CES Newsletter February 2025

We understand that students get sick (quite a lot, these days!) and we appreciate the thoughtful deliberation families put into decisions about coming to school or staying home. We know many of you have questions about attendance- here's what you need to know:

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) defines Chronic Absenteeism as being absent 10% or more of the days enrolled at CES, regardless of the reason (this includes Excused Absences). This equates to fewer than 18 absences if enrolled for 180 days.

Attendance Marking Guidelines:

• Present for the Full Day: If your child arrives at school before 11:20 AM and stays until the conclusion of the day.

• Present for the Full Day: If your child arrives on time and leaves for an early dismissal after 11:20 AM.

• Present for a Half Day: If your child arrives at school after 11:20 AM and stays until the conclusion of the day.

• Present for a Half Day: If your child arrives on time and leaves for an early dismissal before 11:20 AM.

• Absent: If your child arrives on time but leaves before 8:40 AM.

We look forward to seeing all of our students at school!

We are so excited for the 2025 CES Innovators of Science and Engineering Challenge. Students in third, fourth, and fifth grade will have the option to complete an individual or partner project at home.  Only students who complete a project at home will be eligible to compete in the CES Innovators of Science and Engineering Expo. First place winners from the 3rd- 5th grades will represent our school in the County Innovators of Science and Engineering Expo on May 3 at Marley Middle School.  Students may partner with an additional two students that are in 3rd-5th grade.  This link is amazing for the students to access and will take them through the process step by step. A digital science board is also available as an option with Wixie and Google Slide templates included on the ISEC student page. 

Timeline:

February 14th - Forms due for students completing projects.    Science Forms      Engineering Forms You can share this form once filled out to malfaro-moretti@aacps.org  If paper copies are needed they can be picked up at the front office.

Weeks of February 17th-March 11th  work on projects

March 12th - ALL projects due 

March 17th - CES Innovators of Science and Engineering Expo Winners will be announced on the morning announcements. Runners up in 5th grade will be selected for the Innovators Olympics.  (only 2)

May 3 - Anne Arundel County Science and Engineering Expo at Marley Middle School for finalist

5th graders selected for the Innovators Olympics will attend the fair and compete in STEM challenges. 

Students doing a project may choose between completing a Classic Science Research Project, or an Engineering Project. These students will also have the option to create a traditional presentation on a tri-fold board or a digital presentation. Please remember that we expect the work to reflect the age and maturity level of the student. 

If your child is considering a project, please visit the Student Innovators of Science & Engineering Challenge website, which includes step-by-step directions for completing a project and links to templates for the project presentation. To access the site, have your student log into their AACPS account. From the ClassLinks page, click on “MackinVia,” then on the left side click “links,” and finally click on the Innovators of Science & Engineering Challenge website. For questions please contact Michelle Alfaro-Moretti malfaro-moretti@aacps.org. .

Project Guidelines

1) Project displays in grades 3-5 must include the following elements of the 

Scientific Method                   or                The Engineering Design Process:

a. Research Question                                          a. Problem

b. Hypothesis                                                         b. Design Plan

c. Procedures                                                         c. Construction 

d. Data Log/Observation Log                            d. Testing

e. Graphs/Charts                                                  e. Creativity

f. Analysis of Data                                                 f. Presentation    

g. Conclusion

2) Any pictures should be of the project, NOT of the student(s)

3) Students must be able to verbally present and explain their project

4) Tri-fold boards must have student name, grade, and teacher name written clearly on the back of the board.

5) **Students may work on projects alone or with a partner. If students work with a partner from another grade level, their project will be judged at the highest grade level. (Ex: Third-grader works with their fifth-grade sibling – their project will be judged at the fifth-grade level)

Additionally, if students are testing on humans, or vertebrates there are safety forms that must be filled prior to conducting any experiments.  2A, 2B, and 3 forms are found on the  ISEC student page.  

Chemicals are heavily discouraged.  Only compounds that can be found in a kitchen pantry such as flour, sugar, cornstarch and salt are allowed.  

February Reading Incentive!

February 7th - 28th

February is a great month to encourage independent reading! Students can curl up with a good book while staying out of the cold. 

Details: 

Students are challenged to read 15 books this month. 

Books will be recorded on a reading log to be brought home daily. 

As your child reads a book, add it to the reading log and initial. 

Each day the students show the teacher the reading log. 

For each book read, the student receives a snowflake sticker to add to a paper snowman. 

On the 28th, we will add up the stickers and if your child has 15 stickers on the snowman, he/she will receive a fun prize! (prizes to be announced soon)

Have a blast reading this month! 

Capture los recuerdos escolares de este año ¡ordenando tu anuario hoy! No te lo pierdas

ORDER HERE

Absences/Dismissal Changes:

Attendance notes regarding absences or dismissal should now be submitted through Parent Portal.  Click here for directions.

Morning Student Arrival:

Student drop-off is from 7:40 AM – 8:00 AM.  Parents who drive their students to school in the morning are asked to use the first parking lot/car rider loop.  Please do not use the bus lanes or drive in the main parking lot at the front of the building.  The only traffic allowed in the front of the school in the morning is our buses and drivers transporting disabled children. 

Afternoon Dismissal:

Students are dismissed at 2:25.  Please make sure your child knows how they will go home every day.  Early dismissals and changes in transportation must be made by 2:00PM.   Students being picked up will only be released to a legal parent/guardian upon showing an ID.  IF you need someone else to pick up your child - you must send a signed note to the school office.

Bus Transportation:

Students are to use their assigned bus stop.  Students are not permitted to ride any bus other than the one to their home address.   

Exceptional bus Requests:  If a student must ride a bus other than their assigned bus, the parent must contact the office.  An Exceptional Transportation Request FORM must be completed five (5) days in advance.  

Visitors and Volunteers: 

All visitors are required to check in at the front office to show picture identification and receive a visitors sticker. Please ensure the visitor’s sticker is clearly visible. Anyone without a visitor’s sticker will be escorted to the office to receive a new sticker. 

Volunteer Orientation will be held on Friday, September 20th at 9:00 a.m. Please visit   https://www.aacps.org/o/aacps/page/work-volunteer-in-aacps for information on AACPS requirements. 

Lunch Visitors

We’re sorry, but due to limitations of space, security concerns and potential for disruption, we cannot accommodate any visitors in the cafeteria during student lunch.

Student Medication: 

 If your student needs to take medication on a regular basis during school hours, please complete the “Parent’s Request to Administer Medication At School” form. (also available from the school nurse/office.)  Please note that the form requires both a parent and a physician signature.  Medication cannot be administered to your child until this form is on record in our Health Room. Students are NEVER permitted to possess any kind of medication.  This policy is for the protection of your child.  Parents are always welcome to personally administer medication to their child in the Health Room on an occasional basis.

 The policy for all over the counter (OTC) and prescription medication is as follows:

• Physician and parent signed medication form

• Pharmacy labeled container

• OTC drugs in original sealed container

• Medication brought to school by an ADULT, as children are not allowed to carry any medication (Must be delivered to the health room nurse (hours 8:00AM - 2:30 PM)

• Physician will be called for any questions

• The first dose has been given without any problems.

All treatments given for an ailment are considered medication and require a medication form to be completed by the parent and doctor.  This includes ALL over the counter items such as cough drops and lozenges for sore throats and all creams.

Cafeteria Information: 

Prices: Full price breakfast:  $1.50

Full price lunch:  $2.75

Reduced price breakfast: $.00

Reduced price lunch: $.00

•  Pre-pay option: This is a convenient way to be sure your child always has money for breakfast or lunch.  Your child will use their student ID number to purchase meals.

•  Free/Reduced Meals Program:  Families must complete the free and reduced meal application On-Line.  Link can be found here.  There will be no paper forms sent home.  If you do not have access to a computer/or need assistance, you can come to the school to complete the on-line forms.  If you already participate in this program, please be aware that a new application must be on file by October 1, 2024.

Birthday Celebrations:

In order to align with our AACPS goal to cultivate a community of wellness and include all students with food allergies, the distribution of class treats, to be served during lunch or the classroom for birthday celebrations, is not permitted. Instead, non-food items like a pencil are preferred.  Please do not bring balloons to school.

PTO Information:

Our CES PTO is an excellent source of information and support for our students and families.  Please consider joining our PTO for the 2024-2025 school year.  For more information you can visit the Central Elementary PTO pagecentralespto.org and join Central Elementary Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/CentralESPTO/