Keeping PACE
January 26, 2022
Recent Parent Academy Workshops and Real Talks for Promotion
Please share the latest Parent Academy videos and descriptions (below) on your school's social media sites and websites and in parent newsletters as appropriate. As a reminder, you can always share posts from the Parent Academy Facebook page. Thank you!
Middle School Matters
A special Parent Academy virtual workshop, Middle School Matters, was recently offered to 4th, 5th, or 6th grade parents. During this event, parents heard from Magnolia Middle School Principal Laurie Namey, Supervisor of Mathematics Joanne McCord, and Curriculum Specialist Katie Campbell about the importance of the middle school years.
Into Adulthood
Topics covered by the HCPS Counseling Office in this parent workshop include applying for college and financial aid, apprenticeship/internship/summer employment opportunities, and resources to support students’ readiness for college, work, and life.
Inclement Weather
In the most recent Real Talk video, Mary Beth Stapleton talks with Assistant Superintendent for Operations Cornell Brown and Director of Transportation Cathy Bendis to address some of the frequently asked questions from parents and guardians related to inclement weather assessments and delay/closure decisions by Harford County Public Schools. Take a moment to check it out!
Parent Academy Stock Market Game Resources
The Stock Market Game (SMG) is intended to be a completely flexible experience. Users are encouraged to follow a pace that best suits the schedule, needs, and abilities of the student investor. Instruction can be facilitated by the parent through the use of Teacher Support Center lessons and activities, or families may opt for a more self-paced experience through the use of the SMG Student Activity Packet.
Click here to find resources to help families get you started, including videos for both parent advisors and student investors and some favorite research sources.
Family Friendly School Award Program - Forest Lakes Elementary Named January's Winner!
HCPS Parent Academy, in partnership with Chick-fil-A of Harford County, is excited to announce that Forest Lakes Elementary School is the January winner for the school system’s Family Friendly School Award program!! Way to go, Lions!
This month, a total of 21 schools were nominated and 1,816 unique votes were cast by the community among the nominated schools, naming Forest Lakes Elementary the winner with 316 votes!! Not only does the school earn the coveted title of Family Friendly School for the month of January, but the entire school staff will be treated to a luncheon by the program’s partner, Chick-fil-A of Harford County.
We want to give a special shout out to this month's runner up schools, that narrowly missed the title by a few votes:
- George D. Lisby Elementary School at Hillsdale
- Bel Air Elementary School
- Jarrettsville Elementary School
Keep up the great work!
The school system will continue to celebrate its schools that best engage all families by consistently demonstrating the National PTA Standards for Family-School Partnerships. One school will be named a family friendly school each month through May.
February is up for grabs! Want to see your school highlighted for this award on the website and social media, plus treated to a Chick-fil-A lunch? Continue to encourage parents/guardians, students, staff and community members to nominate your school for the Family Friendly School Award! The nomination window will be open again February 1-8, 2022, on the Parent Academy page of hcps.org. If your school is nominated, our community can show how welcoming your school is by casting their vote February 10-17, 2022.
More information may be found on https://www.hcps.org/parents/parentacademy/familyfriendlyschools.aspx.
HCPS is deeply grateful for its generous Chick-fil-A partners at the Aberdeen, Bel Air, Constant Friendship, and Forest Hill locations for their tremendous support of this program.
PACE Resources
Please email Mary Beth Stapleton if you need supplies and materials to support PACE activities. Please make sure you include the data you are using to identify the need (SPA plan, parent surveys), a brief activity description, the budget, and when the activity will be completed (must be completed by 6/30/2022).
PACE Regional/Level Alike Meetings
Middle and high school level alike meetings for the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th quarters are being planned by Mijiza Green (middle school) and Andrew Kassouf (high school).
Elementary Level Alike Meetings:
Please remember to schedule one meeting during the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th in the regional/level alike groups you were provided and send those meeting dates to Mary Beth. During those meetings, using the 5 simple principles as a guide, you will:
- Share successes and best practices
- Share problems/challenges of practice and ask others for input/support
- Identify resources/support from the district
Reminder: Information About Compensation for PACE Liaison Duties
Linked below are two (2) payroll forms that you should use to submit your PACE hours for payment. There is one form for Teachers to use and another form for Support Staff to use. Instructions on submitting your PACE hours for payment are also included.
These documents are saved in the PACE section of the Family & Community Partnerships SharePoint site for you to access in the future.
Office of Communications and Family Outreach
Keeping PACE editors:
Manager of Family and Community Partnerships
Communications Specialist
Email: ParentAcademy@hcps.org
Website: https://www.hcps.org/parents/ParentAcademy/Default.aspx
Location: 102 South Hickory Avenue, Bel Air, MD, USA
Phone: 410-588-5263
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HCPSParentAcademy