Important Dates:

• Wednesday Evenings - Virtual Storytime, 7pm. Code: Swansfield Storytime

• Friday, November 13 - Registration Opens for Parent/Teacher Conferences (see more below)

• November 16th - 20th - American Education Week (see more below)

• Monday, November 16 - Report Cards Issued at 4pm (see more below)

• Monday, November 16 - PTA Restaurant Day, Corner Deli, Columbia Mall

• Wednesday, November 18 - Joint PTA Meeting, Restorative Justice Cohort Schools, 6:30-8pm (see more below)

• Thursday, November 19 - Registration Closes for Parent/Teacher Conferences (see more below)

• Monday & Tuesday, November 23 & 24 - Parent/Teacher Conferences.  Early Dismissal (see more below)

• November 25, 26 & 27 - Schools Closed

• Wednesday, December 2 - Deadline For Entries For Young Authors' Contest ( see more below)

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Report Cards Issued This Coming Monday

First quarter report cards will be available online via Synergy beginning at 4pm this coming Monday, November 16. HERE are directions for viewing.

This has been a challenging 1st quarter of school for many of our families. Due to the negative impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and transition to virtual learning, the Howard County Public School System has made some changes to 1st quarter grading that you may see reflected on your child’s report card.

Students in primary grades (pre-k through 2nd) will earn an I (Independent) or W (With Assistance) if they have engaged in synchronous instruction.  Students in intermediate grades (3-5) will receive A, B or C grades if they have engaged in synchronous instruction. As a result, Canvas grades may not align with quarter 1 report card grades.

These changes are in place for 1st quarter report card grades only. Asynchronous assignments complement and support synchronous learning.  Please support your child with task completion and with attending support sessions as needed.

Parents of students receiving special education services can expect to receive their child's IEP progress report ​no later than Friday, November 20 through email. If you have any questions about your child's progress ​or what to expect as we fulfill requirements for progress reporting, ​you may contact your child's case manager.

Parent/Teacher Conferences November 23 & 24.

Register for Conferences Beginning Today Through November 19.

Virtual Parent/Teacher Conferences will be held Monday, November 23, and Tuesday, November 24, following early dismissal for students.  

Yesterday you should have received an email outlining important information as you prepare to register for Parent/Teacher Conferences.  Registration opens today and will remain open through Thursday, November 19.  If you need assistance scheduling a conference, please contact our front office staff at 410-313-6907.

Directions To Schedule Parent Conference.pdf 

Bridges Students: Please remember that Bridges will not be in session the week of conferences, but will resume December 2.

American Education Week

November 16-20th is American Education Week!  This year, we invite parents and other important adults to join morning SEL time throughout the week from 9:00-9:15am to participate in community building spaces.  Homeroom teachers sent a link earlier this week to sign up to participate.

Young Authors’ Contest

The Young Authors' Contest has begun! This contest is for students in grades 1 through 5 who like to write short stories and/or poems in their free time.  The contest begins at Swansfield where students will compete with their classmates for the best short story and poem. One winner from each category will be selected at each grade level to compete at the Howard County level. Winners from Howard County will then go on to compete at the Maryland State level.  
 
This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to showcase their writing talent to the Swansfield community and beyond! Students in grades 1-5 have received the guidelines, cover sheet, and writing rubric for the contest. Please have your child save his or her story as a WORD document and email it to keynora_greenwood@hcpss.org.  Swansfield winners will need to submit their entries to Howard County electronically. If you have any questions, please contact one of our reading specialists. The cover sheet and a flier with more information can be found on the Swansfield website.
 
The deadline for entries is December 2, 2020. We are looking forward to reading many amazing stories and poems. Happy writing!

New Digital Tools Available For Students

HCPSS has curated a new set of supplemental digital tools for virtual instruction that are available only through Google’s menu of additional services. Due to Google’s settings, students must access this set of tools by utilizing Google’s menu of additional services, which requires consent by a parent or guardian.  Please see this News Post on our school website for further information and directions for accessing these tools for your students.

Joint PTA Meeting of HCEA Restorative Justice Cohort Schools

Please join us for a joint PTA meeting of the Howard County Education Association's (HCEA) Restorative Justice Cohort Schools on Wednesday, November 18, 2020 from 6:30-8pm. Hear from Dr. Kevin Gilbert, Howard County Public School System's Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Colleen Morris, HCEA president; Dwanna Nicole, from The Restorative Justice Partnership; and administrators from Laurel Woods Elementary School, Swansfield Elementary School, Mayfield Woods Middle School, Oakland Mills Middle School, Long Reach High School, and Wilde Lake High School as we explore:

• What restorative justice is (and is not).
• What it means to be part of the HCEA Cohort and the model we are setting for the rest of the school district.
• How restorative justice aligns with Dr. Martirano’s Strategic Call to Action.
• The many ways we are working to build a restorative justice culture at our schools.

Please sign up here to receive a meeting link.

Social Emotional Learning

This week SEL teacher Sarah Croushler discusses Positive Language. Please see the attached.

Positive Language.pdf 

#SwanFamily Staff Shout Outs