Tiger Families
Week of March 31st
Volunteers Needed: Become a Judge for SCH!
Guilford Elementary families and friends, we need your help! We’re looking for volunteers to serve as judges for SCH. No experience is necessary—just a willingness to support our amazing students as they showcase their hard work. This is a great opportunity to be involved and make a difference!
5th Grade Parents & Guardians: We encourage you to come and watch your child in action, but we kindly ask that you do not volunteer as a judge this year. This way, you can fully enjoy the experience without any conflicts.
Interested in volunteering? Sign up today and help make this event a success! http://tinyurl.com/2025-SCH-RSVP
Staff Appreciation Week- WE NEED YOU!!!
Staff Appreciation Week is coming soon and we need your support. The GES PTA supports this week. If you are able to support this week, please use the link to sign up. For questions, please contact Kimber Johnson, PTA president, at bamsmartialfitness@gmail.com
PEP (Parent Encouragement Program) Family Resiliency Classes
- Classes will meet 1 night a week for 8 weeks starting the week of April 22, 2025
- For parents/caregivers of children ages 5-18 yrs.
- Classes will meet online via Zoom, with a video presentation followed by a group discussion led by a PEP facilitator.
- Each participant who attends at least 5 sessions and the evaluation session (week 8) will receive a $50 gift card (limit one per family/household).
- Classes are offered in English, Spanish, and Amharic.
- Classes are limited to 25 participants each.
Please visit https://pep-frp.org/ for more information and to register. Contact is FRP@PEPparent.org or (301) 929-8824.
Yearbooks
We will have a yearbook this year. We have not received the order forms yet, but they will be available. The cost is $25. You may have received an email to pre-order online via email from Lifetouch.
2024-2025 School Year Calendar Updates and Last Day of School Is June 18, 2025
The Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) 2024-2025 school year calendar included five inclement weather days, June 12–13 and June 16–18. As of Feb. 28, HCPSS has used six days. In order to meet the State-mandated 180 days for students, HCPSS must add a day to the school year calendar.
At its Feb. 27 meeting, the Board of Education approved making Monday, March 31, a full day for students, shifting the scheduled Professional Work and Development Day for school staff to Monday, April 14, which is the first day of spring break. HPCSS did request a waiver for the sixth inclement weather day from the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), but it was not approved.
The Board also approved moving the end of the third marking period from March 28 to April 4, which accounts for inclement weather days and better balances the number of days in each marking period.
Barring any additional inclement weather days, the last day of school will be Wednesday, June 18, 2025. Updates to the June calendar include the following:
Friday, June 6: Schools dismiss three hours early; No half-day pre-K/RECC
Monday, June 9-Friday June 13: Full school day
Monday, June 16-Tuesday, June 17: Schools dismiss three hours early
Wednesday, June 18: Last day of school; schools dismiss three hours early
An updated HCPSS calendar can be found online.
Application Windows for Student Reassignment
Through the student reassignment process and based on a specific set of criteria, a parent/guardian can request enrollment at a school that is not located in their designated school attendance area. Details on categories of, and application windows for reassignment for the 2025-2026 school year are available online.
HC DrugFree Updates (3-6-2025)
Free Parenting/Grandparenting Classes - Open to parents, guardians and grandparents residing in Howard County or with school-age children/grandchildren residing in the County. Evidence-based, interactive prevention program that provides families with the skills and knowledge to reduce the risk that their children will use drugs and alcohol or engage in other dangerous behaviors. The curriculum was written for families with children 9-14 years olds, but we believe it is appropriate for K-12 families. Class dates: March 18, 21, 25, 28 and April 1 from Noon to 1:30 p.m. on Zoom. Visit HC DrugFree’s website for more information and register at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Spring2025GGC
Drive-Thru Medication and Sharps Disposal – Saturday, April 26 in the Wilde Lake Village Center Parking Lot near the Swim Center from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Safely dispose of prescription and over-the-counter medication, EpiPens and other sharps, vitamins, pet meds, vape devices, inhalers, and more! Need student, adult, and medically-trained adult volunteers. Giving away 100 medication lockboxes.
For more information: https://hcdrugfree.org/drug-take-back-day-1/
To sign up to volunteer: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/4-26-25TakeBack
Teen Advisory Council - Open to Howard County students in grades 8-12. Earn Community Service Hours and make meaningful contributions to the community. Next meeting: Monday May 19, 2025, from 5:30-7:00pm on Zoom. For more information, visit: https://hcdrugfree.org/teen-advisory-council/
GES Event
March 31st
Full day of school for students
GES Event
April 1st
Book Blast Kick Off
Local Event
GES Event
April 11th
Career Day!
Local Event
GES Event
April 22nd
Mobile Dentist
Local Event
April 25th
Bingo
GES Event
April 25th
5th grade Panoramic Picture
GES Event
May 6th
Family Reading Night
GES Event
May 14th
5th grade SCH (Simulated Congressional Hearings)
May 14th
Cultural Night
GES Event
May 20th
Spring Concert
GES Event
May 23rd
Field Day!
SEL Family Newsletter: February
HCPSS Is Hiring!
Join our award-winning workforce and make a difference in the lives of our students. Learn more about HCPSS employment and view current openings online, and don’t forget to follow us on LinkedIn.
Need to reach us?
Change your phone number or address
To update your phone number or address, email: GESRegistrars@hcpss.org
Provide an absence note
To provide a note for an absence, email the child's name, homeroom teacher, and date of absence, along with any images of notes to: GESAbsence@hcpss.org