February Family Newsletter
2023-2024 School Year
Dear Barley Sheaf School Community,
It is hard to believe that we are half way through the 2023-2024 school year! We are tremendously proud of our students and staff for their hard work each and every day.
We have been very busy at Barley Sheaf. Congratulations to Ms. Kaetzel and our fourth grade Chorus, Chimes Ensemble, and Beats Club performers on a wonderful winter concert! Our students, staff, and families enjoyed their joyful and engaging performances. We also celebrated The Great Kindness Challenge! Students participated in many different activities to promote kindness, had special guest readers sharing texts about kindness, and dressed for a special Spirit Week. Thank you to our school counselors, Mrs. Collins and Ms. Coates, for organizing this amazing initiative. We also want to thank all of our families for practicing kindness at home. Finally, our After School Enrichment Clubs have begun! A special thank you to Mrs. Reed for organizing these programs for our students.
Looking ahead to February, we are excited to have our first Green Team Challenge! We will focus on walking, carpooling, or taking the bus to school to help protect our environment. We will have our winter Walking School Bus on February 9. We are also excited for our amazing PTO to host the first annual Reading is a Dream Night on February 29. We hope you will join us in your pajamas for a night of reading with our terrific teachers!
With great appreciation,
Amy Switkes, Principal
Kimberly Bostory, Vice Principal
Save the Date
2/5/24- 2/9/24- Green Team Challenge
2/9/24- Walking School Bus
2/16/24- School Closed, Staff Professional Development
2/19/24- School Closed, President's Day
2/20/24- 2/23/24- Kindergarten Registration
2/29/24- Reading is a Dream Night
Green Team Challenge: Carpool Week and Walking School Bus
Barley Sheaf will be hosting a Carpool Week from February 5th through February 9th. We are encouraging students to either carpool, walk, or take the bus to school to help Barley Sheaf go green! Students that participate will receive a certificate as well as be entered in a raffle to win a chance to do the afternoon announcements.
Our week will end with the Waking School Bus on February 9. We hope you can join us!
Reading is a Dream Night
February is Black History Month
Barley Sheaf students and staff will recognize and celebrate the contributions and accomplishments of Black Americans throughout the month of February. Our library will highlight and share texts by Black authors and illustrators. There will also be a special read aloud from Mrs. Switkes and Ms. Bostory!
Kindergarten Registration
Calling all kindergarten students! This is an exciting month for our Barley Sheaf community, as we will begin registering students to start kindergarten this September.
- To register, children must be five years old by October 1, 2024. All registration information can be found on the FRSD website, and the online registration portal will open on February 12.
- Completed forms and paperwork can be dropped off at Barley Sheaf School from February 20-23. We will have in-person registration on February 20 from 9:00-11:30 and 12:30-3:30 if you need extra assistance. We will also have Spanish translators available on February 20.
- When dropping off forms, please choose an appointment time in May for your child’s kindergarten screening. Kindergarten Orientation is already scheduled for August 29, 2024, so save the date!
- If you have any questions regarding the registration process, please reach out to Megan Campbell, our Barley Sheaf school secretary. We look forward to welcoming the newest members of our Barley Sheaf community!
From Our School Counselors
This month, we are focusing on teaching students to value diversity. Please read Celebrating Diversity and Inclusion with Our Kids from our school counselors Gina Collins and Brianna Coates.
From Our Related Arts Teachers
Please enjoy our Related Arts Newsletter from Ms. Renye, Mr. Wrabel, Mrs. Dribbon, Ms. Kaetzel, Mrs. Tavares, Mrs. Attiyah, and Mr. Slomczewski!
Requests for 2024-2025 School Year
The creation of class lists is an important responsibility that classroom teachers, content specialists, counselors, and administrators take very seriously. A great deal of time and effort go into creating classes which are well-balanced academically and socially. Many factors are considered in making placement decisions, including desirable social combinations of students, undesirable social combinations of students, numbers of students requiring academic support or enrichment, and overall number balance.
Placement decisions are not made casually. Because it is not as simple as placing a student with a teacher without considering all of the dynamics of each class and the individual and collective needs of the students, the Flemington Raritan School District does not honor parental requests for specific teachers.
Parents may write a letter to Mrs. Switkes stating specific needs that their child has which may be considered when placing the student. The letter should state facts to consider and not request a specific teacher.
Letters must be received by May 1, 2024.
Attendance
Please note the following:
- Students entering the building after 8:55 a.m. must be signed in by a parent and will be marked as tardy. Students who are picked up early before 3:25 p.m. will be marked as early dismissal. In accordance with our attendance policy, 3 tardies or dismissals will equal 1 absence.
Please review these helpful tips for what you can do at home to promote regular attendance for your child.
Safety and Security Procedures
- Visitors must be signed in and wear a visitor badge in the building.
- Do not hold any doors for visitors.
- Only staff and students are permitted on school grounds during school hours.
- For the safety and security of our staff and students, monthly fire and security drills are conducted.
- We have a full time School Resource Officer, Officer John Carney, working at Barley Sheaf every day.
- Please use the crosswalks in the parking lot.
- Please obey the 15 mph speed limit in our parking lot.
Dismissal Reminders
- Please make sure to call or send a note when your child's dismissal changes or if they will be picked up early for any reason.
- If you need to change your child's dismissal after the school day has started, please call the Main Office at 908-284-7586 before 2:30pm and we will be happy to relay the message.
- If your child attends the YMCA after-care and you make a change to their dismissal, please contact both the YMCA and the Barley Sheaf main office regarding any changes.
School Information
PTO Family Newsletter
Please review the February Newsletter from our PTO!
Send a Birthday Message!
Make your Barley Sheaf child's birthday extra special by wishing him or her a Happy Birthday on the electronic sign in front of the building! Please send an email to Megan Campbell at megan.campbell@frsd.us at least one week before the date and include your child's name, birthdate, grade and teacher. A Happy Birthday message with your child's first name will appear on the sign on their special day. The $10 cash or check donation can be sent to Barley Sheaf either in your child's backpack or via US mail. Checks should be made out to Barley Sheaf PTO.