GES Paw Prints

Fri, 11/05/2021 - 3:18pm

   

Trish Lannon, Principal
LaRae Guide, Assistant Principal

 
DATES TO REMEMBER:

November 8         Parent Teacher Conference Scheduling Opens
November 9         Technology Parent Night (virtual)
November 10       Q1 report cards available on HCPSS Connect
November 16       PBIS Q1 Student Celebration
November 22       Virtual Parent/Teacher Conferences - Dismissal at 12:55pm
November 23       Virtual Parent/Teacher Conferences - Dismissal at 12:55pm
November 24       All Schools Closed for Students
November 25-26  All Schools and Offices are Closed for Thanksgiving Break

 

                                     A Message From The Principal

Guilford Family and Friends,

What a great day today was! Everyone enjoyed our annual Turkey Trot and Fall Fest. I want to thank all the parent and guardian volunteers who came out to support this event. We could not do it without you. I especially want to thank Mrs. Wolter for taking the lead on this amazing day and the PTA for the great Fall Fest activities.

We want to share some staffing news. Mrs. Boyle gave birth to her baby girl, Avery, and we now have Ms. Monica Ramsey as her long-term sub. Ms. Ramsey is a certified teacher with lots of experience. We are happy to welcome her to our school. We also want to share, with her permission, that Mrs. Melissa Pilcher, one of our special ed teachers, will be out for the next three months. She got exciting news about getting a liver transplant! She had surgery October 23rd and has been home for a few days. She wanted you all to know that she is doing amazingly well and getting stronger everyday. She and her family feel very blessed. While she is out, her long term sub is Mrs. Stephanie Aiello. Stephanie is a certified special ed teacher and knows the students very well, as she was one of our special ed paraeducators.

Lastly, I wanted to give you all an update about our playground. We still do not have the new one installed as there is a hold up on the tiles due to the pandemic backlog. They did deliver the actual playground pieces, but they cannot be installed until we have the tiles. These tiles are in place of using mulch. In the meantime, we have created an Amazon Wishlist to get some new indoor and outdoor recess equipment. Please feel free to share our link on your social media and through email with whomever you think would be able to help us out. You can use this link: https://a.co/aEwTl3Y to get to the list. When you checkout, just look for the address that says Chandra Hines, that is our principal’s secretary, and it will be shipped directly to our school.

As always, I am here if you need me for anything. Please feel free to email or call me. If you have any bus issues, testing questions, or lunch/recess questions, you can contact our assistant principal, LaRae Guide.

~Mrs. Lannon, Principal

 

                         IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Conferences and Report Cards

In prior school years, we have issued interim progress reports halfway through each quarter. This year, HCPSS has determined that we are no longer sharing these reports. The first-quarter report card will be issued on Wednesday, November 10. Please go HERE to read more about how to understand your child’s report card.

Parent-Teacher Conferences will take place virtually between November 22 and 24. Specific sign-up information will be shared soon. In the meantime, your child’s teachers are uploading information on graded assignments in Canvas on a regular basis. For more information about how to access your child’s grades in Canvas, please find a guide at this link. If you have additional questions please contact your child’s teacher. 

Teachers will be reporting the learning behaviors on the report cards. Strong learning behaviors have a powerful influence and impact on student performance. Please visit the HCPSS website here with complete information regarding learning behaviors on the report card.

Technology Family Night

Our Title 1 Team and our technology teacher, Mr. Incavido, will be offering a VIRTUAL parent night on Tuesday, November 9th at 5:30pm. During this parent night, they will be going over how to access your child’s grades on Canvas, how to navigate through your child’s Canvas page, and any other functions related to Canvas. Please join us by using this link: meet.google.com/wof-eoam-oea

Text Messages

To comply with wireless carrier requirements, parents/guardians must opt into receiving HCPSS and GES text message alerts. Standard data fees and text messaging rates may apply based on your mobile plan. If you are unsure if you have already opted in, text the word “YES” to 67587 from the cell phone number on file in HCPSS Connect.

Please contact your child’s school if you have questions regarding your information in HCPSS Connect.
Please note! Unsubscribing from any school or district email or text will unsubscribe a user from all messaging, including emergency notifications.

​​​​​​​Water Bottles and Masks

Please make sure you send your child with a refillable water bottle each day so they have access to water throughout the day. In addition, every child should bring a mask to school and we highly suggest you pack them some extras in their backpack. Thanks.

Resources for Quarantined Students

In the event that your child needs to quarantine, there have been instructional materials developed for their use.  Your child’s teacher will contact you with directions regarding these materials and supports. 

This will include:

  • Instructional Packet (paper copy) - These packets were sent home with ALL students at the beginning of the school year. Please put them in a safe place in the event that your child may need them in the future. 

  • Robust Instructional Packets - These large packets are ent home with students who end up on quarantine and are grade level specific.

  • Synchronous Support Sessions - Each ELA and Math teacher will offer synchronous sessions that quarantine students can access.  Teachers will send the dates/times and login information for these sessions. In addition, our special ed staff will also have support sessions.

  • Canvas Materials - There may be activities on Canvas that students can complete.  Teachers will communicate this with parents. 

  • Dreambox, Typing Agent and LexiaCore will be available for students to utilize. 

  • Evening School - This program offers academic enrichment for those students who are put on quarantine. If you want your child to participate in this, please email our school counselor, Michelle Clarke, directly. Her email address is michelle_clarke@hcpss.org

If your child left their laptop at school, please call the front office to arrange a pick-up time to get your child's device. This will allow them to access the above supports. If your child does not have a device assigned to them, a device will be assigned to them if they need to be quarantined. If your child is not in school when they are placed on quarantine, you can contact the front office in order to arrange a pick-up time to get a device for your child.  

Thank you for your understanding, support and continued collaboration as we stay safe, healthy and able to focus on teaching and learning.  As always, please feel free to reach out with any additional questions. 

 Absences

If your child is absent at any point this school year, please send an email to gesabsence@hcpss.org and your child’s homeroom teacher. In your email please include your child’s first and last name, date of the absence and the reason.

Providing Consent for In-School COVID Testing

HCPSS offers free, voluntary COVID tests for students and school-based staff who develop COVID-like symptoms or are identified as close contacts while they are in a school building. Parents/guardians who have not already done so can provide consent in HCPSS Connect Synergy to enable your child to participate in this testing program.

Quarantining Procedures

The close contact and quarantining procedures that were put into place last year will remain this fall. Only unvaccinated students and adults who are identified as close contacts must quarantine. Vaccinated students and staff will not be required to quarantine unless they receive a positive test or are displaying symptoms, but are expected to monitor their symptoms closely for the 14 days. Instructional supports are in place for students who must quarantine.

 Additional Benefits of FARMS (Free and Reduced Meals)

FARMS eligibility provides discounts for summer school, recreation programs, Maryland Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), internet programs, SAT and ACT tests, and much more. Families must submit a new application every school year.

Any student who has not filled out an application up to the 30th school day will have their prior year status changed until a new application is received. 

Parents/guardians are highly encouraged to fill out the applications by October 15th. Apply for school meal benefits the easy way. MySchoolApps is the fast and secure way to apply for free and reduced meals online. www.myschoolapps.com

Guilford Elementary School PTA

Stay connected with our amazing PTA by joining their Facebook page. You can join by clicking on THIS LINK. You can also follow them on their website HERE. One of the most important things the PTA does for Guilford ES, is to support our students with fun events, assemblies and activities. In order to do this, they need you to join the PTA! You can join by going HERE.

 

COMMUNITY NEWS & EVENTS

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.

 

TITLE 1 INFORMATION

Guilford Elementary School is a Title I School-wide Program school. Title I is a federally funded program designed to close achievement gaps and ensure all children have an opportunity to access a high-quality education by providing funding for supplemental academic services and supports. 

A Family-School Compact & Plan is an agreement between families, students, and teachers that is jointly developed and distributed to all families. It explains how families, students, and teachers will work as a team to make sure all students meet with success and get the support they need to achieve grade level goals.  

The Guilford Elementary School Family School Compact and Calendar of Events can be found here http://ges.hcpss.org/sites/default/files/ges-title-I-compact-calendar.pdf for English; http://ges.hcpss.org/sites/default/files/ges-title-I-compact-calendar-spa.pdf for Spanish and on the Guilford Elementary School Title I can be found here  http://ges.hcpss.org/about/title-i-program. 

If you have any questions, please ask your child’s teacher at your upcoming parent teacher conference.  If you have any input or feedback, please contact Donna Bethune Brown at donna_bethune-brown@hcpss.org.