Clemens Crossing Cougar Comments
October 19, 2018 - Volume 40, Issue 8
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
October
- 19 - Schools Closed - Professional Work Day
- 24 - PTA Room Parent Meeting, Media Center 7:00 p.m.
- 25 - Pumpkin Run during Gym for Grades 3-5
- 25 - Family Reading Night, 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
- 31 - In-School Banking, 9:00 a.m.
- 31 - Halloween Parade 2:45 p.m.
November
- 1 - National American Indian Heritage Month Begins
- 2 - Parent Conference Scheduling Opens, 9:00 a.m.
- 2 - PTA Bingo Night 7:00 p.m.
- 5 - End of 1st Quarter
- 6 - Schools and Offices Closed - Election Day
- 7 - Schools Closed - Professional Work Day
- 8 - Picture Make-Up Day
- 12 - American Education Week Begins (more information will be in the Cougar Comments soon)
- 12 - Strings Bootcamp, 7:00 p.m.
- 12 - Book Fair Begins
- 13 - Band Bootcamp, 7:00 p.m.
- 14 - PTA Meeting, 7:00 p.m.
- 16 - Parent Teacher Conference Scheduling Closes, 4:00 p.m.
- 16 - PTA Reflections: Heroes Around Me - Entries Due
- 19 - Parent Teacher Conferences - Schools Close 3-hours Early, Dismissal 12:45 p.m.
- 20 - Parent Teacher Conferences - Schools Close 3-hours early, Dismissal 12:45 p.m.
- 21 - Parent Teacher Conferences - Schools Closed
- 22 - Thanksgiving - Schools and Offices Closed
- 23 - Schools and Offices Closed
- 28 - In-school Banking, 9:00 a.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.
From School Administration
A copy of our School Improvement Plan Snapshot is available below.
CCES Reading Night
Please come join us in celebrating the last night of the Read-a-Thon on Thursday, October 25th from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. CCES is hosting our very own Pajama and Story Time for the students, while their parents hear all about some wonderful programs and book ideas from the Howard County Library. Non-school aged siblings are welcome but must stay with their parents during the library presentation.
This is a family event to enjoy and encourage more reading among our students. Come and relax while some of your favorite CCES staff members read you a bedtime story.
Thursday, Oct 25, 2018, 06:30 PM
Clemens Crossing Elementary School, Quarterstaff Road, Columbia, MD, USA
HALLOWEEN CELEBRATION - OCTOBER 31
The Annual Halloween Parade and parties are scheduled for Tuesday, October 31.
The parade will begin at 2:45 p.m. with our Kindergarten students leading us out the Kindergarten side doors onto the blacktop. We will proceed through the blacktop to the sidewalk in front of the school building and then back into the school through the 5th-grade doors.
Parent viewing areas will be in the center of the blacktop or the bus loop area.
Please see the Halloween Parade Route & Viewing Area map below.
Each grade level will communicate their party times and needs through their room parent. Due to space limitations, only two predetermined parent volunteers per class will be permitted in the building during classroom parties.
Parents/visitors will not be permitted in the school building after the parade.
We ask that you avoid any costumes that perpetuate violence, have any blood, gore, scary masks, or contain any type of weapons. Props that come with costumes that are play weapons are not allowed in school. This includes, but is not limited to, toy guns, knives, swords, sickles, pitchforks, etc. Please send costumes in a bag for the students to put on independently over their clothing before the parade.
Students are not allowed to wear their costumes to school.
Parking will be limited. Please park at the Clemens Crossing Pool or walk to the parade. Parking will be permitted in the bus loop until 3:10 p.m.
All cars must be gone from that area by 3:10 p.m. so our buses can park when they arrive for dismissal.
If there is rain, there will not be a rain date for the parade, but the classroom parties will proceed.
As always, if you prefer that your child does not take part in the Halloween Parade and/or party, please send a note to your child’s teacher or contact Mr. Cosentino or Mrs. Hurd.
PTA Bylaws
Our CCES PTA bylaws need to be reviewed every three years and submitted to the Maryland PTA. A draft of our bylaws, as we plan to submit them this year, is attached below. The bylaws are very similar to past years' bylaws. There are no major changes. We will be voting to approve these bylaws at the next PTA general membership meeting on Wednesday, November 14. We need to have a quorum of 30 people at this meeting in order to have the vote.
If you've ever thought of coming to a PTA meeting, please come to the one on November 14. We'll have snacks, and maybe even pumpkin pie. Please come and help make our quorum. If you have any questions about the bylaws, please contact Karen Pang, PTA president, at president@clemenscrossingpta.org.
PTA Read-A-Thon Continues through next week
CCES PTA Read-A-Thon, October 15-26.
This year’s Read-A-Thon starts on Monday! Information and forms are coming home in folders. You can also download them by clicking the download links below. This is the primary fundraiser for the year. We hope to have high participation from our community and their family members. Please share!
All students who participate earn a dollar off of their purchases at the upcoming Book Fair and the grade with most participants will receive a Popsicle Party!
We hope you’ll join us on October 25th for a Pajama Party and Story Time to celebrate all of our terrific readers.
PTA Directory
Don't Delay, Join Your PTA
After trying a lot of different fundraisers over the years, the CCES PTA’s major fundraiser is a direct donation program (and later in the fall, a Read-a-thon). Rather than sell candles or other merchandise, we ask each family to contribute $50 (or whatever you can afford) in addition to their membership dues to support the programs we sponsor throughout the year.
Our PTA membership rates are $15 for a family and $10 for an individual.
Consider all the programs your PTA brings to the school -- Cultural Arts assemblies, after-school classes, field trip support, the Science Fair, International Night, Visiting Author, after-school classes, Talent Show, Spring Carnival, etc., etc., etc., and support your PTA!
You can sign up online at http://clemenscrossingpta.org/family-membership/
Or, you can print the membership form attached below, and write a check payable to
CCES PTA. Send the form and check back to school with your child.
Thank you so much!!
NATIONAL PTA REFLECTIONS
Creative Arts & Writing Contest
Reflections is a National PTA program to encourage all children to participate in the arts for fun and recognition. Students work independently to present their artistic interpretation of this year's theme. Works can be literature including prose, poetry, drama, reflective essay, narrative, short story; visual art such as drawing, painting, collage; and musical composition.
There is also a Special Artist Division for students with disabilities who receive services under
IDEA or Section 504.
HOW TO ENTER:
1. Reflect on the theme “Heroes Around Me” & create an original work in one (or more!) of the following categories: Literature, Music, or Visual Arts
Please check Rules for your Category to be sure your entry can be accepted!
2. Fill out an Entry Form, and be sure to include your Artist’s Statement (that is 50% of your score from the judges!).
3. Turn in your artwork and entry form to the Front Office by November 16, 2018!
QUESTIONS?
Contact Risa Carlson, Reflections Chair at reflections@clemenscrossingpta.org
Artwork will be judged in 3 categories:
- Primary (Grades K-2)
- Intermediate (Grades 3-5), and
- Special Artist (for students with challenges as covered in the ADA).
Entries will be reviewed by experienced arts and education judges. All participants will be celebrated with certificates of participation, the top three entries will receive ribbons and the first place entry will receive a medal. The top three entries in each category will move on to the Howard County Reflections Contest; the top three County entries will move on to the Maryland State Reflections Contest, and State winners in each category will compete in the National PTA Reflections Contest.
EVERY entry will be displayed and celebrated at the Annual Schoolwide Showcase in May.
Community News and Programs
Drive-thru EpiPen, Medication and More Collection
Howard County's next convenient drive-thru over-the-counter and prescription medication and “sharps” (needles, syringes and EpiPens) collection will be held on Saturday, October 27 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the Wilde Lake Village Center parking lot near the Swim Center and UPS Store. HC DrugFree and the Howard County Police urge you to clean out your unwanted or expired over-the-counter and prescription medication and sharps. Please visit HC DrugFree’s website at www.hcdrugfree.org and go to the Events/Drug Take Back Day page for more information about medication disposal, email Admin@hcdrugfree.org or call 443-325-0040.