Upcoming Important Dates
November 3-17- JHES PTA Wild About Reading Read-A-Thon fundraiser. Have you registered your child and shared their page? Thank you for supporting our PTA! See below for details.
November 13-17- American Education Week
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Please refer to the email that was shared with the community on 11/7 for the schedule and more information.
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Our fabulous JHES PTA is organizing an AM Traffic Duty Parent Takeover for American Education Week and needs volunteers to make it happen. Please consider signing up for a shift to help out. For more information or to sign up, please go to the Sign Up Genius.
November 13-17- Parents will be able to begin scheduling Parent-Teacher conferences at 8 am on Monday 11/13. The conference
scheduling window will close on Friday, 11/17 at 12:00pm. View directions: https://www.hcpss.org/f/connect/synergy-parent-teacher-conference-regist...
November 15-21- Scholastic Book Fair in the Media Center. Be on the lookout for more information in your child's Friday Folder.
November 16- Hearing and Vision Clinic (Make-up date will be November 28th)
November 16- Special Presentation for Parents facilitated by Mrs. Moe and Mr. Laws. See below for details.
November 17- Square 1 Art Orders due today. See below for details.
November 17- Picture Retake Day for Students
- Picture retake day is for any student that is new to Jeffers Hill (since our first school picture day), was absent on our original picture day, or for anyone requesting to have their child’s picture retaken. If you are requesting a picture retake, please send your student into school with the original photo package, including original envelope and all picture products, to turn into the photographer when they come to sit for a new picture. You do not need to fill out a new order form.
November 20-22- Parent-Teacher Conference Window (November 20- conferences will be fully in-person. November 21-22- conferences will be fully virtual.)
November 20th- Scholastic Book Fair Parent Day/Night from 1:00-7:00 pm in the Media Center
November 23-24- Schools and Offices closed for Thanksgiving holiday
November 29- JHES PTA BINGO Night in the cafeteria, 6:30-7:30 pm. Free to play, Free Pizza, PRIZES!
December 8- Young Authors' Contest submissions due. See below for details.
December 13- JHES PTA Meeting via Zoom, 6:00-7:30 pm
Supporting our JHES Community through the Holidays and Beyond
This year we are assisting our neediest families in a new way. In the past we have brought in food and adopted families for the holidays. This year we are taking a more holistic approach. We will be sharing gift cards for families so that they can meet their needs on a more ongoing basis. If you would like to assist families in this way:
- Please purchase a gift card worth $10 or more for Walmart, Target, Giant, or a gas station. We are all aware that buying gas can be a hardship.
- Be sure to indicate the amount of the gift card and/or attach a gift receipt.
- Give the card to Mrs. Moe by December 8th. She will store them.
- Feel good that you are assisting families in your community.
Thank you for looking out for one another.
First Quarter Report Cards and MAP Reports
First quarter report cards and MAP assessment results are now available in HCPSS Connect. We will not be sending paper copies home with students. Parents and Caregivers can now view their student's report card and access their students’ MAP scores through HCPSS Connect. Please call the Front Office at 410-313-6872 if you need assistance accessing these documents.
You may view/download report cards by taking the following steps:
- Log in to HCPSS Connect Synergy using parent/guardian credentials
- Select More Options from the left panel
- Select Report Cards from the middle
- Select the report card you wish to access
Please see resources below to help you understand your child’s report card.
Understanding Your Child's Report Card (PreK-2).
Understanding Your Child's Report Card (grades 3-5)
Special Presentation for Parents: Helping your Child Manage Angry Feelings
Please join School Counselor, Mrs. Moe and School Psychologist, Mr. Laws as they share practical information to help your child manage their angry feelings.
When: Thursday, November 16, 2023 @ 6pm
Where: Jeffer Hill Media Center
Message from Mrs. Odom re: Square 1 Art Fundraiser
Last week in Friday folders, students brought home personalized catalogs with artwork on them that they created in Art class this year. On the front of each catalog is a set of 5 free stickers with your child's artwork on it.
This Square 1 fundraiser raises money for the PTA and for clay for our students to use in art class!
Order by 11/17/2023, online at
square1art.com/shop using your child's code on the catalog, or you can use the online art search at
https://shop.square1art.com/Shop/artwork/Search .
Please direct questions to Amy Odom at
amy_odom@hcpss.org !
Free Bikes for Kids
Our school will be applying for bikes for students who need one through the organization Free Bikes 4 Kids Maryland. Please send an e-mail to:
elvira_mccullough@hcpss.org with the name of the student(s) that wish to participate in this program. Bikes are available on a first come first served basis. We will notify parents if the student receives a bike, and when and where can be picked up. Thank you!
Nuestra escuela solicitará bicicletas para los estudiantes que las necesiten.
Por favor, envíe un correo electrónico a:
elvira_mccullough@hcpss.org con el nombre del estudiante (s) que desea participar en este programa. El numero de bicicletas disponibles es limitado. Notificaremos a los padres si el estudiante recibira una bicicleta y cuando, y donde puede recogerla. Gracias!
Howard County Literacy Associate 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’ Guideline for information about the rules and guidelines. All entries must have a completed YAC Cover Sheet sent as a PDF. Submissions may be emailed to jill_reynolds@hcpss.org, Renee_sanudo@hcpss.org, or Robin_barrett@hcpss.org by December 8, 2023. Contact Mrs. Sanudo, Mrs. Barrett, or Mrs. Reynolds 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.
PTA Read-A-Thon Fundraiser Go Wild for Reading
Get Ready For Our Go Wild for Reading Read-A-Thon! Jeffers Hill Elementary School PTA is officially kicking off our Go Wild for Reading Read-a-Thon on Friday, 11/3! We’re so excited for our biggest fundraiser of the year!
We hope to have all students registered ONLINE! Help us reach our goal!
Goal: Our goal is to encourage a love of reading - 20 minutes per day!
How to register: Register (or re-login to your parent dashboard if you participated last spring) and complete your child’s student webpage with a PICTURE at getmovinfundhub.com. School Identifier: 6439eb033a6b7
How to gather pledges from friends and family:
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Make an online donation using the red DONATE button right away
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Share with friends and family, they want to help!
You can share your child’s fundraising page with family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, etc. Don’t forget to sponsor your child to get them started!
Incentives and Prizes:
View all individual incentives here
Lunch and Recess Monitor Position Available
Jeffers Hill Elementary has a lunch/recess monitor position available for Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. If you are interested in working at Jeffers Hill for 3 days per week from 10:45-1:45 each day, please apply here. The rate of pay for this position is $15.00/hour. Please email Colleen Golden for more information or to share your interest in the position. Forward this message to anyone who you think may be a great fit for this role.
Hearing and Vision Screening
The Howard County Health Department and HCPSS School Health Services support your student's academic success by providing vision and hearing screenings at your child's school. Howard County screens children new to the Maryland school system and those in Pre-K (vision only) or Kindergarten, First and Eighth grades. Please see the attached Vision and Hearing Screening Flier for additional details. Jeffers Hill Elementary School's Vision and Hearing Screening will be held on Thursday, November 16th and the re-screening date is scheduled for Tuesday, November 28th. Please contact our health room at 410 313 7438 if you should have any further questions.
Message from the School Nurse
As we enter into flu season, this is a reminder that good hand washing and covering sneezes and coughs with tissues and sleeves are essential steps to preventing the spread of "germs." Also, remember that despite concerns about school attendance, your children's health (and the health of other children) is most important of all. For this reason, we ask you to please:
- Call the school nurse to let us know if your child is absent with a contagious illness such as strep throat, or the flu etc. Please provide any documentation from your physician about diagnosis and release to return to school. (Ear and sinus infections, while often a reason for keeping a child home, are usually not contagious.)
- Keep your child home if he/she has a fever of over 100.0. A fever indicates that your child has an infection that could be passed to other students. If you give your child Motrin or Tylenol, the fever will, of course, disappear but he/she will still be contagious to others. Children must be fever-free for 24 hours (without medication) before returning to school!
- Have your children wash their hands properly after using the restrooms and prior to eating.
- If the doctor prescribes medication for your child, please make sure he/she takes it as directed-which means the right amount at the right time and without missing doses.
Thank you very much for helping keep all our students healthy!
Parent Volunteers
Thank you for your interest in volunteering within the Howard County School System! We value our volunteers and the contributions they make to our students and schools.
Please visit the HCPSS website to learn more about becoming a volunteer.
All volunteers must complete two required courses:
- Confidentiality Training
- Child Abuse and Neglect
Please download and print the volunteer certification form. Once completed, please return the form to the front office at Jeffers Hill.
When you come to volunteer, please ring the bell in the vestibule. A member of our front office team will open the door for you. Upon arrival, you will need to check into the front office using the Lobby Guard system. This requires you to scan your driver's license or state issued ID.
Food and Clothing Distribution Events
As we receive information related to distribution of food, clothing, and community resources, we will post to our website. Please visit our JHES website for current information.
Oakland Mills High School Food Pantry
Distribution dates for the remainder of the 2023-2024 school year can be found on our website.
HCPSS and The Council of Elders (TCOE) Community Academies
HCPSS and The Council of Elders of the Black Community of Howard County (TCOE) have partnered to sponsor the following parent workshops series:
- December 16: Social Emotional Well-Being and Substance Abuse
- January 27: Processes for Parent Empowerment
- March 9: Healthy and Unhealthy Relationships
Each engaging session is held virtually on Saturdays from 9-10:30 a.m. Please see the save the date flyer for more information.
HCPSS Community News / Events
Families can quickly discover educational and recreational resources, events, and after-school programs offered by community non-profits on HCPSS’s new Community News and Programs website.
