Rockburn Report
November 2, 2026
Rockburn Updates
Hello Rockburn Families!
Happy November!!!
This month will be busy at Rockburn! American Education week is November 16th - 20th. Several grades will have specific activities you can come to see, but if you can't make those times, you are welcome to stop by anytime that week. Please remember that parents are no longer able to go to lunch with students (and no recess either). Also, Parent Teacher Conferences will be November 23rd (in person), November 24th and 25th (virtual). We look forward to meeting with you.
Thank you and let's ROCK this week!
Native American Heritage Month
American Education Week Nov. 16th - 20th
The Howard County Public School System celebrates American Education Week from Monday, Nov. 16 through Fri., Nov. 20. Rockburn invites parents and guardians to visit their child’s classroom during the week to experience the school learning environment firsthand. PLEASE SEE GRADE SCHEDULE BELOW
During your visit, teachers will be actively teaching, and students will be fully engaged in their learning, which may limit opportunities for personal interactions with your child or their teacher.
All visitors are asked to follow these instructions during their visit:
Visit between the hours of 9:00 am to 2:30 pm so that we are able to keep the front parking lot open for buses during arrival and dismissal.
Go directly to the table in the foyer and sign in on our sign in sheet.
Put on a visitor sticker and wear it at all times.
No photos or videos please.
Silence your phone.
Be mindful of student confidentiality.
Important Notes
As of the 2026-2027 school year, parent lunch visits are no longer permitted at HCPSS schools due to safety concerns. Given the number of parents who visit our school during American Education Week, we can only accommodate classroom visits—we cannot make exceptions to allow for visits during lunch. In addition, parents are not permitted to attend recess. Please plan your visit accordingly based on your child’s class schedule.
Thank you for your understanding and we look forward to welcoming you during your child’s class time for American Education Week.
Parent Teacher Conferences
On Monday, November 23, conferences will be in person only. Teachers will hold all conferences in person at their schools and parents may only attend their scheduled conferences in person. On Tuesday, November 24, and Wednesday, November 25, all conferences will be held virtually. Parents/guardians may start signing up for conferences on November 6th at 8:00 am. Scheduling will close for parents/guardians at 4:00 pm on November 19th.
Important Attendance Information
Dear Parents/Families:
Attendance is crucial for student success from kindergarten to high school. Missing school impacts academic and social achievements.
Significance: Missing 10% or more can harm academic success. In 6th grade, absenteeism signals a higher risk of dropout. By 9th grade, regular attendance is a strong predictor of graduation.
Maryland Focus: The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) set a 10% absenteeism threshold for intervention, starting 2023-2024.
Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) aims for 94-96% attendance for all students.
HCPSS Attendance Interventions:
5% Absence: Care and Concern Call or letter sent to parents/guardians to improve attendance.
10% Absence: Attendance conference may be arranged. Additional supports deployed.
15% Absence: Attendance support plan may be required.
20% Absence: Attendance Commitment Agreement may be required. Potential referral to the Central Attendance Team or State’s Attorney’s Letter may be sent.
With parents, staff, and students working together, we can improve attendance and student success.
Free and Reduced Price Meals (FARMs) Program
Many HCPSS families may be eligible to receive benefits through the Free and Reduced Price Meals (FARMs) program
.
Qualifying families can take advantage of a wide range of additional resources and discounts, including free college applications, free or reduced JumpStart dual enrollment tuition, discounted internet through the Comcast Internet Essentials program, and more.
Families must submit a new application every school year. During the first 30 school days, students with FARMs eligibility from the prior school year will continue to receive benefits. Any student whose family has not filled out an application by the 30th school day will have their status changed to full pay until a new application is received.
Parents/guardians are highly encouraged to fill out the applications as soon as possible. It is very important that applications are filled out accurately and completely.
Apply by mail: Paper applications will be available at all school front offices. Applications can be returned to the school or mailed to HCPSS Food & Nutrition Services, 10910 Clarksville Pike, Ellicott City, MD 21042
Answers to frequently asked questions
Information on HCPSS meals and additional meals/nutrition assistance programs can be found on the HCPSS Help site. If you have questions regarding the program, please visit www.hcpss.org/FARMs
or contact Food and Nutrition Services at 410-313-6743 or foodsvc@hcpss.org.
Lunch Visits No Longer Permitted
Parent lunch visits are no longer permitted at any HCPSS school. Limiting access during the school day ensures safe and secure school communities by removing unnecessary access to students and school buildings, reducing disruptions, supporting student routines, and minimizing non-essential traffic in student areas. Parents are encouraged to communicate with school staff to stay engaged in their child's learning and seek opportunities to volunteer in an official capacity at the school.
Prize Cart Volunteers
We are once again looking for volunteers to help at recess with our prize cart. Once a month, students in grades 1-5 have the opportunity to trade in tickets for prizes. If you are able to help, please add your name to this sheet. Thank you!
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1eYB2wJ-O-vribButVYYfo103jTsSvP0hSOBbx1iRAQU/edit?usp=sharing
Please make sure you complete your Volunteer Training paperwork:
https://www.hcpss.org/parents/volunteer-information/
and email it to Nicky Wolf - Nicole_Wolf@hcpss.org before coming to volunteer. Thanks!
New Rockburn Spirtwear!!!
RES Spiritwear store
Get your Rockburn gear here! Happy Shopping!
***CHECK OUT THE NEW DESIGNS!!!!***
***THEY LOOK AWESOME!!!***
Important Dates
Important Dates
November
- 3rd - No School
- 16-20 - American Education Week
- 23rd - 3 Hour Early Dismissal - Parent Teacher Conferences
- 24th - 3 Hour Early Dismissal - Parent Teacher Conferences
- 25th - No School - Parent Teacher Conferences
- 26th - No School
- 27th - No School
Past Rockburn Reports
October 26th - https://app.smore.com/n/n6cqz-rockburn-report
October 19th - https://app.smore.com/n/xnj0g-rockburn-report
PTA Updates and Information
The Votes Are In: Pumpkin Decorating Contest Winners!
This past Friday, the PTA hosted its annual Spooktacular Fall
Festival, which consisted of voting for the best decorated pumpkins in
each grade.
We were blown away by all of the creativity, imagination, and hard
work that went into decorating the pumpkins. We loved seeing all of
the spooktacular designs,
Although it was very close, the following were the winners for each grade:
Pre-K/RECC: Avira S in Miss Rosie's class
Kindergarten: Parker S in Ms. Kinberg's class
1st Grade: Stella F in Mr. Shacreaw's class
2nd Grade: Thalia G in Ms. White's class
3rd Grade: Luna D in Mrs. Garris's class
4th Grade: Rohan C in Ms. Eckert's class
5th Grade: Paige E in Mrs. Simcock's class
Congratulations to all of our winners! Their winning designs can be
viewed on our social media pages.
Coin Challenge Winners!
Our EPIC Super Mario Coin Challenge has come to an end, and our
Rockburn players showed up BIG TIME! From collecting coins to dodging
Bowser's attacks, they helped make this fundraiser a SUPER success!
The coins have finally all been counted, the sneak attacks are
complete, and the results are in!
For the staff, in second place, we have Onraka and in first place we
have Isibindi!
For our grade level competition, in third place we have PRE-K/RECC!
In second place, we have 3RD GRADE! And, in first place, we have
KINDERGARTEN! Congratulations to our kindergarteners for conquering
the Mushroom Kingdom, for earning the ultimate bragging rights, and
for earning extra recess!
But wait, there is another victory!
Thanks to the incredible generosity of our Rockburn families and all
those surprise sneak attacks, we raised $3,215.26! That means the
entire school has unlocked a popsicle party!
A HUGE thank you to every student, family, and staff member who
collected coins, launched sneak attacks, and helped make this
fundraiser a success. Together we proved that even the smallest coins
can make a huge difference!
It's Almost Book Fair Time:
It is almost time for our annual Scholastic Book Fair, and we need your help to make this a success! We need volunteers to help with setting up the book fair, tearing down the book fair, helping our younger students with making their wish lists, with assisting sales before school starts, and with assisting with sales during the afternoon/evening when Rockburn families are invited to come in and shop. As an incentive, children of book fair volunteers that help for at least an hour will receive a 10% discount on their purchases.
Please sign up to voluteer at: SignUpGeniusLink
PTA Meeting This Wednesday
This is just a reminder that our November PTA meeting will be this Wednesday, November 4th at 7 pm in the media center. We hope to see you there.
Rock Into a New Year by Joining the PTA!
The 2026-2027 PTA Membership Drive is underway. Your PTA contribution and membership helps fund many programs throughout the year such as Cultural Arts assemblies, Family Involvement events, Back to School Celebration, Fall Festival, Holiday Shop, Bingo Night, Movie Night, Sports Park NIght, 5th grade signature shirts, school gifts, staff appreciation, and enhancements to our recess and PE programs. All parents are encouraged to join the PTA.
You can pay your annual membership dues online via our MemberHub store (https://rockburnpta.givebacks.com/shop). You can also make a direct donation to the PTA there.
Bookmark our New Linktr.ee
Save the Dates for the Upcoming PTA Meetings
Please mark your calendars with the following dates for our PTA events and meetings. More information about each event will be shared closer to the event. For the PTA meetings, in person meetings will be held in the RES media center. Virtual meetings can be accessed using the link https://tinyurl.com/RESPTAMeetings and by entering the password 572034.
