Evening Star Elementary
September 2023-2024
A Note from Principal Williams:
Evening Star Families,
Wow! First and foremost, the Evening Star Staff and I want to thank all of our families for an incredible start to the school year. The first 13 school days have been phenomenal. ESE Families - Thank you for all you have done to prepare your precious little owlets to return to their ESE nest and help make this the best start to the school year ever. There is nothing better than watching our little owls run to our front doors, eager to enter the building when they arrive in the morning. The excitement and love for learning are already radiating throughout our building. The level of engagement with learning and the smiles on our little owls’ faces are evident in every classroom and learning environment. Over the past few weeks, our owls have been focused on learning and developing a deeper understanding of our core beliefs (integrity, teamwork, growth, empathy, and enthusiasm), creating their classroom matrix with their homeroom teacher, reviewing our PBIS expectations, and building connections with their peers. As we head into week 4, we are excited to see our owls continue to Soar Beyond Greatness.
We have several family events planned for the month of September. Next week, Wednesday, September 6th - Friday, September 9th, our building is hosting our annual Grandparents Luncheon to celebrate Grandparents Day. To accommodate this highly attended event, this year, our Grandparents Luncheon will occur over a three-day period based on the grandchild’s first initial of their last name.
- Wednesday, September 6th -A-G
- Thursday, September 7th - H-M
- Friday, September 8th - N-Z
Please RSVP by completing the linked Google form. RSVPs are due by Tuesday, September 5th, so our cafeteria staff can plan accordingly. Please complete one RSVP form for each child who will have a grandparent joining them for lunch. The lunch times for each grade level are listed in the linked Google Form. Grandparents, as you know, your grandchild’s safety is a top priority for the Bentonville School District and the Evening Star Elementary staff. As per Bentonville Schools policy, anyone who would like to attend various school functions, have lunch with their grandchild, etc., must have their ID processed through our Raptor system. We ask all parents and grandparents to assist us with this process by ensuring you have a valid driver’s license or a state identification card when coming to the school. Please be advised any visitor who does not have a valid driver’s license or state identification card will be denied access to any part of the building beyond the office door. Thank you so much for your understanding and for making our students’ safety a top priority.
We will host our annual Walk In My Shoes Night on Thursday, September 21st. This event is designed to share with families the types of skills their child will be learning in their grade level. You will learn about your child’s daily schedule and the routines and expectations of their classroom. Each homeroom teacher will host a Walk In My Shoes Night in their own classroom. Homeroom teachers will be sending out additional information and a sign-up for specific time blocks.
- Kindergarten Only - 4:30-5:00 p.m.
1st - 4th Grade:
- Time Slot #1 - 5:00-5:30 p.m.
- Time Slot # 2- 5:30-6:00 p.m.
- Time Slot # 3 - 6:00-6:30 p.m.
Our PTO has secured a bounce house and planned numerous fun activities for our families. They will also have Chick-fil-A available for purchase. More details to follow soon. Watch our social media pages and an email from your child's homeroom teacher.
We have several volunteer opportunities available at Evening Star. If you are interested in volunteering, please complete this Volunteer Google Form. Prior to volunteering, volunteers must attend one of our volunteer trainings and complete our volunteer confidentiality forms. Our next volunteer training is Tuesday, September 12th, at 6:00 p.m. in our ESE cafeteria. Thank you for all your volunteering efforts for our school. With your support and help, we can continue to make Evening Star the best elementary school in the state of Arkansas. Please complete 1 form per parent: https://forms.gle/A8smMTEAcfz9RSKg9
Speaking of events, we have attached a link HERE to our 2023-2024 Parent Engagement Plan. At Evening Star, we believe family engagement is a critical component to the success and growth of all students. On pages 6 and 7 of this PDF, you will see a calendar of additional events our team has tentatively scheduled for this school year.
Our morning and afternoon car line is running smoothly. Parents, we do want to ask for your help with a couple of things.
- Please wait to let your children out until you round the corner rather than along the side of the building near our 1st-4th grade classrooms. We do not have duty staff available to monitor this side, and we want to keep our littles safe.
- Please put your cell phones down.
- Close the gap between cars. Every inch in line counts!
- When exiting onto Pleasant Grove Road from Roberts Road between the hours of 7:00-8:00 a.m. as well as 2:30-3:00 p.m., please do not turn left. When cars turn left onto Pleasant Grove Road, it completely disrupts our car line.
Thank you for your assistance and understanding.
Over the school year, we will continue to send out monthly newsletters containing a variety of information regarding news from our auxiliary staff, updates from the office, and information from our PTO. Throughout the newsletter, you will notice multiple links to various websites, Google forms, and email contacts. Simply click on the blue hyperlink to connect with ease.
If you have not had a chance to join the Evening Star Parent Teacher Organization, we want to encourage you to do so. Our PTO will have regularly scheduled meetings to synergize and partner with school staff to create a school community that enhances our students’ education and school experience.
Finally, our goal is to continue to build a culture based on our core values: integrity, teamwork, growth, empathy, and enthusiasm. Together we will cultivate these values in the lives of your children. Furthermore, we will work together to make our stakeholder-developed vision and mission here at Evening Star a reality. Our mission is Evening Star Elementary - Where owls empower each other to be our best selves by soaring for the stars in every way. Our core values and mission align with our vision - We are committed to continuing a legacy of excellence that impacts the world around us.
Thank you for sharing your precious children with us!
Future ESE Events:
Here are just a few events that we have planned so far. Mark your calendars now and keep a watch out for more events over the course of the school year:
- Sept. 4th - School will not be in session in observance of Labor Day.
- Sept. 5th - Kindergarten & 2nd Grade MAP Testing
- Sept. 6th - Kindergarten & 1st Grade MAP Testing
- Sept. 7th - 2nd Grade MAP Testing
- Sept. 8th - 1st Grade MAP Testing
- Sept. 6th - Grandparents Luncheon A-G
- Sept. 7th - Grandparents Luncheon H-M
- Sept. 8th - Grandparents Luncheon N-Z
- Sept. 12th - PTO Meeting & Volunteer Training 6:00-7:30 p.m.- Volunteer Sign-up
- Sept. 18th - 22nd - Start with Hello Week
- Sept. 17th - Constitution Day (Observed on Sept. 18th)
- Sept. 21st- Walk In My Shoes Night(See times listed above.)
- Sept. 24th - ESE PTO Pickleball Tournament
- Sept. 25th-29th - Celebrate Freedom Week
October:
- Oct. 2nd - School Custodian Appreciation Day
- Oct. 10th - PTO Meeting 8:30 am
- Oct. 12th - Fall Pictures
- Oct. 13th -16th - Fall Break - School will not be in session.
- Oct. 23rd - Oct. 27th - Parent-Teacher Conferences
- Oct. 23rd - Oct. 2th - Good Choices Week
- Oct. 31st - Fall Parties
Attendance Matters:
Research shows:
- Regular school attendance helps children feel better about school and themselves.
- Students who are chronically absent in kindergarten and 1st grade are much less likely to be able to read at grade level by the end of 3rd grade.
- By 6th grade, chronic absence becomes a leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.
- Research shows that missing 10 percent of the school, or about 18 days in most school districts, negatively affects a student’s academic performance. That is just two days a month, which is known as chronic absence.
- Good attendance will help children do well in high school, college, and even once they enter the workforce.
When purchasing a home or considering neighborhoods, many of you consider the quality of the nearest school, right? Did you know that your child's attendance is part of our overall school quality score? The Every Student Succeeds Act (2015) (ESSA) includes 5 indicators: Achievement, Growth, English Learner Progress toward English Language Proficiency, Graduation Rate, School Quality, and Student Success. The School Quality and Student Success indicator counts for 15% of our overall ESSA score.
- Attendance is factored within the School Quality and Student Success indicator.
- Our school is awarded 1 point for EVERY child who is absent 8.5 or fewer days (excused and unexcused), 0.5 points for a student who misses 9 to 17.5 days, and 0.0 points for a student who misses 18 or more days.
- Every student, regardless of grade level, counts with regards to our school quality rating for our ESSA score.
- Please help us by ensuring your little one is here every day. Please try to make any appointments after the school day ends so your child doesn’t miss any classroom instructional time.
Feel free to visit attendanceworks.org to gain more information regarding the importance of your child's attendance at school.
Early Dismissal/Late Arrival:
Parents, every instructional minute we have with your child is absolutely precious and vital to his/her academic success. We appreciate and value the time we have with them during the instructional day ~7:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. Students are considered tardy if they arrive after the instructional day begins. We want to encourage you to schedule your child’s doctor and dental appointments outside school hours. In keeping with the Bentonville Schools Mission Statement “to prepare students of today for the challenges of tomorrow,” we believe that all students benefit from regular school attendance. Students need to be present every day for instruction. Frequent late arrivals and/or early dismissals are disruptive to a child’s education and are discouraged by Bentonville Schools.
PBIS at ESE:
As a Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) school, we will continue to explicitly teach, model, and positively reinforce the expectations of growth, teamwork, integrity, and empathy over the school year. Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a way for schools to encourage appropriate behavior. With PBIS, students learn about behavior, just as they learn other subjects like math or science. The key to PBIS is prevention, rather than punishment. We have a behavior matrix that states the expectations throughout the various school environments. Our acronym OWLS represents our school expectations.
Owning Integrity - We are honest and fair to ourselves and others. You can trust and count on us to be true to ourselves.
Working as a Team - We are committed to working together to meet a common goal. Through communication and cooperation, we can accomplish more together.
Learning Empathy - We are respectful and kind to all. Our caring hearts and compassionate minds bring a peace to our school, so all feel safe and welcomed.
Shooting for the Stars - We are determined and persevere when times get tough. Through hard work, we become our best selves.
PBIS relies on positive reinforcement to teach students the power of appropriate behavior. Our staff has chosen a great rewards system for our students. We will continue using the PBIS Rewards application to digitally award students points for appropriate behavior. Student District IDs have a student specific QR code. When a staff member sees a student meeting or exceeding expectations, the staff member can award a point either with their cell phone or their classroom computers. Students will then be given the opportunity to save their points for classroom, grade level, and/or building incentives.
Cell Phones & Smartwatches:
Students who own personal cell phones and smartwatches must keep them in their backpacks turned off. We understand that many families need this safety measure in place for their children, specifically for after-school hours. In an effort to protect our students, maintain safety and confidentiality, we want to make you aware that per our district student handbook:
Please see pages 61 and 62 of the Elementary Student Handbook located at the following Bentonville Schools link. While at ESE, students shall keep their electronic devices and smartwatches turned off IN their backpacks during the school day.
Transportation Changes:
Please try to establish a consistent routine regarding drop-off and pick up. If you need to make a change in transportation, please notify the office BEFORE 2:00 p.m. As stated in our district handbook, changes in transportation home or early pick-up from school may not occur within 30 minutes of building dismissal time, unless it is an unavoidable emergency. Thank you in advance for your support with this.
Permanent Car Tag Information:
Our morning and afternoon car line is running smoothly. Thank you for getting your little ones to school on time so they are in their classrooms prior to the 7:30 a.m. tardy bell.
If you are a regular car rider, permanent car rider tags started being distributed this week. This plastic tag will hang from your rearview mirror, and it will serve you all year long. One tag per family will be issued, and it will be in the backpack of your oldest child. On the last day of school, a staff member will collect these for use next year. Lost or misplaced tags will result in a $5 charge to cover the purchase of a replacement.
Interested in a second, permanent tag? We are selling a second tag option for $5. These will also be returned at the end of the year. More information to come regarding the purchase of a second permanent tag. Walkers, bus riders, and after-school care families, you are welcome to request your permanent tag from your classroom teacher if desired. Please contact the teacher of your oldest child. We understand there will still be instances when you need to use the temporary paper tag issued at the beginning of the year. Kindly let us know in advance.
Snacks:
From Mrs. Tammy - our Registrar:
If you have not completed your annual online forms yet, please do so ASAP! I will start receiving weekly lists of uncompleted forms from our technology dept. and will be reaching out to you via email if you are missing any forms. The required forms are as follows: Profile Verification (This form replaces the Residency Verification form), Emergency Card, Health History, Annual Consent & Agreement, & Chromebook Usage Agreement. Please do not resubmit the enrollment form or the confidential documents form, as those are for brand-new students only, and the military release form is only for 11th & 12th graders.
You can access Etrieve by going to: https://etcentral.bentonvillek12.org/ or through our district website: https://www.bentonvillek12.org/ > Parents Tab > Forms-Online Forms.
If you have a change of address anytime throughout the school year, you will need to use the Change of Address Form in our Etrieve system and update your address by attaching copies of two current utility bills (gas, water, & electric bills only) before your address can be updated in our system. Once your address is changed at school, it may take an overnight update before it changes with our transportation dept. If you need bus service, you will need to go onto the BusQuest App and request service at your new address.
Thank you for your assistance with this,
Mrs. Tammy
News from Nurse Crutchfield:
I am so glad that school is back in session for the 23-24 School Year! I love seeing how much your kiddos have grown over the summer and meeting all our new kindergarten families! Please read the important information and updates below.
- Health History: Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to fill out a Health History form online. In the past, we have completed these on paper. This year and going forward, they will be found in Etrieve. Link Here It is important that we have an updated Student Health History form for each student every year. The nurse MUST have a Health History on file in order to provide OTC medications and appropriate care for your child when they are not feeling well. If you have not yet completed a Health History for the 2023-2024 school year, please do so.
- Medications: ONLY a parent/guardian may deliver medication to the school building. The medication must be in the original container or box with the prescription label on it. Students are not allowed to transport medications at any time. See page 42 of our Elementary Student Handbook for more information on medications in the school setting.
- Hearing and Vision: Hearing and vision screenings for Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 4th grades will begin this month. Healthy vision plays an important role in academic success. Vision is closely linked to the learning process and undetected problems often will cause trouble with schoolwork. If your child does not pass after 2 screenings, they will receive a referral letter to the eye doctor in the mail. Please make an appointment ASAP and return the referral completed by the doctor by the due date listed on the referral.
- Sick Students: If a student develops a temperature of 100.4 degrees or above, is vomiting, and/or has diarrhea, the student should be symptom-free for 24 hours without requiring medication prior to returning to school.
- Backup Clothes: Please send a change of clothing in your child's backpack. This could save you a trip to the school if they were to have an accident or find themselves in a mud puddle at recess.
- Flu Clinic: Will be held on Friday, October 20th. More information to come.
Thank you for helping me keep every little owl safe and healthy.
Nurse Dana Crutchfield RN, BSN, CPN
Counselor Corner:
We are so excited to get in the classrooms this year and get to know our Owls better. Some of the topics that we have planned for this year include:
- Bullying Prevention/Empathy/Feelings
- Conflict Resolution/Coping Skills
- Kindness/Friendship
- Empower Me/Personal Safety
- Goal Setting/Careers
Please reach out to us for any needs you may have. We are always happy to help!
Pam Gaskin & Paula Kaufmann
479-360-7400
Math News:
Curious how you can support your child in math this year? Check out our curriculum newsletters below to read about the concepts your student is tackling in quarter 1!
Katie Curry
ESE Math Coach
Whooo Loves to read? Your ESE OWLS DO!
Thank you for allowing me the privilege of learning with your wonderful children! Students have been learning the expectations of our time together in the library, how to take care of library books, and how to locate books.
Please provide your child with a clear gallon-size bag to protect our library books from leaky water bottles! Also, should a book become damaged in ANY way, including pages torn, have your child bring their book to me the very next school day!
The 4th-grade Competitive Robotics Team applications are currently being accepted. 4th grade students can get a copy of the application from their teacher or from me in the library. ALL aspects of the application (there are 3 parts to complete) will be due on or before Friday, September 8th, by 2:30 pm. I can only accept 10 students, and all applications will be assessed using a rubric.
3rd grade Robotics Team applications will be available in October.
Our ESE Video Team has been doing a wonderful job writing, recording, and editing our morning announcements. I am so proud of our students!
Mrs. Watson
"Gym Shorts":
WOW!! What an amazing group of owls this year. During the month of September, we will finish our Gaga Ball and Flag football rules so they can start playing these awesome games during recess. We will begin our soccer unit by learning the basic passing and dribbling skills and finish up with your little owls' favorite 4-team soccer. We are so excited to see everyone on September 21 for our “Walk In My Shoes” evening. We are eager to share what your owls do in PE.
Coach Kerkhover & Coach Jones
ART Studio:
It has been an amazing start to the year in the art classroom!! Your little owls are so creative! In art class, we are finishing up our collaborative school mural that will be displayed soon. For the month of September, we will be creating art by exploring the color wheel, painting, and making a collage. Look for some amazing art coming home this month!
Mrs. Barber
Music Notes:
ESE owls are off to a great start in music class! Kindergarteners are quickly learning procedures and beginning to explore beat through singing, moving, and playing small hand-held percussion. 1st and 2nd graders are building rhythm knowledge, and 3rd and 4th graders have started practicing reading notes in the treble clef.
4th graders - it is time to start our recorder unit! Parents see this note for details: 2023-24 Recorder Parent note.
I will be sharing information through the classroom teachers throughout the year, but if you ever have any questions regarding music activities, please contact me directly at esimpson@bentonvillek12.org
Mrs. Simpson
Global Connections:
Bonjour! It’s been so much fun having your owls in class! We have started working on our STEM unit! The first two weeks have been packed with learning how to use our Growth Mindset. Our Kindergarten and 1st-grade owls are learning about teamwork and goal setting by building a tower using only cups and popsicle sticks as a group. Our 2nd, 3rd. and 4th grade owls are learning to make a plan before creating the longest chain using only a piece of paper, scissors, and glue. Our owls are doing an amazing job working together.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Schroeder
Digital Literacy
It’s been an amazing start to Digital Literacy. We’ve been working on all of the good manners and skills needed to be a good digital citizen. We have started with proper Chromebook usage and helpful shortcuts. We will continue our Chromebook journey, learning ways to “work smarter, not harder.”
Mr. Henry
English as a Second Language:
Hola! 你好! Hello! I am so happy to see all my students again and welcome new ones. My name is Mrs. Tomblin and I am the ESL teacher here at Evening Star Elementary. I will be working with kindergarten through 4th grade students who qualify for ESL services. My goal is to help students become more proficient in their English reading, writing, listening and speaking so as to better support the core content being taught in class. I am so excited to work with your kids this year. Feel free to reach out anytime!
Free Local English Classes for Adults:
Did you know Northwest Arkansas Community College offers free English classes for adults? The English for Language Learners (ELL) program offers instruction in English language skills for adult students whose first language is not English. Whether your goal is to sharpen your English-language skills to improve your career options, prepare to take your naturalization test, or to earn your GED credential, the ELL program will use a placement test to enroll you in the right courses.
For more information, check out the following:
Website:
https://www.nwacc.edu/adulteducation/ourprograms/englishsecondlanguage.aspx
Email: askadulted@nwacc.edu
Phone Number: (479) 986-6911
Melissa Tomblin
Additional Resources:
Check out this important information for our families with special needs!
Respite Information
PTO NEWS:
The purpose of PTO is to aid the students and teachers of Evening Star Elementary by providing support for their educational and recreational needs while also promoting open communication between the administration, teachers, and parents. We want to take a minute to thank you in advance for your support of our students at Evening Star Elementary.
Staying connected with our PTO is easy! Click HERE to learn more about future meeting dates, meeting minutes, and more.
Thank you for joining PTO!
Presidents - Katie Baumeister & Jordan Anglin
SCHOOL BREAKFAST AND LUNCH MENUS:
As I mentioned in August, school breakfast and lunch is no longer provided for students for free. If you have not deposited funds into your child's account or applied for support for the cost of the meals, please log in to the Family Portal and do that. You will need your student's ID to log in.
If you would like to see what our cafeteria will be serving for breakfast and lunch for the month of September, simply click on the following link: https://www.bentonvillek12.org/page/food-and-nutrition
TREC:
TREC classes begin this month:
3rd grade - Wednesdays beginning September 6th
4th grade - Thursdays beginning September 7th
2nd grade will be testing this month.
Sincerely,
Becca Heinen