BPES Newsletter
Week of March 16th
Mark Your Calendar
- Monday, March 23rd - Friday, March 27th - Spring Break
- Friday, April 3rd - National Professional Aide Day
Updated Contact Information
Please see the link below for more information about the coronavirus.
Click here for a parent guide on Coronavirus.
From the Registrar’s Office (Mrs. Frier) - Important Residency Information
Current residency documents must be on file for all students, including renewed leases. Please be sure any residency changes are updated with me as well. This will help to avoid any holds for the upcoming 2020-2021 Online Registration!
If you have a lease that has expired or will be expiring, please provide the updated lease and a current utility bill immediately. The items can be sent via email to mfrier@hoover.k12.al.us or can be sent to the office to be copied and returned.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. Thank you!
Kindergarten Enrollment Night
Enrollment Night for Kindergarten Students and Kindergarten Kick-Off
Enrollment Night for Kindergarten students to Bluff Park for the 2020-2021 school year will be Tuesday, March 31st.
If your last name begins with A-M, please come at 4:00 PM. This session will end at 4:45 PM.
If your last name begins with N-Z, please come at 5:00 PM. This session will end at 5:45 PM.
Incoming 2020-2021 Kindergarten students and their parents are invited to come see their new school, meet their administrators, Mrs. Ami Weems and Mrs. Chelsea Bayko, school counselor, Ms. Sally Kellman, and the Kindergarten teachers.
Parents will be introduced to Mrs. Weems, Mrs. Bayko, and Ms. Kellman starting promptly at 4:00 PM (last name beginning with A-M) or 5:00 PM (last name beginning with L-Z) and submit enrollment information while their new Kindergartners are participating in a variety of activities with the Kindergarten teachers.
WHO: Parents and the incoming kindergartners who will be 5 years old on or before September 2, 2020.
WHERE: Bluff Park Elementary School, 569 Park Avenue
WHAT TO BRING: Click here for a checklist on what to bring.
QUESTIONS ABOUT ENROLLMENT PROCESS: Contact Marjee Frier, Registrar, at 439-2800.
The Bluff Park PTO and the YMCA After School Care program will be available for questions.
Maker Faire
Calling all makers! If your child has an interest that he or she would like to take to the next level, from building birdhouses to designing robots, Maker Faire is the perfect opportunity to showcase that interest! Bluff Park's Mini Maker Faire will be held on Tuesday, May 5, at 8:15 - 9:00 a.m. If your child is interested, have him or her complete this Google Form to apply. Applications are due April 3. Students may work alone or in groups of up to three students, but only one form should be completed per group. Students will be notified on April 6 if they have been accepted. Work on Mini Maker projects will be 100% at home. This is open to students in grades 2-5. Questions? Contact Ms. Copeland at macopeland@hoover.k12.al.us.
Guidelines to Prevent Illness
- Stay home when you are sick. If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness. Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. Germs spread this way.
- Cover coughs and sneezes. Use a tissue to cover coughs and sneezes, then dispose of the tissue. When a tissue is not available, cough or sneeze into your elbow.
- Clean and disinfect surfaces or objects. Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home, work or school, especially when someone is ill.
- Wash hands for 20 seconds. Washing hands often under clean, running water can help prevent the spread of germs. If you cannot wash your hands, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60-95% alcohol.
Handwashing video for students:
Dudes on Duty - D2
We at Bluff Park would love to have more males in the building, and are hoping to do this through a program called D2 (Dudes on Duty). Things such as something as simple as greeting our students with a "good morning," eating breakfast with students, reading books to them, assisting with homework, etc. Twice a month men would meet with 4th and 5th grade boys on a "How To" session. Possible sessions might include: how to tie a tie, change a bicycle tire, fold the laundry, use a hammer and a screwdriver, etc.
If you are interested, please click here to submit your information to receive a sign up sheet. We are looking for Dudes that are available to volunteer Monday - Friday from 7:00 - 7:40 AM.
Smart Watches
Erin's Law
Attention All Parents: To comply with Erin’s Law, HCS school counselors and administrators have created a plan to provide basic child sexual abuse prevention lessons for students. We have prepared a brief video that outlines plans for elementary, middle and high school levels. You will find more detailed information on HCS’s plan to implement Erin’s Law, including the option for your child to opt out of these lessons if you so choose. This information is also available in Spanish. Disclaimer: If you need alternate accommodations in accessing the video content, please contact Marley Stephens at mstephens@hoover.k12.al.us.
Spanish with Senora Gaines
¡Hola mi famillia de Bluff Park! We continued with learning about the animals of Central and South America. Our ganadores (winners) from last week were the ‘lobo de crin’ (maned wolf) and ‘oso andino’ (spectacled bear). The animals we learned about this week were el jaguar (jaguar), el pingüino de galápagos (Galapagos penguin), el mono araña (spider monkey) and el ocelote (ocelot). I actually encouraged the students to tell me ‘Why’ they were voting for the animals with Spanish phrases. It was so much fun hearing them get excited about their favorite animals. I look forward to seeing which animals win and the final vote as well. We will continue to review numbers up to 100 in 1st - 5th grades and the months of the year and the days of the week and opposites in Kindergarten.
Gracias for all you do,
Profesora Melany Gaines
Connect with PTO
Check out our PTO website at https://bpespto.weebly.com for information on ways to get involved, teacher fun fact sheets, details on this year’s initiatives, board meeting minutes, and more. Additionally, join our Facebook page — search “BPES PTO” — to stay in the loop and get regular updates on school and PTO activities.
Email: If you have questions about PTO or have an area in which you’d like to get involved, feel free to reach out to bluffparkpto@gmail.com.
Upcoming PTO Dates
Save the Date for our annual Panther Prowl Color Run on Friday April, 17, 2020 from 3:15 - 4:15 pm! This is one of our largest fundraisers of the year, and it is a great way to advertise your business. Information about community sponsorship opportunities will be coming home soon.
Would You Like to Say the Pledge of Allegiance?
If your student would like to say the Pledge of Allegiance in the morning, please see the attached form, fill it out, and turn it into Mrs. Susu in the office. Click HERE to access the form.
School Digital Citizenship
K-5 Family Tips for Internet Safety. Click HERE for tips on how to help kids make friends and internet safely online.
The Bluff Park House Store - Now Open on Fridays!
The House Store is now open for business! The House Store will open every Friday morning at 7:10 a.m. until 7:35 a.m. in the cafeteria. Kindergarten friends will have a special day and time to purchase items from the store.
Click here for a list of items and prices that are sold.
All sales are final. Cash only, please.
Bluff Park Elementary School
Website: https://www.hoovercityschools.net/bluffpark
Location: 569 Park Avenue, Hoover, AL, USA
Phone: 205 439 2800
Facebook: facebook.com/bluffparkelem
Twitter: @BluffParkElem
Equal Educational Opportunities
(Notice of Nondiscrimination for all Mass-Distributed Publications/Mass Communications)
Updated 2018
EQUAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
(Board policy, 6.6) No student will be unlawfully excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination in any program or activity offered or sponsored by the Board on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, disability, creed, national origin, sex, immigrant or migrant status, non-English speaking ability, or homeless status. All career and technical education opportunities are offered to all students regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, or disability. The district also provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups.
Mrs. Claire Jones-Moore, IDEA Coordinator
Mrs. Anna Whitney, Section 504 Coordinator
Dr. Debra Walker Smith, Title I Coordinator
Dr. Autumm Jeter, Title II Coordinator
Dr. Debra Walker Smith, Title III Coordinator
Dr. Tera Simmons, Title IX Coordinator
Hoover City Schools
2810 Metropolitan Way
Hoover, AL 35243
(205) 439-1000
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
(Board policy, 5.14.1) The Board is an equal opportunity employer. Personnel actions and decisions will be made without regard to factors or considerations prohibited by federal or state law (as such laws may from time to time be amended), including but not limited to race, gender, age, disability, national origin, citizenship, and religious preference. Subject to the limitations set forth in 4.6.2, the general complaint (grievance) policy (4.6.1) may be used to present any complaint alleging unlawful discrimination or harassment. Inquiries regarding compliance and complaint procedures can be directed to:
Mary Veal, Equal Opportunity Employment Coordinator
Hoover City Schools
2810 Metropolitan Way
Hoover, AL 35243
(205) 439-1000
Book Fair
Remember how much you loved the Scholastic Book Fair? Make new memories with your child at the book fair next week. Mark your calendars, Bluff Park Book Fair week starts Monday, Feb. 24th! All purchases benefit our school. Shop Online! All orders will ship home. Free shipping on book-only orders over $25.
eWallet is a great new safe way for you to send money with your children to the bookfair! Go online, enter your info, set a price limit, and shop. Watch this informational video or check out this flyer to learn more!