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۔

We had a wonderful opening week of school! Our first week went smoothly as we welcomed close to 460 enthusiastic students back to Ilchester. Everyone seems to be getting used to the routines that the new school year brings.

As Ms. Wright, and I have walked throughout the building, we are pleased to see students engaged in learning in their new classrooms. Throughout the week, each teacher explicitly taught students about our behavioral expectations. Included in this newsletter, you will find information about PBIS (Positive Behaviors Interventions and Supports) so you can learn and help reinforce the school's expectations. Each classroom established consistent behavioral expectations used throughout our school. We expect all students to learn and follow those school rules.

Parents/Guardians, you did a fantastic job with our arrival and dismissal plan! It is working well, and we are starting our day on time. Thank you! I am also pleased to report that our buses are on time. Being on time ready to learn is essential to strong routines and learning. Please keep doing what you are doing so we have safe and consistent routines throughout the school year!

It is great to see such an engaged school community.

Mr. Cosentino, Principal

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

September

• 3 - Bonnie Branch MS Back-to-School Night
• 7 - Schools and offices Closed, Labor Day
• 9 - Back-to-School Night for Grades 1 & 2
• 10 - Back-to-School Night for Grades 3, 4, & 5
• 21 - Schools and office closed, Yom Kippur
• 30 - Schools close 3 hours early, Staff Professional Learning Day, 12:55 p.m.

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

PBIS is a research-based behavior system that uses incentives and acknowledgments to motivate students to make positive choices. Each PBIS school identifies three to five easy-to-remember behavioral expectations for students, which are communicated frequently and reinforced with student acknowledgments. Staff members make it a point to call attention to moments when a student demonstrates desired behaviors. This positive reinforcement is for all students and provides an excellent model for students who need extra encouragement to make appropriate choices.

PBIS is an important aspect of Ilchester. Ilchester Elementary School staff is committed to working with students and their families to promote a safe and nurturing environment in all school settings.

Below are the guiding principles of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS):

• PBIS is a behavioral support system that promotes and recognizes positive behavior.
• The program rewards students for exhibiting positive behavior.
• Expectations, language, and consequences concerning behavior are consistent throughout the school.
• The program promotes the development of intrinsic motivation.

We have four school expectations, which are reinforced daily are...

PRRR

• Perseverance
• Respectful
• Ready
• Responsible

Ilchester Paw and Bucks
Students who follow the school rules and display appropriate behavior may be recognized for their efforts by receiving paws that they velcro to a ten frame. When they get ten paws, they can get a Cheetah buck. That Cheetah buck can be exchanged for a reward or special privilege.

• Staff members acknowledge students and recognize their positive behavior.
• Rewards are special privileges the students can earn. Some examples are sitting in a special seat for the day, being first to pick classroom jobs, or having lunch with a staff member or administrator.

Cheetah of the Week
Students who exhibit exemplary behavior can earn a “Cheetah of the Week Award.” Students' names will be announced on the announcements, and they will go to the cafeteria for a group picture. Students will also receive a Cheetah of the Week necklace charm to wear. A phone call home acknowledging this achievement will be made, and an administrator or school counselor will read the teacher's statement explaining why the teacher gave the student the Cheetah of the Week award. The Cheetahs of the Week will start on Friday, September 18, and will continue on Fridays throughout the entire school year.

Consequences for Inappropriate Behavior
Students are taught the school rules for classroom and non-classroom settings. All students are told the expected behaviors or tasks in each classroom. If a child does not exhibit the expected behavior, any of the following strategies may be used to help redirect and reteach that behavior:
Individual verbal warning with an explanation about expected behavior.

• Time out in the classroom.
• Time out in a different classroom or the pod area.
• Students are allowed to calm down using a calm-down corner.
• For more significant or repetitive situations, an Incident Report (IR) is completed and sent home to parents/guardians to be signed and returned the following day.
• If the behavior does not improve, an administrator will be called in to intervene, which could include an official Office Disciplinary Referral.

*Certain actions, such as fighting, using inappropriate language, harassment, and threats, warrant immediate administrative involvement.

How Can You Help at Home?
Please review the information on this page with your child.

• Ask your child to tell you the school rules.
• Ask your child to discuss ways that he or she can use these rules to help them to learn and participate at school.
• Ask your child how his/her behavior affects others.
• Discuss ways that your child can be a helpful and kind classmate.
• Discuss ways these rules can be used at home and in the community.

Please ask an administrator or the school counselor if you have any questions about our PBIS program.

As stated in the Family Guide, student birthdays are announced during the morning announcements. Students receive a birthday pencil and ribbon in recognition of their day. Bigger celebrations are encouraged to take place outside the school building. Class lists are not provided to parents for birthday invitations, and school staff do not participate in disseminating birthday party invitations. The School Directory is available in Family File to help families with birthday celebrations outside of school. Balloons, helium, or latex are not allowed in the school building.

The Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) is committed to providing a safe, engaging and supportive learning environment where all policies are enforced fairly and consistently. HCPSS policies and regulations emphasize instruction and rehabilitation rather than punishment and are designed to foster and reward appropriate behavior and keep students connected to school. We view the code of conduct as a team effort. There are responsibilities for staff, students, families and our community. Let’s all do our part to make this year safe and successful for all!

As a reminder, we will follow the HCPSS Student Personal Device Use Policy. Please review the guidelines at hcpss.org/student-personal-device-use. Per policy, below are the consequences for policy violations:

• First Incident: The personal technology device is confiscated until the end of the student day. Students should turn off or lock devices prior to confiscation. A device that is confiscated during the final period of the student day will be confiscated for the entire next student day. The student may retrieve the device at the end of the day it was originally confiscated to take home, but must provide it to the front office upon arrival on the next student day.
• Second Incident & Beyond: The personal technology device is confiscated until it is retrieved by a parent/guardian. Students should turn off or lock devices prior to confiscation.

Cub Scout Pack 874 is a co-ed, welcoming scouting community where kids build outdoor skills, leadership, and friendships while having fun through camping, service projects, adventures, and activities like building and racing Pinewood Derby cars. We meet Wednesdays at Glen Mar UMC and Ellicott Mills Middle School, and all families are welcome to join us. Come to our Info Session on Wednesday, Sept. 9, at 6:30 p.m. at Glen Mar UMC—kids can enjoy s’mores, playground time, and games with current scouts while parents attend a brief presentation and Q&A. More details about the pack are in the attached flier.

RSVP: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf81rej_onjmoX0wQeqLGUoq6yHW1O7yKYEgKzp-exe79rrdA/viewform

Every HCPSS school has staff available for students who require support throughout the school year to tend to their mental health needs. Students and parents/guardians should not hesitate to reach out to a counselor, liaison, social worker, psychologist or any trusted adult at school to be connected with these available resources.

Health services are provided in each school by registered nurses and health assistants. Services include, but are not limited to, medication administration, first aid, chronic and acute care disease case management and assessment and intervention for illness and injury.

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.

To qualify for Free and Reduced Meals, families will need to apply for that benefit.

HCPSS participates in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs, which provides families with significant benefits to help save money. 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 reduced-price lunch pay $0.10 and breakfast is free.

Free and Reduced Meals eligibility provides discounts for summer programs, SAT, recreation programs, Maryland Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and internet programs.

TalkingPoints is a secure school-to-home communication platform that helps educators and families stay connected through two-way messaging. Messages are automatically translated into more than 150 languages, making it easier for all families to communicate in their preferred language. By providing accessible, timely communication, TalkingPoints strengthens partnerships between home and school and supports student success.TalkingPoints makes it simple—and free—for families to connect with their children’s teachers. You can use any of these three convenient options:

• Text messaging

• Download the TalkingPoints for Families app

• Access TalkingPoints for Families on the web

More information will be shared when school starts.

Howard County Recreation & Parks offers a variety of before and after school programs at Ilchester Elementary School. Please click the button below to access the Fall 2026 Before & After School Classes at Ilchester ES.