Panther Press - 20th Edition

IMPORTANT DATES

May 13 School closed - Articulation Day
May 17 5th Grade Virtual Visit to Wilde Lake Middle School
May 19 MAP Testing - Grades 1-5
May 26 Make Up Picture Day
May 31 Schools and Offices Closed – Memorial Day
June 2 6pm - RBES 50th Anniversary Time Capsule Presentation
June 9 5th Grade Closing Ceremony
June 10 Early Dismissal
June 11 Early Dismissal
June 14 Early Dismissal
June 15 Early Dismissal and Last Day of School for Students

NEWS & EVENTS

Virtual Fun Run & Walk
We are excited for the opportunity to get outside, get in some steps, and unite our school communities.
The Virtual 5k and Fun Run will commence on Sunday, May 16 and end on Monday, May 31 at midnight.  This event is free, and sign-up includes:

  • A chance for raffle prizes for completing routes, miles, and/or total time spent moving
  • A printable, optional scavenger hunt to complete during your run/walk
  • Turn-by-turn directions for five different routes (1 mile near each school, 5k near each school, and a longer challenge route connecting schools). Participants can also complete miles on their own where they’d like.
  • Access to a google form to submit your miles and times to be eligible for raffle prizes
  • Optional printable race bib to wear during your runs/walks

You can register now here: https://forms.gle/oFx1bbFzfxxYN7pd6. 

You can preview the routes that will be marked here:

We’re so excited to get stepping together!
NES & RBES PTAs

Make-Up Picture Day
Classic Photography will return Wednesday, May 26 to take yearbook pictures of students who missed picture day last month. Please sign up for an appointment using the link below. You may take a picture even if you are not purchasing a photo package. 
Sign Up Here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0C4DA4A622A7F85-rbes3

 

MAP Testing
On Wednesday, May 19th, students in grades 1-5 will take the Measured Academic Progress (MAP) assessment. The data from the MAP assessment will help schools and teachers measure your student’s academic progress. The MAP test does not affect grades and the difficulty adjusts depending on how your child responds. It is normal for students to only answer about half the questions correctly.  To learn more about the MAP assessment, please visit: https://www.nwea.org/the-map-suite/common-questions-families/ 
The math test will be offered on May 19th.  If your child is unable to attend, makeup testing will be offered during asynchronous learning times. Teachers will share Google Meet information and your student’s testing group as we get closer to the May dates.

Counseling Corner with Ms. Pauletta
HoCo Rainbow Conference is ONLINE! The conference will occur on Saturday, May 15th and has been approved to be delivered through Google Meet.  They were able to get many of their presenters to go virtual and will host two sessions on the hour, every hour from 9am-3pm with the conference ending at 4pm. Participants can choose from attending just one session, to as many as they'd like to be part of for this conference.

All participants will have the opportunity to receive a copy of the Rainbow Vision 2020 Literary Magazine which was edited by sophomore student, Uma Ribeiro (Hammond H.S. student) during her time as an intern this year in the GT Intern/Mentor program. The registration link for the conference can be found at the top of our website (Links to an external site.).All participants will have the opportunity to receive a copy of the Rainbow Vision 2020 Literary Magazine which was edited by sophomore student, Uma Ribeiro (Hammond H.S. student) during her time as an intern this year in the GT Intern/Mentor program. The registration link for the conference can be found at the top of our website (Links to an external site.)

Daily Health Checks
To ensure students are healthy enough to attend in-person instruction, parents/guardians are to perform a symptom check every day before the student leaves home. A student having any of the following symptoms should not be sent to school and may continue to access their classrooms virtually if they are well enough to do so: 
1 of the following:

  • New onset cough, shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing;
  • New loss of taste or smell; OR

2 of the following:

  • Fever over 100.4 or chills within the past 24 hours;
  • Fatigue;
  • Muscle or body aches;
  • Headache;
  • Sore throat;
  • Congestion or runny nose;
  • Chills or shaking chills;
  • Nausea or vomiting;
  • Diarrhea

Is Your Family File Up to Date?
There are 166 students with an incomplete family file. Please be sure that your Family File is updated with your most CURRENT contact information. It is imperative that we have a means to get in touch with you in a timely manner. Since we have reopened, we have had several instances when we attempted to contact a parent and discovered  that the telephone number on file was incorrect.
Also in your Family File, please make sure your emergency contacts are up to date, with current contact information. Please remind those people that you have indicated them as emergency contacts and that if they get a phone call to pick your child up from school, they will need to be able to get there within an hour.
Follow these instructions:

  1. Visit www.hcpss.org/connect
  2. Log in to your account (Username = your email address)
  3. You will see a list of options on the left side of the screen. At the bottom of the list, choose “More Options” and then “Family File.”
  4. Follow the prompts to update the information.
  5. You will receive a confirmation upon successful completion of the Family File

Notes: 

  • If it is not allowing you to click “NEXT” on a particular page, there is information missing.
  • If you have more than one child at RBES, please be sure to update information for all of your children.
  • Please contact Mrs. Kwon (Helen_Kwon@hcpss.org) or Mrs. Ott (Lakesha_Ott@hcpss.org) if you need assistance completing your Family File

Parents/Guardians Can Now Provide Consent for Voluntary Student COVID-19 Testing
Beginning Monday, April 12, HCPSS will offer a voluntary K-12 COVID-19 Testing Program that will provide free COVID-19 tests for students and school-based staff who develop COVID-like symptoms or are identified as close contacts while they are in a school building. Parents/guardians should not send their children to school, and staff should not report to work if they are presenting COVID-like symptoms. The program includes two components:

  • Administration of two types of COVID-19 tests - rapid antigen point-of-care (POC) and/or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) specimen collection - as needed, and
  • Sharing test results with the Maryland Department of Health and Howard County Health Department for contact tracing purposes. Disclosure of this information is protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act* and requires your consent before it can be shared.

How to provide consent:

  1. Visit www.hcpss.connect
  2. Select More Options from the left panel
  3. Select COVID Testing Permission
  4. Complete the question in the form

In addition, HCPSS will offer free weekly self-collection, saliva-based PCR tests to students participating in organized school sports or club activities for surveillance testing. The program is voluntary and consent is required. Answers to frequently asked questions about the COVID-19 Testing Program are available online.

PTA Corner
Don't Forget to Order Your 2020-21 Yearbook!
A lot changed this school year but we still managed to keep the "cool" in school. Each student, teacher, parent set new precedents with managing life during a modern day global pandemic there's no better way to commemorate Running Brook's ability to pivot than with a yearbook to highlight the students' achievements.
The yearbook not only celebrates our virtual year but also the school's 50th birthday!
Ordering your yearbook is a breeze this year with an online ordering system. Follow the simple 4 steps listed in this flyer to get your book today!

PTA Meeting
Mark Your Calendars -- Monday, May 10th at 7pm join the RBES PTA for their monthly meeting.

Ongoing News and Events

Kindergarten Registration for SY 2021-2022
You can begin the online registration process for students new to Howard County!

It is recommended that you work on a laptop or desktop to complete registration. Cell phone registration is not recommended. For details about registration and enrollment, visit www.hcpss.org/enroll/. Please call our RBES front office at 410-313-6893 or email Mrs. Ott (lakesha_ott@hcpss.org) if you have any questions.Spanish 

Please make certain you are on the screen for 2021-2022 if registering for the next school year.

All children who will be five years of age by September 1, 2021 must register for Kindergarten or have an approved waiver. Parents or guardians are to register students at the school serving the address where the child’s parent or guardian resides.  Information on neighborhood schools can be found through School Locator (links to an external site) .

Complete registration online by providing the documents listed below. The registration process is easier if you upload them during online registration. Otherwise, you will be asked to submit them via email as pdfs. I-phone users can scan documents through your notes app. (Images must be clear.)

The following documents are needed for registration:

  • Child’s evidence of birth (ie: birth certificate)
  • An authorized record of immunizations
  • Proof of residency in the form of your entire signed lease or deed including signature pages
  • Current utility bill (issued within the last 45 days)
  • Photo ID of parent/guardian
  • Proof of custody (if applicable)

If you have a child currently attending an HCPSS PreK program, there is no need to re-register your student for Kindergarten. Also, if your child is a current HCPSS student at RBES or any other HCPSS school, please DO NOT re-register your student.

Learning Together Program – Prekindergarten 
The Regional Early Childhood Center (RECC) prekindergarten programs are making preparations for classes for the 2021-22 school year.  These classes include children with and without disabilities.  The program’s focus is helping all children develop communication, literacy, math, problem solving, motor, and social skills.   Parents of children who will be 3 by September 1st or are already 4 may learn more about the program by reviewing the Learning Together Program (LTP) Flier .  Applications will be accepted starting February 11, 2021 and priority will be given to applications received by April 1st.  CLICK HERE to complete LTP Application

  • Learning Together Program (LTP) Flier (Spanish)
  • Learning Together Program (LTP) Flier (Chinese)
  • Learning Together Program (LTP) Flier (Korean)

HCPSS is committed to providing instruction based on the statewide Early Learning Standards which are in alignment with Kindergarten Readiness. The fees listed in the application will be collected monthly regardless of the learning model determined by HCPSS throughout the upcoming school year (virtual, hybrid, or in person).  If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Kwon at (410) 313-6893.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Internet Access

  • Xfinity WiFi Free For Everyone: Xfinity WiFi hotspots located in businesses and outdoor locations across the country will be available to anyone who needs them for free – including non-Xfinity Internet subscribers. For a map of Xfinity WiFi hotspots, visit www.xfinity.com/wifi. Once at a hotspot, consumers should select the “xfinitywifi” network name in the list of available hotspots and then launch a browser.
  • Families who do not have internet access may be eligible to participate in the Comcast Internet Essentials program. Those in areas without high speed internet service may want to consider activating their smartphone's hotspot feature. Families are not required to submit their social security number to apply for the program; you can skip that question in the application.

Howard County Conservancy Nature Preschool

Date

Friday, May 7, 2021 (All day)