Explorers Believe, Explorers Achieve! Page 1 of 14

November 6, 2017

Volume 3, Issue 2

Maralee Clark, Principal Stacey Enty, Assistant Principal

Samantha Maile, Assistant Principal

9435 Lyons Mill Road, Owings Mills, MD 21117 443-809-1719 main office

443-809-1720 fax 443-809-6758 nurse lyonsmilles.bcps.org

Follow us on Twitter @LyonsMill Like us on Facebook: Lyons Mill

Dear Lyons Mill Families, One of the highlights of November happens during American Education Week. You are invited to experience first-hand our innovative, instructional practices at Lyons Mill by visiting classrooms Monday, November 13th - Thursday, November 16th. Please use the schedule in this newsletter for visitation information. If you are not able to attend on your assigned day, you may visit on a different day.

Elementary Conference Day is Friday, November 17th, which means no school for our students so we may meet with parents. Report cards are distributed (grades 1-5) on November 16th. If you are not able to meet your child’s teacher, we encourage you to arrange a phone conference. Our S.T.A.T. teacher, Mrs. Daniels, is presenting a workshop for parents during American Education Week to help you better understand your child’s BCPS Report Card.

We are excited to show our school pride during spirit days, field trips and school events so please buy a lime green polo shirt complete with our Lyons Mill Explorers logo embroidered on the front. Sales are online only! Please use this link to order shirts for your family:

bit.ly/LMESpolos

The proceeds from this fundraiser will be used to purchase supplementary literacy materials for our school. The sale ends on Friday, November 17th.

Wishing your family a very happy Thanksgiving holiday,

Mrs. Maralee Clark Principal

Upcoming Events

November 7 Make Up Picture Day November 11 VEX Robotics Tournament 8:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

November 13 - 16

American Education Week

November 16 Environmental Family Fun Night 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. November 17 Conference Day No School for Students December 5 Family Math Night 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. December 8 – 15 Scholastic Book Fair December 12 Parent Night at the Book Fair Winter Concert

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Counselor’s Corner

Attendance Announcements

Attendance is an essential component to a student’s academic and

social success. Each day, the material presented in class

establishes a foundation for future learning. Missed instructional

time can lead to breaks in that learning process. Parents are

encouraged to ensure that students arrive to school on time and

remain in school for the entirety of the school day. Often, the

number of days that students are absent accumulates without

parents realizing how many days have been missed. Under the

Maryland Compulsory Attendance Law, it is the parent’s

responsibility to see that children between the ages of 5 and 17

attend school on a regular basis. In order for you to be in

compliance with the Maryland Compulsory Attendance Law, your

child cannot have more than two unexcused absences per quarter.

We understand that illnesses, doctor’s appointments, and family

emergencies may interfere with your child’s ability to attend

school. These absences are excused only if accompanied by a note

from home or the doctor. Remember, vacations are not excused

absences. At Lyons Mill, it is our goal to help all students make

satisfactory progress and benefit from the educational

opportunities offered. Please do not hesitate to contact Mr.

Menikheim or Ms. Mongold if you need assistance with this

process by calling 443-809-1719.

Magnet Information

Magnet applications are currently available at

www.bcps.org/offices/omp. Please remember to submit completed

applications to the Office of Magnet Programs by Friday,

November 17, 2017. Informational brochures were distributed to

students at the beginning of September. Additional brochures are

available in the School Counseling office. If you have any

questions regarding the magnet school application process, please

contact Mr. Menikheim at 443-809-1719 or by email at

bmenikheim@bcps.org.

Volunteer Information If you have not completed volunteer training and would like to volunteer in the building or attend field trips, please complete the online training using this link: http://www.bcps.org/community/volunteer_info/. Once you complete your application and the SafeSchools Training, send your application and your certificate to bmenikheim@bcps.org or tmongold@bcps.org!

School Hours School hours 8:30 a.m.- 3:30

p.m. Students may enter the

building at 8:30 a.m.

Arrival 8:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.

There is no supervision for

any child dropped off before

8:30 a.m. Unsupervised

students are not permitted

on school grounds prior to

8:30 a.m. Students must

arrive in their classrooms

before the 8:45 a.m. bell.

Homeroom begins at 8:45 a.m.

Dismissal 3:15 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Office Hours Office hours 8:15 a.m.- 4:15 p.m.

If your child arrives to school

late or leaves school early for

any reason, please report to

the main office to meet

him/her and not to the

classroom. Parents are

required to sign students

in/out in the main office.

If your child forgets materials

necessary for the school day,

these should be dropped off

in the office. Please make

sure items are clearly marked

with your child’s name.

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Nurse’s News

The health suite is in need of gently used clothing in all sizes. Sometimes children have accidents and the school nurse would like to provide the students a change of clothes as needed. If you have any clothes that you can donate, please feel free to drop them off at the health suite. It is greatly appreciated.

Let’s fight the flu together!

Your decision to get the flu shot or not goes well beyond you. It also affects the many lives you touch.

Influenza is a contagious disease of the respiratory tract (nose, throat, and lungs) that can lead to serious complications, including pneumonia and the worsening of other chronic health conditions. Flu symptoms may include fever, headache, extreme tiredness, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, and muscle aches. The best way to protect your family from new influenza strains is to get vaccinated each year.

Follow good health guidelines: eat right, exercise, and get plenty of rest to help boost your immunity to fight the effects of colds and flu. Wash hands frequently!

If at any time you would like to discuss your child’s health needs, please feel free to contact Nurse Segall at 443-809-6758 or by email rsegall@bcps.org.

Spanish Program Middlebury Log-In Information Attention 4th and 5th grade parents! The Spanish online Middlebury Interactive program, which is a supplement to the in-person teaching, can be accessed at home 24/7. You need GOOGLE CHROME installed on your device. Then access BCPS One. Your

child will use his/her BCPS One username and password to access the program. Ask your child to show you how he/she logs on in school and to show you the assignments and speaking tests/quizzes that have been completed.

New Wellness Policy

for Schools

Policy 5470: Wellness This new policy establishes standards for all foods and beverages such as those provided at classroom parties, school celebrations and as rewards and incentives. For example, all foods and beverages used in classroom celebrations will meet the same nutrition standards that are used for sale in the school meals program (competitive foods and beverages). Please use this link to learn more information http://www.bcps.org/system/policies_rules/policies/5000Series/POL5470.pdf

No Birthday Celebrations

Due to food allergies and the new wellness policy, students are not permitted to bring in snacks to share with other students. We thank you for your understanding that birthday celebrations are not allowed at school.

Are You Moving? If you have moved, please make sure you notify us immediately. If you do not notify us within 15 days of moving then you are considered to be fraudulently enrolled. It is important for the school to have the most up-to-date information concerning your children in the event of an emergency. Even if you switch apartments in the same development, you must re-register. Any changes to email addresses or phone numbers need to be reported to the main office. Please contact our Lyons Mill main office at 443-809-1719 with any questions.

Replacement of

Student ID Badges

During the school day, as long as it is safe, student identification (ID) badges need to be worn visibly by lanyard or clip.

If a student identification badge is lost or stolen, there is a replacement fee. Fees for replacement badges are $5.00 per badge.

Please submit $5.00 in cash in a sealed envelope clearly labeled with your child’s name addressed to Ms. Stacey Enty, Assistant Principal. The new badge will be printed and given to your child’s teacher.

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Lifetouch Portrait Retake Day

Tuesday, November 7, 2017

Picture retakes are scheduled during the afternoon of Tuesday, November 7, 2017. Every child’s photograph will be taken for our Lyons Mill Elementary School yearbook. The photographers will be in Room 108. All students who were absent on our original picture day - September 27,

2017 or enrolled after September 27th will receive a picture retake form and envelope. Any students who would like to have their pictures retaken may also do so on November 7, 2017. There are extra retake picture forms and envelopes located in our main office. Students will need to return their original package on Picture Retake Day in order to sit for a new photograph. Parents may contact Lifetouch directly at Lifetouch.com or call Lifetouch’s customer service phone number: 410-644-7700 with any questions regarding their portrait package.

Walkers: Arrival & Dismissal Updates

Arrival Procedures: School doors open at 8:30 a.m.

Students are not allowed to be on school grounds prior to 8:30 a.m. without an adult.

Crossing guards may cross students and adults prior to 8:30 a.m.; however, adults

must stay with children. Lyons Mill Elementary School does not provide adult

supervision prior to the 8:30 a.m. bell.

Students who arrive with their parents may wait at the designated parent drop off

area until the doors open at 8:30 a.m.

Crossing guards are scheduled to leave the designated cross walk at 8:45 a.m.

Students arriving to the designated cross walk after 8:45 a.m. must be escorted by

parents to the main office using the driveway next to the school sign.

Students arriving after 8:45 a.m. receive a late pass from the main office staff.

Dismissal Procedures: School doors open at 3:15 p.m. Parents may wait at the designated pick up

area to meet children.

Students will be dismissed to parents or

guardians.

Parents who have requested to have

students dismissed to a designated

parent/adult or guardian must meet

his/her child at 3:15 p.m.

All other students will be dismissed to

walk without a parent/guardian.

Parents who arrive after 3:30 p.m. must

pick up their children in the main office. Parents must sign the Late Pick Up binder.

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NFL Play 60

A big congratulations to everyone who participated in the NLF Play 60 program! Thank you to

everyone who supported the program at home. The goal of the program is to help our students

achieve the CDC recommended 60 minutes of physical activity every day. We had a lot of students

working really hard to increase their physical activity in school and outside of school. Keep up the

great work at home by engaging your child in physical activity opportunities. Activities can even

involve chores around the house!

The top 4 students in the school had their names put in for a drawing to be invited to a Play 60

luncheon at the Ravens Training Facility in the spring of 2018. Our top students were Chase D.,

Navya B., Vanderbilt M., and Conner F. Our Play 60 ambassador whose name was picked in the

drawing during the morning announcements was…..Vanderbilt!

Thank you to all of our Lyons Mill staff members and families for your help and support through the program!

Fall Fun Run: Monday, November 20th

We will be hosting our 3rd Annual Fall Fun Run on Monday, November 20, 2017!

Students will be receiving fundraising flyers on Monday, November 6th. We are

fundraising for our Cultural Arts Dance programs and our Bicycle Education program.

The top 3 students in each grade level will get to PIE a teacher of their choice and the top

class in each grade level will be invited to a movie and popcorn party during the school day. On

November 20th, students will run around the perimeter of the school during their special area

time. We ask that all students come dressed for the weather and wear sneakers during the day of

the run. Parents can run with their children for a donation of $10 on the day of the run. If you have

any questions, please contact Mr. Crouthamel at 443-809-1719 or by email ecrouthamel@bcps.org.

Family Math Night: Tuesday, December 5th We are planning our 3rd Annual Family Math Night. Please mark your calendars to save the date!

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Family Reading Night: Literacy Land

Literacy Land, our Reading Night at LMES on October 24th, was a huge success. We had over 460 people

come out to experience fun, educational activities that related to literacy, maker and movement. Students

enjoyed listening to several books and creating with their parents and siblings. Families had an amazing time

visiting Candy Castle where they listened to the story “Where the Wild Things Are” and had an adventure in

our gymnasium. Many students and staff members dressed like a literary character, which made our night

even more exciting. Thank you to everyone who participated in Literacy Land!

Teachers, resource staff and the administrative team had fun dressing up as literary characters!

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Literacy Updates

Lyons Mill Elementary is

participating in the One

School, One Book

program starting this

week! During the month

of November, all of our

students will be reading

or listening to the text

“The One and Only Ivan”

in their classrooms. We

are excited to continue

our focus on literacy in

every grade level

Kindergarten - Grade 5.

Read-a-Thon was a huge success this year.

Our school logged a total of 203,971 minutes.

We raised over $6,522 for supplemental

reading materials. We are excited to announce

the top 3 fundraising classes:

Place Homeroom Amount Raised

1st Shipp $640

2nd Russell $600

3rd Sanner $500

If your child raised money, please be sure to

select prizes before November 11th. Our page

will continue to take donations through

November 9th.

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Hot Spots Virtues Highlights

At Hot Spots this month we have been

working on the virtue of Kindness in order to

respect our fellow LMES Hot Spotter friends

and teachers. We have a Positive Behavior

Shout Out Board that has the virtues for the

whole year to help us focus! The most often

rewarded Kindness was students helping to

clean up items that were not theirs without

arguing when asked! The virtues are making

us think more about the benefits of helping

others!

2nd Annual Vex IQ Fall Classic Robotics Tournament Saturday, November 11th

All are welcome to come watch the IQ Fall Classic! 7:00 a.m. Doors Open 7:30 a.m. Tournament Day

Registrations 8:30 a.m. Drivers Meeting 9:00 a.m. Tournament Begins 1:00 p.m. Awards

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Girls Running Club

Congratulations to the LMES Girls Running Club for completing their first 5K at the ASA

Runfest on October 28, 2017. The LMES Girls Running Club have been working for 8

weeks to prepare for the 5K. They met twice a week for an hour and fifteen minutes each

session. During each session the coaches used running and exercise as a way to inspire

and motivate the girls, along with building confidence and teamwork. Each session

started with a circle to build relationships while incorporating virtues. Throughout the

season, community service was discussed and Athletes Serving Athletes was the

organization the club chose to support. A fundraiser was held at Chipotle and $1,067.15

was raised to donate to Athletes Serving Athletes. At the 5K, LMES Girls Running Club

won two awards; 2nd place for largest team and 3rd place for team fundraising. The girls

are thrilled to have successfully completed a 5K with their running buddy. There were

many supporters at the race including Mrs. Clark who participated as a running buddy.

Kids Helping Hopkins Build-a-Bear Weekend

Lyons Mill Elementary joined forces with several other Baltimore County

elementary schools for “Kid’s Helping Hopkins” Build a Bear Weekend.

The event took place at the Build a Bear store at Towson Town Mall the

weekend of November 4th-5th. Teachers, staff, students, and their

families, as well as local community members came

to the store in order to build teddy bears for sick

children. All bears were donated to The Johns

Hopkins Child Life Department on behalf of the

schools involved. Thank you to everyone who participated in this

wonderful event.

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A Message from our Lyons Mill PTA

The Lyons Mill Elementary PTA would like to thank all of the volunteers, administrators, and staff who helped to make this year’s Trunk or Treat an awesome event! We had 15 amazing families participate in taking time to decorate their trunks and host our students and the community as they visited. Thanks for supporting our Chick-Fil-A fundraiser which generated proceeds to be used towards our Cultural Arts Assembly for students at Lyons Mill. Special thanks for performances by local rap artist Kay Rackz and On Pointe Dance Academy. We’d also like to thank Dr. Winifred Booker and staff of Valley Dental Pediatrics in Owings Mills for providing dental supplies to those trunk or treating. DJ Steve kept the night upbeat while playing the latest crowd pleasers! Thank you LMES family for supporting our 2017 Trunk or Treat! We look forward to seeing you during American Education Week. Be sure to stop by the PTA table in the lobby when you visit.

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2017 STEM EXPO – Maryland STEM Festival Event

On Saturday, November 4th, Lyons Mill hosted a Maryland STEM Festival 2017 event for the 2nd year in a row. The overall response to the event was outstanding. Families enjoyed activities such as making slime as part of a chemistry lesson, driving a drone as a participant in the Star Academy, talking to the author of “The Message in the Mirror”, playing in a thrilling chess tournament and testing problem-solving skills in “Escape the Classroom” activities. Mr. Brendan Penn, Lyons Mill’s event organizer, thanks all of the staff members who volunteered their time on Saturday to make this year’s STEM EXPO such a wonderful success. Mr. Penn stated that visitors “were so impressed with every portion of our school…” and were making positive comments about the engaging, interactive experiences throughout the day. A special shout out to the amazing group of parents who supported our efforts to bring another quality program to our Lyons Mill Community.