1    

 

 

 

 

MESSAGE FROM THE ADMINISTRATORS  

Dear Running Brook Families and Friends,

It is hard to believe that we are already in the third quarter of this year! Please review the information below and make note of the important dates and times that are coming up. Be on the look out for 2nd quarter report cards. They will be coming home on Thursday, February 5th. We look forward to seeing all of you at conference time! As we are now experiencing actual winter weather in Maryland, please be alert to possible school closings, late openings, and early closings. This information may be obtained by signing up at: http://www.hcpss.org/hcpss-news/ and click on the Non-HCPSS Parent/Guardian link to sign-up for the new service to receive our newsletter and school system alerts, or by watching your local TV station. Also, please review your emergency dismissal information with your child, and provide us with any updates. In the event of an emergency early dismissal, it is impossible for us to contact parents by telephone. We want all of our students to arrive home safely, and your help is important to your child’s safety.

When schools close early due to emergency situations, such as weather, the Columbia Association After Care program does not operate. On late opening days, the Columbia Association Before Care program opens late according to the school system delay. For example, when school is delayed by two hours, the Columbia Association Before Care program opens at 9:00 AM instead of 7:00 AM. School opens at 11:05 AM, rather than our normal opening time of 9:05. PLEASE NOTE: Breakfast is not served to students when there is a late opening.

As always, please take time to inform the school of any changes in your contact information. We frequently have difficulty contacting parents due to job changes or telephone service changes that are not communicated to us. Please send this information in a note, to school with your child, or in an email to lisa_arseneault@hcpss.org or alisha_brackney@hcpss.org.

Mr. Todd and Mrs. Jenkins

RUNNING BROOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Reaching the Best in Every Student

Panther Press

Panther Press – January 30, 2015

Troy Todd Principal

troy_todd@hcpss.org

Kelli Jenkins Assistant Principal

kelli_jenkins@hcpss.org

 

BOX TOPS COLLECTION DAY

STUDENT-LED CONFERENCES

FATHER - DAUGHTER DANCE

GROW STRONG

GT NEWS

HOOPS FOR HEART

ROAD TO KINDERGARTEN

WORKSHOPS

RBES SPIRIT WEAR

CLASSROOM VISITATION

UPCOMING EVENTS

 

2    

LEARN OF WEATHER DELAYS OR SCHOOL CLOSINGS Please take the time to read the following information from HCPSS concerning weather related school closings. When is the decision made? The decision to delay or close schools is made by 5 a.m. and a telephone tree is started to alert key school staff members and local media. By 5:30 a.m., a notice is posted on HCPSS News. School openings may be delayed one or two hours. On rare occasions when weather conditions worsen or do not improve after a delay has been announced, a second announcement may be made to close schools instead.

Emergency & Weather-related School Closings: If it is necessary for the Superintendent to close or delay the start of schools due to inclement weather or other emergencies, parents may get information by visiting HCPSS News and subscribing to receive email and texts alerts. In addition, HCPSS uses the following sources:

HCPSS-TV: Comcast Channel 95 or Verizon Channel 42 HCPSS Information Hotline: 410-313-6666 TV/Radio: WBAL TV Ch. 11; WBAL Radio 1090 AM; WTOP Radio 103.5 FM If

When HCPSS schools open one or two hours late, there is no RECC. If schools are closed, or closed early due to weather conditions, all after-school and evening activities, both school and non-school, scheduled in school facilities are canceled.

WEATHER DELAY LUNCH SCHEDULE (2 HOURS) PreK: 11:30 - 12:00 Kindergarten: 12:10 - 12:40 First: 11:40 - 12:10 Second: 1:10 - 1:40 Third: 12:40 - 1:10 Fourth: 1:25 - 1:55 Fifth: 1:40 - 2:10 WINTER CONCERT - UPDATE

The Music Department Assembly on January 30th and the Winter Concert on February 4th are being rescheduled for a later date. There will be no assembly on January 30th or concert on February 4th. When we have a new date decided, we will inform everyone so plans can be made to join us in celebrating the music program at Running Brook. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

GT NEWS Howard County Gifted and Talented Parent Academy: Building Resiliency in Advanced-Level Learners

All interested parents are invited to attend the G/T Parent Academy "Building Resiliency in Advanced-Level Learners" at Atholton High School on Thursday, February 5, 2015 from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Dr. Angela Housand, Assistant Professor and Gifted Program Coordinator at University of North Carolina Wilmington, will share her expertise. Attaining success requires resiliency in order to overcome challenges along the way. Yet many advanced learners expect to “get the right answer” on their first attempt and once faced with truly challenging situations, give up before trying. This session provides parents with strategies to support high potential youth as they engage in the struggles that lead to meaningful SUCCESS.

 

 

3    

MESSAGE FROM THE HEALTH ROOM As we enter into flu season, this is a reminder that good hand washing and covering sneezes and coughs with tissues and sleeves are essential steps to preventing the spread of "germs.” Also, remember that despite concerns about school attendance, your children's health (and the health of other children) is most important of all. For this reason, we ask you to please:

• Call the school nurse to let us know if your child is absent with a contagious illness such as strep throat, or the flu. Please provide any documentation from your physician about diagnosis and release to return to school. (Ear and sinus infections, while often a reason for keeping a child home, are usually not contagious.)

• Keep your child home if he/she has a fever of over 100.0. A fever indicates that your child has an infection that could be passed to other students. If you give your child Motrin or Tylenol, the fever will, of course, disappear but he/she will still be contagious to others. Children must be fever-free for 24 hours (without medication) before returning to school! Students vomiting or with diarrhea should be symptom free, able to eat and drink a regular meal, and resume normal bowel habits before returning.

• Have your children wash their hands properly after using the restrooms and prior to eating. • If the doctor prescribes medication for your child, please make sure he/she takes it as directed-which

means the right amount at the right time and without missing doses.

Thank you very much for helping keep all our students healthy!  WINTER WEATHER & RECESS As, the weather turns colder, please be sure to send your child to school prepared for outdoor recess and/or transitions in and out of the building. In addition, it would be helpful to label your child’s coat, hat, etc. with your child’s full name. We have many coats, sweatshirts, sweaters, hats and other clothing that are found by staff or students and these items move to our “lost and found” bin in the cafeteria. If items are labeled, it helps us find the owner quickly. Thank you for your support to ensure that our students are dressed for the weather! GROW STRONG

As mentioned before break, we are excited to be participating in our Grow Strong Weeks! We were very busy Doing What We Do Best this past week. Over the next few weeks, we will be highlighting the following themes through brief discussion, video, and short activities incorporated into our curriculum to continue to foster a climate of hope and engagement:

Week of January 26th: Engage in Positive Experiences Each School Day Week of February 2nd: Create Excitement for the Future (On February 5th students can wear their shades to school for My Future's So Bright Day!) Week of February 9th: Celebrate Effort and Achievement

These weeks are a way to create more joy, resiliency and positive feelings, and focus on the intangibles that make a school a true growing environment for all. Please feel free to contact Debbie Finkelstein if you are interested in more information about our Grow Strong Weeks and look forward to conferences in February where you can hear about your child's strengths in the classroom.

 

 

4    

 

 STUDENT-LED CONFERENCES: FEBRUARY 12th AND 13th

The end of the 2nd marking period is quickly approaching. February conferences are scheduled for February 12th and 13th. Parent-teacher conference registration will again take place through our web-based application, pickAtime. Please see pickAtime scheduling directions below.

There are a wealth of parent resources available as you prepare for your child's conference. Electronic resources are available to you through the Howard County Public School System website or our newly developed HCPSS mobile app. Please visit www.hcpss.org.

Please note that all Howard County Public Schools will offer a fewer number of conference slots this year during the February parent-teacher conferences due to a revised school calendar. The number of slots offered reflects recent trends with regard to parent attendance during February conferences. Parent participation is strongly encouraged but remains optional. Attendance during February conferences will continue to be closely monitored to determine if future adjustments to the school calendar are needed. As always, if you're unable to obtain a conference slot during the conference window, you can call or email your child's teacher to arrange for an alternative conference time. SCHEDULING STUDENT-LED CONFERENCES For Grades 1-5, we would like to clarify how conferences will be held this year due to Departmentalization. You will be meeting with your child’s Session 2 teacher in February. When you go on to pickAtime to set up your conference, you will look for your child’s Session 2 teacher. You will be able to access this program to schedule or cancel your appointments until Monday, February 9th at 7:00 pm. To access this program, please click on the pickAtime scheduling link for Running Brook Elementary School on the Howard County Public School System web site http://www.hcpss.org/. After this date, you will have to schedule, cancel or reschedule your appointments by calling the front office at 410-313-6893. In order to access this program, you will need your child’s student ID number. This ID number will be labeled at the top of your child’s report card. Please be sure to have this information on hand when accessing pickAtime. Unfortunately, we cannot give out your student’s ID number over the telephone. “Parent Directions for Using pickAtime” and a video on how to use this program can be found on the Howard County Public School website www.hcpss.org. Parents/Guardians who are unable to access pickAtime at home or work may call the school.

SCHOOL-WIDE TITLE I PROGRAM  Did you know that Running Brook has a school-wide Title I program? Title I is a federally funded program designed to ensure that all children have an opportunity to access a high quality education. The goal of this federal program is to close the achievement gap for all students. As a result we receive additional funds from the federal government that have allowed us to secure additional staff members, funds for family events, and materials of instruction to benefit all of our children.

We value input from our parents, community, and staff. If you have any suggestions, questions, or feedback about our Family Involvement programs or School Improvement Plan, please feel free to contact our Title I contacts at jodi_aikens@hcpss.org or kimberly_filler@hcpss.org.

5    

 

 RBES SPIRIT WEAR

Shop for RBES spirit wear for your entire family! There is a wide variety of choices - from tie dyed short sleeve t-shirts, to pullover hoodies, to sweat pants. Order forms were sent home in last week’s Friday folder! The deadline for orders is Wednesday, February 4, 2015.

HOOPS FOR HEART AT RBES

RBES will be participating in Hoops for Heart this year! Fundraising packets will be sent home on Monday, February 2nd. Our Hoops for Heart week will begin on Monday, February 23rd for all students during PE class. Also, those who raise $10 or more will be invited to the special event on Friday, February 27th! Just like with Jump Rope for Heart, all the money we raise will go towards the American Heart Association in an effort to research heart disease and provide support for those with heart disease. Activities will be more basketball-related than jump rope, as RBES has done previously, however there will still be Jump Rope activities as well. Stay tuned for additional fundraising prizes, prizes for top fundraising individuals and classes, and reaching our school fundraising goal. We hope you will be able to join us in an effort to fight heart disease!

CLASSROOM VISITATION POLICY

Parental support is encouraged and valued at Running Brook. Parents are welcome to visit classrooms for the purpose of volunteering to assist teachers and students, to be informed of classroom practices and to support their children in attaining the highest levels of academic achievement. When planning a visit please note that a teacher should be notified, 24 hours in advance, either orally or in writing. Occasionally, the visit may create a conflict with an assessment or a planned lesson and it may not be conducive to having visitors. In some cases, the teacher may request that the visit be rescheduled based on the instructional needs and the best interests of the students. In order to maintain the instructional climate at Running Brook, please follow these guidelines when visiting the school:

• Stop in the office to sign in and receive a visitor badge. If you would like to visit your child’s classroom and the visit has not been prearranged with the teacher, the secretary will call the teacher. Depending on the instructional needs of the class, the teacher may request that the visit be rescheduled.

• When observing the classroom, please allow the teacher to focus on instructing the students. Questions and concerns about instructional techniques, curriculum, and your child’s progress are better addressed during a conference. The teachers are happy to work with you to ensure your child’s success and can better serve you during a private appointment.

• We always appreciate volunteers and will be prepared for you when you prearrange your visit with the classroom teacher.

• Students love having a parent eat lunch and spend time with them at recess. A lunch/recess visit does not need to be prearranged. Please send a note in to school with your child if you would like to purchase a school lunch.

We very much appreciate and encourage parental involvement in our school, and also must maintain the appropriate instructional atmosphere for our students. Thank you for your attention to our classroom visitation policy.

6    

ROAD TO KINDERGARTEN WORKSHOPS The Howard County Public School System’s Office of Early Childhood Programs, in partnership with the Howard County Transition to Kindergarten Workgroup, is pleased to present The Road to Kindergarten, an informational workshop to support families of children headed to kindergarten. The purpose of the session is to help make the process of entering kindergarten less stressful and more exciting! Howard County parents with

children who will be five years old by September 1, 2015 are invited to come with questions and concerns pertaining to the kindergarten process.

Each workshop will offer information for the upcoming kindergarten year, such as kindergarten registration, school readiness, and kindergarten curriculum. Workshops will be held at several locations throughout the county and childcare is available for children ages 2 and older. Doors open at 6:10 p.m. for child care sign-in; information sessions are from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

For details about dates, times, and locations, visit http://www.hcpss.org/f/schools/kindergarten/road2Kflyer.pdf. If you have any additional questions, please contact Kris Woodson at kris_woodson@hcpss.org or (410) 313-5693. Scheduled Dates: Wednesday, February 4th – Marriotts Ridge High School Monday, February 9th – Hammond Middle School FATHER - DAUGHTER DANCE

Mark your calendars! The Running Brook PTA is pleased to host our 4th annual Father ~ Daughter Dance on Friday, February 20th from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. This special event is an opportunity for Running Brook girls to spend an evening with their father, grandfather, uncle, or other significant adult male in their lives. Look for the Dance form in this week's Friday folder!

BOX TOPS COLLECTION DAY - COMING SOON!

Our next Box Tops For Education Collection Day will be held on THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2015. Clip Box Tops from participating products brands such as Cheerios, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Ziploc, and Hefty. Each one is worth 10¢ when our school redeems them through Box Tops for Education. Find a complete list of participating products at www.boxtops4education.com.

When cutting out box tops, don't worry about cutting around exact edges- rough edges and ripped tops are accepted- the quality is not as important as the quantity! Just be careful not to cut off the expiration date. Parent volunteers will count the collected Box Tops during lunch on February 5th. Students will earn Panther Points for their collected Box Tops! Please send Box Tops in to your child's classroom in a baggie or envelope clearly marked with your child’s full name and teacher's name. Box Tops can be submitted to the paraeducators any time the week of January 28th through February 5th. On behalf of the PTA, thank you for your continued support!

 

 

7    

UPCOMING EVENTS AND IMPORTANT DATES

COMMUNITY NOTICES For more information or questions regarding the “Community Notices” below, please use the contact information provided within each notice. These events are neither sponsored nor endorsed by the Howard County Public School System or Running Brook Elementary School. Howard County Government Do you have questions about child ID theft, your rights as a tenant, debt collection practices, or the latest consumer scams? For information on these and other consumer issues: contact the Howard County Office of Consumer Affairs at 410-313-6420 or at consumer@howardcountymd.gov. Robinson Nature Center Scope out The Night Sky and enjoy Sensory Friendly Full-Dome Movies, Robinson Nature Center: 6692 Cedar Lane, Columbia, MD. http://www.howardcountymd.gov/RNCprograms.htm North Laurel Community Center Mother-Son Valentine’s Dance, Feb. 7, 5:30- 7:30 p.m., North Laurel Community Center Make your Valentine’s Day one to remember. Mothers (or special adults) and sons, ages 3-12 yrs, are invited to an evening jam-packed with fun to include refreshments, live DJ, dancing, games, crafts, a souvenir photo and an ice cream sundae bar. Fee includes participation of one adult and one child; each additional son is $16 for center members and $20 for nonmembers. Inclement weather date is February 21. Person of Contact is Ashley Jones at 410-3113-0459 or amjones@howardcountymd.gov. HCYP Spring Recreational Baseball. Our recreational baseball program is one of the largest in Maryland with almost 1500 kids participating each Spring. We offer programs for all ages and skill levels, from instructional coach pitch to kid pitch programs. Rookie (Ages 5-6) - $105 early bird; Pinto (Ages 7-8) - $165 early bird; Little League (Ages 9-12) - $200 early bird; Pony (Ages 13-14) - $200 early bird; Colt (Ages 15-18) - $200 early bird. www.HCYP.org Ballet Royale Institute of Maryland's 2015 Summer In Motion Program offers Ballet, Jazz, Tap and Modern camps, evening classes and full day intensives for ages 2 through adult. Classes will be taught by internationally recognized professionals and will be held in our new arts facility. Register in person between 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Jan. 31 and receive 10% off tuition. Call us at 410-997-8443 or visit us online at www.balletroyale.com

2/5 Report Cards Issued 2/12 - 2/13 SCHOOL CLOSES 3 HRS EARLY: CONFERENCES

2/6 Professional Learning Day - SCHOOL CLOSED 2/16 President’s Day - SCHOOL CLOSED

2/12 RBES Book Fair (1:00 - 8:00 pm)