DUCKETTS LANE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OWL OBSERVER May 6, 2016

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

April 25- May 26 PARCC Assessments Gr 3-5 (see dates below) May 9- Kindergarten Field Trip to National Zoo in Washington DC May 12- Interim Progress Reports issued to students May 13- Field Day Gr K-2 9:15am-11:45am Gr 3-5 12:15pm-2:45pm May 19- Chick Fil A Family Night May 19- Artome Art Show and Fundraiser 6-8pm May 19- Night of Excellence classroom exhibits 6:30-8pm May 20- Schools closed for students May 24- 5th Grade to Middle School 9-11am May 26- 1st Grade Author’s Tea 2-3pm May 26- Spring Concerts (see timing below for 3rd and 4th/5th Grades) May 30- Schools & Offices closed for Memorial Day June 2- Dine and Dance 5-7pm June 3- 5th Grade Congressional Hearing 9-10AM

MESSAGE FROM ADMINISTRATION

Dear Families,

Please put May 19th on your calendar to participate in our Art Exhibit and Fundraiser (beginning at 6:00pm) and our Night of Excellence (beginning at 6:30 pm). All of our students will be honored and each of them will offer an artifact from their work this year for you to see! This evening also offers us the chance to showcase the products created in our enrichment program! There is something for everyone and we look forward to seeing you that night!

Next week is our county’s staff appreciation week. We hope you will join us in congratulating the DLES staff on doing such an outstanding job working with your wonderful children. We feel very fortunate to work with so many talented teachers and staff. If you have time over the next week to send an email or card sharing your appreciation with at least one of our staff members, I know they would really value your feedback.

Please let the front office know if you are moving over the summer. We want to set your child up for success at their new school and will need mailing information to send to your child’s new school. Please call 410-313-5050 with your new address and school name.

Have a wonderful Mother’s Day Weekend,

Mrs. Balter, Mr. Anderson and Mr. Norfolk

SCHOOL NEWS

PARCC Assessments April 25, 2016-May 26, 2016 PARCC assessments will continue to be administered at Ducketts Lane ES for students in grades 3, 4 and 5 on the dates listed below. Testing for most students will occur between 9:00 am and 12:00 pm during each assigned day. The PARCC assessment consists of 7 sections; each student will complete 3 sections for reading and 4 sections for mathematics. Please carefully review the dates below for your student’s testing days and ensure that your student gets a good nights rest and arrives on time at the start of school each day by 8:35 am.

Grade 3: 5/23, 5/24, 5/25, 5/26

Grade 4: 5/16, 5/17, 5/18, 5/19

Grade 5: 5/9, 5/10, 5/11, 5/12

For additional information about the PARCC assessments, please visit http://www.hcpss.org/academics/testing/parcc/

STAFF NEWS Congratulations to the DLES Green School Committee on Ducketts Lane ES having certified as a Green School! We have been recognized for the great and green efforts that our school has gone to in order to achieve this significant accomplishment. The Maryland Green School award represents a whole school commitment to environmental literacy for staff, students and the community. Our efforts are making a difference!

Congratulations to Ms. Cari Haas, Mrs. Justine Sillers and Mrs. Courtney Madden who were recently recognized by Dr. Foose and HCPSS as Leaders of Professional Learning.

FIELD DAY Field Day will be held on May 13th (rain date May 27th) at the following times: K-2nd Grade 9:15-11:45am 3rd-5th Grade 12:15- 2:45pm All students should dress for a PE day- light cool clothing, SNEAKERS, hat/visor if needed and bring a water bottle! Please do not send Gatorade or juices that day. Parent Volunteers are encouraged to sign up and join the fun! AM Parent volunteers should arrive by 9am and PM Volunteers should arrive by 12noon. Snacks and water will be provided for our volunteers.

DLES ART SHOW AND FUNDRAISER on the “Night of Excellence” Thursday, May 19th 6:00-8:00pm The students of Ducketts Lane Elementary School have come together to create artwork for our 3rd Annual Art Show celebration. Every student has their own masterpiece framed and on display. You don’t want to miss this! Take Home Your Framed Artwork for $25 Cash or Check. Purchase your child's framed original art to proudly display in your home or office. In addition, a percentage of the sales goes directly to your child’s school. You may also buy reproductions at the Art Show. A framed reproduction of your child’s art is an amazing, personalized gift for grandparents, friends or other family members. Attend the Art Show and purchase the framing package for your child’s art. If you cannot attend the show, you may prepay by sending a check to your child’s homeroom teacher, made payable to DLES.

Often, this is the first time a child has seen his or her artwork professionally framed and on display. This special moment creates a life-long memory for both the art student and parents! Visit .... http://www.artome.com/http://www.artome.com/ or email [email protected] for further info.

NIGHT OF EXCELLENCE May 19th 6:30-8:00pm Visit DLES to share in the Night of Excellence showcasing classroom exhibits all around the school. All students have created an artifact to share with their families. Come help us celebrate the excellent students at DLES!

DLES YEARBOOK Yearbook order forms were sent home last week. If you wish to order a yearbook you may do so on online at www.strawbridge.net or you may return the order form along with a check made payable to Strawbridge in the amount of $10.00. Orders are due by May 23rd. Please do not make checks payable to DLES. Great news- All 5th grade students will receive a free yearbook courtesy of the 5th Grade team and our generous Ducketts Lane ES PTA!

FIRST GRADE AUTHOR’S TEA The Author’s Tea will be held on May 26th from 2-3pm. Parents/Guardians are invited to attend. More information will be sent home in the Thursday folders.

DLES SPRING CONCERTS (that's right, there are two!) Thursday, May 26th at Thomas Viaduct MS This year’s spring concert will be split into two separate performances on the same night. Both concerts will be held in the Thomas Viaduct Middle School Cafeteria.

The first performance will feature the 3rd Grade Orchestra and special guests, the TVMS String Orchestra. All 3rd graders should arrive at 5:00 pm. The performance will run from 5:30-6:00 pm.

All other musicians (4th band, 5th band, 4th/5th orchestra, jazz band and all choruses) will arrive at 6:30 pm. This portion of the evening will run from 7:00-8:00 pm. PLEASE DO NOT ARRIVE ANY EARLIER THAN 6:30 (unless you have a sibling in the 3rd orchestra)!

Concert Dress- All students should wear a white dress shirt (no tank tops please), black dress pants/skirt, black dress shoes and black dress socks. Ladies can wear black dress sandals, but please no flip flops, heels higher than 1”, or tennis shoes!

A Special Tribute to our Armed Forces! As a special thank you, the 4th and 5th grade students would like to honor our country’s service men and women during their portion of the evening. We encourage you to invite any family or friends that are part of the Armed Forces to our 4th and 5th grade concert starting at 7:00 pm. Please be sure to ask them to wear their service uniform!

Save the Date: DINE AND DANCE June 02, 2016 5:00-7:00pm (Rain Date June 09, 2016 5:00-7:00pm) Pre-orders for pizza will be coming home next week. Pizza will NOT be sold the day of the event. You can also bring your own picnic. Come share in a DLES tradition!

GUIDANCE NEWS Spotlight on Strengths! How can you encourage your child to put their strengths into action? We will be focusing on one Strength per month!

COMPETING: You see many things in life as a game, and you feel great job when you win. You truly hate to lose because you are always striving for first place. -Have you child set a challenge for themselves. Can you learn your spelling words in two days? Can you dribble a soccer ball 35 times? Can you learn the names of 5 new people? -Pick one thing you really want to do this week. Tell a parent, teacher, sister, or brother about it and tell them how it went after you did it!

Parents/Guardians of 5th graders: Middle school visitation day is Thursday, May 24th. Our 5th grade students will take a short field trip to Thomas Viaduct Middle School to learn all about their new school for the upcoming school year! Please look in the Thursday folders for a permission form and return it to school completed.

HEALTH ROOM Fever: If your student has a fever (HCPSS defines as above 100 degrees F), keep the student at home until temperature has been normal for 24 hours without medication assistance. Vomiting: Students should be free from vomiting for 24 hours before returning to school. Exception- non-contagious vomiting disorders diagnosed by doctor. Clothing: If you store change of clothing in your student's cubby, please update for spring/summer appropriate clothing. Medication: Any medication required during school hours including prescription, “over-the-counter” (OTC) and homeopathic/ herbal medications require a medication order signed by an approved health care provider and subject to the HCPSS medication policy and procedure. Medication must be dropped off at the health room by an adult.

Please contact the health room with any questions or concerns. 410-313-1739 [email protected] [email protected].

DLES Book Drive We are in need of gently used books to supply our DLES Book bus. The book bus will be traveling in the DLES neighborhood to allow students to borrow books to read for summer time reading!!

News from Girls on the Run Let the Spring Cleaning begin! ShoeBox Recycling is excited to introduce THE SPRING MADNESS SNEAKER CHALLENGE! This challenge will help our organization earn double the funds!

The rules are simple: 1. Collect all gently used SNEAKERS - plastic soccer cleats, running, basketball, tennis, and more! 2. We will send you GREEN SPORT STICKERS to place on all of your Sneaker Boxes. 3. Earn $1.00 per pound!

The Leap Year Sneaker Challenge will run from now until June 17, 2016. We are still accepting ALL STYLES AND SIZES of shoes! The Girls On The Run team will sort out the sneakers vs. all other styles.

KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION Ducketts Lane ES is currently accepting Kindergarten registrations for the 2016-17 School Year! Children registering must be five years old by Sept. 1, 2016. Please call the school at 410-313-5050 to schedule an appointment.

Parents should bring the following original documents with them to registration: • Student’s birth certificate and immunization records • Parent’s current lease or deed with date and signatures • Latest utility bill (cable bill, gas and electric, or non cellular telephone bill)

PTA NEWS: Don’t Miss the Float into Summer PTA General Meeting on Thursday, May 12th at 6:30 pm in the cafetorium. Enjoy root beer floats and summer learning and wellness tips. Also, all current PTA members…we need your vote to renew our by- laws so that we can continue to operate in the new school year. This is the last General Meeting of the school year and we look forward to seeing you there! Visit www.dlespta.weebly.com for more information.

Spiritwear Update: DLES families received Spiritwear order forms in Thursday folders this week - the website noted at the top of the order form for online ordering and to view item colors is incorrect. Please visit the correct address, www.dlespta.weebly.com/store/c1/spiritwear, to order directly online using PayPal or a major credit card! Thank you! The deadline for orders is May 18th. If you have any questions, email [email protected].

Teacher Appreciation Week is next week (5/9 - 5/13) - Help Needed! Please sign up today to donate! Visit www.dlespta.weebly.com/taw.

COMMUNITY NOTICES These events are neither sponsored nor endorsed by the Howard County Public School System.

Neighbor Ride Basket BINGO, Sat., May 14th The donations are rolling in and Neighbor Ride is putting together some really amazing prize baskets. Doors open at 6 p.m., games begin at 7 p.m., FOP Lodge #69 2832 Nine Mile Circle Catonsville. Tickets are $20 in advance / $25 at the door. Folks can get them now by visiting www.neighborride.org or by sending a check, made payable to Neighbor Ride, to 5570 Sterrett Place, Suite 102 - Columbia, MD 21044.

Howard County Government Please take this questionnaire to help determine Howard County’s community needs, strengths and gaps for children and families. Your participation and voice are important to the Governor’s Office for Children and the Howard County Local Children's Board. We want to hear from everyone. Thank you, in advance, for taking the time to complete this survey. http://strtigixconsulting.howard-county-family- youth.sgizmo.com/s3/

Atholton Swim Club Registration for Swim Lessons at Atholton Swim Club, June 6, www.AtholtonSwimClub.com .We offer small class sizes and follow the American Red Cross Learn-to-Swim curriculum. Lessons are conveniently offered in the mornings or evenings in 2 week long sessions.

College Park Tennis Club Learn Tennis at the Premiere Tennis Center, June 13 –Aug. 19, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., College Park Tennis Club 5200 Paint Branch Parkway, College Park, MD. Our students will learn the sport of a lifetime, under the direction of our certified teaching staff. [email protected], 301-779-8000, www.cptennisclub.com

CAMPS Howard County Arts Council Visual and Performing Arts Summer Camps, June 20 - Aug. 12, Howard County Center for the Arts, 8510 High Ridge Road, Ellicott City, MD. For more information, visit www.hocoarts.org/shop/camps or contact Katie Wofford at 410-313-2787 or [email protected].

Elkridge Youth Organization (EYO) is excited to offer another season of our tennis program. All activities are at in Elkridge. Go to www.eyotennis.org.

Soccer Association of Columbia SAC Training Academy Summer Camps scheduled throughout the summer. Players of all abilities, ages 5 to 14. Both full and half days sessions are offered. SAC also offers extended care from 4-6 p.m., for an additional fee. Go to www.sackick.com. For more information, contact [email protected].

Bethany United Methodist Church Surf Shack Vacation Bible School (VBS), June 27-July 1, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., Bethany United Methodist Church, 2875 Bethany Lane, Ellicott City. For more information or to register, please visit: http://cokesburyvbs.com/bethanyum

Forest Hill Swim and Tennis Club Looking for summer activities for your child? Forest Hill Swim and Tennis Club, located in Ellicott City, offers a variety of weekly tennis camps, as well as swim and dive lessons for children of all ages. For more information and to register, please visit www.fhstc.com

Howard County Conservancy Full-day nature camps, June 27-Aug. 19, camps are located in Woodstock on our 232-acre nature center and at the Belmont in Elkridge www.hcconservancy.org/camp.html

SPORTS The Howard County Recreation and Parks Volleyball classes and leagues for all ages and skill levels, for questions, please contact Carson Nickell at [email protected] or 410-313-4720. To register, call 410-313-7275. Sign up now to reserve your space.

Howard County Striders Bullseye Running/HO CO Striders is now taking registration for two training programs Youth Track Team (competitive) and Youth Fitness Spring Training (non- competitive) http://www.bullseyerunning.com/youth/