The Colt Communicator

September 6, 2024

Dear North Barrington Families,

Thank you for another great week at NBS! We appreciate your support. Next week kicks off our annual Safety Week. Please see the information about Safety Week below. You will also receive an email blast from the District starting on Sunday, September 8th that will share with you the safety topics being taught. This will allow you to talk about school safety with your children.

This week we needed to update our MAPS testing schedule to accommodate a technical outage at NWEA. Please see the updated schedule below.

Dr. Winkelman has also included in this newsletter updates on our Referendum 2024. Dr. Winkelman and Dr. Carpenter will also be at NBS at the October 17th, 9:00 am PTO Meeting. Please attend any of the meetings below and our PTO Meeting.

REPEAT REMINDER - Arrival and Dismissal Procedures:

Arrival: If you are a parent drop off in the morning, drop off is on the west side of the building and there is an arrival sign with cones signaling where to pull up. If the cones are green, please pull up to the crosswalk and drop off your child or children to participate in morning recess. If the cones are red, please pull your car all the way around to the front door. Red cones represent indoor recess due to inclement weather. If you arrive at 7:55 or later, please pull around the front door. For safety and attendance reasons, if you arrive at 8:00 am, you are required to park and walk your child into the office, sign them in, and then they will be given an attendance pass. Students who arrive at or after 8:00 am are counted as tardy. Children should not be dropped off at the curb and instructed to come to the front door. Thank you for planning accordingly to keep our students safe.

Dismissal: If you are a parent pick-up, please arrive at school no earlier than 2:15 at our circle drive. Children will be dismissed at 2:40 (2:10 on Wednesdays) and adult supervision will be on hand to help direct traffic. Please make sure to notify the office and your child's teacher if your child will be circle drive by 2:00 pm.

NBS PTO:

Our annual PTO Movie Night is scheduled for September 27th. Please save the date. Important information about this awesome event can be found below.

Our PTO is looking forward to our Colt Connections!

Colt Connections are back! This year the PTO will host three parent get-togethers throughout the year- one in the fall, winter, and spring. These meet-ups are meant for parents to foster connections with others while building a sense of community within our wonderful North Barrington School family.

These gatherings are agenda-free, relaxed, and designed to provide an opportunity for parents to meet and mingle in a casual and welcoming environment. Whether you’re a new parent looking to make connections or a seasoned veteran seeking to have a fun time, these events are the perfect platform to create new friendships and strengthen existing ones. Younger children are always welcome to join and play!

So come have fun with us and mark your calendars for our very first Colt Connections Meet-up! We will have a lunch date at the Kelsey Roadhouse outdoor garden on Friday, September 20 at noon. Please bring your younger ones to run around and play!

Kind regards,

Dr. West, Principal, Mrs. Kalin Lomas, and Mrs. Lisa Neyfeldt, Co-PTO Presidents

Please note that you can reach Dr. West, Principal, at lwest@barrington220.org, Mrs. Jirasek, Assistant Principal/TOSA, at sjirasek@barrington220.org, Mrs. Kalin Lomas, co-PTO president, at kalin413@gmail.com, and Lisa Neyfeldt, co-PTO president, at lneyfeldt03@gmail.com. We would love to connect with you! Our joint newsletter will be distributed through Infinite Campus on Fridays at 3:00 pm.

Social Media:

Instagram: northbarringtonpto

Facebook: North Barrington School PTO (run by the PTO) & North Barrington Elementary School (run by the school)

Twitter: @NBSPTO (run by the PTO), @NBES220 (run by the school) & @law281 (Dr. Wests’ account)

Dear Families,

Now that we have returned to school, I am sending a reminder about District 220 assigned iPads. The iPads assigned to your colt must be used following the District Student handbook and technology acceptable use. Please refrain from installing your personal Apple identification, videos, and apps as they do not align with the policy and interfere with the curriculum and learning we use the iPads for at NBS. I have linked the policy in the title above.

If we do find that the district-assigned iPad does have external personal apps or IDs installed, the iPad will be returned to factory status and the apps needed for learning will be reinstalled.

Thank you for supporting our One to World Initiative.

Doctor’s Note Required for Medical Absences

Due to a change in school code by the Illinois State Board of Education, this school year a medical note is required for parents/guardians who select the: “MEDUE: Medical/Dental Appointment” excuse option for their student in Infinite Campus or call their student out of school for a medical/dental appointment.

The revised school code defines "valid cause" for absence as the following: Illness, including the mental or behavioral health of the student; attendance at a verified medical or therapeutic appointment; appointment with a victim services provider. Please note that the student’s absence will be marked unexcused in Infinite Campus until a medical note is provided.

We understand this is a change in practice from previous years. Please know that our front office is here to help answer any questions or concerns you may have.

Thank you to those interested in participating in the NBS Mystery Reader opportunity. We have updated our program to provide the book choices to our Mystery Readers. The same guidelines apply when signing up, please ensure you are not taking more than one spot this first round. If there are more slots later, we can start round two after each child has at least one parent or caregiver be the reader. The classroom teacher will ask for three clues, and give you the book to read from a selection of books relating to our reading and SEL programs, and no candy or trinkets should be given out. Your child's Room Coordinator will send out a Sign-up Genius. The Mystery Reader will be open the week of September 23rd. This date gave us time to teach routines as well as roll out our Character Strong curriculum. Thank you again for volunteering to participate.

Welcome to Barrington 220’s 5th Annual Safety Week! The goal of this week is to raise awareness about school safety among our students, parents, staff, and community members. In addition to the safety drills happening at each of our schools this week, on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, students will view a short video that has a "Safety 220 Tip of the Day". Each tip corresponds with a safety theme for that day of the week. The topics for each day include:

• MONDAY, Sept. 9: Welcome Message from Director of Safety and Security, Teresa Reiche (Safe2Help, See Something, Say Something, Introduction of our School Resource Officers)

• TUESDAY, Sept. 10: Run, Hide, Fight (lockdown drill) These videos will only be viewed by students in grades 4-12.

• WEDNESDAY, Sept. 11: Weather Emergencies (tornado drill)

• THURSDAY, Sept. 12: School Evacuations (fire drill)

• FRIDAY, Sept. 13: Railroad, Crosswalk Safety and bus evacuation

Beginning Sunday, September 8th, we will send out the safety tip video for each day. We are intentionally sharing the videos the night before they are viewed by students in school so that parents can have conversations with their children about safety and what to do in an emergency situation.

During the first half of 2024, more than 2,500 community members collaborated on a plan to continue to improve Barrington 220's aging school buildings. The final $64M community-driven plan will go to you, the voter, for approval as a referendum question on this November 5 election ballot. If successful, the referendum will:

• Increase Safety & Security throughout Barrington 220
• Build a New Community Auditorium at Barrington High School
• Enhance STEAM and Instructional Spaces for Students

Join us at one of our upcoming community meetings to learn more about the referendum, tour current spaces, and see why these improvements are needed:

• 6pm Monday, Sept. 9 at Barrington High School
• 6pm Wednesday, Sept. 18 at Station Campus
• 6pm Thursday, Sept. 19 at Barbara B. Rose Elementary

As a district, we want to ensure that our schools are a safe place for all our students. As a connection to Safety Week by using a proactive approach, we want to share this important bullying information with you early. Please click the link below to access the bullying prevention communication as we partner together to make NBS a place of positive learning.

The fall assessments will begin August 26 and run through September 13, 2024. Please see the calendar below for reference. Please use this updated schedule as we had to adjust due to a technology update.

Dear NBS Families,

We are excited to invite you to our annual NBS Movie Night on Friday, September 27th from 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm at the NBS Soccer Field. This year, we will feature the movie Despicable Me 4, with live entertainment provided by the School of Rock Barrington.

In addition to the fun, the Scholastic Book Fair will be open from 6:00 - 7:30 pm. Don’t miss out on grabbing some great books for the family!

Event Details:

• Date: September 27th
• Time: 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm
• Location: NBS Soccer Field
• Feature Film: Despicable Me 4
• Entertainment: School of Rock Barrington

You can register and purchase pizza in advance here: bit.ly/MovieNightNBS24. Complimentary popcorn will be available courtesy of the NBS PTO, and additional treats and refreshments will be available for purchase on-site.

For any questions, please contact Jackie Kardesh at jackiewetzel@gmail.com or (480) 707-7259.

We look forward to seeing you there for a fun-filled evening with friends and family!

Best regards,
NBS PTO

Fall spirit wear sale ends today - Sept 6th.

Show your colt pride around town in your new spirit gear!

Online orders will close on Sept 6, 2024.

https://stores.inksoft.com/2024fallnbs

Don't miss out! No late orders will be taken.

Questions? Contact Courtney Young or Carly Renkens

courtney.y@me.com carlyrenkens@hotmail.com

Colt Connections are back! This year the PTO will host three parent get-togethers throughout the year- one in the fall, winter, and spring. These meet-ups are meant for parents to foster connections with others while building a sense of community within our wonderful North Barrington School family.

These gatherings are agenda-free, relaxed, and designed to provide an opportunity for parents to meet and mingle in a casual and welcoming environment. Whether you’re a new parent looking to make connections or a seasoned veteran seeking to have a fun time, these events are the perfect platform to create new friendships and strengthen existing ones. Younger children are always welcome to join and play!

So come have fun with us and mark your calendars for our very first Colt Connections Meet-up! We will have a lunch date at the Kelsey Roadhouse outdoor garden on Friday, September 20 at 12:00pm. Please bring your younger ones to run around and play!

Barrington Children's Charities is looking for volunteers from the North Barrington community to help with Packs of Plenty food bags on Thursdays at Sunny Hill School. Volunteers meet at 9:00am for approximately 45 minutes and then someone is needed to deliver the bags to NBS. Please click here to sign up.

For families planning to drop off and pick up their scholar from school, please see the map below for the morning and afternoon procedures. The morning drop-off begins at 7:40 am at the playground. Please pull forward to the designated sign to allow traffic to move smoothly. , Students begin their day with recess. SAFETY NOTICE: You cannot park on Grandview or in the Circle Drive parking lot to walk your child in. If you are walking your child in because you have business with the office, please park in a legal parking space and enter the building. Otherwise, you should remain in your car and have your child exit to the sidewalk with NBS staff members' support.

Arrival and Dismissal Procedures:

Arrival: If you are a parent drop off in the morning, drop off is on the west side of the building and there is an arrival sign with cones signaling where to pull up. If the cones are green, please pull up to the crosswalk and drop off your child or children to participate in morning recess. If the cones are red, please pull them all the way around to the front door. Red cones represent indoor recess due to inclement weather. If you arrive at 7:55 or later, please pull around the front door. If it is 8:00, you need to park and walk your child into the office, sign them in, and then they will be given an attendance pass. Students who arrive at or after 8:00 am are counted as tardy.

Dismissal: If you are a parent pick-up, please arrive at school no earlier than 2:15 at our circle drive and 1:50 on Wednesdays. Children will be dismissed and adult supervision will be on hand to help direct traffic. Please make sure to notify the office and your child's teacher of any transportation updates before 2:00 pm the day of the update.

Afternoon pick-up at Circle Drive begins at 2:40 on M, T, TH, and Fridays and 2:10 pm on Wednesdays. Pick-up on the four early release days begins at 10:45 am. Please make sure to follow the directions of the staff who are supervising your children's safety.

We thank you for not using your cell phones during drop off and pick up and for supporting our procedures.

ALLERGIES:

At North Barrington, we continually focus on safety. Part of those safety procedures is allergy awareness. We want to begin the year by reminding all our families that sending group snacks or lunches to the classroom is not allowed. This includes birthday treats, trinkets, balloons, and candy.

Children can bring individual snacks to eat during their snack time and their classroom teacher will share information with you about snack. Sharing any extra foods is not part of our approved procedures and is a safety risk to our friends who have an allergy. If there is a Colt Pride celebration, teachers will work with administration and the school nurse and access the approved food list as well as notify families of students with allergies. Please do not bring or send snacks for the entire class.

PARTIES:

Our parties will have food from the approved list, and the room coordinators will work with the administration, classroom teachers, and the PTO to ensure safety.

NBS will have two parties and end-of-year events.

Our first party is on October 31, 2024, from 1:30 - 2:30, with dismissal at 2:40.

We will also have a Kindness (Valentine) Party this year. Based on input from our families and staff, we are switching to February from December. This change will give students more opportunity to celebrate with their classmates due to any possible travel during December.

Our February Kindness party will be on Friday, February 14th from 1:30 to 2:30.

More information about our parties will be shared with Room Coordinators.

Mystery Reader

Mystery Reader is an opportunity for our community to read to our colts. This year, we will have new guidelines for sign-up and book selections. More information will be shared by your child's teacher during Back to School Night on August 27th. We love mystery readers, and your child's teacher will give you details about how to sign up. Please note: For all those who participate in Mystery Reader, please do not bring candy, trinkets, or snacks to share during Mystery Reader. This will help align with our allergy awareness policies. Thank you for being so cooperative.

Research supports the importance of family involvement in education. Family involvement in education is linked to higher rates of school attendance, better grades, higher performance on testing, and much more. Family involvement increases student success mainly because of the partnership you form with the school.

Our North Barrington Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) is integral to this ongoing partnership. It supports the school in achieving the above and creates events and activities for all of us to come together as one school community. Together, the PTO and NBS staff strive to model a committed partnership focused on creating an engaging, supportive, and fun educational experience for each child.

Please take a moment to access the North Barrington PTO website to stay informed as well as join this dynamic organization. If you are new to North Barrington, the PTO will connect you with a buddy parent who will help acclimate you to NBS, help you stay informed on upcoming PTO/School events, and get you connected. One of the best ways to make new friends in a new community is to volunteer and work together on common activities or events as well as come to the PTO meetings. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Amy or Lisa if you have any questions.

General Questions - email contact for PTO:

volunteers4NBSPTO@gmail.com

September 15 - October 15 - Hispanic Heritage Month

September 9th - 13th - SAFETY WEEK

September 20th—noon—Colt Connections—Parents and caregivers are invited to socialize and enjoy lunch and drinks at Kelsey Road House.

September 23 - 27th - Fall Book Fair

September 27th - Early Release Day 10:45AM; 6:30 Pizza and NBS Fall Movie Night

October 14th - Makeup Picture Day