The Elkster

Hello EES Families and Community!

We would like to officially welcome all of our Elkridge Elementary School families to the 2026–2027 school year! Thank you for joining us for our new Open House format! We loved seeing so many of you at Meet & Greet appointments, Kindergarten Open House, PreK/RECC Open House, New Student Orientation, and our Drop-In Open House. Nearly 300 families joined us for Grades 1 - 5 Meet & Greet — from the excited hellos to the shared hopes for the year ahead, it was so meaningful to connect with each of you one-on-one before the first day.

If you weren't able to make it to a scheduled appointment, we hope to see you soon — reach out to your child's teacher anytime, and we'll see you at Back-to-School Night! We can't wait for an amazing year together. 100% All In!

We received wonderful verbal feedback and would love to hear your thoughts in writing as well. Please take a couple of minutes to share your input:

• 📋 English Survey
• Si prefiere completar esta encuesta en español: 📋 Encuesta en Español.

This is our second weekly Elkster Examiner of the year! A quick reminder: if school is closed on a Monday (such as the upcoming Labor Day holiday), we will send the newsletter out on Tuesday instead. For our new families joining the hive of Elksters, this is your central hub for all key school news, logistics, upcoming events, and important dates.

We are thrilled to see our classrooms and hallways filled once again with the vibrant energy, curiosity, and enthusiasm of our scholars. As we enter this new school year, we remain dedicated to our "100% All In" culture — working hand-in-hand with our families to ensure every single child feels welcomed, valued, and connected.

Please take a moment to review the essential details below regarding arrival, dismissal, cafeteria procedures, and updating your emergency contact information in HCPSS Connect. Our school website also remains a great resource and is updated regularly. Here's to an amazing school year ahead!

Sincerely,

Danielle Shanks, Principal

Jonathan Swann, Assistant Principal

Jayme Brewrink, Assistant Principal

• Monday, August 24: First Day of School for Grades K–5
• Student hours: 9:25 AM – 3:55 PM
• Cafeteria Doors open for breakfast at 9:10 AM.
• Breakfast/Lunch: Students must pay for breakfast unless approved for free/reduced-price meals. Visit HCPSS Food & Nutrition Services for pricing, and complete the FARMS form to check eligibility.

• Thursday, August 27: First Day of School for PreK/RECC & Preschool

• Monday, September 7: Labor Day - Schools & Offices Closed

• Tuesday, September 8: Primary Back to School Night (Grades K–2), 5:30–7:30 PM
• Thursday, September 10: Intermediate Back to School Night (Grades 3–5)
  • GT Presentation: 5:30 PM
  • Grades 3–5: 6:00–7:30 PM

Missed New Student Orientation? You can view the full slide deck here.

• TalkingPoints Messaging: We will communicate regularly via TalkingPoints, HCPSS's two-way translated messaging platform. No registration is required—messages automatically route using the phone number and primary language in your HCPSS Connect Family File. If you prefer app alerts over SMS, download the free TalkingPoints for Parents app. Learn more: TalkingPoints Info | Communication Technology Guide

Ensuring a safe, smooth, and efficient arrival and dismissal each day requires teamwork, patience, and clear procedures!

Because there are several important details, maps, and specific traffic patterns to be aware of—especially regarding our car loop—we have put together a dedicated visual guide for our families.

Please review our EES Arrival & Dismissal Guide on Smore for comprehensive details, helpful step-by-step instructions, and photos illustrating the car loop flow.

Taking a few minutes to review these procedures helps keep our car line moving quickly and, most importantly, keeps every single one of our Elksters and staff members safe. Thank you for your partnership and cooperation!

We love and value our family partnerships, and volunteers play an essential role in supporting our Elksters throughout the year!

Annual Volunteer Certification Required

Per HCPSS policy, all volunteers and chaperones must complete two brief, mandatory annual trainings before assisting in the building or attending field trips:

1. Confidentiality Training Course: Reviews student and staff privacy protections.

2. Child Abuse and Neglect Training: Covers critical safety reporting procedures.

   
   

Please visit the HCPSS Volunteer Information Page to complete both modules. Once finished, print, sign, and return both completion certificates to our front office. (Note: Trainings must be renewed every school year.)

Important Policy Update: Lunch & Recess Visits

Per updated HCPSS district policy, parent lunch visits are no longer permitted at any school, joining the existing policy that prohibits recess visits. Limiting visitor access during these unstructured times ensures safe and secure school environments, minimizes disruptions, preserves daily student routines, and reduces non-essential foot traffic.

• Want to help during lunch/recess? While informal lunch visits are not permitted, we welcome parents who would like to serve as regular, trained volunteers to support cafeteria or recess operations. If you are interested in serving as an official volunteer, please reach out directly to Assistant Principal Mr. Swann at jonathan_swann@hcpss.org.

  
  

Classroom Observations

For any formal classroom visits or observations (by parents/guardians or outside agency representatives), HCPSS requires a specific observation form to be downloaded, completed, and submitted to administration for prior approval. You can access the form on the HCPSS website or contact our front office with questions.

Thank you for your cooperation, understanding, and commitment to keeping our school environment safe, structured, and focused on learning!

To keep all of our scholars safe, active, and fully engaged during Physical Education, please ensure your child wears athletic sneakers on their scheduled P.E. days.

Sneakers with rubber soles and closed toes provide the necessary grip, support, and protection for running, jumping, and gym games. For safety reasons, shoes such as Crocs, sandals, flip-flops, boots, slides, or dress shoes are not safe for gym activities, and students wearing them may have limited participation for the day.

Tip: Check your scholar’s Related Arts color rotation schedule each week, or consider packing a pair of sneakers in their backpack so they are always ready to move!

Sign up today for Elkridge Elementary School Band, Chorus, and Orchestra! All 4th and 5th-grade students are eligible to join Chorus plus one instrumental ensemble (Band or Orchestra).

• Deadline: Registration closes Friday, September 4th.

• Sign-Up Forms & Details: Access the registration links, explore instrument choices, and view supply/rental guides at the EES Music Website.

HCPSS will continue to use LINQ Connect, a secure, online portal that allows families to make online payments to their child’s meal account, monitor their child’s account, schedule automatic recurring payments, set up low balance alerts, submit a Free and Reduced Meals program application, and more. Complete information on the HCPSS Food and Nutrition Services program is available online.

Take a look below at the upcomming events!

👉The PTA is all about connection—parents, teachers, and staff coming together to make our school a place where every child thrives. Even 30 minutes or an hour of your time can make a big difference!

👉 Join the PTA: Becoming a member helps strengthen our community and gives you a voice. Link to Join the PTA: https://elkridgepta.givebacks.com/shop/items/1205656

👉 Get involved in events: Want to help with planning or volunteering? Send us a quick email at info@eespta.com, and we’ll add you to our event planning list.

Parents/guardians should remind students that personal technology devices are to be put away and silenced, and not a distraction during the student day. Some exceptions may apply, including for students whose IEP, 504 or health plan allow for device use.

Last year, EES operated as a Targeted Title I school, meaning our federal funding supported a smaller, targeted group of students working toward specific academic goals. We're excited to share that this year, EES is now a Fully-Funded Title I Schoolwide school — meaning these resources and supports now extend to serve all of our students. Thank you to all the families who shared such positive feedback with us at the end of last year as we prepared for this transition — your enthusiasm and support made a real difference in getting us here.

With this expanded Title I funding, we've been able to add:

• A fourth Reading Specialist, bringing our total to four

• Three Math Specialists

• A full-time Math Coach and ELA Lead Teacher

• A Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Contact

• Additional funding for student tutoring opportunities

• Targeted family workshops and sessions on how to support your child's learning at home — including dinner, materials, and teacher facilitation, all provided at no cost to families

Why the FARMS Application Matters More Than Ever

To continue receiving these vital funds, families must complete the Free and Reduced Price Meals (FARMS) application — even if you don't think you'll qualify. The more families who complete this form, the more funding and support our school can receive. Eligibility also unlocks additional benefits, like discounts on summer programs, SATs, and recreation programs.

A common misconception is that breakfast and lunch are automatically free for all students at Title I schools. That's not the case — families must complete the FARMS application to be considered for free or reduced-price meals.

Why This Year, Completing FARMS Is Especially Important

Recent federal legislation — the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) — changes how families qualify for free school meals. Previously, families enrolled in SNAP, TANF, or Medicaid were automatically certified for free or reduced-price meals with no application needed. Under the new law, fewer families qualify for that automatic certification.

This change is expected to affect roughly 14,000 HCPSS families who were previously auto-enrolled and will now need to actively apply through FARMS. Losing these benefits could be a real hardship for many of our families, and we want to make sure no one falls through the cracks.

Our Call to Action: Please complete the FARMS application as soon as possible, even if you're unsure whether you'll qualify. HCPSS is reaching out directly to affected families, and we're committed to supporting that outreach here at EES. For more information, visit the HCPSS Title I Program webpage.

• Canvas Check: Now is the perfect time to log in and check Canvas for your child's current grades and any missing assignments. If you have questions about specific grades or assignments, please reach out directly to the teacher.

• Standards & Learning Resources: To better understand what your child is learning and how to support them at home, we encourage you to explore the grade-specific Family and Community Resources on Canvas. These links provide overviews, how-to videos, learning goals, worksheets, games and resources for all academic areas:

• Pre-Khttps://hcpss.instructure.com/courses/34453
• Kindergartenhttps://hcpss.instructure.com/courses/34447
• Grade 1https://hcpss.instructure.com/courses/32029
• Grade 2https://hcpss.instructure.com/courses/34428
• Grade 3https://hcpss.instructure.com/courses/34429
• Grade 4https://hcpss.instructure.com/courses/34430
• Grade 5https://hcpss.instructure.com/courses/34431

• Homework & Grading: Homework (assigned to all grades except PK/K) reinforces classroom skills. If you notice your child struggling to complete homework in a reasonable time, please contact their teacher. For an in-depth look at how we assess learning, visit our resource on Standards-Based Grading: https://hcpss.instructure.com/courses/208494.

Open, effective communication is vital for student success. You can find all staff email addresses on our website. To ensure our teachers can provide thoughtful and thorough responses while focusing primarily on instruction during the school day, please keep this guideline in mind: Teachers have 24–48 hours to reply to emails during business hours.

We appreciate your understanding. This dedicated time allows our staff to focus fully on teaching during school hours and maintain a healthy work-life balance. Thank you for your continued partnership!

• August 24: First Day for K-12 Students

• August 27: First Day for PreK/RECC Students

• September 7: Schools & Offices Closed - Labor Day

• September 8: Grades K-2 Back to School Night

• September 10: Grades 3-5 & Advanced Academics Back to School Night

• September 15-Oct.15: Hispanic Heritage Month

• September 17: Constitution Day

• September 21: Schools & Offices Closed - Yom Kippur