February 24 6:30pm PTA Bingo Grades PK-2 (see info in PTA section)
February 25 3 Hour Early Dismissal Day (link to schedule below)
February 26 3 Hour Early Dismissal Day (link to schedule below)
March 1 New Schedule to Begin (see below)
Dear Phelps Luck Families,
As you are aware, HCPSS will begin a new schedule on March 1st to support in-person and virtual learning. Our PLES schedule will come out in the next few days. Your child’s teacher will share a more detailed schedule with you that includes google codes for days your child will receive instruction virtually. In addition, if your child will be attending in person in one of the hybrid choices, info about the days your child will attend will could out the week of March 1st.
Also, below is the link to information from the HCPSS website. Please reach out to an administrator if you have additional questions.
https://help.hcpss.org/in-person-students
If your child will be coming to school, we have some suggestions to help him/her prepare for coming into the building.
• Consider having your child begin to wear his/her mask at home for longer periods of time. He/she will wear a mask for almost 7 hours on days they go to school.
• Consider purchasing a lanyard that can connect to his/her mask to allow it to hang when they are eating. This will help so your child doesn’t misplace the mask.
• Review social distancing expectations. We will be using these at all times at school.
Sincerely,
Michelle M. Leader
Principal
To support teachers and staff as we prepare to re-enter the school building, February 25th and 26th are now 3 Hour Early Dismissal days. The link to the schedule is below.
https://www.hcpss.org/2020-2021/elementary/#schedule-early-dismissal
Please be aware of a new webpage for students, Chromebook Care, which includes tips on caring for and transporting Chromebooks, as well as student mobile technology duties and obligations and additional resources.
Every year HCPSS parents must complete a Family File (electronic emergency card) for each child. HCPSS utilizes Family File for parents/guardians to complete emergency information. Parents/guardians must verify and/or update information for each child, and can do so by logging in to HCPSS Connect and selecting the “More Options” tab on the left and then clicking on “Family File” from the list. If your child was in an HCPSS school in previous years, you only need to update any changes. Please update/provide the info ASAP. Thank you!!!
On January 4, the School Based Wellness Centers (SBWC) Telemedicine Program reopened. The program focuses on children who do not have health insurance and/or a medical provider. Since the children and students are in their homes, we will not have the use of the telemedicine carts and will be unable to examine ears or perform throat cultures. Parents and guardians may call our office or send an email and program staff will determine if the health complaint can be safely evaluated and if not, assist them in finding a medical provider to see the child in person. There will be no charge for any of the SBWC Telemedicine visits. However, children must be enrolled or willing to enroll in the SBWC Program.
If your child needs to be absent, please send an email to PLESAbsence@hcpss.org and include the
student’s first and last name, date of absence, and reason for absence. Like when we are in the school building, an absence note is required for all absences. Thank you!
If you are experiencing issues with your child’s Chromebook, please use the link below to submit the issue to our PLES staff. A staff member will contact you to support you with the issue.
Link: PLES Technology Support
During this unprecedented time, many of our students are in need of additional social interactions. If you feel your child could benefit from a lunch bunch with Mrs. Jones, School Counselor, or Mrs. Croushler, Social Emotional Learning Lead Teacher, please feel free to email them with your request. These lunch bunches would be a time for a few students to “hang out” together, talk and relax with other students from their grade. Mrs. Jones and Mrs. Croushler will work with you to determine a time that best fits your schedule and your child's needs. We know that our students are seeking these interactions and we are here to help! Please email them at jessica_jones@hcpss.org or sarah_croushler@hcpss.org if you wish to schedule one for your child!
Once you have completed your Family File Information, a screen will pop up asking you to complete the Free and Reduced Meal application. Please complete the FARM application if you think you will qualify or if you have qualified in the past. Qualifying for FARMs provides benefits for meals, reduced Comcast internet fees and much more! Please find the FARM application here.
Grab-and –Go breakfasts and lunches are served Monday through Friday from 8-9am and 10:45am-12:45pm respectively at Phelps Luck. All breakfast and lunch grab-and-go meals are FREE to all students!! Free meals will be provided through the end of the 2020-2021 school year for all children 18 and under.
Come one, come all...BOOKS that is! Please take a moment to look around your homes for any PLES Media Center books. We would love to get them ready for other students to read when they check them out with our Contact-less Book Check Out system. That's right!! YOU CAN STILL CHECK OUT BOOKS from the PLES Media Center. Cozy up with a good book from our Media Center by following the directions on this link: Requesting Books at PLES
You may also take advantage of the great books at the HC Library by clicking on this link: HC Library 2020 Book Lists Happy Reading!!
Last newsletter we looked at a calming corner or cool down space. That’s a tool that can help settle nerves or anxiety that might arise in our young people. This is a time when anxiety, unease or nervousness might be rising. It’s MAP testing time, returning to school conversations might be happening, the 3rd quarter is beginning, and many families have experienced change this year. Nervousness or anxiety can look a lot of ways, including:
· change in sleep or eating patterns or habits
· higher energy or lower energy
· picking skin, nails, clothes
· irritable mood
You know your young person, so look for a change. Asking about feelings is a good first step. Using a feelings chart (click the blue hearts) to help your student identify how they feel can be helpful. Sometimes acknowledging feelings and talking about them is all that is needed. What are some other ways you can support your young person with these feelings?
· Do some yoga, stretching
o Cosmic Kids (on youtube)
o Stretching (on youtube)
· Use Nature
o take a walk
o look out a window: count birds, trees,
o look at the clouds, find shapes
· Teach some deep breathing strategies, here’s another link for breathing strategies
o blowing bubbles; slow breaths out; deep breath in, rushed out. how many bubbles?
o deep, slow breath to smell a flower and then slow breath out to blow out candles
Sometimes the grown-up can provide solutions to the trouble, if so great! If your young person is able to participate in the problem solving, even better. Sometimes there is no solution, so it’s important to recognize the feeling and help your young person pick some strategies to begin to tolerate the feeling. This is a life lesson. Use the strategies for yourself if you need to!
Give yourself, your young person, and your family some grace during this time. Everyone is trying hard. Be well.
Mrs. Croushler
Hey PLES Family!
Do you love those beautiful hand painted wood signs like we do? We have partnered with Board & Brush Columbia, a local business, for a fun at home fundraiser to support the PTA! Now, you and your child(ren) can create 1 (or 2) for your home! Each @Home Kit includes a design stencil, pre-stained wood board, foam paint brushes, plastic paint cups, sandpaper, cloth, a color mixing guide, and instructions. New designs will be available each week for you to select from. Click the link below order your kit and pick it up curbside on Friday, March 12, 2021 from 4-6pm.
https://boardandbrush.com/.../phelpsluckelementaryschool.../
Calling All Kindergartner, 1st and 2nd Graders!
Join us for another virtual BINGO NIGHT, Wednesday, February 24 at 6:30pm. Please RSVP using the following link. Only those that RSVP will be forwarded the bingo card directions and Zoom call-in details.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050B4FA4AC2CA4FF2-virtual
Our Clothing Bin is still accessible during the school closure. Please feel free to donate any items to our Clothing Bin in our school parking lot. This is a fundraiser and supports our PTA! Please place all items in a closed trash bag before placing the bag in the bin. Thank you!!!
Here is a list of food sources for you to access:
Beginning October 5, 2020, Howard County residents may contact one of the participating providers to complete an application for assistance to pay past due rent and/or mortgage payments and/or to prevent eviction. Maximum assistance per household is 3 months of housing expense. Click here for details.
OMHS Food Pantry will be open next week for distribution. For the foreseeable future, we will be distributing on the last WEDNESDAY of every month from 3:00-5:00 p.m. Our upcoming dates are:
Wednesday, February 24
Wednesday, March 31
Wednesday, April 28
The Indian Cultural Association is distributing food at the Miller Library at 9421 Frederick Road, Ellicott City on the dates below from 3:00-4:30pm or while supplies last. No ID is required.
February 18
February 25
This group gives out food at Howard High, Swansfield Elementary, and Oakland Mills Middle on Wednesdays from 5-8pm and Saturdays 10:30am-1:30pm. You can also fill out their form for food and they can deliver as well.
Website: http://columbiacare.live/
Form for food:
In response to community requests for resources, HCPSS’ new Community News and Programs website makes it easy for families to find educational and recreational resources, events and after-school programs beyond the school day by non-profit organizations.”
Community organizations requesting their announcements be shared in school newsletters should visit community-programs.hcpss.org for more information. Questions should be directed to the Public Information Office at publicinfo@hcpss.org.