Runnymede Elementary
APRIL 2016
Home of the Hawks
Dear Runnymede Families:
Spring is here! It is also a very busy time at Runnymede. We start PARCC assessments in
grades 3 – 5, field trips and service projects occur, and planning begins for the many end
of year activities: field day, Pre-K & grade 5 promotions, yearbook distribution, and transition activities for our newly redistricted families. Please be looking for information in
the near future about these upcoming events.
It is with great pleasure that we congratulate the following Runnymede teachers who
were nominated for Outstanding Teacher of the Year: Mrs. Bloomfield, Mrs. Chaney, Ms.
Crouse, Mrs. Dettinger, Mr. Develin, Mrs. Douglas, Mrs. Fitzgerald, Mrs. Frey, Mrs. Funk,
Mrs. Giusto, Mrs. Glass, Mrs. Hunsicker, Ms. LaGreca, Mrs. Mechalske, Mrs. Offutt,Mrs.
Patten, Mrs. Prajzner, Mrs. Ries, Mrs. Routson, Mrs. Sirian, Mrs. Tyler, Mrs. Warnick.
RUNNYMEDE CONGRATULATES BRADY RHODES! Brady was recently named a 2016
Carson Scholar. He will receive a $1000.00 scholarship award, a medal, and certificate,
and be honored at the Carson Scholars Fund 20th Annual Awards Ceremony this month in
Baltimore, MD. Congratulations, Brady! What a wonderful way to end your elementary
education and begin your middle school experience!
April is also when we celebrate our administrative assistants (April 27). If you call into
the office, please remember to say a kind word to our wonderful secretaries: Mrs. Devaney, Mrs. Hanwell and Mrs. Hiner. Often, you will find Mrs. Patterson helping in the office as well when she isn’t busy substituting for a teacher. These folks work hard to keep
our school running smoothly and make our office a warm and welcoming place for all visitors to Runnymede. We thank them for all they do each day to support parents, staff
and students!
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
CALENDAR
2
EARLY DISMISSALS
2
VOLUNTEER TRAINING
2
PARCC TESTING
3
PLAYGROUND UPDATE
3
NOTES FROM THE NURSE
3
DRESS CODE REMINDERS
4
STAFF BASKETBALL GAME
4
PTO HIGHLIGHTS
4
GIFTED AND TALENTED
5
COMPLIANCE
STATEMENTS
6
LETTER FROM NORTHWEST
7
April also brings elections for our PTO board. There will be several leadership positions
open for the coming school year. They include: president, vice president, treasurer, and
yearbook coordinator. Please consider becoming involved in this wonderful group that
does so much for the students and staff of Runnymede! Elections will occur at the April
11th PTO meeting.
Sincerely,
Debra H. Benner
Amanda K. Johnson
RUNNYMEDE ELEMENTARY
PAGE 2
School Calendar
2015-2016 School Calendar
April– May 2016
April 1
April 5
Spirit Day!
Student Banking-Café-8:50-9:15 am
April 9
Designer Bag Bingo– Doors open at 5 pm,
games begin at 6 pm
Food Pantry is open- 4:15-4:45 pm
April 11
April 11
PTO Meeting– Media Center– 6 pm
April 12
Early Dismissal (1:00 PM)- No Pre-K
April 13
Spring Instrumental Concert– 7 pm
April 14
April 14
Themed Thursday– Crazy Sock Day
Kindergarten trip to the Taneytown Library
April 15
April 15
Report Cards go home
3 Grade trip to the Museum of Industry
April 19
April 19
Student Banking-Café-8:50-9:15 am
sweetFrog fundraiser– 5:00-9:00 pm
April 18-22
Public School Volunteer Week
April 20
Special Olympics– Westminster High School
rain date April 27th
Administrative Professionals Week
5th Grade trip to Philadelphia
Food Pantry is open- 4:15-4:45 pm
Election Day– Schools/Offices Closed
April 24-30
April 25
April 25
April 26
April 25June 7
April 27
April 28
PARCC Testing– grades 3-5 reading and math
Administrative Professionals Day
Themed Thursday– Career Day
st
1 grade trip to the Maryland Zoo
April 29
Walk for Carroll County Food Sunday–
rain date May 2nd
National Physical Education & Sport Week
May 1-7
May 3
May 5
May 6
Teacher Appreciation Week
Student Banking-Café-8:50-9:15 am
Kindergarten Readiness Fair–
Cafeteria/Gym- 6:00 –7:30 pm
5th grade Panoramic picture
May 9
1st grade trip to Bear Branch Nature Center
Food Pantry is open- 4:15-4:45 pm
May 10
PTO Meeting-Media Center– 6:30 pm
May 12
Themed Thursday– Hat Day
May 12
May 13
Interims go home
4th grade trip to Annapolis
May 6
Please take notice of the early dismissals, which are built
into this year’s calendar. The following dates are scheduled
to have 2 hour and 45 minute early dismissal:
May 16-20
Pupil Personnel Worker Week
May 17
Student Banking-Café-8:50-9:15 am
May 19
Honors Chorus Program–
Cafeteria/Gym– 7:00-8:00 pm
May 23
May 26
May 27
Food Pantry is open- 4:15-4:45 pm
PTO Fundraiser– McDonald’s Night– 5-8 pm
Field Day– rain date: May 31
May 30
Memorial Day– Schools/ Offices Closed
April 12
System-Wide
June 15
System-Wide
***There will be no Pre-K on these dates
Volunteer Training Sessions
rd
April 28
May 1-7
EARLY DISMISSAL DATES
Level II Volunteers (classroom helpers, chaperones,
mentors, etc.) are required to attend an annual training
session at least seven (7) school days prior to volunteering.
Allow adequate time so you can arrive at the training
location in a timely manner. The training session will begin
promptly at the scheduled time, and those arriving after
the starting time may be asked to attend another session.
As always, we suggest that you contact the training location to confirm the training session for that day.
April 4
Elmer Wolfe Elementary
8:00 pm
April 6
William Winchester Elem.
9:30 am
Ebb Valley Elementary
Eldersburg Elementary
Piney Ridge Elementary
Winfield Elementary
Francis Scott Key High
6:00 pm
6:00 pm
6:30 pm
6:15 pm
3:00 pm
Sandymount Elementary
Mechanicsville Elementary
6:15 pm
10:15 am
April
April
April
April
April
12
12
13
19
20
April 20
April 21
Inclement weather may cause the cancellation of a scheduled training session. Please reference the school system’s
Inclement Weather Policy, located on Page 20 in the 20152016 CCPS Informational Calendar, for specifics.
VACATION ABSENCES
It is strongly recommended that parents plan vacation(s) for
times when school is not in regular session. It is recognized,
however, that occasionally students are absent for necessary
or important family activities. When this occurs, it is the
parents’ responsibility to contact the principal in writing in
advance to arranged an excused absence. Even though the
absence may be excused, students are required to make up
work missed during that time. It is also required that you
send in a note following the absence. Please list the date of
the absence, the child’s name, and the reason for the absence to the child’s teacher.
CHANGES IN DISMISSAL
Please remember any changes in the regular dismissal method of a student must be made in writing, signed by a parent/
guardian and brought to the attention of the office.
APRIL 2016
PAGE 3
PARCC Testing Schedule
Hello Parents! This is a reminder that all students in grades 3 through 5 will participate in the Partnership for Assessment
of Readiness for College and Career (PARCC) assessments. As you know, PARCC has replaced the Maryland School Assessment (MSA) as the state’s standardized test for Reading and Math. The PARCC window opens on April 25th and goes until
June 7th. During this time, each class will take the Math PARCC assessment as well as the ELA PARCC assessment. The testing schedule will vary by grade level and subject area. All students will not be testing on the same day. Specific schedules
will be sent home with students as we get closer to the testing window. We ask that families try to avoid scheduling appointments, vacations, and other absences during your child’s testing dates . Students who miss a scheduled testing session will be
required to make it up at a later date, which will result in them missing classroom instruction.
Playground Update
Spring has sprung and our children have been enjoying some newly
purchased outdoor recess games as we bridge the gap until new
playground equipment is installed at Runnymede. Students have
been playing Velcro Catch, Jumbo Rainbow Scoops, Tetherball,
Frisbee, and Corn Hole. Our fundraising efforts continue - here’s
a quick update:
 4500 postcards went out to local residents and businesses
asking for support
 Designer Bag Bingo – April 9th! It’s not too late to buy your
ticket – contact the office for information.
 PTO continues to fundraise for the playground – all monies in
their account at the end of the school year, beyond what is
needed for the start of the school year, will be added to
Runnymede’s playground account
Transitioning Activities for
Redistricted Families in April

On April 11th, the administrators from
Taneytown Elementary and Elmer Wolfe Elementary will visit Runnymede.
Please plan to attend the PTO meeting scheduled
that evening to meet Dr. Christy Farver, principal at
Taneytown and Mrs. Tracy Belski, principal at Elmer
Wolfe Elementary. Both will be here to welcome our
Runnymede families that will be transitioning to their
schools for the 2016-17 school year.

 Current total in Runnymede’s playground account: $47,957.48
Many thanks to the following businesses who have recently made
generous donations:
On April 20 at 7 pm, Elmer Wolfe will be
hosting an Open House for the families of
those students being redistricted there for
the coming school year. More information
will be available in the coming weeks via Connect 5.
 Pleasant Valley Lion’s Club
 Westminster Island Green
 EVAPCO
 Justin Berk
From The Health Room
Mrs. Owings
Everyone is looking forward to spring and warmer weather as April arrives. Please be sure that your child is dressed
according to the weather each day and is wearing an appropriate coat and shoes. Flip-flops are not adequate shoes for school
wear. They do not provide support or protection for the foot and often lead to injuries in the classroom as well as on the
playground. Children should be prepared with raincoats or umbrellas while waiting for their bus each rainy day.
Spring is also the time that seasonal allergies become more troublesome for students with allergies or asthma. If
your child has allergies or asthma, please be sure that he/she has taken the appropriate medication before coming to school,
so that the conditions for learning will be optimal. Continue to encourage the frequent washing of hands and keeping them
away from eyes and nose to minimize transfer of allergens. If your child will need medication during the school day, please
remember that medications may not be transported to and from school by students. Please bring the medication to school in
the original container and with a CCPS Medical Form filled out by the doctor. Medication in baggies will not be accepted!
We continue to need to call parents to provide additional clothing for their child who has torn clothing, or has had
large food/drink spills or bathroom accidents. Please send a weather appropriate change of clothing for your child to keep in
his/her locker so we will not have to call you at work. Even older children occasionally have the need to change their clothing.
Also, if your child has outgrown clothing from previous years, please consider donating it to the nurse’s office. Thank you.
RUNNYMEDE ELEMENTARY
PAGE 4
Volunteers
Congratulations to all our wonderful volunteers. So far this year, our 457 volunteers have logged in 3,761 hours helping our
students and staff. Thanks for your continued support and assistance!
REMINDER: DRESS CODE
With warmer weather ahead of us, we take this opportunity to remind you of the proper dress code for students attending Runnymede Elementary. Students are required to dress in a manner that is modest, clean, appropriate for school activities, and not disruptive to the learning process. We want our students to know that school is a place for learning, not a place
for recreation. We ask that students NOT wear these items to school:
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shorts, skirts, or skorts that are excessively short; please consider the length when the student is sitting or bending
over
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halter tops and tube tops (shirts must have two wide straps, one on each shoulder)
hats, sunglasses, scarves, bandanas, visors, etc. (unless approved for medical or religious reasons)
recreation/beach-type wear
midriff or cut-off shirts that do not cover the stomach
long, baggy pants that drag on the ground (pants must fit snugly around the waist, so that underwear is not showing)
any clothing that advertises alcohol, tobacco, etc.
any clothing that expresses hate or racial slurs
flip flops, spikes, cleats, skate shoes, etc.
PTO Highlights
Spring has finally arrived!! So put a ‘spring’ in your step and join us for our upcoming PTO events!
Thank you to everyone who participated in selling Hershey Park tickets last month. Ticket pick up has been scheduled for Wednesday, April 20th, from 4:30-5:45 pm.
Our next fundraiser will be featuring coupon cards for Westminster Island Green, one of our great local businesses!
They cost $10 and will be good for 1 large bucket of balls, 2 rounds of mini golf or 5 tokens at the batting cages. It’s a
great deal and can be used all year! They would also make great gifts…especially those golfers in your family!
Our last submission of Box Tops brought in $924.20! Thanks to everyone who clipped these little gems… they really
do add up and it doesn’t cost a thing! Keep them coming in! Be sure to put your child’s name and homeroom on the bag so
they can be entered into our monthly drawing for a gift card.
Thanks to all the families and staff that made it out to our free Bingo night last month. It was a ton of fun! Besides having an enjoyable evening, we also made a little money too. Concessions brought in $130, sub sales $147, and Spirit
Wear sales were $76! Way to go RUE!! Thank you to Mr. Develin for being our caller for the night, you did an awesome job!
If you’re looking for a great way to get involved and help Runnymede’s PTO be the best it can be, why not nominate
yourself or someone you know in the school to hold a position on our board? It’s a great group of dedicated parents who
simply love our school! We are holding elections for the 2016-2017 school year at our next meeting. We are seeking candidates for the positions of President, Co-Vice President, and Treasurer. We are also seeking a Chairperson for our yearbook
and a committee. More information has been sent home with students regarding the positions. We know everyone is busy,
but with just a little bit of your time, all the students get to benefit!
Be on the lookout for our next Dine-Out Night in May… McDonald’s! It was a huge success last year, so we hope to
have much support again this time around!
We hope you can join us for our next meeting on Monday, April 11 th at 6:00 pm in the Media Center. See you then!
APRIL 2016
PAGE 5
Gifted and Talented Program Information
When students are screened for gifted and talented intervention, outstanding academic ability and certain characteristics and thought processes are observed and documented. Teachers look for students who possess a wealth of information about selected topics and/or are able
to grasp information quickly and remember it with little practice. They observe students who are able to understand general concepts and
make abstractions and connections between seemingly unrelated topics and ideas. If a student possesses some or all of these abilities, he or
she can be screened for identification.
Components of the Gifted and Talented Education Program Individual Student Profile
All data in each of the following areas are rated as strong, moderate, or weak evidence that gifted and talented services are needed or appropriate.
Multiple Data Points
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Teacher Observation Checklist – includes characteristics of gifted students
Parent/Guardian Observation Checklist – includes characteristics of gifted students as seen by parent
Primary Thinking Skills (PTS) Individual Checklist – includes data from second grade thinking skills instruction
Content Specific Checklist – observations from teachers on content specific behaviors of gifted students
Production Data – work samples provided by teacher and/or parent
Cognitive Ability Test – aptitude test given to all second grade students
PARCC – achievement test taken by 3rd , 4th, and 5th grade students
Academic Instructional Reading Level
Academic Instructional Mathematics Level
Report Card Grade and Work Habits
Once all of the data have been reviewed by the Gifted and Talented Referral and Review Team, one or more of the following recommendations are made in order to differentiate instruction:
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ELA/Math Enrichment Services
Provisional Placement in ELA/Math Enrichment Services (reevaluation of placement to occur after each unit or mid-year)
Differentiated Support Services (classroom teacher receives resources from GT resource teacher to help meet needs of student
in regular classroom)
Monitoring and annual review (student is reviewed again mid-year and end-of-year or when new data is available)
No GT interventions needed at this time
The Referral and Review Team convenes 3 times a year – fall, winter, spring or as needed.
GT Program Referral and Review Team
GT Teacher collects test
data, report card grades
and PTS information
The Referral and Review
Team consists of school
based professionals,
which may include an administrator, the GT teacher, a school counselor, and
classroom teachers.
Evaluation for gifted and talented intervention begins in the spring of second grade and continues throughout the school year for grades 3, 4,
and 5. The chart above illustrates the sequence of steps involved in the screening process.
Should you have any additional questions, please contact your school’s Gifted and Talented Resource Teacher, Mrs. Carey Sneska.
PAGE 6
RUNNYMEDE ELEMENTARY
Moment of Silence
It is the policy of the Board of Education of Carroll County that all schools are required to have a moment of silence or meditation for approximately one minute each school day. During this moment of silence, the Carroll County Public Schools shall
neither advance nor inhibit silent religious activity. Following the pledge of allegiance to the flag and before the completion
of the opening exercise, all students will observe approximately one minute of silence, before continuing with the day’s activities. In exercising his or her individual choice, each person may meditate, pray, or engage in any other silent activity which
does not interfere with, distract, or impede others in the like exercise of their individual choice. The following is a list of
inappropriate activities: (1) talking or any audible sounds, and (2) gesturing, using sign language, or writing notes for the purpose of person to person communication. Administrators shall enact appropriate administrative procedures in the event that
individuals do not follow the established policy.
CARROLL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
ADA ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT
The Board of Education of Carroll County does not discriminate on the basis of disability in employment or provision of services, programs or activities. Persons needing auxiliary aids and services for communications should contact the Office of
Community and Media Relations at 410-751-3020 or publicinfo@carrollk12.org, or write to Carroll County Public Schools, 125
North Court Street, Westminster, Maryland 21157. Persons who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, use
Relay or 7-1-1. Please contact the school system at least one (1) week advance of the date the special accommodation is
needed.
Information concerning the Americans with Disabilities Act is available from the Director of Facilities or the Supervisor of
Community and Media Relations. Raymond Prokop, Director of Facilities, 125 North Court Street, Westminster, MD 21157,
(410)751-3177, Carey Gaddis, Supervisor of Community and Media Relations, 125 North Court Street, Westminster, Maryland 21157, (410)751-3020.
Asbestos Notice
The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) management plans for all buildings owned or leased by the Board of
Education of Carroll County are available for review at the individual Carroll County school locations and at the Office of
Plant Operations, located at 191 Schaeffer Avenue, Westminster, Maryland 21157.
Management plans are required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and depict the location, amount, condition, and
response action projected for any asbestos-containing materials, if any are located in the school building.
Notice of Non-Discrimination
The Carroll County Public Schools (CCPS) is firmly committed to creating equal employment and educational opportunities for
all persons with regard to its employment practices and in the provisions of services, programs, and activities.
The CCPS does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, genetic information, marital status, mental or physical disability,
ancestry or national origin, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. The CCPS provides non-discriminatory access to school
facilities in accordance with its policies and regulations regarding the community use of schools (including, but not limited to,
the Boy Scouts).
The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Gregory J. Bricca,
Director of Research and Accountability, 125 North Court Street, Westminster, Maryland 21157, (410)751-3068.