Jaime Gittleson - Assistant Principal

Website: cces.hcpss.org
Location: 10320 Quarterstaff Road, Columbia, MD, USA
Phone: (410) 313-6866
Facebook: facebook.com/ClemensCrossingElementary
Twitter: @hcpss_cces

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۔

November

• 8 - Conference Scheduling Opens at 8am
• 8 - Q1 Report Cards Issued, 4:00 p.m. via HCPSS Connect
• 11 - Veteran's Day - wear red, white & blue to school
• 13 - World Kindness Day - wear a hat or shirt with kind messages on it
• 13 - PTA Meeting, 7:00 p.m.
• 19 - Picture re-take day
• 21 - Conference Scheduling Closes at 4pm
• 25 - Schools Close 3 Hours Early - Parent/Teacher Conferences (in person)
• 26 - Schools Close 3 Hours Early - Parent/Teacher Conferences (virtual)
• 27 - Schools Closed for Students - Parent/Teacher Conferences (virtual)
• 28 - Schools and Offices Closed
• 29 - Schools and Offices Closed

December

• 3 - Time to be green Tuesday - Wear Green
• 3 - PTA Secret Shop Open from 4:15 - 7:15 p.m.
• 4 - PTA Secret Shop Open from 4:15 - 7:15 p.m.
• 5 - PTA Secret Shop Open from 4:15 - 7:15 p.m.
• 5 - Spirit Day - Be a Hero for Inclusion! Dress as someone you look up to!
• 6 - Spirit Day - Exercise your right to be different! Wear athletic wear!
• 11 - PTA Meeting, 7:00 p.m.
• 13 - Spirit Day - Sweater Day! Wear your ugliest/most interesting/favorite sweater!
• 19 - Winter Concert at Atholton HS, 6:30 p.m.
• 23 - Schools Closed for Winter Break December 23 through January 1

To subscribe to the CCES calendar on your smartphone, electronic device, or email system use the calendar ID sqspkjkbr6v6arss44js3n21eg@group.calendar.google.com.

There will be no printed 2024-2025 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

Dear Families,

You are able to schedule Parent Conferences starting today. More info can be found here.

In addition, you can acces your child's report card today beginning at 4pm. Please follow the directions below.

Parents/guardians may view/download report cards by taking the following steps:

1. Log in at hcpss.org/connect

2. Select More Options from the left panel

3. Select Report Cards from the middle

4. Select the report card you wish to access

Thank you!

Mrs. Leader, Principal

Mrs. Gittleson, Assistant Principal

We are collecting gift cards to support some of our families in need this holiday season. If you would like to contribute, please bring gift cards to the front office. (Do NOT send then in with your child.) There will be a donation box available during American Education Week or on the first day of parent conferences. Please select gift cards from the following stores in $25 increments:

~Safeway

~Giant

~Target

~Walmart

If you are a family in need of support, or have any questions, please contact Ann Rogers: ann_rogers@hcpss.org

Thank you for your generosity!

Hi, families! Happy November!

November is National Native American Heritage Month. If you're interested in displaying special photos, recipes, figurines, books, attire, etc. for this month, please send them in with your student or bring them to the school. These will be displayed in our school display case all month.

It would be helpful if you let the homeroom teacher know item is coming in with your student, or email Megan_hodgins@hcpss.org to be on the lookout. Thank you for making CCES a welcoming place to honor and highlight all of us!

-Megan Hodgins and our DEI team

Student Progress reports are available in ParentVue. Please use these directions to access your student's scores.

Why: Our school will be participating in the “Pull Tab Program” to help benefit the Maryland Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Who: Everyone! Lead by our very own 5th Grade Eco-Leaders.

Where: Send your tabs in with your student and have them place them in the labeled bin in their pod area.

When: The entire school year!

Our Eco-leaders would like to remind you that it is “time to be Green”!

For more details be visit https://rmhcmaryland.org/pull-tabs/.

Please email Mrs. Seifert with any questions. jhonna_seifert@hcpss.org

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 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 stephanie_pazornick@hcpss.org by December 20, 2024. Contact Stephanie Pazornick, CCES Reading Specialist, with any questions. 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.

The HCPSS participates in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs. Students from households that meet federal income guidelines are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals. Qualification is based on family size and income, and enrollment is confidential. All children in households receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can get free meals regardless of income, and students from households that meet federal income guidelines are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meals. Those eligible for Free and Reduced Meals receive both breakfast and lunch for free.

Parents/guardians must submit a new application every school year to maintain their student’s eligibility. Click the button below to apply.

Health Services information can be found online and will be continually updated. All students, staff and visitors should perform daily health checks and may not enter an HCPSS bus or building if they exhibit any signs of a communicable disease. Details, including infection control protocols for communicable diseases like COVID-19, are available online.

Do you want to give your child a unique and exciting first look into STEM? Enroll your child in the Science Olympiad Division A program! Last year, students on the CCES Division A Science Olympiad team left the annual Maryland States Division A Science Olympiad Tournament with many medals, smiles, and a new appreciation for science. The school also received a trophy for finishing 6th place overall of all the Maryland teams that competed.

Science Olympiad (SciOly) is a fun and competitive organization built around the world of STEM, with opportunities for student teamwork, problem solving, and more. SciOly’s hands-on, inquiry-based activities (Events) challenge students in grades 3-5 to build their own understanding of basic scientific concepts including measurement, force, engineering design and energy. Each student typically competes in 2-3 events and will have 1 or 2 partners that they work with for each event. You can check this document for a brief description of each of our 19 competition events for the 2025 season:

These are the meeting dates for SciOly this year:

Please check this document for a brief description of each of our 19 events: https://docs.google.com/document/d/12lGD0_wtmIvO1mUgVbpgoqO4wxPHdL7p_FjEuImKI4s/edit?usp=sharing

In late April 2025, students will participate in the Maryland States Division A Science Olympiad competition with the opportunity to compete in 2-3 events and receive ribbons, medals, as well as earn a trophy for their school if the team performs well overall.

We will be meeting every other Tuesday starting November 12th from 4pm-5pm in Ms. McBrien’s classroom (in the 2nd grade pod). At these meetings, trained and passionate high-school volunteers from River Hill HS will come to CCES to teach the children about their events, offer resources, and do interactive science activities. If your child is interested in participating in this exciting science program, please fill out this form to indicate your interest and receive more information: https://forms.gle/srRvBdZvsJbwe9FQ7. Thank you!

Our annual PTA Read-a-thon is on now! Running until November 15th.

Encourage your child in their reading! There are great prizes - all based on the number of minutes kids read (each class is competing against the other classes in the same grade level)

Register your student here! https://app.givebacks.gives/ccesreadathon2024

You will get a unique URL to share with family & friends to sponsor your child as they read.

All money raised goes to Clemens Crossing PTA, to run enrichments, programs and events right here at CCES.

Questions? Email Mary Monroe at mfmayo@gmail.com

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdaHQ_vyQpZT2FEhHRTfUp0Xz7A7-bBn0QpcBsVsTK67uwYGw/viewform

December 3rd -5th, 4:30pm-7:30pm in the CCES Music Room

Calling all parents! Our annual Holiday Shop is coming soon! It's a wonderful opportunity for kids (CCES students & their siblings) to shop for the holiday that's special to their family and choose gifts for their loved ones.

So many of us have items lying around the house that our kids have lost interest in - but are still in perfect condition! This year we are asking families to donate new or like-new small gift items to supplement our inventory for this year’s holiday shop. It could be small toys, puzzles, activities or even fun kids jewelry - really anything you think a child might love to give as a gift. It doesn't have to be kids' stuff either - maybe something a child might like to give to their parent or grandparent? This is a fantastic opportunity to move things on to someone else who will love it!!! Simply send your new or like-new items into the school office marked “Holiday Shop”.

The Shop will run over 3 consecutive afternoons after school - Tuesday Dec 3rd to Thursday Dec 5th. Gifts will range in price from $0.50-$20, with the vast majority of gifts costing less than $5.

Join here: https://clemens.givebacks.com/

The single most important thing you can do to support PTA this year is to join! Your $15 membership goes a long way to help us run programs like the Science Fair, International Night, Talent Show, Trunk or Treat, the Book Fair, Holiday Shop and so much more. Did you know that our PTA helps reduce the cost of school field trips through direct sponsorship? PTA also offers scholarships for students to participate in after school activities. All of these things and more are made possible through families and staff joining our PTA!

Our CCES PTA makes a big contribution to our school through family events, student enrichment and staff appreciation. Be part of it! Becoming a member does not obligate you to volunteer your time. There are many ways big and small to be involved in PTA throughout the year but if there is only ONE thing you're able to do for PTA , simply become a member and make a contribution to the excellence of our Clemens school community.

Join here: https://clemens.givebacks.com/

If you have concerns about your child's development - whether it's their speech, motor skills, social skills or learning - it's important to act now. Waiting until the summer for a referral can delay crucial support that your child may need before starting kindergarten.

Contact us today to schedule a screening. Let's work together to ensure your child has the best possible start in kindergarten!

Call 410-313-7046 or email ChildFind@hcpss.org

Looking for a fun way to commemorate Veterans Day? Come join the scouts at the Veterans Day Parade in Downtown Columbia! It starts at 9:30am this Sunday, November 10th, and we'll be meeting at Toby's Dinner Theatre at 8:30am. This is just one of the many activities we do throughout the year to model good citizenship and community engagement, such as coat, sock, and food drives, tree planting, and making lunches for Grassroots. We welcome boys and girls in grades K-5. To find out more, email us at Cubmaster@pack618md.com or go to our website at www.pack618md.com.

* For assistance with registering, call 410-313-2273 (voice/ relay) or email children@howardcountymd.gov

* To request sign language, interpreter or other accommodations to attend, call at least one week in advance.

The Basics Howard County

Research shows that 90% of brain growth happens by age five. The Basics provide five simple things parents can do to make the most of these early years. Parents in Howard County can receive free tips directly to their phone to support their child by signing up for Basics Insights. These weekly text messages provide suggestions based on your child’s developmental stage, from birth to age five (available in English or Spanish).
https://www.howardcountymd.gov/children-families/basics

Howard County Parent Pages Newsletter

Sign up for the Parent Pages, a newsletter published by the Howard County Office of Children and Families for parents, caregivers and agencies working with families. Each monthly issue features information to help parents and caregivers learn how to promote positive parenting for children’s development. It highlights workshops, local resources, events, parenting information, and agency programs targeted to help families grow and thrive in Howard County. This newsletter is a part of the Howard County Family Institute, an education, information and community outreach program.

Listed below are the many ways to stay informed at Clemens Crossing Elementary School.

CCES Family Guide

Find answers to all of your questions here in our Family Guide.
https://cces.hcpss.org/news/2024/08/cces-family-guide

Twitter

• Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/hcpss_cces
• We use Twitter to inform, celebrate, and engage our community.
• Twitter is used to share what is going on in our school, our community, and throughout the Howard County Public School System.
• Turn on notifications to get information the second it is tweeted.
• We live-stream our concerts on Periscope through Twitter.

• Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ClemensCrossingElementary
• We have found that Facebook is the social media most used by our parents so we are now on Facebook, too!
• Our Facebook page is updated automatically from our Twitter feed.
• Please use Facebook to share the good news from CCES with your friends and families.

Instagram

• We use Instagram periodically. We do post pictures and information there.

Website

• Our website, cces.hcpss.org, is updated regularly.
• Important news and information is located on the main page of the site including an archive of our weekly newsletter, Cougar Comments.
• Staff information and email is located under the "Our Staff" tab.
• A subscribable google calendar is located on the "Calendar" tab.

Email

• Email is our main form of communication.
• You will receive news and information automatically to the email address you provide in your Family File. We will not inundate your inbox with email. Look for the weekly Cougar Comments on Friday mornings.
• If you would like email sent to different email addresses, update your email in Family File with the email address you prefer.
• You can subscribe additional email addresses by visiting the HCPSS News site here. http://www.hcpss.org/hcpss-news/
• Weekly announcements, important information and updates, and more will primarily be sent through email.
• You also have the opportunity to opt-in for text messaging