Phelps Luck Elementary School
Sandra McGraw, Assistant Principal
Jennifer Stairs, Assistant Principal
From School Administration
We are excited to welcome parents and guardians to our annual Back-to-School Nights next week. What is Back to School Night? What should you expect?
Back to School Night is an event held at the beginning of the school year at each school. Its primary purpose is to provide an opportunity for parents or guardians to meet with their child's teachers and get acquainted with the school's staff and policies.
Here's a more detailed explanation:
Introduction to Teachers: During Back to School Night, parents have the chance to meet their child's teachers face-to-face. This is an essential part of building a strong parent-teacher partnership. Teachers usually provide an overview of their background, teaching methods, and what to expect in their class throughout the school year.
Curriculum Overview: Teachers will discuss the curriculum, learning standards, and the subjects that will be covered during the academic year. This information helps parents understand what their child will be learning and how they can support their education at home.
Classroom Environment: Parents will get to visit their child's classroom. This allows them to see the physical environment and any resources that will be available to their child. They can also get a sense of how the classroom is structured.
Expectations and Policies: We (administrators) will share important information about school policies, procedures, and expectations. This includes details about grading systems (PK-2 has new grading and reporting procedures), attendance, communication channels, and discipline policies.
Q&A Session: Back to School Night typically includes a question-and-answer session where parents can ask specific questions about the class or school policies. It's a valuable opportunity for parents to clarify any doubts they may have.
Meet Other Parents: Parents often have the chance to meet and interact with other parents whose children are in the same class or grade. This can help foster a sense of community and provide a support network for parents.
Parent-Teacher Communication: Teachers will provide information about how parents can contact them, whether through email, phone, or in-person appointments. Establishing open lines of communication is crucial for addressing any concerns or questions throughout the school year.
Our Back-to-School Nights will start promptly at 6:30 p.m. in the cafeteria. School administrators and our PTA will share important information with everyone. After that presentation, parents/guardians will visit their child's classroom for classroom-specific information. We look forward to seeing you next week.
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September 2023 HCPSS Calendar | | September 2023 Related Arts Color Calendar |
September 2023
September 2023
Important Reminders about Absences
Reporting Absences
To report a student's absence please email the following group email address: PLESAbsence@hcpss.org. In your message please include the student's first and last name, grade, teacher, why they were absent and the days absent.
The school must receive a note, handwritten or emailed, from the parent or physician explaining the absence/tardiness of a student within two school days of the student’s return or the absence/tardiness will be unlawful/unexcused. When a doctor’s certification for chronic illness has been required and not provided within two school days of the student’s return, the absence/tardiness will be recorded as unlawful/unexcused until a doctor’s certificate is provided.
For absences of up to 3 days per year, the principal may determine whether the absences will be lawful/excused or unlawful/unexcused. Completed the Discretionary Absence Form (found on PLES website under School Resources). Submit the form to PLESAbsence@hcpss.org for the principal’s approval.
For absences in excess of three days, the principal in consultation with the administrative directors will determine if the absences will be lawful/excused or unlawful/unexcused. If the request is for 15 consecutive days or more, the written request should be submitted 2 weeks in advance.
Students with unlawful absences of 10 consecutive school days or more will be withdrawn from school and may be allowed to re-enroll, provided they meet enrollment requirements, upon their return. Students returning from lawful absences have an equal number of days to complete make-up work.
National PTA School of Excellence
The Phelps Luck PTA knows that a strong partnership among our families, school leaders, and community members is important to the success of our students and school. 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 Phelps Luck Elementary School and the Phelps Luck 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 Phelps Luck Elementary School.
We need your help! As part of the process, the National PTA requests feedback from families, administrators, and teachers at two points in the school year—the beginning and the end. 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, September 21.
Does this sound like a PTA program you’d really like to help with? Join us! Contact either of us to learn more.
Sincerely,
Karen Mattingly, PTA President &
Ed Cosentino, Principal
MAP TESTING
Phelps Luck will administer the Measured Academic Progress (MAP) assessment to all students in 1st through 5th grades in Reading and Math between September 18 and October 15. The data from the MAP assessment will help schools and teachers measure your student’s academic progress. The MAP test does not affect a student's grades. The test is a computer-adaptive test, which means the test automatically adjusts the difficulty level depending on how your child responds to test questions. It is normal for students only to answer about half the questions correctly. Please check with students to see if they need headphones to use at school. The HCPSS website contains detailed information about MAP testing here. If you have questions about MAP testing, please contact Ms. McGraw at sandra_mcgraw@hcpss.org.
Girls on the Run
Registration for Girls on the Run's Fall 2023 Season is now open! Girls on the Run® inspires participants in grades 3-5 to be joyful, healthy, and confident by using running to teach valuable life skills. The PLES team will have 20 girls and meet twice weekly after school for 10 weeks. Each season concludes with the girls and their 5K Buddy Runners participating in a 5K run. The Fall season begins September 19 and will meet at PLES Tuesdays and Thursdays after school until 4:45. Our celebratory, in-person 5K event is scheduled for December 2, 2023. The registration fee is $185 with financial aid available! Program fees include approximately 20 lessons, all program materials, 5K and program shirts, water bottle, and more.
Visit www.gotrcentralmd.org to register. Questions? Call 443-583-7740.
Calling for Watch D.OG.S. Leaders!
Watch DOGS University is one of the nation’s largest and most respected school-based, family, and community engagement organizations in the country. Since the program’s creation in 1998, more than 6,450 schools across the country have launched a WATCH D.O.G.S. program of their own. Each school year, hundreds of thousands of fathers and father figures make a positive impact on millions of children by volunteering millions of hours in their local schools through this amazing one-of-a-kind program. Who are Watch D.O.G.S.? Fathers, grandfathers, stepfathers, uncles, and other father figures who volunteer to serve at least one day a year in a variety of school activities as assigned by the school's administrators.
In partnership with the PLES PTA, we are excited to move into our sixth year! As we plan for the upcoming year, we are putting together our Watch D.O.G.S. Leadership Team of volunteers to plan for our Kickoffs. If you are interested, please email Sandra McGraw by Friday, August 18, 2023. Please either click on the name to email or call the school at 410-313-6886. Once we establish our team, we will contact you for the date and time of our first Watch D.O.G.S. Leadership meeting. Thank you!
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