the chatter - mccormick...
TRANSCRIPT
Principal’s Message
“The power of words is that a life can be launched with as little as a single
phrase, an uplifting word or an act of kindness. Think of the power we wield
and the impact we can make if we become more intentional about encouraging
our children. Our words are often the very things that help create future
dreams. And sometimes those dreams are to be just like us”
Let’s make a pledge that during the month of February which is usually
depicted as the month of “Love” to love on our children and students. Our
words whether positive or negative impact the hearts and minds of young
children. Speak life into our most precious gems and see what a marvelous
impact it will have on them and us.
Mrs. Pamela Crosell
Families now is the time to join our PTA. The cost is $8. The PTA will have a
general meeting on Tuesday, February 23rd beginning promptly at 7:00 pm.
All members and non-members are encouraged to attend. We will be
discussing activities that will benefit our school. We look forward to seeing
you there.
Our officers for the PTA are:
Mrs. Cicely Hooper-Brown, President
Mr. Dion Stokes, Vice-President
Mrs. Bernadette Harris, Treasurer
Mrs. Heather Jones-Stokes, Secretary
Upcoming Events
February 15:
President’s Day- NO
SCHOOL
February 17:
Wolfgang Fundraiser Due
February 18:
McCormick Night @ the
Rosedale Library
6:30-8:00
February 19:
Jump Rope for Heart
2:00 pm
STEAM Fair Forms Due
February 23:
PTA Meeting 7 pm
-------------------------------------
March 2:
Books for Breakfast
7:45 am
March 11:
Black History Program
6:00
THE CHATTER BCPS 2/10/2016 Edition 1, Volume 6
GREAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING @ McCORMICK ES
Parents each month we will feature highlights from our grade level and special area teachers,
highlighting the wonderful work our students are doing. This month we are highlighting
Kindergarten and Vocal Music.
VOCAL MUSIC SHOWCASE
Vocal music at McCormick is hands on. “The best way to learn about
music is to live in it.” We learn music theory by applying it. We play
recorder, world percussion instruments, and piano and even bucket
drums. We also experience music through singing and simply
listening. Every other Wednesday a select group of students, who
form what I call Mrs. Jackson’s music club, stay after school for 2
hours to enhance their musical skills. Our next big event is the spring concert in May. Soon, I will also
have a date for the Music club to show what they have learned. Stay tuned and come support our talented
students!
“Music is a more potent instrument than any other for education, because rhythm and harmony find their way into
the inward places of the soul.” – Plato
Mrs. Rein’s Class
We just completed out ELA theme: Around the Neighborhood. Our Focus
Question was, “How can people, help to make their community better?”
We discovered that one of the ways to do that was to build a community
garden. It’s too cold outside to build a real community garden right now,
but we worked together to create a mural of a community garden.
Everyone created plants, birds, and insects using paper, pencils and
crayons. Our Community Garden is a beautiful example of what you can do when you work together!
Mrs. Hopkins’s Class
Our class is very excited to spend time learning about some very important “Heroes of History”. We read
books and studied the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and learned a very special song about his dream
for us. Now we are learning about our 16th president, Abraham Lincoln and our first president, George
Washington. We spend time each day practicing our letters, letter sounds and sight words. We are
excited to be beginning readers and writers. Keep reading and writing at home!!
African American History Program
African American History Program will celebrate the contributions of African-
Americans. Due to the snow days, we are rescheduling the Black History Program
to March 11th. A fun-filled night of dance, drumming, song and academic
enrichment is planned. While African-American History is usually celebrated in
the month of February, I felt that it was important to have a quality showcase of
the talents of the students of McCormick. Additionally, the contributions of all
Americans can and should be celebrated throughout the year and the date of the show does not lessen
the significance of the program. I am also asking for families to participate as well in out celebration. We
hope that you will join the students of McCormick on Friday, March 11th (time to be decided).
McCormick’s Teacher of the Year Nomination
I am also proud to announce that Mr. Winaker and I have nominated Mr. Joseph
Donnelly as Teacher of The Year at McCormick. Mr. Donnelly will represent
McCormick at the Teacher of The Year banquet for BCPS as well as be in the
running for Maryland State Teacher of the Year. We are very proud to have such
a wonderful and dedicated educator on our staff. KUDOS, Mr. Donnelly for a
terrific job, you make us proud!!!
Pamela Crosell, Principal Matthew Winaker, Asst. Principal
Books for Breakfast and Parent Meeting
Please join us again this year for our annual Books for Breakfast event on Wednesday,
March 2, 2016 at 7:45am. Interested students can dress up as a storybook character
and try to win a prize. Everyone can enjoy juice and donuts. McCormick students will
even get a book! After the school day starts, all of our storybook characters will
parade through the halls for everyone to see. Parents are invited to stay for a parent
meeting on topics of reading, writing, and literacy presented by Mrs. Bondarenko, Mrs. Brook, and Ms.
Tormollen. Look for the flyer coming home soon with all the details. If you’re going to dress up, you’ll need
to see Mrs. Brook for the contest guidelines.
FUNDRAISING
McCormick Elementary School is proud to have teamed up with Wolfgang Fundraising for our Spring Fundraiser. Remember the success of the program depends on you! Thank you for your support!
ORDERS & MONEY DUE: February 17 MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: McCormick E.S. PTA
PICK-UP DATE: Tuesday March 8th
For more information or questions contact: Cicely Hooper-Brown at 443-963-9103, email - [email protected] or Bernadette Harris at 443-963-9481, email – [email protected]
Pennies for Patients
McCormick Elementary is registered to support The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Student Series’ Pennies for Patients. By collecting change and dollars, students will help people touched with blood cancers. With the help of programs like this one, LLS has invested more than $1 billion in research for
advance therapies that save lives. Thanks to you and your child in advance for helping LLS create a world without blood cancers.
Collection Dates: Monday, February 8, 2016—February 26, 2016
Where: McCormick Elementary
Contact Person: Dawn Bouder, School Counselor, 410-887-0500
How: Fill your box and bring it to school
Jump Rope for Heart
Students will be having an assembly on the 19th of this month to learn about the event
and why we are raising money. Our schools goal is $5,000, which all goes to the
American Heart Association. Students can begin raising money now by going online
and registering.
Jump Rope for Heart is here! If you haven’t already, please register for our school team at
www.heart.org/jump or by searching Jump/Hoops in the app store on your mobile device. Our students
are learning all about what they can do to keep their hearts healthy, and how they can help others by
collecting donations for the American Heart Association. We are a healthy and service-minded
community!
PAWSITIVE BEHAVIOR
Here are the names of the PAWsitive Students for January who showed Fairness.
Pre-K AM: Mc’Kenzie Smith, Bryan Jones Pre-K PM: Malaun Muriel, Kennedy Ward
Kindergarten: Julia Harris, Jordan Wilson Grade 1: Aubrey Lee, Amaya Johnson Grade 2: Jonathan Bailey, Maxwell Stonebraker Grade 3: Tyrieke Alford, Olivia Arroyo, Tracey Street Grade 4: Jefferson Salgado, Zeniyah Smith, Jaya Nelson Grade 5: Ava Tormollen, Dayquan Rose
Student Safety – Before and After School Care
Ensuring the safety of our students, and your children, is a
priority of the school. The following considerations are stressed
for each family to help McCormick meet our goal of “safety first.”
Parents please do not drop your children off at school prior
to 8:15 AM. Students will be allowed into the building beginning
at 8:15 AM only and not before unless there is inclement
weather.
Parents/guardians must provide the school with written instructions regarding change of daycare, altered arrangements for student transportation as well as information regarding persons permitted to pick a child up from school. Written statements requesting change must include the name of the student as well as the signature of the legal parent/guardian making the request. A reliable telephone number must be included so that verification from the office can be determined. We ask that students/parents/guardians submit these requests first thing in the morning.
Parents/guardians are discouraged from telephoning the school to make changes in daycare, student transportation and/or unknown persons sent by the family to withdraw a student from school. It is legally impossible for the school to verify if the caller is legally permitted to make such a request. If calling the school is a last resort in an emergency situation, the caller must be prepared to answer questions related to their child’s Student Emergency Form 2015-2016 that families are required to complete annually.
Student Emergency Forms, 2015-2016, must be updated by the parent/guardian as telephone numbers (work/home/cell) and contacts change throughout the year. These forms can be sent home at your request.
Parents/guardians are discouraged from withdrawing students at the end of the day just prior to walker/bus rider dismissal. This is a hectic time of day for students, teachers and office personnel. It is possible that vital information could be lost to the teachers, and ultimately your child, could be lost in the various announcements made at the end of the day.
If an adult’s arrival at school is the only option in an emergency situation, this request can only be made at the office and after proper identification has been verified. Teachers will not permit a student to leave their classroom unless verification has been received from the office.
Emergency Forms/Early Dismissal Forms
It is imperative that all families return the emergency forms to the school. This information must
be available to staff in the event of a critical situation involving your child. It is equally important that this
information be updated as family situations change throughout the school year. Remember, students
may not be released into the custody of any individual without their name appearing on the student’s
emergency form. Any person withdrawing a child from the school must prove identity using a driver’s
license or other form of identity.
Absence Notes – When a child is absent from school, it is mandatory for the
parent/guardian to submit a note to the teacher explaining the reason for the
absence. These notes should be presented on the day the student returns to
school. If your child is absent for more than three days in a row due to illness, we
ask that you contact the school nurse, Ms. McGuirk. Please note it is not necessary
to call the school the day of the illness.
Custody Issues
Please be reminded that the school must have copies of all current court ordered custody
arrangements on file in our office. Without these documents, the school is unable to comply with some
requests made by families. If you have any questions regarding legal documents, please contact Ms.
Bouder, McCormick’s guidance counselor.
As Maryland weather is unpredictable, the following are reminders regarding early dismissal
procedures:
Early Dismissal Due to Inclement Weather
As we know, the Baltimore region of Maryland is known for fast
traveling winter storms. Sometimes, they come when least expected. The
following policy is provided to you as we plan for every contingency
throughout the winter months.
Should it be necessary to close schools early due to inclement
weather, the procedures outlined below will apply for one, two and three-hour early dismissals when all
schools are closing early. Dr. Dance recognizes that a decision to close two-hours early poses problems in
some schools with the dismissal of morning Pre-Kindergarten children and the resultant need to serve
food to these youngsters; additionally. Lunch schedules and vocational-technical center transportation
are affected in the secondary schools. It is recognized that bus drivers, whose jobs depend on accident-
free driving records, are concerned about transporting children on potentially dangerous roads for an
extra trip on days when driving should be limited rather than expanded. In view of these concerns, the
decision to close schools two-hours early will be made only in emergency situations such as those
involving sudden or violent storms or road conditions requiring treatment more extensive than that which
can be completed for a three-hour early dismissal. When possible, one and three-hour closings will be
used.
One-Hour Closing
Student Dismissal – students, grades pre-kindergarten through 12, in all schools will be dismissed
one hour earlier than normal. Afternoon pre-kindergarten students will be dismissed with students in
grades kindergarten through grade five and will travel home on the same buses as these students. For
McCormick students, dismissal will be at 2:10 p.m.
Lunches – Lunches will be served to students as usual.
Media Announcements – The following message will be given to television and radio stations: “All
Baltimore County Public Schools will close one-hour earlier than normal closing time.”
Two-Hour Closing
Student Dismissal – Students in grades kindergarten through 12 in all schools will be dismissed
two-hours earlier than normal. There will be no afternoon pre-kindergarten. Morning pre-kindergarten
students will remain at school until dismissal for students in grades kindergarten through five and will
travel home on the same buses as these students. For McCormick students, dismissal will be at 1:10 p.m.
Lunches – Every effort will be made to serve lunches to all students who normally eat lunch at
school; thus, some adjustments to lunch schedules will be necessary. Morning pre-kindergarten students
will be fed a snack using the normal procedures. Pre-kindergarten students will not be served a full lunch.
Media Announcements – The following message will be given to television and radio stations; “All
Baltimore County Public Schools will close two-hours earlier than normal closing time. There will be no
afternoon pre-kindergarten. Morning pre-kindergarten will be dismissed with the other elementary
school students.”
Three-Hour Closing
Student Dismissal – Students in grades kindergarten through 12 in all schools will be dismissed
three-hours earlier than normal. There will be no afternoon pre-kindergarten. Morning pre-kindergarten
students will remain in the elementary schools until dismissal for students in grades kindergarten through
5 and will travel home on the same buses with these students. For McCormick students, dismissal will be
at 12:10 p.m.
Lunches – Every effort will be made to serve a limited lunch to all students who normally eat at
school; thus some adjustments to the lunch schedule will be necessary.
Media Announcement – The following message will be given to television and radio stations; “All
Baltimore County Public Schools will close three-hours earlier than normal closing time. There will be
no afternoon pre-kindergarten. Morning pre-kindergarten will be dismissed with the other elementary
students.”
In the event that all Baltimore County Public Schools are closing for one, two or three-hour
early dismissal, it is the responsibility of families to listen for media broadcasts to determine
the approximate time students should be arriving home.
Schools will not be calling individual families regarding this information.
Please talk with your school age child so that they know where to go and what to do when
schools are dismissed early.