Baxter Buzz
A family Newsletter: Week of September 24th
Attendance- Popsicles with Principals
We of course want to honor our students who come to school each and every day!
- At the end of each grading period, everyone who has perfect attendance will get Popsicles with Principals the following Friday from 1-1:45.
- At the end of the first semester, those with perfect attendance will receive a catered lunch. The kicker here...must not have any office referrals. Popsicles will Principals will be given for all students with perfect attendance in the 2nd grade period.
- After the 3rd grading period, everyone who had perfect attendance the 3rd grading period will receive Popsicles with Principals.
- At the end of the year, those with perfect attendance will go out to lunch. The kicker here...still must not have any office referrals. Popsicles will Principals will be given for all students with perfect attendance in the 4th grade period.
Parent Academy this week!
Topics will include:
- Welcome to Baxter! Who are we and what do we stand for?
We will discuss the key tenets that Baxter is known for
What neat things do we have going on?!
Invite parents to serve on one of the tenet sub-committees to help provide input
Tour the campus and all of the new collaborative spaces with
The PTO meeting will follow immediately!
Childcare for school aged children will be provided.
Baxter's Best Boosterthon!!
Parents! This year’s main fundraiser is the Baxter's Best Fun Run! It’s a two-week program that kicks off with a Pep Rally on October 16th. Families will then gather pledges for every lap your student runs (30-35 laps), and we’ll celebrate at the Fun Run on October 25th. With our big goal of raising $25,000 for playground equipment and campus murals, we asked the Fun Run experts at Boosterthon to power our Fun Run and make it easier, more profitable, and more fun.
Students will also experience an amazing character theme, MINDSPARK MYSTERY LAB! Boosterthon’s most exciting theme yet combines S.T.E.A.M skills (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) with character-building. While they're teaming up with the MindSpark Kids to solve mysteries, our students will learn five 21st-century character traits that will help strengthen themselves and our world.
Donations will go toward playground equipment and campus murals and to the entire two-week experience. So please help our school by reaching out to sponsors. Also, all families are invited to come out and cheer on your student at the Fun Run! Thank you for your support!
Dismissal
Car Riders: We are continually working to make sure the care line is running as efficiently and effectively as possible while keeping the safety and security at the forefront of our procedures. Our goal each day is the have the car line completed by 3:35, 20 minutes in total. Thank you for being so patient as we adjust procedures to ensure that all students safety is considered.
I promise you, I will always work to make the best decisions for all 624 students. It may not always be the most convenient, which can sometimes be frustrating, but please know that I care so much about each of our students and want to ensure they are safe each and every moment at school.
Campus Character Rings!
THE BLUE RING IS IN THE LEAD AT THE END OF THIS WEEK!! CONGRATS BLUE!!!
After 4 weeks of assigning ring points, we have given out over 3,000 points for students showing exemplary Courage, Character, and Commitment!! How cool is that?! I am so proud of the example our students are setting for others!!
I hope your kids came home very excited and committed to be their very best!
A little about our campus Character Rings: Each ring has its own philosophy and meaning shown in the graphic above. The rings work in synergy and with healthy competition. During the course of the school year, students earn points for their ring for citizenship, behavior, academics, and getting caught doing anything well. A running total is maintained and a weekly champion is announced. The ring totals will continue throughout the year until the winning ring is selected for the year.
We are very excited about this positive behavior reinforcement and look forward to the fun that is to come!! Your child received a t-shirt in their ring color! We encourage everyone to wear their ring shirt on FRIDAYS!!
Parent Volunteers
Each week you will see links to sign up sheets for particular activities!
Also, PLEASE SEE THE BACKGROUND FORM BELOW! It must be completed before you can volunteer! PLEASE PRINT AND RETURN TO THE FRONT OFFICE!
Parent Feedback
Golden Nuggets from our Counselor, Mrs. Golden
Focus : Looking for Teachable Moments:
As a parent, you try to protect your child from exposure to disturbing, graphic images on
TV or in daily situations. However, inevitably kids will be exposed to things that are inappropriate, scary or stressful. While certainly not ideal, such occurrences can become teachable moments if you:
recognize that you cannot totally protect children from all negative exposure: use such events to listen and teach
understand that children are naturally curious and may ask very graphic questions
respond to their questions without overreacting; give simple, realistic explanations
ask questions, e.g. “How do you feel about that?” or “What can we learn from this?”
watch news coverage with children; limit exposure to disturbing events
ask how they might make a positive contribution to their community (e.g. invite a child who has no friends to play; or to a story on the homeless, take food to a food bank)
be alert to signs of disturbance (nightmares, fear of separation, changes in eating and sleeping patterns, etc.) and seek professional help if symptoms appear serious or continue for an extended period.
© Practical Parent Education. All rights reserved.
Classroom guidance:
For the month of September, our students are working on different aspects of respect. Our Kinders are learning about personal space and how to not pop others “comfort bubbles.” !st grade is focusing on what to do when I get mad, we will be watching Howard B. Wigglebottom from WeDoListen.org. 2nd grade is watching a Kid President video and discussing how to disagree. 3rd-4th graders are discussing different conflict resolution skills and creating their own scenarios to demonstrate how the skills are used. 5th grade is participating in a Kahoot game where we are learning about healthy relationships and different perspectives.
REACH Council
What's happening in the library
Check out an example of our morning Announcements
Notes from Nurse Martin
The guidelines below have been developed for the exclusion of student who have communicable or contagious diseases.
A student with any of the following symptoms will be excluded from school until such time as the student is free of symptoms, has been satisfactorily treated or submits a signed physician’s statement that he/she is not contagious.
- Temperature of 100 degrees or more. Student must be fever free for 24 hours, without medication, before re-entry.
- Undetermined rash over any part of the body accompanied by fever.
- Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. Student must be symptom free for 24 hours without medication before re-entry.
- Red, draining eyes.
- Intense itching with signs and symptoms of secondary infection.
- Open, draining lesions.
- Jaundice
- The presence of lice
The Principal or his/her designee, in collaboration with the school nurse, will notify parents that the student must be excluded for medical reasons.
It is the responsibility of the parent or guardian to transport the student from school to his/her home.
For readmission, some diseases may require a statement from the student’s physician affirming that the student is not contagious.
If your child has any of the previously mentioned symptoms or conditions in the morning before coming to school, please keep the child at home. A child should remain at home until he/she is clear of fever or symptoms for 24 hours.
Parent Academies
Please mark you calendar for the following fall dates:
Monday, September 24th at 6:30pm:
- Welcome to Baxter! Who are we and what do we stand for?
We will discuss the key tenets that Baxter is known for
Invite parents to serve on one of the tenet sub-committees to help provide input
Tour the campus and all of the new collaborative spaces with
Monday, October 29th at 6:30pm:
- Student Safety and Security with John Matthews and Officer Pereida
Monday, November 26th at 6:30pm:
- Restorative Practices with Region 10
Upcoming Events at Baxter
Monday, September 24th: Parent Academy and PTO Meeting in the cafeteria at 6:30pm
Tuesday, September 25th: Sprit Night at Schlotzsky's 5-10pm
Tuesday, October 2nd: Spirit Night at Fuzzy's 5-8pm
End of the Year Principal's Award
The criteria for the end of the Year Principal's award will still be as follows:
- Perfect attendance = no absences and less than 10 tardies/early outs
- All A's
- All E's in Conduct
Continue to encourage your students to come to school each and every and do their very best!
PTO Newsletter
Halloween Dance
If you are interested in helping plan the Halloween Dance, we are having a planning meeting on September 29th at 7pm at Starbucks. If you would like to help but can't attend the meeting please contact our President, Karen Smith, at 469-879-1433.
The Dance is on October 26th from 7-9pm.
We also need donations of Oreo cookies, the Halloween ones if possible, you can send with your child or drop off in the front office.
Thank you for all your help and support, we greatly appreciate it!!!
2018-2019 School Calendar
Baxter Elementary
Email: amanda_rodgers@misd.gs
Website: misd.gs
Location: 1050 Park Place Boulevard, Midlothian, TX, USA
Phone: 972-775-8281
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TEBaxterES/Domain/11
Twitter: @TEBaxter_Elem