Happy Friday!

Just a few reminders..

• Time to spruce things up! Our school Christmas tree is officially up in our school lobby! We would love to invite our students and families to send in an ornament, beginning Monday, for their child to hang on our school tree.
  
  
• On Friday, December 17th, there is an 11:30AM dismissal for all K - 8 students. After care is in session. Please be sure to send in a lunch and/snack for those staying the extended day. It is a FULL day of school for PK students.
  
  
• All parents should have received a notice from their child's teacher in their child's book-bag regarding both the REMIND and IRIS system. We will be using both as a form of communication for half day reminders, school cancellations and etc. Please be sure to sign up for the Remind system by Monday, December 13th by texting the message @sbes2122 to the number 81010 or opening the following link: rmd.at/sbes2122.
  
  
• We will begin taping our K - 8 students this week for our Virtual Holiday Pageant! The video will be shared with the school community the week of the 20th. Please be sure that you view the taping schedule and color requests for your child to wear below. 8th grade dress was communicated to students directly by Ms. Linda.
  
  As a note, if your child is filming on Monday or Tuesday, they should not participate in the 12 Days of Christmas Dress Down theme for that day. They will be able to make up the themed dress down on Wednesday, December 22nd.
  
  Monday: K-1 (RED), K-2 (GREEN), 2-2 (GREEN), 3-1 (RED), 5 (GREEN), 7-1 (RED)
  Tuesday: 1 (GREEN), 2-1 (RED), 3-2 (GREEN), 4 (RED), 6 (RED), 7-2 (GREEN)
  
  
• Our 12 Days of Christmas Dress Downs continues this week. Please see the calendar that has been attached below for daily themes. As a reminder, all dress down donations will be given to the Toys For Tots Foundation. Thank you for helping to contribute to such a great cause this holiday season!
  
  
• We are actively looking to hire PK aides, school monitors and qualified substitute teachers for our K-8 classrooms. If you know of anyone in your network who may be interested/ have any family or friends who may be retired school teachers looking to return back to the classroom, please have them reach out directly to Mrs. Cruz and Ms. Iorio with their resume at n.cruz@stbarnabasschool.org and l.iorio@stbarnabasschool.org. Thank you!
  
  
• Flu season is upon us! As per the NY Department of Health, it is a requirement that all PK-FA and 3K-FA children receive an Influenza vaccine between July 1 and December 31 of the current school year. Flyers are attached below.
  
  

• As the COVID vaccine has now become readily available for children ages 5 to 11, we would ask that you use the following link to record your child's vaccination record. While you are not obligated to share your child's vaccination status, this information will help us move forward with potential larger gatherings, contact tracing and even lunch in the cafeteria. Thank you for your continued efforts to keep our community and school safe.
  
  https://forms.gle/jUQmfRDHVvmRRC3c7
  
  

Should you need to reach me for anything, please email me at n.cruz@stbarnabasschool.org or call (718) 324-1088.

A FREE dress down day will be earned for all K - 8 students once our school Instagram page reaches 500 followers! Follow us today at @be_barnabas to catch a glimpse of all the amazing things happening in our classrooms.

If your child's temperature is 100 degrees Fahrenheit or more or they exhibit any other signs of illness (symptoms other than COVID), then your child must stay home and see a doctor. A medical note of clearance with an alternate diagnosis must be provided to return to school even after one day of absence. If COVID is suspected, or your child presents symptoms of COVID, a negative PCR test must be submitted in order to return to school.

If your child is going to be absent, please contact the teacher and the main office directly. All PK absences should be reported to our UPK admin, Mrs. Rivera, at t.rivera@stbarnabasschool.org. A complete list of all teachers and their email addresses, should you need them, can be found on the school website.

December -

22nd - Santa Visits SBES! After school will NOT be in session.

23rd to 31st - School closed for Christmas Break!

January -

3rd - School resumes!

Strong academics, great teachers, spiritual guidance, and a disciplined approach — a Catholic education is the stepping stone to your child’s future journey. Beyond an excellent education, Catholic Schools instill family values and a sense of community. For many, Catholic Schools are a home away from home — a place of safety in a rapidly changing world.

Now is the time to invest in your child’s education.

Admissions for

NEW K-8 or PRESENT PK4 students

for the 2022–2023 school year opened on December 1, 2021!

Apply Today.

Our school spirit store is open!! As a reminder, spirit wear can be worn any day that your child(ren) have physical education. A link to the shop can be found here: https://www.liebmansuniforms.com/ecommerce/sbs/st.-barnabas-spirit-store.html

Please use the link below to access the newsletters for the week of December 6th.

As a reminder, every student must have an updated physical on file each school year. ALL students must have up-to-date immunization records and a physical exam form completed each school year. For convenience, all forms are linked below. Please note that all NYC Pre-K students, under the age of 5 by December 31, 2021, will need to have a current flu vaccine on file. For those students that require an inhaler, or other medications such as an epipen, to be administered in school, I have linked the medical administration forms.

Immunization Requirements

Medical Administration Form - Epipen

Medical Administration Form - Asthma

Required Physical Exam Form (must be completed yearly)

All School Employees, Children and Essential Visitors will need to complete a daily health self-check by answering the questions listed below and by taking their own temperatures each day prior to entering the school or being on the school property. A parent or guardian is responsible for completing the weekly screening on behalf of their child(ren). If you answer YES to any of these questions on any given day, your child may not enter the school building. Contact a medical professional for guidance and notify the school principal. For students with chronic illness, only new symptoms or symptoms worse than baseline should be used to fulfill symptom-based exclusion criteria. By completing and submitting the weekly form, you acknowledge that you read the above will comply with all requirements and received the attached updated daily checklist that you will complete it each week for your child (ren) for the 2021-2022 School Year.

Each week you will be required to complete the Weekly Health Self-Screening Google Form on behalf of your child(ren) before entering the school building Monday mornings.

Surveys should be completed Sunday evening or Monday mornings by 7am.

St. Barnabas Elementary School has partnered with Division Food Service Management and MySchoolAccount.com for the managing of our lunch pre- order service and payments for the 2021-2022 school year. Please see the attached Parent Welcome Letter for more information on how to place your order. (Student Id numbers are provided from the vendor) If you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out to Nicole Cestra at the email listed below: Nicole@Division-Hospitality.Com or 646-523-2028.

The December lunch schedule for UPK students has been posted below.

NEW students- please call Nicole to assist with your account set up.