Lisbon Elementary
September 3, 2021
Lisbon Elementary School
Ms. LaShonne Wright, Assistant Principal
15901 Frederick Road
Woodbine, MD 21797
(410) 313-5506
(410) 313-5508 - Fax
les.hcpss.org
From School Administration
It was a great first week at Lisbon. Students poured in through the front door with excitement and with the energy associated with the start of a school year. Our staff was there to meet and greet every student, directing them all to their classrooms where teachers happily met students at their classroom doors.
The week was filled with re-connecting with friends, reviewing routines and procedures, and acclimating to the school environment. We even threw in a three-hour early dismissal to practice what to do in case of inclement weather. (That was a real surprise for us:) During the upcoming weeks, our teachers are going to be spending a lot of time ensuring all students are provided with the tools to learn. As I reflect on the happiness expressed by our students as they entered the building, I am reminded of the tremendous importance of happiness and belonging as a foundation for learning. We hope all students experience this joy of learning each and every day at Lisbon. We are focused on being KIND and spreading kindness throughout our building and our community!
We currently have 92% of our emergency cards complete on Family File. Most of our families have done an excellent job completing this task. If you need assistance to complete your Family File, please contact the front office. It is important that we have emergency contact information for every child in case of a situation, such as the one that occurred on Wednesday, and the need to close early. You can get started by visiting HCPSS Connect.
We thank you for your continued patience in the car loop as students, parents, and staff learn the procedures. With a larger number of parents dropping off and picking up, please be prepared for delays. We also thank you for your patience with our bus drivers as they learn their routes. Please be at your stop 10-15 minutes early this upcoming week.
Thank you for all you have done to help prepare your child for this new school year! We are looking forward to an exciting and successful school year. Enjoy your long weekend. Please remember there is no school on Monday or Tuesday. Happy New Year to our families that celebrate Rosh Hashanah!
Have a wonderful weekend,
Mrs. Anoff & Ms. Wright
Important Upcoming Dates and Events
For a complete list of dates and events visit les.hcpss.org/calendar
- 6 - Labor Day - Schools and Offices closed
- 7 - Rosh Hashanah - Schools and Offices closed
- 10 - PTA Welcome Back Family Picnic, 5:00 - 7:30 p.m.
- 15 - National Hispanic-Latino Heritage Month begins
- 16 - Yom Kippur - Schools and Offices closed
- 22 - Gifted & Talented Parent Information Night, 5:30 - 6:15 p.m.
HCPSS Calendars
There will be no printed 2021-2022 calendars. Staff, students, and families may add our online calendar to their own mobile/online calendar by
- Going to https://www.hcpss.org/calendar/
- Scrolling down to Subscribing to a Calendar
- Right-clicking on the calendar you wish to subscribe to
- Selecting Copy Link Location/Address/Shortcut
- 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 españolNEW INFORMATION
Chorus - Band - Orchestra Registrations
Register online at http://lisbonesmusic.weebly.com/
Who can register?
Chorus - 4th and 5th grade students
Band - 4th and 5th grade students
Orchestra - 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade studentsCounselor Message: Separation Anxiety
How to help your child overcome separation anxiety
Here at LES we are thrilled to be welcoming our students back! We have missed being with them and watching them grow. We also know that many of our students have been home for a long time and may experience some anxiety about returning to school. We are here to help!
Here are some tips to help your child conquer their fear!
Remember, our children feed off our energy. If you are fearful, they will be too. It is okay for you to be worried, but try to keep those conversations for adults only.
Before each day of school:
· Talk positively about your child's teacher and your own school experience.
· Frequently and repeatedly send them the message that, “I love you and I know you can handle this.”
· Frame your questions positively. Asking a child, “Are you scared?” will plant the seed that maybe they should be.But asking them, “Are you excited?” holds a whole different tone.
· Find a small comforting object from home (photo, small stuffed animal: size of an adult hand) to bring to school the first few days.
For the first couple weeks of school:
· Develop a quick goodbye routine for home or the bus stop.
· Let them pick out their clothes and pack their lunch the night before.
· Leave with no fanfare. Don’t linger or they may cling to you and make it worse.
· Follow through on your promises. (Don’t be late picking them up.)
· Give them something to look forward to at the end of the day. Maybe it’s a special treat or a trip to the park.
· Try not to give in! Delaying the return to school or allowing them to leave due to anxiety will only prolong their adjustment period.
For you as a parent:
Remind yourself that we love your babies and will take wonderful care of them! If there truly is a problem, we will let you know. In the beginning, separation anxiety is a normal reaction to the start of school and this year may bring additional stressors due to the long period away from school. Most students experiencing normal separation anxiety will adjust within the first few weeks. If you feel your child needs additional support after the first few weeks or if you have questions about how to handle the first few weeks please contact our counseling department.
Jess Massey, M. Ed.
School Counselor
GIFTED AND TALENTED CORNER
Parent Orientation to the Gifted and Talented Education Program
Welcome to our returning and new families. Mrs. O’Connor and Mr. Nath, G/T Resource Teachers, are looking forward to a great school year with your children!
Did you know that all children at LES can be involved in the Gifted and Talented Education Program? To find out how, please join us on Wednesday, September 22nd from 5:30-6:15 p.m. in the LES cafeteria for a brief G/T Parent Information Night. ALL parents are invited and encouraged to attend. This session is especially valuable for families new to HCPSS or the Lisbon community. We hope to see you there; however, if you are unable to attend, the presentation slides will be available on the Lisbon Elementary School website. In the meantime, please visit http://www.hcpss.org/academics/gifted-and-talented/ for information about the Gifted and Talented Education Program. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Mrs. O’Connor at Jodi_OConnor@hcpss.org or Mr. Nath at Anjan_Nath@hcpss.org or call 410-313-5506.
Attention 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade parents.
This week, students had the opportunity to hear about the first Instructional Seminar offerings for their grade level for this school year. Instructional Seminars are small, interest-based groups that meet with a G/T Resource Teacher approximately once a week during recess. The duration of the Instructional Seminar varies based on the topic and may range from a few weeks to a few months to all year long. Students may participate in more than one Instructional Seminar during the year.
Instructional Seminar titles are listed below. To participate, click on the accompanying link that will take you to a sign up form. These links will also be available for your child on the Team Canvas page.
Grade 2
- Logic and Reasoning (Mr. Nath) *Sign Up by September 10th
Explore the mathematical logic embedded in riddles, puzzles, games and more! We will challenge ourselves to solve problems allowing our brains to grow. Do you feel your neurons firing yet?! Sign up Here!
Grade 3
“Bee” a Pollinator Protector! (Mr. Nath) *Sign Up by September 10th
What’s all the buzz about bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds? Join our seminar to learn more about pollinator superheroes that need our help! We will explore what pollinators are, how they help humans, and what we can do to save them. Sign up Here!
Cryptology (Mrs. O’Connor) *Sign Up by September 24th
Learn more about codes, ciphers, and the history behind it all. This seminar answers, (among other things), “What does math have to do with codes, ciphers, and cryptology?” Come discover how to apply mathematics skills and concepts to understand the world of code breaking! Sign up Here!
Grade 4
Bridge Building Challenge (Mrs. O’Connor) *Sign Up by September 24th
Have you ever wondered how bridges work? Why do some bridges fail, and why are some stronger than others? Come learn about different types of bridge designs and use household materials to put your ideas to the test. You can become a bridge builder extraordinaire! Sign up Here!
Stop Motion Storytelling (Mr. Nath) *Sign Up by September 10th
Students will learn how to use their Chromebooks to take pictures, and then edit them together in WeVideo to create short stop-motion films. As the class progresses, students will move on to adding sound/music and text effects! Sign up Here!
Grade 5
Gnome House Design (Mrs. O’Connor) *Sign Up by September 24th
As Gnome House Architects, you will think creatively and use decision-making skills to plan and design houses for your gnome clients using the steps of the architectural design process. Sign up Here!
Jolly Green Giants (Mr. Nath) *Sign Up by September 10th
Students with an interest in environmental issues will work together to make LES a more environmentally friendly place. Participants will brainstorm needs in an effort to initiate student-driven sustainability practices throughout the school! Sign-up Here!
Additional seminars may be added throughout the year as others are completed. These will be advertised to all students and shared in a similar manner with families.
*Note that students who participate in band or strings may still participate in an Instructional Seminar. Should there be an occasional conflict, students are asked to attend band or strings rather than the Instructional Seminar that day.
Please ask your child about their interest in the Instructional Seminars presented. Though we appreciate parents encouraging their children to apply to participate, we have learned that the students who are most successful are those who truly have an interest in or a passion for the topic. If you have further questions, please contact a G/T Resource Teacher: AJ Nath at Anjan_Nath@hcpss.org or Jodi O’Connor at Jodi_OConnor@hcpss.org. Thank you.
VISITORS TO LES
Parents and visitors who are entering the school for a brief visit to pick up or drop off their child, or for other reasons, are not required to show proof of vaccination or testing. They are, however, required to be masked regardless of their vaccination status.
Parents are not permitted to eat lunch in the school cafeteria with students at this time. Parents who are conducting classroom visits or observations must provide proof of vaccination status or a negative COVID-19 test (within seven days of the current date) to school administration when they check in at the front office.
Visitors should perform a COVID-19 health check every day before coming to an HCPSS building and should stay home if they are experiencing any symptom(s) associated with any communicable disease.
INFORMATION WORTH REPEATING
From the Health Room
Children exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 may not attend school. These students need to be evaluated for COVID-19 or an alternate medical diagnosis by a doctor. They may not return to school until the School Nurse gives clearance. Parents/guardians should keep their children home if they are experiencing:
Any ONE of the following:
- fever of 100.4 degrees or higher
- sore throat
- cough
- difficulty breathing
- diarrhea or vomiting
- new onset of severe headache (especially with fever), or
- new loss of taste or smell
Unvaccinated students who have been exposed to anyone with COVID-19 must remain in quarantine for the designated period of time. If vaccinated and showing symptoms, students must be medically evaluated prior to entering the building.
Free Student Meals for 2021-2022 School Year
FREE AND REDUCED MEALS (FARMS) PROGRAM
Many families are eligible to participate in the FARMs program, which helps families save money and opens access to many resources and discounts, including testing fees, tuition, internet, and much more. FARMs enrollment and participation is confidential. Families must reapply each year. Find more information and apply online.
Families approved for FARMS benefits by August 27, 2021 will receive Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) benefits for July and August in September. These benefits are intended to help families in Maryland purchase food while schools are closed due to COVID-19.
PTA Welcome Back Family Picnic
Community News and Programs
The link below will take you to community notices are neither sponsored nor endorsed by the Howard County Public School System.
http://www.hcpss.org/community-news-and-programs/