ROLLING THUNDER NEWS
OFFICE: 410-313-5040
STUDENT SERVICES: 410-313-5043
SAFE TO SCHOOL (report student absences): 410-313-5043 or
Email:
ELMS Web Page: elms.hcpss.org
Dear Parents, Guardians, and Friends of Elkridge Landing,
I would like to start off the October edition of our Rolling Thunder newsletter with a BIG thank you to Mrs. Chiarella, Mrs. Merson, Mrs. Holy_Ilenda, the 6th-grade team, and all the other staff and parents who planned and attended Outdoor Education. Everyone had a wonderful time and truly enjoyed the beautiful setting a Sandy Hill. This program is a lot of work and is not something all middle schools do so please join me in giving everyone involved a pat on the back when you see them.
We are pleased to announce that ELMS was allocated an additional guidance counselor to help meet the needs of students. I am thrilled to welcome Ms. Jacqueline Torbit to our staff. Ms. Torbit will be the lead counselor for our 8th grade students, Mrs. Cheadle will work with 7th graders, and Mrs. Kovack will take the 6th grade.
This year we will be switching to a monthly newsletter format. School newsletters will be published on/about the first of each month but there are lots of additional ways to keep up with school news. Please make sure you are subscribed to HCPSS News ( ) to receive updates and alerts not just from ELMS but the school system as well. We will be sending out individual alerts to parents as needed over the course of the month. You can also visit our website, which has a new format that allows easier access from mobile device. Another important source of information is our PTSA website, and you can also join the ELMS PTSA Facebook group. We still have almost 200 families who have not updated their emergency contact information in the HCPSS Family Portal. Please call school so we can assist you with this process.
Yankee Candle packets went home with students this week. Please take a look at the catalog and share it with friends, family, and coworkers. This is a major fundraiser for the PTSA who is working hard to support several major school initiatives. PBIS and Staff Appreciation will benefit directly from any funds raised so we really appreciate everyone’s support. There will not be any school-based fundraisers other than pictures (Scheduled for October 14) so please support the efforts of our PTSA.
When you receive your child’s progress report tomorrow, grades for any classes that follow an A/B schedule will not appear. This includes all PE, health and any reading module classes that are taught as part of the related arts schedule. Progress report grades for these classes will appear on the first quarter report cards with final grades being reported at the end of second quarter. Please continue to monitor your child’s grades in all classes using Aspen. Parents can set up alerts that will be sent any time grades drop below a designated threshold. You can keep the progress report at home, just sign and return the envelope to homeroom so we have confirmation that you have seen it.
Last but not least- all students have been issued iPads and everyone who has permission to take them home should now be doing so. Please take some time to sit down with your child and go through the apps and work they have been doing in class. Students should also be updating to iOS 8.0.2 tonight. It might be best to start this process after all homework is completed and students are plugging their iPads in to charge for the night. It is also a good idea for students to back up any major assignments they are doing by emailing a copy to themselves at their HCPSS email or uploading their work into Google Drive. Please help students to remember to plug their iPads in nightly AND be gentle with the cords. Even a small kink or bend can cause them to stop working. If your student is still have difficulty connecting to your WiFi at home and getting a message about connecting to a proxy server, this is normal. The iPads are set up to use the HCPSS server so that there are some protections against inappropriate internet content. The username is elkridge and the password is elms (both all lowercase).
ELMS Administration
Gina L. Cash
Sam Davis
The Howard County Gifted and Talented (G/T) Education Program Parent Academy
Wednesday, October 15, 2014 (7:00-8:30 PM)
Hammond High School
8800 Guilford Road, Columbia, MD 21046
Learn about the advanced-level offerings that are available through the G/T Education Program and how your child can become involved! For more information, please email to , or , or call 410-313-6800.
7:00 – 8:00 G/T Education Program – Auditorium
G/T Program staff members and students present a comprehensive overview of the G/T Program offerings at the elementary, middle, and high school levels.
8:05 – 8:30 Question and Answer Sessions:
Elementary G/T Program Offerings: Auditorium
Middle G/T Program Offerings: Classroom 215
High School G/T Courses: Classroom 216
The Elkridge Food Pantry Needs Your Support!
This month at ELMS, we are holding a food drive for the Elkridge Food Pantry from now until October 31st. Homeroom teachers are collecting non-perishable food items from students. For each item brought in, students earn a star card. These star cards can be used toward food and games, face painting, and prize drawings at the first school social in November. Additionally, students in the homeroom with the most items donated will earn extended recess one day in November. Finally, students may submit their food-drive star cards to Ms. Holy-Ilenda for a drawing for one free memory book. Help out those in need and donate today. The ELMS community thanks you in advance for your generosity. Let's see if we can collect more than 1,000 items by the end of the month! Go Team ELMS!!!!
Items needed by the pantry:
peanut butter / jelly
Spaghetti Os / Chef Boyardee
canned ham / chicken / tuna
canned fruits 15oz size
cake mixes / icing
green beans/corn/peas/mixed veggies 15oz size
condensed soups
ketchup / mustard
cereal
pancake mix / syrup
1 lb boxes of sugar
mac and cheese
Oodles of Noodles
Anti-Bullying Day - In recognition of anti-bullying month, we are asking students to wear blue on Friday, October 10th. We have been learning about anti-bullying and would love to have allstudents participate in this day of awareness. Thanks so much for your support!
Dates to Remember
October 2 – Interim reports issued
October 10 – Anti-bullying day
October 14 – School Pictures
October 16 – Turkey Trot
October 17 – No school for students
October 21 – PTA meeting 7 PM