Page 1 A Message from the Principal . . . What a wonderful start to fall. In October, we will be fo- cusing on several key events at school. We will be focusing on student goal setting, as part of our school progress plan. Each student will be working on their own personal goals according to their grade level. They will be working toward reading and math goals, increasing their sight words, math facts, written language skills, oral reading fluency and overall reading levels. We are excited to see students as active participants in their learning. Another school goal is formative assessment opportuni- ties. This is where students have several opportunities to meet an objective, where students are given feedback on standards and multiple opportunities to prove that they know the stand- ards. This might result in fewer grades in BCPS one, because we are giving students the opportunity to practice and refine their work. This will be on-going throughout the year. We are also going to be funded a SECOND CHANCE breakfast... for kids who come in after breakfast. They will be able to take their late pass, I think up to 10:30 or so, and get a breakfast bar/milk and take it to the classroom. They would have their late pass and a cafeteria pass and their food. This will also help increase our numbers and help us when kids come in late that are hungry. Mrs. Howell is also promoting continued open enrollment to the morning Marathon Kids program which allows the children the opportunity to go straight to breakfast before class. The healthy exercise and nutritious breakfast should give our stu- dents an increase of energy to be attentive and excited about learning. October 10/2 PTA Family Game Night 6:15 10/12 Lifetouch Picture Day 10/13 Boy Scout Assembly Gr. 1—5 10/16 Professional Development/Schools Closed for Students 10/20 Banking Day 8:45 a.m.—9:10 a.m. PTA Meeting 6P 10/21 Sweet Frog PTA Family Night 10/23 Trunk or Treat 10/26 Chick Fil A Night Family Night 10/28 Ident-A-Kid a.m. and p.m. sessions 10/30 End of 1st Qtr / Close 3 hours early November 11/12 Distribution of Report Cards Pre-School/Pre-K Conference Day/ No a.m. or p.m. sessions today 11/13 Elementary Conference Day— Closed for Elementary Students 11/16—20 American Education Week 11/17 Banking Day 8:45 a.m.—9:10 a.m. PTA Meeting 6P 11/23 Lifetouch Make Up Day 11/26—27 Happy Thanksgiving - Schools Closed December 12/15 Banking Day 8:45 a.m.—9:10 a.m. 12/24—1/3 Winter Holiday Break Return to School January 4, 2016 Spring Break 3/25—4/3 Return to School April 4th 2016 June 17th 2016, Last Day of School Volume 16, Issue 2 DATE: October 2015 Essex Elementary School Phone: (410) 887-0117 Amy Grabner, Principal Fax: (410) 887-0118 Randy Quinn, Assistant Principal http://essexes.bcps.org OCTOBER NEWSLETTER The School Store is open for business! PTA Volunteers are running the school store every Tuesday and Thursday from 8:45 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Transcript
Page 1
A Message from the Principal . . . What a wonderful start to fall. In October, we will be fo-cusing on several key events at school. We will be focusing on student goal setting, as part of our school progress plan. Each student will be working on their own personal goals according to their grade level. They will be working toward reading and math goals, increasing their sight words, math facts, written language skills, oral reading fluency and overall reading levels. We are excited to see students as active participants in their learning. Another school goal is formative assessment opportuni-ties. This is where students have several opportunities to meet an objective, where students are given feedback on standards and multiple opportunities to prove that they know the stand-ards. This might result in fewer grades in BCPS one, because we are giving students the opportunity to practice and refine their work. This will be on-going throughout the year. We are also going to be funded a SECOND CHANCE breakfast... for kids who come in after breakfast. They will be able to take their late pass, I think up to 10:30 or so, and get a breakfast bar/milk and take it to the classroom. They would have their late pass and a cafeteria pass and their food. This will also help increase our numbers and help us when kids come in late that are hungry. Mrs. Howell is also promoting continued open enrollment to the morning Marathon Kids program which allows the children the opportunity to go straight to breakfast before class. The healthy exercise and nutritious breakfast should give our stu-dents an increase of energy to be attentive and excited about learning.
October
10/2 PTA Family Game Night 6:15
10/12 Lifetouch Picture Day
10/13 Boy Scout Assembly Gr. 1—5
10/16 Professional Development/Schools Closed for Students
10/20 Banking Day 8:45 a.m.—9:10 a.m.
PTA Meeting 6P
10/21 Sweet Frog PTA Family Night
10/23 Trunk or Treat
10/26 Chick Fil A Night Family Night
10/28 Ident-A-Kid a.m. and p.m. sessions
10/30 End of 1st Qtr / Close 3 hours early
November
11/12 Distribution of Report Cards
Pre-School/Pre-K Conference Day/
No a.m. or p.m. sessions today
11/13 Elementary Conference Day—
Closed for Elementary Students
11/16—20 American Education Week
11/17 Banking Day 8:45 a.m.—9:10 a.m.
PTA Meeting 6P
11/23 Lifetouch Make Up Day
11/26—27 Happy Thanksgiving -
Schools Closed
December
12/15 Banking Day 8:45 a.m.—9:10 a.m.
12/24—1/3 Winter Holiday Break
Return to School January 4, 2016
Spring Break 3/25—4/3
Return to School April 4th 2016
June 17th 2016, Last Day of School
Volume 16, Issue 2
DATE: October 2015
Essex Elementary School Phone: (410) 887-0117
Amy Grabner, Principal Fax: (410) 887-0118
Randy Quinn, Assistant Principal http://essexes.bcps.org
OCTOBER NEWSLETTER
The School Store is open for business!
PTA Volunteers are running the school store
every Tuesday and Thursday
from 8:45 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Page 2 Volume 16, Issue 2
PTA NEWS . . . Hello Essex Elementary Families!
One of our goals this upcoming school year is to have a fewer, but larger, more profitable fundraisers and do away with some of the smaller monthly fundraisers. We un-derstand, as families ourselves, it gets to be a lot, month to month and throughout the year.
We have scheduled a Basket Bingo Fundraiser set for Friday Oct. 2, 2015. Doors open at 6:15, Bingo will start promptly at 7. The cost is $20 per person. We are looking for donations and volunteers, please email [email protected] if you are interested.
We are also planning a Winter Dance! Join us as we create a wonderful place to learn as well as make lifetime friendships!
Some important dates to add to your calendar:
10/2 Basket Bingo 6:15 p.m.
10/20 PTA Meeting 6 p.m.
10/21 Sweet Frog Family Night
10/23 Trunk or Treat
11/17 PTA Meeting 6 p.m.
11/16 – 20 American Ed Week (Volunteers Needed)
NURSE NEWS CORNER.. Nurse Miller was genuinely surprised as the entire school gathered in the cafetorium for a farewell assembly/thank you for her 27 years of dedication to the families at Essex Elementary.
As we search for a new school nurse, please make sure your child’s medications and medical accessories are current and up to date. Also, if you have changed emergen-cy contacts or phone numbers, please contact the school office as soon as possible.
Please make sure your child has an extra set of clothing in their locker in case of emergencies. This will alle-viate phone calls home from the nurse.
LIBRARY NEWS . . . A message from Mrs. Frank
Don’t forget to check out the Baltimore County Pub-
lic Library website at www.bcpl.info. Go to Kids/Teens then
Kids Page to view a ton of resources you can use right at
home. Check out Storyline. Children ages 3 through 10 are
invited to have an adult call Storyline at 410-887-6116 and
listen to imaginative and seasonal stories selected by our
Youth Services librarians just for them. Hear two new stories
every week. Check the schedule on the website to find the
stories for this week and upcoming weeks.
PHYSICAL ED NEWS . . . A message from Mrs. Howell
All classes will be heading outside for Physical Education class. Please make sure to wear cloths that are comfortable to move around in and tennis shoes.
Marathon Kids
We are off to a great start. You can still sign up for Marathon Kids and walk/run your way to a healthy lifestyle. You can join us at 8:30 everyday at school or you can complete your marathon at home!!
Campbell's Labels for Education
Keep on collecting Campbell's Product Labels for Edu-cation. You can turn them into the Label's for Educa-tion box in the lobby.
Tyson's A+ Program
Keep on collecting the Tyson's A+ Program UPC codes. You can turn them into the Tyson's box in the lobby.
PICTURE NEWS . . . The fall pictures, by Lifetouch, will be taken on Monday, October 12th. Flyers will be sent home a few days before picture day. Prices range from $18—$74. The pictures taken on the 12th will be the photo used for the yearbook.
The IDENT-A-KID Child Safety Program will be at our school on October 28th to PHOTOGRAPH, FINGER-PRINT, WEIGH and MEASURE children. Unlike a stu-dent ID that is carried by the student, Ident-A-Kid ID cards are carried by all parents and caregivers in their wallet and on the cell phone. Ident-A-Kid ID’s are rec-ognized by the U.S. Government’s SSA as a form of identification. ID cards are often needed for sports registration, travel, student discounts, and in emer-gencies. To participate, please fill in the Application Envelope which will come home with your child and have your child return it to school. Applications are also available on line at www.identakid.com. Partici-pation in the program is at the individual Parents’ op-tion. The cost per child is $8 for one card, $10 for two cards, or $13 for three cards. An eKid ID is the elec-tronic Ident-A-Kid card sent to your cell phone via text/picture message and is included when ordering multiple cards of the same child. Please feel free to contact your local program director, Donna Aversa-Smith at [email protected] or
BECOME A VOLUNTEER! BCPS VOLUNTEER TRAINING RESOURCES
Thank you for your interest in volunteering in Baltimore County Public Schools. Our schools depend on volunteers and value their contributions to enhance the programs and services provided for students. Volunteers are important mem-bers of Team BCPS and help our professional staff sustain effective learning environments, enrich the education and experiences of students and build critical partnerships to increase achievement for all students. Volunteers are essential to the educational process, as they bring knowledge and skills into our schools and strengthen classroom instruction. VOLUNTEER INSTRUCTIONS: Go to the BCPS Website www.bcps.org Click on the COMMUNITY tab Click on the VOLUNTEER WITH BCPS tab You can access the application on and line training as directed. All volunteers must complete the volunteer application and participate in an orientation/training session annually. Step 1: Complete the on line BCPS Application for Volunteer Services. (The school also has copies.) Step 2: Attend a scheduled BCPS volunteer training at any school or complete the online volunteer orientation. You will be provided with a certificate once you successfully complete the training. Step 3: Submit the application and the valid training certificate to the school in which you intend to volunteer. Volunteers may provide hard copies or the documents may be emailed to the school volunteer coordinator. Both docu-ments must be submitted at the same time to be accepted and reviewed by the school staff. Once the application is reviewed and training has been verified, volunteers may be placed by schools and offices ac-cording to identified needs to perform tasks that support our established goals. Goals of the BCPS Volunteer Program
* Expand parental involvement and engagement strategies to meet the unique needs of all families in the school communities. * Acknowledge parents and community members as important partners in the education of all students. * Strengthen the relationship between schools and parents, guardians and community stakeholders through meaningful service opportunities. * Support teachers and staff with the implementation of curriculum and school programs. * Utilize the knowledge and skills of volunteers to promote student achievement. * Offer direct support to students needing additional assistance with assigned tasks. * Assist school staff and students with extra-curricular activities, afterschool programs and fundraising opportunities. * Provide supervision and direction for students while participating in off-campus learning experiences (field trips).
Types of Volunteer Activities
* Classroom Assistant - assisting teachers and students with classrooms activities * Academic Tutoring * School PTA Councils * Area Education Advisory Councils * Music and Sports Booster Programs * Field-trip Chaperones * After School Activities * Student Mentoring * Career Awareness - speaking to students about career pathways and opportunities * Clerical/Office/Library support
The Baltimore County Kindergarten Classroom Volunteer Initiative The Retired Seniors Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Baltimore County has partnered with Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) to help our youngest learners through their first year in public school. This opportunity is available ex-clusively for citizens 55 years old and older. (Learn more from a recent blog entry by the RSVP director.) Interested sen-ior citizens can contact RSVP at 410-887-3101 or visit them online at www.baltimorecountymd.gov/Agencies/aging/volunteer/rsvp.html.
For additional information about volunteering with Baltimore County Public Schools, please contact The Office of Family & Community Engagement at 410-887-4554 or by email at [email protected].
