Bulldog Bulletin
September 28, 2018
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Dear Bulldog Families,
It is hard to believe that fall has officially started and that we are already finishing up our first 9 weeks of school! New Britton has been a busy place filled with wonder, exploring, learning, and growing. Parent-teacher conferences are a great time to hear from your son or daughter’s teacher regarding their social and academic learning and growth
At this point you should have received information from your student’s teacher regarding how to schedule a conference. The majority of our conferences will be held the weeks of October 8th and October 22nd. Please contact your student’s teacher with any scheduling questions you may have. Our first 9-week grading period officially ends October 5th. Grades will be discussed during conferences and available to parents through Skyward Family Access as of October 11. It is important to remember several things during conference time:
· Grades and numerical scores (like NWEA) are just a few ways to measure learning. There is so much that we can learn about our students through informal daily assessments (formative), individual conferences, participation in discussions, and social interactions with peers.
· There are still MANY weeks of learning left in this school year. If you have an area of concern, please collaborate with your student’s teacher to develop an ongoing method of monitoring this concern.
· Many skills have just been introduced and will continue to be taught and monitored.
· Be sure to connect with your student after conferences to share celebrations and set a goal for continued growth/work.
Preliminary state and federal school report card grades based on last year’s ISTEP scores have been released but are embargoed and cannot be shared publicly at this time. We are proud of the hard work our students and staff and will share the official results when they are released.
Our renovation work regarding phase 1 will wrap up during fall break with the installation of acoustic panels in the cafeteria and milling/resurfacing of our main parking lot. Phase 2 demolition work has concluded and new walls are being constructed. We are on schedule to have our classroom moves take place Nov. 30-Dec.2. Most second grade classrooms and three first grade classes will be moving into the newly renovated 4th grade classrooms. These classes will remain in this location for the rest of the year. Mrs. Printz’s class will be moving into a temporary classroom in the current library. All kindergarten and one first grade class will move into our current 2nd grade hallway as the kindergarten and one first grade room are renovated. When phase 3 is complete, these classrooms will move back into renovated classrooms, tentatively scheduled for the end of February/beginning of March. Our classroom design committee work will begin in October. This group will research, select, and order classroom furniture, book cases, and other “loose equipment” items.
Redistricting News
The Hamilton Southeastern Schools redistricting process is underway. The school cluster meetings of the redistricting process have occurred, and the school administrator and several other stakeholder meetings have occurred. New Britton was well-represented at the initial meeting with parents from several of our neighborhoods. We would like to thank the following parents for their time and input: Mary Fukuhara, Satish Bolisetty, George Davis, Michele Smith, Jamie Meekin, Carrie Graunke, Christy Brinkruff, and Julie King. The cluster groups from the east and west sides of the district came up with 18 preliminary drafts of possible redistricting boundaries and additional work was done to narrow the options down to four, which will be further tweaked. The redistricting process is a community driven, board decision model. We will keep you updated as the process continues. Our HSE School website contains information regarding the process, and there are a few helpful videos that were shared with us at our administrative meeting this past week.
Nature's Classroom - Nature Lab
We are dreaming of how we can update our outdoor space to create "Nature's Classroom" right here at our school! We are looking for some help with donations from businesses and community partners of items like lumber, labor, boulders, tree cookies, etc. to make some of these upgrades. We also have several “building/wood-working” projects that will need to occur so if you are handy, please consider helping us with our work. If you know of anyone who may be interested in donating or partnering with us, please feel free to contact Stacy Peters (speters@hse.k12.in.us) or Lori Mankin (lmankin@hse.k12.in.us) or by phone at 317-594-4130. Thank you so much for considering!
Sign up for upcoming work days 9/29 and 10/27 here: Work Day Sign Up
IMPORTANT DISTRICT EARLY DISMISSAL INFORMATION
Students will be dismissed 20 minutes early each Monday
to allow teachers to participate in additional training and education.
- Please be at your child's bus stop ready to receive your child 20 minutes earlier than their regular arrival time each Monday.
- Car riders will need to be picked up at 3:20.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
SPIRIT WEEK 10/1-10/5
10/1: 'Merica Monday - Wear red, white and blue
10/2: Team Day - Show off your favorite sports team
10/3: Hat Day - Wear your favorite hat
10/4: Class Colors Day - wear your class colors (Kdg-RED, 1st-BLUE, 2nd-GRAY, 3rd-BLACK, 4th-GREEN)
10/4: 2nd grade to Conner Prairie
10/5: NBE Color Blast 6:00-8:00
10/10: 2nd grade water safety programs in classrooms
10/10: FIELD TRIP: Kindergarten to Russell Farms
10/11: 3rd grade smoke alarm safety programs in classrooms
10/15-10/19 FALL BREAK - NO SCHOOL
10/23: Picture retake
10/26: Movie Night
10/29: 6:30 p.m. Bike Safety with Officer Bowling @ NBE Cafe
10/29: 7:00 p.m. PTO meeting @NBE Cafe
Color Blast is Friday 10/5
Are you ready for some colorful fun? Join your friends and classmates at the Color Blast on Friday. Click the link below for more information.
It's time for Spirit Week and Penny War!
We are so excited for our very first Bulldog Color Blast on Friday! To celebrate, please join us in Spirit Week! Click the link below to see what to wear each day next week to show your Bulldog Pride!
Also - Penny War is back! This is a great opportunity to raise money for our school and encourages teamwork and strategy planning! Click the link above to learn more.
Safety Spotlight
This past week we held a mini-safety week focusing on how we all keep New Britton Safe. We conducted both a fire drill and severe weather drill and reminded students of their role in school safety. They have a very important role in school safety and we reminded them of the following eleven ways that they can help keep our school safe. The single most important thing that keeps students safe at school is the students themselves. We will continue to keep you informed of our safety drills so that you can discuss their role in keeping New Britton safe.
1. Do not open doors for strangers!
2. Report strangers you see to school staff.
3. Be careful and look both ways before boarding a bus.
4. Report contraband (items that do not belong in school) to school personnel.
5. Report any harassment, bullying, rumors of fights or anything else you know of that threatens the safety of staff and students in our school.
6. Do not block any exterior doors open at any time.
7. Always report anything that looks out of place to you, anything that makes you think something isn’t quite right here.
8. Remember there is to be no student talking during fire drills, tornado drills, and lockdown drills.
9. Always follow the instructions of your teacher or the adult in charge.
10. Do not carry or use a cell phone during the school day.
11. Be careful of the personal information you provide to others (on-line). Don’t give private information to strangers.
Catch of the Week!
Click here to see which students were selected to be their class
"Catch of the Week" for showing great FISHY behaviors this week.
BE THERE
MAKE THEIR DAY
PLAY SAFELY
CHOOSE YOUR ATTITUDE
Media Center Volunteers needed
The PTO would love your help in the Media Center. A volunteer is needed each morning from 9-10 and another sometime in the afternoon. Volunteers check in books and shelve them. Check out this signup for available slots! http://signup.com/go/XpHWqZZ
Returning and new volunteers welcome. SafeVisitor badge required.
FROM THE OFFICE
BOOK RENTAL: Once again this year, you will receive your student's book rental statement via email from Skyward Family Access.
Book rental is due by Friday, October 5th.
To pay with exact cash or check: Stop by or send in payment to the NBE office in envelope with student name marked.
To pay with credit or debit card: You may use the eFunds link on the NBE webpage
*After logging in to your eFunds account, click on "Make a Payment" and "Optional Fees"
FROM THE CAFETERIA
Want to eat lunch with your child/grandchild? Exciting news - the NBE Cafeteria is open and ready to accept lunchtime visitors!
We do have a NEW PROCEDURE for parents to sign up to have lunch with their child using SignUp Genius. There is no need to call into the office to reserve your spot. The September calendar is available at the link below and you may sign up at your convenience.
Important:
- You MUST have a current background check on file in order to eat lunch with your child.
- Parents may NOT use their student's account when purchasing a parent lunch. Parent lunch is $3.36
Click the link below:
- Select the date and correct grade level
- Click "Submit and Sign up"
- Enter your name and in the comments section please type your lunch choice
- Then click "Sign Up Now"
E-Funds Online School Payments
When sending lunch money in with your student, please remember to include the Student ID number on all checks and envelopes.
Plastic Cap Collection
Kindergarten classes would like to thank our Bulldog families so much for their generous donations. Good news - we are still collecting plastic caps! See link below for information on acceptable caps and lids to donate.
New Britton Student Handbook
Click the link below to see our New Britton handbook full of important information.
Staff Spotlight - Meet Mrs. Williams!
My name is Katy Williams and I am so excited to be a Bulldog this year! My family and I moved to Fishers in January from Yorktown, IN. I lived in Yorktown my whole life and was a 2nd teacher at the same elementary school I attended growing up. I even taught with some of the teachers I had! Isn’t that funny!!
I graduated from Ball State University with my degree in elementary education and high ability education. I also just finished my master’s degree in school administration. I LOVE to learn new things!!
I am married to Dr. Derrick and we have 4 daughters. Kamryn is almost 14, Lauryn is 12, Madelyn is 10 and Jordyn is 8. Jordyn is also a NBE Bulldog! Some of our favorite things to do together as a family are going on vacation and having family game or movie night. We have 2 tea cup poodles, Percy and Ollie. They are almost 5 years old but I think they still act like puppies!!!
Some of my favorite things to do are read, bake, exercise, travel and hike. I am reading a really good series of books right now that takes place on a beach on the east coast of the United States. I think I am really enjoying the books because I have been to the east coast where the books are set; I can visualize the characters walking along the same beaches that I have walked. I almost feel like I know them!!
Sometimes people ask me what I would do if I wasn’t a teacher. My answer very quickly is, “I’d be a professional baker and open my own bakery!” I love to try new recipes, make changes to recipes I’ve tried before and even create new recipes of my own. My kitchen is a very fun place to be for me. My friends, family and neighbors all love to sample my work!
I am so excited to continue meeting new families at NBE. I can already tell in just a few short weeks that NBE is a great place to learn and grow. Being a part of the community is very important to me. If you ever see me outside of school around town at the grocery store, park or anywhere else be sure to come say hi to me!
PTO Executive Board
Co-President: Lisa Cheney
Co-President: Sarah Fleming
Vice President: Gretchen Gonso
Secretary: Jill Cloys
Treasurer: Amy Mason
Email the NBE PTO at mailto:NewBrittonPTO@gmail.com
Join us for NBE PTO meetings @ 7:00p.m.: Oct. 29, & Dec. 10.
HSE DISTRICT INFORMATION
HSESchools - District website
New Britton Elementary - School website
Community Insider (formerly known as Community Bulletin Board)
Be sure to check out new and exciting events listed on the Community Insider
(formerly known as Community Bulletin Board)
- Fishers Fusion Fall Clinic,
- Fall Festival & Haunted House
- Liger Mile
FHS Marching Tigers Band is hosting a Fall Festival on Saturday October 6 from 4:00-10:00 at Fishers High School. Lots of fun activities, entertainment and food, plus a cool Haunted Forest experience - only $5 per person or $20 per family! Hope to see you there!
Parents of high ability children
Are you interested in learning strategies that best meet the needs of your high ability child?
Hamilton Southeastern is pleased to offer a four-session book study on A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children by James T Webb, Janet L. gore, Edward R. Amend, and Arlene R DeVries. Meetings follow a discussion format. Walk away with strategies for addressing intensities, perfectionism, sibling issues and underachievement.
Sessions will be Tuesday evenings from 7:00-8:00 p.m. in the Admin. Building (13485 Cumberland Road) in the Royals Conference Room. Meeting dates are: 10/30, 11/6, 11/13, 11/27.
Book club is limited to 12 participants (one member per family) and fills up quickly. Participants are welcome to borrow HSE copies of the book for the duration of the book study.
If you would like to join the group, contact Meg Strnat, HSE High Ability Coordinator and book study facilitator at mstrnat@hse.k12.in.us. Please include contact information (your childn's name, teacher and school) and whether you would like to borrow the book.
HSE Schools Child Find Procedure:
If your child is age 2 ½ through 21, attends any school within the Hamilton Southeastern Schools boundaries or you live in our community, and you suspect your child may have a disability, you should contact us for more information.
· For children at least two and a half years of age, but not yet age-eligible for kindergarten, you should contact the Preschool Coordinator at Brooks School Elementary School, 317-915-4256.
· For students who are eligible for kindergarten through age 21, you should contact your child’s teacher, school counselor or building administrator to discuss your concerns and explore the steps to be taken. If your child is not enrolled in public school, you should contact the counselor or building administrator in the building your child would attend if enrolled.
https://www.hseschools.org/academics/intervention-acceleration/exceptional-learners
Response-to-Instruction (RtI)
RtI is a general education initiative designed to provide high quality instruction and interventions matches to student needs, and using learning rate over time and level of performance to make important educational decisions. The RtI model is based on a three-tiered model of service delivery with a focus on early intervention and prevention of academic and behavioral concerns. Data collected during this process provides valuable information regarding students’ educational progress and response to interventions. Students who do not demonstrate a response to well-implemented, scientifically-based interventions at the Tier 3 level would be referred for an educational evaluation to determine eligibility for special education. RtI is a component of HSE’s Child Find Process.
CONTACT US
8660 E 131st St, Fishers, IN 46038
Fax: 594-4139
New Britton website: https://nbe.hseschools.org/
HSE Schools website: https://www.hseschools.org/
Twitter: @NBEbulldogs