Dear Retriever Families,
As the first month of school comes to a close, we would like to thank our families for your support and patience. From volunteering and sharing information/feedback, to following our car loop guidelines, we appreciate all you do to help us, our students, and each other. We are planning for a busy fall with lots of great events and it’s thanks to our community and staff that we are able to offer these opportunities! We look forward to seeing you at TRES and continuing to get to know more about our families!
Warmly,
Dr. Tiffany TRESler, Principal TRES
Mr. Kory Hiel, Assistant Principal TRES
Please visit the TRES calendar webpage to view important upcoming dates.
Fall Picture Day 10/11
Smile! Fall Picture Day is scheduled for October 11th. Students will be bringing home order envelopes next week which show available packages and photo options. Online ordering is encouraged and you can see more options online. Visit HERE for all information and to ORDER (Code FM429402). If you’d like to use the order envelope, please be sure to fill it in completely and send in with a check made payable to Strawbridge Studios or with exact change for payment.
News from the Health Room
The Health Department will be at TRES on Friday, October 27th, to administer Flu and Covid vaccines to those students who wish to receive them. Please look for more information to come soon.
HCPSS Health Services advises anyone who tests positive for Covid to follow the CDC guidance and HCPSS guidance related to communicable diseases. Please see this link.
Spring 2023 MCAP Reports for 4th, 5th Grade Students Coming Home Today Students who participated in the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) for grades 3-8, English 10, Algebra I and II, and Geometry in the 2022-2023 school year will be hand carrying individual score reports home today. For additional information on how to interpret the reports, please visit HERE and click on the Parent Score Interpretation Guide menu.
MAP Assessments Continue
The Measured Academic Progress (MAP) assessments continue through October 18th. Please refer to the school calendar for when your student will be testing as it varies by grade level. Students will take the MAP assessment 3 times during the 2023-2024 school year, once each in the fall, winter and spring. Taking it throughout the year will provide for additional data points.
Data from the MAP assessment helps schools and teachers measure your student’s academic progress. The MAP test does not affect grades and the difficulty adjusts depending on how your child responds. It is normal for students to only answer about half the questions correctly. To learn more about the MAP assessment, please visit HERE.
There is no preparation needed for students other than getting a good night’s sleep and eating a hearty breakfast the morning of testing. Please do your best to have your child present during their designated testing time (see School Calendar for testing times). If your student misses a test session, they may miss additional instructional time due to make-up testing. If you wish, you can send in personal headphones for your child (labeled with your child’s name) on their testing dates. Most students are more comfortable using their own headphones.
If you have any questions regarding MAP testing, please reach out to Mr. Hiel, Assistant Principal and Testing Coordinator, at kory_hiel@hcpss.org.
Bullying Prevention Week Begins 10/16
October is National Bullying Prevention Month. We will have Bullying Prevention Week at TRES October 16-19 to promote bullying awareness, including learning how to spot bullying, how to stop bullying, and how we can be more inclusive. Students and staff can participate in a spirit week along with engaging SEL lessons and community messages. In addition, TRES school counselors are focusing their October lessons on bullying prevention. Our Spirit Week activities to promote Bullying Prevention Week are:
HCPSS Educational Partnerships
The HCPSS Educational Partnerships 2022-2023 Annual Report has just been released. Each school’s partners are listed, as well as system wide (at-large), curricular and program office partnerships. The report highlights the important role partners play in inspiring students to achieve.
TRES is Hiring! Join our Team!
Our school still needs a Lunch/Recess Monitor. To learn more, please call TRES: 410-313-2560 or email Tiffany Tresler at tiffany_tresler@hcpss.org.
BSAP College and Career Opportunities Night
The HCPSS Black Student Achievement Program invites you to attend the upcoming BSAP College and Career Opportunities Night on Thursday, October 12, 2023 at Long Reach High School. This College and Career Opportunities Night invites scholars in grades 8 - 12 countywide to network with working professionals, colleges, and universities, explore post-secondary opportunities, and learn more about HCPSS pathways. The evening will highlight a variety of colleges and universities as well as local businesses and organizations. To register, please complete the Registration Form linked HERE.
HCPSS & The Council of Elders Virtual Community Academies
HCPSS and The Council of Elders of the Black Community of Howard County (TCOE) have partnered to sponsor a virtual parent workshop series, taking place on Saturdays from 9-10:30 a.m. The first workshop will be October 14th and focus on effectively maintaining communication with your child’s school.
Two Programs Offered in Partnership with HCDrugFree
Free Parenting Classes - We are well aware of the ever-increasing pressures placed on students. The academic demands, social challenges, and rapidly changing world can be overwhelming. Guiding Good Choices parenting classes can equip parents and/or grandparents with the knowledge and skills to reduce the risk that their children will use drugs and alcohol or engage in other dangerous behaviors. These classes are for families with children 9 - 14 yrs. old and held over Zoom.
Medication and Sharps Disposal Take Back Day - October 28 in the Wilde Lake Village Center Parking Lot from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Safely dispose of prescription medication, over-the-counter meds, sharps, vitamins, pet meds, vape devices, inhalers, and more! Also, 100 medication lockboxes purchased by HCPSS will be given away for FREE!
Read And Earn A Sweet Treat
Nothing Bundt Cakes, located at 10730 Little Patuxent Parkway in Columbia, is offering a special incentive for students. “Books and Bundts” is a youth reading program through which students can earn a free Bundtlet and an award certificate for each month they read 400+ minutes. Students should track their progress on the attached form below and bring the completed tracker to the store to receive their sweet treat. Happy reading!
Volunteer Training Required for Volunteers and Visitors
Anyone volunteering at school in any capacity, and parents joining their children for lunch, are required to complete volunteer training prior to their first visit. Please visit HERE for more information. Thank you in advance for your gifts of service and time.
Join the TRES PTA today!
Learn more and sign up at Givebacks (memberhub.com). The PTA provides student enrichment, staff appreciation/teacher grants, and events (Dance, Trunk or Treat, Retriever Run, Culture Night, Bingo, Financial Literacy, and Retriever Rally). Without your yearly support, these events would not be possible. Joining does not require any time commitment.
Upcoming PTA Events:
The HCPSS Community News and Programs website makes it easy for families to find educational and recreational resources, events and after-school programs beyond the school day by non-profit organizations. Community organizations requesting their announcements be shared in school newsletters should visit community-programs.hcpss.org for more information. Questions should be directed to the Public Information Office at publicinfo@hcpss.org.