Our school year is off to a great start at Bell Fork Elementary! Our students have begun learning and establishing daily routines. We appreciate your patience during the first few weeks of school as transportation routines are established. A few reminders I want to share:
-When checking out students, adults must always have a photo id.
-Please remember no students can be dropped off on campus before 8:15am each morning.
-Parents choosing to park and walk their child to the Parent Zone Drop Off location must park in the gravel parking lot on the far right side of our campus. Parents should follow the sidewalk next to the fence behind the kindergarten building.
-Students being dropped off after 8:30am must be accompanied to the office by an adult to sign them in tardy.
-It is important your child's teacher knows how they will be going home each day. If there is a transportation change, we must have a note signed from the parent/guardian. Our drop off locations for walk up and car rider are different. We want to ensure your child is in the correct spot each day.
-Teachers will not always have access to Class Dojo messages during the instructional day. Please understand if you send a message during the school day, the teacher may not see it until after school dismisses.
We look forward to welcoming you to our Open House on Thursday, September 26th from 5:00pm-6:30pm. This is a great chance to see what your child has been learning! Our fall book fair will also be open during Open House. We look forward to seeing all our families on the 26th.
Melissa Dedmond
BFES Assistant Principal
Kindergarten
We are so excited to have all our new Kindergarteners here with us this year! During the first few weeks of school, we will be administering Beginning of the Year Assessments. This will help us know what each student already knows and where to start their learning path.
We will also be focusing on classroom and school routines and procedures. Please be sure to watch ClassDojo and discuss your students positive and negative points with them. This will help them understand the connection between home and school.
Finally, Take Home Binders have been sent home with your student. Please be sure to check this Binder daily. Important papers are put in the front pocket of the binder. Please review and complete (if necessary) any papers and return. There is also a money pouch for any money (lunch, school fees, etc) being sent to school. Please be sure to fill out the paper in the pocket with the amount enclosed and what it is for.
Thank you so much for your help and support this year!
First Grade
First grade will be working on having children learn some sight words from the word lists that will soon be included in your childβs binder. Parents can help their child by working on learning these words at home.
Students will identify common nouns that name a person in orally presented phrases.
Students will decode CVC words and phrases using /a/, /i/, and /o/. Examples, cat, gap, bit, sip, cot, fog, etc.
Students will be working on learning number partners for ten. For example, 3+7=10, 2 +8=10, 1+9=10, 4+6=10, 5+5= 10, etc.
Add and subtract within 20, demonstrating fluency for addition and subtraction within 10. Use strategies such as counting and making ten (e.g., 8 + 6 = 8 + 2 + 4 = 10 + 4 = 14)
Apply properties of operations as strategies to add and subtract.
Some social studies and science themes that we will be learning about are apples, fall, weather and the American pledge.
Second Grade
This month 2nd graders will be completing their beginning of the year assessments for reading and math. Students actively engage in a vibrant learning environment where they review sounds and reading strategies to enhance their literacy skills. Through the exploration of fairytales and tall tales, they not only enjoy captivating stories but also learn to identify key elements such as characters, settings, and plots, fostering their comprehension abilities. Additionally, students develop mental strategies for addition and subtraction, allowing them to solve problems more efficiently. They practice techniques like counting on, making ten, and using number lines, which build a strong mathematical foundation and boost their confidence in mathematics.
Third Grade
August and September brought happy, smiling faces to third grade. We were so excited to welcome our third graders back who were returning to Bell Fork and meet students who are new to our school. Third graders learned and practiced many routines and developed Essential Agreements for how the classroom will run as well participated in many morning meetings. The teachers laid the foundation for learning and are excited to get started on ELA, Math, Science and Social Studies. This is going to be a great year!
Fourth Grade
Welcome to 4th grade! We are excited to begin learning more about the students as we review classroom rules and procedures to make this year a breeze. For the month of September, students will continue to partake in class discussions including taking ownership of their learning, accountability, and understanding new math, ELA, Science, and Social Studies content as the year progresses! We are looking forward to another great school year.
Fifth Grade
Welcome to Fifth Grade! We have been waiting all summer to meet our fabulous Bulldogs and have been enjoying getting to know each of them! As we continue to learn and reinforce rules and procedures, please encourage your child to continue showing excellence at home as students will start having more homework. Our fifth graders have already begun writing skills in ELA and will be diving into the reading and social studies curriculum as the month progresses. They have also started learning about the coordinate plane in math and are ROCKING it! We will start learning about volume and multiplication in math as well as exploring force and motion concepts in science. We can already tell that this year is going to be amazing! Thank you for your support so far, and we look forward to working with you!
Student Services
School Counselor News-
School Counselors are certified/licensed educators who improve student success for ALL students by implementing a comprehensive school counseling program. A big part of my job is visiting classrooms monthly to teach lessons. I also offer individual short-term counseling for students who need it. I can provide a list of therapists in the community if a student needs more assistance than I can provide. Small group counseling is available to students who are experiencing similar issues at various times throughout the year. For the month of September, my lessons will focus on introducing myself to students and explaining the ways that I can help them.
School Nurse News-
Reminder for parents/guardians with Kindergarten students - Up to date immunization records & NC health assessments are due by September 24th in order to continue at school. Please contact me if you have any questions or need any help with resources to complete those items π
**A very special opportunity will be happening soon - The Smile North Carolina in-school dentist is coming to our school early November - more information to come soon π
**All children with fevers of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or greater will be excluded from school until fever-free for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications (Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Motrin, Aspirin, etc.). Those with vomiting and/or diarrhea can return when they have been symptom free for 24 hours
School Social Worker News-
I am Karen Dew, and this is my second year as school social worker at Bell Fork Elementary School. In my roll as school social worker, I monitor attendance, provide extra support for students when they face challenges, provide support and resources for students and their families as needed. I provide encouragement and motivation for students that need extra support and understanding. I am also the contact person for the CHEW Program which provides weekend food for students and distribute the weekend bags on Fridays. If you feel I can be of assistance for your student and/or family, please reach out to me by calling me at 910-347-4459 ext. 74015.
Specials
*In Music for the month of September, we will be working on understanding and applying beat verses rhythm. Also identifying rhythmic values in music. Ex: note and rest identification and values.
* In Art we will be focusing on creating our own art using a variety of different mediums.
In PE, students will be reviewing rules, expectations, and safety procedures. Students will also participate in warm-up, movement, and getting to know each other activities.
*In Media Center - Book Fair will be: September 23-27, 2024 September is National Library Card month! Visit your local library today!
* In Spanish- Students are reviewing vocabulary and conversation.
This year we are "Cultivating Bilinguals"
