Bennett Bear Business Newsletter
Week of October 19, 2020
October is Dyslexia Awareness Month
Parent-Teacher Conference Day - October 26th
As we approach the end of the nine weeks, Monday, October 26, is reserved as a day for parent teacher conferences. All Bennett certified teachers will be available for conferences. If you would like a conference with your child’s teacher, please email your child's teacher. Additionally, your child ‘s teacher may also reach out and request a conference be held.
If there is a specific topic you want to discuss, please let your child’s teacher know in advance. For any students that are switching learning preference from virtual to F2F or vice versa for the 2nd Quarter, this conference will be held in conjunction with your Quarter 1 teacher and your Quarter 2 teacher, if available.
Thank you for partnering with us for your child’s success.
Important Information from the Learning Commons
At Bennett, we not only participate in Common Sense Media Digital Citizenship Week, but also teach digital citizenship all year. This year, Digital Citizenship week is October 19-23, 2020.
Teachers will be using age appropriate Digital Citizenship lessons from Common Sense Media to teach concepts that focus on these six topics: Media Balance & Well-Being, Privacy & Security, Digital Footprint & Identity, Relationships & Communication, Cyberbullying, and News & Media Literacy.
Below are some family activities and tips to support your efforts at home. Thank you for partnering with us to help develop students into Digital Citizens and Digital Leaders.
Thank you,
Mrs. Stallbaumer
Family Activity for Grades K-2
- Kindergarten: Media Balance is Important
- First Grade: Pause & Think Online
- Second Grade: We, the Digital Citizens
Family Activity for Grades 3-5
- Media Balance & Well-being
- Privacy & Security
- Digital Footprint & Identity
- Relationships & Communication
- Cyberbullying, Digital Drama, Hate Speech
- News & Media Literacy
Family Tips for Grades K-5
- Help Kids Balance their Media Life: Media Balance is Important
- Help Boost Kids' Safety, Privacy, and Security
- Help Kids Make Friends and Interact Safely Online
- Help Kids Post, Comment, and Upload Responsibly
- Help Kids Fight Cyberbullying and Other Mean Online Behavior
- Help Kids Spot Fake News and Decode Media Messages
Bus Driver Appreciation Week - October 19th-23rd
Reminders from Our Counselor, Christie Thompson
*Be sure to start gearing up for Red Ribbon Week! See our dress-up days here.
Warm regards,
Christie N. Thompson
School Counselor
504 Campus Coordinator
469.302.5437/5438
Visit my website
or Twitter account
October Guidance "Name & Need"
Specials' Team - October Newsletter
October Sign Up Genius For Lunch Visitors
October Breakfast & Lunch Menus
Please Keep Your Dogs at Home
Going forward, we ask that you keep your dog safely at home and not on school property. We appreciate your time and help in keeping our BEARS and your pets safe.
BEARS Celebrating a Birthday in October
October Birthdays:
19 - Micole, Luke, Amelia, Paxton
20 - Eva
21 - Charlie
22 - Graham, Olivia, Lillian
23 - Jacob
24 - Asher, Thomas, Ms. Montgomery - STC Aide
25 - Reese, Ms. Greenlee - 2nd Grade Teacher
27 - Brooklyn, Dillon, Violet, Nolan
28 - William, Trevor, Kinley, Benjamin, Holly, Ms. Snyder - 4th Grade Teacher
31 - Isabel, Mason, Ms. Ledino - LSSP
Upcoming Events for our BEARS
October Events for our BEARS
Monday, October 19th - Friday, October 23rd:
Common Sense Digital Citizenship Week - #DigCitWeek
Bus Driver Appreciation Week
Monday, October 19th:
2nd Nine Weeks Begins
Friday, October 23rd - Friday, October 30th:
Red Ribbon Week - Details Below
Friday, October 23rd:
Red Ribbon Week: Be Happy, Be Brave, Be Healthy - Wear red to kick off Red Ribbon Week
PTO's Trunk or Treat - 6:00PM-7:30PM
Monday, October 26th:
Parent Teacher Conference Day - Virtually
Tuesday, October 27th:
Red Ribbon Week: Be Happy, Be Brave, Be Healthy – Reach your dreams by making healthy choices! - *Wear pajamas
Wednesday, October 28th:
Red Ribbon Week: Be Happy, Be Brave, Be Healthy – Build a better you by making healthy choices! *Wear lego-inspired colors or clothes today.
Thursday, October 29th:
Red Ribbon Week: Be Happy, Be Brave, Be Healthy – Give unhealthy choices the boot. *Wear boots today.
Friday, October 30th:
Red Ribbon Week: Be Happy, Be Brave, Be Healthy – Together we can make healthy choices. *Wear your red Bennett Bear Spirit T-Shirt or your favorite Bennett Spirit Wear.
TIME CHANGE - Friday Live - 2:30PM - Virtually - Our virtual BEARS of the Month may come up to school from 8:30AM-2:00PM on Friday, October 30th, to get their BEAR of the Month certificate and award from the front office prior to Friday Live at 2:30PM.
November Events for our BEARS
Monday, November 2nd:
October Creed Lunch at 11:00AM - outside the front of school
Tuesday, November 3rd:
PTO Fundraiser Kicks Off - more details to come
Wednesday, November 4th:
It's Individual Picture Day
*Virtual Students will be invited to school from 8:00AM-9:00AM to have their picture taken
*No lunch visitors this day, as we will be using the stage to take individual pictures
Friday, November 6th:
PTO Sponsored Carter Blood Drive at Bennett - see flyer below
Monday, November 9th:
Staff Development Waiver Day - No School for Students
Friday, November 13th:
World Kindness Day
November Friday Live - Virtual Style - 2:30PM
Monday, November 16th:
November Creed Lunch at 11:30 - outside the front of school
Wednesday, November 18th:
Progress Reports go home
Monday, November 23rd-Friday, November 27th:
Thanksgiving Break
Time Change - October Friday Live - Virtual Style - October 30, at 2:30
Important Friday Live Information for Virtual Students
Our virtual BEARS of the Month may come up to school from 8:30AM-2:00PM on Friday, October 30th, to get their BEAR of the Month certificate and award from the front office prior to Friday Live starting at 2:30PM. If there are virtual students that earn the Creed Award, they are welcome to join us for Creed Lunch on Monday, November 2nd, at 11:00AM. We will enjoy lunch outside the front of the school and our virtual Creed winners will get their trophy at our Creed Lunch.
Important Information from Nurse Tiffany
McKinney ISD Laptop Information
Laptops were provided to 4th and 5th graders through the MISD 1:The World Laptop Initiative. We hope students are enjoying them and having 1:1 access to technology. This is a reminder that the MISD 1:The World Laptop Initiative has an annual assurance fee. The fee is located in each student’s HAC account and is $30 ($15 for free/reduced lunch).
*Please note: 3rd grade students do not pay the assurance fee**
The annual fee covers the first incident of accidental damage, theft, fire, water damage, or vandalism with no deductible. A police report is required within 24 hours of reporting theft of a device. Subsequent incidents over the life of the computer will require a $125 deductible.
Fees may be paid through HAC using a credit/debit card, or in person to the campus secretary by check, cash, or money order. Please make sure your pop-up blocker is turned off when adding your payment information. This link shows how to make a payment in HAC. If you have multiple students, you must pay each student fee separately, under their name in HAC. The system can not recognize multiple students on a single payment.
Students will be issued a new laptop on a 5-year rotation. The one-time, zero dollar deductible, will reset when a new computer is issued to a student at the 5-year mark.
The fee must be paid in full by Dec. 17th. After this date, any student with an outstanding assurance fee will have their laptop restricted to a whitelist of academic resources only. These students will not have access to anything other than the 59 applications necessary to “do school”. This restriction will be in place until the fee is paid or removed in HAC.
All of this information is detailed in the 1:The World handbook and includes a sample price list of the cost to replace frequently damaged parts, should the fee not be paid.
If you have any questions, please contact Kara Lane, Bennett Secretary, at or 469-302-5402 or klane@mckinneyisd.net.