Ilchester Cheetah Chatter

LaShonne Wright, Assistant Principal

Website: ies.hcpss.org

Location: Ilchester Elementary School, 4981 Ilchester Road, Ellicott City, Maryland 21045
Phone: 410-313-2524

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

The first quarter of the school year is flying by! We have just 12 more days until the quarter comes to an end. Ms. Wright and I have been so impressed by the incredible teaching and learning happening throughout Ilchester!

Please encourage your child(ren) to finish the first quarter strong. This is a great time to reflect on their progress, celebrate their successes, and continue working toward their goals.

We are also thrilled to share that our attendance rate for the first quarter is 97.4%! This is an excellent start to the school year. We know that when our students are in school, they have more opportunities to learn, grow, and make progress. Let’s keep it going!

Go Cheetahs!

Mr. Cosentino, Principal

For a complete list of dates and events visit https://ies.hcpss.org/events.

October

• 12 - Fall Picture Day
• 14 - Chipotle Fundraiser, 5:00 - 9:00 p.m. JUST ADDED!
• 16 - Schools Closed for Students
• 23 - PTA Fall Fest, 6:00 p.m.
• 27 - End of First Quarter
• 28 - Schools Closed for Students

To subscribe to the IES calendar on your smartphone, electronic device, or email system, go to the bottom of the IES calendar page and subscribe to the calendars of your choice.

HCPSS Academic Calendar

REIMDER: Our Fall Picture Day will be held on Monday, October 12!

Classic is our official school photographer. They are committed to helping families capture, preserve, and share life’s most precious moments.

Did you know that purchasing a picture package also benefits Ilchester Elementary School? This program serves as our only fundraiser. The proceeds help us purchase important supplies and support programs that otherwise wouldn't be available to our students.

More information will be coming home soon!

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 Google Doc. All entries must have a completed YAC Cover Sheet sent as a PDF. Submissions may be emailed to Laura_Cohn@hcpss.org by January 13, 2027. Contact Laura Cohn 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.

PTA meeting on 10/13 at 7:00 pm in the Media Center. Families can also join Virtually by clicking https://us02web.zoom.us/launch/chat?src=direct_chat_link&email=Ilchesterpta@gmail.com

It's time for all of our Ilchester Cheetahs to strut their stuff. The talent shows are being held on Wednesday, November 11 and Thursday, November 12 at 6:30 pm in the cafeteria. If your child has a talent they want to share, please use the form below to sign-up for the evening of your choice. Paper copies will go home this week too. Please sign up by Friday, October 23rd.

Mabel’s Labels makes personalized labels for clothing, shoes, water bottles, lunch containers, school supplies, and more.

When you shop through our school’s fundraising link, a portion of eligible purchases is donated back to our school. It’s an easy way to support our students while getting labels your family can use all year long!

Why labels?

✔️ Help prevent lost belongings ✔️ Great for school, camp, sports, and daycare ✔️ Dishwasher- and laundry-safe options available ✔️ Personalized with your child’s name ✔️ A simple way to support our school!

Maryland Coalition of Families Family Leadership Program

Howard County’s Local Children’s Board is partnering with the Maryland Coalition of Families (MCF) to bring to Howard County families!

MCF’s Family Leadership Program is a FREE, two-day training opportunity for Howard County parents & caregivers of school-aged children with mental health challenges, taking place Friday, October 23rd & Saturday, October 24th at the Hilton Garden Inn in Columbia.

Throughout the program, parents & caregivers will have the opportunity to learn more about:

• Understanding their child’s behavioral health needs
• Navigating special education services & other systems their family may rely on
• Finding their voice & strengthening their ability to advocate for their child, family & community
• The importance of caregiver self-care & well-being

The training is completely free and includes meals & overnight accommodations, and support for childcare and transportation expenses is available if needed.

A few important details: Space is limited, participants must be able to commit to both days, and the program is intended for first-time participants (previous HoCo Family Leadership alumni are not eligible to reapply).

Learn more & apply here: https://mcf.family/Family-Leadership-Howard-County

Support our Legacy Leadership students by ordering from Shake Shack at the Mall in Columbia on Thursday, October 15th! Just enter the code “DONATE” in the Shack App or on the kiosk when ordering, or mention HCPSS Pride fundraiser when ordering.

This fundraiser will directly benefit our middle and high school Legacy Leaders so they can attend their first extended day field trip to New York City next month. They will be visiting the historic Stonewall National Monument as well as the New York Public Library to learn more about LGBTQIA+ History.

Parents can email IESabsence@hcpss.org to report a student’s absence. Please include your child(ren)’s full name, parent’s/guardian’s full name and phone number, the date your child(ren) was absent and the reason. Parents may instead choose to send in a paper excuse note to their child’s teacher with the same information when the student returns to school.

For families requesting local discretionary absences, please complete a Local Discretionary Absence Request Form and submit it to the front office at least one week in advance.