Bell Bulletin
March 5, 2019
10 Family Learning Ideas Over Spring Break!
Don't let those brains turn to mush over Spring Break! :) Have some fun family time planned where everyone can grow and learn while enjoying each other!
1. Musical Water Glasses: Gather sturdy glasses (glass) the same size and fill with different water levels. Use a wooden spoon to make music. *Add food coloring for fun!
2. Magical Reading: Build a pillow and sheet fort in the living room and have a family reading night by flashlight.
3. Board Game Day! It's time to dust off those old games and get in the competitive spirit. Monopoly is always a favorite, or go for the super easy to clean up Twister.
4. Make paper puppets and put on a puppet show! What theme will you choose?
5. Family Cooking Challenge: Choose something easy to create such as smoothies. Each family member can choose different ingredients to blend together. Taste and determine the family favorite!
6. I Spy Nature Walk: Take your family on a long walk where members take turns describing what they see for the others to guess. The goal is to give good, descriptive clues!
7. Paper Airplane Challenge: What design will travel the furthest?
8. Picnic Day: Indoors or outdoors depending on weather. Enjoy a no technology day together. Tell stories, share food, watch the clouds move, play charades - the options are endless!
9. Fashion Show: Hit the closets, get dressed up, then show off your design to each other!
10. Bell Facebook Reading Challenge: Participate in the reading every day challenge on Facebook! What unique ways will your family read together over break? We can't wait to see! Our challenge begins Saturday, March 9th!
Report Cards On-Line Only - Home Access Center (HAC) Instructions
Bell Elementary is moving to on-line report cards to save paper and give you faster access - effective immediately. Please see instructions below on how to access your child's information on HAC for report card grades and attendance information! You may access this information today! If you will continue to need a report card, please contact our front office! If you have any trouble accessing HAC, please call (972) 347-7200, and a front office staff member can assist you.
Click HERE to access the Student’s page of Denton ISD’s website.
Click on Home Access Center (the 3rd tab on the left side of the page)
Your username is the GUARDIAN’S EMAIL used for registration.
If this is your first time logging in, please call the school for a temporary password. Our number is 972-347-7200.
If you have logged in before, but forgotten your password, please click on the “Forgot My Username or Password” link on that page.
Once logged in, you can see attendance, schedule, and grades, and other important information on each student.
You can switch between all students you are GUARDIAN of in DISD.
Click on GRADES and then on the second tab for REPORT CARD access.
A printable version of the card is available by clicking the PRINT button on the far right side of the screen.
Dismissal Review & Reminders!
We have had lots of new families move into our area, which is a great opportunity to review dismissal expectations at Bell to ensure safety and order. We appreciate our families for partnering with us to make dismissal with 820 students so smooth each day! We couldn't do it without you!
Walkers:
The back parking lot by the cafeteria will be closed for dismissal. Parking will not be allowed for "walkers" on campus, and there will be no through traffic in this area for the safety of our students. 2nd Grade - 5th Grade students will walk out the cafeteria doors, along the sidewalk, and across the street with the appropriate crossing guard. If you walk with your child, you may walk and meet them at the crosswalk area! Kindergarten and 1st grade students will exit the building from the office, and walk to the grassy area by our school marquee and crosswalk. Kindergarten students will stay with a kindergarten teacher in this area so kinder parents or older siblings may come get their kindergarten child in this location and walk them home. Kindergarten students are not allowed to walk alone. 1st grade parents are welcome to meet their first grader here to walk home together, but that is not required as it is with our kindergarten walkers - 1st grade walkers may walk on their own. It is important that if you plan on walking with your child you are at the crosswalk area by 3:00, or you may miss your child walking home. Most of our families walk from home to meet their children, and then walk home. If you must drive to pick up your child(ren), please consider changing your child's dismissal to a car rider (car tag area), and we will get them safely to your car without you even having to get out! Please do not park directly across the street from the crosswalk to pick up your walker as it causes congestion on a tiny street and an unsafe street area for students. Please do not park in the front of school parking lot and expect your children to walk across traffic to get to you. This is not safe! Please help by following city laws including leaving distance from the stop sign, not blocking neighbor’s driveways, etc. Students will be led by staff to crosswalks and will not be allowed to run to the street to get inside a guardian’s passing car. Student walkers go out of the building as walkers rain or shine! If you need to change your child's dismissal procedures, please contact the Bell front office by 2:00 PM at (972) 347-7200 or bellnotes@dentonisd.org.
Car Riders/Car Tag Area:
All students that are “car tag” will be escorted by a teacher to the designated locations at 3:00. Parents will be issued a car tag to hang from their rearview mirror. All Kinder-5th grade students who are “car riders” will be picked up at the front of the school. Anyone who comes through the car line to pick up a child MUST have the school car tag and remain in their car. If they do not have the tag, they will have to park and to come into the front office of the school, show ID and sign the child out. Please know that your wait in the office will be until car dismissal is over and students not yet picked up come to the front office. This is to ensure safety and that mistakes are not made. Please do not get out of your vehicle in the pick up lane. If you need to buckle your child in a car seat, please pull up past the last cone; this will allow us to keep the line moving at a steady pace. Students remain safely inside the building, listening for their numbers. When their number is called, students walk to the colored square that corresponds to their car tag number. A Bell staff member helps students in their car. Our staff and families have this down to a science, and car tag dismissal ends by about 3:25 each day (sometimes even sooner), just a few minutes behind our walker dismissal.
As a reminder, all visitors to Bell Elementary, even at dismissal time, need to go through the front office for a visitor's badge. Parents will not be allowed to enter the cafeteria doors into the building at dismissal time.
Kitten Kamp Is Almost Here!
Kitten Kamp is almost here! Bell Elementary sponsors events for incoming Kindergartners and their families! If you have an incoming Kindergartner (Fall 2019), we invite you to join us and introduce your child to Bell Elementary. Please spread the word to your neighbors, friends, and family who may have an incoming kindergartner as well!
Click the link below to learn about Kitten Kamp events coming soon!
Please note that Bell Elementary attendance boundaries are changing for the 2019-2020 school year. If you are unsure what elementary school your child will be attending, including incoming kindergartners, please visit Denton ISD’s transportation website to use “School Finder” here http://bus.dentonisd.org/livewq/webquery/. This search will allow you to enter your address and view the list of schools your child(ren) will attend. Make sure to change the "Program" field to "NEXT" to show next year's appropriate school (this will show the 2019-2020 school zones). If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our front office at (972-347-7200).
We look forward to meeting all our future Bobcats!
*Please note, registration for the 2019-2020 school year begins at the end of July. Kindergartners will not need to register early through the Kitten Kamp events.
ABI Basketball Game
ABI is a charity organization that will be hosting a basketball game featuring the BELL (Boys Emerging as Lifelong Leaders) afterschool club. Our boys and their mentors will be playing an energetic game against this amputee team. Come see our boys in action and help ABI raise money for Shana and Esteranza. There will be a silent auction with some real gems up for grabs! I have it on good authority that there are several signed jerseys and baseball bats...
We'll see you there!
Child Nutrition is "Going Green"
We work hard to use technology where available to save on resources! Child Nutrition will be using an online menu platform to make sure you are informed of menu options. Don't forget you may update your child's lunch account on-line here as well. Please visit http://www.dentonisd.org/Domain/59 to see school breakfast and lunch menus! Yum, yum!
Interested in joining the Denton ISD Child Nutrition team? They are now hiring! Go to the Denton ISD homepage for information on how to apply.
Nine Week Grading Periods
October 11th
December 20th
March 8th
May 23rd
We value our partnership and teachers will be sending home work samples as well as progress reports at the halfway point so you are informed of your child's progress. Many teachers also use forms of electronic sharing of student work samples. If you have any questions on your child's progress throughout the year, please contact your child's teacher.
Volunteers Are Welcome
Plan on volunteering? Helping on a field trip? Please complete your volunteer application/background check! A new one is needed each school year and must be completed before you can volunteer with students. Information is provided on the link below. We can't wait to see you on campus!
Are You Connected?
Join Bell Elementary's Facebook Page to receive special updates and reminders!
https://www.facebook.com/catherinebellelemschool/
Or search "Catherine Coleman Bell Elementary" and LIKE the page
Support Bell PTA and receive information from their Facebook page!
https://www.facebook.com/KeepCalmAndVolunteer/?fref=ts
Or search "Bell Elementary PTA" and LIKE the page
Not a PTA member yet? It's not too late! Stop by the office and we can get you set up!
Dates to Remember
March 5th: Chick-fil-A Spirit Day!
Enjoy breakfast, lunch, and/or dinner and mention you are with Bell Elementary! A portion of the proceeds is donated back to our school!
March 11: March 15th: Spring Break
No School - Enjoy time with friends and family!
March 18th: Staff PLC Day
No school for students
We'll see all our Bobcats back on March 19th!
March 19th: Spirit Night Bell PTA @ Palio's Pizza
Enjoy dinner and mention you are with Bell Elementary! A portion of the proceeds is donated back to Bell PTA! This works for dine in, take out, and delivery!
March 20th: Spring Pictures (Individual Pictures)
Information is coming home soon!
March 23rd: BELL club (Boys Emerging as Lifelong Leaders) vs. ABI Basketball Team
Braswell High School Gym 5:00-8:00 p.m.
See flyer above for more information!
March 29th: 4th Grade Field Trip to Austin
April 1-April 5th: Bell Spring Book Fair
April 4th: Kitten Kamp Meet 'n Greet @ Bell Playground, 3:45-4:15 PM
This event is for incoming, 2019-2020, Bell kindergartners!
April 9th: STAAR Testing
4th Grade Writing, 5th Grade Math
*Campus Closed to Visitors on STAAR Testing Days
April 10th: STAAR Testing
5th Grade Reading, 4th Grade Make-Up Testing
*Campus Closed to Visitors on STAAR Testing Days
April 11th: STAAR Testing
4th/5th Grade Make-Up Testing
*Campus Closed to Visitors on STAAR Testing Days
April 18th: PTA Meeting & Fine Arts Night
1st Grade & 4th Grade will be highlighted!
6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
More info coming soon!
April 19th: School Holiday
No school for staff or students
April 22-April 24th: 5th Grade Science Camp, Camp Grady Spruce
April 24th: Kindergarten Orientation, Incoming (2019-2020) Kindergarten Families
9:00 AM session OR 6:00 PM session
Bell Library - Come learn all about kindergarten!
May 2nd: Sing, Play and Dance Our Way to Kinder - Incoming (2019-2020) Kindergarten Families @ Bell Cafeteria, 5:15 PM - 6:30 PM
May 7th: 2nd Grade Performance @ 6:30 PM
Information to come soon!
May 14th: STAAR Testing
3rd & 4th Grade Reading
5th Grade Reading (retest)
*Campus Closed to Visitors on STAAR Testing Days
May 15th: STAAR Testing
5th Grade Science
May 13th: STAAR Testing
3rd & 4th Grade Math
5th Grade Math (retest)
*Campus Closed to Visitors on STAAR Testing Days
3rd/4th Grade Make-Up Testing
*Campus Closed to Visitors on STAAR Testing Days
May 16th: STAAR Testing
3rd, 4th, 5th Grade Make-Up Testing
*Campus Closed to Visitors on STAAR Testing Days
May 17th: Field Day @ 9:00 AM - 2:00 PM
More information to come soon! :)
May 21st: PTA Meeting + Student Performances
5th Grade & Choir Performances @ Bell Cafeteria, 6:30 PM
More information coming soon!
May 22nd: Early Release Day @ 12:00 noon
Please make sure you communicate any dismissal changes with the school!
May 23rd: Early Release Day @ 12:00 noon
Please make sure you communicate any dismissal changes with the school!
May 23rd: Last Day of School
Make sure to check your email over the summer! Snapcodes for on-line registration will be sent mid-July! Registration for all grades, Kinder-5th Grade, will be July 29-August 2nd. More info to come soon!
Accepting Responsibility
Building character is important to us at Bell Elementary! We believe in our students and want them to have the opportunity to grow in their character as well as in their academics. This includes helping students learn about their strengths and how they contribute to their classroom and school with those strengths, building problem solving skills, and practicing skills such as kindness, conflict resolution, forgiveness, resilience, goal setting, leading by example, helpfulness, and more!
Family Topic of Conversation:
Our fifth core value is "Accept Responsibility". During the month of March consider learning about this character trait together as a family. Accepting responsibility may include taking responsibility for our words and actions before we act as well as taking ownership for mistakes after they happen.
3 steps to accepting responsibility:
1. Confession - Announce what you did wrong
2. Ownership - Accept TOTAL responsibility for your actions. Don't worry about what others think about you because you are owning the situation. No blaming others!
3. Change - Desire to do something different and not repeat. Plan of action.
A few quotes to help spring conversation include:
- Be sure to taste your words before you spit them out.
- A mistake repeated more than once is a decision. -Paulo Coelho
- You are always responsible for how you act, no matter how you feel. Remember that.
- More people would learn from their mistakes if they weren't so busy denying them.
- Blowing out someone else's candle doesn't make yours shine any brighter.
- What would happen if I could think consequences before I act?
- You are free to choose, but you are not free from the consequence of your choice.
- Leadership is about taking responsibility, not making excuses. -Mitt Romney
- Complaining is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it gets you nowhere. -Glenn Turner
- If you hang out with chickens, you're going to cluck, and if you hang out with eagles, you're going to fly. -Dr. Steve Maraboli
We will continue to focus on being 212 throughout the school year and how our core values feed into this.
"At 211 degrees, water is hot. At 212 degrees, it boils. And with boiling water, comes steam. And with steam, you can power a train. Just one extra degree makes all the difference." -Sam Parker, 212 the extra degree
Catherine Coleman Bell Elementary
Email: bellnotes@dentonisd.org
Website: http://www.dentonisd.org/belles
Location: 601 Villa Paloma Boulevard, Little Elm, TX, United States
Phone: (972) 347-7200
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/catherinebellelemschool/