Panther Press

February 15, 2019

 

IMPORTANT DATES

February

18th          Schools Closed – President’s Day

19th          4th Grade MAP Testing – Math

20th          5th Grade MAP Testing – ELA

                 Parent Workshop at 6:15 pm

22nd         Me & My Hero Dance at Slayton House

                 5th Grade MAP Testing - Math

26th          7pm – PTA Meeting

27th          Prekindergarten Field Trip to Baltimore Aquarium

 

March

6th            Progress Reports Issued

14th          3rd Grade Family Night

15th          Class & Group Picture Day

26th          7pm – PTA Meeting

 

NEWS & EVENTS

PREPARING FOR KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION

Please spread the word! Kindergarten Registration Kick-Off Week begins March 11, 2019. Families of students entering kindergarten this fall may begin registration at this time. Please note that in order to register for kindergarten, students must be 5 years old by September 1, 2019.

Families interested in pre-kindergarten for students turning 4 years old by September 1, 2019, may also apply at that time. Admission to pre-kindergarten is determined according to MSDE guidelines, which may be viewed at https://www.hcpss.org/schools/pre-k-programs/.

For more information about enrollment in HCPSS, visit https://www.hcpss.org/enroll/.

 

PANTHER SPOTLIGHT

Congratulations to the students listed below for their participation in the MMEA Demonstration Chorus on February 2nd! These students did a wonderful job singing challenging music and representing Howard County and the Running Brook community at the statewide Maryland Music Educators' Association conference. Keep up the good work!

• Tiffany B.
• Simiyon F.
• Jolie H.
• Isabella R.
• Leila R.
• Giselle W.

Congratulations to Kelsey M. and Linden W. for their performance with the Howard County Children's Chorus Lyric Chorus on February 10th! These students had only five rehearsals to prepare for a beautiful concert shared by the Lyric Chorus and the Sixth Grade Honors Chorus. Excellent work!

 

GIRLS ON THE RUN

Girls on the Run Registration Opens February 10: Girls on the Run® inspires girls in grades 3-5 to be joyful, healthy, and confident by using running to teach valuable life skills. Teams of 15-20 girls meet twice weekly after school for 10 weeks. Each season concludes with the girls and their running buddies completing a 5k run. The Spring season will start the week of March 17, with the season-ending 5k scheduled for June 1, 2019, in Columbia, MD. Registration opens on Sunday, February 10 at 12:00 noon. Program registration fee is $175 and includes 5k registration, water bottle, t-shirt, and all program materials. Financial assistance is available – no girl is turned away. Visit https://www.gotrcentralmd.org/ for a list of program sites and to register. Questions? Call 443-583-7740.

 

LEARN OF WEATHER DELAYS OR SCHOOL CLOSINGS
When is the decision made? The decision to delay or close schools is made by approximately 5:00 a.m. 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 Information Hotline: 410-313-6666
TV/Radio: WBAL TV Ch. 11; WBAL Radio 1090 AM; WTOP Radio 103.5 FM

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

 

RBES Yearbooks on Sale Now!

The yearbook is now accepting preorders. A paper flier has been sent home and a copy is available in the office. Online orders are being accepted as well. Attached is the Yearbook Order Form_2018-19 with pricing and click the link below for online ordering.
Order Here: https://rbes.picaboo.com/

 

LOST & FOUND

The lost & found bin in the cafeteria is overflowing with items. Please stop in and look for articles of clothing that has been missing in action. All items that are not claimed by Friday, February 22nd will be donated.

 

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. 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 Jodi Aikens at (jodi_aikens@hcpss.org) or Kim Filler at (kimberly_filler@hcpss.org).

 

Free & Discounted Benefits for Qualifying HCPSS Families

Did you know FARMs is much more than just breakfast and lunch: The Free and Reduced-Priced Meals (FARMs) program provides access to an array of services for qualified families including free and reduced-priced breakfasts and lunches, free SAT and ACT registration, free tuition to take college courses at Howard Community College while still enrolled in high school, free college applications, reduced AP exam fees, reduced costs for a number of services provided by Howard County Rec and Parks, Columbia Association and Comcast, and much more.
Visit the https://www.hcpss.org/food-services/farms/ for more information and to apply.

 

COMMUNITY NEWS

GT Summer Institute

Registration for the G/T Summer Institutes is underway.  G/T Summer Institutes provide interested students with advanced-level instruction and enrichment experiences not regularly available during the academic school year. The curriculum is focused on talent development and provides academically and artistically rigorous activities. Teaching strategies represent best practices in the fields of gifted and talented and arts education.

Register Early! Classes fill quickly due to small class sizes designed to maximize individualized attention. Registration forms are available at www.hcpss.org/gt.

Scholarships are available for students participating in the Free and Reduced Meals program.

Dates, Times, and Tuition
Session I - July 1-July 12 (no class July 4)
8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
$288

Session II - July 15-July 26
8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
$320

Forms of Payment
•    Check or money order (make payable to HCPSS)
•    Visa
•    Mastercard
•    No cash payments accepted
•    Scholarships are available for students participating in the Free and Reduced Meals program

Please check the G/T Program website at www.hcpss.org/gt for G/T Summer Institutes course availability before mailing your registration.

If you have questions about the G/T Summer Institutes, please contact LaDonna Norjen at
410-313-6671 or ladonna_norjen@hcpss.org

summer-institute - preview.pdf

You can still register for 5th & 6th grade spots for Summer Institute (current 4th and 5th graders) ; go to https://www.hcpss.org/summer-programs/ and scroll down to "Summer Institute"  select the green button to "Register".  You will receive an email in the near future saying you have gotten in or are on the waiting list.

• Dates: July 1–July 26
• Times: 8:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
• Tuition: $650  (Tuition Reduction and Scholarships available)

Locations

• Clarksville Elementary School: Students entering grades K–4
• River Hill High School: Students entering grades 5-9

Before and After Care available for additional cost.

If you have any questions regarding the program please contact Andrea Frank, BSAP Liaison at RBES at 410-313-6893 or Alice Giles in the Summer School office at 410-313-6627 or summer_school@hcpss.org, or contact Jackie Jenkins at 410-313-1598

 

2019 West Point STEM Camp Applications

Application Process:

• For 6th & 7th graders:
  • West Point Middle School STEM Workshop Ambassador Program: The Center for Leadership and Diversity in STEM (CLD STEM) is busy planning the workshop for summer 2019. Due to the great response from the Ambassador Program last year, we will again offer previous participants a chance to attend in an ambassador role. We are looking for students who would like to take on a near-peer mentoring role. They will assist cadet mentors, talk to students about STEM activities they have participated in or have initiated, and support workshop leaders.
  • To apply for the Ambassador program:
    • Complete the application at the following link including a 1-2 page response to the stated mission: https://goo.gl/forms/Mi2UULwDUgPZ9rVV2
    • Have two STEM teachers provide recommendations by clicking the link provided below by February 28, 2019: https://goo.gl/forms/XhpMzCIKjxae77Um1
• For 8th & 9th graders:
  • But wait…there’s more! This year, CLD STEM will conduct its first High School STEM Workshop. This workshop is for students who are currently in the 8th or 9th grade (in the 2018-2019 academic year).
  • For more eligibility information, please click on the link (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1N0J6MW2sGWyTIdW7vt_GEsjfkgx-U0pAZ_-V7fWHcU0/edit?usp=sharing).
  • The dates are June 3rd -7th. To apply, click on the link (https://goo.gl/forms/RGNiC17rtgcK8XT33).