The Colt Communicator

August 2, 2024

Dear North Barrington Families,

Welcome BACK! As the lead learner of NBS, I am honored and humbled to partner with our amazing NBS PTO to welcome our school community back to another amazing school year! We hope your summer brought relaxation and rejuvenation to return to school with excitement and positive energy for an incredible year!

Thank you to our Custodians:

Our esteemed custodial staff has been preparing our school for your return this summer. We have also been excited to see our learning spaces updated with the wonderful items your fundraising dollars allowed us to purchase. I included photos below to show how staff and teachers updated their learning spaces to support each learning style and executive functioning.

Technology Updates:

Our Technology Department also replaced all outdated Smartboards with Apple televisions. Mirroring the Apple TV screen and using the iPad will improve student and staff interaction and build on innovative learning opportunities for our Colts.

Character Strong Program:

As part of Framework 220—Health and Wellness, District 220 will implement Character Strong into our daily learning schedule. Please read this Family Welcome Letter and use this link to watch a family overview video that gives a glimpse and feedback about the program. You can also use this link to access the Family Character Strong website. Your child's teacher will tell you more about Character Strong during Back to School Night.

Playground:

Our playground has a new blacktop with hopscotch and four square games available for our students. We have also installed the 2024 5th-grade gift of basketball skins and will install new nets for the children to enjoy. Thank you again for supporting our students!

District Theme:

This year, North Barrington's theme will align with the District theme, which will be announced on August 15th. We look forward to continuing to expand our vision to empower personal excellence in every learner by focusing our vision cycle on ways to utilize high expectations for learning, problem-solving skills, and habits of empathy to increase our learning experience.

Save these Quickly Approaching Dates:

Please mark your calendars for three upcoming August events. Our New Family Welcome Social is on August 15th from 5:30 to 7:00 pm (See invitation below), our annual Popsicles with the Principals is on August 16th from 3:00 to 4:00 pm (See invitation below), and our Kindergarten Playdate the Park on August 19th from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm. Dr. West, Mrs. Jirasek, and your NBS PTO are excited to welcome you all back to a year of learning! All additional important dates are located at the bottom of this newsletter.

New Staff Members:

We also have new faces joining NBS as new staff members or staff in a new role and new NBS PTO officers to the Executive Board. Please check out their introductions below. We are beyond excited to have them join the NBS community!

A message from your PTO:

Hey there, NBS families!

As we gear up for another awesome school year, the Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) is super excited to welcome everyone back and extend a big hello to our new families joining us. We hope your summer was fun and relaxed because now it's time to dive into new adventures together!

At the PTO, our mission is to bring families and our school closer by involving parents. We support our amazing teachers by helping with classroom supplies, organizing fundraisers for extra learning goodies and events for our kids, and ensuring everyone has a blast at school and family events.

Last school year, we hosted an adult social and raised $27,000! With these funds and additional contributions from the PTO, classroom teachers could purchase new furniture for their classrooms. Items from Lakeshore Learning were delivered to NBS in June, and teachers are already setting up their learning spaces with their new pieces. Our NBS community is so generous, and thanks to you, all our kids will benefit from your donations.

We cannot do it alone to pull off another amazing year! We need your help to make this year truly special. Whether you can spare an hour to volunteer at an event, contribute ideas, or lend a hand behind the scenes, your involvement makes a huge difference. You can check out our website HERE to learn more about us, and use THIS LINK to learn how to pitch in.

We can't wait to see you at these events! Read the weekly newsletter and follow our social media to stay updated on all events. Let's make this year unforgettable for our kids and our school community!

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)

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.

Kind regards,

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

Jennifer Domanico - Kindergarten. Jennifer is transferring to NBS from Countryside Elementary, where she has taught kindergarten and second grade for many years. She is transitioning back into a full-time position and is looking forward to working with our newest colts. Jennifer is also a Barrington graduate. Jennifer is filling the vacancy created by our additional third section of Kindergarten. You can send a welcome email to Jennifer at jdomanico@barrington220.org

Ms. Jessica Kersjes - Classroom Assistant - Mrs. Domanico's classroom. Jessica is a substitute teacher in the Barrington School District and is returning to North Barrington Elementary to fill the open position in our new Kindergarten classroom. Jessica is also an NBS parent, and we look forward to working with her again! Please send Jessica a welcome email at jkersjes@barrington220.org

Ms. Jennifer Hintz - Full Instructional Academic Teacher (K-2). Jennifer joins us from Sunny Hill, where she taught special education as an experienced resource teacher for many years. Jennifer is excited to join NBS and begin working with our students in the primary special education classroom. Jennifer is filling the vacancy created by Kristen Devine's resignation. Please send a welcome email to jhintz@barrington220.org

Mr. David Lis - Nurse. David joins us from a contracted nursing position in which he supported the medical needs of secondary students in Elgin - U46. His former colleagues and administration highly recommend David. David is filling the nurse vacancy created when Emma Moyle pursued other career opportunities closer to her family. We are looking forward to working with David. Please send him a welcome email at dlis@barrington220.org

Ms. Xia Du - Chinese Immersion Teacher. This year, the Chinese Immersion program at North Barrington will include fourth grade. Xia comes to us from Countryside and is very experienced in teaching our CI students. We look forward to Xia joining us at North Barrington for the next two years. Please welcome Xia by sending her an email at xdu@barrington220.org

Mrs. Jennifer Peterson—Chinese Immersion Teacher. Jennifer is the fourth-grade English teacher in our Chinese Immersion program. Jennifer will partner with Ms. Du and join us from Countryside Elementary. Jennifer is looking forward to working with the students and families of North Barrington. Please send her a welcome email at jjpeterson@barrington220.org (Don't forget the second J in her email.)

Kate Karasek - Instructional iDAL Coach. Kate is returning to NBS from Lines Elementary where she was their iDAL instructional coach. We are happy for her return. Kate is beyond excited to work with each of you. Kate replaces our vacancy created by Lisa Riley who now teaches in the K-Lab at BHS. Please send Kate a welcome email at kkarasek@barrington220.org

Below are photos of some items purchased from the incredible NBS PTO Fundraiser, which are beginning to be used to set up our new learning spaces in classrooms.

Meet the Teacher will be August 16th from 2:00 - 2:45. This will allow students to meet their teacher and bring in any classroom supplies. Families may also tour the building and ask questions about the start of school.

If you ordered a school supply kit through the PTO in June, it will be in your child's classroom.

Student ID badges will also be distributed by homeroom teachers. Please use your red bungee from last year. They are available for purchase in the front office if you need a new one. Two dollars will be charged to your student's Infinite Campus account.

Students who are new to the district will receive a red bungee with their ID card. Please note that if you registered after July 31st, there may be a delay in receiving your ID. Students will still be allowed to ride the bus until they receive their ID.

First Day of School

Our first day of school for first through fifth grade is Monday, August 19th, and Wednesday, August 21st, for Kindergarten. Kindergarten Meet the Teacher meetings will be held on August 19th and 20th. Our kindergarten teachers, Mrs. Kruse, Ms. Doherty, and Mrs. Domanico, will schedule these meetings.

For the first day of school, please ensure your child knows their teacher's name. If they forget, that is no problem; the staff will be there to help them. We will gather on the playground, and the classroom teachers will meet their students before school and walk them into the building. Kindergarten teachers will pick up their students the first three days to get them used to being at NBS.

School hours are 8:00 - 2:40 and 8:00 - 2:10 on Wednesday. Morning recess is from 7:40 - 7:55 am. First bell rings at 7:55 am; tardy bell rings at 8:00 am; school begins promptly at 8:00 am.

Breakfast/Lunch/Snack

Please send your student a healthy snack and a refillable, non-glass water bottle on the first day of school. Classroom teachers will share additional information about snack procedures. Carbonated beverages and glass containers are not allowed. You may add funds to your student's meal account through your Infinite Campus parent portal.

Due to allergies, students are not allowed to share food/snacks with others.

Meal Options: There are three lunch options: sun butter and jelly. There will be two daily vegetable options and two fruit options. There will also be a milk-only option for those who bring their lunch from home and want milk. The menu will be shared on the District website. For your convenience, you can access the district lunch menu using this link. As you know, the menu items are subject to change based on availability.

Purchasing meals: Students purchasing meals will pay for them using their lunch cards, which will be kept in the classrooms and brought down each day. Students purchasing breakfast will provide their name and ID # to the kitchen staff; no card is needed.

If your child is going to eat at school, the prices for breakfast and lunch are below. You can add money to your scholar's account using the family portal in Infinite Campus. Applications for free and reduced meals are available in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal under the new portal. The application can be found by selecting “More” and “Meals Benefits”.

Paid Breakfast: $1.80

Paid Lunch: $3.45

Milk: $0.75

Kindergarten and First grade

This may be your child's first experience eating lunch at school. Please help your child become an independent eater by practicing opening milk cartons, juice boxes, thermos bottles, chip bags, etc.

Birthday Treats/Gift Bags or Trinkets – Please note

North Barrington does not allow trinkets or other birthday treats/gift bags to be handed out at school. Your child's classroom teacher will continue to recognize your colt's special day in their age-appropriate way within their classrooms. The office will recognize them with a birthday pencil and announce their birthday on the morning announcements.

Security Measures - Please note

Our NBS security received an update this summer, including new door locks. This is in addition to last year's update, which included a video monitoring system, a transaction window, cubbies to replace our oops table, and new check-in procedures. We thank you in advance as you follow these very important security protocols.

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.

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 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

Attention New NBS Families!

We are excited to welcome you to the NBS community! Join us on August 15th from 5:30-7:00 PM for a special event just for you. This is a great opportunity to come into the school, meet our wonderful principals, Dr. West and Mrs. Jirasek, and connect with other new and veteran NBS families.

Enjoy a relaxed social time where you can ask any questions and get to know the community. Plus, take a student-led tour of the school and see what makes NBS such a special place.

**Calling All Veteran Families!** We are looking for student volunteers and their parents to help show new families around. We also need current families to be a Buddy Family for new families. If you’re interested, please reach out to our welcoming team (thank you Abbey Vesely and Carrie Marquis!). You can email Abbey at abbey.vesely@yahoo.com.

We look forward to seeing you there and making you feel right at home!

WHO: All North Barrington Families and Students

WHAT: Meet Dr. West, NBS Principal, and Mrs. Sara Jirasek, Assistant Principal, and spend some time with your school friends

WHEN: August 16th - 3:00 - 4:00 pm

WHERE: North Barrington Playground

Kindergarten Families,

Please join the North Barrington PTO Welcoming Committee for a fun morning on Monday, August 19TH, at the Lake Barrington Village Hall Park. Stop by between 10:30 and 12:30 to meet new NBS friends, play, and have fun!

The park has a splash pad, so bring a suit and towel if your child wants.

If you have any questions, please contact Abbey Vesely at abbey.vesely@yahoo.com or Carrie Marquis at ctaylor220@gmail.com or the NBS PTO at volunteers4nbspto@gmail.com

We will have a snack and water available. We hope to see you there!

The Lake Barrington Village Hall Park is located at 23860 N. Old Barrington Road, Lake Barrington

Do you like to help plan the classroom FUN? Do you like to be hands-on in the classroom and work closely with your child’s teacher? Then the Room Coordinator position is for you! If you have not put your name in the mix yet and would like to, please fill out the SHORT form below. We will try accommodating everyone, but we won't know classroom assignments until YOU do in mid-August. Once we have the class lists, we can assign the Oh-So-Important RCs! If you have any questions, please contact our RC Chair, Laura Canale, at lglombowski@hotmail.com. We would LOVE to have you on board!

August 5th - 5:00 pm Class lists are available in the Parent Portal of Infinite Campus

August 15th - August 16th - Teacher Institute Days

August 15th - 5:30 to 7:00 pm - Welcome New Families Social at NBS

August 16th - 2:00 - 2:45 pm - Meet the Teacher Event First through fifth grades; 3:00 - 4:00 Popsicles with the Principals on the Playground;

August 19th - First day of school first through fifth grade;

August 19th - Kindergarten Playdate - Fun times in the park meeting new friends & families

August 21st- First day of school for kindergarten

August 23rd - 9:05 am in Circle Drive - NBS theme kick-off and welcome back rally

August 27th - 6:30 to 8:00 pm Back to School Night; 6:30 - 7:00 Admin & NBS PTO; 7:00-7:30 Classroom & 7:30 - 8:00 Classroom

August 28th - Room Coordinator meeting and General PTO meeting (9 AM) - Join us for coffee and find out how you can get involved.

August 30th - 10:45 Early Release for students; 11:30 am -2:45 pm Teacher Training

August 23rd - September 30th - Fastbridge and NWEA MAP testing window open

September - Hispanic Heritage Month

September 5th - Picture Day

September 9th - 13th - SAFETY WEEK

September 20th—12:00 pm—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 - 6:30 Pizza and NBS Fall Movie Night