Clemens Crossing Cougar Comments
October 1 2021 - Volume 43, Issue 7
Clemens Crossing Elementary School
Sonia Hurd, Assistant Principal
Website: cces.hcpss.org
Location: 10320 Quarterstaff Road, Columbia, MD, United States
Phone: 410-313-6866
Facebook: facebook.com/ClemensCrossingElementary
Twitter: @hcpss_cces
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۔
Important Upcoming Dates and Events
October
- 12 - PTA Restaurant Day at Chick-fil-a, Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel
- 13 - PTA Meeting, 7:00 p.m.
- 15 - Schools Closed for Students
- 21 - Flu Clinic
- 29 - Pumpkin Run (Grades 3-5)
- 29 - PTA Halloween Family Fun Night & Fall Festival
To subscribe to the CCES calendar on your smartphone, electronic device, or email system use the calendar ID sqspkjkbr6v6arss44js3n21eg@group.calendar.google.com.
October 2021
November 2021
December 2021
From School Administration
The Clemens Crossing PTA knows that a strong partnership among our families, school leaders, and community members is important to the success of our students and school. During the 2017-18 school year, we worked to earn the distinction of being a PTA School of Excellence.
We held that distinction from 2018-2020. Due to the constraints of the pandemic, we were not able to go through the renewal process. We are participating in the National PTA School of Excellence program for this coming year, We want to strengthen our partnership between our PTA and our school so that we can enrich the educational experience and overall well-being of all students.
As a school, we feel that families should feel welcomed and empowered to support student success, and the PTA is a key partner for continuous school improvement. We feel Clemens Crossing Elementary School and the Clemens Crossing PTA can achieve that together—and the result will be national, state, and community-wide visibility for the positive impact we are making together at Clemens Crossing Elementary School.
We need your help! As part of the process, National PTA requests feedback from families, administrators, and teachers at two points in the school year—the beginning and the end. Your feedback will help us improve our family-school partnership and achieve excellence.
Please take 5-10 minutes to reflect on your experience at this school and complete the survey below. Choose from the drop-down menu for each question. The survey will be open through Sunday, October 10.
Does this sound like a PTA program you’d really like to help with? Join us! Contact either of us to learn more.
Sincerely,
Ed Cosentino, Principal
Dani Gardner, PTA President
NEW INFORMATION
Meet Our Cougars - 3rd Grade
Mrs. Katie Hodge - This is my 2nd year at CCES and I LOVE being a Cougar! I earned a Master of Arts in Teaching degree from UMBC in 2020. Before that, two Bachelor of Sciences degrees in Deaf Studies and Psychology from Towson University. My personal interests include: spending quality time with family, reading (when I have the time), practicing kindness, engaging in green practices, and self-improvement.
Mr. Hakim Jones - I have taught many different ages, but I am really enjoying these young ones at CCES. I love reading, exercise, travel, and vacation. I do not like long walks on the beach.
Mrs. Leah Halvorson -
Mrs. Claire Mize - My name is Claire Mize and I am one of the paraeducators here at Clemens Crossing. This is my fifth year at Clemens Crossing, and my eighth year overall with HCPSS. One of my favorite things about my job is I get to interact with many of the students and I love getting to know each and every one! Outside of school, I love going hiking and camping with my family.
Howard County GT Program Parent Academy
Howard County GT Program Parent Academy, October 13 and 14, 2021 HCPSS families interested in the Gifted and Talented (GT) Program are invited to come learn about the advanced-level offerings available and how their students can become involved. The evening will begin with an overview of GT Education Program offerings followed by a question and answer session with Central Office GT Education Program staff. Elementary and Secondary programs will be covered on separate days. Families may attend one or both nights. Registration is required for these events. Elementary Focus: Wednesday, October 13, 7 – 8:00 p.m., being held virtually via Microsoft Teams For more information and to register, please visit the HCPSS GT Program Parent Academy announcement.
Secondary Focus: Thursday, October 14, 7-8:00 p.m., being held virtually via Microsoft Teams
From the Health Room - Flu Clinic Information
Clemens Crossing will host our annual flu vaccination clinic on Thursday, October 21. They will be given at NO CHARGE TO YOU.
Now, more than ever, it is important to protect your family through vaccinations.
If you would like your child to be vaccinated, please register BEFORE Friday, October 8:
Fill out the consent form online at:
https://tinyurl.com/HoCPSSFlu2021
1. Type your child’s school name in Search by Name then press the blue Search button.
2. Click on the Sign Up for Flu Vaccinations button for your child’s school.
OR
Fill out a paper consent form:
1. Read the Vaccine Information Statement (VIS) and talk to your health care provider or the school nurse about any questions you have. VIS: https://tinyurl.com/FluVIS2021-E
2. Fill out every section of the attached Consent Form.
3. Use your insurance card to fill out your insurance information accurately. Your insurance company will be billed. There is no co-pay or deductible. You will NOT be charged by us or your insurance company.
One of the best ways to prevent the flu is through vaccinations. We are pleased to join with the Maryland Partnership for Prevention (MPP) to offer flu vaccinations at our school.
You may give permission for your child to be vaccinated using (1) an online form at https://tinyurl.com/HoCPSSFlu2021 or (2) the hard copy form attached to this message.
We urge you to protect your family from the flu. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that everyone ages 6 months and older get a flu shot. Please visit www.cdc.gov/flu/index.htm for more information about the flu vaccine.
*** Please note, if your child is anxious about needles & shots, the school setting might not be the best place to get vaccinated. We will not force students to take the shot at school. ***
PTA Trunk or Treat & Fall Festival
We no longer celebrate Halloween during the school day. Starting this year, the PTA will sponsor the first annual PTA Trunk or Treat & Fall Festival. Please see the graphic below and save the date!
More information will be out in the next week or two.
SchoolStore.com Fundraising
Our school will be participating in the School Store fundraising program this year. This online program helps our school earn cash without students selling door-to-door, collecting money or delivering products. Over 400 merchants, including Sears, Target and WalMart.com, have joined together to offer up to 50% of sales to our school for shopping through SchoolStore.com.
To shop and support our school, simply go to www.schoolstore.com and select our school (151709).
Participation is key in helping get the word out about our School Store. Soon your child will come home with a parent letter requesting you to help them enter email addresses to friends and family. When you enter just 3 email addresses you'll receive a prize code your child can return the next day for a prize.
Thank you for your support!
Toys at School
INFORMATION WORTH REPEATING
Room Parents- Volunteers Needed
In a normal school year, a volunteer is obtained from every homeroom class to assist in communication between the teachers and the families about topics such as coordinating volunteers, getting items donated for in-school parties/activities, and coordinating teacher gifts for those families that are interested. So far this year there will be no in-class volunteering or activities, but we would like to start up the Room Parent program again to assist teachers in communicating with the families and coordinating the collection of items needed for the classroom. The position will be mostly done over email. If you are interested in volunteering to be a Room Parent for your child’s homeroom class, please email Rachael Kelly with your name, your child’s name, child’s grade, and homeroom teacher to rachael.christine@gmail.com
Dressing for the Weather
Headphones
Students will begin using their Chromebooks in Technology as well as other parts of their day. Please send in a pair of ear buds or headphones for your child to use. If you don't have any to send in, we have some for students to share.
Clemens Crossing Spirit Wear Store Is Open
This year’s online store will remain open throughout the entire school year and items will be shipped directly to your home!
In addition to promotional discounts that will occur periodically throughout the year, you can also save 10% by joining the 1st Place Spiritwear VIP Club.
You can browse the large selection and place your orders by visiting https://1stplacespiritwear.com/schools/MD/Columbia/Clemens+Crossing+Elementary+School
State of Maryland Assessments for Fall 2021
As part of continued COVID-19 recovery efforts, the Maryland State Department of Education is conducting an early all student assessment. The Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) is the overarching term used for all state assessments. MSDE will administer assessments in the Early Fall for English Language Arts/Literacy (ELA/L), Mathematics, and Science (Maryland Integrated Science Assessment- MISA), as well as the Alternate Assessments in ELA, Mathematics and Science, and the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA). See the attached MSDE flyer for more information and a general testing schedule.
Reporting Absences
Absence Notes
All students are required to have a note explaining why they were absent. Please send an email to your child's teacher as well as ccesabsence@hcpss.org.
Dress Code
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, and 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.
Join the CCES PTA (Parent Teacher Association) – Family Membership
PTA membership will allow you to be active with the PTA and enjoy discounts with Maryland PTA partners. Most of all, your membership dues support the many programs we offer to the CCES community. While we encourage all of our families to be involved with PTA, membership does not obligate you to volunteer your time.
After trying many fundraisers over the years, the CCES PTA’s major fundraiser is a direct donation program (and later in the fall, a Read-a-thon). Rather than sell wrapping paper or other merchandise, we ask each family to contribute $50 in addition to their membership dues to support the programs we sponsor throughout the year.
To join the Clemens Crossing PTA, please fill out the form below and pay the membership dues (plus any donation you choose to give) through the PayPal link that follows. If you prefer to pay by check, please contact our membership chair, c/o president@clemenscrossingpta.org.
To report a problem with this form, contact web@clemenscrossingpta.org.