Principal Update for Families

Parents and guardians,

It is hard to believe that we are in our fourth week of school already. Our students have done a great job of getting back into school routines and being respectful, responsible, and safe. Please see below for important information about important upcoming dates and reminders.

Please remind your students to charge their Chromebooks each night. The best method is to have your students plug in their Chromebooks in their backpacks so they are charged and ready for the day, and that way will not forget their devices.

Chromebook sleeves are available to help protect the device in the main office for $10.

Thank you to everyone helping to safely drop off and pick up of students in our designated areas. Please remember that there are two lanes in the loop on Grand Avenue and that students can be dropped off anywhere along the sidewalk in front of the building. Students are also able to be picked up and dropped off at our neighbor's across the street at Connections Church.

Teachers are available for help in the morning beginning at 7:40 am. Students need talk to their teachers the day before to make a plan and get signed up. Students will then enter the building and check-in to head to that teacher's classroom.

No pets / dogs are allowed on school property. This includes all after school events such as cross country meets, football games, and softball games.

The vast majority of our students have done a great job being respectful and wearing clothing that follows our handbook rules. The following information outlines the student dress code requirements from our student handbook:

Students are expected to wear clothing appropriate for a school setting – no spaghetti straps, belly shirts, short shorts or lewd or offensive messaging on clothing etc. Students may not wear clothing that exposes undergarments of any kind, or that reveal skin on the lower back or belly (midriff). Shorts should extend to fingertip length down the legs, and pants with holes in them need to follow the same guideline. Holes in jeans should not expose skin on the upper thigh or buttocks areas. Shirts should adequately cover shoulders and upper back areas, as well as the midriff. Any clothing containing advertisements for alcohol and/or drugs are not allowed. Hats and hoods are not allowed to be worn in the school building unless on a designated Spirit Day. As per District policy 3224 and 3203-P1.

On October 3rd and 4th, classes will dismiss at 12 pm for middle school parent-teacher conferences. Buses will run as normal, just at the earlier release time. These informal conferences will take place on Thursday, October 3rd from 12:30 - 6:30 pm. Teachers will be dismissed immediately after the students on Friday since they will be staying late Thursday. Sack lunches are available for students to take home with them both days. If your student has not already done so, and would like a sack lunch, please have them complete this sack lunch survey that was emailed to them.

The format for middle school conferences is different from the scheduled elementary conferences you may be used to. You are free to walk to any of your student’s classrooms and visit with those teachers, then move to another classroom. We will have chairs set up outside each teacher’s classroom for you to wait in until that teacher is free. Considering the large number of students at Ben Steele, please try to limit your time with teachers to 5 - 10 minutes. If you do not have enough time to visit with the teachers you need to, please email those teachers directly.

If any of you know someone interested in helping our students navigate 56th St. W. and Grand Ave. before and after school, please encourage them to apply using this link. The position begins each morning from 7:15 - 8:15 am and then again from 2:30 - 3:30 pm (1:30 - 2:30 pm on Wednesday).

If your student is interested in participating in clubs, please make sure that you sign the appropriate permission slip for them to participate.

Everyone is encourage to attend Saturday Live! this Saturday at the Metra from 10 am - 4 pm. There will be a Ben Steele booth there and all proceeds raised go directly to our Ben Steele PTO.

• Please make sure that you are contacting Mrs. Krogh at 601-1605 if your student will be absent or needs to be checked out early for an appointment.

Principal: Nathan Talafuse 406-601-1603

Associate Principal: Rob Bryson 406-601-1604

Secretarial Staff:

• Mrs. Figg 406-601-1601
• Mrs. Hazelet 406-601-1602
  
• Mrs. Krogh 406-601-1605

Website: www.bensteelems.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bensteelems/