Winter Conference Scheduling

Thu, 02/06/2020 - 3:24pm

This year the Howard County Public School System (HCPSS) will continue to use Synergy Conference Management to schedule Parent Teacher Conferences on February 13th and 14th. Although parents and guardians are always welcome to communicate with teachers regarding student progress, February 13th and 14th are designated Parent Teacher Conference days focusing on mathematics as we begin the second semester of the school year. Beginning on Thursday, January 30, 2020 you can log on to HCPSS Connect to access Synergy Conference Management. You can then choose your desired conference time based on each teacher’s availability. For parents without Internet access, please contact our front office staff at 410-313-6879 for assistance in scheduling conferences. Calls coming in after 12:00 pm on Wednesday, February 12th will require scheduling a conference after February 14, 2020. Tips for Scheduling Conferences: Parent Teacher Conferences will be scheduled in 20-minute increments. To allow travel time from one teacher to the next, consider staggering your appointments to allow for full 20-minute conferences. Parents are encouraged to sign up with your students’ mathematics teacher. You can also sign up with other teachers based on their availability in Synergy Conference Management. Related Arts teachers have a limited number of conference times available in comparison to the number of students they teach. You are not required to schedule a related arts conference; however, we encourage you to schedule a conference if you have a concern or information you would like to discuss with the teacher. Parents and guardians are encouraged to sign up online or call our main office prior to February 12, 2020. If you need assistance or have questions, please contact the school directly in order to confirm your meeting date and time(s).

• Read more about Winter Conference Scheduling

Free Dental Exams & Cleaning - Appointments Available Monday, Feb. 17

Thu, 02/06/2020 - 3:20pm

Free Dental Exams & Cleaning - Appointments Available Monday, Feb. 17. Click here to learn more.

• Read more about Free Dental Exams & Cleaning - Appointments Available Monday, Feb. 17

Screening for Students At Risk for Reading Difficulties

Fri, 01/31/2020 - 8:54am

In accordance with Maryland’s Ready to Read Act (2019), all HCPSS kindergarten students* will be administered a screener assessment that includes a battery of four one-minute reading measures (DIBELS 8th Edition) to examine their letter naming, decoding, and word reading skills. The assessments will occur throughout winter, 2020. Parents and guardians will be notified if assessment results indicate that your child would benefit from an intervention. *This includes kindergarten students who do not have a current Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) with reading foundational skills goals.

• Read more about Screening for Students At Risk for Reading Difficulties

Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee Advocate Night

Tue, 01/21/2020 - 4:20pm

The 2nd Annual Advocate Night is February 5th. Sign up by 1/31 for a free 15 minute session with a special education advocate and don't forget to bring your student's IEP. The event will be held in the WLMS library from 7-9pm. We will try our best to pair you with the best advocate for your student's needs as well as schedule at one of your preferred times. We will send an email with the time by Monday Feb 3rd. https://forms.gle/EThWa9ixijYLGePL8 The topic for the February 12th SECAC meeting is the State of Reading in HCPSS. Members of Decoding Dyslexia Howard County and HCPSS Staff will present information on struggling readers, dyslexia and Ready to Read Act implementation. Questions can be pre-submitted using the form below before Jan 31st. Questions will be taken at the meeting but pre-submitted questions will be answered first. https://forms.gle/arhv2wwcKfdcp5o87

• Read more about Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee Advocate Night