Clemens Crossing Cougar Comments

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

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Spanish

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Korean

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Chinese

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Urdu

دوسری زبانوں کے لئے ، نیوزلیٹر کا ترجمہ کریں پر کلک کریں اور اپنی پسند کی زبان کا انتخاب کریں۔

November

• 24 - Schools Close 3 Hours Early, 12:55 p.m. - Parent/Teacher Conferences
• 25 - Schools Close 3 Hours Early, 12:55 p.m. - Parent/Teacher Conferences
• 26 - Schools Closed for Students - Parent/Teacher Conferences
• 27 & 28 - Schools and Offices Closed, Thanksgiving

December

• 2, 3, 4 - PTA Holiday Shop, 4:15-7:00pm
• 8 - Be a HERO for inclusion! Dress up as someone you look up to or a superhero you admire.
• 9 - Exercise your right to be different! Wear athletic wear.
• 10 - Acceptance Day! Wear a shirt with an inclusive/kind message.
• 10 - Annie Jr. Play, 6:30
• 11 - We are UNIQUE! Dress to show what makes you unique.
• 11 - PTA Restaurant Night @ Red Robin
• 12 - Unity Day! We are all INCLUDED in the CCES community! Let's wear our CCES gear!
• 22 - Sweater Day - Wear your ugliest, most interesting, or favorite sweater
• 23 - Pajama Day - Wear your coziest pajamas
• Dec. 24 - Jan. 2 - Winter Break

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 2025-2026 calendars. Staff, students, and families may add our online calendar to their own mobile/online calendar by doing the following:

1. Go to https://www.hcpss.org/calendar/
2. Scroll down to Subscribe to a Calendar
3. Right-click on the calendar you wish to subscribe to
4. Select Copy Link Location/Address/Shortcut
5. Add 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,

It has continued to be very cold. Please ensure you send your child with a coat, hat, and gloves. We go outside for recess if the temperature with the windchill is 20 degrees or higher. Thank you for your support with this!

We hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving break!

Thank you!

Michelle Leader, Principal

Jaime 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!

Our CCES Lost and Found has many items! See the pictures below and have your child look for their items as they enter school each day. In addition, we will have the items out during Parent Conferences on Monday for the in-person conference day. Thank you!

Each year, families update/complete their child's Family File with all emergency information. Please be sure to update your information when anything changes. We appreciate your assistance!

https://www.hcpss.org/connect/

Quick Reference Guide

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.

Please do not send medication to school with your child. If you plan to keep prescription or over-the-counter medication in the Health Room this school year, an adult must bring it to the Health Room with the HCPSS medication form signed by a health care provider.

If your child will be attending school with a brace, sling, crutches, or cast, or needs to be excused from P.E. for more than three days, please provide a doctor's note to the School Nurse, at jessica_schrumm@hcpss.org.

Thank you!

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. Stories and poems must be typed and saved as a Word Doc or Googledoc. All entries must have a completed YAC Cover Sheet sent as a PDF. Submissions may be emailed to Stephanie Pazornick, CCES Reading Specialist, at stephanie_pazornick@hcpss.org by December 1, 2025. Contact Stephanie Pazornick 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.

Please note, any change of residency/address must be reported through Family File within 10 school days of the move. Current residency documentation must be provided to the school each time residency changes. Also, please call the office so we can assist you with navigating how your child might remain at CCES for the duration of the school year.

Thank you to our students and families who donated candy for our troops! We collected 115 pounds of candy and many letters. We appreciate the support!!!

The best and easiest way to support the PTA is through your membership dues. Remember, PTA membership is annual and must be renewed each year. Thank you for supporting our PTA by becoming a member today! bit.ly/ccesPTA

KidzArt is a FUN, art-enrichment program designed to enhance drawing skills and build each child’s confidence. By using our simple drawing method and specialized format, students will learn to focus, relax and think creatively. Within each session, students will explore a variety of artist grade materials, such as oil and chalk pastels, watercolor, clay, metal tooling, specialty papers and much more. Younger children practice following directions and using fine motor skills. Older children love having the creative freedom and guidance to further their skills. KidzArtists will bring home a new masterpiece each week with a kid-tested and educationally rich curriculum that NEVER REPEATS!

REGISTER HERE

Let's appreciate our amazing CCES teachers and staff! PTA is collecting snacks, treats, and comfort/care items to stock the CCES staff lounge and bathrooms this holiday season. Please sign up for one or more items and bring your donations labeled "staff appreciation" to the office today, Friday, 11/21/25, or Monday, 11/24/25.

There is just over one week left for our annual CCES Read-A-Thon! This joyful completion instills a love of reading for our kids while raising money for our school. There is still time to sign up! Registration is free, and the classes with the most minutes read win a popcorn party. Additionally, your child will get a unique fundraising link to share with family and friends. Thanksgiving is a great time to read together as a family and get loved ones involved in supporting our school community. Review the parent guide to learn more about how to sign up, log minutes, and collect donations.

Our PTA Holiday Shop is coming up the week following Thanksgiving!! This kid favorite generates huge excitement among our students each holiday season! 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 - for Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, or New Year - or just for fun!

We also need plenty of volunteers to help run the shop! Sign up here to help https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0D4AAEAD29ABFE3-60066444-cces

The Shop will run over 3 consecutive afternoons after school - Tuesday December 2nd to Thursday December 4th. Gifts will range in price from 50 cents to $20, with the vast majority of gifts costing less than $5 each. Don't forget we are collecting donations of new or like-new small gift items to supplement our inventory for this year’s holiday shop ✨⛄️🎁 So many of us have items lying around the house that our kids have lost interest in - but are still in perfect condition! What a great opportunity to clear stuff out of your house!! It could be kids' toys, activities, jewelry, or stuff for adults - really any item a child might like to give to a loved one for the holidays! Send items in (or drop them in) to the front office at school marked "holiday shop". If you are coming in-person to conferences on Monday 11/25, what a perfect opportunity to drop off items then!!

Alternatively, if you'd prefer to make a donation of new items to our Shop , check out our Amazon wishlist here: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2STYDZSERJ55P?ref=cm_sw_em_r_un_un_8leYpYgO6ag6H

Holiday Shop is fun for our kids and a fundraiser for our PTA - all profits go straight back into enrichments, events and activities for our wonderful CCES students!

The CCES Science Fair will be February 12, and it's time to start thinking about project ideas! Students in all grade levels can present a science investigation or an invention. Students in K-2 also have the option to present a collection. More details and sign-ups will be shared in December!

🎒 We’re officially BOOKED on baggers for Backpack Bundles through the rest of the year — wow!! 🙌 A massive THANK YOU to all the scout troops, sports teams, and incredible parent volunteers who showed up and made this initiative shine. Your support means the world! 💙 But the mission isn’t over. If you’ve been wanting to get involved, there’s still a way to make a big impact:

🛒 Shop our Amazon Wish List

💸 Make a monetary donation

🛒 You can support Backpack Bundles by dropping off shelf-stable food items in the school lobby! Each year, the need grows every donation helps us keep students nourished and ready to learn. 💙 Let’s keep the momentum going and continue supporting our school and community together!

💪 #BackpackBundles #CommunityStrong

Our Scouts are happy to give back their community, including both their teachers and those people who are less fortunate, but of course we have fun doing it! We walk in parades to honor those who served our country, collect coats and food and make meals for Grassroots, and give occasional special treats to our teachers. Our annual "snowball fight" is coming up, in which the kids get to pelt the leaders with brand new socks on the Clemens playground! Don't worry, we wash them before donating them, as socks are one of the most-requested items in shelters. Want to come be a part of the fun? It's not too late to join: we welcome all children in Kindergarten - 5th grade. If this sounds like something you want your kid to do too, email us at Cubmaster@pack618md.com or visit our website at www.pack618md.com.