Principal's Message

As the crisp air of autumn settles in and we see the beauty of changing leaves all around us, I want to take a moment to share my heartfelt appreciation for your continued support of our school. October is a wonderful time of year, full of excitement and growth as students settle into their routines and dive deeper into learning.

This month, we look forward to engaging in enriching activities, including our annual fall stations in PE class to celebrate the season to PBIS activities that celebrate the end of the marking period. We also celebrate the importance of kindness and community, teaching our students to show empathy and support for one another—values that will help them both in and out of the classroom.

Your involvement in our school makes a tremendous difference, and we are so grateful to have such a strong and supportive community. Whether you’ve volunteered your time, attended events, or simply cheered on our students, you’ve played a vital role in fostering an environment where our children can thrive. If you missed the Volunteer Orientation in September, please call the office to speak with Assistant Principal Scott.

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

As always, my door is open, and I welcome your thoughts, ideas, and feedback. Let’s continue to work together to make this school year a fantastic one! Wishing you a wonderful October filled with joy, learning, and connection.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Quirino, Principal

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.

Attendance Matters

Getting your child to school on time, every day can ensure your child has a chance to succeed in school.

Maryland has a Compulsory Attendance Law: Children between the ages of 5 and 18 shall attend public school regularly during the entire school year unless otherwise enrolled in a private school, approved home instruction, or home teaching through the school. Parents may be charged in District Court for failure to see that their children attend school. Parents can be found guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a ne per day of unlawful absence, or imprisonment.

Please contact the Principal or Counselor if your child starts to demonstrate school avoidance behavior.

Counselor's Corner

October Classroom Counseling Topics: Throughout the month of October I will be visiting each classroom 2 times. Students will practice Growth Mindset by changing their internal dialogue to one that embraces challenges and persists in the face of setbacks. Since October is also Bullying Prevention Month we will discuss the difference between bullying, bothering and bugging and strategies to handle peer conflicts.

Bullying is NOT:

Unkind words that occur once.
Rough-housing or rough play that is not intended to hurt.
A physical attack that is not part of a pattern of behavior.

Bullying IS:

Intentional
Repeated over time
Intended to harm
Involves a power differential
Creates a hostile educational environment

Remember, there is a difference between rude, mean, and bullying behaviors.

The A.A. Co. Bullying, Harassment and Intimidation Reporting Form can be located here: https://secure.aacps.org/webapps/SEFP/OSOS

Please let me know if I can be of assistance!

Michele Noble, School Counselor

mnoble@aacps.org

Reasons To Come to School Every Day 🏆

1. Reading on Grade Level 📖: Studies show that consistent attendance from Pre-K gives the best start for early literacy development. Students who aren't reading on grade level by 3rd grade have a lower chance of graduating.

2. Joining Classmates on Exciting Field Trips 🚌: Don't miss out on hands-on learning experiences outside the classroom, like visits to museums, outdoor education centers, science centers, and musical performances. These enriching experiences help students figure out their passions.

3. Forming Lasting Friendships 😍: Attending daily allows students to foster strong social bonds and an inclusive peer network. Even if not all friendships work out, developing the skills is only possible with ongoing interaction. Students who develop their social skills through school attendance have more positive relationships, overall.

4. Developing Effective Study Habits Early ⏰: Good attendance instills vital skills like punctuality, time management and self-discipline. A big part of succeeding is learning how to learn.

5. Demonstrating Responsibility and Commitment 🙌: Employers value established patterns of dedication and follow-through. Whether students are getting after school jobs in high school, or securing employment after graduation, good work habits are formed by consistent school attendance starting in elementary school.

6. Maximizing Instructional Time with Teachers ✍🏽: Fewer disruptions means more personalized learning and academic support. Sometimes, students don't come to school because they're struggling with the material in class and staying home is a way to avoid it. But the better choice is to come to school -- that's where the support is. The more time students have with their teachers, the more successful they will be.

7. Greater Self-Esteem and Confidence 😁: Not having to play catch-up reduces stress and boosts self-assurance. This is exactly what will carry students successfully through graduation and beyond.

8. Higher Grade Point Averages 🚀: Abundant research links stellar attendance to higher GPAs and test scores. In fact, one study shows that the #1 reason students fail a course is from being absent.

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. 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 meeting is Monday, Oct. 14@ 5:30pm.

- PTA movie night Friday, October 25.

Harvest for the Hungry

We will be participating in the county wide Harvest for the Hungry project. We will be collecting food donations throughout the month. Monetary donations are also being accepted online by going to aacps.org/harvest . All donations go the the Anne Arundel County Food Bank to support our community. Each week we will collect a different food item:

Sept. 30 - Oct. 4: Pasta and/or Rice

Oct. 7 - 11: Canned Vegetables

Oct. 14 - 18: Canned Fruits

Oct. 21 - 25: Canned Soups/Stews

Literacy

Instruction is in full swing at PES as we continue to move into different themes in literacy! One of the most exciting things about our new curriculum are the vocabulary activities. Teachers are working hard to instruct students on new words using a variety of strategies. Some favorites are Show, Don’t Tell where students learn to associate a new word with a picture or movement. Repetition practice has students hearing the new vocabulary over and over throughout the day and showing “spirit fingers” when they hear the words. Finally, students are also given examples and nonexamples of vocabulary to help develop their meaning. Did you know these facts about our knowledge of words? 50,000- the number of words that a college educated adult recognizes, can be more if they are well-read 4,000- the number of words that an average beginning kindergarten student knows 10 - the number of words that can be taught in depth per week in the primary grades 2,000-3,000- the number of words students must partially learn the meaning of each year from 3rd grade on Remember to practice vocabulary at home to keep adding to your student’s word knowledge!

Cathryn Nash, Literacy Teacher

cnash@aacps.org

Physical Education

We have been participating in lots of fun and engaging Physical Education lessons during the first month of school! Please ask your child (Pre-K, K, 1st, and 2nd) to show you their locomotor movements. (Hop, Jump, Skip, Gallop, Slide, Leap) Students in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade have been working on jump rope skills during Kangaroo Club. If you don’t have a jump rope at home, you can purchase them at The Dollar Tree or Five Below for a low price. We are beginning our dance unit in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade. Students in 5th grade will be participating in a week-long Dancing through the Decades residency the first week of November. Our October Mind and Body Calendar is a great way to add movement into each day.

Carrie Deaver, P.E. Teacher

cdeaver@aacps.org

Art

Students are just finishing their first art masterpieces. 5TH Graders created beautiful illuminated letters, 4th grade created graffiti name tags, 3rd grade created their names in the style of Pop Art, 2nd grade created bubble letters filled with patterns and lines, 1st grade created a piece of art using their hand and different lines and PK and Kindergarten have been learning about different lines and using different art materials to make them. These pieces of art will be uploaded to our Artsonia web page over the next few weeks. If you are new to Pasadena, information about creating your student's account will be emailed to you soon. This program is completely optional. If you have an existing account it will automatically re-populate once I upload artwork to your student's page. Please be patient with me as the process of taking pictures of each student's artwork & uploading them takes some time! Students can earn online ribbons & awards for their participation. 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. 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

koboyle@aacps.org

Media Center

There are lots of exciting things happening in the media center in October! Students in PreK and K will be identifying the parts of a book. First Graders will explore how call numbers help us locate books in the everybody section of our library, and will learn how to select a "just right" book to read. Students in Second Grade will explore how call numbers help us locate books in all sections of our library, and will begin working with the OPAC, our online library catalog. Third, Fourth and Fifth Graders will take a "deep dive" into the Dewey Decimal System, and will review using the OPAC by going on a scavenger hunt. Students in all grades will continue evaluating this years Black Eyed Susan picture book nominees by sharing I Can't Draw by Stephen W. Martin and Acorn Was a Little Wild by Jen Arena.

Julie Bradshaw, Media Specialist

jbradshaw@aacps.org

Music Notes

Music classes are off to a great start this school year. I have enjoyed getting to know new students and reconnecting with previous students. In October, 4th grade students will be attending a performance given by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. They will be learning about the different instrument families and audience etiquette. Pre-K and Kindergarten will continue to explore music focusing on opposites such as fast/slow, high/low, and loud/quiet. 1st-5th grades will continue to explore musical form, rhythm, timbre, texture, and mood. Chorus Families, please take note of the following performance dates and add them to your families calendars. This month an order sheet will also be coming home for your student to order their PES Music shirt, which is required for performances.

Winter Concert: December, 17, 2024 5th Grade Only - Chesapeake Choral Cluster Concert: January 6, 2025 Spring Concert- May 19, 2025

Anna Gavrilov, Music teacher

agavrilov@aacps.org

Band/Strings

Hello Panther families!

Band/Strings has started full speed ahead and the students and I could not be more thrilled! Forms for families who are borrowing school instruments have been sent home and are on a first-come first-serve basis so if you want your child to have their first pick instrument, I highly encourage you get those forms back in asap. Please refer to my website (jcallison.weebly.com) for weekly updates and other information regarding the school year (schedules, materials list, etc). As always, if you have any questions, feel free to email me with any questions you have!

Jacob Allison, Band & Orchestra Director

jcallison@aacps.org

jcallison.weebly.com

EEE Global Studies

In Global Studies the students have started the following project slices: PreK - Habits of Mind K - Mindfulness 1 - African Masks 2 - Story Flags 3 - Explorers of the World 4 - Hunger Project 5 - Travel Poster.

Ryan Peters, EEE Global Studies

rpeters@aacps.org

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.

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.

Joe Corbi’s Fundraiser: This fundraiser ended and orders will arrive in November.

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!

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 Harris Teeter, using your bonus card, Pasadena Elementary will earn money for our school. Be sure to designate Pasadena Elementary School.

Additional Fundraiser (online only)

Please keep an eye out for a Parent Information Envelope letting you know about a safe and easy way for our school to raise funds for essential tools our students and teachers need to succeed. The SchoolStore fundraiser is 100% online so there is NO face-to-face selling, handling money, or delivering products. Your participation will take less than 12 minutes, and there are exciting prizes to make it fun for the students.

Here is all you need to do to participate:

1. Go to https://www.schoolstore.net/sid.t?0000151167 to sign up.

2. Send form emails inviting family, friends and co-workers to support your child.

3. Return the Envelope with the Student Prize Code to school for your child to get their fun participation prize.

Be sure to ask your child for the Parent Envelope. Your participation will make a difference for our school and teachers! Proceeds from this fundraiser will support student and staff incentives and may supplement classroom activities.

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