Explorers Believe, Explorers Achieve! Page 1 of 9

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October 29, 2018

Volume 4, 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, There is always something happening at Lyons Mill Elementary! Please read our newsletter to learn more about our STEM Expo, Read-A-Thon, and VEX Robotics tournament. One of the highlights of November is American Education Week. Experience first-hand our innovative, instructional practices at Lyons Mill by visiting classrooms Monday, November 12th - Friday, 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. Our S.T.A.T. teacher, Mr. Jackson, is presenting a workshop for parents during American Education Week to help you navigate our new Schoology program so you can access your child’s grades, assignments and resources. Please bring a picture ID and RSVP by using this link so we can pre-print your visitor’s badge: https://tinyurl.com/yabfgavu

Elementary Conference Day is Friday, November 30th, which means no school for our students, so we may meet with parents. Report cards are distributed (grades 1-5) on November 26th. If you are not able to meet your child’s teacher, we encourage you to arrange a phone conference. Our Family Literacy Night is tomorrow Tuesday, October 30th so dress up as a storybook character and enjoy an evening designed for your whole family. Please check out our website for up-to-date information: http://lyonsmilles.bcps.org

ARRIVAL 8:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. DISMISSAL 3:20 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Sincerely, Mrs. Maralee Clark Principal

Tuesday, October 30th Family Literacy Night Saturday, November 3rd STEM Expo November 3rd & 4th Kids Helping Hopkins @Build-A-Bear, Towson Town Mall Tuesday, November 6th Schools & Offices Closed Election Day Thursday, November 8th LifeTouch Picture Retakes Friday, November 9th 12:20 PM 3 hour early dismissal Saturday, November 10th VEX Robotics Tournament November 12th-16th American Education Week Thursday, November 15th Holiday Lunch in Cafeteria November 22nd and 23rd No School – Thanksgiving Monday, November 26th Report Card Distribution November 30th No School - Parent Conferences

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Counselor’s Corner Welcome to the Counselors’ Corner

for November So far this year, Mr. Menikheim and Mrs. Dudley have delivered 66 classroom guidance lessons that have focused on vital character education topics. The month of November, we will teach an additional 33 lessons that are centered on the topic of Conflict Resolution. Discussions about the effects of our words and/or actions is a predominant focus of these lessons. Please take some time with your student to initiate follow up conversations at home. Ask your student what guidance lesson was taught and what strategies were learned that can be used when handling disputes with peers.

The month of October was National Bullying Prevention month, we focused our classroom lessons on ways to recognize bullying, handle bullying when it is occurring, and preventing bullying. If you ever need to speak with a counselor, please call us at (443)-809-1719 and specify which

counselor you need to speak with. We are split up by grades: Mr. Menikheim: K, 2nd, 4th /Mrs. Dudley: 1st, 3rd, 5th

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. In the event that an absence or tardiness cannot be prevented, please remember that it is important to explain the reason for the absence or lateness in a note to the classroom teacher when your child returns to school. It is also important that you and/or your child request make-up work for the time that is missed.

Career Day Planning

Lyons Mill is ready to embark on our 2nd annual Career Day. Our inaugural Career Day was a huge success, sparking excitement and inquiry in our young learners. This year, we are hoping to secure enough presenters to

provide Career Day presentations to our 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students. We need your help! Career Day will be on Friday, March 15, 2019. If you are interested in being a presenter, please contact Mr. Menikheim at 443-809-1719 or bmenikheim@bcps.org

Volunteer Information

Continue to complete volunteer applications if you would like to help in and around Lyons Mill. Even if you completed the training last year, it is required that a new volunteer

application and training certificate be submitted each school year. All training is completed electronically. If you do not have access to the internet, arrangements can be made to utilize a computer at Lyons Mill. Please contact the school to make arrangements. The volunteer application and training module can be accessed at http://www.bcps.org/community/volunteer_info/. Once you complete your application and the Safe Schools Training, send your application and your certificate to bmenikheim@bcps.org or tdudley@bcps.org

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

3:30p.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 3:20 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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Magnet School Information Attention all 5th grade parents!! Magnet applications are currently available! You can access the application at: www.bcps.org/offices/omp. All applications must be submitted online or mailed by November 16, 2018. Online applications are accepted until 1pm. Mailed applications must be postmarked by November 16, 2018. Applications submitted after the deadline date will not be considered.

LMES Literacy Night: Fall into Reading at Camp LMES

The annual Lyons Mill Family Literacy Night will be on

Tuesday, October 30 from 5:30 - 7:00 pm. At our event,

students and their families can come enjoy a variety of fall-

themed literacy activities. Activities include a scavenger

hunt, STEM & Makerspace sessions, read-a-louds, and much

more! Students are encouraged to come dressed as their

favorite storybook character! Stop by early or hang around

after Literacy Night to enjoy a treat from the food truck that

will be parked in the car loop starting at 4:30 PM!

LMES Read-a-Thon

Our Annual Read-a-Thon will

kick off on Monday, November

5th! This fundraiser helps get

new reading materials into the

hands of our enthusiastic Lyons

Mill readers! Students will be

participating in Read-A-Thon

during the school day and can win prizes based on the amount of money they raise from friends and

family! Your child will bring home fundraising information in the Monday folder. Thanks in advance for

your support and showing our students how important literacy is in their lives!

Kids Helping Kids Program:

Johns Hopkins Children’s Center

Lifetouch Picture Day Make-Ups Thursday, November 8, 2018

Picture retake will take place on Thursday, November 8th. Parents may contact Lifetouch directly at Lifetouch.com or call Lifetouch’s customer service: 410-644-7700 with any questions regarding their portrait package. They may also visit the website: https://my.lifetouch.com

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S.T.E.M. Expo

The 3rd annual 2018 STEM Expo @Lyons Mill Elementary is taking place this year on November 3, 2018, beginning at 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

Vex Robotics Fall Classic on Saturday, November 10th

Come support the Lyons Mill Engineering Squad and 30+ other teams from around the state of Maryland right here at Lyons Mill Elementary on Saturday, November 10th at the 2018 Vex IQ Fall Classic Robotics Tournament.

At the tournament, you will see collaborative and autonomous (programming) matches in the brand new 2018-2019 game, Next Level! The challenge involves student robots moving "hubs" into the scoring zone and before the 60 seconds runs out raise their robot off the ground! You have to see it to believe it!

If your student is interested in robotics, this is a great experience to check out what competitive robotics is all about! The road back to the Vex World Championship starts on November 10th! Parents, you can join the squad too as judges, referees, and concession volunteers!

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LMES Annual Holiday Lunch

On November 15th, the cafeteria will be hosting the annual holiday meal at lunchtime. Teachers, staff, parents and relatives are welcomed to join. The price for adults is $6.00. The meal comes with turkey, stuffing, dinner roll, mash potatoes green beans, sauerkraut, and sweet potatoes. This price does not include a drink.

American Education Week

Lyons Mill is excited to host our 4th Annual American Education Week!! Parents and families are invited to visit classrooms during the week of November 12th – 16th. Students are encouraged to wear different colors each day of American Education Week. Below are the dates and times visitors may attend: Visitation Days and Times Monday 11/12: Kindergarten 9 - 11am Tuesday 11/13: 1st Grade 9 - 11am Wednesday 11/14: 2nd and 5th grades 9 - 11am Thursday 11/15: 3rd Grade 9 - 11am 4th grade 1 - 3pm Friday 11/16: Grandparents Day & Special Person Day 9 - 11am

BCPS SCHOOLOGY

Do you have a BCPS One account? Have you accessed your child’s BCPS

One account? Have you explored our

brand-new Learning Management

System-Schoology? If you’ve answered

“no” to any of the questions above, visit

the BCPS website and click on the BCPS One icon in the upper right

corner so that you can get started. Schoology will give you access to

your child’s classes, grades, and instructional resources. You can also

communicate with all your child’s teachers via Schoology. To get started

visit www.bcps.org. Please contact Mr. Jackson, S.T.A.T. teacher by email

jjackson3@bcps.org with any questions.

Walkers Thank you for following the daily procedures in the afternoon during dismissal. Carpool When dropping off and picking up your students, please pull to the end of the car loop to allow the LMES staff to load and unload as many students as possible at a time. If you arrive after the 8:45 am bell, please drive to the main office entrance. Bus Riders We are working diligently with the BCPS Office of Transportation to ensure all busses arrive on time daily. You may contact Baltimore County Public School’s Office of Transportation by calling 410-887-4321. Please Note When visiting LMES, please park in our staff and visitor parking lot. Please be mindful of

TRANSPORTATION UPDATES

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Congratulations to the top students in each grade level who raised the most

money!

5th Grade - Jaden S., Layla B., Samil V. 4th Grade - Kamiye O., Sophie A, Gabriella G. 3rd Grade - Paul W., Charles T., Dara A. 2nd Grade - Gideon D., Maliyah D., Sasha H. 1st Grade - Amina C., Luther D., Kelechi A, Mehki M. Kindergarten - Aliyah M., Jade Y., Michael M.

LMES PTA The Lyons Mill PTA board is extremely excited about the school year and all of the upcoming activities. As we build relationships with the Lyons Mill community we are looking for help and support. Join us in planning an event or simply volunteering some of your time. We are currently seeking volunteers to support the following events: STEM Expo 11/3, Vex IQ Fall Classic 11/10, American Education Week 11/12 thru 11/16. Please email lyonsmillpta@gmail.com to volunteer or with any questions. Follow us on Twitter @ptalyonsmill Like and Follow us on Facebook Lyons Mill Elementary School PTA 2018-2019 PTA Executive Board President- Chiquita L. Veney ; Vice President- Alicia Cagnalotti; Treasurer- Angela Hamm; Secretary- Swazetta Williams 2018-2019 Committee Chairs Hospitality Chair- Tasha Moore; Fundraising Chair- Alana Watson; Community Outreach Chair- Rita Cummings; Membership Chair- Sharmia Crawford *The PTA is seeking a PTA Special Education Liaison (SEL). Their primary role will be to advocate for special education students in our school. Remember to buy your PTA membership today! The cost is $10 and can be returned in an envelope or plastic baggie along with the registration form to your child's homeroom teacher. Next General Membership Meeting: November 13, 2018 at 6:00 pm in the Library. (Door Prize/Speaker TBA)

LMES Book Fair The only Book Fair this year will be from December 10th to the 14th. Students will be shopping during the day. We are still in need of volunteers for each day and class.

If you are available to volunteer, please email Sheila Beyer at sbeyer@bcps.org or Marley Max at mmax@bcps.org, or call the school at 443-809-1719. Our Annual Family Fun Night is Thursday, December 13th from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Families will have the opportunity to shop the book fair. We look forward to seeing everyone there.

LMES Fall Fun Run Results LMES held its annual Fall Fun Run on Friday, October 12th during the school day. Students ran around the school grounds to raise money. The money raised will go to the Cultural Arts Program and Bicycle Program. Lyons Mill raised $2961.77. We thank everyone who helped, participated, and donated.

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Calling All Clubs! National Honor Society

Our first meeting will be on November 8th at 7:30 a.m. We look forward to meeting with all of you. National Elementary Honor Society induction ceremony for new members is Wednesday, November 14th.

Slime Club SLIME Club is working to improve recycling in the cafeteria as well as cleaning and beautifying our school grounds!

Jazz Band

Our Jazz Band is up and jamming every Wednesday morning at 7:30. We’re jazzing up our classroom songs like “Hot Cross Buns” by improvising our own versions of the song. Students are also learning to play songs from Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis by ear! Don’t miss the Winter Concert on December 18. We’ll be rock’n these tunes and more!

Young Authors Writing Contest

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. All students MUST HAVE ID badges.

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.

LMES Girls Running Club

The LMES Girls Running

Club has been working

hard to prepare for their

upcoming 5k race. They

have been practicing on

Tuesdays and Thursdays

on endurance and

strength training

exercises. They will be

participating in The

Super Run on November

17th.

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Nurse’s News • Allergy and Asthma season is upon us. Monitor all symptoms closely

and follow your health care provider’s advice. Medical care plans,

rescue inhalers, and Epi-Pens are a necessity, and may save a life! If

your child needs an inhaler, Epi-Pen, or daily medications in school,

please contact the school nurse to obtain the appropriate paperwork

needed.

• If your student has a health condition or needs special care during the

school day such as medication, treatments, or monitoring, please

inform the school nurse. Individual health care plans help keep your

students safe and healthy.

• Annual school health screenings for vision and hearing will be held in

January for all new students to BCPS and students in grades First and

Fourth.

• The health suite is in need of gently used clothing in all sizes. If you have any clothes that you can donate, please feel free to drop them off at the health suite. It is greatly appreciated.

Reminder: children should stay home from school when:

• your child has a fever above 100.0. Do not send your child back to school until your child has been free of fever for 24 hours without fever reducing medication

• your child is vomiting • your child has a productive cough with phlegm

• your child has been diagnosed with strep throat and has been on antibiotics for less than 24 hours.

Spanish Passport Program We are off to a GREAT start to the year! Thank you to everyone who has filled out and returned the parent letter from the first week! By now, your child should have brought home several graded papers. If you have not, please let me know and/or ask your child. As a reminder, these grades are to help you and your child gauge their progress in Spanish class. There will not be a

report card grade, but your child will receive 2 Spanish progress report cards (2nd quarter and 4th quarter). Your child can now access Middlebury on GOOGLE CHROME through BCPS One in Schoology.

Hot Spots Hello LMES Explorer Families! Hot Spots Explorer Students will be working in groups or independently on activities that focus on all skill areas: Social, Gross Motor (Fine and Large), Cognitive, and Speech/Language. The Engineering Design Process that was focused on for the STEAM Fair in October will continue to be used through some of our Book Hot Spots Experiences! We are going to have some fun making homemade ice cream and reading Dragons Love Ice Cream (Brett Fowler), building a tree to support all the letters from Chicka,Chicka,Boom,Boom. (Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault), and writing our own Rap with inspiration from Dr. Seuss just to name a few activities.

Wellness Policy for

Schools

Policy 5470: Wellness This 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.

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Bringing Literacy Home Tips to Help Your Child with Reading at Home

Explaining F&P Levels

Have you ever wondered which level books are

appropriate for your student? All students in

grades 1 – 5 are informally assessed using the

Fountas & Pinnell (F&P) Benchmark Assessment

System. This is an informal assessment that

allows teachers to determine students’

instructional and independent reading level.

Teachers use the data from this assessment to

help determine student’s reading needs and to

make reading groups, but parents can use this

information as well! When helping your child pick

out books at the library or the bookstore, look for

titles that are on their instructional or

independent level. If it’s a book on their

instructional level, you can read it with them,

asking questions and monitoring their understanding as they read. Books at a student’s

independent level or lower can be read

independently. Check out this Scholastic website for

some examples of books on your child’s reading

level: https://tinyurl.com/booksbylevel

Questions to ask your student while reading:

*What do you think will happen next?

*Why do you think ________ did that?

*What does that make you wonder? Is this making

sense to you?

Questions to ask your student after reading:

*Can you retell me what happened in the story in

your own words?

*What were the most important events in the story?

*What was the main message or lesson in this book?

*Did you think this was a good ending? Why or why

not?