Principal's Message

Dear Pasadena Elementary Families:

Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful winter vacation with family and friends. As we embark on a new year filled with possibilities, I extend my warmest wishes to each of our families. May 2025 be a chapter of success, resilience, and joy for our students, parents, and staff.

Do you follow the school's Instagram page (pes_aacps)? We were so excited to celebrate outstanding and improved student and class attendance. Thank you for your support of the #AACPSAttendToAchieve initiative in December.

Our Winter Concert was a packed house! Thank you to our students participating in the extracurricular music classes; the parents and guardians who supported the preparation process and joined us for the event; and to our amazing teachers who worked behind the scenes to ensure everything ran smoothly. Your collective energy made the evening unforgettable.

The end of the marking will be fast upon us. It is important to ensure that your student is independently completing assignments in all class areas, including Cultural Arts. Please help your student to stay ahead so that assignments are not turned in at the last possible moment. All students are expected to complete assignments independently and in a timely manner following a lesson rather than accumulating incomplete assignments and submitting them at the end of the marking period. Assignments are intended to be a follow-up and an indicator of independent student application of the skill taught. It also provides us with student strengths and needs for reteaching and extending student learning.

As we turn the page on a new calendar year, it is always a good time to set intentions for the coming year. Routines are often forgotten after a long break. Teachers will review school and classroom expectations as well as revisiting important Second Step (social emotional) lessons. This is a great time for you to reinforce the importance of classroom participation and encourage your student to stay engaged in instruction.

As a reminder, school doors will close at 7:55am so that our staff can be in classes for instruction to begin at 8:00am. Parking in designated fire lanes and/or bus loops is prohibited. Maryland Motor Vehicle Law § 21-101.1(b)2,3 states: A person may not drive a motor vehicle in violation of any provision of this title on any property that is owned by or under the control of this State or any of its political subdivisions, county boards of education, or community colleges and that is open to vehicular traffic and used by the public in general. Any person who violates any provision of this subsection is in violation of the law to the same extent and is subject to the same penalty as if the motor vehicle were driven on a highway. We appreciate your assistance in keeping the fire lane clear.

Temperatures continue to fluctuate both indoors and outdoors. Please help your student dress for the weather, recognizing temps will hover closer to 70 degrees indoors. Sunlight can add warmth to classrooms, so dressing in layers is best. Students will go outdoors for recess when the temperature (& wind chill) is at least 32 degrees. Coats, hats, and gloves are needed daily. If your student is missing coats or hoodies, we have a collection in lost and found.

At this time, the school is closed to visitors during the school day. Please schedule an appointment in advance of coming to the school.

AACPS will be closed for winter break from December 23 - January 1. School will re-open from the break on Thursday, January 2, 2025. Happy New Year!

Sincerely,

Jennifer Quirino, Principal

Attendance Notifications

When students are absent from school, AACPS sends messages to families to ensure student safety and open communication. For convenience and equity, messages are sent through two communication tools:

Alerts - the AACPS automated contact system provides one message per day for elementary students and two messages per day for middle and high school students. A morning message is sent to families of all absent students via phone, email, and text at 11 a.m. The second message is sent via email and text to families of absent middle and high school students at 5:30 p.m.

Parent Portal sends notifications in real time when a student is marked absent for the school day or a specific class period. In order to receive Parent Portal notifications, parents/guardians must have proper accounts and notifications turned on in their settings. Access to Parent Portal is available for families of students in grades K-12. Parents/guardians can also send attendance notes directly to their student's school via Parent Portal. Visit www.aacps.org/parentportal to sign up or learn more.

For information on how to support student attendance, visit www.aacps.org/attendance.

Attendance Matters

When making appointments for your child during school hours, you can help your child get credit for a "Full Day of Attendance" if appointments are scheduled strategically. If your child has a morning appointment, having him/her to school by 11:20 will be considered "Full Day Present." If your child has an afternoon appointment, picking him/her up after 11:20 will be considered "Full Day Present." While your child will still be marked as being Tardy or having an Early Dismissal, it will not impact their "Total Days Absent" which is what is tracked by the Maryland State Department of Education.

Nearly 10% of PES students are chronically absent, meaning they have missed two or more days of school each month, or at least eight days since August 2024. Attendance is key to your child's academic success. It is important that students show up each and every day. 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 PES December Chronic Attendance:

Chart of students chronically absent November 2024

Counselor's Corner

Dear Families,

I will introduce students in grades K-5 to an online program called Xello. Xello offers a variety of activities to assist students in building self-knowledge, exploring career options and creating achievable plans for the future. Students will begin by creating a portfolio of their likes, dislikes, interests and strengths. Primary students will navigate Career Town and complete activities to explore roles in our community. Intermediate students will research careers that match their interests and strengths.

Please let me know if I can be of assistance,

Michele Noble, School Counselor

PBIS News

Do you have suggestions for our PBIS team? Email ideas to pasadenaes@aacps.org

As students demonstrate our schoolwide CARE expectations they fill up their CARE cards to be redeemed for classroom rewards. At the end of each month completed CARE cards are entered in a drawing for special stage seating in the cafeteria with Ms. Noble and Ms. Quirino. Check in with your child(ren) to see what rewards they are earning for following our CARE expectations to Care, Achieve, Respect and Engage.

Weekly, students will be selected for the "Panther Spotlight," highlighting the students in the classroom and broadcasting on morning announcements.

Positive Behavior Referrals are distributed during lunches weekly. Students are recognized by their peers and pictures are posted on the school's Instagram page.

PES Handbook

A PES Handbook has been created to provide a more comprehensive guide that outlines procedures and expectations for students, parents, and staff within our school community.

This handbook should serve as a guide to ensure consistency in school rules and routines that promote a positive, safe, productive learning environment.

Please take a moment to review information regarding school routines, academic standards, behavioral expectations, communication protocols, and resources available.

The PES Handbook can be found on our school website in the Newsletter tab. For easy access, click here.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

The Panther Pledge and image of school mascot

Cellphone Policy

Please be aware the cellphone policy is that phones are to remain off and away all day at school.

As a reminder, the use of SmartWatches is prohibited during the school day. Smartwatches interrupt lessons with notifications, messages, or apps. Please remind family members to refrain from calling and messaging students during the school day.

If there is an extentuating circumstance and you need to communicate with your student, please call the Main Office at 410-222-6573.

Parent Teacher Association

The Pasadena Elementary Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is looking for new members! All current families are invited to join. Visit the PTA website to sign up. Be sure to follow Pasadena Elementary PTA Facebook page and enable notifications.

- PTA school store Tuesdays Gr PK - 2; Thursdays Gr 3-5.

- PTA General Membership Meeting is scheduled for January 16, 2025 5:30 pm

You may have an expired or expiring background check, or you may need to complete one to be a volunteer/chaperone. Please visit the chaperone volunteer website for more information.

Thank You, Volunteers

We extend our deepest gratitude for your time, effort, and dedication to making our school a brighter and more supportive place.

Your willingness to volunteer—whether by helping in the classroom, organizing events, assisting on field trips, or supporting our staff in countless other ways—has made a meaningful impact on our school community. The enthusiasm and care you bring to everything you do remind our students that they are supported by an extended family of individuals who believe in their potential.

Your presence has enriched the educational experience in so many ways, from creating warm memories for the children to helping our programs run smoothly. The gift of your time is invaluable, and we are truly fortunate to have such an incredible team of parent volunteers working alongside us.

Please know that your contributions are deeply appreciated, not only by the staff but by the children whose lives you’ve touched. You are an essential part of what makes Pasadena Elementary School such a wonderful place to learn, grow, and thrive.

Thank you for your generosity, support, and partnership in helping us achieve our mission. We couldn’t do it without you!

Literacy

Grades K-2 - How Can I Help My Child Begin to Read?

Here are some skills we work on with beginning readers:

• Ask your child how many words are on the page.

• Have your child point under the first word. Ask your child to look at the first letter and say the sound. This should be done out loud.

• Your child should then slide index finger from left to right, paying attention to all the letters in the word.

• Play "Find My Letter" - Place a few letters on the table for your child to spread out. Make the sound of one of those letters, and have your child find the letter that makes that sound. You can use letter cards or plastic letters.

Grades 3-5 - How to Help Your Child Become a Fluent Reader

Phrasing is the ability to read words in meaningful groups rather than word by word, robotic reading. Here are some prompts you can use with your child if their reading sounds choppy:

• "Put your words together so it sounds like good talking."

• "These words make sense together. Read them together."

• "Can you make it sound like this?" (model it)

• "Listen to me read this part. Now read it just like I did."

Remember to ask comprehension questions:

• What are you wondering? (the title, the cover illustration, what the book will be about, and where the story is taking place)

• What do you think will happen next?

• This part is confusing. Let's go back and reread to understand.

• I wonder why the character did that?

• What will the character do now?

• What could be a new ending for this book?

This month we will be focusing on helping our readers ask good questions as they read.

Try to read to and with your child daily!

Cathryn Nash, Literacy Teacher

Physical Education

In January, all students will practice their balance and transferring of weight during our tumbling unit.

Pasadena Elementary’s Dance Company will be performing at Chesapeake High School Thursday, January 16 at their winter dance concert. The concert begins at 7:00 p.m. and all are welcome to attend.

Please make sure your child wears sneakers/tennis shoes to school on their P.E. days. Boots, crocs, etc. are not a safe choice to wear in the gymnasium.

Colder weather is upon us. Please make sure your child wears sneakers/tennis shoes. Boots, crocs, etc. are not a safe choice for P.E. class.

Our Mind and Body Calendar is a great way to add movement into each day.

Carrie Deaver, P.E. Teacher

Media Center

In January, students in PreK and Kindergarten will identify the problem and solution in a story.

First graders will explore the world of fairy tales.

Second graders will delve into tall tales. Students in grades 3-5 will explore our databases to answer questions and analyze elements of different genres using book trailers for this year’s Black-Eyed Susan nominated chapter books and graphic novels.

All students will have the opportunity to rate another Black-Eyed Susan nominated picture book this month: Yoshi and the Ocean by Lindsay Moore.

Julie Bradshaw, Media Specialist

Art

Students will continue with their winter themed art projects through January.

Artsonia update: by now, all students should have at least 1-2 pieces of artwork uploaded to their student page, with the exception of our PK students. Please let me know if you notice that your student does not have any artwork on their page. Students can earn online ribbons & awards for their participation. It's a great way to share your child's artwork with friends and family members. Artsonia offers a gift shop with many different items that can have your student's artwork printed on them which make great gifts and keepsakes! Pasadena earns 20% in profits from the items bought from the gift shop. Funds will be used to purchase art supplies for our students.

Did you know that you can also upload your child's artwork from home? This will create a personal account that is separate from their school account. So anything made outside of school can also be uploaded to Artsonia! If you have the app on your phone the process is quick and easy! If you have any questions about Artsonia please email me!

Please click here to check out our Artsonia web page.

Karen O'Boyle, Art Teacher

EEE - Global Studies

The Pre-K students will be revisiting "Habits of Mind". Kindergarten is starting a unit called "Animal Puppetry." In this unit students will be creating animal puppets for all seven continents. The first grade is wrapping up with their "Made By Me" creativity projects.

The second grade is continuing with the unit, "Animal Map Museum." The Third graders are perfecting their Rube Goldberg designs in "Fantastic Contraptions." The fourth graders will be finishing their client chair models in "Take a Seat." The fifth graders are hard at work designing natural disaster resistant homes in their "Hurricane Homes" unit.

Ryan Peters, EEE Teacher

General Music Notes

In January 5th grade will be learning about both performing and non-performing careers in the field of music. 4th and 3rd graders will be working on learning the notes on the treble clef staff. 2nd and 1st graders will begin learning the songs they will be performing at the upcoming PES International Night in March. Kindergarten will be learning about the notes so, mi, and la. Pre-Kindergarten will learn their first rhythms. During the last week of January 1-5 grade students will be using technology to create music.

*5th Grade Only:

The Chesapeake Choral Cluster Concert will take place on January 6, 2025. Please arrive at Chesapeake High School by 6:30pm for a concert start time of 7:00pm. Students will again need to be wearing their PES music shirt and black pants or skirts.

Anna Gavrilov, Music teacher

Band/Strings

Hello Pasadena families!

First, HAPPY NEW YEAR! I am excited to get right back into it with teaching your students more on their instruments. The Winter concert was so much fun and I can't wait for you all to see how much your students grow for the Spring concert! Speaking of, the Spring concert is going to be Monday, May 19th! The last week of lessons will be June 2-6 which is when I will be starting to collect instruments/have our end of year reward pizza party (more info to come with that later) where only the students who completed their in-school practice chart are invited!

3rd Orchestra: We will continue refining our skills with the D and A strings, as well as using our fingers to play E, F#, and G. We will also be learning how to use the bow and learning more notes as well!

4th grade Band: We will continue refining our skills with our first three notes. We will continue learning new rhythms, music terminology, and our next three notes as well!

4th/5th grade Orchestra: We will continue refining our D major scale using different rhythms as well as learning more unique and advanced techniques to make some awesome music!

5th grade Band: We will continue refining the first 6 notes of the Concert Bb major scale using different rhythms as well as learning more notes and more interesting rhythms and music terminology!

For more live updates and resources, please use my website listed below.

As always, if you have any questions, please reach out.

Jacob Allison, Band & Orchestra Director

jcallison.weebly.com

Resources for Students Enrolled in AACPS Specialty Site Program (Autism)

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.

Gr 3-5: Future Makers Virtual STEM Club

Recognizing the value of student engagement with STEM experiences, the Office of Advanced Co-Curricular Programs is sponsoring a Future Makers Virtual STEM Club for students in Grades 3-5. Families with students in Grades 3-5 are invited to request enrollment in a four-session Future Makers Virtual STEM Club that will be hosted January 8 - February 5, 2025. Four synchronous sessions, led by an AACPS instructor, will include an accompanying STEM kit for students to create, design, and explore along with peers online.

Click the below links for more Information & Registration

Parent Letter - English or Parent Letter - Spanish

Enrollment Request

Lost and Found Reminder!

Have your students misplaced jackets, lunchboxes, or other items?

Our Lost and Found is overflowing. Please remind your child to check the Lost and Found area for any missing belongings.

Thank you for helping us keep our school organized!

Stay connected with the new AACPS App. Download today!

As a reminder, we post newsletters on the school website.

Resources to answer your questions on Academics & Programs, Wellbeing & Growth, and Navigating AACPS.

Earn $ for PES

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.

Federal Impact Aid Survey

Parents who are active military or who live or work on Federal Property in Maryland are asked to complete this year’s Federal Impact Aid Survey that became available on September 30, 2024. You will be asked to verify your home address and identify if it is located on federal property. You will also complete sections identifying if a family member is in the military or works on federally owned property in Maryland. The survey should only take a couple of minutes to complete and, be assured, all data collected is kept completely confidential.Why Complete This SurveyAnne Arundel County Public Schools, like many local school districts across the United States, include within our boundaries parcels of land that are owned by the Federal Government or that have been removed from the local tax rolls by the Federal Government. Federal property is exempt from local property taxes. By submitting an application to the Department of Education each January, AACPS receives approximately $2 million to assist in educating all our students.To complete this survey, please visit: https://secure.aacps.org/webapps/SEFP/OOF/Federal

Student Accident Insurance

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.

Missing Notifications?

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

Values: Panthers C.A.R.E.

Care, Achieve, Respect, Engage

Mission: Pasadena Elementary is dedicated to preparing students for college and career readiness, promoting academic excellence and citizenship for all students.

Vision: We envision Pasadena Elementary to be a school where we maintain high expectations for academic standards through rigorous instruction. We will continue to foster a positive, caring school climate where we respect and value diversity and prepare individuals for success in higher learning and careers.

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.

The PEN