TRES Retriever Report October 15, 2026

Upcoming Events

  • October 16 - Schools Closed for Students
  • October 21 - Wear Orange for Unity Day
  • October 24 - PTA Boo Bash & Trunk-or-Treat (see below)
  • October 27 - 1st Quarter Ends
  • October 28 - Schools Closed for Students
  • October 30 - Final Day to RSVP for Veterans Day Lunch (see below)
  • October 30 - Permission Slips Due for Author Visit (see below)
  • November 3 - Schools and Offices Closed
  • November 6 - Report Cards Issued
  • November 6 - Parent/Teacher Conference Scheduling Window Opens
  • November 10 - Author Visit with all Students
  • November 13 - 2nd Gr. Field Trip, Baltimore Museum of Industry

Message from Mr. Morton-Ortega and Mr. Hiel:

Dear Retriever Families,

As October rolls on, we have some fantastic community events on the horizon that we can’t wait to celebrate with you!

Boo Bash & Trunk or Treat
Get ready for one of our favorite seasonal traditions! Our annual Boo Bash & Trunk or Treat, sponsored by our wonderful PTA, is coming up on Saturday, October 24th at 3:30 PM. It will be an exciting afternoon filled with fun and community for the whole family.

Save the Date: November 11th:

  • Mark your calendars for a very special day at TRES on Wednesday, November 11th: Veterans Day Celebration (During the Day): We are once again excited to honor and celebrate Veterans Day at TRES during the school day. Please see the details below in today's newsletter for more information on how we will be celebrating!
  • TRES Volunteer Night (6:00 – 7:00 PM in the Cafeteria): We deeply value our volunteers and know how essential a strong home-school connection is to helping our school thrive. Join us that evening for a simple, welcoming, and low-pressure event where you can explore volunteer opportunities, complete required training on the spot, and sign up to support our students, school, and PTA.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support of our TRES community!

Warm Regards,
Jason Morton-Ortega, Principal
Kory Hiel, Assistant Principal

News and Information

TRES is Celebrating Veterans Day on Wednesday, November 11, 2026! 
We are celebrating Veterans Day on Wednesday, November, 11, 2026. We will share information about Veterans Day on the morning announcements, and students will have the opportunity to share with classmates about the Veterans in their family. We are also welcoming our TRES family Veterans to lunch with their student(s)! We will have special tables reserved for our honored guests and their student. 

First, if your child is sharing information about the Veterans in their family, please help them create a mini-poster (8x10 or 11 x17). Please see our former Principal Dr. Tresler’s sample here from previous years. Students can create it electronically in Google Slides or Wixie (access under hcpss.me), or hand-drawn. Please note that these will be on display and may not be returned, so please do not use original photos. Students should bring hard copies to the front office by November 10th. We are unable to accept digital copies. 

Please RSVP here by 4:00 p.m. on October 30th  to join us for lunch. This will ensure that we have enough space and food. Due to space constraints, we ask that only our TRES Veterans join us for lunch that day. 

We are looking forward to thanking those who served our country!

Lunch Shifts by Grade:
Pre-K: 12:00
Kindergarten: 12:00
First: 10:45
Second: 11:15
Third:  1:00
Fourth: 1:30
Fifth: 12:30

Author Visits TRES November 10th; Please Return Completed Permission Form
TRES media staff are excited to present our students with the opportunity for a special school visit with local author Miranda Mittleman and her mascot, Storybook Weaver, on Tuesday, November 10th. Every grade level will attend a presentation about her PAWS and THINK books. 

Students will enjoy Miranda Mittleman’s books in Library Media Class before our TRES author visit. Families can browse her website to learn more about PAWS and THINK, Miranda Mittleman, and Weaver the Dog.. We’re looking forward to a great visit with this author! 

Permission forms were sent home this week with every student. Please sign and return by October 30th. We must receive this signed permission form in order for your student to attend the presentation. Contact media specialists Laura Spangler (laura_spangler@hcpss.org) or Patti Jenkins (patricia_jenkins@hcpss.org) with any questions.

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 read the Young Authors’ Contest Guidelines for information about the rules and guidelines.

Stories and poems must be typed and emailed for submission as a Word Doc or Google Doc. All entries must also have a completed YAC Cover Sheet in PDF form emailed with the entry. Submissions should be emailed to Lauren Rifkin (Reading Specialist at TRES) at lauren_rifkin@hcpss.org by January 8, 2027. Feel free to contact Mrs. Rifkin 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.  

Financial Hardship? Support May Be Available
If you are a TRES family in need of food or holiday gift support, please take a moment to complete THIS REQUEST FORM, (submitted to administration) before October 22, 2026. Please note:  Although we do our best to address needs, resources can vary. Submitting this form is not a guarantee of support. We will contact you directly for further follow-up.

Counselors' Corner - A Message from Mrs. Wolf and Ms. Desir
We shared earlier that October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Our October TRESmission video features discussion about how to recognize bullying (which is different than bugging/bothering/being mean), ways to be an UPstander, and the Stop-Walk-Talk strategy.  Retriever Award photos are also featured, along with footage from around the building. To show we are a community that aims to spread kindness and stand tall against bullying behaviors, remember to WEAR ORANGE ON UNITY DAY, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21st.

October TRESmission Video (14 min)   Stay connected.  Watch together as a family!
Resource:  TRES Bully Prevention Materials/Student Coloring Page

Resource:    Link to the Office of Children and Families -  October Newsletter.    This month, you'll see FREE family workshops on various topics: managing parent frustration, navigating parental controls for devices, creating calm during the holidays, and more.

News from the Health Room as We Welcome Cooler Weather
It is sometimes difficult to decide whether your child has a communicable disease and/or is too sick to go to school. As a rule, a child should stay home if they have: 

  • A fever higher than 100 degrees Fahrenheit
  • Vomited (not caused by motion sickness or a gag reflex unassociated with illness)
  • Diarrhea
  • A very frequent cough
  • Persistent pain (tooth, ear, stomach, etc.)
  • A widespread rash
  • Redness along with drainage or crustiness in eye(s)
  • Open sores on hands, feet or mouth accompanied by drainage or drooling indicative of Hand Foot and Mouth Disease. 

Most of these problems need to be discussed with your child’s healthcare provider to determine if an office visit is needed. Please keep your child at home when ill or with a fever (100F or above). Students should stay home until fever free WITHOUT fever reducing medication for 24 hours.

In addition to illness, cases of head lice are common during the cold weather months. Please encourage your child not to share items such as hats, earmuffs, brushes/combs, and hair ties with others. If your child complains of an itching scalp, please check their hair for evidence of head lice. Though head lice may be a nuisance, they do not cause serious illness or carry any diseases. We remind all parents that you are the first line of defense. Daily inspections and nit removal are key to managing and preventing re-infestation. The school nurse does not routinely screen for lice as research has shown this to be ineffective and a violation of privacy.
 
Thank you for your assistance in keeping TRES students healthy and ready to learn! Please contact the health room with questions (410-313-2562).

Volunteer/Visitor Training Required Every Year 
THIS TRAINING MUST BE COMPLETED EVERY YEAR  (no paperwork required). Anyone volunteering at school in any capacity is required to complete volunteer training prior to their first visit. Thank you in advance for your gifts of service and time.

TRES PTA

Join or donate HERE. See: PTA FLYER

 

Upcoming PTA Events and Information: TRES PTA Fall 2026 Newsletter

  • Saturday, October 24th - Boo Bash & Trunk-or-Treat, 3:30-5:30pm.  RSVP Here!
    • We need at least 20 trunks for this event to be successful, and we have 15 registered to date. Please consider decorating a trunk and the PTA can help by providing the candy.
    • Donate to the "candy monster" located in the TRES vestibule through October 23rd. See the Amazon or Target wishlists.  Thanks for your donations!!
    • Register to Decorate a Trunk or Hand Out Candy! Use your own candy or PTA-provided treats! Prizes include trophies and gift certificates.
    • TRES Boo Bash Pumpkin Decorating Contest: Winners will receive a special medal. 
    • Volunteer Here! Volunteers are needed for set up, clean up and check-in. All volunteers will be entered to win pizza gift cards from Papa Johns!
  • November 1st - Entries Due for Reflection Art Competition
    • Students may create original art (dance choreography, visual arts, music composition, photography, film production, or literature) based on the theme “What My Culture Means to Me.” All works are created at home and submitted electronically.
    • If you have questions, consider attending a virtual Q&A meeting 10/20 at 6pm. For that meeting link, to submit your entry, or for other Reflections information, check the TRES PTA Website
  • TWO DAYS, November 4th & 5th -  Nora's Kabob Ellicott City Fundraiser
    • Please order from TRES PTA Sponsor Nora's Kabob at their Ellicott City location (9338 Baltimore National Pike, Ellicott City, MD 21042) on Wed, Nov 4th and Thurs, Nov 5th to support the PTA
    • Visit https://www.noraskabob.com/ or call 410-418-5911. Mention TRES PTA when ordering. See: Nora's Kabob Flyer
  • October 31st - Registration Due for TRES Stem Fair
  • Walking Wednesday is back! WW is scheduled on Wednesdays during recess for K-5th grade through November 18th, weather permitting. 
    • Volunteers get to spend a fun and engaging hour in the fresh air encouraging students as they have fun setting and meeting goals walking or running (or skipping, dancing, or cartwheeling) around the field with friends at recess.
    • Signup Genius for volunteers: Walking Wednesday Signup

Stay in Touch: Visit www.trespta.com or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/trespta.

Community News and Events

Registration is now open for Howard County Recreation & Parks Fall 2026 Before & After School Classes (Session 2) for Triadelphia Ridge ES. These classes provide fun, structured, educational and enriching activities for students on site at TRES. Please see THIS FLIER for all information and visit HERE to register.

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.