The Big Cat Courier
Your Source for Big Cat News, Right Meow
March 22, 2024
Good Afternoon Barnard Families,
With another week of the 2023-2024 school year in the rearview mirror, I'm always amazed by how quickly this time of year seems to pass by! As far as this past week, I'm happy to report on the First Readers Ceremony that was held at JFK on Tuesday. As always, the First Readers Ceremony was amazing. As an organization, Frist Readers is top notch and their partnership with Enfield Public Schools makes the milestone of learning to read a publicly celebrated event. With so few cultural rites of passage in modern society, allowing students to shine on stage as we acknowledge their hard work to become readers is something to cherish. It was announced at the ceremony that over 5,000 readers have been certified here in Enfield through the organization. BRAVO!
Another evening event that I'm proud to report out on was last night's Kindergarten Math and Literacy Night. We had a house full of kindergarteners and their families participating in fun math and literacy activities after a meal in the cafeteria. Thank you again to our partners at the Family Resource Center for contributing dinner to this fun family event and to the HBS staff who planned and ran the evening. Our First Grade Math and Literacy Night is scheduled for next Wednesday, March 27th. Please have your RSVP in by the end of the school day on Monday the 25th if you plan to attend.
Earlier this week our kindergarteners and their teachers kicked off our run of March Madness competitions with a game of "Messy Room". For more information, check out the update below! Next week our first graders and their teachers will continue the fierce competition between students and teachers in a round of "Sweep the Potato".
There is no school next Friday, March 29th in observance of Good Friday. We return from a three-day weekend on Monday, April 1st but the students do not have school on Tuesday, April 2nd. The second graders' Math and Literacy night is scheduled to be held on Thursday, April 4th (Please RSVP by the end of the day on Monday, April 1st...no joke...HA!).
Please see below for more Big Cat school updates (like the Food Shelf Donation Boat and our rescheduled PTO meeting this coming Tuesday), upcoming events, and other opportunities for students and families. There is always a lot going on this time of year.
Have another great weekend with the kids and I hope you can stay dry tomorrow!
March Madness Week 1 Update:
Our staff put up a valiant defense against the kindergarteners' merciless onslaught in our game of Messy Room this past Tuesday. The upper hand went back and forth throughout the game but the students' boundless energy and inherent propensity towards untidiness pushed them to victory in the end! The staff looks forward to next week's battle royal against the first graders in a friendly match of Sweep the Potato.
Henry Barnard's take on March Madness is just about HERE!
In recognition of all the hard work students and staff have been engaged in, HBS is adding a little friendly March Madness style competition to break up the monotony. Students and teachers will play against each other in three separate, grade specific games. While not exactly the Olympics nor the traditional rounds of March Madness we love to watch on TV, they should still be great community building activities for our school. Students will have the chance to cheer on their friends in other grade levels (or their teachers) and I expect that everyone will have great stories to share with you when they get home!
On Tuesday, March 26th we ask that our First Graders wear BLUE to play a game of "Sweep the Potato" against their teachers.
To bring our competition to a close, on Wednesday, April 3rd we ask that our Second Graders wear WHITE to play a friendly game of Basketball against the teachers.
The Food Shelf Donation Boat is still docked at HBS!
Week #3 Update:
Check it out! The donation boat is taking on more and more nonperishable food donations for the Food Shelf. Keep up the good work Big Cats! We have one more week to sink the ship under the weight of all those donations and remember, they go directly to helping out our friends and neighbors right here in Enfield.
Week #2 Update:
As you can see from the images above, donations are continuing to come in from HBS families. We have almost two more weeks to go for our students, families, and staff to make nonperishable food donations to help support our friends and neighbors in need through the Enfield Food Shelf. Each EPS school gets a full month to make donations and as the largest of the six elementary buildings, it would be amazing to see a boat filled to the brim with donations like some of the smaller schools in town have been able to pull off. We'll have the chance to dipstick our progress with another picture in next week's edition of the Big Cat Courier.
Week #1 Update:
As you can see from the image above, we are starting to see donations trickle in (as well as some items of clothing, water bottles, etc. in our Lost and Found). Remember that all donations of nonperishable food items go directly to the Enfield Food Shelf and are used to help support our friends and neighbors right here in Enfield. If every student and staff member were to donate one canned good we'd have well over 500 items in the boat! Please consider a donation, no matter how small.
Original Post:
The Food Shelf donation boat has arrived and will be with us all month long. Students and staff at HBS are encouraged to bring in nonperishable food donations for the Enfield Food Shelf. The donations go directly to those in need in the Enfield community. The boat visits each school for a month every year. The donations are weighed at the end of the month and results shared with the main office. Once Henry Barnard's totals are in, we will share it with our families.
This important community food drive always reminds me of two old sayings: 1) Since donations stay with Enfield families, "Charity begins at home." and 2) If we all work together to support Enfield families, "Many hands make light work!"
Thank you for considering participating!
An event for next year's incoming kindergarten families is coming up on 4/16.
If you have an incoming kindergarten student or know somebody who does, come to EPS's Welcome to Kindergarten night. See the information below:
Looking for something to do over April Break with the kids?
There is a free Fire Safety & Prevention Event here in Enfield on Thursday, April 11th. So, if you're looking for something fun to do with the kids, check it out.
The Grade Level Math and Literacy Nights are Coming!
*Important
Please Note the Grade Level and RSVP dates for the three Family Math and Literacy Night events.
Clay Camp for Students Entering Grades 2-12
Enfield Public Schools is offering a great summer enrichment opportunity that will be open to EPS students entering grades 2-12. To sign a student up, caretakers have to fill out an MS Form (link below) and pay the fee through Square Space (link included in the MS Form).
The Lunch Menu for March
The lunch menu for the coming month is as follows:
Upcoming Dates to Keep an Eye On
Grade Level Math and Literacy Nights on Wednesday 3/27* (1st), and Thursday (2nd), 4/4. *Please note the change of date from 3/28 to 3/27. Food will be served at 5:30 on each evening and activities will run from 6:00-7:15. An RSVP is required to attend.
Second Round of HBS March Madness - Grade 1 vs Teachers, Tuesday 3/26
No School on Friday, 3/29
Rescheduled PTO Meeting on Tuesday, March 26th
No School for Students on Primary Election Day, Tuesday 4/2
*This date was a recent addition to the school calendar.
Third and final round of HBS March Madness - Grade 2 vs Teachers, Wednesday 4/3
No School for April Vacation, 4/8-4/12
Welcome to Kindergarten Night for Fall 2024 Incoming Kindergarten Families at JFK, Tuesday, 4/16
Kindergarten Family Night with the CT Science Center, Thursday, 4/18
Spring Pictures with LifeTouch (no group, just individual), Friday, 4/19
Early Release, Wednesday, 4/24
First Grade Family Night with the CT Science Center, Thursday, 4/25
Barnard Family Music Night with Miss Rene on Tuesday, 5/7
Second Grade Family Night with the CT Science Center, Monday, 5/13
Important Information from Previous Editions of The Big Cat Courier
Reminder: Kindergarten Age Entrance Information Press Release
Do you have an incoming kindergarten child that has been impacted by CT's change in the kindergarten eligibility age or know somebody who does? Please see below for today's press release from Enfield Public Schools.
Student Arrival/Drop Off Reminder
Student drop off is located at the doors in the back parking lot in between the library and gymnasium. Please remain in your car as you loop around the back lot to drop your child off at the doors. If you are the family of a walker, please look for the orange traffic cones at the drop off doors to guide you safely into that space. Students may only be dropped off when staff are present and on duty.
Please note that during arrival times, the front doors to the school are being reserved to receive bus students only. All other students, will use the doors in the back parking lot between the library and gymnasium. If you need to speak with somebody from the main office in person, please plan to do so before or after student drop off to alleviate congestion at the front doors.
Please remember that when a school bus, of any size, is stopped with it's lights on and it's "Stop" sign extended, other vehicles must stop as well. Vehicles may only pass by a bus if their lights are off and their "Stop" sign is not extended. It can feel frustrating to have to wait while a bus is unloading but it's the law.
To better support orderly traffic flow on campus and on Shaker Road, please stick to the right lane of the entry driveway. This will allow buses to line up and use the left lane leading down to the loop in the front of the building. It is also helpful in keeping the drop off line moving efficiently if students have their backpacks ready and have said their goodbyes before the vehicle pulls up to the arrival doors.
If you are dropping your child to school tardy, please park in the front lot and walk your child to the front door. Ring the doorbell and we will assist you right away.
Some Thoughts on Social Media
Having said that, please make us your first stop rather than Facebook, Nextdoor, The Enfield Forum, etc... Social media platforms are a great way to share photos and cute pet videos with your friends and family but not an effective way to solve an issue that you feel needs to be addressed. Unfortunately , Social Media is terrible at is solving problems or getting accurate information. If something school related ever comes up that you are unhappy with, don't understand, or otherwise need help with, please contact the school directly so we can help. Whether you reach out to your child's teacher, a specialist, an interventionist, our nursing staff, the front office, or any of the other people who work in the building, we are all here for you.
Please know that as a school, we cannot respond to questions or concerns on Social Media platforms. While every school would love to, we cannot for a number of reasons, including student confidentiality. As is typically the case in any Social Media post, there is more to the situation that we, unfortunately, cannot address in a public forum.
We ask that if you find an individual expressing some kind of question or concern regarding our school on Social Media, please refer them back to the school so that we can assist them in bringing the issue to a positive resolution. We are always here for our students and their families.
Are You Looking for Meaningful Work with Child Friendly Hours?
Enfield Public Schools is looking for good people to help us do good work for students. If you're looking for meaningful work where you can make a real difference in the lives of others AND need to keep child friendly hours, EPS may be the opportunity you've been looking for! From Paraprofessional and Behavior Technician positions to Long-term and Building Substitute positions, our available career opportunities run the gamut of possibilities. Follow the link to our current postings for more information about available positions: https://enfield.tedk12.com/hire/index.aspx
Progress Reports, Report Cards, and PowerSchool
Option to Disable YouTube on Student iPads
There is an option for families to block YouTube from their child's school issued iPad. If you are interested, please follow the link and fill out the information on the survey. Once your survey information is processed, YouTube will be filtered from your child's device.
Helping Everyone Remain Healthy and Learning
The winter season always brings with it all kinds of seasonal sicknesses and this year is no different. We are already seeing cases of the seasonal flu, colds, strep, stomach bug, RSV, and even COVID among our students and staff. In order to help keep our students, staff, and their families as safe as possible, I'm including the following reminders regarding the illness protocols.
• If your child has a fever (temperature greater than 100 degrees), they will need to remain home until they are fever free for 24 hours without medication;
• If your child is dismissed from school due to a fever, they will need to remain home the following day and until they are fever free without medication for 24 hours;
• If your child is ill with vomiting and/or diarrhea, they will need to remain home until they are free of these symptoms for 24 hours and are well enough to return to school;
• If your child is ill with COVID, they will need to remain home for 5 days following the onset of symptoms or a positive test – presuming symptoms are improving.
By following these protocols, we can help minimize exposure to these illnesses here at school, which translates to healthier kids, teachers, and families. Thank you in advance for your diligence.
Strong Attendance in the Primary Grades is Vital to Long Term Success
Research is showing that children who are chronically absent in the primary grades are much less likely to read at grade level by the third grade, making them four-times more likely to drop-out of high school.
The statistic above is a frightening one but one that both schools and families need to pay attention to. A designation of chronically absent describes students who are absent 10% or more of the school year. That sounds like a hard threshold to reach but when you consider it takes fewer than 2 absences each month to reach it, the importance of good attendance starts to present itself. Furthermore, the total number of a student's absences are counted rather than just those that fall into the unexcused category. In addition the the 10% threshold for a chronically absent designation, any student with four or more unexcused absences in a month is also designated as truant.
As a primary building (and many of us parents ourselves), everyone at HBS understands that childhood illnesses occur. However, it is essential to students' successful acquisition of academic skills and later scholastic success that they are in school as often as possible. Thank you for your partnership on this important issue.
Getting Signed Up for PowerSchool and School Messenger
Getting signed up for both PowerSchool and SchoolMessenger is vital for Henry Barnard and Enfield Public Schools to share important information with you. PowerSchool is our main student information platform and includes things like your child's Report Card, Progress Reports, Emergency Contact Information, etc. SchoolMessenger is the platform we use to send you important automated calls, emails, and texts. If you haven't updated your contact information recently or logged in to either platform to manage your contact preferences, it's likely that you are missing important updates from our school and our school district.
Families may access both platforms on the front page of the District's main website. Both can be found under the "Quick Links" section and appear as big red buttons. You can find our website at:
Planning Ahead for Early Release Days
While it can feel tricky, planning ahead for Early Release Days alleviates a tremendous amount of stress and anxiety for your child. Students who mistakenly don't get picked up at 1:50 or who are returned to school by the bus company because there was nobody at the bus stop to get them off the bus are often fearful of the situation. While I can assure you that your child will always be safe in the main office until you arrive, students often arrive shaken and scared about what happened and what might come next. Families can easily stay informed about when Early Release Days are planned throughout the year by keeping a copy of the school calendar handy and by relying on SchoolMessenger reminders that are sent out by EPS. Please see the section above about schoolMessenger and PowerSchool to make sure those channels are open to you. You can also access the school calendar at:
https://www.enfieldschools.org/calendar/2023-24_school_calendar
Student Attendance Updates and Student Attendance Letters are Coming Soon
https://viewer.joomag.com/eps-elementary-handbook-2023-24/0028781001692965944?auth_sso=1
As noted in the EPS BOE attendance policy, letters outlining current student attendance are sent home to alert families of their child's absences. The letters are sent to families when their child has reached absence number 5, again at 9, followed by one at 10, and then every few absences after that.
The letters report overall absences from school rather than just unexcused absences. The State collects student attendance data yearly and looks only at overall absences, which mirrors the letters sent home to families.
If you have any questions regarding what an excused vs unexcused absence is, or when the State deems a child to be Truant and when they are assigned a designation of Chronically Absent, please take a look at the policy. If you still have questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to us here at the school so we can help.
Monthly Safety Drills
SBHC Is Available to Support Students at Henry Barnard School:
Our PTO is AMAZING! Don't Believe Me? You Should Come See for Yourself!
The Remind App
https://help.remind.com/hc/en-us/articles/4409807883149-Frequently-asked-questions-for-parents
Paying for School Lunch (and iPad Insurance)
Information for mySchoolBucks is available is available at the following link:
https://www.enfieldschools.org/search/default.aspx?q=mySchoolBucks&type=0,
Elementary Handbook
The Student Handbook is packed with information for families about dates, policies, procedures, and more. Please take some time to take a look through the document. It can be found at the following link:
Our Community Partners -
Consider Joining the PTO
Having said that, all the good work that the PTO puts into our schools translates directly to a richer educational experience for our students. They help fund fieldtrips and educational experiences that we would otherwise not have available to our students.
The PTO meets once each month. Meetings usually run for less than an hour and are dedicated to school updates and planning for upcoming events. Please consider being a part of the PTO. Many hands make light work!
For more information, please follow the link: https://enfieldpto.com/henrybarnard
The Family Resource Center (FRC)
For more information, please follow this link: https://www.enfield-ct.gov/375/Family-Resource-Center
Enfield Resources for Children (ERfC)
Follow this link for more information: https://erfcinc.org/
The Big Cat Courier
Enfield Public Schools
Learning Through Play
Henry Barnard School
Email: jgraham@enfieldschools.org
Website: https://henry.sharpschool.com/
Location: 27 Shaker Road, Enfield, CT, USA
Phone: (860) 253-6540
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EnfieldPublicSschools/
Twitter: @EnfieldPS