The Bee's Knees
BEC Newsletter- February 2020
Message From Mr.G!
Re-enrollment begins Monday, February 10 for families that currently pay tuition for their child to attend Barfield and wish for them to return to BEC in August. We hold a two-week re-enrollment period before open enrollment begins to provide parents of students that currently attend the ability to ensure their student may return in the Fall. Shortly after open enrollment begins (Feb 24) we will likely be full and place students on a wait list. I intensely dislike turning students away, but that is the reality of the situation. The good news is that as a result of the four classroom addition we will be able to increase enrollment while decreasing class size! For the 20-21 school year we will offer 85 morning spots and 92 afternoon spots for our tuition paying families. That is the greatest number we have ever offered! We are on schedule to utilize the new classrooms upon our return from Spring break!
Of course the need for additional classroom space is not unique to Barfield. The fact is the WSD remains the fastest growing school district in the state of Missouri, adding about 600 students annually since 2001. The Wentzville School District Board of Education voted unanimously to place two propositions on the April 7, 2020 ballot to accommodate the continued growth of the District, as well as the need for additional staff and wage increases to help close the gap between the WSD and neighboring districts.
PROPOSITION C is a $105 million no-tax-increase bond issue to build a new middle school on the same site where the District is currently building a fourth high school, to expand and renovate the District’s three existing middle schools, to address maintenance issues at existing buildings and purchase items related to school safety.
PROPOSITION S is a $0.49 tax levy to address staffing and provide needed support across the District, improve salaries to address widening wage gaps between the WSD and neighboring school districts, and to update and add safety features across the District.
Dr. Cain will attend the March 5 BEC PTO meeting to provide more information about Props C & S and to answer questions. After the PTO meeting we will take a sneak peek of the addition so that everyone can see the end result of the passing of such propositions. Without the community’s support of Prop E a few years ago, we would not have the addition and we would not have been able to increase our enrollment!
Thank you for your continued support!
Kevin Garcia
Principal
Important Dates
2/14- NO SCHOOL
2/17- NO SCHOOL
3/5- BEC PTO Meeting 6 PM
Staff Spotlight
Hi! My name is Natalie Benedict. I am 27 years old and this is my sixth year of teaching at Barfield Early Childhood Special Education Center.I earned my Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Special Education at the University of Central Missouri and my Master's degree at Missouri Baptist University. Teaching is my passion. I really enjoy being around children and working with them. They bring so much joy to my life. I love to watch them play, grow and learn. I love to create fun, meaningful activities. In my classroom, we play academic games, create many art projects, engage in dramatic play, act stories out,dance and sing, and engage in lots of sensory play.
In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I recently got engaged to my boyfriend (now fiance) Jonathon after dating 8 years. We are really excited and we have set our date for June 19, 2021. I can’t wait for this next chapter in my life. I love being around our nieces and nephew (4 nieces: Charlotte, Ellie, Josie, and Becca and 1 nephew (Carter). I also like to make crafts for my home or paint furniture, watch movies/ Netflix, and go shopping.
I love working with everyone here at Barfield. We have an amazing staff and I’ve enjoyed working with all my students and their families.
From the Nurse's
Some Facts About Head Lice
Where children are present and playing, there is always the possibility of the presence of head lice (pediculus humanus capitis), which means there is a potential for lice at school.
The WSD has aligned nurse practices with both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Association of School Nurses and we ask that parents keep the following information in mind:
Lice are not a disease.
Lice do not reflect unsanitary homes or students.
Lice are absolutely an inconvenience
By detecting lice early, both parents and nurses can get ahead in the process
If you have a concern that lice are present in your child’s school or if your child may have come in contact with another person with lice, check him/her frequently and let your school nurse know about the exposure in an effort to catch it before it gets out of hand.
Listed below are links to the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Association of School Nurses. There is also a video on what to look for when assessing if your child has head lice.
Please contact your school nurse with any questions or concerns about your own child.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9S1lrliT9w0
Kindergarten Immunzations
If they also plan on attending ESY or Summer Journey, they must have their immunizations up to date before they can attend the program.
Immunizations Clinic: Information to come soon!
Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
636-561-5757 ext. 2
Library Scoop
The Dr Seuss Read Across America book fair is almost here!! We will kick it off with our annual "Pizza Family Night" on Monday, March 2. Dinner will be served between 5:00PM - 7:00PM. Look for a sign-up flyer to come home in February. We will also have activities, games and crafts. Here are the dates and times for the fair:
Monday, March 2 9:00 AM-4:00 PM---Family Pizza Night and book fair with activities is 5:00 PM-7:00 PM
Tuesday, March 3 through Friday, March 6 times to be confirmed with book fair flyer.
Counselor's Corner
Barfield is excited to welcome The Child Center to our building at the beginning of April! The Child Center is an advocacy center for children that is located in Wentzville, MO. They offer prevention education programs for children, parents, and professionals within our community. Educators at The Child Center offer school programs to the Wentzville School District at the Pre-K, Elementary, and Middle School levels. Prevention programs include topics such as Body Safety, Internet Safety/Online Enticement, and Sexual Harassment. The primary focus of their prevention programs are to educate children about appropriate boundaries and empower victims to disclose abuse to safe and trusted adults. In the preschool program, that will be presented at Barfield, the focus is on Body Safety. Lessons are presented to all students in the AM and PM sessions and will be attended by the classroom teacher and ESC. More information regarding this Pre-K program and Parent Preview Night will be coming home soon!
BEC PTO Buzz
Also mark your calendar for Thursday, March 5, the date for our next BEC PTO meeting. After the meeting, we will provide a sneak peek of the addition! The meeting will begin at 6:00pm with a presention from Dr. Cain. We greatly appreciate your support!