North Barrington Colt Communicator
From the office of Dr. Lisa West, Principal - 8/2021
Google Translate is used - Please contact the office at 847-381-4340 for questions.
Welcome Back to the 2021 School Year!
Dear North Barrington Families,
Welcome to the 2021-22 school year! As your new principal, I am thrilled to welcome and get to know all of our students and North Barrington families. I anticipate the 2022 school year to be an incredible year of learning. I am honored to begin my role as the principal of North Barrington Elementary School, and I look forward to the fun, exciting learning experiences we will create together. During the course of the year, it is my goal to build a strong partnership with each of you. As a team, we can provide the students of North Barrington with the best possible learning opportunities to support their journey in becoming world-class citizens ready to master the challenges of the 21st century with a solid foundation created here at our school.
This summer we have been very busy preparing the building for our first day of school. Our fine Building and Grounds Department has worked diligently cleaning every space, and our teachers are busy preparing classrooms so that your child’s arrival is welcoming and positive.
Additionally, as part of our preparation for our upcoming return, North Barrington has some new faces joining our learning community. This year brings an added new section to our first grade learning team. Mrs. Karson Maxey, a Barrington parent and community member, has joined our NBS school family as part of our first grade team. She is very excited to begin teaching again and looks forward to working with your first grader. Our fourth grade team welcomes back a Barrington graduate and alum, Miss Jenna Fingerman. She brings to NBS a wonderful energy as well as a strong ability to connect to our students. We love it when we have full circle moments that show the excellence of Barrington 220. I am also in the process of hiring a third grade classroom teacher who will be named as soon as the process is complete.
I am delighted to invite you to a very special event we have planned with our PTO to welcome students back to school this fall. We will be hosting our “Popsicles with the Principals” on Thursday August 19th from 3-4:30 pm on the playground. This event will give students and their families a wonderful opportunity to meet up with old friends and begin to create new friendships as well as meet their new principal.
We look forward to everyone’s safe return as we partner together to inspire all learners to achieve excellence. It is going to be the BEST school year yet! If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions regarding your child’s experience at North Barrington Elementary School, please feel free to contact me at (847) 304-4870 or lwest@barrington220.org.
In Partnership,
Dr. Lisa West, Principal
Important Details for a Strong Start
Beginning of the Year Information
There are many important pieces of information to add to your calendar for the 2021-2022 school year, please take the time to make note of them.
First Day of School: Our first day of school is for 1st - 5th grades is Friday, August 20, 2021. It is a full school day. Our school hours are 8:00 a.m. - 2:40 p.m. For our first day of school (August 20), please make sure your child knows his/her teacher’s name. If they forget, no need to worry. We will have staff on hand to help direct students to the right location. Also, if your child is eating lunch at school, the district will continue to use RevTrak as in past years. RevTrak has made several improvements to their system and we are very happy to bring them back for all school fees, food service payments, and school store shopping for the FY22 school year. If you have an account in RevTrak, your account login information should be the same as it was a couple of years ago. This year's breakfast and lunch will continue to be complimentary to all students.
Symptom Screener Web App - Schools will no longer be scanning every student’s ID to check if their symptom screener was completed. Parents/Caregivers are still required to complete the symptom screener Web App at home every morning before their child arrives at school. When students arrive at school, they will enter through appropriate entrance with their masks on and walk immediately to their classroom. No students will be allowed on our playground before school.
Class Assignments: Class assignments will be posted to the Infinite Campus Parent Portal on August 6 at 5:00 pm. Your child's teacher(s) will be reaching out to you to welcome you and to provide you with some preliminary information.
Families of Kindergarten students: If your child is entering Kindergarten, please make note that your Kindergarten teacher will be sending out separate communications with information about our school in regards to orientation into Kindergarten.
Families of First Graders: If your child is entering first grade and is not used to experiencing a full-day program, this will be your child’s first experience eating at school. It is a great idea to help him/her become an independent eater by practicing opening milk cartons, juice boxes, thermos bottles, and any item they may need practice opening. Also, please note that due to the length of the day, it is normal for your child to be tired when returning home from school. Their stamina should improve as children begin to adjust to the routine of the school schedule.
Transportation and Safety
Per Governor Pritzker's executive order, all K-12 schools are under a mask mandate. This means that whenever inside the school, mask are required no matter your vaccination status. We thank you for following this directive as we continue to promote safety for all our North Barrington Colts. Please refer to the District links directly above for further information.
All North Barrington ID/bus tags will given out on Meet the Teacher or on the first day of school. For those who are returning to North Barrington, please use the ID holder you received previously. If you need a replacement, the cost is $2.00 for the holder and $3.00 for the ID (which will be billed to your Infinite Campus account). Please attach the ID/bus tag to the outside of your child’s backpack. If you have any questions regarding your child’s bus tag, please contact the North Barrington office at (847) 381-4840.
- Bus route information is available through the Ride 360 app. Parents should only rely on information from Ride 360 for up-to-date bus information in the 21-22 school year. If you have forgotten your parent portal log-in or need to set up a new account, please call the IC Help Desk at 847-842-3580. If you have registration and medical forms to still submit, the office is now open from 7:00 am - 3:30 pm.
In order to establish the very important morning routine, you are encouraged to send your child(ren) on the bus on the first day of school (August 20). The bus ride is such an integral part of each child’s day. If you choose to drive your child to school, please be aware that you will need to say your goodbyes with hugs, love, and encouragement at drop off in the front of the building. The North Barrington staff will be on hand supervising the car rider line, hallways, and bus areas to ensure students get to their classrooms safely.
School dismissal/bus calls start at 2:40 pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and 2:10 pm on Wednesday with the last bus scheduled to leave school property at approximately 2:50 pm and 2:25 pm. During the first few days of school, buses may be running late. We thank you in advance for your flexibility as we perfect the schedule and routes.
Student MORNING Student Drop-Off UPDATE:
For student drop-off, please enter the front drive and stop at the end of the sidewalk by the sandwich board sign. We will unload 3-5 cars at a time. Children will walk on the inside part of the sidewalk to their teacher's classroom cone on the blacktop. NBS staff will be there to assist them. We will then have those 3-5 cars leave and the next 3-5 pull forward. For safety, we are asking that you drive slowly and watch out for each other as you are pulling out. For inclement weather, children will drop off at the front of the building and then walk into the gym to stand behind their teacher's classroom cone.
Student drop-off will be no earlier than 7:45 am as we do not have supervision for your child before 7:45 am. Please plan to drop your student(s) off by 7:55 am in order to ensure a prompt 8:00am start in our classrooms. Additionally, children should have all materials they need to exit the vehicle. Please do not stop, park and get out of your car. This will ensure a more safe and efficient student drop-off. (SEE DIAGRAM BELOW FOR MORNING DROP OFF).
Children are not allowed in the classroom prior to 7:55 am unless given permission by the classroom teacher. Children who arrive at 7:55 am should go directly to their classrooms.
If you arrive after 8:00 am, your child is considered tardy. We ask you to park your vehicle in a legal parking space and walk your child into the office to sign them in.
Student AFTERNOON Parent/Caregiver pick-up:
School dismisses at 2:40 pm daily and 2:10 pm on Wednesdays.
All cars should enter the BACK SCHOOL PARKING LOT from Grandview Drive (just past the school on the East side of the building) and pick up your child up from Circle Drive. As cars pull up, staff members supervise and help load students in multiple cars at one time. (SEE DIAGRAM BELOW FOR AFTERNOON PICK UP).
If you intend to pick up your child after school, please write a note to your child's teacher. If you have a standing plan, such as every Tuesday, you will pick up, you can write one note for a set period of time. If there is not a set plan, you need to write a note each day your plan is to pick them up at Circle Drive so they will be dismissed as "Circle Drive Pick-up".
Without a note, we will send your child home on the bus. If the change occurs once school is in session, please call the front office and they will advise the teacher as well. Do not rely on on email as the teacher may not have the opportunity to check email during the day.
Please note the daily cut off time for last minute changes in transportation is 2:00 pm (M,T, TH, F) and 1:45 pm on Wednesday. If you contact the office after 2:00 pm and 1:45 pm on Wednesday, we cannot guarantee that the change will be made or that your child will be ready for pick up.
DROP OFF AND PICK UP PROCEDURES
Additional Information
School Supplies
We appreciate you taking the time to mark all belongings and supplies with your child’s full name, including clothing and lunch bags. If you pre-ordered and purchased a supply pack from the PTO, it will be delivered to the school and available in your child's classroom.
A Note from the Nurse: Health Changes for the 2021-2022 School Year
Parents may drop off medication and the signed forms to the health office prior to the start of school on Tuesday, August 17th from 8:00 am to 3:00 p.m. and Thursday, August 19th from 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. All medication must be in the original container.
Physicals with up-to-date immunizations are required for all new to the district students. Exclusion date is September 1. We will accept documented physician appointments from out of state transfers only to extend the due date.
Allergy Awareness Policy. North Barrington continues to an allergy aware nut free school. All classrooms will be safe for all students. In order to ensure food safety, please make sure you check with your child’s teacher or the health office and follow all food guidelines or restrictions, especially on party days and for snacks if the classroom teacher allows for them.
Get the latest news from Barrington 220 and North Barrington School
Barrington 220 has a variety of social media channels to help families stay up-to-date on the latest news and updates:
Social Media: If you prefer to get the above-mentioned news from Barrington 220 via social media, follow us on Twitter @Barrington220, @NBES220 or 'Like' us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/barrington220.org/North
Student Attendance
As a school and home partnership, we look forward to working collaboratively with our families to maintain rigorous compulsory student attendance through positive student recognitions, teacher and administrator communications, and our quarterly updates to parents/guardians. Thank you for sending your child to school on time each and every day!
Birthdays
At North Barrington we are always working to create a healthy and positive environment for all our learners. As part of this healthy initiative, we are asking that you do not send birthday treats or goody bags to school. To help celebrate, classroom teachers and the office will recognize your child’s special day in an age appropriate way within the classroom.
YOUR NORTH BARRINGTON PTO
Our North Barrington Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) is integral to this on-going partnership. It supports the school in achieving the above and creates events and activities for all of us to come together as one school community. Together, the PTO and NBS staff strive to model a committed partnership focused on creating an engaging, supportive fun educational experience for each and every child.
Please take a moment to access the North Barrington PTO website to stay informed as well as join this dynamic organization. If you are new to North Barrington, the PTO will connect you with a buddy parent who will help acclimate you to NBS, help you stay informed on upcoming PTO/School events, and get you connected. One of the best ways to make new friends in a new community is to volunteer and work together on common activities or events as well as come to the PTO meetings. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Amy or Lisa if you have any questions.
General Questions - email contact for PTO:
MEET THE TEACHER
POPSICLES WITH THE PRINCIPAL
WHO: All North Barrington Families and students
WHAT: Meet Dr. West the New NBS Principal and spend some time with your school friends
WHEN: August 19th - 3:00 - 4:30 pm
WHERE: North Barrington Playground
UPCOMING CALENDAR EVENTS
Important Dates
August 6. Class assignments are available in Infinite Campus Parent Portal after 5 pm
August 10 Governing School Board Meeting 7:00 pm
August 17 Medication Drop off/Update Care Plans (8:00 – 3:00 pm)
August 19 Meet the Teacher- 1:00 to 1:45 pm A-K families; 2:00 - 2:45 L-Z families
August 19 Popsicles with the Principals - 3:00 - 4:30 pm on the NBS playground
August 20 First Day of school 1st - 5th grades - 7:55 am - 2:40 pm
August 24 First day of school Kindergarten (Full day: 7:55 am-2:40 pm Half Day 7:55-10:25 am)
September 6 No School (Labor Day)
September 7 Back to School Night 6:30-8:00 pm
September 8 5th grade to Camp Duncan
September 9 School Picture Day - Picture Day will occur during the school day.
North Barrington Elementary School
Email: lwest@barrington220.org
Website: www.barrington220.org
Location: 24175 North Grandview Drive, North Barrington, IL, USA
Phone: 847-381-4340
Facebook: facebook.com/barrington220.org/North
Twitter: @NBES220