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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Emergency preparedness is one of the many routines we take care of at the beginning of the year. We work hard to teach our students the importance of being prepared for any emergency situation at school. Teachers share emergency procedures and instructions in a student-centered manner that is developmentally appropriate for that age group. Throughout the school year, we will have a emergency drills to help everyone prepare for situations that could occur during the school day.

September is National Emergency Preparedness Month. We all must be prepared at any time for the challenges an emergency might cause. How we prepare for and react to situations as adults will help reassure and keep our children safe. As stated last week, please be sure to keep your Family File up-to-date and communicate your instructions to your child.

We encourage you to visit ready.gov and take advantage of the many planning resources for families. Their theme this year is Americans Stand Ready. Additionally, please review how we prepare for a variety of emergency situations below as a school community.

Mr. Cosentino, Principal

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

September

• 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

Our school has adopted The “I Love U Guys” Foundation’s Standard Response Protocol (SRP). Students and staff will be training, practicing, and drilling the protocol.

COMMON LANGUAGE

The Standard Response Protocol (SRP) is based on an all-hazards approach as opposed to individual scenarios. Like the Incident Command System (ICS), SRP utilizes clear common language while allowing for flexibility in protocol.

The premise is simple - there are five specific actions that can be performed during an incident. When communicating these, the action is labeled with a “Term of Art” and is then followed by a “Directive.” Execution of the action is performed by active participants, including students, staff, teachers and first responders. The SRP is based on the following actions: Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate, and Shelter.

You can review each command below along with the full pdf download.

“In Your Classroom or Area”

Students are trained to:

• Clear the hallways and remain in their area or room until the “All Clear” is announced
• Do business as usual

Adults and staff are trained to:

• Close and lock the door
• Account for students and adults
• Do business as usual

“Get Inside. Lock outside doors”

Students are trained to:

• Return to inside of building
• Do business as usual

• Bring everyone indoors
• Lock the outside doors
• Increase situational awareness
• Account for students and adults
• Do business as usual

“Locks, Lights, Out of Sight”

• Students are trained to:
• Move away from sight
• Maintain silence
• Do not open the door

Adults and staff are trained to:

• Recover students from hallway if possible
• Lock the classroom door
• Turn out the lights
• Move away from sight
• Maintain silence
• Do not open the door
• Prepare to evade or defend

“To a Location”

Students are trained to:

• Leave stuff behind if required to
• If possible, bring their phone
• Follow instructions

Adults and staff are trained to:

• Bring roll sheet and Go Bag (unless instructed not to bring anything with them, dependent on reason for evacuation.)
• Lead students to Evacuation location
• Account for students and adults
• Report injuries or problems using Red Card/Green Card method.

“State Hazard and Safety Strategy”

Hazards might include:

• Tornado
• Hazmat
• Earthquake
• Tsunami

Safety Strategies might include:

• Evacuate to shelter area
• Seal the room
• Drop, cover and hold
• Get to high ground

Students are trained in:

• Appropriate Hazards and Safety Strategies

Adults and staff are trained in:

• Appropriate Hazards and Safety Strategies
• Accounting for students and adults
• Report injuries or problems using Red Card/Green Card method.

Students will begin taking the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment during the first quarter of the school year. The MAP assessment is designed to measure academic achievement and growth over time in reading and mathematics. Together with classroom-based observations and assessments, MAP results provide teachers with valuable insights to make instructional decisions that match the unique needs of each child. We will share the results with you in November during parent/teacher conferences, and the results will be available in your child's Family File.

Understanding the MAP Assessment

MAP is a computer adaptive assessment. As a student responds to questions, the test adjusts the difficulty level up or down based on their performance. This dynamic process creates a highly personalized assessment experience for every student, pinpointing their exact learning level.

Currently, the MAP assessment is used in all elementary and middle schools across the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS). To monitor academic growth throughout the school year, student participation varies by grade level:

• Grades 1, 2, and 3: Students take the Mathematics MAP three times a year (Fall, Winter, and Spring).
• Grades 4 and 5: Students take both the ELA (Reading) MAP and Mathematics MAP twice a year (Fall and Winter).
• Grade 4 (Spring): Students take the Mathematics MAP a third time in the Spring.

Preparing for MAP Testing

Students cannot study for the MAP assessment. The best preparation is to ensure they are physically and mentally ready to learn and focus. We encourage families to:

• Ensure children get plenty of rest by going to bed early the night before testing.
• Have children eat a nutritious breakfast at home or at school on testing mornings so they are ready to go!

Attendance and Makeups

If your child is absent on a scheduled testing day, please do not worry. They will have the opportunity to make up the assessment during our makeup testing windows.

Questions?

If you have any questions or require additional information about MAP testing, please contact our School Testing Coordinator, Ms. LaShonne Wright (Assistant Principal).

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

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.