Owl Observer News
August 25, 2023
A Message from Administration
Greetings DLES Community,
The first day of school is coming and we are getting so excited to welcome your children back into the building for a great year of learning and achieving goals together. This newsletter has some very important and time sensitive information below to help you and your child(ren) prepare for the upcoming school year. Here you can find our school supply list.
Please don’t hesitate to contact the school with questions related to the information provided within this newsletter.
Save the Dates:
August 25- Preschool & PreK (RECC) open house 12:00-1:00pm
August 25-Parents/Guardians of students in Grades 1-5 who are new to DLES- join our New Student Orientation 1:15-2:00pm
August 25-Grades K-5 Open House (drop off your school supplies, join PTA, meet your teacher & more) 2:00-3:00pm
August 28-First day of School for students in Grades K-5 8:30am
August 31- First day of School for students in Preschool & PreK (RECC)
September 4- Schools Closed
September 12- Back to School Night for Grades 1 & 2 5:30-6:30pm
September 12- SBIR Parent Night for Grades PreK-2 6:30-7:30pm
September 13-Back to School Night for Grades 3-5 5:30-6:30pm
September 13- Band/Orchestra Parent Information Meeting 6:30-7:00pm
September 15-Schools Closed
September 21-School Picture Day
We ask for your patience in advance over the first couple of weeks with arrival and dismissal procedures. It is a large undertaking to ensure that we have all students safely accounted for and have taught them our procedures and routines for how to arrive and leave school each day.
We are so excited to see you this afternoon and know that together we are going to create a year of wonderful learning opportunities.
Proudly Serving You,
Mrs. Caroland, Mrs. Van Osdel, and Mrs. Yerashunas
Related Arts Schedule
Preparing for the 1st Day of School
- Have your child(ren) arrive and dismiss from school the way that they will do so regularly. This will help our students know the correct doors and routines starting from the beginning.
- Have your children arrive between 8:30-8:38 so that we can make sure that they are in their classes ready to learn on time.
- If your child is going to bring a lunch from school, please make sure that you label their lunch and send them with food items that they can eat with minimal help. Remind your child(ren) that they are not allowed to trade or share their food with friends. We have several students that have food allergies and we don't want to cause potential harm to a friend.
- For parents/guardians that walk their students to school are asked to stay in the waiting zones and watch their child enter the building.
- For parents/guardians that walk and come to the school to meet their child(ren) at dismissal, we must have you wait on the grass or INSIDE the playground area that is to the left of the main doors. We MUST keep the main doors and front sidewalk areas clear for our students who are walking or waiting to get into a car.
- For students who have already been assigned their car rider number (this will happen at open house) for this year, please help your child practice and remember their number so they can listen for their number to be called. For any parent who is not able to attend open house today, we will give your child(ren) their assigned number on the 1st day of school.
- If your child is going to be getting a school lunch, please make sure you have completed your FARMs application (this must be done every year to qualify). If you qualify for free or reduced lunch, students do not need to bring any money. Any family who has not filled out an application up to the 30th school day will have their prior status changed to full pay status until a new application is received. Otherwise, please use the NEW linq connect to view the menus and setup school payments.
- Show this picture to your child(ren) and let them know that if they feel nervous or can't find their way around their build, that any adult wearing this shirt is a friend that can help them.
Student Personal Technology: Cell Phones, Smartwatches, and more
This policy also states that elementary students are to keep all personal devices in their backpacks during the school day. If you need to get in touch with your child, you can call the front office and they can assist you. If your child needs to reach you, they can speak with their teacher and they can assist them in getting in touch with you.
If your child has a personal device that will be sent to school, please remind them of the expectation as set by this HCPSS policy.
School Lunches
School Hours
Doors will open for students at 8:30 AM and the late bell rings at 8:40 AM. Students should be in the building ready for instruction to begin at 8:40 AM. Students that are walkers, bike riders, or car riders should arrive at school NO LATER than 8:38 AM.
Arriving to School by Bus
For families that receive bus transportation, bus stop information for the 2023-2024 school year can be accessed online via the Bus Stop Locator or HCPSS Connect Synergy under More Options and then Homeroom / Transportation / POS.
We encourage you to view the HCPSS Help Site to see answers to questions related to a number of topics. Additionally, please check in regularly to the page that will provide updated information for the 2023-2024 school year. Both of these sites are updated regularly so check back often for more information.
Students will enter the building from the bus loop side of the building and report to their assigned classroom.
Walkers and Car Riders
Students will enter the building through the main doors and report to their assigned classrooms. If you are a parent/guardian and have been here with a student in kindergarten, please note this arrival change. Kindergarten students will NOT enter the building through a classroom door, rather they will enter through the main doors. Adults are not permitted to escort their child to their classroom. We have staff assigned to help direct students to their classroom each morning.
We do not have staff available to monitor children outside prior to 8:28am, so we ask that students not arrive earlier than that. Additionally, the playgrounds are closed for use before the start of the school day, as we do not want a child to get injured and not have an adult available to help them.
Car Rider Dismissal
Dismissal for Walkers and Bike Riders
Please make sure that you practice your child(ren) route so they are prepared to walk home each day.
Family File Update Required
HCPSS Policy 9460-Bullying
The Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) is committed to providing a safe and nurturing environment for all students. Preventing bullying is an important part of this goal. HCPSS Policy 9460 states that bullying, cyberbullying, harassment, and intimidation are prohibited in HCPSS. The BCHI Reporting Form should be used to report all alleged incidents of bullying, cyberbullying, harassment, and intimidation that occur at school or have a connection back to the school setting that create a risk of harm to other students while they are at school, or interfere with the educational environment. An online version is available and can easily and confidentially be used by students, staff, and family members. Hard copies of this form are available in the main office, staff workroom, school counseling office, media center, and health services office. If you believe that a student has been bullied, please complete and submit this form as soon as possible.
Once the form is submitted, school administrators will ensure the parent/guardian of both the alleged target and alleged offender are aware of the report and will begin an investigation within two school days of receiving the report. Parents/guardians can expect a school administrator to reach out to them during the investigation. Once the investigation is completed, parents/guardians will be provided written notice of the outcome of the investigation within fifteen days of receiving the compaint, excluding extenuating circumstances.
I want to take a moment to specifically lift up cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is bullying using electronic media like computers, cell phones, and game systems. Our digital interconnectedness makes bullying different and more damaging than it’s ever been before. It allows hatred and publicly humiliating gossip or photos to be instantly far-reaching and inescapable as electronic media is everywhere. It can NOT simply be ignored. In October 2013, the State of Maryland enacted Grace’s Law, making misuse of interactive computer services a criminal offense. Its purpose is to prohibit anyone from using electronic media (computers, tablets, phones, etc.) to maliciously engage in conduct that inflicts serious emotional distress on a minor and/or places that minor in reasonable fear of death or serious bodily injury. A person who is found guilty of violating this law is subject to imprisonment and/or fines. While this will be reviewed with students at school, we are asking you to do the same at home. Thank you for your partnership.
More information can be found on the HCPSS Stop Bullying website. If you have any questions regarding this policy or its implementation, please contact a school administrator.
School Lunch/Free and Reduced Meals (FARMS)
School Wellness Center
Happenings Around Town
Your Voice is Important
Please click on the Feedback Form to share your thoughts with how we can make DLES the best for everyone.
We are here to help!
Principal, Mrs. Caroland Molly_Caroland@hcpss.org
Assistant Principal, Mrs. Van Osdel Amy_Van_Osdel@hcpss.org
Leadership Intern, Mrs. Yerashunas Brianna_Yerashunas@hcpss.org
Principal Secretary, Mrs. Canter Teresa_Canter@hcpss.org
Registration Support, Secretary Ms. Lynette Carmen_Lynette@hcpss.org
Attendance, Synergy and Family File Support, Secretary Mrs. Forman Julie_Forman@hcpss.org
Counselor Mr. Leisawitz Alexander_Leisawitz@hcpss.org