About Us

Welcome To The Rock! 

Greetings Cradlerock Families,

I couldn't be more excited to serve as your principal for the 2024-2025 school year! I’ve been learning all I can as quickly as I can about our school’s strengths, history, traditions, and data since I learned about this next chapter together. You have my word that our school team will give our absolute best effort to ensure that this next chapter together is a great one for your child and family. It is a true honor and privilege to join and lead this extraordinary learning community that has earned an outstanding reputation throughout HCPSS over the years and has such a proud history.

As principal, my responsibility is to bring our HCPSS Strategic Vision to life for our Bulldogs. As I enter my 15th year as an HCPSS administrator I fully understand and whole-heartedly embrace my responsibility to ensure the academic success and social-emotional well-being of each one of our Bulldogs in an inclusive and nurturing environment that closes opportunity gaps. You can expect me to work collaboratively and transparently with all stakeholders to make this happen. Additionally, it is very important to me that your child knows me, knows that I am an advocate for them, and that I am another trusted adult in their life that they can turn to for support, encouragement, or simply to connect with at any time throughout their school day. I believe that every student, regardless of their circumstance, deserves an engaging, rigorous, inclusive, and accessible learning environment where they can excel socially, emotionally, and academically.

My lens to do this work has been shaped by my professional experiences as a teacher and administrator here in Howard County over the past 25 years. I served in various teaching positions spanning grades K-5 at Stevens Forest Elementary, Bushy Park Elementary, and Longfellow Elementary. I have served as Leadership Intern at Waterloo Elementary and Assistant Principal at Longfellow Elementary and Deep Run Elementary. For the past five school years, I had the privilege of serving as the proud principal of St. John’s Lane Elementary. I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Bloomsburg University, and an Advanced Certificate in Study in Instructional Leadership for Changing Populations from Notre Dame of Maryland University. I was honored to be recognized as the Maryland Association of Elementary School Principals 2024 Connected School Leader Award and voted 2024 Best Principal in the annual Best of Howard.

My approach to this work is profoundly shaped by the incredibly important job of being Dad to my two sons Luke (16) and Drew (13) and husband to my wife of 22 years, Laurie. I promise to make decisions on behalf of your children just as I would my own. 

I am truly grateful for the opportunity and privilege to serve our school community as your principal. Please don't hesitate to introduce yourself to me in this initial year at CRES and contact me at any time at dnotari@hcpss.org if I can be of service to your child or family in any way. I look forward to moving in, meeting you all soon, and partnering with your family as we work together to ensure a simply wonderful school year here at The Rock! 

Sincerely,

Dan Notari

CRES Principal

CRES Arrival and Dismissal Times

• Staff arrives at duty for supervision at 8:30
• Doors open at 8:30
• Late Bell / Instruction starts at 8:45
• Dismissal begins at 3:10

CRES Car Loop Procedures at Arrival and Dismissal

Students will line up outside when the weather permits. When your car pulls up to the staff member, the staff member will call the student’s name. A staff member will walk the student to their car. At 3:25, students will begin moving to the main office to call any parents/guardians who have not picked up.

We will ask all drivers for their cooperation in adhering to our car loop procedures. This is so critical in helping keep our students and staff safe and keeping the car loop flowing efficiently. Families, please…

• pull up as far as you can in order to make room for the cars behind you in line.
• remain in your car at all times. Our staff members will help students to the cars.
• only make a right turn when exiting our campus onto Cradlerock Way.
• follow the directions of staff members on duty.
• model kindness, patience, cooperation, and civility to staff and your other drivers at all times while in the car loop.

Designated Arrival Areas for Students

• Kindergarten, PreK, & RECC meet in our front courtyard area.
• 1st - 4th grade students meet on the rear blacktop playground
• 5th grade students meet in front of school at the main/front entrance.
• Car riders and bus riders will enter through the main/front entrance.

Pick Up Students from Blacktop Areas at Dismissal

• PreK (Mrs. Smelkinson) will dismiss from their side doors per their current plan and continue to hand students off to parents/guardians/siblings or put them on the appropriate buses.
• Kindergarten & RECC PreK – Parent/guardian/sibling will continue to pick up from exterior doors within the courtyard.
• 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th will have exit doors to the blacktop/playground labeled with grade levels.
  • Please go to the door with your child’s grade level and ask for them.

Change in Student’s Dismissal Routines

Please send a written note or contact the main office no later than 2:30 at 410-313-7610 with any dismissal routine changes. For example, if your child normally gets picked up on the blacktop but you need to change it to the car loop, please call or send a note to the main office so we can document and communicate the change to the teacher and staff on duty. Please do not email your child’s teacher since they are not always at the computer due to teaching responsibilities.

School Overview

Mission Statement

At Cradlerock Elementary School, we are committed to being a ROCK solid school:

• Relationships
• Outstanding Instruction
• Collaboration
• Knowledge

Through purposeful focus in the areas of positive relationships, outstanding instruction and collaboration we increase the knowledge of our students, staff and community.

School Motto

At Cradlerock students are Respectful, On-task, Cooperative and Kind!

Home of the Bulldogs!

School Colors - Royal Blue and Gray