October Monthly Newsletter

7-11 2nd, 4th, 5th iReady Reading Mastery Check

9 4th & 5th Grade CoServ Presentations

11 Crazy Socks Day

11 Early Release @ 12:00

14 No school

16 Boy Scouts campus visit

17 Boy Scouts parent meeting @ Bell 6:30 pm

19 Bobcat Bash

21 4th Grade Clear Creek Fieldtrip

24 4th Grade Choir Performance/PTA Meeting

25-31 Red Ribbon Week Celebration

31 Book Character Parade

It’s Time!!! 2 weeks until Bobcat Bash! October 19th, 2-5 PM. This afternoon of fun and excitement will include - Bounce Houses - Food Trucks - Petting Zoo - Face Painting - Game Truck - Dessert Dance - Silent Auction

Visit https://linktr.ee/bellpta to purchase wristbands $20 in advance, $25 at the door and bid on the silent auction.

Donate Candy, Desserts, or Soda cans here - https://bit.ly/BPTA24
Thank you!

Hello Right At School Families~
We hope you all are doing well and having a great start to the school year.

We are reaching to you all as early release day is quickly approaching and Right At School is here to support you with your child care needs on October 11th, 2024.

Registration closes at midnight on October 10th and parents that are needing students to ride the bus will need to register by 12pm on October 10th.

There will be 3 options available to families.
1. Students needing care from 12pm-3pm can register for care for no cost. Click or copy/paste the following link to register for the program at your student's school.

https://www.rightatschool.com/school-2/?school=bell-elementary-tx&district=tx-denton&tab=early-release-days-(12pm-3pm-care-only)

Please note that if you have already registered for previous early release days you will need to log into your account with Right At School and add the date for the 11th.

2. Parents needing care until 6pm can register with Right At School for a drop in at $40 for the day.

3. For families that have a student enrolled in Right At School and they are registered to attend Friday afternoons you do not need to do anything at
all just prepare your student to have a great afternoon!

Finally, we just have a few final reminders for families who are interested in using the program. All students must be at least 4 years of age to participate in the program and have to be able to participate in a large group setting as staffing ratios are 1:17 students. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

Traci Punty and Right At School Team
traci.punty@rightatschool.com
210-278-4600

It's October! That means... we're growing a Storybook Pumpkin Patch!

If you choose, you can work together with your family to decorate a pumpkin to look like one of your favorite book characters and bring it to school to add to our Storybook Pumpkin Patch!

How to participate:
1. Decide on a book character you love for your pumpkin.

2. Purchase a REAL or FAKE pumpkin that is no larger in size than a basketball. Small fake pumpkins are often inexpensive!

3. Gather your decorating supplies. Acrylic paints or permanent markers work best. Watercolors tend to run, and spray paint will gradually dissolve the pumpkin. You can add materials, like yarn, buttons, wiggly eyes, etc.

4. Decorate your pumpkin without carving, cutting, or poking holes in it.

5. Include a sign with the student’s name, grade, and the character’s name on it. You can make your own, print the one attached, or get one from the library.

6. Bring your finished pumpkin to the library for display. The pumpkins will also be featured in a digital gallery on the Bell Library Facebook page!

Need inspiration? Here are some fabulous entries from previous years: https://www.facebook.com/profile/100064530143017/search/?q=pumpkin%20patch

Finished pumpkins can be brought to the library between October 15th and October 31st

Thanks,

Robin Russell

Our first Safety Patrol meeting went well, on Monday.

All our students were engaged and excited to get started! We discussed our schedule, assignments, and group values.

To avoid overwhelm, we decided to split the responsibility between two “Teams”: Teal and Purple.

Teal team will begin their one-week assignment on Monday, 10/07.

For the following week, beginning on Monday, 10/14, Purple team will be responsible for their assignments.

We will continue to alternate between Teal and Purple teams, until the winter break.

When we return to campus in January, members will be able to continue their role without reapplying, or they may end their time as a Safety Patrol member.

Your student has received their assignment, so they should be aware of the team they are part of.

Most of our students opted to participate at both arrival and dismissal. Safety Patrol members who are signed up for arrival duty will need to report to the front office by 7:20AM to pick up their safety vests. Members helping with dismissal will report to the office to get their vests at 2:50 and will need to be on campus until arrival ends at 3:20PM.

As for meetings, here is our schedule for the duration of the first semester:

Mondays @ 3:20PM-4:00PM

• October 28th – Planning meeting
• November18th – Planning Meeting
• December 16th – Holiday Party!

Please feel free to reach out to Mrs. Smith our counselor or our SRO Officer Wilson with any additional questions.

We have finalized our shirt design! Our StuCo crew will need to place their shirt size in the shirt design assignment in our Google Classroom. We are still working on the hurdle of inviting all parents to join the Google classroom however, all students in our StuCo Crew should have access.

Upcoming Meeting Dates

Crew Meeting Dates are the dates all StuCo will meet to discuss projects~

Sept.16th
Oct. 21st
Nov. 18th
Dec. 16th
Jan. 13th
Feb. 10th
Mar. 17th
Apr. 21st
May 19th

Parents please note, we will have additional dates based on the upcoming projects. Communication for projects will be communicated via email. Reach out to Mrs. LaFreniere with any additional questions.

Dyslexia Awareness Month is celebrated worldwide in October to raise awareness of dyslexia, a learning impairment that affects reading, writing, and spelling. The month aims to correct the misconception that dyslexia is a disorder, and to dispel the stigmas that can arise from this misunderstanding.

Below are two websites that offer more information:

https://nationaltoday.com/dyslexia-awareness-month/

https://dyslexiaida.org/

Mrs. Dumnesil & Mrs. Bailey

Parents~

This video provides an overview of the assessment procedures and services for gifted and talented students in Denton ISD.

Parent Information and Awareness video

To know more about the gifted and talented program to the district EXPO please visit this website: https://www.dentonisd.org/expo where parents can find more detailed information about the EXPO program including the identification process, forms, testing dates, etc.

If your child attends a public school, especially an elementary school, do you know why the school is able to host school carnivals, math nights, teacher and student appreciation events, field day, etc? In a majority of cases, it’s because of the PTA.

Not only does your school PTA fund and plan these events, they work tirelessly behind the scenes trying to acquire grants and donations and search for the most pain free fundraisers to earn money for things YOUR SCHOOL NEEDS! Books, science equipment, field trips, school supplies, and much more.

We all know that school funding is at an all time low, and one EASY way you can help RIGHT NOW is joining your school’s PTA at www.joinpta.org. It costs less than a fast food combo meal, requires NO TIME COMMITMENT and helps gives those us with time to dedicate more opportunities for YOUR child!

Contact your school’s PTA to find out specifics of what they do for your school, but I know we all need your support!

Martinez Elementary PTA

Bell Elementary PTA

Paloma Creek PTA

Navo Middle School PTA

Show your spirit every Friday for our spirit wear day!

Shop here: https://1stplacespiritwear.com/schools/TX/Little+Elm/Bell+Elementary+School/collection_detail.html?category=Youth

See your child’s name in lights! Celebrate a birthday or other personal accomplishment by sharing your well wishes on the Bell marquee. Your message will remain on the marquee for a week! Limited availability, complete the Google form to select and secure your week(s).

https://bit.ly/3ZKetpp

Eat and Give Back at Sonic!

Join us next Thursday, October 10th, 5 - 8 PM. 40% of sales will benefit the PTA (which will support Bell students and staff)!

Please be on the lookout for your child's grade level newsletter on class dojo. It will have learning targets, celebrations, and reminders. Our goal to ensure parents are connected with all the great things happening at Bell. If you have not received a posted newsletter on class dojo from your child's teacher, please reach out and let us know so that we can get it you!

Bell Parents: There are still open spots to join CIS at Bell!

Communities In Schools of North Texas is a school-based program that seeks to strengthen and promote success in several areas related to student and school life by providing a wide range of services for students as well as their families. The support we offer looks different for each family, depending on their specific needs, however all of our services are free. You can visit www.cisnt.org to learn more about our organization.

These services may include the following:

• Academic Tutoring and Educational Enhancement

• Mental and Behavioral Health Services

• Social Service referrals and support (school supplies, emergency food, clothing, etc.)

• Mentoring Programs

• Enrichment Programs

• Social Issue Awareness & Prevention

• Discussions on topics such as character building, self-esteem enhancement, social and communication skills, goal setting, anger management, and study skills

• Health Enhancement Programs and activities

• College and Career Readiness

To enroll your K-5 student in the CIS program, all you have to do is complete the enrollment process on ACTIVE. https://campscui.active.com/orgs/CommunitiesinSchoolsofNorthTexas#/selectSessions/3505136/filter/session=63218236

• Select CIS School Day-Bell Elementary “Add to Cart,” but you will not have to pay anything to enroll (it should say free or $0.00).

• Please make the quantity the number of students you would like to enroll. You will then click “Continue” and complete the form.

If you have any questions regarding the CIS program or the enrollment process, please feel free to send me an email or give me a call (Lregan_cis@dentonisd.org , 972-347-7277)!

Thank you! - Logan Regan

Parents,

Instead of offering traditional after-school clubs only this school year, Bell will also offer engaging, staff-led enrichment activities that are integrated into the school schedule. This program ensures that all students have access to various learning experiences that extend beyond the core curriculum, fostering creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking in a fun and supportive environment. The BB clubs aim to make the most of every school day by turning half days into opportunities for exploration and growth.

Teachers will be asking students their top 3 choices the week of October 7th and assign all clubs. Your student will experience their first BB Club on Friday, October 18th!

Student engagement is our focus and BB Clubs will be taking place from 2:00-2:50 on the following dates:

Oct. 18th, Nov. 15th, Dec. 6th, Jan 24th, Feb. 21st, March 28th, May 9th

Here are some examples of the clubs that will be offered:

Kinder- 1st : Dance Basic, Building, Board Games, Sticker, Coloring, Music, Mindfulness, Sport & Game, Cooking(Snacks), Drawing, Nature Walk

2nd-3rd: STEAM, Reader's Theatre, Comic Club, Quilling, Karaoke, Running Club, Anime/Origami, Scrapbooking, Baking, Puzzle Masters, Football, Mathematicians

4th-5th: Super Science Experiments, Build with Legos, Art, Reader's Theatre, Handwriting/Spring Garden, Mindfulness, Coding, Board Games, Rubik's Cube, Mystery Club, Puzzle Club, GaGa Ball

We are so excited about this offering the opportunity for all our Bobcats!

Bell will still host the following before and after school clubs:

Ms. Burnett~ Art Club

Mr. Belcher~ 4th and 5th Grade Running Club

Mr. Barron~ Choir

If you have any additional questions, please feel free to reach out to our special area teachers!

Our tardy bell rings at 7:40 daily. Parents will need to sign in all students that arrive after 7:40.

Parents please call the front office @ 972-347-7200 for dismissal changes by 2:00 pm daily

Regular attendance is vital for student success. When students attend regularly, starting as early as preschool and kindergarten, they have an opportunity to achieve academically and thrive. Research shows that when students are chronically absent, (missing 10% or more of the school year or 18 days over an entire year), they are less likely to read proficiently by third grade, achieve in middle school and graduate from high school.

• Texas law requires students to be in attendance at least 90% of the time in order to receive credit for the semester.
• 90% means a student cannot miss more than 8 days in a semester for a class that meets every day.
• Attendance can be a better predictor of whether students will graduate from high school than test scores.
• Students in kindergarten and 1st grade who are chronically absent will not likely read at grade level by the 3rd grade.
• Parents/guardians can check their student’s attendance through the Home Access Center (HAC).
• If your child is absent, an electronic absence note must be completed. Parent notes must be uploaded within 3 days of the student's return. After 10 parent absence notes (10 days absent = 10 parent notes), students will be required to have a doctor's note. https://forms.dentonisd.org/Forms/absence-note
• District Attendance Website: https://forms.dentonisd.org/Forms/absence-note