Clemens Crossing Cougar Comments
May 20, 2022 - Volume 43, Issue 35
Clemens Crossing Elementary School
Jaime Gittleson, 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
Important Upcoming Dates and Events
May
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
- 20 - PTA Spring Carnival: 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
- 24 - Science Fair: 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
- 25 - 5th Grade Simulated Congressional Hearing
- 26 - Strings Concert 6:30 p.m.; Band Concert 7:30 p.m.
- 30 - Schools and Offices Closed for Memorial Day
- 3 - Field Day (rain date, 6/6)
- 8 - 3-Hour Early Dismissal, 12:45 p.m.
- 14 - 5th Grade Closing Ceremony (for parents of 5th graders only)
- 15 - 3-Hour Early Dismissal, 12:45 p.m
- 16 - 3-Hour Early Dismissal, 12:45 p.m
- 17 - 3-Hour Early Dismissal, 12:45 p.m STUDENT'S LAST DAY OF SCHOOL
To subscribe to the CCES calendar on your smartphone, electronic device, or email system use the calendar ID sqspkjkbr6v6arss44js3n21eg@group.calendar.google.com.
From School Administration
End Strong
Think about that football player who fumbles the ball on the one-yard line with no defenders around. Think about the overconfident base runner who doesn't tag home plate and gets tagged out. Those are examples of people not finishing or ending strong.
With spring in full swing, many students and families begin to think about the end of the school year. High school seniors aren't the only ones who experience "senioritis" or the "end-of-the-school-year-blues." Elementary school students can begin to shut down and dial back their efforts towards the end of the school year.
It's important to help our children finish the school year strong! We want to make the most of the final four weeks of school and encourage our students to be responsible learners who don't quit. Here are some tips to help students continue to put forth their best effort until that last school bell rings on June 17.
Gear Check
After months of hard work and lots of time spent in the classroom, many students are left with less-than-ideal supplies. Pencils no longer have erasers and crayons have been worn down to nubs. It's hard to do your best work when you don't have the right tools.
Help your children put forth their best effort up through the last day, by taking stock of their school supplies. A freshly sharpened pencil, a glue stick or two, and a new box of crayons can make a world of difference.
Lead by Example
Don't count the days, make the days count! Kids learn by example and are quick to adopt our attitude. If your child hears you talking about how you wish it was summer, or how you can't wait for school to be over, he/she is likely to adopt that mindset. Avoid speaking negatively about school, homework, etc. in front of your child. It will be harder for your child to put forth his best effort if he thinks you don't care, don't like school, etc.
We like to tell our kids that every assignment is an opportunity to do their best. Encourage your kids to try their best, continue to set aside time to complete homework, and prioritize school attendance. Your positive attitude about school (even when it's sunny and almost time for vacation!) can help your children finish strong.
Stick to the Routine
When it's warm and light outside, it can be more difficult to enforce bedtime, but it's super important to help your child continue to get a good night's rest through the end of the school year. Stick to your child's regular bedtime and continue to make time for homework and at-home reading.
Help your child develop responsibility and perseverance by maintaining that good learners do what they need to do until the job is done. Sunny days and a looming summer vacation can't stop motivated and eager learners! Maintaining your school-year schedule will help reinforce these beliefs.
1-2 Reasonable and Reachable Goals
Goals are a great way to keep students motivated and on-task towards the end of a school year. Help your children select one or two small goals to accomplish before the end of the school year. The goals should be challenging but reachable. Some ideas include things like moving up a level in reading, memorizing their multiplication facts, having a certain number of positive behavior days, etc. Work with your kids to determine steps to take to work towards their goals and encourage practice at home.
Indicators of Educational Equity Survey Results
Last month, we asked families, staff, and students to participate in a new annual survey called the Indicators of Educational Equity Survey. This week, I am going to continue to focus on the latest response rate and the area of "Opportunity and Access" results from the survey.
I am very pleased with the participation rate for Clemens Crossing Elementary School. The participation rate list is summarized below:
- Students - 100% of fourth and fifth graders completed the survey.
- Staff - 82% of staff completed the survey.
- Families - 63% of our families completed the survey.
Opportunity and Access
One measurement in the survey was centered around Opportunity and Access in school.
On Tuesday night this week, we presented the Ages & Stages information during the virtual parent information night. We focused on the entire K-12 academic continuum and highlighted how we provide opportunity and access throughout the elementary school K-5 experience for children.
According to the responses in the survey, our strongest response was question number 2, "How well are we doing as a school in providing all students what they need in order to learn?" This is great because we constantly focus on student performance and the customization of learning for all students in every classroom. On the other hand, our highest area of concern identified was question number 4, "How well are we doing as a school in providing different ways for students to be prepared in life?" 52% of the survey respondents shared we do extremely well or quite well in this area. At the same time, 20% of the respondents were not sure. This provides our school an opportunity to educate parents/families. We will continue to share information with families about resources during the elementary school years all the way through the high school years in the Howard County Public School System as we did this past week.
As we continue to develop our 2022-23 school improvement plan, we will focus on new ways to identify greater opportunities and access for our students.
NEW INFORMATION
MAP Home Reports Now Available
PTA School of Excellence - End of Year Survey
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.
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 of the year. It is now time to get your feedback at the end of the year. 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 Thursday, May 26.
Information Worth Repeating
TWO GUESTS PER STUDENT for 5th grade promotion
Younger siblings are not permitted to attend the promotion ceremony and will not be excused from classes.
Visitors and Volunteers
We are not able to have visitors in the lunchroom for the remainder of the school year.
DID YOU MOVE? ARE YOU MOVING?
According to HCPSS Policy 9000 - Student Residency, Eligibility, Enrollment, and Assignment, "A student attending a public school in Howard County will attend the designated school serving the school attendance area in which the parents have bona fide residence unless reassignment is granted or administrative placement occurs."
If you have moved or are moving soon, please notify us as soon as possible. Please do not wait for us to find out through other means. We are available to assist you with transitioning to your child's new school. Whether it be another HCPSS school, a private school, or a school out of the HCPSS district, we are here to help. If you are transferring to another HCPSS school, our registrars will partner to make the transition as smooth as possible.
If you have an address change, please fill out the attached fillable Address Change Form below and email it back to us with your new deed or lease. This way we can electronically verify your school district and update your new address on file. If you have any questions, contact our registrar, Jennifer Aballo: jennifer_aballo@hcpss.org
It is very important for us to have the most accurate information about your residency
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.