The Big Cat Courier
Your Source for Big Cat News, Right Meow
August 30, 2024
Final Smore Generated Edition
Good Afternoon Barnard Families,
I'm happy to report that the first two days of SY2024-2025 have been successfully completed here at HBS! Having our students back in the building after a summer away always brings a buzz of positivity but this year you can feel it in the air. Thank you so much for entrusting your little ones to our care and I speak for every member of the staff when I pledge to offer each and every child the best possible school experience we can!
If you haven't had the opportunity to read through the material in Wednesday afternoon's edition of the newsletter, you can find it all below. Please take a few moments to learn about ParentSquare, our drop off and pick up procedures, how to apply for free or reduced school breakfast and lunch, and much more!
Speaking of school breakfast and lunch, please remember that neither is free any longer unless you qualify for free or reduced meals through nutrition services. You can find information about how to apply for free or reduced school meals below. Also, our goal is to have next week's Friday update created and transmitted via ParentSquare so be on the lookout as it will look a bit different than previous editions of The Big Cat Courier. The update will be blasted out to you via the preferred method you selected in the system so some families will receive an email while others may receive a text. If you haven't signed up and downloaded the application for ParentSquare yet, please see the information below to ensure that you don't miss out on any school and district updates.
Thank you for your time and enjoy the long weekend with your kids!
Community Health Center, Inc. Services Available at HBS
Kids spend most of their days in school, so when therapy services are located inside of the school building, the benefits to the student are huge. Students don’t have to miss as much class to get to an appointment and parents don’t have worry about transporting them to outpatient clinics after school hours. Our School Based Health Center Clinician at Henry Barnard Elementary School is Vicky Leone, LCSW.
Vicky provides extensive behavioral health treatment to students struggling with issues related to adjustment to divorced or split families, grief associated with death or loss, trauma symptoms, self-regulation, self-harming behaviors/statements, ADHD/impulsivity concerns, anger and aggression, depression, social anxiety, those who struggle with transitions between activities, bullying, ADHD symptoms, and many more. These services are free to all students with Medicaid insurance and CHC offers sliding scale options for those with private insurance.
If you are interested and would like to enroll, please visit www.sbhc1.com, or if just want to speak to Vicky and learn more about this program, please don’t hesitate to email her at leonev@chc1.com.
Sincerely,
Vicky Leone, LCSW
Upcoming Dates to Keep an Eye On
Upcoming Dates to Keep an Eye On
***First Day of School on Thursday, 8/29***
-No School in Observance of Labor Day on Monday, 9/2
-Picture Day on Tuesday, 9/17
-Open House from 5:30-6:30PM on Wednesday, 9/18
-Early Release on Wednesday, 9/25
Important Information from Previous Editions of The Big Cat Courier
Communication and ParentSquare
Yes, we are saying goodbye to SchoolMessenger (which is how this newsletter is being sent), Smore (which is how this newsletter is being written), and Remind for teachers and families to communicate. Enfield Public Schools is moving to ParentSquare, an application that encompasses all three means of communication. We are currently in the process of transitioning so you'll start to see the shift as more and more educators across the district make the move. There are some early adopters so don't be alarmed if you know somebody already using Parent Square but your child's teacher hasn't made the shift yet. Our official training has yet to occur but is planned for September. Here is a link to some useful ParentSquare information for families:
Drop Off and Pickup Procedures at HBS
Student Drop Off
If a child is being dropped off, we will be using the doors in the back parking lot in between the library and gymnasium. Please remain in your car as you loop around the back lot to drop your child off at the doors. If you are the family of a walker, please look for the orange traffic cones at the drop off doors to guide you safely into that space.
Please note that during arrival times, the front doors to the school are being reserved to receive bus students only. All other students, will use the doors in the back parking lot between the library and gymnasium. If you need to speak with somebody from the main office in person, please plan to do so before or after student drop off to alleviate congestion at the front doors.
To better support orderly traffic flow on campus and on Shaker Road, please stick to the right lane of the entry driveway. This will allow buses to line up and use the left lane leading down to the loop in the front of the building. It is also helpful in keeping the drop off line moving efficiently if students have their backpacks ready and have said their goodbyes before the vehicle pulls up to the arrival doors.
During the first two weeks of school, all non-classroom teachers will be strung through the halls of our building to help students to their classrooms. It will be helpful if you label your child's backpack with their name and room number/teacher.
If you are dropping your child to school tardy, please park in the front lot and walk your child to the front door. Ring the doorbell and we will assist you right away.
Student Dismissal
Students being picked up at the end of the day will be dismissed directly from the back door of your child's classroom. Please park in the parking lot and walk to the exterior door of your child's classroom. Also, please remember to bring a picture ID on the first day as well as your child's dismissal card on subsequent days (they will be sent home with your child on their first day of classes).
Students taking the bus will continue to be dismissed through the front doors. Because buses are dismissed one at a time, the front doors are being reserved for bus students only. If a family has business with the main office during dismissal, we appreciate your patience as we complete the dismissal process. We will assist you as soon as possible.
Daycare vans and small buses are located in the back lot and side lot, respectively. Building staff are assigned to those locations to ensure students safely board the correct vehicle.
If you are dismissing your child during the school day, please park in the main lot and ring the doorbell at the front of the building for assistance.
Parking Lot Safety
The parking lot at HBS is a very busy place, especially during arrival and dismissal times. With so many buses, big and small, and private vehicles rolling through campus, it is imperative that everyone observes the speed limits, the traffic flow patterns, and plan for a little extra time due to potential traffic delays. I acknowledge that it can be frustrating when we feel stuck in a line of traffic, especially when you have an appointment or strict start time at work. However, I can't stress enough that safety is our first priority.
School Breakfast and Lunch
The State and Federal pandemic emergency funding that provided free breakfast for all students in Enfield ended with the last school year. Breakfast and lunch is still available for purchase daily.
Families are encouraged to apply for income-based free or reduced lunch to either help moderate or eliminate school lunch prices for their child. The application for income-based free or reduced lunch is available through our Nutrition Services Department, at:
Prices and payment methods for school breakfast and lunch can be found at the following link:
Prices and Payment of Lunches - Enfield Public Schools (enfieldschools.org)
Please note that every class has a scheduled snack time, however, there is no option to purchase snack at school and we cannot provide snack to our students. Please plan to send a healthy, easy to open snack and drink/water bottle to school with your child each day.
iPads and Insurance
Enfield Public Schools is a 1:1 district meaning every student receives an iPad for use at school. They are equipped with learning applications to help students learn the skills they need to find success in school. We take screen time very seriously and use the iPad as a focused tool that supplements traditional learning in our classrooms. Students do not play non-educational games, watch non-curricular videos, nor use the iPad for non-directed work.
iPad insurance is not required but I can't express enough how strongly I recommend families purchase it. The district uses the same mySchoolBucks application for families to purchase insurance. At a cost of $25 per device, it is far more affordable than having to pay for a broken device out of pocket. For more information and directions on how to purchase iPad insurance please follow the link below:
Our PTO Needs YOU!
Our Parent Teacher Organization is always looking for families who want to be involved in a school related worthwhile cause. If that's you, we'd love to see you at our first meeting! Meetings are traditionally held on Tuesday evenings, once per month and over the last couple of school years, they've been held via Zoom for families' convenience. The schedule of forthcoming meetings is in development and will be shared shortly but until then, families can reach the PTO at Barnardcrandallpto@gmail.com or through their Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/barnardcrandallpto.
Elementary Handbook
The Student Handbook is packed with information for families about dates, policies, procedures, and more. Please take some time to take a look through the document. It can be found at the following link:
Attendance Information
Student Attendance and Student Attendance Update Letters
https://viewer.joomag.com/eps-elementary-handbook-2023-24/0028781001692965944?auth_sso=1
As noted in the EPS BOE attendance policy, letters outlining current student attendance are sent home to alert families of their child's absences. The letters are sent to families when their child has reached absence number 5, again at 9, followed by one at 10, and then every few absences after that.
The letters report overall absences from school rather than just unexcused absences. The State collects student attendance data yearly and looks only at overall absences, which mirrors the letters sent home to families.
If you have any wonderings regarding what an excused vs unexcused absence is, when the State deems a child to be Truant, or when they are assigned a designation of Chronically Absent, please take a look at the policy where it is outlined in detail. If you still have questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to us here at the school so we can help.
Helping Everyone Remain Healthy and Learning
Childhood illness is a part of growing up and while we value our students' good attendance, we also know that there are times when kids need to stay home to rest. Here are some guidelines to follow when making the decision on whether or not to send your child to school.
• If your child has a fever (temperature greater than 100 degrees), they will need to remain home until they are fever free for 24 hours without medication;
• If your child is dismissed from school due to a fever, they will need to remain home the following day and until they are fever free without medication for 24 hours;
• If your child is ill with vomiting and/or diarrhea, they will need to remain home until they are free of these symptoms for 24 hours and are well enough to return to school;
• If your child is ill with COVID, they will need to remain home for 5 days following the onset of symptoms or a positive test – presuming symptoms are improving.
By following these protocols, we can help minimize exposure to illnesses here at school, which translates to healthier kids, teachers, and families. Thank you in advance for your diligence.
Are You Looking for Meaningful Work with Child Friendly Hours?
Enfield Public Schools is looking for good people to help us do good work for students. If you're looking for meaningful work where you can make a real difference in the lives of others AND need to keep child friendly hours, EPS may be the opportunity you've been looking for! From Paraprofessional and Behavior Technician positions to Long-term and Building Substitute positions, our available career opportunities run the gamut of possibilities. Follow the link to our current postings for more information about available positions: https://enfield.tedk12.com/hire/index.aspx
Planning Ahead for Early Release Days
While it can feel tricky, planning ahead for Early Release Days alleviates a tremendous amount of stress and anxiety for your child. Students who mistakenly don't get picked up at 1:50 or who are returned to school by the bus company because there was nobody at the bus stop to get them off the bus are often fearful of the situation. While I can assure you that your child will always be safe in the main office until you arrive, students often arrive shaken and scared about what happened and what might come next. Families can easily stay informed about when Early Release Days are planned throughout the year by keeping a copy of the school calendar handy and by relying on SchoolMessenger reminders that are sent out by EPS. Please see the section above about schoolMessenger and PowerSchool to make sure those channels are open to you. You can also access the school calendar at:
https://www.enfieldschools.org/calendar/2023-24_school_calendar
Monthly Safety Drills
SBHC Is Available to Support Students at Henry Barnard School:
Our Community Partners -
The Family Resource Center (FRC)
For more information, please follow this link: https://www.enfield-ct.gov/375/Family-Resource-Center
Enfield Resources for Children (ERfC)
Follow this link for more information: https://erfcinc.org/
The Big Cat Courier
Enfield Public Schools
Learning Through Play
Henry Barnard School
Email: jgraham@enfieldschools.org
Website: https://henry.sharpschool.com/
Location: 27 Shaker Road, Enfield, CT, USA
Phone: (860) 253-6540
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EnfieldPublicSschools/
Twitter: @EnfieldPS