THE FIRST WEEK OF JANUARY 2008

                                      Happy New Year

The PTAC General Meeting is this Monday, Jan. 7, 2008 at 7:30 pm at DOE 

INTERESTED IN TRYING OUT PTA AT THE COUNCIL LEVEL?

PTA Council is looking for individuals interested in serving in a variety of positions.  If you think you might be interested in volunteering beyond the local level next school year, consider trying out a PTA Council position for the last half of this year.   It’s only for January through June. It’s Volunteer-Lite!  The following positions are currently open: 

Corresponding Secretary

After Prom Committee member (with the intent becoming chairperson next year)  

Additionally, PTA Council always welcomes members for the following committees: Family Involvement, Curriculum, Scholarship, Awards, Budget, Health and Safety, Reflections and representatives on Department of Education committees on a variety of topics.  Contact the PTAC President, Mary Jane Grauso at 410-531-3463 or ptachc@gmail.com

PC4KIDS RECEIVE THEIR COMPUTERS

 On December 1st, 13 Cradlerock students in grades 1 to 8 attended a workshop presented by Don Bard at the Lazarus Foundation computer lab located in Atholton High School.  During the two and one half hour session the students learned how to set up their computers by properly plugging in the various peripherals—printer, monitor, speakers, keyboard, and mouse.  They were taught how to use the mouse, play CDs, and open, create, and print a document.  Each student was assigned a high school mentor who helped him/her with all of these activities.  At the end of the workshop, each student proudly took home a computer loaded with Windows XP and Office Professional and all of the peripherals.  Each parent was instructed to fill out a library form which will allow each student to have free access to the library’s Internet.  After winter break, students will be attending additional workshops to learn: computer skills, how to use Microsoft Word, how to safely navigate the Internet, and the many uses of the Internet such as eSchoolNews.  The high school mentors will be an integral part of the PCs4Kids program by being present at these workshops to provide one to one assistance.  The looks of amazement and smiles of joy on the faces of these students as they were introduced to their computers and the words of appreciation from their parents were powerful indicators of things to come.  The PTA Council of Howard County should be proud of its contribution and support of this program.

 COMMENT ON NEXT YEAR’S SCHOOL CALENDAR

 Now is your opportunity to give your thoughts and suggestions to the School Board on the proposed calendar for 2008-09.

The Board of Education is currently considering the school calendar for the 2008-2009 school year. In order to receive public comment, the Board will hold a hearing on the proposed calendar on Thursday, January 10 at 7:30 PM in the Board Room at the Department of Education, 10910 Route 108 in Ellicott City.

 Persons wishing to comment on the calendar may sign up in advance for the hearing by contacting the Executive Assistant to the Board at 410-313-7197. Persons who testify are asked to bring 12 copies of their written testimony to provide to the Board.

 If you don’t want to testify in person, you can send your comments to the Board Members via e-mail at boe@hcpss.org.  Messages sent to boe@hcpss.org are received by all Board members. This is a read-only email and senders will not receive a response. The proposed calendar is available for review on the Howard County Public School System website at http://www.hcpss.org/news/calendar_20082009.pdf

 WHAT SHOULD YOU DO WHEN AN EMERGENCY FORCES SCHOOLS TO “LOCK DOWN?”

January’s Parent Teacher Connection takes a look at school system preparedness and how the system responds to emergency situations.  PTA host Deborah Wessner talks with Ron Miller, the school system’s Manager of Safety, Environment and Risk Management, and James LeMon, assistant principal at Marriotts Ridge High School, about emergency drills, teacher-staff training and security measures, such as surveillance cameras and special police radios, that help school personnel deal with all types of emergencies.

Other features on this month’s show include

-  In our "What Parents Are Asking" segment, parent host Jennifer Johnson talks with River Hill High School English teacher Jocelyn Martin about how to create the best study conditions for your child based on his or her learning style.

-  The county's middle and high school Science Fair is coming up next month.  In preparation, e-Learning Facilitator Jennifer Elam and Howard County Librarian Katie George explore helpful databases that feature science topics and experiments available on the county library's web site.

-  On “Book Talk,” Howard County Librarian Barb Langridge previews the county library's Winter Reading Contest for children in kindergarten through fifth grade.  Langridge highlights great read-aloud books for the youngest readers, as well as good reads for second through fifth graders.

Parent Teacher Connection can be seen throughout January on Wednesday nights at 7 PM and 10 PM, Saturday at noon and 7 PM, and Sunday at 5 PM on Comcast cable channel 72 and Verizon channel 42.

PARENT INVOLVEMENT MATTERS AWARD  

Sponsored by Comcast and the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) 

Comcast and MSDE have partnered to create the Comcast Parent Involvement Matters Award, an annual program to honor Maryland parents who have made outstanding contributions to public education.  One parent from each Maryland county and Baltimore City, as well as one state level award winner, will be selected for their outstanding contributions to public education and recognized at an awards event hosted by Comcast in the Spring of 2008.  Award nominees should be parents (or others with legal responsibility) of a child currently in a Maryland public school who have made a significant, positive impact on public education within the last 24 months in one or more of the following areas:  communication, volunteering, learning, decision making, or collaboration.

The award application, a poster, and postcards are available online by visiting the In Focus section of MSDE's website at www.MarylandPublicSchools.org . Applications are also available in English, Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese, Chinese, and French.

All Howard County nominations must be sent to Ms. Terry Burks in the Business, Community, and Government Relation Office in the ARL Building by Wednesday, January 16, 2008.  A local committee will meet on Jan. 18, 2008 to make a recommendation to the Superintendent for the Howard County winner.                                                       Employees of Comcast, MSDE, or a Maryland public school system are not eligible.  

 

                                 Thank you to all who advocate for every child, one voice