School Notes: September 19

The Howard County Public School System's Family Portal will go live for HCPSS high schools on Tuesday, Sept. 20 and for middle schools on Thursday, Sept. 22.  By staggering the launch, HCPSS is trying to limit the number of users who will be activating their accounts at the same time. The HCPSS Public Information Office will share more details on Monday, Sept. 19, in its Weekly News for Parents.Come join the Mt. Hebron High School PAAS (Parents of African American Students) for its monthly meeting. It will be Tuesday, Sept. 20 from 7 – 9 p.m. in the media center.

Ilchester Elementary School will be participating in Square 1 Art again this year. Your child is currently completing artwork in art class that will be sent to a company and professionally printed on items.  All students will receive a free sheet of stickers with their artwork.  Your child’s artwork may be printed on a variety of items.  This fundraiser is a win-win for all.  Your child’s work is professionally printed on a keepsake forever and the school makes a profit!!  All orders will be completed and returned in time for all of your holiday gift giving needs (Dec. 9)! If you have any questions about the fundraiser, contact Tonya Sigalas at tonsig@verizon.net 

This is the final week to sign up for after school programs at Ilchester Elementary School. Spots are still left in many classes. Go online at the IES PTA website to find registration forms, class schedules an descriptions. No registrations will be accepted after Sept. 23. Questions? Contact Kathy Alia: MARQALIA@YAHOO.COM 

Don’t worry about cooking dinner on Back to School night. Order from on Tuesday, Sept. 20 or  Wednesday, Sept 21 and Vocelli’s will donate 15 percent of sales from St. John’s Lane Elementary School families and friends to our PTA. The class that receives the greatest credit for purchases will win a pizza party. Order by calling 410-313-8774 or online and help raise funds for student programs sponsored by the SJLES PTA. Look for specials and order forms in your child’s folder early next week.

Due to many school-related conflicts, the Ellicott Mills Middle School PTA has changed its meeting date from Tuesday, Sept. 20 to Thursday, Sept. 22, 7:00 p.m. in the Media Center. Hopefully, this will allow more parents to come and share ideas, as well as meet the PTA Executive Board. This is the PTA’s first meeting of the school year.  Come learn about the PTA’s goals, projects and committees and how your support helps make Ellicott Mills a great place to learn, teach and play. All are welcome to attend.

The Burleigh Manor Middle School PTA will not be able to make our budget if we don't have enough volunteers to help collect orders and distribute prizes for our Big Magazine Sales fund raiser during the following lunch periods:  Tuesdays, Sept. 20, 27 and Oct. 4; Thursdays, Sept. 22 and Oct. 6, and Fridays, Sept. 16 and 30.  If you can come more than once -- it would really help!  Please contact: joannejackson@verizon.net.   

The Centennial High School PTSA Latin Advancement Committee invites all Latino Centennial families and staff to find out about, get involved with, and support, our PTSA parent advocacy group. The Latin Advancement Committee is a unique aggregate of parents in a bilingual environment who seek to promote the advancement and achievement of Latino students preparing to attend college; we encourage all topics of interest to, and all cultural exchanges with, the Latino community. ¿Está ustedes interesada? Please contact Sylvia Baroncinni, 410 988-3031 or Carol Lake 410 227-7273

The reconfigured Burleigh Manor Middle School/ Centennial High School parking lot with new traffic light on Centennial Lane includes a clearly-marked pedestrian crosswalk. Drivers, please remember that it is a state law to stop for, and yield to,  pedestrians at a crosswalk.

Over the last few weeks many people have contacted the administration about the traffic difficulties at Mt. Hebron High School in the morning. After a meeting last week with the State Highway Administration and HCPSS transportation department, the following changes were made to the traffic pattern:

• All student drivers should enter the parking lot at the entrance without the traffic light. 
• Any parent who is dropping off and then traveling west can continue to use the west entrance and drop off their child off in front of the auditorium. 
• Parent drop-off will now be in the staff parking lot near the handicapped parking spaces. To get to this drop-off area, parents should enter the bus loop through the traffic light. They should take the first left into the staff parking lot and turn right. They should then follow around and pull up near the handicapped spaces. Once the students get out of the cars they should go to the crosswalk to get to the school building. 
• Please do not follow the bus loop all the way around. Use the staff lot for drop-off.
• When exiting the staff lot please yield to the buses.

This plan will allow cars to use the traffic light when exiting the school in the morning. It will also lessen the traffic going into the lower parking lot. Please remind your children to be careful as they cross from your car to the school. This change is only for the morning drop-off. Afternoon pick-up will still be in front of the auditorium in the lower lot.