BPE Monthly
September 2022
Educating Students is a Team Effort
School life is quite different than home life. The demands on our students go well beyond academics. Not only are we asking them to focus their attention on familiar knowledge, new material, and the development of learning skills, but we're also establishing a new schedule, routines, and expectations for how they navigate the classroom/building, interact with peers and respond to challenges. Learning in elementary school is all about developing the whole child, which requires a team effort. The following are some very important ways you can support us in educating your student.
-Your student needs every minute of the sleep recommended for their age group so please help them consistently maintain their bedtime schedule.
-We need every minute of their learning time. Children who are ill, definitely need to recover at home so please know that we understand when our students need to stay home and get well due to fever, vomiting or being contagious. However, if your student is not ill, we want and need them at school and learning.
-There is a great deal of research being conducted on the effects of screen time on brain development. As I come across new research, I will share it with you. In the meantime, the most recent recommendations for your student's exposure to a screen/digital device are noted below. You would be amazed how many students admit to waking up in the middle of the night and occupying their time on a device for hours when they should be sleeping. Parents can really help their students avoid this temptation by removing access to digital devices at night.
We're here to partner with you in educating your student. The three items listed above are crucial in ensuring students arrive at school ready to learn. Thank you for your support! We're looking forward to a fabulous year!
Sleep is a Crucial Piece of your Student's Success
We Thrive When we Arrive by 7:55
- Missing just two days a month equates to a loss of ten percent of a student's learning time by the end of the year. If this pattern is repeated yearly, a student's exposure to learning is a half year behind that of peers by the end of elementary school.
- Tardies impact learning. In addition to missing learning time, students who are late to school often feel rushed and unsettled when they arrive in class and see their peers engaged in academic activities. For some students, these feelings of frustration may impact them throughout the day. Students do best when they can calmly begin their day and not feel they are behind before they've even begun.
Too Much Screen Time Impacts:
*Being less physically active - increase in childhood obesity; underdeveloped motor skills; overall wellness impacted
*Disrupted sleep - Sleep is so important to growing children, but screens are constant stimulation, especially if used close to bed
*Headaches
*Eye strain - Their eyes need rest too.
*Decrease in cognitive function and attention spans, and has an impact on energy levels.
*Decline in understanding communication clues due to a lack of interaction with peers and adults, resulting in decreased emotional intelligence and ability to adapt to the world around them.
Whole Child Development
At BPE, we are committed to supporting the growth and learning of the whole child. In addition to academics, we work on self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Sometimes this means helping our students in building and maintaining positive relationships with peers. Sometimes it means helping our students to understand their emotions and how to manage those emotions. One of the first lessons students learn with our guidance counselors in support of these core competencies is about their brains and the responsibilities of different parts of the brain.
Your students will be learning about the amygdala which is in charge of our fight, flight, or freeze response, hippocampus which is in charge of our learning and memories, and our prefrontal cortex which is in charge of helping us make good choices and managing our emotions. If we know what our brain is doing then we know how to best control it! Learn more at: https://blissfulkids.com/mindfulness-and-the-brain/
In order to stay in charge of our emotions and have our brain at its best for learning, we are practicing Starfish Breathing. Here is a link to a YouTube video so you can practice Starfish breathing at home…Parents this is a great way to help your kiddos (or yourself) to calm down! ☺
Model Safety
- ALWAYS use a crosswalk when crossing our driveways or parking lots. This also applies to crossing Dalton and General Worth.
- During arrival, never release your student from your car onto Dalton or General Worth. Please always use the drop-off lanes in the driveways off from Dalton (1st grade) or General Worth (Kindergarten and 2nd-4th graders).
- Cell phone use in the school zone is illegal. The use of phones (by the driver) in the drop-off and pick-up is strictly prohibited.
- Car seats save lives - Any children under a year old and/or under 35 pounds should be placed in a rear-facing child seat in the back seat of the car. Under no circumstances is an infant allowed in the front seat, due to the impact of front and side airbags in the event of a crash. Once your child has reached a year old, they may sit in a forward-facing safety seat, again in the rear of the vehicle. They will need to use this seat from ages 1 – 4, and 20-40 pounds. Texas seat belt law maintains that all children under the age of 5 AND less than 36 inches tall must continue to use the safety seats. This means that if your child is under the age of 5, but over 36 inches, they may graduate to a booster seat. Kids will typically need to use a booster seat until they are 4 foot 9 inches tall and weigh anywhere between 80 and 100 pounds. Kids will usually fall within the 4-8 year range for these demographics. The booster seat should again be placed in the back seats of your vehicle.
Extra-Curricular Year-at-a-Glance
Calling All Preschool Patriots!
Who? Children who turn 4 on or before Sept. 1, 2022, and will attend BPES next year
What? Preschool Patriots Storytime
Where? Bette Perot Elementary Library
When? Coming this Fall! Once a month on Fridays from 9:30-10:30
(Scheduled Dates for the 2022-23 School Year: 9/16, 10/7, 11/4, 12/9, 1/6, 2/10, 3/3, 4/21, 5/5)
Why? To get acquainted with the school and staff and to promote reading and early literacy
How do I sign up? Pick up a form from the library or email Amy Pratt.
Change of Dismissal Plan - Super Important!
Celebrating a Birthday?
Visitor Procedures
- Procedures for visitors apply throughout the entire school day.
- The north end (cafeteria and gym doors) is only available to children. Students may enter through these doors between 7:35 and 7:55 but adults must enter through the lobby doors. Adults attempting to enter through the north doors will be redirected to enter through the office.
ALL visitors will be required to enter through the office, provide picture identification, and obtain a visitor sticker/badge before proceeding to any other part of the building. Adults will be asked to leave their picture identification in the office while in the building and pick it back up as they exit the building through the office. This ensures we know who is in the building at all times.
- Office staff will verify the visitor is a parent, guardian, or approved contact for the student.
Thank you for working with us to ensure the safety and security of our children.
Volunteers
Lunch Account
For the 2022-23 school year, breakfast will be free for all of our students. Lunch is $2.95 for students who have not qualified for free- or reduced- meal assistance.
If you have a financial need and would like to apply for meal assistance, follow this link to learn more about the options available to you.
Lunch Menu
Lunch Dates
Parents are welcome to join their students for lunch. Please remember that state law only allows parents/guardians to provide food for their own children. You will not be able to bring food for a friend's child and have him/her join you.
If you've never had the opportunity to dine with us, be sure to bring your driver's license with you when you check in at the office. If you arrive a bit early, we'll have you take a seat in the office and wait for your student's lunchtime before heading to the cafeteria. You may purchase lunch from the cafe, bring in lunch for you and your child, or just sit and enjoy the time with your kiddo as he/she eats. We have parent lunch tables reserved for you to dine with your student. Please know that students will not be able to bring a friend to the guest table to dine with you.
BPE is a Dog-Free Zone
Calendar Events
Show your Patriot Pride!
September 2nd - Fall Picture Day
September 2nd - College Colors Day
September 5th - Labor Day
PTA Membership Drive...Coming Soon
- Field trips for all of our students
- Annual holiday & end of year parties for all of our students
- Fall & Spring Family events. This year's Fall event will take place on the evening of October 7th.
- PTA has contributed to the improvement of our learning spaces in many ways. Recent projects have included: expanding our playground, funding the playground sunshades over the play equipment, adding the outdoor learning center, and purchasing new furniture for our classrooms.
Please join today and support BPES through your BPES PTA membership!
September 13 - BPES Dining Night Out at Spring Creek BBQ
September 16 - Preschool Patriots Storytime
September 19-23 - Back to BPE Week
September 19 & 21 - 3rd Grade Natatorium Days
September 19 - Students from Mrs. Balaun, Mrs. Gonzales, & Mrs. McQuhae
September 21 - Students from Mrs. Barnett, Mrs. Mooneyham, & Mrs. Thompson
September 22 - PTA General Body Meeting - Creature Teacher
Teaching children while letting them experience nature first hand with live animals.