Clemens Crossing Cougar Comments
April 5, 2019 - Volume 40, Issue 28
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
April
- 5 - Professional Work Day/End of Marking Period - Dismissal at 12:45 p.m.
- 5 - Battle of the Books (5th Grade Teams) at Long Reach HS - *tickets required, 7:00 p.m.
- 8 - Columbia Mall Art Show Begins
- 10 - PTA Meeting, 7:00 p.m.
- 11 - SPIRIT DAY - BEACH DAY! Wear Beach Clothes
- 12 - Casey Cares Ends - See below
- 12 - Third Grade Bread Bake
- 12 - Fifth Grade Field Trip to Washington D.C.
- 15 thru 22 - Schools Closed: SPRING BREAK
- 23 - Fourth Grade Art Field Trip to Washington D.C.
- 24 - In-School Banking
- 24 - Fourth Grade Days of Taste Chef Presentation
- 24 - Report cards Issued
- 25 - National Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day
- 26 - PTA Talent Show (NEW DATE! Moved from the end of March) - 7:00 p.m.
May
- 1 - Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month Starts
- 1 - Chick-fil-A PTA Restaurant Night (All Day)
- 6 - Fourth Grade Days of Taste Farm Field Trip (part 1)
- 8 - Fourth Grade Days of Taste In-School Presentation (part 2)
- 9 - Kindergarten Field Trip to Baltimore's B&O Museum
- 11 - PTA sponsored DIY Wood Pallet Paint Night Fundraiser, 6:45 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
(NEW DATE moved from 3/29) - 13 - Volunteer Appreciation Celebration, 2:30 p.m.
- 14 - Spring Chorus Concert, 7:00 p.m.
- 15 - Schoolwide Showcase (GT Enrichment Fair, Science Fair, Classroom Displays) 6:30 p.m.
- 16 - Interim Reports Issued
- 17 - Professional Learning/Articulation Day - School Closes 3-Hours Early, 12:45 p.m.
- 17 - PTA Spring Carnival (May 24 - rain date)
- 21 - Fifth Grade visits Wilde Lake Middle School, 9:15 a.m.
- 22 - String Concert, 6:30 p.m. -and- Band Concert, 7:30 p.m.
- 23 - Field Day (May 24 - rain date)
- 27 - Memorial Day - Schools and Offices Closed
- 29 - In-School Banking
June - Adjusted Final Days of School
- 3 - Fifth Grade Simulated Congressional Hearings
- 4 - Early Dismissal 12:45 p.m. - Professional Work Day
- 5 - Career Day (Grades 3-5) Morning Only
- 17 - Full Day of School
- 18 - Full Day of School
- 19 - School Closes 3-Hours Early, 12:45 p.m.
- 20 - School Closes 3-Hours Early, 12:45 p.m.
- 21- LAST DAY OF SCHOOL: School Closes 3-Hours Early, 12:45 p.m.
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.
2019-2020 CCES and HCPSS Calendar
From School Administration
Happy Spring! It seems that Mother Nature is taking us on a roller-coaster of changing temperatures. It’s nice to see the grass getting a little greener and the skies a little bluer.
As Spring moves in, all of us have a bit of extra energy. The excitement of summer vacation two months away is upon us. Please take a few minutes to review our school common expectations of being respectful, organized, achieving, and ready. Your help and reinforcement support us in making it to the end of the year while keeping our strength of character intact! With more daylight time students are able to benefit from more fresh air in their day. We encourage all of our students to be active during recess and after school. As the temperatures are a bit all over the place, please be sure to check the weather and make sure your child is dressed appropriately.
Spring is also another wonderful time in a school year to celebrate! We begin to truly reflect on our experiences and how much we have grown. As educators, we celebrate the gains our students have made and begin to start thinking about how we can serve them in the upcoming year. We encourage you to lead your child in reflection about their school year and support them in their own personal goals, not just for school and academics, but also consider other aspirations they may have. Maybe they would like to run a race or become a better ball player, set a goal to read 10 books during summer vacation, or maybe they aspire to be more adventurous or brave by trying something new!
It's hard to believe that we are in the homestretch! Third through Fifth graders will be taking the PARCC Assessment during the next quarter. We are so proud of how hard the students have worked to show us their best!
A special thank you to Mrs. Hurd for her help and support in making sure our testing is running smoothly. Specific dates are listed below for PARCC.
This month I would also like to give a special thank you to all of our volunteers. There is no real adequate way to thank you for all that you do for our little school. Your time, care, dedication, and love for both children and education is appreciated and we are beyond grateful every day for all of you! We are blessed to have so many parents, grandparents, and even the support of many former teachers during the day and after school enriching the experience of our students and providing them with some extra practice and support.
No matter how big or small your contribution, from chaperoning a field trip to helping on a regular basis, we appreciate you!
Destination Imagination Team Wins State Competition
Destination Imagination (DI) is an educational program where student teams solve open-ended Challenges and present their solutions at tournaments. Elementary, middle, secondary and university students form teams of up to seven students and each team selects one of seven Challenges. With the guidance of a teacher or parent as Team Manager, each team creates an action plan and works together for weeks or months to develop and create a solution to the Challenge’s proposed problem.
Teams across Maryland have worked for months to prepare their solutions to Team Challenges and have practiced their Instant Challenge skills. They presented their challenge solutions at Regional Tournaments throughout the State in March. Those teams that placed at the top at their Regional competition won the privilege to continue their DI journey at the State Tournament last weekend. Those who place at the top at States will advance to the Global Finals in Kansas City in late May.
The Clemens Crossing Destination Imagination Team (upper grades) won the regional competition in early March and qualified to compete in the state competition last weekend. The team won first place at the State competition and qualified for the Global Finals in Kansas City at the end of May.
Congratulations to the CCES DI Team: Sara Getty, Dylan Chang, Arlo Reinhardt, Henry Reinhardt, Troy Buck, Colin Tracey, and Joel Vargeese!
47th Annual Spring Student Visual Arts Exhibition at the Mall in Columbia
Reception April 11 from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, Apr 9, 2019, 09:00 PM
The Mall in Columbia, Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia, MD, USA
CCES Artwork on Display
The Mall in Columbia during the annual Visual Arts Exhibition.
The display panel from Clemens Crossing was located on the upper concourse outside of Nordstrom, across from Panera. Normally the schools are grouped by their grade level, with all of the secondary schools on the upper concourse in the center by Lord & Taylor, while some elementary schools (A-F) are on the upper level near our school, and the others (G-W) are on the lower level outside of Nordstrom.
Kindergarten
Mana Aiolupotea, James Buck, Christophoros Papailiou, Stella Platino, Noah Samson, Ashray Vir
First Grade
Olivia Ashton, Serafina Gilbertson, Sophia Huang, Carter Lopez, Samuel McDonald,
Samuel McNeel, Eve Samuel, Leah Wilson, Austin Zhang
Second Grade
Gabriel Betz, Mason Branger, Avish Goel, Samuel Monroe, Claudia Pantano, Isabel Zarfoss
Third Grade
Sofia Blose, Grace Castleberry, Tyler Logan, Aaradhya Pradhan, Daphne Richardson, Gwendolyn Seidman, Mikayla Washington
Fourth Grade
Kasey Chandler, Ethan Evans, Sofia Hufft, Erin Li
Fifth Grade
Penelope Cortes, Avery Gilbertson, Corinne Kelly, Gavin Lampasone, Regen Pingaro,
Magnolia Rinehart, Jason Seo, Maddison Stull, AnnaBeth Tsai-Turton
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY
Do you love books and reading? The Clemens Crossing Library Media Center is looking for a volunteer to shelve books on Thursdays or Fridays. Times are flexible. Please contact
Mrs. Marshall at christy_marshall@hcpss.org for more information. Thank you!
LITTLE FREE LIBRARY DONATIONS
Are you spring cleaning? If your family has children’s books that are no longer needed, please consider donating them to the Clemens Crossing Little Free Library. You can place books directly into the LFL outside of the school. If you have a bag or a box of books, please contact Mrs. Marshall at christy_marshall@hcpss.org. Thanks for sharing the love of reading!
Are You Moving?
If you have moved or are moving soon, please notify us as soon as possible.
We are available to assist you with transitioning to your child's new school. Whether it be another HCPSS school, private school, or to 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, bring your new residency documents to the front office and we will update your address in the system. If you have any questions, call Jennifer Aballo, our Registrar.
Bus Evacuation Drills
In case of an emergency, it is very important that all students practice how to evacuate the school bus. School bus evacuation drills have already been conducted successfully many times and will be practiced at CCES upon arrival to school on Monday, 4/8.
In order to implement this drill, bus drivers will share the following information:
- To begin the drill, the driver will give the command, "Evacuate by the rear door."
- Students should leave all loose belongings such as books, backpacks, etc. on the bus.
- Two older students, designated by the bus driver, should leave the bus first and place themselves on each side of the rear door to assist others. The students should then evacuate from the front of the bus toward the rear door.
- A word of caution: When leaving through the rear door, students should accept the hand of the assistants and step down from the bust to the pavement. Jumping could cause a fall and result in serious injury. Students may sit on the floor at the rear exit and scoot out the door if they prefer.
- Upon leaving the bus, students will form a line or a compact group to wait for further instructions.
Feel free to share this information with your child(ren) in order to prepare them for this drill.
Thank you and feel free to contact Mrs. Hurd (sonia_hurd@hcpss.org) with any questions.
Field Day 2019 - Tee-Shirt Order Form Due 4/12/19
Science Fair
The complete information about the Science Fair can be found on the CCES website.
The registration link is below.
Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC)
The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) is a consortium of states developing assessments to measure student achievement in English Language Arts (ELA)/ Literacy and Mathematics for grades 3-8 and high school. The primary purpose of PARCC is to provide high-quality assessments of students’ progression toward postsecondary readiness and success.
The PARCC tests are designed to match the Maryland College and Career-Ready Standards and assess whether students are meeting grade-level expectations.
In contrast to other assessments, the PARCC is an extension to regular instruction, because students experience engaging, real-life texts and solve meaningful problems based on high-quality classroom work. In addition, built-in accessibility features help all students do their best and expand access for students with disabilities.
PARCC Testing Dates at Clemens Crossing, Grades 3-5 Only
Grade 3
ELA: May 6th, 7th, 8th
Math: May 28th, 29th, 30th, 31st
Grade 4
ELA: May 1st, May 2nd, May 3rd
Math: May 16th, May 20th, May 21st, May 22nd
Grade 5
ELA: April 26th, April 29th, April 30th
Math: May 10th, 13th, 14th, 15th
Casey Cares Ends April 12
Dear Clemens Crossing Families,
My name is Sarah Eber, I am a senior at Towson University working as an intern with Casey Cares Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides uplifting programs for critically ill children and their families. I am a former Clemens Crossing student and also the daughter of Ms. Marybeth DeSantis, the band and string teacher at Clemens Crossing Elementary.
An important part of my internship is developing relationships with communities as well as the families directly involved in the Casey Cares program. Clemens Crossing is a community well known for supporting and nurturing the needs of children and a community of mine as well. Before going into the details of my internship project, I would like to share with you why Casey Cares Foundation and this internship is important to me. When I was 15 years old I was diagnosed with a critical illness spending 3 months in Johns Hopkins and Kennedy Krieger Institute. I not only received medical care, but emotional care as well so my family and I could cope with the challenges and begin healing to move forward. I chose to go into a Family Studies field with an Introduction to Child Life so I can make a difference in the lives of other families with sick children.
I am inviting you to make a difference in the lives of these families by participating in the fourth annual Pajama Party sponsored by the Casey Cares Foundation! I am hosting a drive to collect new pajamas and gift cards to provide cozy at home movie kits that give families the opportunity to spend time together. Have your child wear their favorite pair of pajamas to school on Friday, April 12th! There will be donation bins inside the front door of the school from April 1st through April 12th.
We are collecting:
~ new two-piece PJs (Infant to Adult sizes),
~ $10 gift cards (Fandango, Amazon, Walmart, Target, etc.)
~ Pizza gift cards (Ledo Pizza, Pizza Hut, Little Caesar’s, Domino’s, etc.)
There are also other Drop off locations for donations throughout April, and they, along with information about how the pajama donations began, can be found on their website:
http://caseycares.org/events/caseycaresbiggestpjparty
http://caseycares.org/what-we-do/kamis-jammies
I look forward to working with you to make this program a successful and fun for everyone. I will be at Clemens Crossing Friday, April 12th to participate with Clemens Crossing community. You can reach me at 443-878-5960 or seber1@students.towson.edu for any questions or to request more information on the amazing programs Casey Cares provides.
Sincerely,
Sarah Eber
Family and Human Service Major
Towson University
8000 York Road
Towson, Maryland 21252
Upcoming Spirit Days
Barnes & Noble Day, Long Gate Shopping Center Day April 27
Come join the PTA for a book fair at Barnes & Noble in Ellicott City on April 27. The fun will start at 1pm and go until 3pm. We will have story time and a fun craft. All the proceeds from this event will go to our kids' media center.
ANGST, the Movie
Description
Parents and guardians are invited to a free documentary screening and panel discussion around anxiety in youth. This 55-minute film features candid interviews with children and young adults who struggle, or have struggled, with anxiety — including Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps. This film explores the causes, symptoms and effects of anxiety and stress, and encourages youth and their families to seek help. Middle and high school students are invited to attend with a parent or guardian. Each film screening will be followed by a discussion with local experts.
DATES AND LOCATIONS
Join us at one of four events. Film begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by discussion.
- Glenelg High School – Tues. April 9, 6:30 p.m. 14025 Burntwoods Rd, Glenelg, MD 21737
- Mt. Hebron High School – Wed. April 10, 6:30 p.m. 9440 Old Frederick Rd, Ellicott City, MD 21042
If you need Interpreting Services, please contact Rashel Taylor at rtaylor@thehorizonfoundation.org.
For more information about the film "Angst," please visit angstmovie.com.
Guest Speaker for PTA Meeting on April 10th
We are very excited to announce that we will be joined by a special guest speaker for our April 10th PTA meeting. Noreen Naroo-Pucci, a leader of the Howard County Chapter of Start School Later, will be speaking to us about the importance of sleep for children and the scientific studies showing the connection between hours of sleep and school start times. She will also discuss the proposals for starting high schools later that were presented to the Howard County Board of Education, most recently in December 2017. Join us at 6:30 in the media center for this informational session. A modified PTA meeting will follow at 7:15. Please be sure to make time in your schedule to attend this great event!
PTA Executive Board Open Seats for 2019-2020
Nominees for all Executive Board positions will be presented at the PTA meeting on April 10.
The following positions have no candidates of yet:
- 1st Vice President
- 2nd Vice President
- Recording Secretary
- Corresponding Secretary
Anyone interested in running for these positions is welcome to do so! For more information, please contact the Nominating Committee: Hyung Chang (hschang23@gmail.com), Chris McDonald (r.christopher.mcdonald@gmail.com), Christy Pine (thegapines@gmail.com).
CCES PTA NEEDS YOU!
The Clemens Crossing Elementary School PTA Nominating Committee is looking for volunteers to chair several positions during the 2019-2020 academic year. PTA position descriptions and contact information can be found below. Most of these positions do not require regular attendance at monthly PTA board meetings. Updates to the board can be communicated through email.
We welcome anyone who would like to be involved. If you have time to help in any capacity, please contact any or all of the Nominating Committee:
Hyung Chang (hschang23@gmail.com)
Chris McDonald (r.christopher.mcdonald@gmail.com)
Christy Pine (thegapines@gmail.com)
PTA POSITION and DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES
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.
PTA Council Rep (2 volunteers)
PTA Council delegates and PTA Presidents are the all-important communication link between the local PTA unit and the PTA Council. Representatives attend monthly PTACHC and relay information at CCES PTA meetings.
SECAC Representative
Under the law, Howard County Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee advises the school system on the needs of students with disabilities. We collaborate with other community disability advocacy groups to improve special education and the lives of our students in Howard County, MD.
SIT Representative
Each school has a School Improvement Team made up of school staff, parents and other community members, which oversees the process of improving instruction and academic performance in that school. The SIT is charged with developing a school improvement plan that serves as a tool for reviewing school progress, appropriately adjusting instruction, and delineating responsibility for implementation. The CCES PTA's SIT representative acts as a liaison between the PTA and the SIT. The SIT representative attends three annual meetings with the SIT and provides updates on the school’s progress against established goals at PTA meetings.
Audit Committee (2 volunteers)
A three-member committee that periodically examines the financial books of the CCES PTA. At the end of the year, or anytime there is a change of treasurers, the audit committee will examine the treasurer's financial report and certify that it is correct.
Newcomers
Coordinates welcoming new families to CCES: identifies volunteers at each grade level who would be willing to host playdates and answer questions for new families joining our CCES Community. May choose to host a new families picnic/playdate at the CCES playground in the fall.
Paw Print Press
Coordinates volunteers and production of Paw Print Press books.
Play Coordinator
The play coordinator serves as a liaison between the School House Theater Arts and parents. The coordinator works together with STA in arranging the school play, serving as the liaison between parents and STA, and coordinating the cast party on the final night of the performance.
Special Education Liaison
Individual works w/ Special Education staff to promote, support and recognize best practices in meeting the needs of students receiving Special Education services. This position is fairly flexible depending on the needs of the Special Education team and what the individual would like to emphasize and promote. In the past, we have purchased equipment for the Special Education team (iPad, books), worked w/ Parent Partners, and promoted disability awareness activities.
Spirit Wear
Coordinates sale of spirit wear including identifying merchandise to be included in the sale and working with the vendor, collecting orders and payments, and distributing merchandise.
Staff Appreciation
Coordinates staff appreciation events and activities including, Back to School Luncheon (the week before school starts), November and February conference dinners, and teacher appreciation week luncheon/events (early May). Recruits volunteers. Events are scheduled both during the school day and evenings. This is a great position for two people to co-chair.
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.
Visiting Author
Coordinates the annual author visit by working with the school media instructor to select author, decide on a date, advertise the event to families, coordinate book orders, and be present on the day of the event.
Web Master
Manages website functionality and design adaptation. Coordinates with Website Chair to present content in the most user-friendly way.
Web Site
Works with Communication Chair and President to manage and post web site content. Coordinates with Web Master to address functionality issues or re-design.
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.