Dear Pasadena Elementary Families:

Spring is in full bloom, and we are excited for all the learning and activities ahead! As we move into April, we want to keep you informed about some important events: 

- Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) Testing: Students in grades 3 through high school are required to participate in state testing. This will take place April 23–29 (Literacy) and May 8-13 (Math). Please ensure your child gets plenty of rest and arrives on time. 

- Autism Awareness Week: April 7 -11 is dedicated to increasing understanding and acceptance of individuals with autism. Each day will feature a unique theme to promote awareness and unity. See calendar for details.

- Grandfriend/VIP Day: We are excited to invite 2 special guests to our VIP Day on April 11. It's a special day for our students to share a school experience with (up to) two Very Important Persons in their life. Please RSVP by April 9 so we can prepare for this special event. This event is intended to invite Grand-Friends or other important adults in your child’s life. Because of class size, parking, activities, and accessibility, there is a firm limit on two adults only. Siblings (infants to school age) are not permitted. To meet AACPS School Security guidelines, VIPs must be pre-approved by school administration and produce state issued identification at check-in at the designated time.

- Spring Break: School is closed Apriil 14- 21.

- Spring Pictures: Say cheese! Individual spring pictures and the 5th grade panoramic picture day is April 23. Look for more details in your child’s take-home folder if you wish to order individual spring pictures.

- Yearbooks: Don’t miss out on this year’s memories! Yearbooks are available for purchase at https://shop.yearbookmarket.com/pasadenaelementary. It's a wonderful keepsake filled with memories of the school year. Yearbook orders will end mid-April. See below for more information.

Did you know?

• Kindergarten Registration begins: Tuesday, April 8th. If you have a student turning 5 years old on or before September 1, 2025, please apply online.

• Pre-Kindergarten Application begins: Tuesday, May 6th. If you have a student turning 4 years old on or before September 1, 2025, please apply online.

Please share this information with your neighbors. Enrolling earlier is key to ensuring Pasadena Elementary is appropriately staffed for the 2025-2026 school year. Click here to enroll NEW to PES students only.

There have been questions about DIBELS assessment and mClass instruction and intervention. DIBELS is a set of procedures and measures for assessing the acquisition of literacy skills. Given three times/year in grade K-3, these fluency assessments are short (about one minute) to detect risk and measure progress of students. mClass instruction and intervention helps school staff to measure and strngthen foundational literacy skills that all students need to become confident readers. Here is a video to learn more. PES staff recently completed middle of year assessments in grades K-3. Personalized information will be sent home for your student.

Positive Behavior Intervention Strategies (PBIS): We will continue our efforts to support students and staff with wellness and social activities and recognize our students for behavior. This tiered framework support students’ behavioral, academic, social, emotional, and mental health. If you have suggestions for the school’s PBIS team, please email pasadenaes@aacps.org.

The school is closed to visitors during the school day. Please schedule an appointment in advance of coming to the school.

Thank you for your continued support and involvement in our school community. Let's make this month a memorable one!

Sincerely,

Jennifer Quirino, Principal

Nearly 11% of PES students are chronically absent, meaning they have missed two or more days of school each month, or fourteen days (nearly 3 school weeks) since August 2024. Attendance is key to your child's academic success. It is important that students show up each and every day. Attendance also factors into the school's state rating annually.

Pasadena Elementary's strategic goal is to increase the number of students who are NOT chronically absent. With your partnership, we can make this happen. Below is the school's Chronic Attendance:

Dear Families,

Test Taking Tips for Students in Grades 3-5

MCAP testing begins this month. This is your child’s opportunity to show how much they have grown academically over the course of the year.

During my classroom lessons I will work with students to prepare for MCAP. We will talk about what to expect during testing, develop a plan for what students can control and practice calming strategies that can be used before and during testing.

As a parent, you can support your child during testing in the following ways:

1. Ensure your child gets a good night’s sleep.

2. Prepare the night before: pick out clothes, pack backpack and lunch.

3. Provide a healthy breakfast.

4. Make sure your child gets to school on time.

5. Instill confidence and a positive attitude toward testing.

Please let me know if I can be of assistance,

Michele Noble, School Counselor

Earth Day is coming on April 22nd!

Earth Day is a great time to help students make connections to real-world problems happening around the world. It presents the opportunity to increase student awareness about the need for reducing pollution, water scarcity, and recycling.

Here are two favorite read aloud selections for Earth Day.

One Plastic Bag by Miranda Paul

On her morning walk, Isatou is distraught by the useless, torn plastic bags that she finds on her way. The bags seem to multiple as more and more accumulate in her village. The women in the Gambian village begin to wash the bags and discover ways to reuse them. They roll the plastic into threads and crochet them into recycled purses. By reducing the amount of trash in the village and recycling the plastic into something productive

The Watcher by Jeanette Winter is the story of Jane Goodall and her life with the chimps. You can adventure with young Jane as she watches the world around her change. Jane’s childhood curiosity lead to her dreams coming true of traveling to Africa to work with animals. The Watcher is a story of how Jane created a home living among the chimps to observe how they live and interact with one another. This is the perfect story to integrate real-world STEM and learn about conservation. Your students can plan, design, and execute their own ideas for creating a tool to capture bugs just like the termites the chimps like to eat.

Cathryn Nash, Literacy Teacher 

Did you know?

• To promote water safety and foster physical fitness and emotional health in children and adults with special needs, the S.E.A.L.S. program offers comprehensive adaptive aquatic lessons and training from basic swimming skills through competitive swim team. All S.E.A.L.S. programs are provided through grant funding and are free to qualified participants. For more information, visit: https://www.spcommunitycenter.org/s-e-a-l-s/.
  

• Anne Arundel Education Citizens’ Advisory Council (AA-SECAC) is a partnership between parents, families, community leaders, advocates, educators and administrators. The committee works to enhance services available to students with disabilities and to advocate for positive changes in special education in the Anne Arundel County Public Schools. Active, involved parents and supporters of children receiving special education services comprise the Anne Arundel Special Education Citizens' Advisory Committee (AA-SECAC). AA-SECAC meeting information can be found here.

  
  

• The Developmental Disabilities Administration's Low Intensity Support Services (LISS) Program serves children living at home with their family and adults with developmental and/or intellectual disabilities living in their own home in the community who are not receiving any support services from the DDA. For more information, or to apply, visit this site: https://health.maryland.gov/dda/pages/liss.aspx

• The Autism Waiver (AW) is a partnership between Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) and the Maryland Department of Health (MDH). The AW is designed to provide community-based, long-term, person-centered therapeutic services and support to eligible children and youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to enable home and community living as an alternative to institutional care. For more information on the Autism Waiver call Autism Waiver Helpline Office at (866) 417-3480.

In case you did not know…there are many ways to earn money for the school. The funds are used to purchase equipment, technology, training, supplies, and incentives for your child’s classroom and teachers. Please consider helping and/or supporting in the following ways.

Office Depot: While shopping for school supplies at the store or online, please designate the school number 70047113.

Harris Teeter: Every time you shop at Harris Teeter, using your bonus card, Pasadena Elementary will earn money for our school. Be sure to designate Pasadena Elementary School.

Weis: Every time you shop at Weis, using your bonus card, Pasadena Elementary will earn money for our school. Be sure to designate Pasadena Elementary School.

Clothing to Cash Recycling Bin: Please drop off gently used clothing, shoes/sneakers, textiles, and towels to the recycling bin in the front parking lot. The school is paid for EVERY pound collected. Help support the school and our environment. Clean out your closets!

FYI - The Paper Retriever Bin will be removed from PES in the coming month. Unfortunately we can no longer accept paper for recycling.

Anne Arundel County Public Schools does not provide medical insurance for injuries to students that occur while the student is at school or when off of school property while they are involved in a school-related activity. However, AACPS has selected Bob McCloskey Insurance to provide several student accident insurance coverage options that parents/guardians may purchase. If you do not have health insurance, this insurance may be a resource to consider. To learn more, visit www.aacps.org/studentaccidentinsurance.

Text START to 98900 to ensure you are receiving the latest communications from PES and AACPS.

Anne Arundel County Public Schools prohibits discrimination in its educational programs, and in employment, on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity, or disability.