Evening Star Elementary
April 2021
A Note from Principal Williams:
It's April, and believe it or not, as of today, there are only 37 school days remaining. That's incredible considering what all this year has entailed. As we make our way into the 4th quarter, our goal is to finish strong. For that reason, we want to reiterate the importance of your child's attendance regardless of their current instructional environment (blended or virtual) for the spring semester. We also want to thank all of our parents for participating in spring Parent-Teacher conferences. We are incredibly close to reaching our goal of 100% participating in conferences. If you have not yet had a Parent-Teacher Conference, please reach out to your child's teacher, and a conference will be scheduled.
The time for standardized assessment is approaching. Arkansas will provide statewide tests starting in April. This testing helps families and educators understand how much students have learned throughout the school year and whether they are on track to graduate high school and achieve success in college, career, and life.
The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) at the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) is requiring that all state-mandated assessments be taken in person at school this spring. Bentonville Schools considers the safety of all students a number one priority. In order to accommodate virtual students testing on campus, Kindergarten through fourth-grade blended students will participate in at-home crisis learning on April 13th and 14th.
Learning on these dates will be asynchronous, pre-recorded lessons from your student’s teachers in order to allow our teachers to support the virtual testing taking place on campus. There will be no live teaching on these days.
ESES Testing Schedule At a Glance:
Testing in the Building for Virtual Students--April 13th-14th
(*Virtual Parents-please be watching for a temporary car pass to arrive this week in the mail!)
April 13, 2021
K-2 MAP- Reading and Math (drop off starts at 7:00-7:30 am, pick up 11:05 am or after lunch at 11:35 am)
3rd-4th Aspire-Reading and Math (drop off starts at 7:00-7:30 am, pick up 10:55 am or after lunch at 11:35 am)
April 14, 2021
3rd-4th Aspire- English, Science, Writing (drop off starts at 7:00-7:30 am, pick up 11:05 am or after lunch at 11:35 am)
Testing for Blended Students--April 20th-May 7th
April 20, 2021
3rd/4th Grade ACT Aspire (Writing and English)
April 21, 2021
3rd/4th Grade ACT Aspire (Reading)
April 27, 2021
3rd/4th Grade ACT Aspire (Math)
April 28, 2021
3rd/4th Grade ACT Aspire (Science)
May 3, 2021-May 7, 202
Kinder, 1st, 2nd Grade MAP Testing
Last but not least, we are asking for everyone's help in the car line. Cell phone use in a school zone is against Arkansas state law. No call or appointment is worth the risk of hurting a child. Please be diligent, and put the cell phones down.
We appreciate you and all that you do to support Evening Star Elementary.
Updates from Nurse Conley:
ALL medication (over-the-counter and prescription) may ONLY be dropped off by a parent/guardian to the school nurse by appointment. The medication must be in the original container or box with the prescription label on it. A physician’s letter to administer medication at school and parent/guardian signed permission is required. Students are not allowed to transport medications at any time. See page 42 of our Elementary School Handbook 2020-2021 for the policy.
Please reach out to me with any questions or concerns!
Thank you,
Jillian Conley, BSN, RN
Future ESE Events:
Here are just a few events that we have planned so far. Mark your calendars now and keep a watch out for more events over the course of the school year:
Last day to order an ESE yearbook! (to order visit www.treering.com/validate. Our school passcode is 1015671061902803.)
April 13th and 14th Virtual Testing Days, Blended students will be learning remotely (see above)
April 22nd - Administrative Assistant/Secretary's Day
May 3rd @ 11:30 - Final Virtual ESE PTO meeting.
May 6th - Nurse's Day
Counselor Updates:
Our lessons this month will focus on careers/goals.
April is testing season, and we are excited to see the progress that our owls have made this year! We want everyone to feel calm and ready to do their best. Here are some tips to help your child cope if they experience test anxiety.
Remember: Not all stress is bad. Good stress pumps us up and can help us perform well. But too much stress can give way to anxiety and fear that get in the way of kids showing what they know. If you notice test anxiety, try these tips to help your child feel more at ease with test-taking.
Ask your child what’s making him/her feel nervous. Often talking through it and saying what’s happening out loud can bring some relief.
Remind them of past successes.
Tell them that a little anxiety before a test is actually normal and can be helpful in performing your best.
Practice doing tasks with a timer so that they are more at ease.
Keep a good routine at night and in the morning. Getting plenty of rest is crucial to their success. Also, arriving at school on time helps to set a positive tone for their day.
Fuel up with a good breakfast! Not too much sugar on testing mornings. Save the pancakes and syrup for a celebration of completion.
Encourage them to just do their best! They have prepared all year and have the strategies to do well.
Tell them to take deep breaths until they feel their bodies relax, give themself positive self-talk, “I will do my best.”
Then they can proudly show off what they know!!!
Tests should be their time to shine as wise ESE owls!
Pam Gaskin 479-360-7407 pgaskin@bentonvillek12.org
Paula Kaufmann 779-360-7408 pkaufmann@bentonvillek12.org
Literacy and Math News:
Have you wondered what your child is learning in phonics? Have you questioned the importance of decoding compared to the memorization of words? Understanding letter-sound relationships, including knowledge of letter patterns, helps children recognize familiar words and be able to figure out words they have not seen before. The ability to decode is the foundation upon which all other reading instruction—fluency, vocabulary, reading comprehension, etc… are built. There are lots of ways parents can help at home.
Notice how your child is sounding out words. Is he reading sound by sound? If so, encourage him to look for the vowel and read the ending part of the word, then add the beginning. For example, if the word is cab, have them read the ab first, then add the c to read the whole word. If your child is already reading the ending part of the word and adding the beginning, begin encouraging your child to blend the word starting at the beginning of the word.
Talk with your child about irregular words that he/she sees often when he/she is reading. These are the words that do not follow the letter-sound rules. Some examples of these words are "said," "are," and "of." Encourage your child to notice what part of the word does not follow the letter-sound rules. That irregular part is what readers learn by heart. We call these words heart words!
Be on the lookout for what letter pattern your child is focused on in class. Reinforce that pattern at home by having them read words with those patterns. Be sure and point out those letter patterns as you all are reading together.
Encourage your child to write notes or letters. As he/she is writing, he/she should focus on applying what he/she has learned about letter patterns.
When reading multisyllabic words, encourage your child to look for the vowel patterns and to notice what is in between those vowels, then divide the word into syllables.
Look at this Lexia link. This link gives ideas to practice at home that support what your child is learning in Lexia.
Julie Dibee, Literacy Coach and Jillian Myers, Math Coach
Celebration Books:
Click on the following link for more information and to place your order today: ESE Library Celebration Books - Order Form Link
Please note PTO will handle the book purchase, dedication, and delivery to our librarian, Mrs. Watson.
Whooo Loves to read? Your ESE OWLS DO!
Our ESE 4th-graders have embarked upon a VERY exciting project, but they need your help! Please consider subscribing to our school YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHYQ-f2_cHpbdkD5qBhD6Lw
In addition, so our students can continue their learning, this form needs to be completed for all of our students. If you have a k-4th grade student, please complete the linked form above, which will allow the children to be involved in the 4th-grades Courage Project.
If you have ANY questions, please email me at anwatson@bentonvillek12.org
Thank you for your support!!
Mrs. Watson
"Gym Shorts:"
Our little owls this month will be learning sports that you can do at any age. We will be learning putting and chipping in golf along with some fun hand-eye coordination games with tennis balls before learning basic tennis skills. Our older owls will go straight into beginners tennis. We are hoping we can take these skills outside and soak up some sunlight as well.
Coach Kerkhover
ART Studio:
Our Artists at Evening Star will be working on basic art skills and becoming better artists. Each student should be more confident and bring home artwork each week to share with their family. I am so proud of the strides we have made in developing basic skills and techniques. This year has been a challenge, but our artists have adapted and developed a nice attitude towards working hard in the classroom and expressing their creativity.
Mr. Van Slyke
Music Notes:
Evening Star's Got Talent! We all loved the virtual talent show last year, but this year let's make it even better! Does your little owl love to sing, play piano, juggle, dance? I know we have some very talented owls who would love to show off their skills!! Some tips as you prepare: 1) All acts should be safe and school-appropriate. 2) Each submission will have a 2-minute time limit. 3) Parents and siblings are welcome to join in on the show (as long as your ESE student is the star!). Be on the lookout for more info to come soon!
Mrs. Simpson
Global Connections:
In Global Connections, we will continue our journey around the world. We are finishing up our study of the fascinating country, continent, and island of Australia. Next, we move further south to explore Antarctica. I’m so grateful to share my love of culture and travel with your children!
Sincerely,
Ms. Garrett
STEM Lab:
A lot of good things are happening in STEM this month! 4th-grade has started on their Courage project! We are teaming up with Library on this adventure, and they are very excited about it! In 2nd and 3rd-grade, we are presenting the slide presentations that they have been creating this semester, and I am excited to see their enthusiasm and eagerness about presenting them. For Kindergarten and 1st-grades, we will be working on our typing skills to help develop our little owls into some awesome typers!
Mr. Meadows
TREC:
2nd and 3rd-grade TREC students are continuing their unit of Discoveries. They will be learning about the discovery of The Ice Age, Dinosaurs, and Volcanoes.
4th-grade TREC students are continuing their unit of Going Greek. They will be learning about ancient Greek architecture and creating a temple design.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Mrs. Heinen
English as a Second Language:
Parents, did you know our local community college offers free English classes? Northwest Arkansas Community College offers in-person and virtual adult English classes. The Adult Education Center offers flexible class schedules, so you can keep working while you keep learning and improving your skills. To check out the opportunity: Click Here.
If you are interested in more information, you can email NWACC personnel by sending your questions to the contact information email: askadulted@nwacc.edu, or you can call (479) 986-6911.
Let me know if you have any questions!
Melissa Tomblin
COVID-19 Response Steps
In an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 virus within the staff and student body, the district is asking all parents and guardians to notify our school nurse immediately when the following occurs:
Someone in the household has tested positive for COVID-19.
Someone in the household has been identified as a Close Contact to a positive case of COVID-19 and is requiring quarantine and/or recommended to be tested for COVID-19.
A student attending on-site instruction is being tested for COVID-19. If symptomatic, the student should remain in quarantine pending the results of their COVID-19 test.
You can contact our School Nurse, Jillian Conley during school hours by calling 479-360-7400. After school hours, please contact her by emailing jconley@bentonvillek12.org
Transportation Changes:
If you need to make a change in transportation, please notify the office BEFORE 2:00 p.m. As stated in our district handbook, changes in transportation home or early pick-up from school may not occur within 30 minutes of building dismissal time, unless it is an unavoidable emergency.
SCHOOL BREAKFAST AND LUNCH MENUS:
If you would like to see what our cafeteria will be serving for breakfast and lunch for April, simply click on the following link: https://www.bentonvillek12.org/Page/7010
You can also follow the steps below:
1) Access the District website: bentonvillek12.org
2) Under the Departments tab, choose: Food and Nutrition.
3) Click on the Printable Elementary School Menus link.
The breakfast and lunch menus for April are available for preview.
Items for school:
Parents - we need your help! Please send a water bottle with your child's name on it that they can keep in their cubby here at school. We have touchless waterbottle filling stations they can use to refill each day.
Additionally, we would like to ask that you keep an extra set of clothing and an extra mask in your child's backpack. Accidents happen, mask break, and things get misplaced.
For grades K-12, the only items that are allowed to be dropped off are items that are deemed essential to the child being able to access their learning for the day, such as a Chromebook, eyeglasses, medication. If your child forgets their lunch, their water bottle, or their snack, no worries! Your child may purchase a cafeteria lunch, we have extra water bottles here, and our counselors will have snacks available.