The Weekly Duck

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From School Administration

 

Dear Manor Woods Families,

As we reach the end of the first quarter, we want to recognize our MWES Mighty Ducks for their hard work, dedication and perseverance which made for an incredible start to the 2025-2026 school year! Report cards will be available for families to access on HCPSS Connect on Monday, November 10th after 4pm (see below for detailed access information). This is a wonderful opportunity to review your child’s report card as a family and set goals for the second quarter.

Parent-Teacher conferences are upon us November 24th-26th. During your child’s conference with their ELA teacher you will learn much more about how your child is performing in the classroom. Therefore, we encourage you to sign up for a conference with your child’s teacher. Please find more detailed information below regarding parent/teacher conferences.

November 11th is a National Day of recognition of our Veterans. We are excited to announce that we would like to honor all military veterans related to Manor Woods families. If you would like to honor a family member or friend, please complete the following form no later than Thursday, November 6th. MWES Veterans Day Recognition We will display these names for our school community to reflect on and appreciate their dedication and service. In addition, we would love for our students and staff to wear red, white and blue on the 11th.

As we move forward into the month of November, this is always a great time to share our appreciation, thanks and gratitude. Reflecting on our many blessings and sharing our gratitude with others can truly make a difference. The staff at Manor Woods works so hard every day to make sure our students and families are happy and successful and we would love your help in recognizing our staff during this month of Thanksgiving. Will you join us in recognizing a staff member? Will you recognize any staff member who is making a difference for your child(ren)?

Please take a moment to recognize a staff member who is making a positive difference. Use this link to SHOUT OUT a MWES staff member: #MWES STAFF SHOUT OUT. We will share the SHOUT OUT with individual staff members as they are received. Thank you for your support in recognizing our amazing staff!

We are looking forward to a great second quarter at MWES!

Wishing everyone a fabulous weekend!

Kelli Jenkins, Principal
Jennifer Zinn, Assistant Principal

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                                       Important Dates

October

31 - Schools Close 3 Hours Early  (Professional Work Day), Dismissal Time: 12:15 pm
31 - End of 1st Quarter


November

2 - Daylight Savings Ends
7 - Parent Teacher Conference Scheduling Window Opens 
10 - 1st Quarter Report Cards ~ Viewable via HCPSS Connect @ 4:00 PM 
11 - Veteran’s Day ~ Wear Red, White & Blue
12 - Schools Close 3 Hours Early
17-21 - American Education Week
20 - Parent Teacher Conference Scheduling Window Closes
24 - Schools Close 3 Hours Early
24 - Parent Teacher Conferences ~ IN PERSON ONLY
25 - Schools Close 3 Hours Early
25 - Parent Teacher Conferences ~ VIRTUAL ONLY
26 - 28 - Schools Closed for Thanksgiving
26 - Parent Teacher Conference ~ VIRTUAL ONLY

 

RELATED ARTS ~ COLOR CALENDAR SCHEDULE

Nov

   

 

 

                   MWES NEWS

 

MWES VETERANS DAY RECOGNITION 24-25

We would like to honor all military veterans related to Manor Woods families. If you would like to honor a family member or friend, please complete the following form no later than Thursday, November 7th. We will display these names in our school during Veterans Day in November. MWES Veterans Day Recognition

 

Food Drive~ SAVE THE DATE!   

The MWES Food Drive is back! Beginning Nov. 10 through Nov. 17 we'll be collecting non-perishable food items for Ho. Co. families in need. Donations can be sent to school with your child(ren) and dropped off in the collection bin in the front lobby. The most needed items can be found here.

 

Report Cards - Quarter 1

2025-2026 Quarter 1 Report Cards will be available at/after 4 pm, Monday, November 10th.

Parents/guardians may view/download report cards by taking the following steps:

  1. Log in to HCPSS Connect Synergy using parent/guardian credentials
  2. Select More Options from the left panel
  3. Select Report Cards from the middle
  4. Select the report card you wish to access
  5. Screencast for How To Access Your Child's Repor Card in Synergy

Standards-Based Instruction and Reporting PK-5th grade (SBIR)

Elementary Standards-Based Instruction and Reporting for Families(Click) Canvas page

The updated https://www.hcpss.org/report-cards/ site is now LIVE.

Intermediate SBIR slides for parents

Grades PreK-2:

Grade 3-5:

Standards-Based Instruction and Reporting (SBIR) provides information about how a student is progressing with grade-level standards. Evidence gathered over time helps articulate a student's relative strengths and growth areas compared to the grade-level standards.

504/ML/IEP accommodations and instructional supports ensure access to grade-level instruction but do not reduce, change, or lower grade-level learning or performance expectations.

Academic Performance Codes represent what has been learned and where the student is relative to the expectation of the grade-level standard. It is intended to reflect the progress toward meeting the Maryland College and Career Readiness Standards for their current grade level.

For students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), detailed progress toward IEP goals is provided in the Annual Goal(s) Progress Report, which is sent at the same time as the HCPSS report card. A student’s IEP goals address the identified skills that support their progress toward meeting grade-level standards.

 

November Parent-TeacherConferences

The Parent-Teacher Conference scheduling window will open on November 7th. Conferences will take place on November 24 through November 26.

  • In- person conferences will be held on Monday, November 24th only;
  • Virtual conferences will be held on Tuesday, November 25th and/or Wednesday, November 26th only depending on teacher availability
  • For fall conferences:
    • Homeroom/Language Arts teachers will be available for all grades.
    • Mrs. Parker will also be available for Math conferences for 4th Grade GT Math only. (Math conferences for all other grades/teachers will be available in February.) This will help allow for more teacher availability to meet with families in February when slots are limited.

Families will sign up for conferences using Synergy beginning November 7th. Here’s how to schedule a conference:

Log in to HCPSS Connect to view and select your time slot:

  1. Go to https://www.hcpss.org/connect/
  2. Select “Conference” from the left menu.
  3. Choose “Parent Scheduled Conferences” at the top right.
  4. Pick a convenient time slot.

Please view the following helpful guides:

https://www.hcpss.org/connect/guides/

https://help.hcpss.org/when-and-how-can-i-register-for-parent-teacher-conferences

If you cannot access HCPSS Connect, please contact the school at 410-313-7165  for assistance. The scheduling window will remain open from Friday, November 7th, at 8:00 am through Thursday, November 20th, at 4:00 pm. After Nov. 20th, families must call the front office secretaries directly to check availability and schedule a conference.

 

Supporting Our Community

Message to the Manor Woods Elementary School Community

We understand that the recent federal government shutdown is creating challenges for many of our families. We recognize that this situation may be impacting household finances and access to important resources.

Please know that our Manor Woods community is here to support you. Below, we’ve included a list of resources that may be helpful during this time. If you need assistance navigating or accessing any of these supports, please don’t hesitate to reach out to a member of our Student Services Team — Counselors Monica Heinlein and Christina Salapata, Social Worker Rachel Clark, Pupil Personnel Worker Heather Graham, Multilingual Liaison Chia Ning Tsao or Administrators Kelli Jenkins and Jennifer Zinn.

We care deeply about our students and families, and we are here to help in any way we can.

Resources Newsletter

Howard County Public Schools provides a variety of support services outside of our school system. You can find a summarized list of some of these supports below:

1. Unified Benefits Application (MarylandBenefits.gov)

  • Apply for SNAP, WIC, Medical Assistance, cash, and energy support in one place.
  • Easy-to-use, mobile-friendly form with built-in benefits tracking.
  • Includes a 5-minute screener to check eligibility.
  • 👉https://ub.benefits.maryland.gov/ub/#/

2. BGE Customer Relief Fund

  • Administered by United Way of Central Maryland to help households manage rising utility costs.
  • Funded by Exelon (BGE’s parent company).
  • Offers $250–$750 in bill relief depending on need and eligibility.
    👉https://uwcm.org/bge-customer-relief-fund/

3. HoCo RapidRide

  • On-demand rideshare covering Elkridge, Hanover, Columbia, and Jessup
  • $2 per trip, free for HCPSS students, HCC students, and seniors (60+) until April 17, 2025.
  • Monday–Friday, 6:30 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
  • 📞 Call 443-348-9572 or use the HoCo RapidRide app.
    👉https://city.ridewithvia.com/rapidride

4. Housing Assistance Programs

  • Family Homestart Program (Bridges to Housing Stability)
  • Supports HCPSS families experiencing homelessness with security deposit guarantee, rent assistance, and case management.

https://bridges2hs.org/family-home-start/

5. Child Care Assistance

6. Financial Wellness Workshops

7. Food and Community Support

                                               Information Worth Repeating

 

The Young Authors’ Contest

The Howard County Literacy Association invites students in grades 1-5 to submit their original poems and/or short stories to the annual writing contest called The Young Authors' Contest. Please see the attached Young Authors Contest Guidelines for information about the rules and guidelines. Stories and poems must be typed and saved as a Word Doc or Googledoc. All entries must have a completed YAC Cover Sheet sent as a PDF. Submissions may be emailed to natalie_miskimins@hcpss.org by December 15, 2025. Contact Mrs. Miskimins with any questions.  All Young Authors’ Contest information can be found on the HCLA website.

Howard County Literacy Association welcomes parents as members.  Visit the HCLA Welcome Page for information about joining.

 

                                   PTO NEWS

 

Thank You for an Amazing Trunk-or-Treat!
The PTO would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the families who participated in decorating trunks and helping make our Trunk-or-Treat such a success. Your creativity and enthusiasm truly brought the event to life and created lasting memories for our students. We’re so appreciative of the time and effort each of you contributed to making this community event such a fun and festive celebration!

TrunkTreat

 

Important PTO Links:

PTO Website: https://www.mwespto.com/

Yearbook Order Form

Joint The PTO

Committee Interest Survey

Follow us on Facebook

 

                                      Community News

HCPSS Student Code of Conduct

The Howard County Public School System is committed to providing a safe, engaging and supportive learning environment where all policies are enforced fairly and consistently. HCPSS policies and regulations emphasize instruction and rehabilitation rather than punishment and are designed to foster and reward appropriate behavior and keep students connected to school so they can graduate college and career ready. Please read and review the HCPSS student code of conduct with your child(ren) before the school year begins:  HCPSS Student Code Of Conduct

HCPSS Student & Parent Handbook

The Student & Parent Handbook can be found online and outlines districtwide practices and policies related to parents and students, including the Student Code of Conduct, school procedures, student responsibilities and more.

Family Guides: What your Child Will Learn this Year

Do you want to get a head start on the school year? We encourage all parents/guardians to visit the link below to learn what your child will learn this year in grades PreK-5! Once you click on your child’s grade level, use the yellow “course navigation” box in the top right corner to navigate standards, free games, and family activities for each subject area. Happy learning!

What Your Child Will Learn Guides

HCPSS / Community News and Programs

https://community-programs.hcpss.org/

HCPSS NEWS

https://news.hcpss.org/