Barrington Weekly Update

*Having trouble viewing links? Please be sure to click the gray box above to open this newsletter in a new browser to ensure you have the best viewing experience and ensure access to all links. Some links and the layout of this newsletter may be missing if viewing on a phone.

What a fantastic start to the school year! After our first three days back, we are absolutely thrilled to have our students with us again. Their energy, curiosity, and smiles have brought our school to life, reminding us of the joy and excitement that each new year brings.

It’s been wonderful to reconnect with familiar faces and welcome new ones. We’re already seeing the enthusiasm for learning, and we can’t wait to continue this journey together. Thank you for entrusting us with your children and for being such a vital part of our school community.

Here's to a year full of growth, discovery, and shared successes!

With appreciation,

Nichole Cooper and Heather Markward

We hope you had a wonderful time at our Bobcat Kick Off Event! It was so wonderful meeting students and families as we gathered together to explore our school, see classrooms, taking a picture at the Barrington rock and spending time with friends. Thank you to our PTO for putting this together.

Our week started on Monday with teachers gearing up for the school year. On Tuesday morning our PTO provided the most delicious breakfast for our entire staff. It was an amazing way for us to gather together, hear about each other's summers, and spend time as a staff before jumping into our learning for the day. We are so thankful for this partnership and for all of you who helped make this a special start to our day.

To ensure the safety and comfort of all our students, families, and staff, we kindly ask that dogs remain on the public sidewalks during drop-off and pick-up times. We define public sidewalks as those closest to the streets on Barrington and Andover. Please do not walk them up into the school sidewalks or grass areas during the school day or during drop off/pick up. By keeping our furry friends on the public sidewalks, we can maintain a safe environment for everyone and make sure that all members of our school community feel comfortable. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!

At Barrington Elementary, we value every child's special day and strive to make their birthday a memorable occasion. To maintain a safe and healthy environment for all of our students, we have implemented the following guidelines regarding birthday celebrations in the classroom.

Birthday Treat Guidelines:

While we understand that sharing treats is a common way to celebrate birthdays, we have decided to focus on non-food items for classroom celebrations. As such, we kindly request that you do not send in edible treats or snacks for your child's birthday.

Instead, we encourage you to consider alternative ways to celebrate your child's special day, such as:

• Small items like pencils, stickers, or bookmarks

• A book donation to the classroom library in your child's name

• A special activity (coordinated with the teacher) that your child can lead or participate in

• Birthday cards or notes from home that can be shared with the class

Important: Please communicate with your child’s teacher in advance if you plan to send any non-food items for their birthday. This will allow the teacher to ensure the items are appropriate and to plan the celebration in a way that does not disrupt the learning environment.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in helping us promote a healthy and inclusive environment for all of our students. If you have any questions or need further clarification, please feel free to reach out to your child’s teacher or the school office.

We look forward to celebrating your child’s special day in a fun and meaningful way!

Students may arrive anytime between 8:00-8:15am.Students in grades 1-5 will go outside to the big playground on Barrington Road. Kindergarten students will go to the internal courtyard. All students will enter the building at 8:10am. For the safety of all our students please READ AND FOLLOW the information listed and linked below:

1. Pick Up and Drop Off Locations.

2. Stop, Drop, and GO Map and Procedures

3. Please talk with your student before school and have a PLAN for daily drop off and pick up. Teachers do not consistently check email during the day, and changing pick up plans is very stressful for our children. To the best of your ability (we know things happen) please create a plan and be as consistent as possible. Please be sure to also communicate that plan with your child's teacher and our office by filling out THIS form.

If your child receives intervention services through an Individualized Education Program, services will begin on August 21. This allows time for your child to get acclimated to the new routines and environment of their classroom, as well as gives our intervention team time to create a schedule that works best for your child.

Each year schools review their schedules and make changes such as this one for a variety of reasons, including improving the flow of the day, increasing or improving the quality of instructional time, or allowing our staff to better support student needs through team planning or classroom management techniques.

With this in mind, we are changing our lunch/recess block from one hour to 45 minutes, giving students about 20-25 minutes for each activity. As we move through the first days and weeks of school, we will be monitoring lunchroom processes to ensure every student is able to eat their meal at a comfortable pace.

We understand the importance of break times for students and will continue to prioritize time for students to play and recharge throughout the day.

Attention Parents of LAST YEAR'S 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade Students:

The Ohio State Tests Family Reports from the spring of 2024 testing window have arrived. These assessment results have been viewable to you via your PowerSchool Portal. However, we are required to give you hard copies of the assessment. Parents, please be sure to get your child/children's reports at our Parent Information Night on August 22nd from their current classroom teacher. If you are unable to attend on this evening, we will send home the reports with your student on Friday August 23rd.

Because the elementary school years are so critical to a student’s academic and personal growth, our teachers will be increasing the amount of communication regarding each student’s achievement this year.

In previous years, elementary students have received progress reports three times a year, at the end of each trimester. There have also been conference opportunities for families in the fall and the spring.

Beginning this school year, teachers will provide progress reports in January and June. In the fall and the spring, they will provide interim reports for each student. Teachers will go over each student’s fall interim report with families during conferences in October. While spring conferences are optional for families, all students will receive another interim report at that time.

Our goal is to increase meaningful conversations between teachers and families regarding each student’s individual achievement, growth and learning needs. We are excited to launch this expanded reporting system this year and look forward to collaborating with you!

We are excited to share that each student will receive a new 10th generation iPad as the 2024-2025 school year begins. These new devices include a keyboard case plus increased storage, processor speed, and a USB-C charging cable and power adapter. Elementary Student devices will be automatically configured and ready for use on the first day of school. Students will turn in the old iPads during the first few weeks of school during the school day.

Please do not apply stickers or write on the iPad keyboard cases, as devices may be reassigned to other students throughout the year. Reassignment occurs when students graduate, transfer, or when devices need repair. The new keyboard cases are district property and durable assets intended to last for several years, not consumable items.

We have received some questions about what stylus, or specifically Apple Pencil, would work with the new iPads that students are receiving for this school year. The answer is that, like the headphones, any USB-C stylus, including the Apple Pencil USB-C, will connect with the new 10th generation iPads. Students can also continue to use any non-USB-C stylus, such as the Apple Pencil 1st generation, but will need to purchase a USB-C adapter to connect the stylus to their new iPad. It is important to note that specifically the Apple Pencil Pro along with the Apple Pencil (2nd Generation) will NOT work with the student iPads.

Tuesday August 20: Positive T-Shirt Tuesday

• Back by popular demand, we will be wearing Positive T-shirts every Tuesday this school year. Feel free to join in the positivity beginning this week!

Thursday August 22nd: Parent Information Night:

• 3rd Grade Contemporary, 5:15 in the neighborhood/classrooms
• Gifted Math 4/5A, 5:30 in Room 208
• Gifted Math 3 6:00 in Room 208
• 4th Grade Progressive 6:00 in the neighborhood/classrooms
• 4th Grade Contemporary 6:00 in the gym
• Gifted GELA 6:00 in Room 111
• 5th Grade Progressive 6:45 in the neighborhood
• 5th Grade Contemporary 6:45 in the gym
• Gifted Math 5B/6 7:30 in Room 208

Friday August 23rd: Bobcat Day

Students and Staff will work together during the school day to begin to learn about our Bobcat Beliefs. Feel free to wear Barrington Spirit Wear this day or our school colors.

Sunday September 1: Golden Bear Bash, 6-10 p.m., Amelito Mirolo Barn

Monday September 2nd: Labor Day, No School

Wednesday September 18th: Early Release, 1:00pm

Thursday September 26th: Picture Day

GOLDEN BEAR SPIRIT COOKIES: Now available at The Goodie Shop Introducing the Golden Bear Spirit cookie! Stop in at the Goodie Shop from August 12-24 to pick up your cookie. A dollar from each cookie sale is donated back to enhancing the educational experiences of students.