Note from Principal
Good Afternoon Running Brook Families,
We hope that you had a restful spring break. For the past two weeks we've had all our A, B, & E group students back in the building. The students have done an amazing job of adjusting to the new routines in the building and we've been impressed with their resilience.
Our third quarter comes to an end Wednesday, April 14th. Please spend some time over the next few days checking Canvas for any unfinished assignments. If your child has work that he or she has not completed they have until next Wednesday to turn it in. Please don't hesitate to reach out to your child's teacher with questions about assignments and grades.
Sincerely,
Anthony J Esposito, Principal
IMPORTANT DATES
| April 12 | 7pm - PTA Meeting |
| April 13 | Student Picture Day for Group A, E and Virtual Students |
| April 14 | Early Dismissal - End of 3rd Marking Period |
| April 14 | End of 3rd Quarter |
| April 16 | Student Picture for Group B Students |
| April 22 | 3rd Quarter Report Cards Issued |
NEWS & EVENTS
Picture Day is Coming
You can pre-order your pictures before picture day HERE
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:
2 of the following:
Is Your Family File Up to Date?
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:
Notes:
MAP Testing
On Wednesday, May 5th and 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 reading test will be offered on May 5th. 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.
Notice from Howard County Police Department
Please obey the all traffic signs that are on the property when dropping off or picking up students.
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 to get your book today!
PTA Meeting
Mark Your Calendars -- Monday, April 14th at 7pm join the RBES PTA as we set out to create a Spring calendar of events to kick off the change in weather!
Parent to Staff Panther Praise
Mrs. Van Osdel – 5th Grade Teacher
"Mrs. Van Osdel brings such an amazing energy to the class literally everyday. She is very structured, engaging, fair and truly cares about each student and their learning. Mrs. Van Osdel is an All Star Teacher and checks off every box for what an amazing educator should be. We are truly grateful for having her as a teacher and wish we could take her to every grade level with us. Thank you Mrs. Van Osdel for being so committed and passionate about being an educator”- The Kelly Family
The Entire RBES Staff
“The entire staff has worked tirelessly providing excellent education for all students…THANK YOU" – Sepan Grandmother
Mrs. Tunkel– 3rd Grade Teacher
"Mrs. Tunkel is my best teacher because the kahoots she picks are very good. The books too and she always helps me when I’m mixed up!” – Levi Owen
Mrs. Lerner – GT Teacher
”For always going above and beyond to ensure our kids have the best instruction in an incredibly caring environment!” – The Payne Family
Ms. Day, Mrs. Torres, Mrs. Chang and Mrs. Minyard – PreK Team
”Thank you for helping to make Pre-K such a positive experience. With all of your patience, creativity and love. Jayceon has achieved a lot. Keep up the good work its greatly appreciated!”– Jaceyon & Family
Dr. Zimmer – 3rd Grade Teacher
“She helps me every time when we do Math. She is awesome and nice. When I am about to give up she says “never give up Noah!” – Noah Bolden
Ms. Clanton – 3rd Grade Teacher
"Ms. Clanton is a cool teacher!" - Marcos
Ongoing News and Events
Kindergarten Registration Week 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.
Please make certain you are on the screen for 2021-2022 if registering for the next school year. Please read this message in its entirety.
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:
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 . 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
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.
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:
We welcome any feedback or questions related to our Title I school wide 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
Virtual Parent Cafe
If you are interested in attending a Virtual Parent Café the Maryland Family Network (MFN) now has 2 dates in April! Please see the flyers linked below for the dates and times. At the Parent Café, we share ideas that can help us take care of ourselves and our families and raise strong, happy children. We’d love to have you join us!
At the Virtual Café you can: