Greetings TSES Families,
It is hard to believe that December is already here! This school year is flying by, and we are excited for a fun filled month. We have many things to look forward to this month as we round out 2023.
4th graders kicked off the month with a field trip to London Town. We are thankful that the rain held off during their field trip, and everyone had a great time!
Our Girls on the Run group and the TSES Coaches have worked so hard preparing for their 5k race today. Let’s cheer them on from near and far and send them wishes for a safe race!
December 4th - 8th, is Inclusive Schools Week! Inclusive Schools Week (ISW) was created to focus on the basic need of belonging for all students. To be inclusive, there needs to be a fundamental commitment to building relationships among students, families, educators, and the community to support safe and positive learning environments.
The theme for this year is "Draw Me In!" The Inclusive Schools Network highlights that participating in art provides a pathway to self-discovery and sharing art opens doors to understanding and respecting different ways of thinking. At Talbott Springs, we will have focused Social Emotional Learning Lessons that are designed to encourage relationship building, celebration of our individual uniqueness, and have discussions on how we promote and embrace inclusion at TSES.
We are very excited for our Eagles’ Winter Shop & Party PTA event that will be held on December 11 @ 6pm. See below for additional details.
Lastly, please be sure to label your child’s winter coats, hats, and gloves. Our lost and found is already overflowing. Please remind your child to check the lost and found for missing items. If there are names in the items, we can return them to the correct owner. Please let us know if your child is in need of a coat, hat, and/or gloves. Thank you for your support!
The week’s newsletter includes the following:
Important Dates
December 4, 5, & 7: Cognitive Abilities Test for 3rd Grade
December 7: Picture re-take day - See flier for details
December 11: TSES Eagles' Winter Shop & Party PTA event PTA Event @ 6pm
December 12: 5th Grade Field Trip - UMD Women’s Basketball Game
December 13: Professional Work/Wellness Day - Schools Close 3 hours Early (No ½ day PreSchool)
December 18: Winter Music Concert @ OMHS @ 6:30pm
December 20: 1st Grade Virtual Maryland Historical Society Field Trip
December 25-January 1: Schools & offices closed for Winter Break
January 2: Schools Re-open
Concert for Kids
See flier for details
Enjoy a performance at Oakland Mills High School on December 2nd in partnership with WBAL Radio. The 1 PM Matinee includes a post-performance Kids Craft as well as pictures with Santa! Get tickets here: https://concertforkids.ticketleap.com/cfk2023/
The annual Concert for Kids to benefit the WBAL Radio Kids Campaign is a holiday concert which supports our community by raising funds and awareness for the WBAL Radio Kids Campaign. Since it premiered in 2007, the Concert for Kids has raised over $105,000 for the WBAL Radio Kids Campaign.
Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT)
This year, the Howard County Public School System will be administering the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) to all students in Grade 3. The CogAT is a group-administered abilities test that measures students’ reasoning abilities, which they develop through in-school and out-of-school experiences. It is not designed to test a student’s academic achievement, but their potential.
The test is made of three batteries – Verbal, Quantitative, and Nonverbal. Each battery takes approximately 30 minutes to complete. The CogAT helps educators understand a student’s cognitive strengths and weaknesses and assists with adapting instruction to meet the needs and abilities of each student. All students in Grade 3 will participate in the testing. The CogAT will be administered on December 4th, 5th, and 7th. No special preparation is required. Just send your child to school ready to learn as you do daily. The Gifted and Talented Education Program will use the data from the CogAT as one criterion for placement into fourth grade Gifted/Talented mathematics classes. Students’ individual scores will be reported to parents in late February/early March.
Hour of Code
The Hour of Code, created by Code.org, is a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify code and show that everyone can learn the basics. Starting this week, all students, K-5, will be introduced to coding in their Technology classes. This instruction will continue throughout the quarter and focus not just on the basics of coding, but also the methodology behind why codes and algorithms were created.
Social Emotional Learning Calendar for Families
Try out this calendar at home as a way to engage with your child. It's a fun way and engaging way to talk with your child about their school day!
December PTA Event
See flier for details
Calling all TSES Eagles! Come join the PTA to celebrate the start of winter at the TSES Eagles' Winter Shop and Party on December 11th from 6 to 8 PM.
This family event will include:
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Free, fun craft activities and music
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The Penguin Holiday Kids' Shop with small gifts available for purchase priced between 25ç and $15
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Pizza dinner available for purchase only $3 per person while supplies last (cash only)
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Reminder, parental supervision is required at the event!
Please RSVP to help the planning committee! Use this link- https://tinyurl.com/TSESWinterParty
Interested in volunteering to help? Email pta@tsespta.org for more information!
