Deep Run Digest ~ Edición de bienvenida al nuevo curso escolar
Monday, September 15, 2025
Mission: Deep Run Elementary ensures academic success and social-emotional well-being for each student by celebrating our diversity, setting high expectations, and ensuring equitable access and opportunities for all learners.
A Word from You Administrators
Dear Deep Run Families,
Thank you for taking the time to join us for Back-to-School Night! We loved welcoming you into our classrooms and sharing a glimpse of the exciting year ahead. Your presence and partnership mean so much to us and help strengthen the connection between home and school.
We are grateful for the opportunity to work alongside you to support your child’s growth and learning. The relationships we build together are what make the Deep Run community so special. Please check out the conversation starters provided below to engage in meaningful conversations with your child.
Thank you again for your time, support, and commitment to your child’s education. We look forward to a wonderful year ahead!
Kindly,
Nigel La Roche Jerome Pickens Colleen Golden
Principal Assistant Principal Assistant Principal
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Important Dates
September 15th-October 15th: Hispanic Heritage Month
September 17th: Schools close 3 hours early (12:55 pm.): Professional Learning & Wellness Day (No 1/2 Day Pre-K/RECC)
September 20th: BSAP Registration for Saturday Math Academy at 9am-More information below
September 23rd: Rosh Hashanah - Schools and Offices Closed
September 26th: PTA Back to School Picnic and Movie Night: 6:30 pm on the Field
September 27th: HCPSS Family Academy Kickoff (9:00 am–12:00 pm)-More information below
October 2nd: Yom Kippur - Schools and Offices Closed
October 17: Schools Closed for Students - MSEA Convention / Professional Work Day
October 31st: Schools Close 3 Hours Early (12:55pm.) No half Day Pre-K/RECC
October 31st: End of Marking Period for Q1
All School dates are posted on our Deep Run Community Calendar located on our Website
*HCPSS calendars can be found HERE. They can be downloaded, subscribed to and/or printed out.
*The HCPSS Related Arts Color Calendar for 2025/26 can be found HERE.
*News and Information ~ For more information about these and other events please check out the Deep Run News listings on our website (https://dres.hcpss.org/news)
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Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15)
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Girls on the Run: Registration is Now Open!!!
Girls on the Run at DRES: Registration for our fall team is now open! The season will run from September 22 until December 8, with the community 5K being held on December 6. We meet after school on Mondays and Wednesdays from 4-5:15pm in one of the kindergarten rooms before going outside to the school fields. We provide the girls with a snack at the beginning of practice and they will receive a T-shirt and a water bottle as part of the program. There are scholarships available, and more information can be found on the registration website:
Girls on the Run: ¡Ya está abierta la inscripción!
Girls on the Run en DRES: ¡Ya está abierta la inscripción para nuestro equipo de otoño! La temporada se extenderá desde el 22 de septiembre hasta el 8 de diciembre, y la carrera comunitaria de 5 km se celebrará el 6 de diciembre. Nos reunimos después de clase los lunes y miércoles de 4 a 5:15 p. m. en una de las aulas de jardín de infancia antes de salir al campo de la escuela. Les damos a las niñas un refrigerio al comienzo de la práctica y recibirán una camiseta y una botella de agua como parte del programa. Hay becas disponibles y se puede encontrar más información en el sitio web de inscripción:
Traducción realizada con la versión gratuita del traductor DeepL.com
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MAP Testing at DRES
Students in grades 1-5 will participate in the Fall administration of Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) testing. MAP is an untimed computer-adaptive assessment that measures student growth and achievement, independent of grade level or age. This is but one indicator of your child’s progress, providing us with an additional piece of information about achievement levels and growth in acquiring Reading and Mathematics skills. To learn more about the MAP assessment, click here. Please take a moment to see when your child will take the ELA(Reading) & Math MAP testing:
It is very important that students are present during these sessions. Please avoid scheduling appointments or other conflicts during these times, as the testing window is limited.
If you have any additional questions, please reach out to your child’s classroom teacher.
Thank you for your support!
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HCPSS Family Academy KIck-Off
HCPSS Family Academy Kickoff Date: Saturday, Sept. 27, 9:00 am–12:00 pm Location: Oakland Mills High School This districtwide event is open to all HCPSS families and will feature: A session with Superintendent Bill Barnes Resource tables hosted by HCPSS offices and local organizations Information on programs, resources, and services available throughout the school year Childcare and language access provided For…
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Registration for BSAP Saturday Math Academy
The BSAP Saturday Math Academy fall session is approaching! The program offers an in-person enrichment for Howard County Public School System students in all levels of math for grades 3-12, based on course availability. Registration will take place online Saturday, September 20, 2025 from 9:00 am until capacity is reached. Class space is limited. Families can register by accessing the HCPSS Connect Website on the registration date. Please contact BSAP Supervisor, Nicole Brown if you have any questions. For more information, please visit: https://news.hcpss.org/news-posts/2025/09/black-student-achievement-program-bsap-saturday-math-academy-fall-2025-program/
Flyers:
BSAP SMA Fall 2025 Flyer (English) / BSAP SMA Fall 2025 Flyer (Spanish)
BSAP SMA Fall 2025 Flyer (Chinese) / BSAP SMA Fall 2025 Flyer (Korean)
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Attendance-The Importance of Showing Up "On-Time and Every Day"
We’re looking forward to seeing your child(ren) at school on time, every day! Regular attendance is essential for student success. Missing too many days, whether excused or unexcused, can slow a child’s academic growth. Did you know that missing just 10% of the school year (about 18 days, or 2 per month) can put a student off track? Let’s work together to build a culture of showing up every day!
Consistent school attendance is key to your child’s academic growth, social development, and overall well-being. Being present each day helps students stay involved in lessons, participate fully in classroom activities, and build meaningful relationships with their peers and teachers. By working together, we can foster strong attendance habits that set every student up for a successful and fulfilling school year.
For more information, please review Howard County Public School System Policy 9010 here: https://policy.hcpss.org/9000/9010/
Reporting Student Absences
If your student is absent or will be absent, please contact us at the following email address to explain the reason: DRESAbsence@hcpss.org. In the email, please Include the following information:
- Student First and Last Name
- Grade
- Reason for absence (e.g., illness, bereavement, observance of a religious holiday)
Discretionary Days
HCPSS students are granted 3 days a year to use at their discretion for a wide variety of reasons.
- Such absences may not occur during exam or state-mandated testing periods unless authorized by the principal/designee.
- A written request for such absences to be lawful/excused should be submitted at least one week in advance to the principal/designee. Please download the PDF fillable Discretionary Absence Form and email it to DRESAbsence@hcpss.org. The form is also available in Chinese, Korean, and Spanish.
- If you are requesting a day for a religious holiday not identified by the Howard County Public School System school calendar, please download the PDF fillable Religious Obligation Form and email it to DRESAbsence@hcpss.org.
Student attendance is crucial to academic growth and learning retention. With the collaborative effort of HCPSS parents, staff, and students, we are confident that all students can have successful attendance. Unless your child is ill, please do your best to ensure they are present in school, on time, each day! This will improve student success in school and in future life!
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Here’s a set of family-friendly conversation starters that go beyond the usual “How was your day?” to help parents spark meaningful conversations with their elementary children:
Conversation Starters for Families
- What was the best part of your day?
- What’s one thing you learned today that you didn’t know yesterday?
- Who did you sit with at lunch or play with at recess?
- Did anything make you laugh today?
- What’s one thing you did today that made you feel proud?
- Was there something tricky or challenging you worked on? How did you handle it?
- Did you help a classmate today—or did someone help you?
- What’s a rule in your classroom that helps everyone learn?
- If you could be the teacher tomorrow, what would you do?
- What’s something you’re looking forward to at school tomorrow?
These kinds of questions invite children to share specific moments, feelings, and experiences, helping families stay connected to what happens in the school day.
Here is a handy one pager in English and Spanish to support these conversations.
Aquí hay una serie de temas de conversación para toda la familia que van más allá del habitual «¿Qué tal te ha ido el día?» y que ayudan a los padres a entablar conversaciones significativas con sus hijos de primaria:
Temas de conversación para familias
- ¿Qué es lo mejor que te ha pasado hoy?
- ¿Qué es lo que has aprendido hoy que no sabías ayer?
- ¿Con quién te has sentado a comer o con quién has jugado en el recreo?
- ¿Hay algo que te haya hecho reír hoy?
- ¿Qué has hecho hoy que te ha hecho sentir orgulloso?
- ¿Has tenido que hacer algo complicado o difícil? ¿Cómo lo has solucionado?
- ¿Has ayudado a algún compañero hoy, o alguien te ha ayudado a ti?
- ¿Qué norma hay en tu clase que ayuda a todos a aprender?
- Si pudieras ser el maestro mañana, ¿qué harías?
- ¿Qué es lo que más te gusta de la escuela mañana?
Este tipo de preguntas invitan a los niños a compartir momentos, sentimientos y experiencias específicos, lo que ayuda a las familias a mantenerse conectadas con lo que sucede en la escuela.
Aquí hay una página útil en inglés y español para apoyar estas conversaciones.
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Band and Orchestra Registration is now open!
Mrs. DeBella and Mr. Pompei had a great time playing instruments for all the 4th and 5th grade students today! We hope everyone can sign up to play an instrument of their choice. Please see the attached links and scan the corresponding QR code to register for orchestra (strings), or band (woodwinds, brass or percussion). Registrations are in English and Spanish.
- 4th and 5th grade beginning orchestra registration
Advanced String registration - 4th and 5th grade band registration
The advanced orchestra registration (for string students with one or two years of experience) will be sent soon!
Please feel free to email us if you have any questions!
Mrs. DeBella (Strings): jacquelyn_debella@hcpss.org
Mr. Pompei (Band): kyle_pompei@hcpss.org
Thank you!
¡La Sra. DeBella y el Sr. Pompei se lo pasaron muy bien tocando instrumentos para todos los alumnos de 4.º y 5.º grado hoy! Esperamos que todos puedan inscribirse para tocar el instrumento que elijan. Consulten los enlaces adjuntos y escaneen el código QR correspondiente para inscribirse en la orquesta (cuerdas) o en la banda (instrumentos de viento-madera, viento-metal o percusión). Las inscripciones están en inglés y español.
- Inscripción para la orquesta para principiantes de 4.º y 5.º grado
- Advanced String registration
- Inscripción en la banda para alumnos de 4.º y 5.º grado
¡La inscripción en la orquesta avanzada (para alumnos de cuerdas con uno o dos años de experiencia) se enviará pronto!
¡No duden en enviarnos un correo electrónico si tienen alguna pregunta!
Sra. DeBella (cuerdas): jacquelyn_debella@hcpss.org
Sr. Pompei (banda): kyle_pompei@hcpss.org
¡Gracias!
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HCPSS Bus Locator Information
Please be sure to check your child's bus stop location, bus time, and bus number as they may have changed from last year. Please be sure to arrive at your bus stop at least 5 minutes before your scheduled pick-up time. https://www.hcpss.org/schools/transportation/
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Help Keep Schools Pest-Free This School Year
I’m reaching out to ask for your help keeping our school pest-free all year long and want to share a few things to keep in mind as you send your child to school each day. Since food is one of the main reasons rodents try to get inside a building, please consider the following guidance:
- Send snacks and lunches in sealed, hard plastic or metal containers rather than loose in bags. Rodents can easily chew through paper and thin plastic.
- Use reusable lunchboxes with zipper closures, and make sure the zipper fully closes.
- Send foods with strong odors like peanut butter and sweet treats in airtight containers.
- Remind your child to bring home any uneaten food daily—don’t store snacks in desks, lockers or cubbies overnight.
- Make it a routine to empty and wipe down lunchboxes every day.
As a reminder, there is a lot of other helpful information about the 2025-26 school year on the HCPSS websiteLinks to an external site. including back to school night dates, school supply lists, transportation information, and much more.
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COMMUNITY NEWS & INFORMATION
Please visit the HCPSS website Community News and Programs site for upcoming events and programs sponsored by non-profit organizations.
Visite el sitio web de HCPSS Community News and Programs site para conocer los próximos eventos y programas patrocinados por organizaciones sin fines de lucro.
For HCPSS Back to School Information please click on the following HCPSS Website link
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New HCPSS Resources For Families
New Resources for Families: A new webpage highlights HCPSS and community resources for families, including those related to food, shelter, financial assistance, and more. https://www.hcpss.org/supports/family-resources/.
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HCPSS Supports for Immigrant Families
The following this link has just been created to support immigrant families and students. Resources will continue to be added to the page as they become available.