Panther Press - 12th Edition

Note from Principal
Good Afternoon Running Brook Families,  
 
I hope this newsletter finds you well. Hopefully, over winter break you were able to spend time with family and disconnect. We have three weeks before the end of the second quarter. If your child is missing any assignments or you have questions about their grades, now would be a good time to reach out to his or her teacher.  

Next week, we will have the opportunity to celebrate many of our 4th and 5th grade students at the annual Council of Elders Celebration of Academic Achievement. We look forward to this event each school year and plan to share the names of students that are being recognized on the morning announcements next Tuesday and in our next newsletter.  

Thank you for your ongoing support! ~ Mr. Esposito

  IMPORTANT DATES

January 11 7:00 pm - PTA Meeting
January 18 Schools & Offices Closed - MLK Day
January 28 End of 2nd Marking Period
January 29 Schools Closed for Students - Professional Work Day
February 5 Report Cards Available on Synergy
February 10 & 11 Early Dismissal – Parent/Teacher Conferences
February 12 Schools Closed for Students – Professional Work Day
February 15 Schools & Offices Closed – President’s Day

NEWS & EVENTS

Celebrations of Academic Achievement
The Council of Elders of the Black Community of Howard County (TCOE) in partnership with the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) hosts an annual Celebration of Academic Achievement to acknowledge and honor students of African and African-American heritage across the county.

This year’s Celebration of Academic Achievement will honor approximately 2,813 students who are currently in grades 4 - 9 and have achieved the following levels of academic success during the 2019-2020 school year:

  • Grades 4 – 6: Students must earn As or Bs in all areas under language arts AND mathematics for all four marking periods. Students cannot earn Ds or Es in any of the following subjects: language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, and health education for all four quarters.
  • Celebration will occur January 11, 2021 @ 6:00 PM via Zoom

Student Preferred Name Settings 
Preffered names are nicknames or names that students prefer to be called. Preferred names are now live in Canvas and Google. Parents/guardians who would like their child’s preferred name to be changed should contact Mrs. Ott at Lakesha_Ott@hcpss.org.

Winter Well-Being for Families
The Committee for Children has put together a video series called Winter Well-Being for Families .  It is an 8-week series (which started last week) that runs until the end of January. The videos are posted every Monday and are less than 4 minutes each. I hope you can find a few moments to yourselves. Below are the scheduled topics:

  • Week 5: Jan. 4, 2021—Setting Your Intentions
  • Week 6: Jan. 11, 2021—Making Time for Joy 
  • Week 7: Jan. 18, 2021—Listening to Understand 
  • Week 8: Jan. 25, 2021—Expressing Gratitude  

Please contact Ms. Pauletta, School Counselor, if you have any questions.

Blessings in a Backpack
Did you know we have a Blessings in a Backpack Program at RBES?  Blessings in a Backpack sends additional food resources home to students on the weekend.  During a traditional school year, bags are discretely put in a student's backpack on Friday afternoons. Running Brook staff delivered to 125 students over the spring/summer!    

Our Blessings in a Backpack Program is entirely funded by individual and community-based donations.  This is not funded by HCPSS. 
If you are interested in receiving Blessings you must click the registration link below. 

Register For 2020-2021 Virtual Learning Blessing in a Backpack 

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. 

Also, during virtual learning,  we were able to use Title I funds to purchase materials to support your child’s at home learning. We hope you were able to pick up the first set of learning materials. If not, please let us know so we can help you make arrangements. There will be opportunities to pick up more Title I learning materials later in the year. 

Please view our school parent compact using this link:
English: RBES Title I School-Family Compact/Calendar
Spanish: RBES School-Family Compact/Calendar (Spanish)

We welcome any feedback or questions related to our Title I schoolwide programming, at anytime throughout the school year. Please email Jodi Aikens at Jodi_Aikens@hcpss.org, Kim Filler at Kimberly_Filler@hcpss.org, or our Family Involvement Coordinator, Jane Hartlove at Jane_Hartlove@hcpss.org.

COMMUNITY NEWS & EVENTS

Rental/Mortgage Assistance
Howard County Government just released funds for rental and mortgage assistance. These resources will be exhausted quickly. If you or anyone you know needs assistance, please call or email any one of the offices below to request a Mortgage or Rental assistance application.

Howard County COVID-19 Rental Assistance Fact Sheet 

COVID Eviction Guidance Checklist 

Community Action Council

Grassroots

FIRN 

Family & Children’s Services

If you need assistance in any other area please click the links below. There are several resources available.

Howard County Housing Assistance
 

All County Assistance & Services 

Date

Friday, January 8, 2021 (All day)