Programs
When We Come Back-To-School…
|
August Sneak-A Peak
|
On August 25th parents and students will have the opportunity to “sneak-a-peak” of their classroom. |
|
Fourth & Fifth Grade Job Squad |
The Job Squad Program at PMES is a program in which the fifth grade students may apply for a variety of different jobs throughout the school. The program promotes a strong sense of responsibility in the students and provides them with an opportunity to develop a good work ethic. After the jobs have been assigned, the students are monitored to evaluate their progress throughout the year. |
In the Fall…
|
Bus Buddies
|
Bus buddies are students who help pre-K find their way safely to their bus. Fifth graders are assigned to a group of children and assist them to the buses throughout the year. |
|
Harvest for the Hungry
|
Each fall, our school participates with the Harvest for the Hungry
campaign. The Harvest for the Hungry Campaign is designed to
raise thousands of pounds of food for the needy children of
Harford & Cecil Counties. The campaign runs every fall for a three
week period and children are encouraged to bring in any
non-perishable food items or personal hygiene supplies which are
later distributed to families in need. Prospect Mill Elementary School sets an annual goal of at least 1,000 food/hygiene supplies to be contributed during the campaign. In the past, PMES has far exceeded its goal and successfully collected more than 1,610 food/hygiene items for this very worthwhile cause. For more information about this program, please contact our school counselor, Ms. Dencler at Angela.Dencler@hcps.org or by phone at 410-638-3817. |
|
Year Book
|
PMES publishes an 80- page soft cover yearbook called the Pandarama.
All students from Pre-K through Grade 5 are included using Lifetouch portraits shot at the beginning of the school year. Candid shots featuring students in a wide variety of activities are included as well. Yearbooks are distributed approximately one week before the end of the school year to coincide with the fifth grade picnic.
The yearbook sales drive is held in October and November. The cost of the yearbook is $15.00. Only checks will be accepted for payment. Your cancelled check is your receipt.
If you have any questions or would like to volunteer to photograph, please contact Michelle Marrero (mani123@comcast.net) or Jen Kuhn (jenjuhn@comcast.net), or send a note through the PTA mailbox.
|
In the Winter…
|
Concerts
|
Prospect Mill Elementary School musicians present several concerts throughout the school year. The fifth grade holiday concert takes place annually in December and features three different fifth grade ensembles, including the band, orchestra, and chorus. In January, fourth grade musicians present an evening winter concert. Fourth and fifth grade spring concerts are held yearly in May and showcase the band, orchestra, and chorus. |
|
Reflections
|
Reflections is a cultural arts program sponsored by the
National PTA which
encourages students in grades Pre-K through 12 to express their
thoughts and feelings through the creative arts. Students
participating in the program create artwork to be submitted in any
of the five categories: dance, literature, music, photography
and visual arts.
Entry rules and entry forms are usually distributed in
October and the entries are due by the end of November.
Entries are first judged at the school level and the 1st, 2nd, 3rd
and 4th place winners will be chosen in grades Pre-K through 2 and
3 through 5. Those winners will be entered into the Reflections
Contest at the County Level. Winners at the county level go on
the state and possibly national competition. |
In the Spring…
|
Annual Art Show
|
Each Spring Ms. Rowe hosts our Annual Art Show, showcasing a piece of art students have created during the school year. As part of the Art Show, Ms. Neeper’s Orchestra students play elegant music. And in our cafeteria the PTA offers delicious ice cream. The Art Show is a wonderful night to honor students artistic expression. |
|
Concerts
|
Prospect Mill Elementary School musicians present several concerts throughout the school year. The fifth grade holiday concert takes place annually in December and features three different fifth grade ensembles, including the band, orchestra, and chorus. In January, fourth grade musicians present an evening winter concert. Fourth and fifth grade spring concerts are held yearly in May and showcase the band, orchestra, and chorus. |
|
Jump Rope for Heart
|
Our P.M.E.S. community continued its phenomenal success with Jump Rope for Heart this year, by beating this year’s goal of $38,000. The students set the goal based on the school’s terrific participation in this event over the last several years. In 2003, P.M.E.S. raised over $32,000 and in 2004, we raised $36,600. The goal of $38,000 seemed a bit of a stretch, but our awesome students did it again and raised over $40,000! It’s too early to tell where we will “stack up” to others schools in the area and nation, but last year we were first in Harford County, first in the state, first in the Mid-Atlantic States, and eighth in the nation!
Our physical education teachers, Karen Ritz, Scott Powers and Colleen Cox, stress the importance of this event, which is sponsored by the American Heart Association, because of the difference it makes in the battle against heart disease and the education of our youth. The teachers also believe that it teaches the students the lifelong benefits of physical activity, healthy living and teamwork. The American Heart Assoc. offered parents a couple of innovative ways to make donations. One was the matching gifts program for employers and the other was the “online donation” program. This year, PMES tripled the use of the online program where students and parents completed a web-page form and sent it to relatives. This eliminated the collection process, phone calls and the transfer of money at school. This year, any student who raised at least $100 online was automatically entered into a drawing to win a brand new bike. Two bikes per state will be awarded. We have two students who will be in this drawing. Thanks and congratulations go out to EVERYONE who participated in this worthy event in any way
|
|
MSA
Testing
|
To assist with your long-range planning needs, the Maryland State Assessments (MSA) for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students in the areas of Reading and Mathematics are scheduled on the following dates:
School Year / Testing Dates 2006-2007 March 12th-March 21st
**Actual dates for particular grade levels have not yet been determined it is essential that third, fourth, and fifth graders fully attend school on the dates that these tests are administered. Please make every effort to avoid planning vacations, doctor appointments, and/or any other conflict that may prevent your child from attending school on the aforementioned dates.
|
|
Sports
|
Every June, the students at PMES participate in a day long event called Sports Day. All students are able to participate in a variety of sports related activities such as relay races, group games, and compete against each other. The goal of Sports Day is to culminate the year by having a great deal of fun for everyone.
|
Ongoing…
|
Panda Reader Program
|
The first grade early intervention program is delivered in small group settings, three or four hours per week, by a team comprised of two first grade language arts teachers, the reading specialist, a special education teacher, a speech-language pathologist, and support personnel. Prospect Mill currently has two Panda Reader Teams. Each team is responsible for up to 18 students and three adults. Within each team, the students are divided into three groups and work with each of the adults for 15-20 minutes. Groups rotate so that all children receive instruction in reading, writing and phonology. Parents support and participate in the Panda Reader Program by attending two informational meetings, reading daily to their child for ten minutes, and encouraging completion of homework assignments from the classroom teacher. The Panda Reader Program begins in September with individual assessments. Ongoing student evaluations are conducted throughout the program. Progress in the program is reported as part of the ILA portion of the report card. This program will be completed at the end of the 3rd quarter. |
|
Box Tops
|
This is a program sponsored by the General Mills company. We receive ten cents for every Box Top for Education that we collect. Simply cut the Box Top logos from the product packages and send them in to school with your child. The coordinator sends the collected box tops to General Mills and they, in turn, sends the check. The following are participants:
-General Mills/Betty Crocker Box tops- We receive 10 cents
for every box top that we redeem. -Betty Crocker Fruit Snacks
-Lloyd's Barbeque Buckets
-Yoplait Yogurt products
|
|
Destination Imagination
|
The Destination Imagination program is an opportunity for students from Pre-K through 5th grade to work in teams of up to seven students to explore their creative problem solving skills and to show off their talents at the regional tournament which is generally held on the third weekend in March. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners then have the opportunity to advance to the state tournament the following month. Lastly, First and Second place winners in this tournament go on to the "world" tournament where teams from around the world compete.
Following the tryouts, letters are sent to each child to let them know if they made a team or not. Then sometime in October there is a general meeting after school of all the team members and their parents. At this meeting the parents learn more details about the Destination Imagination program and team managers are chosen. The individual team members and and their respective team managers decide on when and where their meetings will take place. Weekly practices take place until tournament day. The students grow in their creative problem skills as they use their imagination and creative talents to form a solution to the problem that they choose to work with. It is a wonderful opportunity for the students to grow in their abilities to work with a team, make decisions, and think creatively. |
|
Dress Code Policy
|
It is our goal to ensure a safe and orderly school environment for all our students. Therefore, we require student attire that ensures safety and causes no disruption to our learning environment.
Thank you for your cooperation in supporting our school dress code as it is our goal to ensure a safe and orderly environment for all of our students. |
|
Enrichment
|
The enrichment at Prospect Mill Elementary School is based on the philosophy that all students will be afforded the opportunity to develop their unique talents and gifts within the continuum of learning that is present in each classroom. Also, the mission of Harford county Public Schools is to identify the gifts and talents of all students and to nurture those gifts and talents through acceleration and enrichment. Therefore, in order to identify children and youth with outstanding talent who perform or show the potential for performing at remarkably high levels of accomplishment when compared with others of their age, the full time enrichment teacher at PMES provides exemplary differentiated programs and/or services which enable gifted learners to maximize their potential as creative learners.
|
|
Family Fun Night
|
Family Night is an event for Prospect Mill families to get
together in the evening. Family Fun Night can occur at the school or
outside in the community. |
|
Health Department Food Policy
|
To ensure the safety of all students, we can only serve commercially made food and baked goods at school. The Health Department prohibits serving homemade cupcakes, cookies and snacks at school. Please support this policy by only sending in commercially made food products for birthdays, class parties, picnics and other celebrations.
|
|
Latex Managed Environment
|
Prospect Mill Elementary is a latex managed environment. For the safety of children with a latex allergy, no latex balloons may enter the school building without approval from the principal.
Thank you for your attention regarding this important health concern |
|
Panda Peacemaker
|
This program is designed to encourage children to make
appropriate behavior choices, improve relationships with others,
and help prepare them to be successful adults. Panda Peacemakers are: respectful, good citizens, responsible, trustworthy, fair and caring. Each month, some children will receive a Panda Peacemaker button as recognition for exhibiting positive character traits. Different children will be chosen monthly, and only those children who exhibit these positive character traits will receive a Panda Peacemaker button this year. For more information on this program, please contact our school counselor, Ms. Dencler, at Angela.Dencler@hcps.org. |
|
Parent Enrichment Group
|
The Parent Enrichment Group (PEG) is a group of concerned
parents who volunteer their time to assist our enrichment
teacher. |
|
Professional
Development
|
In the fall of 2004, Prospect Mill Elementary School joined with Towson University’s Elementary Education Department to become a Professional Development School (PDS).
After the semester break, the future teachers return full-time to their mentors’ classrooms. In March, they work with new mentors to further refine their knowledge, skills, and strategies necessary to become an effective teacher.
The faculty, students, and PMES community welcome this new partnership that supports the school’s motto to “look for [additional] good things to happen at Prospect Mill.” |
|
Retail Programs
|
Giant- We receive cash for a percentage of cardholder's purchases.
Super Fresh- We collect register receipts and redeem for cash.
|
|
School Store
|
The PMES School Store has all the supplies students need to be successful in the classroom. The school store is open from 8:30-8:50 a.m. when the students enter the school. The store is operated by a group of fourth graders and is available to all students. Monday-Grade 4 Tuesday-any Wednesday-Grade 3 Thursday-Grade 2 Friday-Grade 1 |
|
Silly
Hats for
|
Periodically during the school year, the PTA will encourage students to donate $1 to charity. In return, students will be able to wear a silly hat to school. This is a very uplifting way for students to contribute to their community.
|
|
Volunteers
|
Prospect Mill has been extremely fortunate to have an extremely successful Volunteer Program. Parents, grandparents, and members of the community generously give of their time and talents to make Prospect Mill a richer learning environment for not only the students, but also for the staff. During the 2002-2003 academic year, over 400 volunteers supported the instructional program at PMES. Volunteers can help at the school or in their homes. Volunteer opportunities include, but are not limited to, tutoring students, organizing and supporting special events, chaperoning trips, performing clerical tasks, and serving on PTA committees. Prospect Mill welcomes additional volunteers. Anyone interested in becoming a PMES volunteer should contact the classroom teachers. |
