Swansfield Elementary School The Trumpeter Columbia, Maryland
Week of January 12, 2015 EXCELLENCE STARTS HERE
From Mrs. Ketterer: It’s 2015…Happy New Year!! We have loved being back with our students and enjoyed the good wishes from our families! We, in turn, extend our warmest hopes for a Happy and Healthy New Year for all! We are already working at full steam, keeping our learning environment warm!
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Special Schedule in January Bridges Session II begins this Tuesday, January 13 @ 7:45am. Bus stops and times are the same.
Remember that next week students will not be in school Monday, January 19th, due to the holiday. Students will also have two days of Early Dismissal next week. On Thursday, January 22nd and Friday, January 23rd, students will dismiss at 12:10 p.m. All of this valuable time allows for teachers to prepare for upcoming report cards and evaluate quarterly and semester assessments! With our new Common Core Curriculum, these days allow us to reflect on the data and the instructional implications for our students.
Carson Scholars Fund Scholarship Nominee Named Every year, the Carson Scholars Fund honors deserving students from across the country with a $1,000 scholarship and an exciting recognition program. The Carson Scholars Fund (CSF) is a non-profit organization founded in 1994 by world- renowned pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Benjamin S. Carson and his wife, Candy. The CSF aims to recognize and reward students in grades 4 - 11 who earn the highest level of academic achievement and also display strong humanitarian qualities. To date, they have awarded over 5,200 scholarships to students in all 50 states and Washington, DC. Only one student from our school can be nominated to move forward to compete for this prestigious award. We wanted to recognize our students who have attained a 3.75 GPA in their core academic classes in the first quarter of the current year. We are proud to say that more than 50 students were initially eligible! We informed the students how the remaining criteria from the Carson Scholars Fund would determine five finalists. This scholarship program is open to students in grades 4-11 who have at least a 3.75 GPA and are involved in community service. The five finalists who were considered at the next level were: Valerie Brady, Ariana Fernandez, Lauren Rivarde, Noah Steele, and Evan Tionquiao! They had the opportunity to write an essay that would decide our school nominee. This past Thursday, Lauren Rivarde was announced as the student to represent Swansfield moving forward! We are so proud of all of our students and wanted to recognize their achievements!
Notes from the Music Room Please remind your 3rd, 4th or 5th grader to bring their recorders to class this week and for the next several weeks. Third graders who purchased one through the school will be keeping it at school until June. As always, thank you so much for supporting your child's music education at Swansfield!
Wilde Lake String Fling Concert Fourth and 5th grade orchestra students will be participating in this spectacular concert on January 29 at 7:00pm in the James Rouse Theater with orchestra students from other schools. Parents should look for a field trip permission slip coming home soon and information about the concert. Improved HCPSS News Offers Automatic Sign-up for Parents HCPSS in the fall upgraded its HCPSS News communication system. Using email and text alerts, the service provides updates on news and events, and delivers real-time information on bus schedule changes, weather-related closings and emergency information. HCPSS parents are signed up for emails automatically; community members or any non-HCPSS parent can sign up at https://subscriptions.hocoschools.org and employees who don’t have children in the system can sign up at https://subscriptions.hocoschools.org/?staff=1
Anyone wishing to receive text message alerts must opt in to this service. If you received text messages last year, you must still opt in to receiving them now. For directions on how to receive text alerts, please go to www.hcpss.org/hcpss-news/faq . All questions regarding email or text alerts should be directed to [email protected], or the HCPSS Public Information Office at 410-313-6682.
Preparing for Winter Weather Our students have been coming to school dressed for our changing weather these past weeks! Thank you for sending coats, hats, mittens, and scarves! We will go outside for recess as long the weather permits. If there are any weather-related delays or closings, you can hear about them a variety of ways: If you subscribe to HCPSS News you will automatically be alerted with a message via email or text; most local television stations announce delays or closings by 5:30 a.m.; and HCPSS Channel 95 on Comcast also provides the latest information. To join HCPSS News please log onto https://www.hcpssnews.com/user/userdefault.aspx Special Request: Please write your child's name and grade in their coats so that we are better able to locate coat owners J Special Thank You: Your support and flexibility have been greatly appreciated as changing weather shifts our schedules!
Upcoming School / Community Events
Beginning Band & Orchestra Winter Concert Tuesday, January 20th, at 7:00 p.m. Come and see our Beginning Band & Orchestra perform in one evening concert. Our new instrumental musicians under the direction of Mrs. Amanda McKay and Mr. Doug Lea will display their talents to an excited audience beginning at 7:00 p.m. in our school cafeteria! Come early to get a good seat. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. They also perform at an afternoon concert at 2:10 p.m. the same day!
School Spelling Bee on Wednesday, January 21st, 2:10-3:00 p.m. Mark Your Calendars! Swansfield Elementary's School Spelling Bee will be held on Wednesday, January 21st, from 2:10 –3:00 pm. The top two spellers from each 4th and 5th grade class will compete for the opportunity to represent Swansfield at the county level spelling bee to be held Friday, March 13th at Reservoir High School. The second place winner at the school level will serve as an alternate should the winning student not be able to participate. Hope to see you t-h-e-r-e!
Spotlight Team Winners for December 19th Pre-K am Edwin Monotya-Monroy (Miss Day’s Class) 2nd Grade Diana Navarrete-Gallardo (Mrs. Myers’ Class) Pre-K pm Dior Cherry (Miss Day’s Class) 3rd Grade Princess Addo (Miss Miller’s Class) Kindergarten Zakiyah Mackall (Ms. Holden’s Class) 4th Grade Ny’eem Johnson (Mrs. Ports’ Class) 1st- Grade Ethan Willard (Mrs. Huter’s Class) 5th Grade Lauren Rivarde (Ms. Ashton’s Class)
Spotlight Classroom Winners for December 19th Kindergarten Stefany Ortiz-Rivera (Mrs. Niezgoda’s Class) 1st Grade Jakirha Corley (Miss Birmingham’s Class) Ashley Ocotan-Jimenez (Miss Shipley’s Class) Clara Tavary (Mrs. Huter’s Class) Makiyah Greene (Mr. Werdesheim’s Class) Cristine Anto (Mrs. Olthoff’s Class) Mason Rieger (Miss Warner’s Class) 2nd Grade Geleisi Li (Mrs. Erb’s Class) 3rd Grade Soren Shaw (Ms.Bell’s Class) Daegan Gallagher (Mrs. Hovis’ Class) Naima Paul (Miss Bonnette’s Class) Quanae Smith (Mrs. Rooths’ Class) Destini Jackson (Miss Lewis’ Class) 4th Grade Julien Aboudi (Mrs. Barron’s Class) 5th Grade Guiselle Nava (Miss Kanter’s Class) Omolade Ogundeko (Mr. Hayes’ Class) Demitrian Leonard-Patterson (Miss Regan’s Class) D’Asia Dendy (Miss Narron’s Class) Valerie Brady (Mrs. Salazar’s Class)
Spotlight Team Winners for January 9th Pre-K am Jeff Otieno (Miss Day’s Class) 2nd Grade Pierre Kamga (Mrs. Rooths’ Class) Pre-K pm Sybil-Sarah Arrey-Mbi (Miss Day’s Class) 3rd Grade Amarni Gray (Ms. Bell’s Class) Kindergarten Kevin Mitchell (Mrs. Niezgoda’s Class) 4th Grade Quedence Evans (Mrs. Barron’s Class) 1st- Grade Jamal Lafrance (Miss Warner’s Class) 5th Grade Michaela St. John (Mrs. Salazar’s Class)
Spotlight Classroom Winners for January 9th Kindergarten Tyler Kennelly (Miss Holden’s Class) 1st Grade Nathan Tionquiao (Miss Birmingham’s Class) Miyk’el Robertson (Miss Shipley’s Class) Marion Garnett (Mrs. Huter’s Class) Abigail Greenfield (Mr. Werdesheim’s Class) S’niya Aguirre (Mrs. Olthoff’s Class) Joseph Ortiz-Rivera (Miss Wyant’s Class) 2nd Grade Brooke Keith (Mrs. Erb’s Class) 3rd Grade Summer Goldie (Miss Bonnette’s Class) Alex LaBoy (Mrs. Hovis’ Class) Thomas Aarsbergen (Miss Lewis’ Class) Jaden Song (Mrs. Myers’ Class) Marleigh Sullivan (Miss Miller’s Class) 4th Grade Skye Song (Mr. Hayes’ Class) 5th Grade Lauren Rivarde (Ms. Ashton’s Class) Nyah Lastrapes (Miss Narron’s Class) Jaylin Babb (Miss Kanter’s Class)\ Naomie Ofwono (Mrs. Ports’ Class) Jerry Juste (Miss Regan’s Class)
Photographs of SPOTLIGHT Winners are updated weekly on our website, http://ses.hcpss.org.
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER Tuesday, January 13 BRIDGES Session II Begins at 7:45 a.m. Wednesday, January 14 Title I Book Clubs Students and Families @ 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. Thursday, January 15 Students for Safe Schools meets in the Media Center @ 7:45 a.m. Monday, January 19 SCHOOLS CLOSED: Dr. King Holiday Tuesday, January 20 Beginning Band & Orchestra Concert @ 7:00 p.m. in the Cafeteria Wednesday, January 21 Title I Book Clubs Students and Families @ 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. Thursday, January 22 EARLY DISMISSAL @ 12:10 p.m. Professional Learning Day Friday, January 23 EARLY DISMISSAL @ 12:10 p.m. End of 2nd Q Marking Period Wednesday, January 28 WLHS String Fling Field Trip @ 9:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Thursday, January 29 4th and 5th Grade State Fair @ 1:00-3:00 pm. in the Cafeteria. Thursday, January 29 WLHS String Fling Concert @ 7:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Howard County Office of Transportation Invites You Cedar Lane, north of Little Patuxent Parkway, provides an opportunity for enhanced access for bicyclists, pedestrians and the disabled. The Howard County Office of Transportation, in cooperation with the Howard County Department of Public Works, has developed preliminary design plans for a multi-use pathway on the west side of Cedar Lane from Little Patuxent Parkway to Harpers Farm Road. The pathway would connect to the Downtown Columbia Trail, which is currently being constructed from Howard County General Hospital, all the way through the heart of Columbia and on to Blandair Park in Oakland Mills.
Stakeholders are invited to attend a PowerPoint presentation with Howard County Office of Transportation and Department of Public Works staff and provide their feedback on the preliminary design plans. Stakeholders include local residents, public agencies, and community leaders.
Meeting Details are: Date: January 28, 2015 Time: 6:30pm to 8pm Location: Swansfield Elementary School cafeteria Phone: (410)313-4364 Email: [email protected]