BARFIELD BANNER
OCTOBER 2021
A Message from the Principal
Dear Parents and Guardians,
It seems that the beginning of the school year has flown by! Our students are adapting well to their classroom environment and are already showcasing their leadership skills around campus. This past month we have began a district-wide initiative called Connect for Success. The purpose of this initiative is to provide every student an opportunity to develop meaningful relationships with their school staff and peers, with the goal of increasing their sense of belonging and connectedness. Connect for Success, which is done each Tuesday and Thursday morning has been a great way for our students to continue building positive relationships with their classmates, and extend their understanding of the 7 Habits!
In September we also had the opportunity, for the first time in school history, to participate in school-wide Leader in Me Leadership Clubs. Our students were able to choose a Leadership Club that they were interested in and participate with staff and students around campus. After all students rotated to their leadership club, they engaged in meaningful activities- all with a service-learning project as an end goal! Please ask your child about their leadership club, it was a wonderful experience for both our staff and students. Students will continue to participate in clubs monthly.
Looking forward to October, we will have our traditional Pumpkin Decorating Contest that we hold each year. Pumpkins will be sold by PTO on October 12th and 13th. They will be sold before school in both the Bus Loop and Car drop off line. Each pumpkin will be sold for $1.00. Please send your child to school with their pumpkin money, we will ensure they are able to purchase one. The theme of the Pumpkin Decorating Contest will be announced prior to the sell of pumpkins. Pumpkins will be due back to the Media Center on October 29th. I hope you and your child enjoy this TBE tradition!
There has been a change to the district calendar. Please be aware that Monday, October 25th, which was previously an Early Release Day has been changed to a full virtual learning day. Students will not be in school, however they will be expected to complete virtual learning activities that day. More information to come about virtual learning days from your child’s teacher.
October 15th is the end of our first quarter. Teachers will spend Monday, October 18th completing grades and progress reports. Please know there is no school for students on October 18th. Look for progress reports to come home the week of October 25th. Progress reports will also be available online.
Our students in 3rd-5th grade will also engage in our Quarter Benchmark Assessments in mid-October. Your child’s teacher will provide specifics on testing dates. These assessments serve as a way to monitor student progress throughout the year. It is important your child is present for these assessments.
I look forward to a great month ahead! As always, please reach out to me with any questions or concerns!
Sincerely,
Alyssa Ledbetter
Principal
News from Assistant Principal
Attendance-
Please refer to the CCPS academic calendar when planning vacations and appointments. Vacation days are not excused absences and students miss valuable instruction by the teacher on the days they are not in school.
Please call 377-8500 to report your child’s absence each day your child is absent. Calling the school will validate the absence so your child will not have an UNEXCUSED absence on their record.
Quarterly Benchmark Assessments for 3-5 grades are taking place October 8th, 11th, and 12th. The assessments and are listed by grade level below and will be given on paper not computer. The final schedule will be shared by your child’s teacher through ClassTag.
3-5th grade-ELA and Math both are 60 minutes
4-5th grade- Writing is 120 minutes
5th grade only - Science is 45 minutes
LAPTOPS - Please Use Responsibly!
Just a reminder - laptops are still CCPS property and need to be cared for responsibly.
Pursuant to Rule 27 of the District’s Code of Student Conduct, students are responsible for the cost of repair or replacement of District property in their possession such as a laptop or other electronic device. The rule provides the following:
RULE 27. SCHOOL PROPERTY – MATERIALS/BOOKS/INTERNET
- Students are expected to take good care of school property. Students must assume full responsibility for the care of school property available to them. This includes, but is not limited to textbooks, uniforms, equipment, electronic devices, or library books. These items are issued by school personnel and must be returned to the same person upon completion of the school year or withdrawal from school. Responsibility for the property rests with the student to whom the property is issued.
The cost to repair or replace laptops for irresponsible damage is as follows:
- Power adapter $48.00
- Keyboard $95.00
- Screen $231.00
- Laptop Total Replacement $586.00
Dana Franklin-Riashi, Assistant Principal
Tommie Barfield Elementary School
239-377-8502
Follow us on Twitter: @tommiebarfield
Like us on Facebook: https://www.Faceboook.com/ccpstbe
Our Mission: Recognize individual genius, build confidence, and create leaders.
Kindergarten News
It was wonderful to meet so many parents at Curriculum Night. We hope this opportunity provided you with an insight to what your child’s day is like. Watching your children making new friends and working so diligently has been a joy. Our kindergarteners are furthering their skills in math. Counting, writing numbers, and solving addition and subtraction problems within five are skills they will be working on. In reading, more letters are being taught. Students are learning their sounds and how to properly form the letter. We will continue to work on blending of sounds and introduce more sight words. Sequencing events and learning to locate and describe places in the school and community will be the focus this quarter in social studies. In science, the children will be learning about plants and animals. Thank you again for your continued support of practicing the sight words and helping your child with their reading. We look forward to working together to make your child’s kindergarten year a rewarding experience.
Leader in Me -Kindergarten
Children will be finishing learning about Habit 1, Being Proactive. Students understand the “Circle of Control”- some things are out of their control. However, when they choose actions within the Circle of Control, they are being proactive.
Next, children will learn about Habit 2- Begin with the End in Mind. We will read about the characters, Goob and Jumper from 7 Oaks. Goob has a plan to save the money he earns to buy a bug collecting kit. Jumper wastes his hard-earned money and has nothing to show for it. Students learn that it is important to plan ahead. To help reinforce Habit 2 at home students can lay out their clothes for the next day before they go to bed. Try having your child set some simple goals at home to practice Habit 2, Begin with the End in Mind.
Kindergarten Team
First Grade News
Happy Fall!
It’s hard to believe the end of the first quarter is just a couple of weeks away. First graders have been busy applying many new math strategies to solve addition and subtraction word problems. We encourage you to take the time to review the math and reading ‘Family Connection Letters’, which informs you of the skills your child, will be learning in the following weeks. The family letters go home in binders or Wednesday folders at the start of each module.
Dot Day and Leadership Clubs were both a huge success. The students were full of smiles and sharing eagerly among each other how much they enjoyed both activities.
We continue working weekly in our classrooms to learn more about the 7-Habits through interactive activities and lessons. These lessons provide opportunities for students to engage with each habit and learn how they can be better leaders at school, as well as at home.
As always, we appreciate all your help and support at home. Thank you for helping us keep learning exciting!
Fondly,
First Grade Team
Second Grade News
Our Second Graders have been embracing Leader in Me activities this year. The third Friday of September the students were able to meet their new Club instructor as well as others on their team. Students will be meeting first thing in the morning, on the third Friday each month, where they will synergize with their teammates. Everyone throughout TBE looks forward to this collaborative time! Our new reading series by HMH, is being well received by the students as they learn new vocabulary words and higher-level strategies to help improve reading. During writing the students have created several essays, one as a narrative and one as a descriptive piece. The descriptive piece was merged with research on websites to find facts about a place they would like to visit. We hope that your student will share the essay with you and decide to some day visit their chosen place. In math, students have been moving at a good pace to learn various strategies to implement on their own. Please continue to use the addition and subtraction flash cards nightly to improve fluency. In social studies, students learned quite a bit from the Civics & Government unit as well as the American History studies. We look forward to enhancing this area throughout the year. Science was fun with experiments focusing on the Properties of Matter and anticipate a great year with many more experiments!
Thank you, parents for your attendance at Curriculum Night whether online or at school. Your time is appreciated!
Third Grade News
Third graders are learning so much in class and we had a blast celebrating Dot Day last month.
We are still learning our multiplication facts with our songs and chants at school. You can also use the multiplication flashcards to practice the facts at home. The students learned about area and multiplication strategies in Math. For Reading, we learned about different types of poems: free verse, rhymed verse, haiku, and limerick. In Science, we classified flowering and non-flowering plants into major groups. For Social Studies, the students learned about the different branches of government.
We have started our leadership clubs. The kids will go to their club once each month. Ask your child what club they are in at school. During our lead time, we have talked about Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind- I plan ahead and set goals. I do things that have meaning and make a difference. I am an important part of my classroom and contribute to my school’s mission and vision, and look for ways to be a good citizen. We even created our class mission statement. At home, you can have a family discussion about goals and what each child wants to be when they grow up. Discuss things you could do right now to be working towards those goals. Make an action plan and get started!
Third Grade Team
Fourth Grade News
Hello Fourth Grade Families!
It is hard to believe that it is already October and that we are almost finished with the 1st quarter. We loved meeting with our Leader Clubs last month and are looking forward to meeting again this month. We will continue to work with our new Reading standards and curriculum. Students are really enjoying the stories and be sure to ask them to summarize what we have read for you! In writing we are continuing to work on our opinion essays and are excited to share the finished products with you! Math is getting exciting, with the introduction of long division. Be sure to ask your student to teach you all the different strategies they have learned. We also continue to work on our Math Fact Fluency. Knowing our multiplication facts fluently will make long division so much smoother! We will continue work analyze maps in Social Studies and will begin to discuss the different types of weather that impact Florida.
At the start of quarter 2 we will be studying the different Native American tribes that called Florida home. In Science we will begin learning about the seasonal changes that Florida plants and animals experience. In addition we will learn about food changes and the energy that animals get from food chains. The month of October brings us to focus on Habit 2: Begin with the end in Mind. Talk with your student about what it means to have a plan, to plan ahead, to do meaningful things and make a difference, and to look for ways to be a good citizen. How do you and your family demonstrate Habit 2?
Fifth Grade News
Wow! It’s hard to believe we are already in October. The first quarter flew by, and we are now entering Quarter 2. Curriculum Night was a huge success! Thank you to all the parents who participated in-person or virtually. If you haven’t had a chance to check out the PowerPoint, please do so on your child’s teacher’s ClassTag page.
Our fifth graders have been keeping busy learning many new concepts: multiplication/division, the Scientific Method, Matter, writer’s workshop, and many reading and communication skills. Please encourage your child to read for at least 20-30 minutes per night. It is imperative that students review their class notes and vocabulary each night, as well as their math fluency facts. Flashcards were sent home, and students should be practicing those nightly. Canvas is a great resource to stay up to date on homework and content that we are completing in class. We also have had the opportunity to pair up with kindergarten reading buddies. We meet with these buddies and assist them in things like Leadership Portfolios and reading library books. We love days with our buddies!
If you have any questions or concerns, we are always available through email, phone message, and ClassTag. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us!
As always, we sincerely thank you for your continued support!
The Fifth Grade Team
TECH TALK BY MRS. MCCARTY
“Can I get this video game/watch this movie/show?” Parents/Guardian, do your students ever ask you these questions and you’re not sure how to answer? If so, please check out the Parents’ page of CommonSenseMedia.org/homepage, where you can look up shows, movies, video games, etc. and get reviews, ratings, and details to help you make a solid decision to answer your student.
In TBE Tech Classes, students learn to be safe, responsible, and respectful online using the Common Sense Media Digital Citizenship lessons. In Going Places Safely, Kindergarteners learned that safety rules for travelling to real-world places are just like online safety rules, as we took a virtual field trip to the San Diego Zoo for kids traveling over 2, 600 miles in just one click on the laptop!😱 1st graders have learned to Pause and Think online to be sure they use their best digital safety skills and Netiquette. 2nd graders learned a Digital Citizens Pledge and what information is okay to share online and what to keep to themselves in That’s Private! 🙄 3rd graders learned the power of a selfie in This is Me! and how to identify and deal with cyberbullying in The Power of Words. 4th graders learned that wherever they go and whatever they do on the internet leaves a digital footprint in Our Online Tracks. Also, in Super Digital Citizen, 4th graders learned how to apply the skills they’ve learned about Digital Citizenship. 5th graders did a simulation called The Power of Digital Footprints, in which they determined who best to hire for new job, and why, based on the conclusions, interpretations, and assumptions made from analyzing the candidates’ digital footprints. 👣
Musical Notes-Falling into Fall
October brings a new season of musical learning. Students continue their journey around the world as we visit the sounds of tribal drums and island ukuleles. We will continue to discover our musical elements as we explore the cultures of music from several countries, even uncovering some spooky favorites.
ARTISTIC NOTES
We had a great August and start of September in art at TBE! TBE is celebrating Dot Day, September 15th, and this week all students are reading The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds. It is important to know that every drawing done with pencil, crayon, or marker starts off with a dot and no matter if we are happy with our projects or not, ITS ART!
Physical Education News
In September we kick started our morning run club program for the 3rd thru 5th graders. These students can sharpen the saw and maintain a balance in their life with their passion for running. In addition to the run club, all students can run/walk during PE class once a week for our warmup. Students use the EZ Scan app to scan their cards and track their laps throughout the school year (5 laps = 1 mile). Once a month students will receive running bling, which represents how many miles they have completed in the past month. This has been very successful program at TBE, which has helped to motivate and increase cardiovascular health.
Our 4th and 5th graders completed their fitness testing (sit-up, push-up, flexibility, mile run). Students used habit 2, begin with the end in mind, to record their current scores and set goals for the end of the year. They will keep these data sheets in their leadership binders to help remind them of their action steps to reach those goals for end of the year fitness testing in April/May.
Here’s just a few reminders about our PE class:
-Bring a water bottle if possible. With the heat and humidity, it’s much easier for students to stay hydrated and refreshed throughout the day with a water bottle nearby.
-Send a note if your student cannot participate for any reason. Doctor’s notes can go to the front office, and they will forward me any necessary information. If it’s a minor excuse, you may send a parent note for PE class that week. Long term excuses must have a doctor’s note.
You can contact me at riched1@collierschools.com throughout the school year and check out what we’re doing on Twitter @PEatTBE
*If you don’t have a twitter account, you can still go to www.twitter.com/PEatTBE to see what we’re up to.
Deana Richett
Physical Education Teacher
Media News
We have begun our 2021-2022 Sunshine State Young Reader Award (SSYRA) Reading program. “The Sunshine State Young Readers Award (SSYRA) Program is a statewide reading motivational program for students in grades 3 through 8. The purpose of the SSYRA Program is to encourage students to read independently for pleasure and to read books that are on, above, and below their reading level in order to improve their reading fluency. Sunshine State books are selected for their wide appeal, literary value, varied genres, curriculum connections, and/or multicultural representation”
Every time the students read and pass a Reading Counts test on one of these books they earn a Brag Tag!
To go along with our “Leaders Around the World: Together We Lead” theme this year student earns additional tags when meeting reading milestones in the program. Each student has also has a goal and is tracking their progress in their Leadership Portfolio.
Kindergarten, First and Second Grade will be participating in the SSYRA JR reading program which we will kick off later in the year. As of now we have many First and Second graders reading, testing and earning point tags. First Graders have earned 24 points and Second Graders have earned 430 points. We are happy to reward and celebrate their excitement and love of reading with them!
Counselor's Corner
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Happy October!
We are just beginning to be more specific with our Emotional Bank Account Deposits. Putting deposits in your child’s Emotional Bank Account helps your child feel the belonging in the family, builds trust, and builds self-esteem. A withdrawal causes your child to feel low self-esteem. Examples at home for Emotional Bank Account Deposits would be to apologize, ask forgiveness, speak in a nice tone to one another and use “CALLING OUT THE GOLD.” At one of your meals together, or when you’re riding in the car, family members could take turns “CALLING OUT THE GOLD” like this: I’m “CALLING OUT THE GOLD” to my sister for also being my friend. I’m “CALLING OUT THE GOLD” to my brother for helping me clean my room. Challenge your family members to do good deeds when no one is watching. Feel free to contact me at 239-377-8506 or hopele@collierschools.com with any questions.
Thank you! Leanne Hope, School Counselor
We are RESPECTFUL, RESPONSIBLE LEADERS
Nurse Station
Happy Fall y’all! What a busy start to the school year. We’re still working hard to keep down the spread of germs. We’d like for your child to stay home if they are experiencing any illness type symptoms (example: Fever, cough, headache, runny nose, sore throat, stomachache etc....).
It's very important that everyone gets their emergency cards completed (see attachment for details on how to do that by using google chrome and your child's CCPS UID number). We need to be able to get a hold of you if your child feels ill or has an injury or Emergency at school. Please make sure that you have a voice mail that works so a message can be left. You can also put the clinic number into your phone, so you'll know it's the clinic calling you for your child 239-377-8509 school clinic number.
If your child has any medical conditions that need to be addressed, please call the clinic, and speak with NCH Nurse Tricia on Monday, Wednesday and Friday or NCH School Health Assistant Roxanne on Tuesday or Thursday. Reminder that NO medication can be brought into school by the child including cough drops and it needs to be dropped off at the school by parent/guardian and the proper paperwork needs to be in place before accepting it. All prescription medications need to have a label with child's name and all over the counter medications need to be in an unopened package that is non-expired and age appropriate for your child.
Thank you for helping to get the above items taken care of. It's our goal to keep all children safe and healthy and your help is needed to insure that. Have a great fall season and remember to wash your hands and wear a mask when needed to help yourself and helping others stay safe and healthy.
NCH Nurse Tricia Kutzke
PTO NEWS
The PTO is off to a great start of the 2021-2022 school year, and we are excited for the things to come to make each school day fun and memorable for your child! Thank you to everyone who attended our first general meeting, we were very happy to see so many new faces! If you are unable to attend our meetings, please feel free to contact us for details on topics covered, committees you can join and volunteer opportunities! The more the merrier, so come on out!
We have many exciting things happening in October including
TBE’s Annual Pumpkin Decorating Contest!
If you have any questions or would like to be added to our volunteer email list, please feel free to reach out to our PTO Board,
*October 6th is Walk/Bike to School Day! Volunteers will be needed in the morning. Stay tuned for details from TBE!
October 12 & 13: We will be selling pumpkins in the morning carpool and bus loops. Volunteers will be needed to help sell!
October 13: The TBE PTOs first dine out! Stay tuned for details!
October 19: Pumpkins due back in school
*Our next meeting will be Tuesday, October 12, 6:00 pm in the cafeteria