New Town Elementary Newsletter
Winter 2021-2022
Our Vision
Students at New Town Elementary participate in rigorous and responsive instruction that prepares them to meet the challenges and high expectations of college and career readiness. Our innovative teachers ensure learning through collaboration, critical thinking, communication, and creativity.
Our Mission
It is the mission of New Town Elementary School and its community to promote student achievement, celebrate diversity and create a nurturing and enthusiastic learning environment where lifelong learners will grow as productive members of society.
December
21st- PTA Restaurant Night- Chick-fil-a (Owings Mills Blvd)
23rd- Winter Holiday Break begins at the End of the School Day
January
3rd- School’s Reopen
12th- PTA Meeting- 6:00pm
17th- Schools and Offices Closed- Martin Luther King Jr. Day
21st- Schools close 3 hours early for all students- End of the Marking Period
February
7th- Report Cards Distributed
21st- Schools and Offices Closed- President DayFrom the Principal
Greetings New Town Elementary families. It is hard to believe that we are in the month of December and the first half of our school year is coming to an end. The sound of excitement continues as our students are eager to participate in in-person learning.
Our youngest students are continuing to work on letters and sounds, apply phonics skills, and read texts both independently and with the teacher. Our intermediate students are using multiple texts to compare central ideas and messages.
The teachers, and students alike, are adjusting to our new mathematics curriculum. The curriculum is rigorous and requires our students to connect prior learning with new learning on a daily basis.
As an AVID Elementary school, our students are implementing the WICOR strategies daily. They are staying organized through the use of a binder system. Our students are actively taking focused-notes, processing the notes, and then applying their learning to new situations.
At New Town Elementary, we continue to work hard to provide a safe and orderly environment. Please remind your child that if they hear or see something suspicious, they should immediately report this information to a teacher or administrator.
Thank you for your continued support. Have a relaxing and safe winter break.
Mrs. Coston
Transportation
Carpool:
- Please remain in your car at carpool and pull forward as far as possible. Practice your child's carpool name and number so they are prepared to move when they are called. Keep in mind that carpool is a timely process due to over 250 students with carpool numbers.
- During arrival, 1st and 5th grade students enter the building through the doors by the bike rack in the bus loop. 2nd and 4th grade students enter the building through the doors in the main lobby, and Kindergarten and 3rd grade students enter the door through the carpool loop. This aligns to all CDC and BCPS COVID mitigation protocols as well as allows students the quickest and most efficient pathways to their classrooms.
- For carpool (arrival and dismissal), please be sure to make a “RIGHT TURN” only at the stop sign. Attempting to turn left is very unsafe and creates major congestion in our carpool loop.
- Please do not stop in the middle of the line to let your child(ren) out as this causes delays.
- Please do not go around any vehicles that are stopped. This is very unsafe for anyone walking in the parking lot.
- Please do not exit your vehicle. Staff members are available to assist with opening and closing doors.
- If you need to exit your vehicle, please move to the end of the carpool line or park in a parking spot.
- If you are a kindergarten parent picking up at the kindergarten door, please park in a parking spot and not in the carpool line.
Walkers:
Please pick up your walkers at the following designated walker locations:
- Lakeside Walkers: At the corner of Lakeside and New Town Blvd.
- Watts Walkers: Directly across from the school.
- Avatar Walkers: To the right of the building by the carpool exit.
- Kindergarten students that are assigned as walkers, are dismissed from the classroom teacher's kindergarten door.
Bus Transportation:
- All students are required to utilize their assigned bus. Changes are only made by the Transportation Office.
Changes in Dismissal:
- We request that transportation remains the same and consistent unless we are notified.
- If you would like to switch your child's dismissal, this must be communicated with your child's teacher and front office. Please email your child’s teacher and contact the front office at 410-887-1541.
Early Dismissals:
- 3:45 pm is the cut off time for early dismissals. At 3:45 pm, students are beginning to be transitioned to their dismissal locations. If you know that you are going to need to pick your child up early, please do so before 3:45 pm.
Masks
Thank you.
New Town Elementary PTA
The NTES PTA has a new email address: NTESPTA01@outlook.com. The old email was not allowing access, so we are starting fresh. 😀
Also, If you would like to join the PTA, please click this link for membership form and send in payment via check only. Please place the form and payment in a marked envelope (as indicated on membership form) and your child can give it to their teacher or you can drop it off at school. We are still looking to use our electronic tool for membership, Memberhub, and I will share information about that once received.
Our first two restaurant spirit nights at Jersey Mikes and Brookside Pizza were successful. Thank you to all the families who have supported the NTES PTA by participating.
Our next restaurant spirit night will be Dec. 21st at Chick-fil-a on Owings Mills Blvd. A flyer will be shared through community email and by way of your child.
The NTES PTA board has two vacant positions open: Treasurer and Secretary. If you are interested in either position, please email your interest to NTESPTA01@outlook.com.
Thank you for your continued support.
With appreciation,
NTES PTA
Counselors Corner
The virtue of December is Forgiveness.
Being forgiving is giving someone another chance after they have done something wrong, knowing that everyone makes mistakes. It is making amends instead of taking revenge. It is important to forgive yourself, too. Forgiving yourself means to stop pushing yourself or feeling hopeless because of a mistake. Forgiveness is moving ahead, ready to act differently, with compassion for yourself and faith that you can change.
Health Suite Reminders
From Nurse Alban:
- Students who have a fever of 100 degrees or greater should be kept home until they are fever free without medication for 24 hours. This means, if the child needs Tylenol to bring the fever down, they should stay home.
(Do NOT treat your child's fever with aspirin. Use acetaminophen (Tylenol) or another aspirin free product. Using aspirin for children may be associated with a serious life threatening condition called Reye's Syndrome).
- Students who have symptoms of acute illness, such as vomiting, diarrhea, severe colds, rash, or persistent coughs should be kept home and seen by a doctor if necessary. If your child is diagnosed by a doctor with any contagious disease (one that can be passed on to others, such as strep throat, chicken pox, etc.), please notify the health room.
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Flu outbreaks usually begin suddenly and occur mainly in the late fall and winter. There are several symptoms associated with the flu. These symptoms start very quickly and may include:
- Headache
- Chills
- Dry cough
- Body aches
- Fever of over 100 degrees
- Stuffy nose
- Sore throat
NOTE: Flu is a respiratory illness, not a stomach illness. Some people do experience a bit of diarrhea, but diarrhea and vomiting are not generally symptoms of the flu. The illness that some people call the “stomach flu” is not influenza (flu).
Most people who get the flu get better within a week, although they may have a lingering cough and tire easily a while longer. Most doctors treat the flu very simply:
- Rest in bed
- Drink plenty of fluids
- Take Tylenol (or other aspirin-free product)
Doctors do not prescribe antibiotics to treat the flu because the flu is a virus—antibiotics only treat bacterial infections.
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Pneumonia is the primary complication of the flu. If you develop a high fever (over 103 degrees), shaking chills, chest pain when breathing, or a cough that produces thick, yellow-green mucus, you need to call your doctor.
**Remember that BCPS policy requires that children be “fever-free,” (a temperature of 100 degrees or less) without medication for 24 hours, before they can return to school. In other words, if you have to give your child Tylenol to bring the fever down, your child is not considered “fever-free.”
If you need assistance in obtaining health care for your child, please contact the school nurse for available resources at: 443-394-2670.
Reading Corner
Encouraging your child to read is a significant way to improve their academic performance in school. A student who reads 20 minutes per day, reads around 1,800,000 words per year! To help make reading at home an enjoyable experience….
- Plan reading into your daily routine.
- Have books visible and easily accessible.
- Talk about the book after you or your child reads it.
- Read with your child.
The best way to develop an understanding of the book is to talk about the text. Try these comprehension strategies.
- Talk about the information in the text.
- Talk about the information not on the page but implied by the author.
- Ask yourself questions aloud when you read and make predictions about what will happen next.
- Talk about unknown words and their meanings.
Library News
Happy Reading!
AVID Corner
What is AVID Elementary?
AVID Elementary is the foundation of the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) Secondary Program, and supports AVID's mission to close the achievement gap by preparing ALL students for college or career readiness and success in a global society.
AVID Elementary teachers help students become academically prepared by taking structured, "focused" notes and asking and answering higher-level questions. Students learn about organization, collaboration, and study skills. AVID Elementary students develop the academic skills they will need to be successful in secondary school, college or career training, and beyond.
New Town Elementary' s strong college and career-going culture encourages students to think about their future college and career plans and set goals. Mrs. Georgie sends out an AVID Friday Feature to recognize different college or career pathways for our students. Many teachers hang college pennants on their walls, and share about their college experiences.