Panther Press

November 8, 2019

IMPORTANT DATES

November

11        7:00 pm – PTA Meeting
            Report Cards Issued

13        Kindergarten Field Trip to Central Library
            Mrs. Kurstin & Mrs. Westerman Classes

14        Kindergarten Field Trip to Central Library
            Mrs. Murray and Mrs. Nilles Classes

15        4th Grade Field Trip to Coppin State University
            6:00 pm - Black Student Achievement Program Speed Game Night

18-22   American Education Week

21        6:00 pm - Black Student Achievement Program Community Meeting

22        Prekindergarten Field Trip to Baltimore Aquarium

25        Early Dismissal – Students will be dismissed at 12:55 pm
            Parent/Teacher Conferences

26        Early Dismissal – Students will be dismissed at 12:55 pm
            Parent/Teacher Conferences

27        Schools Closed for Students – Parent Teacher Conferences

28-29   Schools and Offices Closed – Thanksgiving Holiday        

 

NEWS & EVENTS

RBES Arrival Time
Please be aware that students should not arrive or be let out of cars before 9:05 in the morning, unless staff members are present, assisting, and supervising.  We have many students who are arriving close to or before 8:30 am.  These students are not supervised.  If your child is a walker, please have a conversation about what is the best time to leave the house so they are not arriving too early or too late. Students may enter the building beginning at 9:05 am.

Dismissal Reminders
Dismissal begins at 3:50 PM. If your child is a car rider, we ask that drivers not leave their vehicles as this impedes the movement of all other cars. Please stay with your vehicle and staff will assist your child in meeting you. Please note, students who are not picked up on time will be returned to the Front Office after our school dismissal is complete. A parent/guardian must park and come to the Front Office to sign out the student. Please make our Front Office Staff aware of any adjustments to dismissal procedures before 3:00 pm. This allows time for any necessary adjustments.  Thank you for your support and cooperation with this procedure.  The safety of our students is our first priority!

Attendance Reminders
The school must receive a note from the parent or physician explaining the absence/tardiness of a student within two school days of the student’s return or the absence/tardiness will be unlawful/unexcused. Absence notes should be sent to RBESAbsence@hcpss.org.

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 for all that you do to keep our students healthy!

Parent/Teacher Conferences
Parent/teacher conferences will be held Monday, November 25 - Wednesday, November 27. Conferences can be scheduled online through HCPSS Connect from November 11-22.

American Education Week November 18-22
We will kick off this week with a “Donuts with Dads” breakfast on Monday, November 18th. A sign up will be sent to families on Monday, November 11th. This breakfast is open to ALL students and a positive male role model in their lives. We look forward to hosting family members as they visit their child's classroom.

 

YOUNG AUTHORS' WRITING CONTEST
Students in Grades 1-5 are invited to write a poem and/or story for the annual Young Authors' Contest sponsored by the State of Maryland Literacy Association.
The guidelines are:

• Entries must be original work.
• Students may enter a previously unsubmitted short story and/or poem written within the previous or current school year.
• All entries must use no smaller than 12 point font in Times New Roman.
• Short story entry must range between 100-400 words (gr. 1-2) and 300-800 words (gr. 3-5).
• Poem entry will consist of a single poem, any style, and must range between 25-150 words (all grade levels).
• Entries must not include graphics.
• Save an electronic copy of the story or poem. Winners at the school level will be asked to submit the electronic copy for the county and state levels of the contest
• Each entry must include a completed cover sheet signed by the student author’s parent.
• Entries due to your classroom teacher by Tuesday, November 26, 2019.

Please contact Mrs. James or Mrs. Armellino if you have any questions.

Bus Safety
The safety of your child/children is of utmost importance to us. Recently it has been brought to the attention of our staff that the behaviors of a number of students on several busses are not conducive to the Howard County Code of Conduct, or the expectations of the students at Running Brook. We have discussed the importance of bus safety with students on each bus. Please talk to your child/children to remind them of their responsibility to keep themselves, and others, safe while riding the bus.  Thank you for your support!

Speed Game Night
Save the date!   The Black Student Achievement Parents of RBES are hosting a fun event. All families are invited to SPEED GAME NIGHT
When: Friday November 15, 2019
Where: Running Brook Elementary Cafeteria Time: 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Come join us for fun filled evening of speed game play, community building, and getting to know your Running Brook Elementary family!! All families welcome!
RSVP Flyers were sent home last Friday or register using the link below:
https://forms.gle/Az5gU8xY4BE7rq9v8

HCPSS Speech and Language Services Community Information Forum
See the attached flyer for an opportunity to learn more about Speech and Language Services in HCPSS.
Ins and Outs of SLP English 
Ins and Outs of SLP Spanish 

BLESSINGS IN A BACKPACK
Blessings in a Backpack is a non-profit organization that works to support the more than 62% of elementary students in America who qualify for the free and reduced meal program.  Each Friday during the school year, students supported by the Blessings in a Backpack Program are given a certain amount of food to ensure they do not go hungry over the weekend.  The cost per student is $100 for the thirty-eight week school year.  Backpacks include easy-to-prepare, shelf stable food items (juice boxes, mac and cheese, fruit snacks, and oatmeal). One hundred percent of funds donated directly feed the children of the program.  Online donations are accepted at http://www.blessingsinabackpack.org. (Please be sure to check the “other” box in the dropdown section of the “Designation” section and type “Running Brook Elementary School”).  Checks should be made out to Blessings in a Backpack, with Running Brook Elementary School on the memo line.   Checks can be mailed to: BIB Lockbox, PO Box 950291,Louisville, KY 40295.  Donors will receive a thank you letter containing the Blessings in a Backpack Federal Tax ID Number, which serves as a charitable gift receipt.

Would You Be a Spotlighted Mathematician at RBES?
Help our students see how math is utilized in our community.
Do you have a job that involves a lot of math?  Would you be willing to be a spotlighted mathematician?  This would require completing the survey below and sending a picture to our math support teacher.  We want our students to see themselves as part of our community and to understand that mathematics is a powerful subject from parents' perspectives.  Should you have any questions, please contact our math support teacher at sorsha_mulroe@hcpss.org. Thank you!
Survey Link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7NHP6QT

Health Room News
The Smile Dental Program will be at Running Brook Elementary School on Wednesday, December 11, 2019, Thursday December 12, 2019, and Friday December 13, 2019. Smile Dental Program consent forms have been sent home with students. Please return completed and signed forms to the health room if you would like your student to participate in the Smile Dental Program. Contact the health room at (410) 313-7442 with any questions or concerns.

Penguin Patch Holiday Shoppe
The Penguin Patch Holiday Shoppe is coming to Running Brook! Save the date for our annual Penguin Patch and Parent Holiday Shoppe on Thursday, December 5th from 5:30 to 8:00 PM. Students will be able to shop for their families and choose from reasonably priced gifts that range in price from $.50 to $5.00. More information will be sent home in the coming weeks!

Online Directory Now Available in HCPSS Connect
Parents/guardians who have completed their Family File can now access their school directory in HCPSS Connect. The directory will display only the information that parents select when completing Family File. The directory will update daily as families complete Family File or change their information.
To access the directory for your school, log in to HCPSS Connect and select Family File/School Directory in the left menu, and then School Directory.
Information in the directory is for personal use only and may not be distributed, sold or shared in any way. Parents who do not wish to be included in the directory should update their Family File permissions.

Please fill out the 2019-2020 RBES Interest Survey
Running Brook values parents and families as partners in education and we look forward to working together to provide the resources necessary for your students to be successful.  
Many resources, opportunities and programs are available at Running Brook, both during and beyond the school day.  Please select all of the items that you are interested in receiving information about.  All information will remain confidential.
Click here to complete:  https://forms.gle/ExGQu7oLMB7EYSoj7

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

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).

COMMUNITY NEWS

Parent Workshop Series

The Council of Elders and the Howard County Public School System have partnered to sponsor the following 2019–20 parent workshop series at:

• November 9
  • Social, Emotional and Mental Well Being
• January 25
  • Social Media
• March 7
  • Healthy and Unhealthy Relationships

All sessions will take place at Oakland Mills High School, 9540 Kilimanjaro Road, Columbia 21045. The session is free to attend. Those interested are asked to register online. Childcare is available. Please call 410-313-1598 to arrange childcare and interpreting services.