The Colt Communicator

Dear North Barrington Families,

As the holiday season approaches, we want to take a moment to reflect on what makes North Barrington such a special place: all of you. From the students who bring joy and curiosity to our classrooms, the families who show steadfast support, and the staff who go above and beyond each day—you are the heart of our incredible school community.

This year has been filled with learning, growth, and countless moments of kindness and collaboration. Whether you volunteered your time, supported school events, or simply cheered on our students, your dedication has made a profound difference. We are so grateful for all you do to support North Barrington Elementary School.

As you head into the winter break, we hope you take time to rest, enjoy the company of loved ones, and create new memories. May this holiday season bring warmth, happiness, and peace to you and your family.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support of our school. We are so fortunate to have such a wonderful community, and we look forward to seeing everyone back in the new year, ready for more learning and growth together.

Wishing you a safe, joyful, and restful holiday season!

Happy New Year!

Dr. Lisa West, Mrs. Sara Jirasek, Mrs. Kalin Lomas, and Mrs. Lisa Neyfeldt

REMINDERS:

Parent Drop off After 8:00 am: As you are aware, we are making strides in improving our attendance at NBS. A vital part of this is punctuality. Our second bell rings promptly at 8:00 am, and your child must be in their classroom to be considered on time. If you arrive at or after 8:00 am, please park your car, escort your child or children into the office, and sign them in. They will then receive a welcome pass and be directed to their class. Please remember, it is not safe to drop your child off at the curb or front door at or after 8:00 am and leave them unsupervised. Rest assured, we have measures in place to ensure their safety. We appreciate your understanding and support in this matter!

MEDICAL/DENTAL EXCUSAL:

If your child leaves school for a medical/dental appointment an excuse note from the healthcare provider is required for the absence to be excused. Please return the note to the building office staff following the appointment. Thank you!

ATTENTION TO ATTENDANCE:

Please click here for D220's Attendance Procedures.

UPDATE TO DISMISSAL (CIRCLE DRIVE):

Please note that if you are having your child go home with another family at the end of the day, please make sure to copy the office in your communications. The communication MUST reach the office by 2:15 pm for the change in transportation to be updated. For safety, we must know where children are at all times.

LOST & FOUND:

The lost & found racks are overflowing!! Please encourage your child(ren) to check for missing belongings. Parents are also welcome to come in and check the racks.

***ALL UNCLAIMED ITEMS WILL BE DONATED DURING WINTER BREAK***

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)

Get ready for an unforgettable night of basketball, fun, and memories! The PTO is hosting a Family Fun Night at the Windy City Bulls game on February 8th at 7:00 PM—doors open at 6:00 PM, so come early to get settled in!

This is your chance to bring everyone in your family for an evening of excitement and community. The best part? All NBS families will be seated together in a special section, creating a fun, energetic vibe just for us!

What to Expect:

• Tickets are just $25 per person, and $5 from each ticket goes right back to support our PTO programs!

• Bring your favorite items for autographs—players often stop by our area for a meet-and-greet, so don’t miss your chance to get an autograph from your favorite Windy City Bull!

• Enjoy great food, exciting basketball, and the chance to cheer on our local team alongside your NBS friends!

Ticket Deadline:

• Tickets are available until February 6th.

• HERE is the link to buy your tickets.

Questions? Email Jackie Kardesh at jackiewetzel@gmail.com.

Let’s make this a night to remember! We can’t wait to see you there—bring your family, your spirit, and your energy for a fantastic time at the game.

We will have outdoor recess unless the "feels like" temperature is below 0 degrees. To keep students as warm and dry as possible, children should have snow pants, a warm coat, hat, gloves/mittens, and snow boots. When there is snow on the ground, students without snow pants and boots must remain on the blacktop. Ensuring students wear proper winter clothing items will support the fun they have at recess on our amazing playground and sled hill when there's snow.

As we head into winter, we would like to remind families of Barrington 220’s inclement weather protocol. In the event of inclement weather, the Superintendent of Schools will implement one of the following three scenarios:

School Canceled

All school buildings will be closed and students will make up the inclement weather day at the end of the school year.

Early Dismissal

There may be some rare occasions where it will be necessary to dismiss school early. On these days, middle and high schools will dismiss first. Elementary school students will be released at their regular dismissal time.

eLearning

All school buildings will be closed, however students and staff will complete the school day from home. This would eliminate the need to make up days at the end of the school year. Teachers will check their usual electronic communication methods throughout the day during regular school hours, to support students.

Barrington Children's Charities hosts Packs of Plenty (POP) every Thursday at Sunny Hill Elementary School, and we’re looking for NBS parents to help!

What do you do? Show up at Sunny Hill from 9:00-9:45am on a Thursday and join several other Barrington community members to pack food bags for students from under-resourced homes in Barrington. After packing food, one NBS volunteer drives the food to the front office at NBS so food can be passed out to students for the weekend.

It’s a great way to meet others and help kids in our community! Grab a friend and choose a day or to show up!

If you would like to sign-up to be a NBS volunteer, sign up HERE. If you have any questions or would like to be a permanent NBS volunteer for this program, please contact Ashley Samz at AshleySamzPTO@gmail.com or (847) 644-9163 (call/text).

The lost & found racks are overflowing! Please encourage your student to peruse the racks for possible missing items. We highly recommend writing your student's name on their items whenever possible. Parents are also welcome to come in and check the racks.

*** UNCLAIMED ITEMS WILL BE DONATED DURING WINTER BREAK ****

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 February Kindness party will be on Thursday, February 13th from 1:30 to 2:30.

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