Clemens Crossing Cougar Comments
February 22, 2019 - Volume 40, Issue 22
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
February
- 22 - 40th Anniversary - School Spirit Day: Wear CCES apparel or CCES colors
- 27 - In School Banking, 9:00 a.m.
March
- 1 - Begin National Women's History Month
- 1 - Spirit Day - Read Across America - Dress as favorite book character
- 5 - PTA Restaurant Day - Chick-Fil-A Johns Hopkins Road
- 6 - Interim Progress Reports Issued
- 8 - K Field Trip to Toby's
- 11 - Kindergarten Registration Week Begins
- 11 - Gr.1 Field Trip to Toby's
- 13 - Class Picture Day
- 13 - PTA Meeting, 7:00 p.m.
- 14 - PTA International Night 6:30 p.m.
- 18 - Junior Achievement In A Day
- 20 - Math Night, 6:00 p.m.
- 27 - In School Banking, 9:00 a.m.
- 28 - Gr.2 Field Trip to Toby's
April
- 26 - PTA Talent Show (NEW DATE! Moved from the end of March)
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
Clemens Crossing Turns 40!
We hope you can join us for the festivities celebrating our 40th Anniversary on February 22.Our celebration will start with a big Reunion and Open House for former staff, students, and parents from 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
There will be a Ceremony from 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the Gymnasium.
Starting at 6:00 p.m. Bullhead Pit Beef and Flash Crabcake Company Food Trucks will be on site serving dinner. Families can eat in the Cafeteria at that time.
At 6:30 p.m. our PTA Family Fun Night will start. We will have a DJ and dancing in the Gymnasium and fun activities in the Cafeteria. For dessert, there will be a 40th Anniversary cake served. Please note, children must have an adult with them for this event.
Adjusted 2018-19 School Calendar
As of Wednesday, February 20, Howard County Public Schools will have been closed due to inclement weather five days this school year: November 15, January 14 and 30, February 11 and February 20. That is one day more than the four inclement weather days identified on the 2018-2019 academic calendar. The last day of school is currently scheduled to be Friday, June 21, with the final three days dismissing three hours early.
The Board of Education will have discussions on how to account for the fifth inclement weather day used, and any necessary subsequent days, at a future public meeting.
Maryland State Law requires schools to be in session for a minimum of 180 days each year and waivers to this requirement must be approved by the Maryland State Board. These are not automatically granted even when a State of Emergency is in effect.
HCPSS will continue to update parents, staff, and students on any future adjustments made to the academic calendar.
KINDERGARTEN & NEW FIRST GRADE REGISTRATION STARTS MARCH 11
Kindergarten Registration begins Monday, March 11 through Friday, March 15 at
Clemens Crossing Elementary School. Children who will be five years old as of September 1, 2019 must enroll in Kindergarten for the 2019-2020 school year.
Registration will take place daily from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at CCES Front Office.
There will be two evening registrations available: Tuesday, March 12 and Thursday, March 14 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. No appointment is necessary.
You will need to bring the following documents:
- Birth certificate, birth registration or passport.
- Current immunization record - must be a print out from the pediatrician and signed.
- Deed or lease to your home
- Current utility bill
- Photo ID of parent/guardian registering the student
Please visit the Howard County Public School System website for complete information about enrollment and registration. You can follow steps 1-4 at home and Online before finalizing the process in step 5. You may begin the online registration as early as February 25.
Science Fair 2019
Your child is invited to participate in this year’s Science Fair on Wednesday, May 15 from 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. during the Clemens Crossing Elementary School Showcase.
The Showcase will highlight the remarkable things our extraordinary students have done this year at Clemens Crossing Elementary School. The Science Fair, GT Enrichment Fair, PTA Reflections, and Classroom Displays are all part of the annual showcase.
If your child is interested in doing a Science Fair - Collection, Investigation, or Invention - at home, please download the attachments below or visit the Clemens Crossing Elementary School website to download documents for one of the three different types of science fair projects. Students may work individually or in groups. Once your child has identified a project, please complete the online form titled, “Intent to Participate.” That form is also included below. Students who elect to participate will have their name read on the morning announcements and their name printed and hung on a hallway wall display. Directions on where and when to bring in the projects will be shared individually with participants and in future Cougar Comments and by email correspondences. We are excited to highlight the commitment shown and the hard work done by the CCES students this year.
Many thanks for all of your support at home and in the building this year!
Types of Science Fair Projects
· Students in Kindergarten, First, or Second Grade may submit a Science Collection.
Students will collect and organize something of interest answering questions related to observations made while exploring their world.
· Students in any grade may conduct a Science Investigation to answer a question/problem. Students will use The Scientific Method to learn the systematic approach to solving a problem.
· Students in any grade may submit a Science Invention. Students will use the engineering design process to create an invention that will solve a problem or answer a question.
Unheard Perspectives Showcase
The public is invited to attend the annual Unheard Perspectives Showcase: Student Investigations of African-American History on Saturday, February 23, hosted by the HCPSS Elementary Social Studies office, Black Student Achievement Program, and Gifted and Talented Program.
The program features students in grades 3-5 who volunteered to learn more about African-Americans in American History. This year’s guiding question was: “Which African American innovator has had a significant impact on your life?” Students will showcase their knowledge and findings through a visual presentation, display or performance. In addition, there will be numerous presentations and exhibits from both community and national organizations.
A schedule and more information can be found on the Unheard Perspectives website. Participating elementary schools include: Atholton, Bollman Bridge, Bryant Woods, Clarksville, Clemens Crossing, Cradlerock, Dayton Oaks, Forest Ridge, Fulton, Gorman Crossing, Guilford, Hanover Hills, Hollifield Station, Laurel Woods, Longfellow, Northfield, Rockburn, Running Brook, Stevens Forest, St. John’s Lane, Swansfield, Talbott Springs, Triadelphia Ridge and West Friendship.
Spirit Day for Read Across America Day March 1
Clemens Crossing Elementary will celebrate Read Across America next week. Students and staff are invited to dress as a favorite book character next Friday, March 1.
Our next In-School Banking date for the school year is February 27 between 9:00 a.m.-9:30 a.m. in the Cafeteria.
Students can start banking at any time during the year. Please find information on our website if you would like to open an account. In addition, the In-School Banking form is required to open an account with First National Bank.
G/T Summer Institute
G/T Summer Institutes provide interested students with advanced-level instruction and enrichment experiences not regularly available during the academic school year.
The curriculum is focused on talent development and provides academically and artistically rigorous activities. Teaching strategies represent best practices in the fields of gifted and talented and arts education. The full catalog is below.
Choose Civility 2019 Poster and Video Contest
We Are All Welcome Here
Design a poster or create a video illustrating the theme.
Use your imagination, creativity, and artistic talent to show how everyone is welcome in our school, neighborhood, and entire community.
Start by asking yourself a few questions:
- How can you welcome and include others?
- How has someone welcomed and included you?
- What does it mean to be part of a community?
More information: Choose Civility Website
Keep Family File Current
Special Guest for March 13 PTA Meeting
We are very excited to announce that we will be joined by a special guest speaker for our March 13th PTA Meeting. Dr. Zaneb Beams, a local pediatrician and mom, will be speaking to us about her approach to preventive mental health care and overall wellness for parents and their children of all ages. Join us at 6:30 p.m. in the Media Center for this informational session. A modified PTA Meeting will follow at 7:15 p.m.
Please be sure to make time in your schedule to attend this great event! You are welcome to join the open Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/rubixwellnessgroup/.
CCES PTA International Night 2019
CCES PTA’s International Night will be held on Thursday, March 14th from 6:30p.m. – 8 p.m.
Join us for an evening of food, fun, crafts and a performance from the amazing Chinese Acrobats as we take a trip around the world and discover the many different cultures and countries that represent our students, family, and faculty at Clemens Crossing Elementary!
To make our biggest cultural event of the year a success, we need your help!
Please sign up to be a ‘Country Host’ during the event. ‘Country Hosts’ are provided space to display any items you would like to bring to represent your country – a tri-fold of facts, books, clothing, artifacts, and, of course, food! We have space for approximately 20 different countries to be represented.
We are also in need of a few volunteers to help with set up and clean up. If you are interested in volunteering for any of these opportunities, please click on the link below to sign up or fill in the embedded form below.
Click here to volunteer for International Night
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to culturalarts@clemenscrossingpta.org.
We are looking forward to seeing you there!
Turn In Box Tops for Education
Clemens Crossing receives cash for your Box Tops! Remember to cut them out and send them in with your child. Each grade level has a collection bin -- the more Box Tops your grade brings in, the more cash your child's class receives!
Box Tops are collected year-round. The next shipment will go out in late February, so please send in what you have by Feb.22, and then keep sending them in for the remainder of the year for the next shipment.
Community News and Programs
Public Information Office for distribution. Please visit Distributing Community Information through the School System or contact the Public Information Office at 410-313-6682 if you have any questions.