Note from Mr. FitzGerald

Greetings Guilford!

Happy New Year! I trust the first 8 days of the new year have helped set the stage for what will be an extraordinary year for you and your family. Here at Guilford, we have been working hard with our students to encourage them to set goals which will help them succeed academically and socially. We are excited to be a part of that process to help students achieve their goals. I am sad to inform you that Guilford kindergarten teacher Sylvia Hennessie will be resigning from her position here on January 31st. We are disappointed to lose a teacher of Mrs. Hennessie's caliber, but we absolutely support her in all of her future endeavors. We are currently working on scheduling interviews to identify her replacement. The next Paw Prints will be sent out on Wednesday, January 22nd. If there is anything that you need between now and then, do not hesitate to contact me. Have a great day!

Justin FitzGerald
Proud Guilford Principal

                                       Dates To Remember for 2020

January 2020
1/16 - Coffee with Admin.  at 9:30 a.m.
1/17 - Spirit Day: Wacky Tacky Day
1/20 - Schools and Offices Closed – Martin Luther Kings
1/21 - Welcome Orientation 20/21 – Redistricted Families at 7 p.m.
1/22-1/24 - No Half Day Pre-K
1/27 - Schools Closed - Professional Work Day
1/31 - Spirit Day - Jersey Day

                               GES News

BSAP SMA Spring 2020

On Saturday, January 11, 2020, the Black Student Achievement Program's Saturday Math Academy will conduct a Parent Information session regarding the BSAP SMA 2020 Spring session and the new registration.  The Parent Information session will be held at Oakland Mills High School (9410 Kilimanjaro Road, 21045) from 9 to 10:00am in the Media Center.

Parents must bring with them their login information for HCPSS Connect to register their child(ren) for the Spring 2020 session. Registration personnel will not be able to provide parents with a HCPSS Connect login.
If parents do not presently have a login for HCPSS Connect, or they have forgotten their login information, they should contact their child's school for assistance.

Registration for Spring 2020 BSAP SMA will be held on Saturday, January 18, 2020 at Oakland Mills High School, from 9 to 12noon in the media center.

 Has your child told you about Dreambox ?

Guilford is fortunate to continue, 24 hour access to a great math website, Dreambox Learning. DreamBox Learning empowers students to master key concepts, increase achievement, accelerate student learning, and boost long-lasting confidence in math. It does this by customizing itself based on your child’s skills. We have begun using Dreambox at school and encourage you to have your child log in regularly at home. Research has found that regular use of this engaging program can aide in increasing math skills. You can even set up a parent dashboard to monitor your child’s progress at home. Be sure to have your child log in to Dreambox using hcpss.me and their active directory username and password. Feel free to contact your child’s math teacher, or Cheryl Akers, Math Support Teacher if you have questions.

Building Resilience

All youth face difficulties which can range from traumatic losses to every day disappointments.  The ability to cope and recover (or “bounce back”) after a setback is important to their success.  Experts call this “resilience,” and it’s a skill that can be learned.
You can help your child develop resilience by taking the following steps:

• Model a positive outlook.  Children will learn from your ability to bounce back from difficulties.  When faced with a challenge yourself, model an “I can do it” attitude.  Remind yourself and your child that the current problem is temporary, and that things will get better.
• Build Confidence.  Comment frequently on what your child does well.  Point out when he demonstrates qualities such as kindness, persistence, and integrity.  
• Build Connections.  Create a strong loving family and encourage your child to make good friends.  This will help ensure that she has plenty of support in times of trouble.  
•  Encourage goal-setting.  Teach  children to set realistic goals and work toward them one step at a time.  Even small steps can build confidence and resilience.  
• See challenges as learning opportunities.  Touch times are often when we learn the most.  Resist the urge to solve your child’s problem for him – this can send a message that you don’t believe he can handle it.  Instead, offer love and support, and show faith in his ability to cope.  Remind him of times when he has solved problems successfully in the past.  
• Teach self-care.  Many challenges are easier to face when we eat well and get enough exercise and rest.  Self-care can also mean taking a break from worrying to relax and have some fun.  
• Help Others.  Empower your child by giving her opportunities to help out at home or do age-appropriate volunteer work for her school, neighborhood, or place of worship.  

Remember: With your help and support, children can learn to be more resilient.  For more information and parenting tips go to https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/preventing/preventionmonth/resources/tip-sheets/

Other Helpful Ideas:  Resilience Handouts 

Attendance Procedures: When your child has been absent, please send a note in immediately on your child’s return to school.  The note should be sent within 2 days of returning and include:

•     student’s name
•     date(s) of absence
•     REASON FOR ABSENCE
•     parent signature

A doctor’s note is preferred for medical appointments.  We encourage you to have your child attend class both before and after medical appointments when possible.

Fever Policy
Howard County Public Schools require that any student with a temperature over 100.0 stay home from school. If your child has a fever, here are some tips to remember:

•     Check your child’s temperature about every 4-6 hours when awake.
•     Encourage fluids
•     Give a fever reducing medication such as Ibuprofen (Motrin/Advil) or Acetaminophen (Tylenol).  Follow the dosing instructions on the package.
•     Keep your child at home when ill or having a fever (100F or above).  Students should stay home until fever free WITHOUT a fever reducing medication for 24 hours. Consult with your health care provider if fever persists and/or symptoms worsen.
•     Encourage your child to wash their hands frequently.  Persons coming into contact with the child should also wash their hands.

If you have any further questions, please contact the health room.

Clean Out Your Closet Challenge

Guilford is participating in the Clothing to Cash Recycling Program

Help our school raise money!  We accept New and Used clothing, shoes, sneakers, towels, textiles, and stuff animals. We want items in ALL conditions unwanted, outgrown, and out of style.

All items must be in a plastic bag and tied shut.  Look for the large white collection bin in the school parking lot.  Collections will be Reworn, Repurposed or finally Recycled.

Save our landfills and give your items a second life.   This is a easy way for our school to raise money. Help support our school & save the environment one bag at a time!

PTA News

PTA Dates To Remember:

1/14 - PTA Meeting
2/6 - PTA Raise Craze Kickoff w/Faith in the Flake assembly
2/18 - PTA Raise Craze Evening of Kindness

Community News and Programs

Please visit the Community News and Programs and the HCPSS News page on the HCPSS website for announcements of upcoming events and programs sponsored by non-profit organizations.