The Weekly Duck - 1/5/24
Mon, 01/08/2024 - 10:08am
Dear Manor Woods Families,
Happy New Year! We hope everyone had a great Winter Break spending time with family and friends. A new year brings new opportunities, and it is a great time to set new goals for everyone including our students. Our students can set goals for school or home activities and it is always great to celebrate working hard and accomplishing our goals. With two more weeks left in the second quarter, it is an excellent time to set those goals and end the quarter strong!
We have some awesome activities coming soon including our orchestra and band concerts. Our orchestra concert is Thursday, January 11th at Marriotts Ridge High School at 7:00 PM. Our band concert is Wednesday, January 31st at Manor Woods at 6:30 PM. We look forward to both of these performances and know our students will ROCK the stage!
For our current 5th grade families, our two feeder middle schools, Mount View Middle and Burleigh Manor Middle will host a parent information night on January 18th. Please save the following date/time for each school: Mount View Middle, January 18th at 6:00 PM and Burleigh Manor Middle School, January 18th at 6:00 PM for the GT Presentation and 6:30 PM for the Administration Presentation. If you are unsure of the middle school for which your child is assigned, you can look up your assigned school based on your address. Please use the following school locator link for the middle school assignment. This is a parent information night you don’t want to miss!
We know 2024 will bring great things to our Manor Woods Elementary School Community!
Have a fantastic weekend!
Kelli Jenkins, Principal
Jennifer Zinn, Assistant Principal
2023-2024 IMPORTANT DATES AND EVENTS
January
11 - Orchestra Concert at Marriotts Ridge HS, 7:00 PM
15 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day - Schools and Offices Closed
17 - 3 Hours Early Dismissal - Professional Work And Wellness Day
18 - Mount View MS 5th grade Parent Information Night, 6:00 PM at MVMS
18 - Burleigh Manor MS 5th grade Parent Information Night, 6:00 PM at BMMS
19 - End of 2nd Quarter
22 - Schools closed for students - Professional Work Day
31 - Band Concert at Manor Woods ES, 6:30 PM
February
7 & 8 - 3 Hours Early Dismissal - Parent/Teacher Conferences
9 - Schools closed for students
19 - Schools Closed - Presidents Day
INFORMATION TO SHARE
Winter MAP Dates
HCPSS Emergency Notifications
As we head into winter weather, families are reminded that in emergency situations (including inclement weather), information will be shared with the community only through the HCPSS website, email and text, Twitter and the HCPSS weather hotline. Be sure your Family File is up to date and that you have opted into texts to receive emergency messages.
Late Openings For Inclement Weather
If inclement weather conditions develop overnight, the Director of Transportation follows the procedures used to determine late openings or school closures. Decisions regarding closings due to inclement weather will be made no later than 5:30 a.m. Two-hour delays will be called by 5:30 a.m. and reevaluated for closure no later than 7:30 a.m.
Early Dismissals For Inclement Weather
Now that we are in the Winter Season with the possibility of Inclement Weather, please make sure your child is aware of their dismissal plan for an unexpected early closure. Additionally, please make sure their teacher is aware of this dismissal if it is different from their normal dismissal from school.
If inclement weather conditions develop during the school day, the Director of Transportation follows the procedures used to determine late openings or school closures. Generally, a decision to close schools early is made no later than 10:30 a.m. In deciding whether or not to close schools early, the Superintendent will consult with the Director of Transportation, the Deputy Superintendent, the Director of Operations, the Community Services Specialist, the Coordinator of Athletics, the Director of Public Relations, and other staff members as appropriate.
MWES Young Authors' Contest
We are so proud of all the students in grades 1st - 5th who entered their short story and/or poem into the Young Authors' Contest. We had a total of 70 entries for the Young Authors' Contest. That is amazing!! Congratulations to all of our MWES participants!!
MWES Young Authors' Contest Grade Level Winners 2023-2024
We wish these students the best of luck as their short stories and poems move on to the county level of the contest.
1st Grade Short Story -
Aarit Chhajed - The Stuck Dolphin - Mrs. Croughn's Class
2nd Grade Short Story -
Madeline Wu - An Incredible Journey - Mrs. Moy's Class
2nd Grade Poetry -
Hannah Barnhard - The Bakery - Ms. Cornett's Class
3rd Grade Short Story -
Alexis Schlee - Arf! A Dog's Life - Mrs. Livak's Class
3rd Grade Poetry -
Jonathan Kim - Winter - Mrs. Machado's Class
4th Grade Short Story -
Alice Cannon - The Cloaked Trickster - Mrs. Collin's Class
4th Grade Poetry -
Sruthika Ganti - Unconditional Love - Mrs. Lynch's Class
5th Grade Short Story -
Anay Deshpande - If I was a Spy - Mrs. Lambert's Class
5th Grade Poetry -
Thanvi Gatamaneni - Stay Calm! - Mr. Packan's Class
Counselors Corner
NAMI Howard County
The mission of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is to improve the lives of individuals with mental illness and their families through education, advocacy and support, and to increase awareness of mental illness throughout the community. Visit NAMI Howard County for more information about support group offerings.
Attention all 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders
It's almost Recorder Time! All students in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades will be playing soprano recorders during Music class throughout the 2nd Semester. This is not optional, but part of the curriculum. Please read the information on the pdf link below. Students that are bringing recorders from home may bring them at any time between now and January 19, labeled in a case or ziploc bag. Students buying a recorder from school will need to do so by January 19 and will receive it during our first recorder lesson. We look forward to this exciting Music unit! Ms. Rinaldi and Mr. Dobson
Please see attached: Recorder letter 23_24.pdf
Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1eyLSfM4uGqu0O6ROaMz1lVqa8-kz6xmd/view?usp=sharing
Cold Weather Reminders
Cold weather has arrived!!! We wanted to remind you that students will still be going outside for recess each day. Please make sure you send your child to school with warm clothes. All clothing needs to be labeled with your child's name. Below you will find the HCPSS criteria we consider when having outdoor activities.
• Temperature and humidity
• Wind chill
• Heat index and air quality
• Age of students
• Length of time outdoors
• Adequacy of the children’s clothing
• Condition of the playground
• Falling precipitation (more than a sprinkle or mist)
• Thunder and lightning
Generally, it is assumed that students will be outside for recess, physical education, or any other outdoor activity when the temperature combined with the wind chill is not less than 20 degrees Fahrenheit or the heat index is less than 95.
Road to Kindergarten Workshops, January 2024
First session: Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Centennial High School
Save the date for an upcoming Road to Kindergarten parent information session, providing information on expectations for school readiness, the HCPSS kindergarten program, and more.
Howard Count Recreation and Parks Afterschool Classes
These classes provide fun, structured, educational, and enriching activities for students, benefitting both the child(ren) and parents!
Link for parents to view & register for the Manor Woods ES After School classes:
PTA NEWS
JOIN THE PTA!
If you haven't already, please take a moment to join the PTA! It's quick, easy and membership funds help to support our school! The PTA funds and supports school-wide presentations, family fun events, teacher appreciation activities, items needed by the teachers for their lessons and classrooms and much more!
Join Today!
https://www.mwespta.com/
Did you know the PTA has a Facebook group to stay up to date with PTA events? Join here today!
Community News & Events
HCPSS and The Council of Elders (TCOE) Community Academies
HCPSS and The Council of Elders of the Black Community of Howard County (TCOE) have partnered to sponsor the following parent workshops series:
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January 27: Processes for Parent Empowerment
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March 9: Healthy and Unhealthy Relationships
Each engaging session is held virtually on Saturdays from 9-10:30 a.m. Please see the save the date flyer for more information.
HCPSS News
Families are encouraged to visit the HCPSS website for all your needs, including:
HCPSS Student & Parent Handbook
Click HERE for the county's 2022-23 handbook. The Student & Parent Handbook can be found online and outlines districtwide practices and policies related to parents and students, including the Student Code of Conduct, school procedures, student responsibilities and more.
HCPSS Student Code of Conduct
The Howard County Public School System is committed to providing a safe, engaging and supportive learning environment where all policies are enforced fairly and consistently. HCPSS policies and regulations emphasize instruction and rehabilitation rather than punishment and are designed to foster and reward appropriate behavior and keep students connected to school so they can graduate college and career ready. Please read and review the HCPSS student code of conduct with your child(ren) before the school year begins: https://www.hcpss.org/f/aboutus/student-handbook/student-code-of-conduct.pdf
WEEKLY DUCK ~ REPEATED INFORMATION
Click here to access the 12/22/23 Weekly Duck