Bennett Bear Business
Week of August 20, 2019
Dear Amazing Bennett Families,
It's going to be a GREAT year at the BEST school in McKinney! On behalf of our Bennett staff, we can't wait to see YOU at school.
Proud to be a BEAR,
Amy Holderman
Principal
Bennett Blast Off
Chalk the Walk
11th Annual Flag Raising Ceremony
McKinney ISD Lives Kind 2.0
MISD Lives Kind is our district wide social and emotional learning initiative. MISD and Bennett Elementary value the development of healthy and safe relationships so that students feel connected and cared for at school. MISD Lives Kind has four parts:
creative ways to raise awareness about the value of kindness
direct instruction in the skills that help all of us to demonstrate kindness
opportunities for service learning and generosity towards the community
programs to recognize students that model kind behavior
These and other activities support our district and campus improvement plans and help us maintain our current Level I Certification as a High Reliability School.
We encourage you to get involved! At Bennett Elementary, one of the first activities we are planning is introducing our Bennett Lives Kind Mailbox in our school hallway. You can follow us at #MISDliveskind and #Bennettliveskind, or join our Campus Improvement Tactic Team 5. Learn more about how to get involved at our Principal Coffee on Friday, September 13, 2019, at 8:15AM in the Bennett Learning Commons.
Check out the article 10 Ways to Raise A Kind and Compassionate Child
Visitor Safety Procedures
PTO Sponsored "Popsicles in the Park"
Tuesday, Aug 20, 2019, 04:30 PM
Stonebridge Ranch Aquatic Center, Coronado Drive, McKinney, TX, USA
Important Information from the McKinney ISD Health Services Department
***COMMUNICABLE DISEASES/CONDITIONS EXCLUSION FROM SCHOOL ***
To protect students from communicable illnesses, students infected with certain diseases are not allowed to come to school while contagious. If a parent suspects that his or her child has a communicable or contagious disease, the parent should contact the campus nurse so that other students who might have been exposed to the disease may be alerted according to Department of State Health Services. Students should be symptom free for 24 hours before returning to school.
The guidelines below have been developed for the exclusion of students who have communicable or contagious diseases. A student with any of the following symptoms must be excluded from school until such time as the student is free from symptoms.
Temperature of 100.0 degrees or more. Student must be fever free for 24 hours, without medication, before re-entry (Texas Administrative Code)
Vomiting (not related to a single event such as gagging, positioning, mucus, running after eating, or eating spicy food) Student must be symptom free for 24 hours, without medication before re-entry
Diarrhea, of two or more loose or watery stools; all students must be diarrhea free for 24 hours without the use of medications before re-entry (Texas Administrative Code)
Pain and/or swelling at angle of jaw
Undetermined rash over any part of the body accompanied by fever
Under diagnosed scaly patches on the body or scalp
Red, draining eyes
Intense itching with signs and symptoms of secondary infection
Open, draining lesions or wounds
Jaundice
see McKinney ISD Lice guidelines
A vaccine preventable illness in question will require a physician’s note for re-entry (pertussis, mumps, measles, etc.)
For any infection, antibiotics must be taken for a minimum of 24 hours prior to re-entry to school.
A physician’s letter to readmit to school will not supersede the Department of State Health Services (DSHS).
A certificate of the attending physician attesting that the child does not currently have signs or symptoms of a communicable disease or to the disease's non-communicability in a school setting; may be deemed necessary for reentry into school.
Check Out the Bennett Spirit Days for 2019-2020
Bennett Arrival & Dismissal
Morning Drop Off 7:15-7:50AM
Students dropped off between 7:15-7:30AM will meet in the cafeteria. Please utilize front carpool line for this early dropoff. At 7:30AM, students in K-2nd grade will be dismissed to grade level hallways to sit in class lines. Students in 3rd-5th grade will be dismissed to sit in class lines in the gym.
If using a carpool line, use either the front drive on Coronado, or the back drive, by the gym on Round Hill, to drop off. Please see attached map.
Make sure your children have all of their belongings ready and they are prepared for a quick departure from the car when you pull into the driveway.
If you choose to walk your children into the building, please park in the front parking lot and use the crosswalk to enter the building. Children should not cross the parking lot alone. Do not park in handicapped parking spots without displaying the appropriate placard.
Follow hand signals of staff and Safety Patrol and pull all the way up.
If exiting Round Hill at Coronado, you may only turn RIGHT onto Coronado.
Children eating breakfast at school will enter the cafeteria when they arrive. Breakfast is served from 7:15-7:50AM.
Students in K-2nd grade will walk down the ramp and sit in their hallways when they arrive from 7:30-7:50AM. The time will be used for reading and talking quietly. K-2nd grade students will be picked up at 7:50AM and escorted to their classroom.
Students in 3rd-5th grade will sit in class lines in the gym until 7:50AM. The time will be used for reading and talking quietly. 3rd-5th grade students will be escorted to their classrooms at 7:50AM.
Bike riders should place their bikes in the bike racks, standing bikes or scooters up, to allow plenty of room for everyone else.
All students must be in the building by 8AM. Anyone not inside the building will receive a tardy slip.
Afternoon Dismissal 3:00-3:15PM
Car Riders
Front carpool riders will be escorted to the cafeteria, back carpool riders will be escorted to the gym at 3:00PM.
Parents will stay in their car and have their carpool number visible. Students will enter their car from the passenger side of the car.
Students will only be released to cars with carpool numbers. If you forget yours, please go to the office to pick up your children.
Teachers on duty will relay car numbers as the cars approach the front or back of the school. Children are then called from their lines in the cafeteria or gym and assisted by safety patrol.
Once you have picked up your car riders, follow the line out of the driveway to Round Hill.
Leaving front carpool you may only turn left. Leaving back carpool you may only turn right. You may not go straight or left.
If you are exiting Round Hill at Coronado, you may only turn RIGHT to help traffic continue to flow.
Walkers and Bike Riders
Students will be dismissed at 3:00PM and exit the building. Students can exit from the front of the school, back of the school, or the doors near 3rd grade.
Students should leave school premises using the crosswalk to cross the street.
Bike riders will walk their bikes off of school property and not ride their bikes until congestion has cleared.
Students may not cross into the parking lots in the front or the back.
Parent Walk ups
Students will be escorted by a teacher to the cafeteria at 3:00PM.
Parents who meet students should walk up to the door outside the cafeteria and display your Walk-Up/Carpool number.
Students will only be released to parents with a number. If you forget your number, please go to the office to pick up your children.
Please park in the FRONT parking lot to not block the carpool lane. Please do not park in the street.
Parent walk ups may only pick up at the cafeteria door, not the front or back door of the school.
Use the crosswalk to cross back to the parking lot.
Club 360
Students will be escorted to the Art hallway to meet Club 360 staff.
Parents sign these students out through the front office.
Day Care Vans
Students are dismissed to the gym at 3:00PM. A teacher on duty will escort students out the back parking lot to their daycare van.
Any students not picked up by 3:15PM will be escorted to the front office to wait for pick up.
The most important thing is the safety of our students, parents, and staff!
August & September Staff Birthdays
August 24 - Jennifer Blazek, 3rd Grade Teacher
August 28 - Rachel Androlowicz, Structure Teach Classroom Aide
September 5 - Helen O'Connell, Structure Teach Classroom Teacher
September 12 - Elizabeth De Araujo, Structure Teach Classroom Aide
September 13 - Pablo, Custodian
September 17 - Natalie Vera, 2nd Grade Teacher
September 21 - Natalie White, 5th Grade Teacher
September 27 - Lisa Howard, Library Aide
Mark Your Calendar for Upcoming Events
Tuesday, August 20 - PTO "Popsicles in the Park" from 4:30PM-6:00PM
Monday, August 26 - Welcome visitors & volunteers, Wear Red Day
Tuesday, August 27 - Wear White Day, PTO September Newsletter goes home
Wednesday, August 28 - Wear Yellow Day, 4th & 5th grade Safety Patrol forms due to Coach Meghan
Thursday, August 29 - Wear Green Day
Friday, August 30 - Wear Blue Day, Proof of Residency due in office, Safety Patrol Meeting 7:30AM in Learning Commons
Monday, September 2 - Labor Day - No school
Tuesday, September 3 - Wear Orange Day, Safety Patrol Team 1 begins
Wednesday, September 4 - Wear Black Day
Thursday, September 5 - Wear Purple Day, Curriculum Night 5:30PM-6:00PM, PTO General Meeting 6:30PM-7:15PM
Friday, September 6 - Wear Pink Day, Bear Feet Running Club 7:30AM-7:50AM, Grand Lunch during each lunch time, Bennett's Night at the McKinney Stadium 6:00PM
Monday, September 9 - Watch D.O.G.S. registration opens, Safety Patrol Team 2
Tuesday, September 10 - Picture Day
Wednesday, September 11 - Patriot Breakfast 7:30AM, Big Kahuna Principal Fundraiser Kick-Off 2:15PM
Friday, September 13 - International Dot Day - wear polka dots, Bear Feet Running Club 7:30AM-7:50AM, Principal Coffee 8:15AM
Monday, September 16 - Fire Clowns for K-3rd, Safety Patrol Team 1
Tuesday, September 17 - Room Rep Meetings (K-2 9:00AM-9:45AM & 3rd-5th 10:00AM-10:45AM)
Thursday, September 19 - Bear Buddy Meeting 7:30AM
Friday, September 20 - Bear Feet Running Club 7:30AM-7:50AM, Watch D.O.G.S. registration closes
Monday, September 23 - Safety Patrol Team 2
Tuesday, September 24 - PTO October Newsletter goes home, Drama Kids 3:00PM-4:00PM,
Wednesday, September 25 - Big Kahuna Principal Fundraiser ends
Friday, September 27 - Bear Feet Running Club 7:30AM-7:50AM, Friday Live 2:15PM, PTO One Check Fundraiser begins
Monday, September 30 - Creed Lunch 10:30AM, Safety Patrol Team 1
Club 360 After School Program
School Safety Protocols & Information
A critical ingredient in the safe school recipe is the uniform classroom response to any incident. Weather events, fires, accidents, intruders and other threats to student safety are scenarios that are planned and trained for by all McKinney ISD schools and District Administration and staff. Historically, schools have taken this scenario-based approach to respond to hazards and threats. Each McKinney ISD classroom is furnished with the Standard Response Protocol poster that provides teachers with readily accessible response procedures and provides information during a crisis event. The attached handout explains Standard Response Protocol that is taught to students, faculty and staff.
Please click the link below to view the Standard Response Protocol parent handout.
Contact Us
Email: aholderman@mckinneyisd.net
Website: https://www.schools.mckinneyisd.net/bennett/
Phone: 469-302-5400
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MISDBennett/
Twitter: @BennettBears