The Paw Print Press

Greetigns BES Families!

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a restful and joyful winter break with your loved ones. January is an exciting time at BES, as we return to school with renewed energy and focus on learning, growth, and community.

Remember, attendance plays a critical role in student success. With the start of a new year, we encourage all families to prioritize consistent attendance. If your child is feeling unwell, please notify the office and provide a doctor's note if necessary.

As temperatures drop - and we have seen some freezing cold days recently please ensure your child comes to school dressed warmly with a coat, hat, and gloves. Remember to label all items with your child’s name. In the event of inclement weather, please stay tuned for updates via School Messenger (email, or phone call), our school Facebook page, and local news stations.

Hello families,

Happy New Year! This month's MTSS-B social emotional learning theme is self-awareness. Our MTSS-B newsletter can be found here (https://secure.smore.com/n/z8jhs). Guidance groups for 1st and 2nd grades are beginning to wind down in the coming months, preparing for our second round in the spring. If your student is invited to join a guidance group for the second round, you will be emailed directly. If you or your family find yourselves in need of support, additional community resources can be found here (https://secure.smore.com/n/qaxw7). Please don't hesitate with any questions or concerns. Stay warm!

Best,

Kali Hite

School Counselor

khite@sau74.org

"Flu-season" is definitely upon us! We appreciate you keeping your children home when they have symptoms of illness and until they are fever-free (under 100) without medication for at least 24 hours. The Flu: What Parents Need to Know from the American Academy of Pediatrics is a resource for additional information.

See below for some immune-boosting ideas in Healthy Habits Bingo & have fun with a family challenge!

The cold weather over the past couple weeks has not deterred BES students from exploring nature. Students have had first hand experience with how to be prepared and make sure their bodies stay safe during extreme cold. Many times people feel that when the weather is below zero, we should hunker down and stay inside, but the students in Barrington have found that appropriate clothing is all you need to go out in the cold and in the ferocious wind. With each class that has gone outside, we’ve had conversations about what it looks like to be prepared so that our body stays safe because as Alfred Wainwright says, “There's no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.” Getting outside on a ferociously cold day for 15 minutes allows kids to get a breath of fresh air, to move their bodies and provides an opportunity for them to learn in a different environment.

1. Popcorn Days: Thank you for your understanding with moving popcorn day in January! Our next Popcorn day will be February 18th. We need volunteers to pop the night of Feb 17th! Please email info@barringtonnhpto.org if you can help.

2. Penny Wars: It's back! Look for more information to come home soon. Penny Wars will happen February 3rd-7th

3. Volunteering: The Barrington School District has instituted a new policy for fingerprinting all during the school day volunteers and chaperones. The PTO would like to cover the cost of fingerprinting for anyone willing to volunteer during the Spring Scholastic Book Fair March 14th-21st. The process is easy! Stop at the SAU offices to collect the paperwork, visit the BPD to have your fingerprints done and then drop it off at the SAU offices! Let us know by emailing info@barringtonnhpto.org that you have done it and we will pay and make sure it is submitted! We need volunteers for the school day events so please get fingerprinted!

4. Pizza Bingo: Mark your calendars! This loved event will take place March 21st as we finish up our spring book fair. Bingo is free for everyone! We will be selling pizzas and for the first time this year the 4th graders will be hosting a bake sale to help fundraise for their end of the year 4th grade celebration.

If you have any questions or want to volunteer, reach out to us at info@barringtonnhpto.org and follow us on Facebook for the most up-to-date information!

Now that we are in the thick of winter we would just like to remind you that unless the temperature is extremly low the students will still be going outside for recess. We ask that you remind your children that they need to be prepared to go out. Coats, hats, gloves/mittens, and boots are a must if they would like to play on the snow covered playground areas.

Mindful Technology Use
While technology can be a useful tool, it's important to consider how and when it’s used, especially for soothing purposes. Digital devices, while convenient, may inadvertently limit a child’s ability to self-regulate emotions. Instead of turning to screens, try comforting alternatives like:

• Engaging in storytelling or looking through family photo albums.
• Practicing deep breathing or simple mindfulness exercises together.
• Sharing a quiet moment with a favorite stuffed animal or blanket.

These approaches help children build emotional resilience and develop the tools they need to navigate their feelings. By prioritizing reading and practicing mindful technology use, we can work together to support your child’s growth academically, socially, and emotionally. Thank you for being an integral part of your child’s learning journey.

Volunteering

Barrington School District Volunteer Procedure

To ensure the safety and well-being of our students, we have updated our volunteer process.

For the 2024-25 school year, all volunteers and chaperones will be required to complete a mandatory Fingerprint and Criminal Record Check as required by *RSA 189:13-a, School Employee and Volunteer Background Investigations, requires school districts to conduct a criminal history records check with the State of New Hampshire, including FBI national records on volunteers.

Please complete the following steps to become a volunteer:

1. Read, sign and return the Volunteer Application and Ethics Form to a school office.
2. Fill out Criminal History Record Release Form?
3. Schedule a mandatory fingerprint and criminal record check

Select "Schedule a New Appointment". Schedule the location and time of your choosing and pay $21.25 online. Please indicate "Educational- Volunteer" as agency type and you want the records sent to BARRINGTON SAU.
OR
Pick up a paper packet from the school or SAU offices and take it to the Barrington Police Department. Return fingerprint card and check in the amount of $21.25 to the SAU office.

4. Fill out Signature Acknowledgement and Disclosure Form
5. After you’ve been notified that your background check has been reviewed, the results are satisfactory, and the Superintendent has authorized you to volunteer, you may reach out to the school to set your schedule.

Please note: We are asking all CURRENT VOLUNTEERS complete a mandatory fingerprint and criminal record check.

Thank you for your support and cooperation in keeping our school community safe!

We are excited to host another Barrington Kids Vote at the 2025 Town and School election (March 11, 8am-7pm) on the Middle School cafeteria stage. We had 424 kids vote last year and they moved Trick-or-Treat back to Halloween night, they chose the purple dog tag color, they named the new forestry truck ‘Smokey Bearington’, and they selected four ‘I Voted’ sticker designs for the inaugural contest. Those sticker designs will be printed for the 2025 local election this March! We are still finalizing the 2025 Barrington Kids Vote ballot, so if you have ideas, please pass them along!

The ‘I Voted’ sticker design contest will be part of the 2025 Barrington Kids Vote again this year. The sticker designs selected this year will be used for the 2026 local election. Again this year, there will be four age groups for Barrington kids by grade level (or equivalent); 0-K, 1-4, 5-8, and 9-12. Submission details are attached and are due by February 20, 2025. A team will select three options from each of the four age groups. On March 11th, the kids will vote on a design from each group. The winning designs will be printed and used as the ‘I Voted’ stickers at the Town and School election in 2026! The Design Template and Submission Instructions can also be accessed at www.barrington.nh.gov/2025stickercontest.

The goal of Barrington Kids Vote is simple, to provide something fun and civic-oriented for the kids on voting day and hopefully, if the kids are excited enough, it will improve voter turnout (2024: 41%!, 2023: 28%, 2022: 24%, 2021: 13%, and 2020: 32%). 2024 was record-setting turnout for a local election! Hopefully we can set a new record in 2025.

We worked with the Middle School Student Council and the 8th grade class to workshop name options for the road leading to the Barrington Common property. In 2025, the kids will vote on a road name which will be part of the community for generations. We would be glad to visit with other groups of kids between now and voting day to get kids excited about voting! Just let us know.

Stay tuned for an informational flyer and a sample ballot in early March. In the meantime, we cannot wait to see the artistic abilities of Barrington’s youth!

Best,

Conner MacIver

Town Administrator

Town of Barrington, New Hampshire

Monday February 3rd - Friday February 7th ~ PTO Penny Wars

Thursday February 13th ~ PTO Meeting ~ BES Library 6:30

Wednesday February 19th ~ Invention Convention

Tuesday February 20th ~ PTO Popcorn Tuesday!

February 24th-February 28th ~ February Vacation