The Bee's Knees
January 2019
Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a fun winter break. This time of year most of us reflect on the previous year and make a resolution to do something new or better in the coming year. As the principal of Barfield I review what our school has done, recognize what has worked well and determine what we can resolve to do better. We have an amazing school with a talented and caring staff, so our school’s list of resolutions for improvement is considerably shorter than my personal list (and also more likely to be achieved). Each year our student enrollment grows, that is a long standing fact which really requires no reflection at all. Thanks to the passage of Prop E we will be adding classrooms. That is the improvement I am most excited for 2019! I will finalize the floor plan with the district architect and the cabinet of superintendents in the weeks to come and construction is tentatively planned to begin this spring! I will keep everyone updated as the details become finalized. 2019 is sure to be an extraordinary year for Barfield!
Kevin Garcia
Important Dates
Jan 8: BEC PTO Meeting 6:00
Jan 10: 5:30 pm-7:30 pm Parent Group: Behavior Strategies
Jan 10-12: BEC PTO Cookie Cutters Haircuts for Kids Fundraiser
Jan 18: No School
Jan 21: No School
Staff Spotlight-Jenny Steinlage, Physical Therapist
I graduated from physical therapy school at SLU in 2009 with my master's degree and completed my doctorate degree in 2011. I have been working as a pediatric physical therapist for 10 years, and have been here at Barfield Early Childhood for 3 years. I always knew I wanted to work with children, and initially entered SLU as a Med School Scholar with the intention of becoming a pediatrician. I realized that I wanted to be able to spend more time with kids and 'play' everyday... and physical therapy was the perfect combination! I adore my profession and the children I get to work with, and Barfield is one of the most amazing groups of people I have had the pleasure to work with.
My husband and I met in my freshman year at SLU. We have been together for 16 years, and married for 9 years. We have 2 kids - my son Jack is 7 years old and my daughter Tessa is 3 years old. They are both strong -willed and love to challenge authority every chance they get.
My husband and I enjoy traveling - 2 of my most favorite places we have visited are Kauai (one of the islands of Hawaii) and Ireland. I also love yoga, reading, anything crafty, and I am a huge Harry Potter and Disney fan. We currently have 1 dog, and I am trying to convince my husband that we need a goat and some chickens as well. My retirement plan involves a house on the beach in Kauai with an accompanying goat pen and yard for the chickens.
From the Nurses....
* Allow your child to help you make healthy meals. They are more likely to try new things when they had a hand in making it.
* Have healthy, easy snacks readily available. Some examples are carrots, sliced apples, and string cheese.
* Milk and water are healthy drink choices. Soda, fruit juice, and sports drinks add extra calories and can be damaging to teeth.
* Encourage active play! Preschoolers should get at least 120 minutes of active play a day. This can be planned adult-led physical activity and unstructured active free play.
* Limit screen time to 1 hour a day.
Pictures From the Month of Decemeber
Library Scoop
Checkouts will resume when school is back in session on January 3, 2019. Please remember to return all library books that were checked out over the "Winter Break".
We have a new section in the library for Braille books. We do not have a large selection available but, we are working on adding to it. We also have a section for books that have been chosen and awarded by the MLA (Missouri Library Association). Books chosen for this award, for this year and past years, can be found at http://molib.org/awards/building-block-award/current-nominees/ If you are interested in having your child check out one of these books, please let their teacher know. You can also browse for what books are available in our library at https://destiny.wentzville.k12.mo.us/ Just click on Barfield Early Childhood Center.
Just a friendly reminder to leave all book repairs to the Librarian. We know accidents can happen and pages will get torn. I have special materials here to fix those kinds of problems.
Notices for "lost, late or damaged" books will be going home between January 7-11, 2019. Per school policy, any fines for "lost/damaged books that is not paid will result in students not being able to check out books here and in future grades. If you pay a fine and the book is found and returned within 60 days undamaged, your money will be refunded. If you have any questions about this policy, please feel free to contact me at www.judithringling@wsdr4.org or call (636) 561-5757 Ext:19259
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday with family and friends.