Clemens Crossing Cougar Comments
June 15, 2018 - VOLUME 39, ISSUE 36
Clemens Crossing Elementary School
Edward Cosentino, Principal
Elizabeth Yankle, 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
Events Coming Up
visit cces.hcpss.org/calendar.
June
- 18 - Early Dismissal - All schools close 3-hours early. CCES dismisses at 12:45 p.m.
- 19 - Last Day of School - Schools are Open for a Half Day.
CCES Dismisses at 12:45 p.m. Inclement Weather Make-up Day #5.
August
- 30 - Kindergarten Open House, 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.
- 30 - Grades 1-5 Open House, 2:30 - 3:15 p.m.
September
- 3 - Labor Day
- 4 - First Day of School
- 5 - GT Information Session, 6:00 p.m.
- 5 - Back-to-School Night - Grades 3, 4, & 5, 6:30 p.m.
- 7 - PTA Back-to-School Picnic, 5:00-8:00 p.m.
- 10 - Schools and Offices Closed
- 11 - Back-to-School Night - Grades K, 1, & 2, 6:30 p.m.
- 12 - Band/Strings Information Night, 6:30 p.m.
- 17 - PTA Kick-off Meeting
- 19 - Schools and Offices Closed
From School Administration
It has been another amazing year for our Clemens Crossing Community! Our students have grown tremendously as readers, writers, mathematicians, historians, and scientists! Mrs. Yankle and I enjoy this time of year when teachers invite us to celebrate the learning that has happened all year with special presentations. We know that you join us in celebrating your child's success this school year. We are very proud of their accomplishments in all of these areas. Thank you all for your partnership in the education of our students. We have enjoyed instructing your children and watching them grow in knowledge and confidence. We are very proud of all our many accomplishments and achievements both individually and as a community.
For those who are moving to different schools next year, we wish you well in the future.
We look forward to seeing everyone who is returning to CCES on September 4.
Have a fantastic summer!
Mr. Cosentino, Principal
Final Report Cards
Staff Changes
- Ms. Alban will be teaching fifth grade at Pointers Run Elementary School.
- Mr. Griffis will be teaching Physical Education full-time at Cradlerock Elementary School.
- Mrs. Chuppetta will be teaching Educational Technology full-time at Waverly Elementary School next year.
- Welcome, Ms. Aleah Zinalabedini. She will be teaching PE here at CCES three days a week next year.
- As many of you know, Mrs. Yankle was promoted. She will be the principal of Rockburn Elementary School starting July 1.
- Welcome, Mrs. Sonia Hurd. She will be our new assistant principal, and her first day is July 1.
We thank all three teachers for their dedication and service to our students here at Clemens Crossing.
Lost and Found
There are a number of items in the Lost and Found, which is located in our front vestibule. If you are missing coats, lunch boxes, water bottles, shoes, sweats, etc., please stop by at your earliest convenience. All items will be donated on Friday, June 15.
Supply List for 2018-19
Help Guide HCPSS’s Future Direction
HCPSS parents, students and community members are invited to complete a brief survey to provide input into the next phase of development for the HCPSS Strategic Call to Action, which serves as a basis for strategic planning and initiatives that ensure equity and place students at the heart of decision-making. The feedback collected will guide staff in the development of a more comprehensive strategic plan. All responses will remain anonymous. Survey responses will be collected through 4:30 PM, Friday, June 22. Click here to access the survey.
Summer Reading
The best thing about summer is having plenty of time to read….
This year we are encouraging summer reading by inviting CCES students and families to take photos of themselves reading with our Clemens Crossing Cougar.
Download and print out the Cougar of your choice, then read with it and take a photo from interesting places. Photos can be emailed to Mrs. Marshall at christy_marshall@hcpss.org, so we can share them in the fall. All are welcome to participate, including fifth graders and students heading to other schools. You can also Tweet your summer reading with the Cougar and include our CCES Twitter handle @hcpss_cces and the hashtag, #SummerReadingCougars. We will retweet summer reading Tweets from all over!
So download below, print a Cougar, grab a book, and enjoy your summer reading.
Read at the pool! On vacation! In your kitchen! We can’t wait to see your photos.
Staying Sharp During the Summer
- All current CCES students will have access to their iXL account through the end of the summer. This includes fifth graders and students in kindergarten through fourth grade who are moving to new schools next year. Students returning to CCES for the 2018-19 school year will have continuous access to their iXL account without interruption. We encourage students to practice iXL Language Arts and Math throughout the summer! If you forget your iXL login information, please email
Mr. Cosentino and/or Mrs. Rausch. - Nothing is more important than reading and a visit to the public library is the best way to help your child find books that (s)he will like. The library has books at all reading levels, including leveled books for beginning readers. The Howard County Public Library offers a wide variety of activities during the summer, too.
Visit the HCPL website to learn about what they have to offer. - When students write, they are practicing so many skills. Encourage your child to keep a summer journal and document some of the things that happen this summer.
More Summer Learning
Summer Reading Lists
As part of the A+ Partnership with the Howard County Library System, summer reading lists developed by HCPSS library media specialists and Howard County Library System Children’s Instruction and Research staff are available for students in all grade levels. Books included are just a sampling of what students may enjoy reading during the summer. Students are encouraged to check out other books by the authors included as well as explore additional book topics at the library.
Recommended lists for all grade levels are available both in schools and online. Don’t forget to sign up for the library system’s Summer Reading Club online or at your nearest branch.
A+ Student Card
All HCPSS students received an A+ Student Card account number at the beginning of the 2017–2018 school year. With it, they have access to all HCLS eContent by using their account number to login via hcpss.me. Using their A+ Student Card, students can place holds and check out physical materials, as well as take advantage of all the library’s digital resources.
MackinVIA
All students have access to their school’s digital MackinVIA eBook and audiobook collection all summer long by logging in through hcpss.me with their active directory credentials.
Students continue to have access to all the digital tools they used during the school year. This includes databases available from the “Databases” tab in MackinVIA, such as:
- CultureGrams, which offers country reports on over 200 cultures of the world.
- World Book Online Reference Center, which includes encyclopedia, multimedia, e-book and primary source databases.
Summer Activities
Students can use their digital tools, available at hcpss.me, to document and celebrate their summer activities. Elementary students can use Wixie to create a summer postcard or travel journal. All students can utilize G-Suite to create a slideshow of their favorite summer day.
Contact Melissa Daggett at melissa_daggett@hcpss.org with questions or for more information.
From the Health Room
If your child has had medication kept in the Health Room this school year, any remaining medication should be picked up by the parent/guardian by the end of the day on the last day of school, Tuesday, June 19th.
Students are not permitted to transport medication to or from school.
Any medication not picked up will be destroyed.
If you have questions, please call the Health Room: 410-313-5609.
Thank you for your cooperation!
Thank You! #ECSTRONG
Thank you Clemens Crossing community! Our school community collected $850 for flood relief for our neighbors in Ellicott City. Clemens Crossing CARES!
Are You Moving and Not Returning to CCES for the 2018-19 School Year?
OPEn PTA Positions for 2018-19
Thank you to everyone who voted at Chick-fil-A -- the new PTA Board is successfully voted in! There are still some open PTA committee positions. Many of these can be done from home, do not require attending PTA meetings, and are a short one-event commitment. Please, please consider helping out next year! The list below shows PTA positions that are still open (or half-open -- the Spring Carnival needs a co-chair!) for next year -- sorted by type of position.
I LIKE TO PLAN EVENTS
Bingo Night – Coordinates Bingo night in the fall -- organizes volunteers and staff member mystery callers, purchases refreshments and prizes.
Fitness and Health - Organizes a team from CCES to run in the Howard County 5K. Plans and organizes Family Fit Night in January. Arranges a possible CCES Orioles Night at Camden Yards.
Spring Carnival - Coordinates annual school carnival which includes securing food/entertainment vendors, purchasing prizes, coordinating games and mobilizing volunteers (parents and local high school students) to run the games.
Talent Show - Organizes school talent show including creating and distributing flier, overseeing auditions, creating program schedule, advertising event to CCES community, and overseeing activities on event night.
I WANT TO WORK AT HOME
Policy - Advises the PTA on policies and legal issues and facilitates bylaw update process (bylaws are updated every three years).
Spirit Wear - Coordinates sale of spirit wear including identifying merchandise to be included in the sale and working with a vendor, collecting orders and payments, and distributing merchandise.
I WANT TO WORK WITH STUDENTS OR BE IN THE SCHOOL
Bulletin Board - Designs, decorates, and updates the PTA Bulletin Board in the front lobby of the school.
Diversity - Maintains the showcase at the entrance of the school with displays for Black History Month, Native American Heritage Month, etc.. Creates opportunities to involve and support the diverse international backgrounds and religions in our CCES community.
Parent Partners - Recruits parent volunteers who are available during the school day to work with individual students once a week throughout the year. Work closely with the assistant principal to set up volunteer schedule at the start of the year. Serve as a liaison between CCES and parent volunteers as needed.
I WANT TO BE AT PTA MEETINGS (AND/OR COUNTY MEETINGS)
PTA Council of Howard Council Representative - PTA Council delegates are the all-important communication link between the CCES PTA and the PTA Council. CCES’ representative attends monthly PTACHC meetings and relays information at CCES PTA meetings.
CAC Representative - The CAC is the Community Advisory Council to the Board of Education of Howard County. The CAC meets one evening a month and facilitates communication between the Board and the community on issues of concern and matters involving education. The CAC Representative is a liaison between the CCES PTA and the Board of Education.
Communications - Oversees communication of PTA information to parents, teachers, and community including: creating/editing PTA news for Cougar Comments, helping update PTA bulletin board, coordinating the management of content with Website and Social Media chairs. Creativity and writing skills are great skills for this position.
I WANT TO HELP THE PTA ORGANIZE USEFUL PROGRAMS
Career Day - Supports the guidance counselor during Career Day for grades 3 to 5. Needs to be on-site for the entire career day (8:15 am to 2:00 pm). Guidance counselor recruits speakers and develops the schedule for the day. Committee chairperson organizes volunteers for the day, orders and sets up breakfast and lunch for the speakers, helps volunteers check in speakers and direct them to the appropriate classroom, and cleans up at the conclusion of the event.
Junior Achievement in a Day - Assists the school administration in organizing and finding volunteers for the JA in a Day program at school. This program will take place in the fall.
Newcomers - Coordinates the Family Mentoring Program: identifies volunteers at each grade level who would be willing to host playdates and answer questions for new families joining our CCES Community.
Volunteer Coordinator - Oversees CCES volunteer activity. Creates a spreadsheet of who volunteers for which committee at the beginning of the year, answers questions about volunteer opportunities within the PTA and coordinates the assembly of the first day folders. Also, serves as POC for Room Parents. Works with President and administration to schedule Fall and Spring Room Parent Meetings.
If you have questions about any of the positions, please contact a member of our nominating committee (Risa Carlson -- risacarlson@gmail.com, Hyung Chang -- hschang23@gmail.com, or Dani Gardner -- dnr318@gmail.com)
#OneHoward Live
#OneHoward Live is a storytelling/performance/speaking event that promotes diversity and inclusion in Howard County through the sharing of personal experiences. We have an AWESOME line up of speakers and performers! Students from Triadelphia Ridge ES, Thomas Viaduct MS, Atholton HS, Long Reach HS, and graduates from Glenelg HS, and the Homewood Center will be performing. In addition, teachers from Waterloo ES, Murray Hill MS, and Wilde Lake MS will also share their stories of diversity and identity. Adding their perspectives, two of our community leaders, Honorable Judge Zwaig and Community Superintendent Marcy Leonard, will offer insight about leadership through the lens of diversity and equity.
The event is on Saturday, June 16th from 3:00 - 5:30 PM at HCC in the Smith Theater. Come out and stand up for unity in diversity in our Howard County community. Please register on the link below to reserve your FREE ticket to enjoy this wonderful event https://www.eventbrite.com/e/onehoward-live-tickets-44373358911. This event is in collaboration with the Office of the County Executive, Howard County Public School System, Howard County Library System, Howard County Community College, & the Department of Community Resources and Services.
Note: The Public Information Office encourages all community organizations to distribute notices electronically through this online resource. However, organizations may choose to distribute printed documents, such as the 2018 Parent Guide, through student backpacks, etc. per the provisions of HCPSS Policy 10010. For more information, please refer to Distribution Guidelines for Schools. Contact the Public Information Office with any questions, at 410-313-6682 or publicinfo@hcpss.org.