To opt-in to receive HCPSS text messges, text "YES" to 67587.
Important Dates
November 1 Eastern Standard Time Returns - Turn Clocks Back 1 Hour
November 3 Schools and Offices closed for Election Day - Don't forget to vote! (See locations below - FRES is NOT a polling place this time)
November 6 End of Marking Period - Schools close 3 hours early
November 13 Parent Conferences Sign-up begins in the Parent Portal
November 16 Quarter 1 Report Cards Issued
November 23 Parent Conferences, schools close 3 hours early
November 24 Parent Conferences, schools close 3 hours early
November 25 Parent Conferences- schools closed for students
Dear FRES Community,
We’d like to start by thanking our amazing PTA for providing lunch for our staff on Wednesday of this week. Over 50 staff members ordered lunch and were able to drive up to the school and pick up their lunch. It was so nice for the staff to be able to reconnect even for just a few minutes in the parking lot. We’d also like to thank Olive on Main for providing the delicious lunch as well.
As we approach the last week of the first quarter (can you believe it?), we want to thank everyone for the continued efforts in completing assignments. Next week we will not be requiring students to complete any minutes on LexiaCore or Dreambox. This will give students an opportunity to complete any assignments they may be missing before the end of the quarter on Friday.
We look forward to seeing many of our families at our PTA "Drive-Through Halloween" event tonight. Have a great weekend!
Mr. Conroy and Ms. Pazornik
School Calendar Next Week
Schools closed on Tuesday, November 3, 2020 for Election Day - Don’t forget to vote!
Schools have an early dismissal on Friday, November 6 for the end of the quarter. Please see the early dismissal schedule here.
Grading Update
Primary Grades:
Students in primary grades will not receive an “N” grade if students have attended at least 60% of synchronous instruction, even if they did not complete the asynchronous work.
Students may receive “N” grades if they did not attend at least 60% of synchronous sessions and did not submit assignments.
Students will receive “I” and “W” grades based on performance on all synchronous, asynchronous, and observational data that has been collected by the teacher.
Intermediate Grades:
Students in intermediate grades will not receive “D” or “E” grades if students attended at least 60% of synchronous instruction, even if they did not complete the asynchronous work.
Students may receive “D” and “E” grades if they did not attend at least 60% of synchronous sessions and did not submit assignments.
Students will receive “A”, “B” and “C” grades based on performance on all synchronous, asynchronous, and observational data that has been collected by the teacher.
All Grades:
Students will have the entire quarter to complete asynchronous assignments in English Language Arts, mathematics, science, and social studies.
Health grades will only be given in Q2 and Q4. This is a change from previous communication.
Students will have the entire semester to complete asynchronous assignments in related arts and health.
Tasks assigned in one quarter but due the next quarter will be counted in the next quarter.
Learning Behaviors will not be graded for SY20-21.
Interim reports will not be issued; instead, ongoing reporting will be handled via Canvas.
Related Arts courses will be graded only twice per year, during Quarter 2 and Quarter 4.
Stakeholder Input on Spring Semester Instructional Model
Parents/guardians, students, staff and other stakeholders may provide input and feedback to the Board of Education regarding the spring semester instructional model by emailing spring-input@hcpss.org . The Board will review all emails; however, due to the anticipated volume, individual responses should not be expected.
HCPSS Invites Stakeholder Input on the School Resource Officer Program
The Howard County Public School System invites students, parents and guardians, staff members and community stakeholders to share their input about the School Resource Officer (SRO) Program in HCPSS schools. Feedback about the program may be provided by emailing SROinput@hcpss.org. All messages will be reviewed; however, due to the anticipated volume, individual responses should not be expected. The feedback provided will inform HCPSS' ongoing review of the roles, purpose and outcomes of SROs in Howard County schools. An update was presented at the October 22, 2020 Board meeting.
Google Meet Expectations for Families
Thank you for your ongoing support as we continue to provide instruction virtually. We are proud of the way that our students have persevered and the levels of engagement they have demonstrated.To maintain a positive, productive learning environment and assure confidentiality for students and teachers during virtual learning, students and parents/guardians are asked to continue following the guidelines and expectations detailed on the HCPSS website.
Don't forget to check out the latest news from Mrs. Schuck, our School Counselor
Media Matters and Tech Tidbits
Battle of the Books- Attention all fifth grade parents. Your students heard presentations this week in their Media class about the reading competition, Battle of the Books sponsored by HCPL and HCPSS. Registration is now open. For complete information, please visit http://hclibrary.org/new-a-main/battle-of-the-books/
There are many Chromebook Keyboard Shortcuts that make editing easy and fun for students. Keep this pdf for your child to use as a reference.
Technology Self-help is available in various places in the communication posted by HCPSS during this virtual time. HCPSS Connect - Guides offers quick links and information on a wealth of topics, such as Canvas, Synergy, Student Technology, Family File, Parent Conferences, and much more. Keep this link handy!
If you are in need of assistance with your Chromebook after visiting Student Technology Resources and reviewing the Chromebook self-help information, complete the FRES Community: Tech Support Form for assistance from the FRES Tech Team. This form is also available on the FRES School Website.
New lessons have been posted for students in grades K and 1. Students can find these lessons on the Team page. These enrichment lessons are optional, and they are quite fun! We hope many of our young students will choose to participate. Please send any student work to Mrs. Clawson (Team 1) or Mrs. Hogan (Team K). We look forward to seeing the creative work!
Free Food Distribution on Saturdays in October
See the attached flyer regarding free food distribution on Saturdays in October at Ducketts Lane Elementary School.
Don't forget the PTA Drive-Through Halloween event tonight, 6:30-8:30 in the car and bus loops!
Upcoming PTA Meetings: (Via Zoom): November 9, December 14, January 11, February 8, March 8, April 12, May 10, June 14
Membership Update: We are now up to 62 members! This is a great start. FRES families, staff, and community members can join at www.frespta.org/join Only $10 per year for an individual or $16 for a pair.
Staff Appreciation: We are always looking for new ways to support our FRES staff during our virtual learning semester. A few of our wonderful teachers have shared their Amazon wish lists and some shared their favorite things with us.
We encourage the FRES community to assist our staff with their classroom needs. Any contribution is greatly appreciated! Thank you for your continued support in our staff appreciation efforts! https://frespta.org/2020/10/13/fres-staff-favorite-things-and-wish-lists/
Thanks and have a great weekend!