For another language, click "Translate Newsletter" tab and select the language of choice in the upper right-hand corner.

Spanish

Para otros idiomas, haga clic en Traducir Newsletter y elija el idioma que prefiera.

Korean

다른 언어의 경우 뉴스 레터 번역을 클릭하고 원하는 언어를 선택합니다.

Chinese

对于其他语言，请单击翻译新闻通讯，然后选择所需的语言。

Urdu

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 710 enthusiastic students back to Phelps Luck. Everyone seems to be getting used to the routines that the new school year brings.

As Ms. Stairs, Ms. McGraw, 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 and our code of conduct. Included in this newsletter this week, you will find information about PBIS (Positive Behaviors Interventions and Supports) and HCPSS Student Code of Conduct so you can learn and help reinforce the school's expectations. Each classroom established consistent behavioral expectations throughout our school. We expect all students to learn and follow those school rules.

Parents/Guardians, thank you for being patient with arrival and dismissal this week. Overall, our arrival and dismissal plan is working. Despite a very long car loop, the arrival car line is mostly complete by 8:45 a.m., and the dismissal car line is mostly done by 3:40 p.m. For car riders, laminated car signs are distributed through your child's homeroom. To keep the car line moving quickly, please place the laminated car signs on the passenger's side on your vehicle's dashboard. Also, if you are in the front of the building, please do not walk through the buses in the bus loading area. That is not safe. Please use the sidewalks and paths around the perimeter of the loop. Please keep doing what you do so we have safe and consistent routines throughout the school year!

Please keep doing what you do so we have safe and consistent routines throughout the school year!

It is great to see such an engaged school community.

Mr. Cosentino, Principal

Ms. McGraw, Assistant Principal

Ms. Stairs, Assistant Principal

For a complete list of dates and events visit ples.hcpss.org/calendar.

September

• 4 - Labor Day - Schools and Offices closed
• 6 - PTA Meeting, Media Center or Online (hybrid format), 7:00 p.m.
• 11 - Back-to-School Night for 1st & 2nd grades, 6:30 p.m.
• 12 - Back-to-School Night for 3rd & 4th grades, 6:30 p.m.
• 13 - Gifted & Talented Information Session, 6:00 p.m.
• 13 - Back-to-School Night for 5th grade, 6:30 p.m.
• 14 - Back-to-School PTA Picnic on the playground, 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
• 15 - Rosh Hashanah - Schools and Offices Closed
• 15 - National Hispanic-Latino Heritage Month begins
• 25 - Yom Kippur - Schools and Offices closed

To subscribe to the PLES calendar on your smartphone, electronic device, or email system, click the plus sign + at the bottom right-hand corner of the Google Calendar or click this link.

There will be no printed 2023-2024 calendars. Staff, students, and families may add our online calendar to their own mobile/online calendar by

1. Going to https://www.hcpss.org/calendar/
2. Scrolling down to Subscribing to a Calendar
3. Right-clicking on the calendar you wish to subscribe to
4. Selecting Copy Link Location/Address/Shortcut
5. Adding to your calendar of choice (See your calendar for specifics on adding a new calendar)

You also may view and/or download printable PDFs of the full calendar and/or important dates only. Updates to the PDFs will be noted on the HCPSS calendar page.

PLEASE NOTE! The calendar is subject to change. The online calendar reflects the most recent version.

Calendars in Spanish, Chinese, and Korean

Calendario en español

西班牙语日历

스페인어로 된 달력

PBIS – POSITIVE BEHAVIOR INTERVENTIONS AND SUPPORTS

What is PBIS? 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 also provides an excellent model for students who need extra encouragement in making appropriate choices.

PBIS is an important aspect of Phelps Luck. The staff of Phelps Luck Elementary School 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 to promote and recognize 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 three school expectations that are reinforced daily.:

Our expectations are:

• Respect Self
• Respect Others
• Respect Property

Consequences for Inappropriate Behavior

Students are taught the school rules for classroom and non-classroom settings. All students are told what the expected behaviors or tasks are 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.
• Students are given an opportunity to calm down using a Self-Calming Kit.
• Incident Report/Reflection Form (IR) is completed and sent home to parents/guardians to be signed and returned the following day.
• If the behavior still does not improve, an administrator will be called in to intervene.

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

We recognize students may have situations or incidents at school that require consequences. As adults, it is our responsibility to help teach children acceptable and appropriate behavior in our school setting. These are teachable moments to reiterate and reinforce our expectations in a school community of learners. Overall, this helps to create a positive learning environment and maximize children's opportunities to learn. We know a strong home and school connection will help reinforce those expectations.

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 that these rules can be used at home and in the community.

If you have any questions about our PBIS Program, please ask your child's teacher, Mrs. Stremmel, Mrs. Salapata, Ms. McGraw, Ms. Stairs, or Mr. Cosentino.

The Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) is committed to providing a safe, engaging and supportive learning environment. HCPSS policies and regulations emphasize instruction and restoration rather than punishment. They are designed to foster a sense of belonging, affirm positive behaviors, and ensure all students are college, career, and community ready. HCPSS strives to enforce all policies equitably.

The HCPSS Student Code of Conduct provides a framework for behavioral goals and disciplinary policies. All students are expected to be aware of and abide by this Student Code of Conduct. Parents/guardians are encouraged to read the Student Code of Conduct carefully and to discuss the information with their children. HCPSS employees will follow HCPSS Policies and Student Code of Conduct when supporting students and determining consequences for violations. Students and parents will be informed of the HCPSS Student Code of Conduct and the provisions of Policy 9200 Student Discipline on an annual basis.

If you are visiting PLES, please be ready to show your picture ID. All visitors will sign in using our Lobbyguard Visitor Management check-in system. The Lobbyguard system will print a visitor's badge. That badge/sticker must be worn and visible during your visit. When leaving, you must use the sticker's barcode to sign out. At that time the sticker

Registration for HCPSS’ BSAP Saturday Math Academy will offer an in-person enrichment program for HCPSS students in all levels of math for grades 3 through 12 based on course availability. Registration will take place online Saturday, September 16, 2023, from 9:00 a.m. until capacity is reached. Class space is limited.

We value our volunteers and their contributions to our students and schools. Parents who wish to volunteer or visit PLES must complete a brief training course online and submit a certificate of completion to their school. This also includes anyone who chaperones a field trip. Volunteer opportunities may be offered by grade level teams or individual teachers. When you arrive, be ready to sign-in with Lobbyguard. You will need your drivers license and the printed volunteer training certificate.

Details are available on our website.

In order to minimize disruptions to the classroom, the early release of students should be limited to emergency situations and unavoidable circumstances. Parents are asked to avoid scheduling non-school related activities that conflict or interfere with PLES’s regular dismissal times.

Students may not be released from the office after 2:55 p.m.

Once dismissal starts, your child will depart as scheduled by either taking their assigned bus home or exiting the building as a walker or car rider.

In order for your child to be released to anyone other than the parent/guardian, that person MUST be listed on the emergency card and present photo identification to the Front Office staff. Please make sure to indicate on your Family File Emergency Form who you are allowing the school to release your child to by checking the box "☑ release to".

Parents of student bus riders must provide WRITTEN NOTIFICATION to have their children dismissed with the walkers or car riders.

Everyone’s cooperation in this regard is important to ensure safe and smooth school operations.

The Howard County Health Department, in partnership with the Howard County Public School System, has selected Phelps Luck ES to be one of the eleven schools to have a school-based wellness center. Phelps Luck ES has had the telemedicine program in addition to a nurse practitioner on-site a few days a week. The nurse practitioner provides school entry physicals, the co-management of chronic health problems along with your child’s pediatric provider, health education, and treatment of acute illnesses and injuries. The wellness center hopes to offer routine childhood vaccinations in the near future. When the nurse practitioner is not at the school, telemedicine services will still be offered for illnesses and injuries. The Health Department will only bill Medical Assistance or your child’s MCO. The family is never billed or charged a co-pay or any fee. Children must be enrolled by their parent or guardian to receive services. The enrollment forms are below. Please call our Health Room with any questions!

Parents have a right to expect a certain level of protection and privacy for their children while they are in the care of HCPSS. As a protective measure, parents and others who are not school employees who intend to photograph, videotape or audiotape students in school or on school grounds during the regular instructional day using smart phones, cell phones or other devices must have prior approval from the building administrator. This does not apply to photographing, videotaping or audiotaping during extracurricular activities, such as public concerts and athletic events.

As much as we enjoy seeing family dogs at arrival and dismissal, all HCPSS schools are expected to adhere to the following policy:

Animals in schools or offices, leashed or not, present safety, environmental, and liability issues. Students and staff may be exposed to potential physical hazards, such as bites, and/or allergy related health problems. As a result, animals are prohibited within HCPSS buildings. Animals are also prohibited on school system property during arrival, dismissal, recess or other HCPSS sponsored outdoor activities. Service animals or service animals in training per MD Annotated Code Section 7-705 (Service Animals) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as well as animals approved for instructional purposes are exempt from this prohibition.

Parents who bring dogs on their walks to school must wait for students off school property. We want to ensure the safety of our students as they arrive and leave school. Thank you for adhering to this policy.

Please help your child come to school prepared for learning. HCPSS Policy 9210 provides information about the dress code in all Howard County Schools. Please review the policy here. Here are a couple of highlights:

• Hats, hoods, headwear are permitted as long as the face is visible, and it does not interfere with instruction.
• Tank tops and tops with spaghetti straps are okay but....
• Clothing that exposes or reveals the chest, midriff, pelvic/groin area, and buttocks is not permitted.

We encourage students to wear sneakers to school. They are the safest shoe for PE and for recess.

We are seeing an increase in spinner and popper toys being brought to school. These items should be kept at home or in your child's backpack during the school day.

It’s time to sign up for band and orchestra!

Students in 3rd and 4th grade will be attending assemblies about the band and orchestra instruments that they can learn to play this year. Students in 3rd grade may participate in orchestra, and students in 4th and 5th grade may participate in band or orchestra. Enrollment forms are going home this week, but if your child would like to play an instrument, you can also sign them up online at https://sites.google.com/site/msstrawleysmusicsite/enrollment-form-2012-2013. Please make sure to read the informational letter before enrolling in these classes! The deadline to sign up is September 13. Please contact Ms. Strawley if you have any questions, (karissa_bryant@hcpss.org).

Membership

Support PLES by joining the PTA! Our memberships help sustain PTA programming from fun events like the “Trunk or Treat” to staff appreciation efforts. Join here: https://phelpsluckpta.memberhub.com/store?limit=21&live=true

Volunteer

Our fun events like Bingo Night, Trunk or Treat, Staff Appreciation Week, and more can’t be successful without the help of our amazing PLES families!! Looking to get involved at PLES? Any amount of time you can contribute is greatly appreciated! Sign up here: https://forms.gle/WWCaYgyZyYdAs49g9

Save the Date

The first PTA meeting of the year will take place Wednesday, September 6 from 7:00-8:00 pm in the media center and online through Zoom. Join us to help shape the PTA this year!

Back to School Picnic

Catch up with old friends and make new ones at a fun-filled back-to-school picnic on Thursday, September 14, from 5:30-7:00 pm on the PLES blacktop. We will have music and entertainment with a DJ, and families can purchase treats at a snowball trailer.

Raise Right E-Gift Card Fundraising Program

Support the PTA when shopping at your favorite stores! You can earn fundraising dollars for Phelps Luck PTA by participating in our RaiseRight (formerly Scrip) program! This easy-to-use program means you earn fundraising dollars by purchasing electronic gift cards to an extensive list of large businesses (Target, Amazon, Giant, Old Navy, Lowes, etc.) and a percentage of that sale is returned to the PTA as fundraising dollars. This program will be ongoing throughout the year. Visit https://www.raiseright.com/enroll and look for “Join an existing program”. Enter our Enrollment Code: BRWAATM9HK7P and click “Join a Program”.

Clothing Bin Fundraiser

In July we collected 1,090 lbs of clothing and raised $109 for our PTA programs! Please donate any cloth items to the clothing bin in our school parking lot. This is an easy way to support our PTA! Please place all items in a closed trash bag before placing the bag in the bin. Thank you!

Follow the PTA on Facebook

Stay up-to-date on events and news: https://www.facebook.com/phelpsluckpta

The Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) is committed to providing a safe and nurturing environment for all students. Preventing bullying is an important part of this goal. HCPSS Policy 9460 states that bullying, cyberbullying, harassment, and intimidation are prohibited in HCPSS. The BCHI Reporting Form should be used to report all alleged incidents of bullying, cyberbullying, harassment, and intimidation that occur at school or have a connection back to the school setting that create a risk of harm to other students while they are at school, or interfere with the educational environment. An online version is available and can easily and confidentially be used by students, staff, and family members. Hard copies of this form are available in the main office, staff workroom, school counseling office, media center, and health services office. If you believe that a student has been bullied, please complete and submit this form as soon as possible.

Once the form is submitted, school administrators will ensure the parent/guardian of both the alleged target and alleged offender are aware of the report and will begin an investigation within two school days of receiving the report. Parents/guardians can expect a school administrator to reach out to them during the investigation. Once the investigation is completed, parents/guardians will be provided written notice of the outcome of the investigation within fifteen days of receiving the complaint, excluding extenuating circumstances.

I want to take a moment to specifically lift up cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is bullying using electronic media like computers, cell phones, and game systems. Our digital interconnectedness makes bullying different and more damaging than it’s ever been before. It allows hatred and publicly humiliating gossip or photos to be instantly far-reaching and inescapable as electronic media is everywhere. It can NOT simply be ignored. In October 2013, the State of Maryland enacted Grace’s Law, making misuse of interactive computer services a criminal offense. Its purpose is to prohibit anyone from using electronic media (computers, tablets, phones, etc.) to maliciously engage in conduct that inflicts serious emotional distress on a minor and/or places that minor in reasonable fear of death or serious bodily injury. A person who is found guilty of violating this law is subject to imprisonment and/or fines. While this will be reviewed with students at school, we are asking you to do the same at home. Thank you for your partnership.

More information can be found on the HCPSS Stop Bullying website. If you have any questions regarding this policy or its implementation, please contact a school administrator.

The following programs are offered through Howard County Park and Recreation.

• Chess - Introduction to Chess with Magnus Chess Academy
• Music - Learn Now Music
• Pirate STEM Club After School w/Whiz Kid Academy
• Kiddie Basketball
• After School Basketball

Please look find the flier below.

HCPSS participates in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs, which provide 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.

Free and Reduced Meals eligibility provides discounts for summer programs, SAT, recreation programs, Maryland Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and internet programs. Other discounts are listed below. FARMs eligibility also may provide your school with much-needed Federal funding. Visit the HCPSS Food & Nutrition Site for more information.

Students are permitted to bring a water bottle or refillable containers to school.

No other beverage is permitted in the classroom. *No glass containers allowed.

This summer, we installed a new water bottle filling station in the main hallway. Students are welcome to refill their water bottle there.

Please be sure you write your child's name on the water bottle or container.

Support PLES by joining the PTA! Our memberships help sustain PTA programming from fun events like the “Trunk or Treat” to staff appreciation efforts. Join here: https://phelpsluckpta.memberhub.com/store?limit=21&live=true

The first PTA meeting of the year will take place Wednesday, September 6 from 7:00-8:00 pm in the media center and online through Zoom. Join us to help shape the PTA this year!

Catch up with old friends and make new ones at a fun-filled back-to-school picnic on Thursday, September 14, from 5:30-7:00 pm on the PLES blacktop. We will have music and entertainment with a DJ, and families can purchase treats at a snowball trailer.

Support the PTA when shopping at your favorite stores! You can earn fundraising dollars for Phelps Luck PTA by participating in our RaiseRight (formerly Scrip) program! This easy-to-use program means you earn fundraising dollars by purchasing electronic gift cards to an extensive list of large businesses (Target, Amazon, Giant, Old Navy, Lowes, etc.) and a percentage of that sale is returned to the PTA as fundraising dollars. This program will be ongoing throughout the year. Visit https://www.raiseright.com/enroll and look for “Join an existing program”. Enter our Enrollment Code: BRWAATM9HK7P and click “Join a Program”.

In July we collected 1,090 lbs of clothing and raised $109 for our PTA programs! Please donate any cloth items to the clothing bin in our school parking lot. This is an easy way to support our PTA! Please place all items in a closed trash bag before placing the bag in the bin. Thank you!

Stay up-to-date on events and news: https://www.facebook.com/phelpsluckpta

Is your child interested in outdoor activities, learning new skills, and going on adventures with friends? If so, come learn about Cub Scout Pack 678 during PLES Back to School nights, and then join us for our big recruiting event at 7pm on September 27 at Phelps Luck Elementary School. Pack 678 meets most Wednesdays at the PLES cafeteria and accepts boys and girls from kindergarten through 5th grade. We have a fun year ahead of us filled with hiking, camping, and the always popular Pinewood Derby. We can’t wait to meet you! Email scoutpack678@yahoo.com if you have any questions.

Phelps Luck has a part-time or a full-time Student Helper (TE) position available at Phelps Luck Elementary School. If you are looking to work with a special needs student one-on-one, please email Sandra McGraw, or call her at 410-313-6886. Hiring will take place through Social Service Consultants, all applications for this position must come through them.

Listed below are the many ways to stay informed at Phelps Luck Elementary School.

X (formerly Twitter)

• Follow us on X at https://twitter.com/hcpss_ples
• We use X to inform, celebrate, and engage our community.
• X is used to share what is going on in our school, our community, and throughout the Howard County Public School System.
• Turn on notifications to get information the second it is posted on X.

Facebook

• Like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/PhelpsLuckElementary
• We have found that Facebook is the social media most used by our parents so we are now on Facebook, too!
• Our Facebook page is updated automatically from our Twitter feed.
• Please use Facebook to share the good news from PLES with your friends and families.

Website

• Our website, ples.hcpss.org, is updated regularly.
• Important news and information is located on the main page of the site, including an archive of our weekly newsletter, Falcon Flier.
• Staff information and email are located under the "Our Staff" tab.
• Subscribe to the Google calendar located on the "Calendar" tab.

Class Dojo

• Class Dojo is a communication tool used in classrooms throughout Phelps Luck. Your homeroom teacher will share more information about how to connect and communicate through Class Dojo.

Email

• Email is our main form of communication.
• You will receive news and information automatically to the email address you provide in your Family File. We will not inundate your inbox with email. Look for the weekly Falcon Flier on Friday mornings.
• If you would like email sent to a different email address, update your email in Family File with the email address you prefer.
• You can subscribe additional email addresses by visiting the HCPSS News site here. http://www.hcpss.org/hcpss-news/
• Weekly announcements, important information and updates, and more will primarily be sent through email.
• You also have the opportunity to opt-in for text messaging

PTA is collecting money to help fund a special beautification project. Please consider donating money to help purchase banners for the front of the school.