Greetings EES Families,
Welcome to the last day of September! Wow, we cannot believe that this month is already over. We have a lot of great events happening in October, so be sure to mark your calendars.
PTA Movie Night:
The PTA Movie Night, originally scheduled for Friday, September 27, 2024 has been rescheduled to THIS FRIDAY, October 4, 2024 at 6:00 PM.
Testing Updates:
MAP testing continues this week. The Measures of Academic Progress Test is a local assessment given to all students in Grades 1-5. This assessment is used as a tool for our teachers to understand your child's academic growth. Additional information about MAP assessment and their uses can be found here. MAP Testing runs through October 17. Please refer to your child's Canvas announcements for specific dates and times of MAP assessment.
Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month:
This week at Elkridge we are happy to celebrate the contributions of some famous Hispanic athletes. Two that will be celebrated are Laurie Hernandez and Pelé. Laurie Hernandez is a Latina gymnast who won a gold and silver medal in the 2016 Olympics. Pelé was a Brazilian soccer player. He is known as one of the greatest players of all time. We also will be highlighting some of the delicious Hispanic culinary dishes.
Student Attendance & Engagement:
As a part of our School Improvement Plan, several EES staff members developed a committee to focus on improving student attendance and school engagement. This committee is focused on maintaining a healthy and nurturing environment at school which will encourage students to attend school daily. This committee will also work to create an inviting atmosphere for all families and community members to participate in the many activities and events at school that are designed to help our students learn and grow!
In alignment with the School Improvement Plan and the theme “Engage, Excellence, and Spirit” this school year, the Attendance and Engagement committee will acknowledge classes and grades with the highest attendance monthly! Attendance is an integral part of academic success. We understand that illness may prevent students from coming to school but we would like to emphasize the importance of attendance. We love seeing you at school!
Be on the lookout to see which classes had the best attendance in September!
PTA Fall Festival:
The PTA is getting ready for the Fall Festival. This awesome event will take place on Friday, October 25, 2024 from 6:00 - 8:00 PM. Please see the PTA Newsletter for additional information!
Car Loop:
Please be sure not to have any cell phones in your hands as you move through the car loop, as this is against the law. Moving through the car loop, it is important to stay alert to the staff members guiding you safely in and out of the school in the morning and afternoon. Please support our staff and students by ensuring that we are refraining from using cell phones while driving on campus. Several staff members have almost been hit by cars with distracted driving on campus. Please be aware of the motion path and movement throughout the school campus.
Recess:
We have observed students attempting to perform gymnastic stunts during recess. While we encourage active play and fun, we kindly ask for your support in reminding your child that gymnastics are not allowed during recess for safety reasons. Our goal is to ensure that all students have a safe and enjoyable recess experience. Thank you for partnering with us to reinforce this important safety message. We appreciate your support in keeping recess safe for everyone.
Early Pick-up From School:
Please know that on a full day of school, the end time to pick your child up early is at 3:15 PM. Please make sure to have your ID with you when you come in to pick your child early from school.
As a final reminder, schools and offices are closed Thursday, October 3, 2024.
Have a great week!
Sincerely,
Kelley Powell, Principal
LaShonne Wright, Assistant Principal
Jonathan Swann, Assistant Principal
Phonological Awareness:
This month at Elkridge Elementary, we will be focusing on phonological awareness. Phonological awareness is the ability to hear, recognize, and play with the sounds in spoken English. Strong phonemic awareness is one of the strongest predictors of later reading success!
Throughout the month of September, teachers at Elkridge Elementary will be taking advantage of phonological awareness activities that will be posted throughout the hallways in our building. During transitions, the teachers will practice these activities with students. For example, in our 1st grade hallways, teachers will say a posted sentence and students will hold up on their hands the number of words that they hear in that sentence. In our 4th grade hallway, students will be asked to change sounds in words to make new words. Ask your child what hallway activities they have enjoyed this month.
You can find out more about phonological awareness and engaging activities that you can do at home or in the car with your child by accessing the following links.
Primary Grades: Reading Rockets Phonological Awareness
Intermediate Grades: 20 Phonemic Awareness Activities for Students
Young Author's Contest:
Calling all writers! 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 (YAC).
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 Katelyn_Barr@hcpss.org by December 20, 2024. Contact Katelyn Barr 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!
