Benfer Bulletin

September Edition

Sept. 2nd Labor day - NO school

Our24-25SchoolThemeis...Peace,Love,&Bobcats

Share your School Spirit

#TeamBenfer/ #BobcatPride / #KleinFamily

Coming up:

September 2nd: NO School - Labor day

September 4th: PTO meeting

September 5th: Watch D.O.G.S. kick off

September 14th: Advanced Learning Summit

September 17th: Open House 5:30-7 PM

September 18th: Big Kahuna kick Off

September 19th: Fall picture day

Attendance Tip of the Month:

September 2024 - Attendance Awareness Month

Improving attendance and reducing chronic absence is not rocket science, but it does take commitment, collaboration and tailored approaches to the particular strengths and challenges of each school or community. Across the nation, schools, communities and advocates have successfully taken steps to ensure children are attending school more

regularly. http://bit.ly/1oqfID7

Watch D.O.G.S. Kick off - September 5th

About the WATCH D.O.G.S.® Program ~ Established 1998

The Dads of Great Students WATCH D.O.G.S.® program is one of the nation’s largest and most respected school-based, family, and community engagement, organizations designed and developed by educators, experts and parent & guardian volunteers over more than two decades.

Our programs for Elementary and Secondary School campuses help provide positive male role models for the students, demonstrating by their presence that education is important. Meanwhile, we provide extra sets of eyes and ears to enhance school security, reduce bullying and provide a greater sense of campus safety allowing students and teachers to focus on learning and instruction.

We provide training content, support materials, uniform apparel and other promotional items for your campus community. Our mission is to support principals and teachers by providing willing volunteers while contributing to improved outcomes for students.

Who are Watch D.O.G.S.® (Dads Of Great Students)?

Fathers, grandfathers, step-fathers, uncles, and other father figures serve on campus for one day or many each year under the leadership of a program coordinator and the guidance of a school principal or designated administrator. Our program speaks directly to those caregivers and guardians who are statistically less likely to come onto campus to volunteer. We have brought millions of volunteers onto campuses who use our model, tools, and support. Many of our campus programs also invite M.O.M.S. and all Heroes of the Hallway to serve under the WATCH D.O.G.S.® Program.

Register HERE

Mark your calendar

Benfer School Hours

Doors open at 7:40 am

Breakfast Begins at 7:40 am & Ends at 8:00 am

Students are tardy after 8:10 am

Dismissal begins at 3:25 pm

Dismissal ends at 3:40 pm

Be sure to set up your SchoolCafé account for Lunch Payments

A message from the Counselor

Counselor's Corner

I want to thank you, parents, and legal guardians, for helping make the beginning of this school year a success. Your support and encouragement helped make your child’s transition from home to school a smoother one. Our teachers have also done a phenomenal job at creating a sense of belonging in their classrooms by focusing on building meaningful relationships with their students and putting routines in place. The brain is pattern-seeking, and when faced with new or unknown experiences, enters what is called the “Survival State” which can lead to behavior outbursts when not calmed. By creating routines and structure, we calm the Survival State, and help create important behavior patterns, especially during the first weeks of school. Routines are indeed the foundation to creating a School Family, a sense of belonging, and a loving and caring environment.

At home you can help reduce behavior outbursts, and experience smoother transitions for unwanted moments such as bath time and/or bedtime, by creating routines with visuals/images which helps your child predict what comes next, which in turn helps soothe the Survival State.

Please feel free to reach out me at psalcedo1@kleinisd.net or by phone (832)484-5933.

A message from our Specials teachers

SMART Tags

All students have now received a SMART tag (bus tag). If a student misplaces or breaks their SMART tag (bus tag), a $5.00 fee must be paid through the School Cash Online link HERE in order to have another SMART tag printed for the student. This includes the plastic sleeve and plastic luggage tag that was issued along with the SMART tag. For more information on the SMART tag System now being used in Klein ISD, please click the link HERE.

Lunch Time!

For Lunch menus click HERE
To apply for free or reduced meals click HERE. A friendly reminder, breakfast and lunch are NO longer free.
To Add funds to meal accounts click HERE

Due to limited space, parents/guardians may eat lunch with their child on assigned days starting Monday, September 9th! Parents/Guardians can only bring lunch for their child due to allergies and eat with their child at the parent table area on assigned days.

Mondays: PreK & 1st Grade

Tuesdays: 4th Grade

Wednesdays: 3rd Grade

Thursdays: 2nd Grade

Fridays: Kindergarten & 5th Grade

For Our Students - Bus Safety & Expectations

Be Responsible

Save all food and drinks for home or school
Keep the bus clean
Be ready to scan your SmartTag when you get on and off the bus
Be a Problem Solver

Use Respect

Use only kind and appropriate words
Keep hands and feet to yourself
Listen to the bus driver

Stay Safe

Stay in your seat until you reach your destination
Use inside/quiet voice
Stay out of the aisle while bus is moving

For Our Parents - SAFE Transportation Expectations

Safety

Keep from parking in Bus zones
Park only in visitor parking
Stop when you see a bus parked with the stop sign out
Wait patiently for your children to come out of the bus and cross street safely
Put your cell phone away

Accountability

Be on time to pick up your child from the bus stop
Early dismissal is before 2:45
When dropping off your children and need to park, walk with them to cross the street safely

Follow School Expectations

Communicate with the school if you are running late
Regular dismissal time starts at 3:25
No students can be picked up from the office during dismissal process
Put your cell phone away

Example

Lead by example
Put your cell phone away

Student's cell phones

Student cell phones MUST be powdered off and inside the student's backpack throughout the school day (including while on the bus). If your student carries a cell phone to school, please review that expectation with them.

Parent Univeristy

The Parent University initiative looks to empower families to actively participate in their student's education by engaging in meaningful partnerships with the schools and support the Klein ISD vision statement: "In Klein ISD every student enters with a promise, and exits with a purpose!" You can earn credits by attending various Parent University classes throughout the academic year at our school and even earn credit in district sponsored classes. Take a look at our upcoming events on the following website and join us to earn credits! Only acquire 5 credits to graduate from Parent University!

https://sites.google.com/kleinisd.net/parentuniversity/home

News from our PTO

Benfer Recycling Program

Did you know that Benfer has a year round recycling program?

As we gear up for back to school with those new back to school wardrobes, make sure to drop off all your used clothing and other items at the bin located in the corner of the school parking lot. Benfer PTO receives part of the proceeds for your recycled items!