Important Dates
- January 13 - Wilde Lake Middle School Incoming 6th Grade Parent Night - 6:00p.m.
- January 17 - Martin Luther King Jr. Day – Schools and Office Closed
- January 19 - Schools Close 3 hours early, No Half-Day PreK
- January 24 - Professional Work Day – School’s Closed for Students
- January 20 - Harpers Choice Middle Incoming 6th Grade Parent Night - 6:00p.m.
- January 20 - Clarksville Middle Incoming 6th Grade Parent Night - 6:00p.m.
New Information
Black Student Achievement Program
Saturday Math Academy Virtual Spring 2022 Session: The HCPSS Black Student Achievement Program (BSAP) Saturday Math Academy (SMA) Spring Registration is approaching! The virtual enrichment program will be offered for Howard County Public School System students in all levels of Mathematics (pending course availability) for Grades 3-12. Online registration will take place via HCPSS Connect on Saturday, January 8, 2022, from 9:00 a.m. - until capacity is reached. Class space is limited. Please share the fliers below with students and families. For questions, please contact BSAP Specialist, Ashley Armstead.
BSAP SMA Spring 2022 Flyer (English)
BSAP SMA Spring 2022 Flyer (Spanish)
HCPSS Connect Instructions
SES Concert Update
In an effort to ensure the safety and well-being of our students and families, the in-person Swansfield Winter Concert for orchestra, band and chorus, scheduled for the evening of January 18, has been canceled. We recognize how hard our students have practiced and prepared for their evening concerts and canceling the in-person concert may be disappointing.
In place of our in-person concert, our wonderful musicians will be participating in an in-school performance without an audience. This performance will be recorded and shared asynchronously with the community and students via Canvas. More information will be forthcoming from Mrs. Lahan, Mr. Marsh, and Ms. Heavner.
Swansfield Awards Assemblies
The Swansfield staff is excited to share that we will return to holding quarterly awards assemblies for grades 1-5 during the 2021-2022 school year. While our assemblies will look different than in the past, we are looking forward to continuing to celebrate our students.
Our first quarter awards assembly will be a grade level assembly in which we celebrate students for the following accomplishments:
Honor Roll - Students receiving honor roll earned all As & Bs (Grades 3-5) or all Is & Ws (Grades 1-2) and all 1s and 2s for Learning Behaviors (Grades 1-5).
Community Contributor - Each classroom teacher selects two students who have demonstrated significant contributions to their classroom community during the quarter.
Soaring Swan - Each classroom teacher selects one student who has shown great effort and perseverance during the quarter.
Principal’s Award - Students receiving this award have earned all As (Grade 3-5) or all Is (Grades 1-2) and all 1s for Learning Behaviors
If your child is receiving a Community Contributor or Soaring Swan award, your child’s teacher will notify you directly. Honor Roll and Principal’s Award can be determined by reviewing your child’s report card. If you have any questions, please reach out to your child’s teacher.
Parents of students in grades 1-5, please look for an email in the near future with details about the date and time of your child’s grade level ceremony.
*Please Note - Kindergarten students have an end of the year Awards Assembly in which all students are celebrated for a specific achievement.
A Message from the Health Room
On January 4th, HCPSS shared a message regarding Updated COVID Mitigation Efforts in HCPSS Schools. We understand that a lot of information was included in this message and we are here to help you with any questions you may have.
Please see the tables below as a quick reference for quarantine guidance. As always, please reach out to the health room with any questions.
If you test positive for COVID-19 (Isolate)
|
Who
|
Guidance
|
|
Everyone, regardless of vaccine status.
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- Stay home for 5 days.
- If you have no symptoms or your symptoms are resolving after 5 days, you can leave your house.
- Continue to wear a mask around others for 5 additional days.
- If you have a fever, continue to stay home until your fever resolves.
|
If You Were Exposed to Someone with COVID-19 (Quarantine)
|
Who
|
Guidance
|
|
If:
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- Wear a mask around others for 10 days.
- Test on day 5, if possible.
- If you develop symptoms, get a test and stay home.
|
|
If:
- You are ages 18 or older and completed the primary series of recommended vaccines, but have not received a recommended booster shot when eligible.
- You received the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine (completing the primary series) over 2 months ago and have not received a recommended booster shot.
- You are not vaccinated or have not completed a primary vaccine series.
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- Stay home for 5 days. After that continue to wear a mask around others for 5 additional days.
- Test on day 5 if possible
- If you develop symptoms, get a test and stay home.
|
Household Quarantine Possibilities
| |
Household Contact (HC)
Masked
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Household Contact (HC)
Unmasked
|
|
Positive Case (PC) Masked
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PC Isolates 5 days
HC Quarantines 5 additional days
Total: 10 days
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PC Isolates 5 days
HC Quarantines 10 additional days
Total: 15 days
|
|
Positive Case (PC) Unmasked
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PC Isolates 10 days
HC Quarantines 5 additional days
Total: 15 days
|
PC Isolates 10 days
HC Quarantines 10 additional days
Total: 20 days
|
Reminders
Restorative Justice Opportunities
As we look ahead to the New Year, our Restorative Justice team at Swansfield staff is excited to share two opportunities with you.
- We will be offering all parents and staff the opportunity to participate in a Restorative Justice peacemaking circle together. The circle will take place on February 9th at 6:30pm and childcare will be provided.
- We will be offering a three session book club beginning on February 8th. Members of our Restorative Justice will facilitate the book club. Please view the SES Stamped Book Club Flier for more information about the book.
If you are interested in participating in either of these events, please sign up HERE.
Academic Calendar Updates
The Board of Education has recently approved a modification to the academic calendar which has created several 3-hour early dismissals for students. See link Details are available online
Update to Masking Guidance While Eating
HCPSS has received questions regarding the updated masking guidance in schools and reached out to the Maryland Department of Health (MDH). MDH has provided confirmation to HCPSS for the revised masking and quarantine requirements announced recently, specifically as they relate to times when students will need to unmask while eating. MDH is still awaiting official updates to K-12 guidance to be posted online by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, MDH confirmed to HCPSS that eating is exempted from the strict masking policy for early return from isolation or quarantine, because it is necessary for students and staff to unmask while doing so. In cafeterias, HCPSS will continue to implement strict COVID mitigation efforts that exceed the recommendations of the CDC and American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers. HCPSS appreciates the confirmation provided by MDH officials today and hope this provides greater understanding for families and staff. Answers to frequently asked questions about the COVID-19 vaccine can be found on the Howard County Health Department’s website. Additional information can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website
Swansfield Wish Lists
We will continue to update our wish lists throughout the school year.
Student Lounge Wish List
Classroom Wish List
PTA Updates
5th Grade Baby Pictures Needed for Yearbook!
Please send us a baby picture of your current 5th grader so that we can include it in this year’s yearbook. Upload your photo to this folder or email it to vp.schoolrelations@swansfieldpta.org.
Please do not submit photos that feature other people unless you want them to be cropped out. Please only submit ONE photo per child.
