Clemens Crossing Cougar Comments
January 4, 2019 - Volume 40, Issue 15
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
Upcoming Events
January
- 4 - Purple Friday to support the Baltimore Ravens!
- 9 - PTA Meeting, 7:00 p.m.
- 10 - Makers Faire, 6:30 p.m.
- 12 - PTA Roller Skate Night at Supreme Sports Club
- 17 - Strings Concert, 6:30 p.m.
- 17 - Band Concert, 7:30 p.m.
- 21 - Schools and Offices Closed
- 22 - Restaurant Night: Zoe's Kitchen at the Mall in Columbia
- 24 - School Play
- 25 - School Play
- 28 - The Great Kindness Challenge Begins
- 28 - End of 2nd quarter
- 28 - Schools close 3 hours early, 12:45 p.m.
- 29 - Wilde Lake Middle School Information Night for Rising 6th Graders, 6:30 p.m. at WLMS
- 30 - In-School Banking, 9:00 a.m.
For a complete list of dates and events visit cces.hcpss.org/calendar.
To subscribe to the CCES calendar on your smartphone, electronic device, or email system click the +Google Calendar icon in the bottom right-hand corner to add our calendar to your personal device. By subscribing to the calendar, school events and activities will always be up-to-date.
From School Administration
Happy New Year
Let us begin by wishing you a Happy New Year filled with many successes and continued progress! At Clemens Crossing Elementary School, we place great value in seeing our students showing continued suCESSs and academic progress as they move through their academic journey this year. Each year, as we ring in the New Year, we see this as the ideal opportunity to check in with students and families to ensure that our students are on-track, prepared and ready to go for the second half of the year. What we have observed, as we approach the midpoint of the school year, is that students are academically strong and that our instructional and support team remains energized. After a well-deserved winter break, we welcomed back students and families to begin our work for the second half of the year to ensure that learning continues.
When we take a look at the year-in-review, we have much to be proud of in terms of student achievement. Most recently, Clemens Crossing Elementary earned four stars (82nd percentile out of all elementary schools in Maryland) on the 2017-18 Maryland Report Card. Our students have made impressive strides and the high-quality staff at CCES ensures that our students receive the best instruction and support to achieve. We find this to be our recipe success – great students, families, and staff working together to reach the milestones necessary for a bright future. This was highlighted last year when our PTA was awarded the National PTA School of Excellence.
The year ahead is full of great promise and opportunities for students and the community. We want to thank you for your continued support and wish you a successful 2019!
Thank you!
We would like to personally thank all of the families and students that so generously and thoughtfully gave us holiday gifts and provided gifts to staff. Our office was flooded with baked goods, candies, gift cards, etc. We want to be sure to let our school community know how grateful we are personally. You definitely made our busy days and holiday a bit brighter with your gifts, and we are most appreciative!
It's been nearly three weeks since our last Cougar Comments. We have a lot of new information listed below in this newsletter as well as some reminders from our previous issues.
Mr. Cosentino and Mrs. Hurd
Road To Kindergarten
Do you have a child who will be 5 years old by September 1, 2019?
Do you have a neighbor who has a child who will be 5 years old by September 1, 2019?
If you said yes, to either question above, please review and/or share this information.
Please join us for an information session about kindergarten in the Howard County Public School System.
At this workshop you will learn:
- Expectations for school readiness (and receive a Ready for Kindergarten toolkit).
- Details about the kindergarten program.
- Information about HCPSS kindergarten registration.
- Ways that families and children can be supported during the transition to kindergarten.
Sessions are designed for adults only. Child care is available for children ages 2 and older. Doors will open at 6 p.m. to allow time for parking, child care drop off, and check-in. Sessions begin promptly at 6:30. We anticipate large crowds so please allow yourself ample time.
Choose a session that is convenient for you. No registration required.
All sessions will be held from 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, January 23
Oakland Mills High School, 9410 Kilimanjaro Road, Columbia
Thursday, January 24
Centennial High School, 4300 Centennial Lane, Ellicott City
Wednesday, January 30
Hammond High School, 8800 Guilford Road, Columbia
If Howard County public schools are closed for inclement weather, that day’s session is canceled.
To learn more information about preparing for Kindergarten, visit the following page on the HCPSS website: https://www.hcpss.org/enroll/kindergarten/
Kindergarten registration begins Monday, March 11 in person and online.
Winter Concerts
- Strings - January 17 at 6:30 p.m.
- Band - January 17 at 7:30 p.m.
Front Office Notes
Early Dismissal Reminder
before 3:15 p.m.
Current Contact Information
Recently, we have had several incidents where we have tried to reach parents and found that either their voice mail box was full or not set-up to receive messages. We also had several situations where the emergency number(s) we have on file is/are no longer in service. We would appreciate it if you could take a moment and make sure of the following:
1. Please have a voice mail box in place that can receive messages. If need be, please clear the messages currently in your mailbox so that your mailbox can receive new messages.
2. Please take a moment and update any emergency numbers that may need to be updated.
Siblings During Lunch, Recess, and Classroom Visits
While we do allow siblings to accompany parents during lunch, we do not recommend it. Younger children should be closely monitored by the parent at all times and they should not interfere with the operations of the lunch shift.
Siblings are not permitted at recess or in the classrooms.
Visiting or Picking-up Students at CCES
All visitors to Clemens Crossing must bring a driver’s license and sign in with our LobbyGuard visitor management system.
Additionally, we require a picture ID when you pick-up your child early from school.
Animals on School System Property Including Arrival and Dismissal
Car Riders and Walkers Are Two Different Dismissal Groups
Car riders are students who are picked up in a vehicle in the car loop. Car riders are dismissed first. All car riders are dismissed from the side of the building and are to be picked up in the car loop. Walkers should not be part of this group, and parents should not walk children out of the car loop line.
Walkers are dismissed last after our car and bus traffic subsides. We do this for safety reasons. Parents/guardians of walkers meet children in the front of the building when walkers are dismissed. If you park a car along Quarterstaff Road, students are considered walkers even though they may ride a car home. Those students will be dismissed with walkers.
1st Annual Makers Faire is Next Week
Calling all Makers!
We are looking for Makers to display items at our 1st Annual Maker Faire on January 10, 2019!
What is a Maker Faire?
A Maker Faire is a gathering of people interested in Science, Technology, Math, Art, Sustainability, Creativity, and Innovation. The Faire will consist of hands-on activities centered around unique solutions, creativity, and construction.
Who is a maker?
Anyone can be a maker! All you have to do is use your creativity and skill to make something that solves a problem.
We are looking for student makers interested in displaying and sharing items they have created!
Items could include, but are not limited to:
- A model using Lego
- A handmade musical instrument
- A tool to solve a problem
- Crochet/knitting project
- Origami
- Handmade toy
If your student/family is interested in sharing items at the Maker Faire, please complete the information below.
PTA Roller Skate Night
If families need to rent skates they will need to bring $3.75 per skater in cash only.
Saturday, Jan 12, 2019, 04:30 PM
Supreme Sports Club, Deepage Drive, Columbia, MD, USA
LIMITED TIME ONLY CCES APPAREL ON SALE NOW
PTA Restaurant Night - Zoe's Kitchen, The Mall in Columbia
Tuesday, Jan 22, 2019, 05:00 PM
Zoës Kitchen, Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, MD, USA
Annual Pinewood Derby
All CCES families are invited to join Cub Scout Pack 618 for our Annual Pinewood Derby on Wednesday, Jan 16th at 6:30pm in the CCES cafeteria. The Scouts have worked hard and built amazing cars that they will get to race against each other. If you have been interested in Cub Scouts please join us and let your child cheer on their friends. There will also be a bake-sale supporting the PTA. For more information, please visit www.pack618md.com, or email cubmaster@pack618md.com.
PTA Bakesale:
Come cheer on Clemens Crossing Scouts and enjoy yummy treats! The PTA will host a bake sale at the Scouts' Pinewood Derby on January 16 at 6:00 PM. If you are interest in contributing treats for the bakesale, please email Christina Pabon-Buck at christinapabon@gmail.com.