DUCKETTS LANE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OWL OBSERVER May 20, 2016

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER

May 20- Schools closed for students May 23-26 PARCC Assessments Gr 3 (see dates below) May 23- Kindergarten Field Trip to National Zoo in Washington DC May 24- 5th Grade to Middle School 9-11am May 25- PTA Meeting 6:30pm May 26- 1st Grade Author’s Tea 2-3pm May 26- Spring Concerts (see timing below for 3rd and 4th/5th Grades) May 27- Field Day Gr K-2 9:15am-11:45am Gr 3-5 12:15pm-2:45pm May 30- Schools & Offices closed for Memorial Day June 1- 4th Grade Field Trip to Buppert’s Farm June 2- Dine and Dance 5-7pm June 3- 5th Grade Simulated Congressional Hearing 9am- 12:30pm June 9- Kindergarten Market Day 9am- 12noon June 9- Chick Fil A Family Night June 10- 3rd Grade Field Trip to Howard County Conservancy June 14- Incoming Kindergarten (16-17) Orientation/Play Date 4-5pm June 15- Kindergarten End of Year Celebration 2:15-3:20pm June 16- 5th Grade Ceremony 9:15-10:15am (space is limited-see below) June 16- School closes at 12:20pm June 17- Last day of school- School closes at 12:20pm

MESSAGE FROM ADMINISTRATION

Dear Families,

We are looking forward to our Spring Music Concert on May 26th at Thomas Viaduct Middle School. We would like to honor any veterans or active military parents and guests with a simple recognition during our concert. We invite you to wear your uniforms to our concert!

A very special thanks to the Ducketts Lane community for the kindness showered on us during Staff Appreciation Week. Your daily kindness meant so much. We appreciate your thinking of us in so many different ways. We enjoyed them all! The extra things planned for Staff Appreciation Week by the PTA were just additional examples of the amazing efforts of the DLES PTA. The current officers as well as the many committee chairs do a tremendous job of making Ducketts Lane shine in so many ways. Their tireless efforts have an incredible impact on our students because they help to create a caring environment that encourages learning at high levels. Hats off to this year’s PTA president, Laura Johnson, for always going above and beyond to make sure all parts of the PTA are working together to support DLES. Thanks a million to all PTA members!

This time of year can be very busy for families and schedules often change. With these changes at home and various activities at school, as well, students sometimes forget the importance of completing homework and doing their DLES best throughout the day. Your help in providing home reminders of the value of a strong finish would be greatly appreciated. Working together we can help all of our students end their year in a positive way.

Thank you very much!

Mrs. Balter, Mr. Anderson and Mr. Norfolk

PTA NEWS Don’t Miss the Float into Summer PTA General Meeting on Wednesday, May 25th at 6:30pm in the cafetorium. Enjoy root beer floats, healthy snacks, summer learning and wellness tips. Learn about the Summer Book Mobile, summer meal sites and more! This is the last General Meeting of the school year and we look forward to hearing your ideas for the coming school year! This is also your chance to sign up for PTA Committees as we head into summer planning for the school year ahead! Visit www.dlespta.weebly.com for more information.

SCHOOL NEWS

PARCC Assessments May 23-May 26, 2016 PARCC assessments will continue to be administered at Ducketts Lane ES for students in grades 3 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

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

STAFF AND STUDENT NEWS Congratulations to Nithishkumar Sivakumaran (5th Grade) who was the Grade 3-5 winner of the Choose Civility Poster and Video Contest 2016 and was recognized at the Board of Education meeting on May 12th.

Congratulations to Ms. Shayna Abelman and Ms. Katie Erickson who will pursue their National Board Certification starting next year. These individuals will be recommended to MSDE to receive a full scholarship, and they will be supported by the HCPSS National Board Certification Support Program. If you know Ms. Abelman or Ms. Erickson, please be sure to reach out and encourage their pursuit of excellence in the field of education!

MIDDLE SCHOOL VISITATION DAY 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! Parents/ Guardians- Please look in the Thursday folders for a permission form and return it to school completed.

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 was 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!

FIELD DAY Field Day will be held on May 27th at the following times: K-2nd Grade 9:15-11:45am 3rd-5th Grade 12:15- 2:45pm Parent Volunteers are encouraged to sign up and join the fun! 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. AM Parent volunteers should arrive by 9am and PM Volunteers should arrive by 12noon. Snacks and water will be provided for our volunteers.

DINE AND DANCE June 2, 2016 5:00-7:00pm (Rain Date June 09, 2016 5:00-7:00pm) Pre-orders for pizza were sent home last week. Pizza will NOT be sold the day of the event. You can also bring your own picnic. Come share in a DLES tradition!

5th GRADE SIMULATED CONGRESSIONAL HEARING June 3rd 9:00am-12:30pm Parents and Guardians are invited to attend. The event will begin in the cafeteria and speeches will be presented in the 5th grade classrooms. Come witness your Constitutional Expert deliver a speech in front of a group of esteemed judges. This is not an event you want to miss!

KINDERGARTEN MARKET DAY June 9th 9am-12noon The Kindergarten team is requesting volunteers to assist in classrooms in half hour increments. Please consider volunteering! You may sign up using this link: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090d4fa9a82aa2fb6-kindergarten/. If you have already returned the sign up sheet in your child's folder, your name will be entered into the online sign up. Please contact your child's teacher with any questions.

KINDERGARTEN END OF YEAR CELEBRATION! The Kindergarten classes will celebrate the end of the school year on Wednesday, June 15th from 2:15pm-3:20pm. Kindergarten students will sing songs, and class awards will be handed out. Please look for more information in your child's folder. We are looking forward to a wonderful end to the school year!

5th GRADE PROMOTION CEREMONY When: Thursday, June 16th 9:15-10:15am (Guests should arrive by 9am) Where: Ducketts Lane ES Cafeteria Who: Family and Friends of DLES Fifth Graders Please note: Due to space limitations, each fifth grade student is permitted to have two guests. Seating is extremely limited. There will be seating in the cafeteria and mini auditorium. School-aged siblings may not attend. Please do not bring strollers to this event. Thank you for understanding.

DLES YEARBOOK Yearbook order forms were sent home two weeks ago. 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!

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!

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].

Summer Reading Kickoff (attachment to be added)

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 a registration 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)

Howard County Library System: Kindergarten, Here We Come Program (attachment to be added when sending out)

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

Grassroots Get Your Glo On, a party for middle school students, presented by the student members of the Horizon Councils and hosted by Columbia Gym as a benefit for Grassroots Crisis Intervention Center, is set for Sat., May 21, 7:30-10 p.m. For additional information, please contact the event coordinator, Cathy Smith at [email protected] or call 410-302-4662.

Food on the 15th Volunteer opportunities for students of all ages, Sat., May 21, 1 p.m. Students will collect, sort and deliver free non-perishable groceries directly to low-income Howard County senior citizens. To learn more about what we do, visit our website at www.foodonthe15th.org.

We Promote Health 9th Annual HC Family Wellness Day, Sun., June 5, Centennial Park 10am -3pm – Free Event for the entire family promoting healthy lifestyles. www.familywellnessday.org

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.

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 4th Quarter Sept. 26, Bonnie Branch Middle School and Sept. 27, Middle School. Download a registration form at the4thqtr.org or [email protected]

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/