drones, Media Arts, Presentation/Graphic Design, and Robotics.

The program is in partnership with People for Change Coalition, Mid-Shore Regional Council, Rural Maryland Council, and Caroline, Dorchester, and Talbot County Public Schools.

For more info: contact@pfcoalition.org, 310-772-1552

Thanks to our Community Schools grant and our strong partnerships with local agencies, Federalsburg Elementary School is excited to offer Family Support Fridays.

Every Friday from 9:00 a.m. to noon, families can stop by (or schedule an appointment) to meet with school staff and local Social Services representatives. They can help with food resources, heating and electric bills, Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA), and more.

“We are excited about our partnership with the Department of Social Services and their availability to support our families and community,” Ms. Brohawn, FES principal, said. “Having DSS accessible right at school allows families to connect with resources in a more convenient and personal way. We are grateful for this opportunity to better serve and support our school community!”

Got burning questions about parenting, relationships, or your child's well-being? Submit them anonymously before or during a live session with a skilled therapist who provides thoughtful, personalized answers to as many questions as possible.

Sign-up for free here! - https://cookcenter.info/ATLApr21

Why should you be excited? Because it's YOUR chance to:

1. Gain expert advice: Everyone can use help navigating the complexities of parenthood

2. Ask questions anonymously: Feel free to ask anything without fear, as all questions are submitted anonymously. Your privacy is our priority!

3. Be part of a supportive community: Connect with fellow parents facing similar challenges, and let's foster a network of understanding and empathy.

Mark your calendars for the session on Tuesday, April 21 at [pick time zone for your district - 8pm ET, 7pm CT, 6pm MT, 5pm PT] and get ready to embark on a journey to improve self-discovery and family well-being!

We understand many of our families are impacted by the suspension of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits due to the ongoing federal government shutdown. We want to reassure parents and guardians that free breakfast and lunch at every school will continue to be available for all students every day. These meals are funded through a separate program and are not affected by SNAP.

In addition to daily breakfast and lunch at school, all of our schools continue to offer

weekend food support through the Backpack Program, made possible by Food for Learning. This program provides shelf-stable food for students to take home on weekends. For more information and to request services, please complete a Backpack Program form.

Lastly, meals at participating afterschool programs will continue to be served.

Additional Resources for Families

• For a local listing of community resources, including food, please visit Caroline Better Together.

• For resources throughout the mid-shore, please visit the Mid Shore Health Improvement Coalition.

• For resources through the state, please visit the 211Maryland website.

If you have any questions or need assistance connecting with these resources, please contact your school’s Community School Coordinator or school counselor.

This information may also be viewed on the CCPS website.

The Aaron's Place Food Pantry at the Federalsburg Elementary School Judy Center Early Learning Hub is open to any Maryland resident. Located at 323 South University Avenue, Federalsburg our typical hours of operation are Monday through Thursday, 9 am - 3 pm. Note: We follow the Caroline County Public Schools calendar. For more information call the center at 410-479-3050.

The Federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) contains several provisions that promote a parent/school partnership through communication. One such provision gives parents the right to ask for and receive information about the professional qualifications of their child’s classroom teachers. A parent may request the following information in writing from the school principal:

• Any college or university degree, major, or certification held by the teacher

• Whether the teacher is certified by the State of Maryland to teach a particular grade level or subject area

• Whether the teacher holds a conditional teaching certificate

• The qualifications of the paraprofessionals serving the student

Caroline County Public Schools prohibits discrimination in its educational programs, and in employment, on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity, or disability.