Bobcat Bulletin
October 16, 2023
LatinX Dance Class. They have so much fun!
Girls Basketball Team. Coach Renzi has set this team up for success.
Library time in action. Mrs. Johnston gives the space for all to find a preferred book to read.
Golden Spoon weekly winners enjoy special seating at the start of each week, and our students love it! What is the Golden Spoon? It is the recognition for being safe, responsible, respectful at the lunch tables and playground. Our noon duty, cashier, and cook vote for the grade level. Grade level spans, outside of TK/K compete with each other, and winning allows for class mixed seating, being on lawn blankets, and other free seating areas. On rainy days, it is the stage! So cool!
We are celebrating Halloween at school on October 31st with an 8:45 Halloween Parade on the blacktop. Families are welcome to stay after student drop off, and enjoy the parade. If your child does not celebrate Halloween or would prefer not to be part of the parade, we will have fall activities and games set up in the library for them to enjoy with staff members. This option will be available at any time throughout the day if there are classroom celebrations, we want all students to attend school on this day.
Reminder - there is no school on Wednesday, November 1st. And on November 2nd and 3rd we will be celebrating Día de los Muertos with an ofrenda set up in the multi purpose room for families, students, and staff to add a picture of a loved one or leave a decoration.
BE Safe. BE Responsible. BE Respectful.
BE YOUR BINKLEY BEST!
Warmly,
Harmony Harvell, Principal
JOIN School Site Council?
What is School Site Council?
School Site Council is a required to develop and approve the Single Plan for Student Achievement and the Safe School Plan. We meet four times a year, either in person or via Zoom depending on council preference. Our council includes teachers, staff, parents and community members; each elected to represent that group.
School Site Council Composition
Basic Expectation of School Site Council Members
Role of the School Site Council
From Seedlings Garden Group
Dear Binkley families —
Seedlings Garden Group, a nonprofit organization, has been partnering with Binkley to bring you your very own Garden Club! It’s a lot of work and we can’t do it without volunteers. Our Wednesday club is in need of another volunteer or two. We have a large waitlist and we’d love to get all the kids that want to garden into the garden.
The Wednesday club is from 2-3pm, after school, and is a free program. If you are interested in volunteering, please email, AriannaMWhite@hotmail.com. Your child is guaranteed a spot if you volunteer and younger children from your family are also welcome. If you volunteer with us you’d oversee 5-10 kids and help them plant starts and seeds in the garden beds, harvest, do some arts and crafts and keep our garden clean and organized.
Thank you for your consideration,
Arianna White
Seedlings Garden Group President
http://seedlingsgardengroup.com
Facebook: Seedlings Garden Group
Phone: 707-931-8687
We are changing the world, one garden at a time.
SITE/District Events
The Book Fair is COMING!
The Literati Book Fair is coming! Do you have what it takes to Crack the Case? Come get clued in to the best new books after school on November 3-9. Every purchase benefits our school library. Shop now online or in person during the fair. https://efairs.literati.com/?school=binkley-elementary-school-santa-rosa-ca
Help readers gather new leads with book fair gift cards! Make in-person checkout easier for your student, or send them as teacher gifts. Buy digital gift cards at efairs.literati.com.
We are looking for book fair volunteers! We need help after school and at lunchtime. Volunteers get 20% off their book fair purchase. Please check out the sign up genius link to sign up for a slot. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C49AFA929AAFF2-45146606-book
RVUSD TECH TIPS
Ditch the Distractions: Supporting Kids and Teens with Phone Notifications
Phones and devices are a major part of a kid's daily routine, and that extends to nighttime as well. In fact, over half of preteens and teens surveyed by Common Sense reported using their phones overnight.
Not getting enough sleep can affect children's physical and mental health. Staying up too late can even impact their attention, behavior, and development. When it comes to screens and sleep, there are a few things to remember:
Blue light at night interrupts natural sleep rhythms. So it's best to avoid it before bed. (Blue light from the sun keeps us alert during the day. The highly concentrated blue light from screens does the same thing.)
Just using a device is stimulating. Using screens before bed makes it harder to fall asleep, because they keep your brain alert when it should be winding down.
Young people can face a lot of pressure during the day. So it's understandable that many turn to their phones to relax. Try to help your kids reflect on their tech experiences without judgment. Then, check out these ideas to support them in balancing their tech use at night:
Limit using screens before bed. Whenever possible, shut everything off—including phones and tablets—at least an hour before bedtime. Set a screen-free routine with your child, like reading or listening to podcasts, to help them settle in for the night. And for older kids who might be doing online homework late, help them find a routine that calms their brain and body down after they turn off their device.
Block the blue light. Make sure kids are using "night mode" on their devices after sunset. Apple and Android devices have options to adjust display color based on time of day.
Turn off notifications. Make sure your kids turn off their notifications at night. You can use built-in features like Apple's Screen Time or Google's Family Link to set limits.
Keep phones out of the bedroom or sleeping area at night. Teens tell us that putting their phone in another room overnight is the best way to help them resist the temptation to use it—and this leads to better sleep. But some kids use their phones to play background noise or music to fall asleep. If this is the case for your child, try other options, like a white noise machine. Or, have them turn off notifications and set "do not disturb" on other apps overnight so the phone's only job is to play music.
Talk about tech expectations. Use a Family Tech Planner to create rules for how everyone uses devices. This will give kids a say and develop a shared understanding of how they can make the most out of entertainment and tech time.
Walk the walk. Of course, adults can also have a hard time putting down their devices. Whenever you can, model healthy tech habits that you want your kids to pick up.
We want to partner with families on this topic! Click here to learn more.
BOOSTER EVENTS
Trunk or Treat - October 27, 5:30-7pm
It's Trunk or Treat time again! Join us on Friday, October 27th at 5:30pm in the Binkley parking lot for a fun Halloween celebration, with trunk-or-treating, a taco stand (cash only!), and a pumpkin carving contest. Sensory sensitive trunk or treat (no lights, music, noise, or candy) will take place at the end of the main lot in a coned-off area.
Want to enter your pumpkin in the contest? Sign up on the SignUpGenius, fill out the attached form, and bring your carved or decorated pumpkin to the event by 5:30pm. Winners will be announced at 6:45pm!
We need your help to make this event a success! Sign up here if you want to decorate your trunk and/or donate candy or non-food items! Thank you!
Save the Date
Binkley Elementary Charter School
Email: hharvell@rvusd.org
Website: https://www.rvusd.org/o/binkley
Location: 4965 Canyon Dr, Santa Rosa, CA 95409
Phone: 707-539-6060
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BinkleyRV/