Brentwood Bulletin
1st Week of School
Brentwood Elementary Mission Statement
~Achievement~Actions~Attitudes~
A Note from the Principal...
A Note from the Principal...
Dear Parents,
The entire staff at Brentwood Elementary School would like to welcome you back to school for the 2016-2017 school year. We are looking forward to having a great school year at Brentwood. This newsletter is sent weekly to help keep you informed of current events in our building and throughout the corporation. Our teachers also make great use of email to keep you informed about classroom activities.
Brentwood Elementary School has an active Parent-Teacher Organization. All parents, grandparents, guardians and teachers are encouraged to become an active member of our PTO. Our PTO is involved in volunteering at our school and in our classrooms as well as organizing several student-oriented activities throughout the year. This newsletter will keep you informed about PTO events but the PTO will also send out information via email and Facebook. Watch for periodic news from our PTO.
I would also encourage you to check the NEW Plainfield School district website at http://www.plainfield.k12.in.us for details about calendar events and school news. Brentwood also has a website that you can access from the district website, a Facebook Page and a Twitter Account. I would encourage you to like us on Facebook and follow us on twitter @bwquakers, for the most current information.
If you have changed your address, phone number(s) or email over the summer, please make sure we have this current information in our files by contacting the front office at 317-839-48012.
Each week we will focus on introducing you to a staff member at Brentwood beginning with our next issue. Look for this in our Staff MVP section!
We would like to welcome the following new staff members to Brentwood: Mrs. Alexandra Scott teaching second grade, Mrs. Lynn Jones teaching third grade. Mrs. Tara Sherman teaching Art and fourth grade. Mrs. Mitzi Dennison as the front desk clerical assistant. Mrs. Annette Mirasol-Aguirre as an Instructional Assistant in the Special Education Department.
We are looking forward to a year of Excellence in Achievement, Attitude and Actions.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Nicole Walker
Principal
New Information this Year for Dismissal
Dismissal is a very busy time of day at Brentwood. This is the time that a lot of parents are stopping in the office or calling with questions. This is the time of day that teachers are trying to get the last bits of their lessons taught for the day. This is the time of day that principals and safety officers at our school strive to make the end of the day more efficient and safe.
It is important for parents to communicate the way in which their child should go home from school with their child's teacher. While one consistent way home from school every day for every student is sometimes impossible, we do ask that you keep your schedule as uniform as you can to help both your child and your child's teacher.
IF you need to change your child's dismissal plan the best way to notify the teacher of this change is by sending a dated and signed letter to them in your child's homework folder. In the case of an emergency dismissal change for your child please call the main office at 317-839-4802 no later than 3 p.m. to ensure the message has time to reach your child's teacher. We ask that you DO NOT send emails to teachers during the day asking to change your child's dismissal plan for THAT day as teachers are very busy during the school day and may not have time to check their email before dismissal.
Another safety precaution that we have implemented this year pertains to our walking students. We ask parents who meet their children who are walking students in one of two locations. If you live in the walking district in front of Brentwood Elementary (Oliver Avenue area) please meet your child at the intersection of Oliver Avenue and Brentwood Drive, by the crosswalk. If you live in the walking district behind Brentwood Elementary (Hancook Road area) please meet your walking student on the blacktop by the playground with the basketball hoop. This will offer free-flow exit for our car riding students who must exit out our front doors.
Starting August 15th we will be putting into motion our Car Rider Number Sign system for pick-up. Letters with information from Mrs. Walker, our principal, have gone home with all students. If you did not receive a letter please contact your child's teacher or the front office to have one sent home with your child. Every car riding family must sign up for a Car Rider number that will be unique to your student(s) to ensure that dismissal for our Car Riding Students can operate at the highest level of security.
Thank you for being so understanding as we strive to make Brentwood's dismissal process even more efficient than it already was! Without you this would not be possible. Please email Ms. Clark in the office if you have any questions at rclark@plainfield.k12.in.us or call the office at 317-839-4802.
Brentwood's school hours are 8:50 a.m. - 3:50 p.m.
Bus information for students signed up for transportation services is now available in PowerSchool, in your child's account, under Student Information - Grades & Attendance. You can also download Here Comes the Bus app for FREE this year! Once you download it, use our corporation ID #82021 and your student's ID number found in PowerSchool. This app will give you a real-time image of where the bus is, both coming home and going to school.
August-at-a-Glance
Kindergarten Parent Orientation
6:00 pm
Friday, August 12, 2016
PTO Back to School Picnic
5:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Monday, August 15, 2015
PTO Meeting in Cafeteria
6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Parent Safety and Security Meeting
6:00 p.m.
Friday, August 26, 2016
Donuts with Dad
8:00 - 8:50 a.m.
Wednesday, August 31, 2016
School Picture Day
BRENTWOOD 4TH GRADE STUDENTS PREPARE FOR A FIELD TRIP THEY'LL ALWAYS REMEMBER...
The Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site (BHPS), together with the Indiana Statehouse Tour Office and the Indiana State Library, propose a combined, free field trip initiative to serve 4th grade classes across the State of Indiana from 2014 to 2016, leading up to and in celebration of our state’s bicentennial. This field trip will achieve 31 unique Indiana state standards and a purpose of instilling state pride via physical visitation, online interactives, and teacher/classroom support materials.
Our 4th grade students at Brentwood (as well as the other three Plainfield elementary schools students) will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to play an important part in our state's 200th birthday celebration. Indiana turns 200 years old on December 11, 2016. This September they will be part of the statewide Indiana Bicentennial Torch Relay presented by Duke Energy.
A map of the entire route can be found here.
The Torch Relay’s Hendricks County journey will conclude with a ceremonial passing of the torch to Morgan County. All of the events will be free and open to the public.
To find out more about all of the festivities planned to mark Indiana's 200th statehood day please visit the Indiana Bicentennial Celebration's home page.
POWERSCHOOL FOR PARENTS
Late last week your child should have brought home a PowerSchool Parent Portal letter with instructions on how you can sign up with PowerSchool. PowerSchool is Plainfield Community School district's electronic student management system where student information is collected and stored. The portal is the "doorway" into the system giving parents access to information about their children.
The PowerSchool Parent Portal gives parents and students access to real-time information that may included attendance, grades, lunch balances and detailed assignment descriptions and school bulletins. Everyone stays connected. Students can stay on top of assignments, parents are able to participate in their children's progress, and teachers can share information with parents and students.
Please find the PowerSchool Parent Portal by clicking on this link. Choose "Sign In" if you already have an existing account or "Create Account" if this is your first time.
CONVENIENT WAY TO FUND YOUR CHILD'S LUNCH ACCOUNT & PAY TEXT BOOK RENTAL
All students received information this week on how to fund their lunch accounts through eFunds for Schools. Under your child's name on this paper was their student ID number which you will need to set up your account for the first time. If you have multiple children in the Plainfield Community School Corporation you can link them to one account.
eFunds also lets you pay your text book rental payment online. Please note that eFunds does NOT tell you the amount of your text book rental fee so please know the exact amount before you sign on to pay it through eFunds.
You can find the link to eFunds (and our other option sendmoneytoschool.com on our website by clicking on our Food Services link.
SAFE VISITOR SOLUTIONS
At Plainfield Community School Corporation your children's safety is an extremely important priority. That is why this year we have implemented new security measures that you will notice upon entering our front office. You will now be required to present your driver's license or state issued ID card to the office staff. They will scan the barcode on your ID and take your photograph. An ID sticker will be printed that will be worn during your visit at Brentwood. All visitors will also sign-out by having the same sticker scanned upon exiting the office. PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE THE BUILDING FROM ANY OTHER EXIT.
A driver's license or state issued ID card will be required every time you want to enter our school past the office area. This includes any adult visiting a student for lunch, having a meeting with a teacher, talking with the nurse, or helping in a classroom.
The ONLY exception this year for this procedure will be to walk your child to their class the very first day of school as we will have staff members present in the hallways as well as other security personnel present. AFTER the first morning ALL visitors will be required to check in through our Safe Visitor Solutions system.
We thank all our friends and family in advance for their help with this new procedure. We will see all your children on Tuesday!
Volunteer News & Information:
- Volunteer Background Agreement
- Volunteer Confidentiality Agreement (ask at front office the first time you come in to volunteer)
- All visitors must present photo ID in the office before entry
- Read & understand our Emergency Procedures Handout (ask for your copy at the front office)
- Read & understand our "Facts about Bullying" handout (ask for your copy at the front office)
Some guidelines to follow when volunteering at Brentwood (please refer to our handbook for more):
- You may only take photos of your own child. Photos may not be taken of friends or other students and should NEVER be posted on social media sources without the consent of the classroom teacher and the other parents.
- You should avoid taking or making phone calls while supervising students unless for an emergency or communication is needed on a field trip.
- You should not bring other children along on a field trip.
- You must immediately report incidents or suspected incidents of bullying, physical, and/or verbal aggression to a teacher.
"Those who can, do. Those who can do more, volunteer." ~Author Unknown
Stay Informed with Brentwood on Social Media
2016-2017 Brentwood PTO
The PTO looks forward to an exciting year ahead and welcome all teachers, staff, parents, and families to attend meetings and events. We are here to work and partner together to provide a unique, fun, and amazing environment for our students.
We always welcome ideas for new events, fundraising, or info of something going on in the community. Please don't be a strange to our events and we are always accessible.
PTO Officer List 2016-2017
Tanya King, President
Jessica Botts, Vice-President
Carrie Baker, Treasurer
Erika Bever, Secretary
Open Position, Financial Secretary
PTO Email: brentwoodpto2016@gmail.com
Transportation Arrival & Dismissal Info
All car riders arriving in the morning should be dropped off in our car rider lane NOT in our Visitor Parking lot. This ensures they are not crossing over any traffic. New procedures starting August 15th (see below story).
Late Arrivals:
If you child is being dropped off late an adult must come into the office and sign them in.
Student Arrivals (bus riders):
If your child rides the bus to school and will be eating breakfast in the cafeteria please talk to them about going straight to the cafeteria to get their breakfast. This will give them the most time to eat as healthy of a breakfast as possible.Dismissal Changes:
- If you need to change your child's dismissal instructions the best way to do this is to send a signed note to your child's teacher.
- If this is impossible please call the office NO LATER THAN 3:00 p.m. to ensure the dismissal change gets to your child's teacher in a timely matter.
Transportation:
If you are permanently changing how your child goes home or if you move please notify our office at 317-839-4802, as well as Transportation at 317-838-3632, and submit a new Transportation Form to the office.
Email: rclark@plainfield.k12.in.us
Phone: 317-839-4802